cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies on Numerical Evaluation of Sommerfeld Integrals for Multilayer Topologies

Sommerfeld integrals (SI) for a multilayer media are encountered in full-wave analysis of high-speed microstrip interconnects or patch antennas that are radiating on a PEC-backed dielectric substrate covered by a superstrate. The weighted average and asymptotic methods for calculating the SI are two different techniques whose comparative numerical assessment is presented in this investigation.
A Conversation with Actuators: An Exploratory Design Environment for Hybrid Materials

An exciting, expanding palette of hybrid materials is emerging that can be programmed to actuate by a range of external and internal stimuli. However, there exists a dichotomy between the physicality of the actuators and the intangible computational signal that is used to program them. For material practitioners, this lack of physical cues limits their ability to engage in a "conversation with materials" (CwM). This paper presents a creative workstation for supporting this epistemological style by bringing a stronger physicality to the computational signal and balance the conversation between physical and digital actors. The station utilizes a streaming architecture to distribute control across multiple devices and leverage the rich spatial cognition that a physical space affords. Through a formal user study, we characterize the actuation design practice supported by the CwM workstation and discuss opportunities for tangible interfaces to hybrid materials.
Scaling a Startup: Pacing Issues

To build students' understanding of business model attributes, competitive dynamics, and capital market conditions that encourage entrepreneurs to pursue accelerated growth.
Capacity constraints and time allocation in public health clinics

Unlike in the production of most goods, changes in capacity for labor-intensive services only affect outcomes of interest insofar as service providers change the way they allocate their time in response to those capacity changes. In this paper, we examine how public sector service providers respond to unexpected capacity constraints in the specific context of public health clinics. We exploit an exogenous reduction in public health clinic capacity to quantify the trade-off between patients treated and time spent with each patient, which we treat as a proxy for a quality versus quantity decision. We provide evidence that these small and generally insignificant effects on nurse time favor public sector employees prioritizing quality of each interaction over clearing the patient queue.
Protective effect of propranolol and nadolol on social defeat-induced behavioral impairments in rats.

Abstract Benzodiazepines and SSRIs are considered as standard treatment options for anxiety and depression, hallmarks of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), although their use is often limited by adverse effects. While promising evidence emerged with β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) antagonists (or ‘β-blockers’) and PTSD relief, efficacy issues dampened the excitement. However, we believe it is premature to completely eliminate a beneficial role of β-blockers. Our previous work has suggested that social defeat (SD) results in anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors in rats. Here, using the SD paradigm, we examined the effect of several β-adrenergic receptor antagonists (propranolol, nadolol, bisoprolol) on these behaviors in rats. Following acclimatization, Sprague-Dawley rats received no treatment (for control groups) or treated with ; propranolol (50 mg/kg/day in water), or nadolol (18 mg/kg/day in rats’ chow), or bisoprolol (15 mg/kg/day in water). The treatment lasted for 36 days, following which rats were subjected to SD/control exposures (1 week). Later, anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors, social interaction and learning-memory function tests were conducted. SD rats exhibited anxiety- and depression-like behavior as well as learning-memory impairment. Propranolol and nadolol protected SD rats from exhibiting anxiety-or depression-like behaviors. Bisoprolol treatment did not mitigate SD-induced behavioral impairments in rats. Nadolol, propranolol or bisoprolol have no effect in attenuating SD-induced memory function tests. These results suggest that certain ‘β-blockers’ have the potential to mitigate the negative psychological effects of traumatic events.
Photophysics of excitons in quasi-one-dimensional organic semiconductors : Single-walled carbon nanotubes and π-conjugated polymers

The nature of the primary photoexcitations in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (S-SWCNTs) is of strong current interest. We have studied the emission spectra of S-SWCNTs and two different $\pi$-conjugated polymers in solutions and films, and have also performed ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy on these systems. The emission spectra relative to the absorption bands are very similar in S-SWCNTs and polymers, with redshifted photoluminescence in films showing exciton migration. The transient photoinduced absorptions (PAs) in SWCNTs and $\pi$-conjugated polymers are also remarkably similar, with a low energy PA$_1$ and a higher energy PA$_2$ in all cases. Theoretical calculations of excited state absorptions within a correlated $\pi$-electron Hamiltonian find the same excitonic energy spectrum for S-SWCNTs and $\pi$-conjugated polymers, illustrating the universal features of quasi-one-dimensional excitons in carbon-based $\pi$-conjugated systems. In both cases PA$_1$ is an excited state absorption from the optically allowed exciton to a two-photon exciton that occurs below the continuum band threshold. PA$_1$ therefore gives the lower limit of the binding energy of the lowest optical exciton. The binding energy of lowest exciton belonging to the widest S-SWCNTs with diameters $\geq$ 1 nm in films is 0.3--0.4 eV, as determined by both experimental and theoretical methods.
A Classification Framework Using Imperfectly Labeled Data for Manufacturing Applications

In recent years, classification techniques have been broadly adopted for a variety of smart manufacturing applications, including system health maintenance, defect detection and diagnosis, etc. However, most classification methods require a large set of training data that are accurately labeled by human experts in a specific domain. Collecting these training data is time-consuming and prohibitively expensive in practical applications. To overcome this challenge, we develop a classification framework using imperfectly labeled data. First, a statistical model is proposed to derive a set of probabilistic labels with consideration of labeling errors. Next, an accurate classifier is trained from these inaccurate labels. As demonstrated by the experimental results of two industrial examples, the proposed framework achieves superior classification accuracy over other conventional approaches.
Circulating plasma microRNAs in colorectal neoplasia: A pilot study in assessing response to therapy.

Abstract Introduction Current serological surveillance markers to monitor colorectal cancer (CRC) or colorectal advanced adenomas (CAA) are hampered by poor sensitivity and specificity. The aim of this study is to identify and validate a panel of plasma microRNAs which change in expression after resection of such lesions. Methods A prospectively maintained colorectal surgery database was queried for patients in whom both pre- and post-procedural serum samples had been obtained. An initial screening analysis of CRC and CAA patients (5 each) was conducted using screening cards for 380 miRNAs. Four identified miRNAs were combined with a previously described panel of 7 miRNAs that were diagnostically predictive of CRC and CAA. Differential miRNA expression was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR). Results Fifty patients were included (n = 27 CRC, n = 23 CAA). There was no difference in age, gender, or race profile of CRC patients compared to CAA patients. Six miRNA were significantly increased after CRC resection (miR-324, let7b, miR-454, miR-374a, miR-122, miR-19b, all p Discussion The expression of miRNAs associated with neoplasia (either CRC or CAA) was significantly increased following surgical resection or endoscopic removal of CRC or CAA. Future studies should focus on the evaluation of these miRNAs in CRC and CAA prognosis.
La Bibliometria brasilera y sus actores, 1973-2018

Analisa-se a rede de coautorias da bibliometria brasileira (BB) dividida em cinco periodos de 1973 a 1980. Verificou-se que no periodo de 1973 a 1980 a rede e composta por 59 autores com 62 lacos. Essas coautorias praticamente quadruplicaram-se no segundo periodo de 1973 a 1990, atingindo 203 coautorias com 448 lacos. O crescimento do tamanho das coautorias nao e tao acelerado na terceira decada, de 1973 a 2000, quando foram atingidas 267 coautorias com 501 lacos. Essas coautorias aumentaram para 395 nos com 501 lacos na decada seguinte e na ultima decada para 375 nos com 501 vinculos. A densidade e a proporcao de lacos observados na rede em relacao com o numero maximo de lacos possiveis. Nesta rede, a densidade e realmente muito baixa, atingindo 9,5% no periodo 1973-1980, caindo para 2,2% no periodo seguinte, 1,4% entre 1973-2000 e 0,6% no periodo 1973-2010 e 0,7% no ultimo periodo. Em certas situacoes, uma rede esta dividida em subgrupos nos quais todos os seus membros estao conectados direta ou indiretamente. No periodo 1973-1980, havia 14 grupos atuando no BB; ele cresceu para 31 componentes em 12 no periodo 1973-1990, mas quase dobrou para 65 grupos operando no periodo 1973-2000; cresce para 88 grupos diferentes no periodo 1973-2010, mas diminui para 66 no periodo 1973-2018. Palavras clave: Bibliometria. Cienciometria. Brasil. Analise de co-autorias. Analise de redes.
A gadget can't fix what's wrong with the tobacco distribution system.

H HEN the commercial availability of tobacco to youth is effectively restricted, their use of tobacco drops substantially (I-3). Consequently, the sale of tobacco to minors has been outlawed in all 5o states and in many other countries. Enforcement of such laws is occurring to some degree in every state, and national surveys show youth smoking rates declining steadily for the past several years (4). However, the full public health benefit of access restrictions has not been realized, since minors are successful in about i out of 5 attempts to purchase tobacco, according to state surveys (5). States have invested heavily in merchant education. Such programs seek to convince store owners of the importance of complying with the law. Responsible retailers have instituted training programs for their employees. Sales clerks are taught the specifics of the law and are trained to challenge customers for proof of age. The tobacco manufacturers have stepped in to provide free signage and date-of-birth calendars to assist clerks in identifying underage customers. Compliance with the law is encouraged through enforcement inspections that employ minors as shoppers. Despite these efforts, clerks continue to sell to minors at unacceptably high rates. Many clerks find it difficult to determine, based on a claimed date of birth, whether a customer has reached the legal age limit. Faced with the task of performing the mental arithmetic, many clerks simply fake it and sell tobacco to anyone who can produce an ID. This leads to the paradoxical observation that youths are more likely to be sold tobacco if they hand the clerk an ID that proves that they are underage than if they produce no ID at all.
Pfam domain adaptation profiles reflect plant species' evolutionary history

The increase in global temperatures predicted by climate change models presents a serious problem for agriculture because high temperatures reduce crop yields. Protein biochemistry is at the core of plant heat stress response, and understanding the interactions between protein biochemistry and temperature will be key to developing heat-tolerant crop varieties. Current experimental studies of proteome-wide plant thermostability are limited by the complexity of plant proteomes: evaluating function for thousands of proteins across a variety of temperatures is simply not feasible with existing technologies. In this paper, we use homologous prokaryote sequences to predict plant Pfam temperature adaptation and gain insights into how thermostability varies across the proteome for three species: maize, Arabidopsis, and poplar. We find that patterns of Pfam domain adaptation across organelles are consistent and highly significant between species, with cytosolic proteins having the largest range of predicted Pfam stabilities and a long tail of highly-stable ribosomal proteins. Pfam adaptation in leaf and root organs varies between species, and maize root proteins have more low-temperature Pfam domains than do Arabidopsis or poplar root proteins. Both poplar and maize populations have an excess of low-temperature mutations in Pfam domains, but only the mutations identified in poplar accessions have a negative effect on Pfam temperature adaptation overall. These Pfam domain adaptation profiles provide insight into how different plant structures adapt to their surrounding environment and can help inform breeding or protein editing strategies to produce heat-tolerant crops.
Inaccuracy of the energy-matching calibration technique for hailpads

Abstract The hailpad is a device to acquire data about hailstones such as their size and distribution over an area. To serve this purpose, hailpads require regular calibration. Research results indicate that the energy matching technique, a widely used calibration technique for hailpads, may not be sufficiently accurate to determine hailstone size from dent diameters on the hailpad.
Stimuli-responsive temporary adhesives: enabling debonding on demand through strategic molecular design

Stimuli-responsive temporary adhesives constitute a rapidly developing class of materials defined by the modulation of adhesion upon exposure to an external stimulus or stimuli. Engineering these materials to shift between two characteristic properties, strong adhesion and facile debonding, can be achieved through design strategies that target molecular functionalities. This perspective reviews the recent design and development of these materials, with a focus on the different stimuli that may initiate debonding. These stimuli include UV light, thermal energy, chemical triggers, and other potential triggers, such as mechanical force, sublimation, electromagnetism. The conclusion discusses the fundamental value of systematic investigations of the structure–property relationships within these materials and opportunities for unlocking novel functionalities in future versions of adhesives.
Terre, mon beau souci. Quand Frédéric Boyer « fait Virgile »

This article takes as its point of departure Frederic Boyer’s 2019 translation of Virgil’s Georgics (under the title Le Souci de la terre) and the long introductory essay that accompanies it, entit...
Corticostriatal microRNAs in addiction

Addiction is a chronically relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug use in spite of adverse consequences. Currently, there are very few effective treatments for addiction; in order to develop novel therapies, a clearer understanding of mechanisms underlying addiction is needed. Drugs of abuse induce lasting adaptations in corticostriatal and mesolimbic brain reward circuitry due to long-term alterations in gene expression. microRNAs, a class of non-coding RNAs, are powerful regulators of gene expression that bind to target mRNAs, thereby inhibiting their translation and/or causing degradation. miRNAs are increasingly implicated in gene expression changes underlying normal neuronal function as well as dysfunctions such as addiction and psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes plasticity- and drug-related miRNA expression patterns and functions in the context of corticostriatal circuitry, while proposing future directions that may reveal miRNA-mediated mechanisms regulating addiction-related behaviors in vivo.
Control over electric field in traveling wave applicators

A method of optimal material design is applied to the problem of controlling the distribution of the electric field within a material heated by microwaves in closed cavities. Analytical and computational procedures are presented for a layer in a single-mode rectangular waveguide applicator. These determine the optimal placing and micro-geometry of composite controlling materials. The particular case of a lossless layer is illustrated numerically: it is shown that the controlling material becomes uniform with a dielectric constant which always exceeds the layer to be heated.
Collecting debts from the ill and injured: the rhetorical significance, but practical irrelevance, of culpability and ability to pay.

Introduction 230 I. Bankruptcy Filings of the Ill and Injured 233 A. Medical-Related Bankruptcy Generally 233 B. Medical-Related Chapter 13 Filings; The New Data ........237 II. A Traditional Analysis of the Medical-Related Chapter 13 Findings 239 A. The Centrality of the Discharge for the “Honest and Unfortunate” 239 B. Why Chapter 13 is a Risky Form of Bankruptcy, According to the Traditional View, for Debtors With Low Culpability and Weak Repayment Prospects 241 C. Medical-Related Filers Tend to be Risky Chapter 13 Filers 245 III. A Functional Analysis of Chapter 13 (Or, Why Some Perceive an Ill or Injured Debtor as an Appropriate Chapter 13 Filer After All) 250 A. The Discharge Reduction Function of Chapter 13 250 1. Bankruptcy reform rhetoric 250
Untersuchungen über Steroide XLI. Umwandlungsprodukte des 17α‐Strophanthidins

Pseudostrophanthidin (2) can be easily prepared by treating strophanthidin (1) with concentrated hydrochloric acid in the cold [1]. 2 has served as the initial product for the preparation of a number of analogues and homologues of steroid hormones [2] [3]. 17α-Pseudostrophanthidin (4) is considered a suitable starting material for an extension of these investigations. It was logical to attempt the preparation of 4 from 17α-strophanthidin (3) under conditions identical with those used in the conversion of 1 into 2. However, these experiments did not lead to 4 but, instead, by way of the unstable 14ξ-chloro-14-deoxy-17α-strophanthidin (5) to 14-anhydro-17α-strophanthidin (6). This result is essentially in agreement with findings reported in the literature [5]. To support the structure assigned to 6, this compound was also prepared by a different, unambiguous, route. Treatment of 3 with thionyl chloride in pyridine gave mainly 3β, 5β-O, Osulfinyl-14-anhydro-17α-strophanthidin (8), which was converted into 6 by mild hydrolysis. In turn 6, as obtained via the unstable chloro compound 5, gave on treatment with thionyl chloride in pyridine a product identical with 8. – 6 was characterized as the 3-acetate 7. As extension of these experiments, 17α-strophanthidol (10) [6] was treated with concentrated hydrochloric acid in the cold under conditions similar to those used in the conversion of 3 into 6 by way of 5. This led to the isolation of 14-anhydro-17α-strophanthidol (11), which could also be obtained by the reduction of 6 with aluminium amalgam. As is known [1] [8], strophanthidinic acid (13) can be converted into strophanthidinic acid 19,8-lactone (14) by treatment with concentrated hydrochloric acid in the cold. In view of the negative results obtained in the attempt to transform 3 into 4 under these conditions, the question arose as to whether the conversion of 17α-strophanthidinic acid (15) into 17α-strophanthidinic acid 19,8-lactone (16) by the same procedure is also impossible. 15 was prepared by treating 3 with hydrogen peroxide and was characterized as the methyl ester 17 and the methyl ester of the 3-benzoate (18). 15 and 17 have been mentioned in the literature [5], but the physical constants reported differ from those obtained in this laboratory. It was demonstrated that after treating 15 with concentrated hydrochloric acid in the cold, no 16 could be isolated but, instead, an unstable chloro compound 19 which was converted into 14-anhydro-17α-strophanthidinic acid (20). 20 was characterized as the methyl ester 21 and the 3-acetate 22.
Privacy Considerations in Awareness Systems: Designing with Privacy in Mind

The earlier chapters of this book presented a conceptual understanding of awareness (Eggen and van Mensvoort, 2009, in this volume; Metaxas and Markopoulos, 2009, in this volume). A historical account (Rittenbruch and McEwan, 2009, in this volume) as well as descriptions of various implementations (see Part III) illustrate how various systems have attempted to foster greater awareness. A common challenge faced by all awareness systems is the tension with an individual’s desire for privacy (Hudson and Smith, 1996).
Number Systems and Arithmetic

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses number systems and arithmetic for machine calculation. It presents techniques, concepts, and models that are relevant to the development of improved machine arithmetic processes. An attempt is made to present the important basic concepts and the essential flavor of each item discussed. The chapter also presents definitions, basic concepts, and the general properties and characteristics of machine number systems. Emphasis is placed on the distinction between a representation in a machine number system and the interpretation, which may be given to a representation. The manner in which a machine designer restricts interpretation is also considered for fixed point number system. The consideration of number systems for digital computer applications may be restricted to finite number systems. The most important characteristics of machine number systems, contrary to the most prevalent opinion, are finitude rather than the fact that binary logic employed. Overflows, underflows, scaling, and complement coding that characterize machine number systems are direct consequences of finitude and, in fact, illustrate both the detrimental and beneficial consequences of finitude.
The contribution of the fetal kidney to experimental hypertensive disease of pregnancy.

Abstract A study of pressor substances in the fetal kidney of pregnant dogs and their possible role in hypertensive disease of pregnancy is reported. Renin yielding angiotensin was found to be present in the fetal kidney. Kidney renin concentration of fetuses from dogs with hypertensive disease of pregnancy produced by chronic uterine ischemia was much higher than that from kidneys of fetuses of normal pregnant dogs. Evidence is presented to support the idea that renin readily crosses the placenta. A hypothesis is formulated that it is the renin from the fetal kidney and not the renin obtainable from the uterus, placenta, or amniotic fluid which may be involved in the blood pressure elevation of hypertensive disease of pregnancy.
Informed pruning in constructive induction

This paper concerns the effect of training noise on performance in a constructive induction algorithm. We give a method for using domain theory bias in postprocessing a classification rule to correct for overfltting. The algorithm is a variant of the nearest-neighbor algorithm used in digital communication to decode a block-coded message. Experimental results are presented.
A visual parking guidance for surround view monitoring system

360 degree surround view system monitoring (SVM) is a very convenient system to help drivers drive through narrow spaces blind-spot-free by looking at surround of a vehicle from top view. Nevertheless, it cannot solve the problem of parking. Even with help of 360 degree SVM system, unexperienced drivers still cannot do parking easily. In this paper, we present a parking guidance for SVM system which guides drivers to do parking step by step easily. One of key technologies of parking guidance or intelligent parking system is the path planning. This paper mainly describes two-arc parking path planning scheme. How the HMI of parking guidance applied on SVM system is also described.
Mechanism of Pigeon Liver Malic Enzyme FORMATION OF l-LACTATE FROM l-MALATE, AND EFFECTS OF MODIFICATION OF PROTEIN THIOL GROUPS ON MALIC ENZYME, OXALACETATE, AND PYRUVATE REDUCTASE ACTIVITIES

Abstract Crystalline pigeon liver malic enzyme (malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.40) catalyzes the slow, magnesium-dependent reduction of oxalacetate and conversion of l-malate to l-lactate in the presence of TPNH and TPN, respectively, with TPN acting in a catalytic manner. Pyruvate reductase activity associated with this enzyme has a pH optimum of 6.5 to 6.8 and a Michaelis constant of 5.52 mm for pyruvate. The activity ratio of oxidative decarboxylation of l-malate, reduction of pyruvate, and reduction of oxalacetate catalyzed by the enzyme is approximately 7.3:0.31:1. Titration of 4 sulfhydryl groups by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) induced a reversible loss of malic enzyme activity and an increase in pyruvate reductase activity, while the oxalacetate reductase activity remained constant. The modified enzyme exhibited a new activity ratio of 0.3:0.6:1. These observations are consistent with both reductases being auxiliary reactions that could be expected from a sequential, ordered mechanism with oxalacetate as the enzyme-bound intermediate in a central complex. It is postulated that alteration of thiol groups led to a reversible blockage of the CO2 step, which was responsible for the observed changes in the diverse activities of the enzyme.
Officer, Nurse, Woman: The Army Nurse Corps in the Vietnam War – By Karen Dixon Vuic

In June 1970, General William Westmoreland elevated Army Nurse Corps Chief Anna Mae McCabe Hays to brigadier general, making her the first female general in U.S. history. The ceremony might have hi...
Comment: Phenotypic diversity and stroke classification in pediatric moyamoya.

Al-Yassin et al.1 describe clinical and radiologic features of children with arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) and moyamoya vasculopathy (MMV), enrolled prospectively over 13 years in 2 large institutional stroke registries. They focused on children <age 5 years, based on clinical observations that younger children have more severe disease. They applied the recently published Childhood Arterial Ischemic Stroke Standardized Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation (CASCADE) classification system2 to evaluate its utility in capturing the phenotypic spectrum of these children. Strengths of their approach include the use of large long-standing institutional stroke registries populated with data obtained from standardized clinical protocols.
Volume-sensitive anion channels mediate swelling-activated inositol and taurine efflux

C6 glioma cells accumulate the organic osmolyte inositol in response to chronic hypertonic stress. Upon return to isotonic conditions, cell swelling activates a Na(+)-independent passive low-affini...
Internal protein sequencing of SDS-page-separated proteins: Optimization of an in gel digest protocol

Publisher Summary Recently, there has been nearly a 10-fold increase in the sensitivity, at which internal sequencing can routinely carry out on “unknown” proteins. The study discussed in this chapter have evaluated an in gel digest protocol, such that critical steps in this procedure can be identified and optimized, and such that realistic limits can be placed on the amount of protein required to maintain a success rate that approaches 100%. With the exception of studies on bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human transferrin, all other digests considered in this study are carried out on Coomassie Blue-stained gel bands that had been excised from sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gels. The BSA and transferrin samples are subject to SDS-PAGE and are otherwise prepared as described in the chapter. Proteins are quantified by subjecting 10–15% aliquots of all gel slices to hydrolysis and ion exchange amino acid analysis. Difficulty in obtaining high sensitivity matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) spectra on in gel digests (for the purpose of peptide mass database searching prior to HPLC fractionation) carried out in the presence of Tween 20 provided the impetus for determining if this detergent is indeed essential. Based on tryptic and lysyl endopeptidase digests of transferrin (25 pmol), Tween 20 (0.02%) did not have any significant impact on overall peptide yield as judged by the resulting absorbance profiles. Based on the overall data obtained it becomes evident that gel digestion is a remarkably robust approach for obtaining internal peptide sequences from sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)-separated proteins.
Arthroscopic Approaches to the Ankle Joint

Abstract This chapter reviews anterior and posterior arthroscopic approaches to the ankle and subtalar joints. The specific anatomy relevant to arthroscopy is reviewed including the major tendon, vascular, nerve and ligament structures along with the bony anatomy of the joints. A step by step discussion of portal placement, portal establishment, and diagnostic arthroscopy of the joints is presented, first for anterior approaches and then for posterior approaches.
Annealing mechanisms in neutron-irradiated silicon

Abstract Through a detailed annealing study of neutron-irradiated silicon, utilizing Raman scattering, several striking trends have been observed which lend themselves to an interpretation of the annealing mechanisms in the damaged material. Most notable of these observations is the fact that the Raman intensity appears to follow separate second-order decays in both the low (30–300°C) and high (350–600°C) temperature ranges, possibly indicating the uncorrelated nature of the combining defects. The low activation energies obtained (roughly 0.5 and 1.0 eV respectively), as well as the low attempt frequencies calculated (106s-1), suggest a rate-limiting step involving the ionization of a carrier from the defects. That the free carrier recovery of the extrinsic sample nearly parallels the defect annealing, tends to corroborate this point of view.
Dementia and Alzheimer disease incidence: a prospective cohort study.

Context Age-specific incidence rates for dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD) are important for research and clinical practice. Incidence estimates for the United States are few and vary with the population sampled and study design; we present data that will contribute to a consensus of these rates. Objectives To provide age-specific incidence estimates for dementia and AD and to estimate the association of sex, educational level, and apolipoprotein E genotype with onset. Design Prospective cohort study; begun in 1994 with follow-up interviews every 2 years. Setting Members of community-based, large health maintenance organization with demographics consistent with the surrounding base population; diagnostic evaluation by university-based study clinicians. Subjects Random sample of subjects aged 65 years or older from the base population; dementia free, nonnursing home residents. Of 5422 who were eligible, 2581 were enrolled, and 2356 had at least 1 follow-up evaluation (10 591 person-years of observation). Main Outcome Measure Dementia and Alzheimer disease diagnoses were based on standard criteria. Age-specific incidence rates were calculated using a person-years approach with Poisson distribution confidence intervals. Cox proportional hazards model analysis was used to examine other factors. Results Two hundred fifteen cases of dementia and 151 cases of AD were diagnosed. Incidence rates for dementia and AD increase across the 5-year age groups; AD rates rise from 2.8 per 1000 person-years (age group, 65-69 years) to 56.1 per 1000 person-years in the older than 90-year age group. The rates nearly triple from the 75-to-79-year and 80-to-84-year age groups, but the relative increase is much less thereafter. Sex was not associated with AD onset. Educational level (>15 years vs Conclusions Our dementia and AD incidence rates are consistent with recent US and European cohort studies, providing clinicians and researchers new information concerning the reproducibility of incidence estimates across settings. Increased risk was associated with age and the apolipoprotein E genotype; also with a low baseline cognitive screening test score. Educational level was inversely associated with the risk of dementia and positively associated with the baseline cognitive test score; thus, detection of AD by the screening test could also be influenced by educational level.
Possible Relation of Tuff in the Jackson Group (Eocene) to Bediasites

King and Rodda1have described rhyolitic tuffs in the Jackson Group; the first report of rhyolitic tuff from the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain. Analysis of tuff from the Jackson Group (Table 1) differs from analyses of unaltered tuffs from the Gueydan Formation (Miocene) in South Texas2.
THE UNCERTAIN RELEVANCE OF NEWNESS: ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE FLOWS

This study explores how organizational learning in subunits affects outflows of knowledge to other subunits. Three learning processes are explored: Collecting new knowledge, codifying knowledge, an...
Women and Aging International: Diversity, Challenges, and Contributions

The phrase “the world is aging” has become a familiar and accepted piece of knowledge. What may be lesser known is that older women are the majority of older adults throughout the world. According ...
Doppler lidar measurements of the great plains low-level jet: applications to wind energy

The southerly low-level jet (LLJ) of the Great Plains of the United States is a recurrent flow feature of the nighttime boundary layer of the region, which has been identified as a region of high potential for wind energy. The acceleration of the LLJ after sunset produces an enhancement of the wind speed over daytime values, and provides a dependable resource for wind energy. On the negative side, occasional bursts of strong turbulence may be generated that can be of just the right frequency to excite strong oscillatory response in the turbine rotors, thereby accelerating the fatigue of the rotor parts. High resolution Doppler lidar has been used in two studies of the LLJ over the U.S. Great Plains. In this paper we show the usefulness of this remote sensing tool in documenting the mean and turbulent vertical structure, and the evolution of these vertical structures through entire nights. This leads to implications about potential usefulness of Doppler lidar in monitoring mean winds and turbulence in real time to aid in turbine operations.
Circulating hormone adrenomedullin and its binding protein protect neural cells from hypoxia-induced apoptosis

Abstract Background Brain ischemia is the underlying cause of neuron death during stroke and brain trauma. Neural cells exposed to ischemia can undergo apoptosis. Adrenomedullin (AM) in combination with its enhancing binding protein, AMBP-1, has been shown to reduce tissue damage in inflammation. Methods To evaluate a beneficial effect of AM/AMBP-1 administration in brain ischemia, we employed an in vitro model of neuronal hypoxia using differentiated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Results After exposure to 1% O2 for 20 h, neural cells were injured with decreased ATP levels and increased LDH release. Pre-administration of AM/AMBP-1 significantly reduced hypoxia-induced cell injury. Moreover, AM/AMBP-1 treatment reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells and activation of caspase-3, compared to cells exposed to hypoxia alone. AM/AMBP-1 prevented a reduction of cAMP levels and protein kinase A (PKA) activity in neural cells after hypoxia exposure. Correspondingly, an elevation of cAMP levels by forskolin protected neural cells from hypoxia-induced injury. Inhibition of PKA by KT5720 abolished the protective effect of AM/AMBP-1 on hypoxia-induced apoptosis. Conclusions AM/AMBP-1 elevates cAMP levels, followed by activating PKA, to protect neural cells from the injury caused by hypoxia. General significance AM/AMBP-1 may be used as therapeutic agents to prevent neuron damage from brain ischemia.
INFLUENCE OF THE ALPHA2 NORADRENERGIC ANTAGONIST PIPEROXANE ON LONGEVITY IN THE FISCHER-344 RAT: A PRELIMINARY REPORT '

Piperoxane is an alpha 2-noradrenergic antagonist with demonstrated excitatory effects on neurons in the locus coeruleus, causing a corresponding increase in norepinephrine in many forebrain areas. 16 male Fischer-344 rats approximately 16 months of age were injected with 3 mg/kg of piperoxane or .09% saline. The piperoxane-treated rats lived an average of 127.1 days longer than the saline-treated rats. The results are discussed in terms of the effects of strategies designed to enhance brain levels of catecholamine and their effect on the aging process. A discussion of further research is also presented.
Incarceration in the Household: Academic Outcomes of Adolescents with an Incarcerated Household Member

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, yet there is relatively little information on how the removal of these adults from households impacts the youth who are left behind. This study used a child-centered lens to examine the impact of incarceration on the school outcomes of youth who resided with a family member or family associate who was incarcerated prior to the youth's 18th birthday. We used data from 11 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: Child and Young Adult (n = 3,338, 53 % female). Initial analyses indicated that youth who experienced a household members' incarceration evidenced more socioeconomic challenges, more frequent home adversities, and lower cognitive skills relative to youth who did not experience a household members' incarceration. Results also revealed that youth who had experienced a household member's incarceration were more likely to report extended absence from school and were less likely to graduate from high school relative to those youth who did not experience a household members' incarceration. Counter to our hypotheses, results revealed the incarceration of an extended family member being in the household was the only relation significantly associated with worse school outcomes. Plausibly, families who allow non-immediate criminally involved individuals to reside in the household are experiencing a more pervasive chaotic home environment than those with a parent or sibling incarcerated. Our study suggests that efforts to address the needs of children with incarcerated parents need to be widened to those who experience the loss of any household member due to incarceration.
Developing a Medication Patient Safety Program, Part 2: Process and Implementation:

The Director's Forum series is written and edited by Robert Weber and Michael Sanborn and is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. Another specific goal of this column is to address many of the key challenges that pharmacy directors face today, while providing information to foster growth in pharmacy leadership and patient safety. This month's Forum is co-authored by Scott Mark and focuses directly on processes for determining program priorities for patient safety and implementing a succcessful program.
Long‐lifetime current‐driven rotating kink modes in a non‐line‐tied plasma column with a free end

[1] We show the first experimental evidence for a magnetohydrodynamic kink instability in a current rope with one end that is free to move. This free end is partially insulated by sheath resistivity, so that the usual frozen in flux assumption for magnetohydrodynamics is violated in this region. The free end is therefore not line-tied to the axial boundary. We find the instability threshold is well below the classical Kruskal-Shafranov threshold, culminating in a long-lifetime saturated state. The presence of an axial flow further lowers the kink threshold and gives rise to a doppler-shifted frequency from rotation of the kink, where the eigenfunction is axially pushed in the flow direction. This lowered threshold may give rise to kink instabilities in situations with small magnetic twist that would otherwise be considered stable. Striking agreement with a theoretical analysis is demonstrated. The existence of a free end may be important for open flux tubes attached to the Sun, galactic jets associated with accretion discs, and spheromak startup.
An improved experimental system for determining small folding entropy changes resulting from proline to alanine substitutions

Changes in protein stability can be achieved by making substitutions that increase or decrease the available conformations of the unfolded protein without altering the conformational freedom of the folded protein. Matthews and coworkers (1987) proposed that proline to alanine (P → A) substitution would achieve this type of entropic destabilization. By comparing the Ramachandran area associated with alanine and proline residues, Matthews et al. estimated the unfolding entropy change resulting from P → A substitution to be 4.8 cal mol−1 K−1. Although such an entropy difference would produce a substantial free energy change, accurately resolving such free energy changes into entropic and enthalpic components has been difficult. Here, we attempt to quantify the unfolding entropy change produced by P → A substitution by amplifying the effect through multiple substitutions, and by decreasing the uncertainty in determining the unfolding entropy. Variants of a repeat protein, the Drosophila Notch ankyrin domain, were constructed with a varying number of P → A substitutions at structurally conserved positions. Unfolding entropy values of the variants were determined from free energy measurements taken over a common temperature range using chemical denaturation. Our findings confirm the prediction that increasing the number of proline residues present in similar local environments increases the unfolding entropy. The average value of this increase in unfolding entropy is 7.7 ± 4.2 cal mol−1 K−1, which is within error of the value estimated by Matthews et al. (1987).
An end-to-end approach to globally scalable programmable networking

The three fundamental resources underlying Information Technology are bandwidth, storage, and computation. The goal of wide area infrastructure is to provision these resources to enable applications within a community. The end-to-end principles provide a scalable approach to the architecture of the shared services on which these applications depend. As a prime example, IP and the Internet resulted from the application of these principles to bandwidth resources. A similar application to storage resources produced the Internet Backplane Protocol and Logistical Networking, which implements a scalable approach to wide area network storage. In this paper, we discuss the use of this paradigm for the design of a scalable service for wide area computation, or programmable networking. While it has usually been assumed that providing computational services in the network will violate the end-to-end principles, we show that this assumption does not hold. We illustrate the point by describing Logistical Network Computing, an extension to Logistical Networking that supports limited computation at intermediate nodes.
Plastic instabilities and uniaxial tensile ductilities

Abstract Since Hart published his theory of the tensile test, there has been much activity in analyzing uniaxial tensile instabilities and in relating them to observed fracture strains, especially as affected by strain-rate sensitivity. Some progress has been made. However, considerable confusion exists as well, especially concerning the predictions of Hart's theory with regard to fracture strains as affected by strain-rate sensitivity. We present a unified survey, considering both ‘geometric’ and ‘pre-straining’ types of necks, and including both the onset of instability and the rate of propagation of instabilities. It will be shown that most of the results of the more recent analyses are already implicitly contained (though with somewhat less rigor) in Hart's theory, although this author has been either misinterpreted or totally overlooked in some of the more recent treatments. Comparisons will be presented between analytical predictions and experimentally observed, uniaxial fracture strains.
A method for using a fully coupled climate system model to generate detailed surface boundary conditions for paleoclimate modeling investigations: an early Paleogene example

Abstract Although fully coupled models of the earth system are now common, simpler model architectures maintain significant utility, and scientific investigations aimed at understanding paleoclimates are frequently conducted with fixed sea surface temperature (SST) or slab ocean modeling experiments. One of the challenges facing the paleoclimate community is that the proxy data used to generate SST boundary conditions exist at a finer resolution and with very limited spatial coverage when compared to a climate model. In addition, SST proxy estimates often represent a single season or annual average conditions. This mismatch in coverage and resolution frequently results in paleoclimate modelers using SST distributions that have very limited spatial and temporal variability. In many regions, a spatially and temporally detailed SST distribution may be necessary for the accurate reproduction of paleoclimatic conditions. Here we borrow from the concept of flux correction and, using available proxy estimates of SST as our guide, force a fully coupled earth system model to produce a spatially and temporally detailed SST distribution for the paleoclimate of the early Paleogene (∼45–65 Ma). The SST values we produce represent a conservative estimate of early Paleogene high latitude SSTs and match tropical temperatures for this time period well. In addition to matching proxy estimates, our model-derived SST distribution has spatial and temporal variability that meshes well with global climate model resolution. This detailed SST distribution is now available to us as we investigate the causes and sensitivities of early Paleogene climate in fixed SST and slab ocean modeling experiments. The method we used to generate this spatially and temporally detailed SST distribution may prove useful for those investigating other time periods in the past, or the future, for which detailed model boundary conditions are unavailable.
Comparison of the antiemetic effects of a 5-HT1A agonist, LY228729, and 5-HT3 antagonists in the pigeon

Vomiting may be induced by a variety of agents such as drugs, oncolytics, and provocative motion, as well as being conditioned to occur to environmental stimuli. Such emesis has recently been shown to be blocked by agonists at the 5-HT1A subtype of serotonin receptor. The antiemetic effects of LY228729 [(-)-4-(dipropylamine)-1,3,4,5-tetrahydrobenz-(c,d)indole-6- carboxamide], a 5-HT1A receptor agonist, were tested and compared to the antiemetic effects of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists ondansetron, tropisetron, and MDL 72222 (3-tropanyl-3,5-dichlorobenzoate). The emetic stimuli tested are known to be blocked by 5-HT3 antagonists in species other than the pigeon. In the pigeon, LY228729 totally abolished vomiting induced by fully emetic doses of cisplatin (10 mg/kg), ipecac (3 ml/kg), emetine (10 mg/kg), and a 5-HT3 agonist, m-(chlorophenyl)-biguanide (1.25 mg/kg). MDL 72222 blocked ipecac-induced vomiting in a dose-related manner and was partially effective in attenuating cisplatin-induced emesis. Ondansetron and tropisetron were partially effective in blocking emetine- and mCPBG-induced vomiting. Ondansetron exhibited an intrinsic emetic response that could not be blocked by MDL 7222, but which was eliminated by LY228729. It was concluded that 5-HT1A agonists are more effective in the pigeon than are 5-HT3 antagonists against these types of emetic stimuli. These results broaden the range of emetic stimuli that are blocked by 5-HT1A agonists in the pigeon.