cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
One- and two-component diffusion in zeolite ZSM-5 I. Theoretical

The properties of a multicomponent diffusion matrix, derived from a model for single-file diffusion, are discussed. This matrix has several pleasing characteristics, many of which can be discussed in terms of its eigenfunctions. The model has been applied to the steady-state Wicke-Kallenbach and to the transient uptake experiments. For the transient uptake, both constant pressure and variable pressure boundary conditions have been considered. Finally, the case of a first-order reversible reaction is addressed.
The Provision of Local Public Goods in Diverse Communities: Analyzing Municipal Bond Elections

Scholars have shown that diversity depresses public goods provision. In U.S. cities, racial and ethnic divisions could seriously undermine investment. However, diverse cities spend significant amounts on public goods. We ask how these communities overcome their potential collective action problem. Using a new data set on more than 3,000 municipal bond elections, we show that strategic politicians encourage cooperation. Diversity leads officials to be more selective about requesting approval for investment and more attentive to coalition building. We show that diverse communities see fewer bond elections, but that the bonds proposed are larger and pass at higher rates. Diverse cities tend to offer voters bonds with more spending categories and are more likely to hold referenda during general elections. As a result, diverse cities do just as well as homogenous cities in issuing voter-authorized debt. Thus, political elites perform an important mediating function in the generation of public goods.
Removal of Multiple Arginine-Framed Trafficking Signals Overcomes Misprocessing of ΔF508 CFTR Present in Most Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Summary of these different point mutations. It is more likely that they perturb the local folding of the polypeptide and, in Many cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance turn, the achievement of higher order structures. How regulator (CFTR) mutants are recognized as aberrant might the resulting aberrant tertiary structure be recogby the quality control apparatus at the endoplasmic nized within the cell? reticulum (ER) and are targeted for degradation. The Ubiquitination ultimately marks maturation-incompemechanism whereby nascent chains are distinguished tent nascent chains as substrates for the proteasome as either competent or incompetent for ER export has (Jensen et al., 1995; Ward et al., 1995), but earlier steps not been elucidated. Here we show that export-incom- in the recognition of these targets are unclear. Molecular petent chains display multiple arginine-framed tri- chaperones can either retain unfolded proteins or assist peptide sequences like the one recently identified in their folding, and nascent CFTR interacts with chaperATP-sensitive K 1
Annihilation and creation operators in stochastic quantization

Construction d'operateurs d'anhilation et de creation en mecanique quantique, dans le cadre de la mecanique stochastique de Nelson. On montre que ces operateurs ont les relations de commutation correctes, et donnent un hamiltonien qui a une equation aux valeurs propres necessaire dans la representation {N}. Cette formulation donne une correspondance entre la mecanique stochastique et la mecanique quantique conventionnelle
Dielectric film optical amplifier

An optical amplifier is described using an active dielectric film. Electromagnetic scattering from this type of active film has been studied in the past using infinite plane waves. The use of unbounded fields resulted in scattering coefficients that approached infinity at resonance. In this paper, the active scatterer is viewed as an optical amplifier with finite incident and scattered fields. An analytical description is presented and then supported by a numerical analysis. Finite gains are calculated. This analysis also predicts spatial filtering of the incident field, and experimental results confirm these predictions.
The response of rubrospinal neurons to axotomy at different stages of development in the North American opossum.

ABSTRACT Rubral axons can grow around a lesion of their pathway in the thoracic spinal cord of developing opossums and a critical period exists for that plasticity. The critical period probably beg...
Interleukin (IL)-17/IL-22-producing T cells enriched within the liver of patients with chronic hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection.

Background Effector CD4+ helper T cells have historically been classified into T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 based on the production of signature cytokines. The recently identified interleukin (IL)-17 cytokine family plays important roles in host immunity against intracellular pathogens and in chronic inflammatory conditions; data have implicated IL-17 in autoimmune and viral liver disease.
Paper point transfer of minimal numbers of microorganisms from a prepared canal in vitro

Abstract A specifically traceable strain of Streptococcus faecalis was developed and serial dilutions were used to inoculate prepared root canals. Results of culturing indicated that fewer than ten organisms still gave positive readings in thioglycollate media if the tubes were held and read for 7 days.
Vanhoutte at 60

On 24 November 2000, a Jubilee Symposium was held at the Institut Curie in Paris in honor of Professor Paul Vanhoutte's 60th birthday. Organized by Michel Feletou, Chantal Boulanger and Thomas Luscher, and attended by over 100 former co-workers and friends from all over the world, the Symposium comprised short talks on topics representing Prof. Vanhoutte's various research interests. Although the speakers and session chairs discussed Prof. Vanhoutte's scientific contributions so far, the running theme through all these presentations was the warmth that participants felt for the man himself.The responsibilities of a professor include research, service to the community, and teaching and mentoring. Prof. Vanhoutte's ∼1000 publications attest to his enormous ability as a researcher. His role as Chair of numerous committees, his multiple editorial appointments, and his participation in hundreds of symposia, attest to the breadth of his service. But perhaps most impressive is his ability as a mentor and teacher. The fact that everyone had traveled to Paris at their own expense bears witness to the lasting effect Prof. Vanhoutte has had on his colleagues.In his concluding remarks, Tony Verbeuren pointed out that Paul Vanhoutte has had 312 co-authors, and he ended by showing a caricature of Prof. Vanhoutte, which he had formed from their handwritten names (Fig. 1Fig. 1). It was a fitting tribute to an active scientist renowned as much for his mentorship as for his science.Fig. 1Professor Paul Vanhoutte, drawn by Tony Verbeuren, using the names of his co-authors.View Large Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Prostate thermal therapy with catheter-based ultrasound devices and MR thermal monitoring

Four types of transurethral applicators were devised for thermal ablation of prostate combined with MR thermal monitoring: sectored tubular transducer devices with directional heating patterns; planar and curvilinear devices with narrow heating patterns; and multi-sectored tubular devices capable of dynamic angular control without applicator movement. These devices are integrated with a 4 mm delivery catheter, incorporate an inflatable cooling balloon (10 mm OD) for positioning within the prostate and capable of rotation via an MR-compatible motor. Interstitial devices (2.4 mm OD) have been developed for percutaneous implantation with directional or dynamic angular control. In vivo experiments in canine prostate under MR temperature imaging were used to evaluate the heating technology and develop treatment control strategies. MR thermal imaging in a 0.5 T interventional MRI was used to monitor temperature and thermal dose in multiple slices through the target volume. Sectored tubular, planar, and curvilinear transurethral devices produce directional coagulation zones, extending 15-20 mm radial distance to the outer prostate capsule. Sequential rotation and modulated dwell time can conform thermal ablation to selected regions. Multi-sectored transurethral applicators can dynamically control the angular heating profile and target large regions of the gland in short treatment times without applicator manipulation. Interstitial implants with directional devices can be used to effectively ablate the posterior peripheral zone of the gland while protecting the rectum. The MR derived 52 °C and lethal thermal dose contours (t43=240 min) allowed for real-time control of the applicators and effectively defined the extent of thermal damage. Catheter-based ultrasound devices, combined with MR thermal monitoring, can produce relatively fast and precise thermal ablation of prostate, with potential for treatment of cancer or BPH.
It's Abortion, Stupid: Policy Voting in the 1992 Presidential Election

This article uses data from the 1992 American National Election Study to analyze the influence of abortion attitudes on candidate choice in the 1992 presidential election. Despite the general belief that the presidential election was decided almost exclusively on economic issues, attitudes toward abortion had a significant influence on candidate choice in the overall electorate. Although the issue divided supporters of both parties, far more "pro-choice" Republicans than "pro-life" Democrats defected from their party's presidential candidate. Abortion had a stronger influence on candidate choice than any other policy issue included in the study, including affirmative action, social welfare, defense spending, the Gulf War, and the death penalty. Furthermore, among voters who were aware of the parties' positions and for whom abortion was a salient issue, abortion had a much stronger influence on candidate choice than any other issue, including the state of the economy.
Economic Growth, Peasant Marginalization, and the Sexual Division of Labor in Early Twentieth-Century China: Women's Work in Nantong County

In recent decades economic development theory has increasingly focused on the question of women and work. At the same time, development agencies and planners have attempted to integrate programs for improvement of the economic and social position of women into larger strategies aimed at increasing agricultural and industrial growth in the Third World. Two implicit assumptions have formed the basis for many of these programs and the theory from which they arise: first, that processes of economic growth and development associated with market expansion are "benevolent"; and second, that the primary problem for Third World women has been insufficient participation in these processes. Although these assumptions continue to undergird development planning, they have not gone unchallenged. Indeed, in the two decades since Ester Boserup's (1970) pioneering work first documented that both planned and unplanned market expansion often resulted in more work but no improvement-or even decline-in the condition of rural
Modeling visual objects based on accidental alignment

A scene modeling system that preserves tangency and connectivity information is demonstrated. The model is built using an algebra of qualitative spatial relations that describes relative positions between different objects of a scene or among different components of the same object. The representation is qualitative in the sense that it distinguishes three qualitative spatial states: no contact, tangency, and overlap-contact. Other important attributes of visual objects are shape and size. It is shown how the model captures shape and size attributes by building simple operators that permit alignment-based reasoning in higher dimensions involving both rotated and translated objects. The model, which is much more compact than traditional quantitative geometric models, preserves much of the needed information for recognition and manipulation tasks. >
Financing the Peace: Evaluating World Bank Post-Conflict Assistance Programs

Has the World Bank's dramatic expansion of aid to countries devastated by civil conflict met its stated goals of speeding economic recovery and decreasing the probability of conflict recidivism? Our answer marries previous research into the politics of civil conflict with an understanding of the politics of the World Bank. The primary political economic challenge in post-conflict countries is securing credible commitments to the peace by former combatants. However, the Bank, needing to produce policy successes to justify continued funding, more likely aids countries where a credible commitment to the post-conflict peace already exists. Even if the Bank fails to assist post-conflict politicians form credible commitments to the peace, it may still speed recovery by providing financial resources and expertise, though these come at the cost of potentially aggravating post-conflict tensions. We test these arguments by estimating selection-corrected event history models of the effect of Bank programs on recovery and recurrence on an original data set of all World Bank programs in post-conflict environments. The results indicate that, when we control for non-random selection, the Bank has no systematic effect on either conflict recurrence or economic recovery, lending support to the argument that the Bank tends to select aid recipients according to their pre-existing probability of conflict recurrence.
Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites with simultaneous deletion of P52 and P36 are completely attenuated and confer sterile immunity against infection

Malaria infection starts when sporozoites are transmitted to the mammalian host during a mosquito bite. Sporozoites enter the blood circulation, reach the liver, and infect hepatocytes. The formation of a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) establishes their intracellular niche. Recently, two members of the 6-Cys domain protein family, P52 and P36, were each shown to play an important albeit nonessential role in Plasmodium berghei sporozoite infectivity for the rodent host. Here, we generated p52/p36-deficient Plasmodium yoelii parasites by the simultaneous deletion of both genes using a single genetic manipulation. p52/p36-deficient parasites exhibited normal progression through the life cycle during blood-stage infection, transmission to mosquitoes, mosquito-stage development, and sporozoite infection of the salivary glands. p52/p36-deficient sporozoites also showed normal motility and cell traversal activity. However, immunofluorescence analysis and electron microscopic observations revealed that p52/p36-deficient parasites did not form a PV within hepatocytes in vitro and in vivo. The p52/p36-deficient parasites localized as free entities in the host cell cytoplasm or the host cell nucleoplasm and did not develop as liver stages. Consequently, they did not cause blood-stage infections even at high sporozoite inoculation doses. Mice immunized with p52/p36-deficient sporozoites were completely protected against infectious sporozoite challenge. Our results demonstrate for the first time the generation of two-locus gene deletion-attenuated parasites that infect the liver but do not progress to blood-stage infection. The study will critically guide the design of Plasmodium falciparum live attenuated malaria vaccines.
Molecular pathogenic factors in symptomatic disc degeneration

Abstract Background context Although symptomatic disc degeneration is thought to be the leading cause of chronic low back pain, no available biologic therapy is yet available to treat this highly prevalent condition. Purpose In this article, the cellular, biomechanical and molecular alterations that occur during disc degeneration are reviewed to provide a better understanding of this pathologic process. Study design The cellular and molecular aspects of disc degeneration are reviewed. Methods The available studies detailing the molecular and cellular changes during disc degeneration are reviewed in an effort to provide a basis for understanding the biologic strategies for disc repair. Results Disc degeneration begins early in life and involves a cascade of changes at the cellular and molecular level that results in degradation of the extracellular matrix of the disc, leading to biomechanical failure of this complex structure. Conclusion With a thorough understanding of the cellular and molecular events causing degeneration of the intervertebral disc, rational strategies for disc repair can be understood and evaluated. It appears that biologic disc repair will be feasible in the future although challenges remain in this blossoming field.
Capitalism, Identity Politics, and Queerness Converge: LGBT Employee Resource Groups.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employee resource groups have brought about substantial organizational change within corporations. Capitalist structures have enabled these changes to occur more quickly in the private sector than within the public sector. In this article, I explore how capitalism has converged with two approaches of organizing around sexuality: identity politics and queerness. As a result of this convergence, human resource development has occurred at the individual, organizational, and societal levels. Due to current forms of capitalism, employers have a need to keep employees happy and enable them to seek meaning through their jobs. As a result, LGBT employees and their allies have seized upon the opportunity by creating spaces that enable social support and working toward organizational change. Danger and promises of employee resource groups are also considered.
Statistical properties of ray directions in a monochromatic speckle pattern

The statistical properties of the spatial derivatives of the phase of a monochromatic speckle pattern are studied. Initially, a one-dimensional probability density function for the derivative of the phase is obtained and compared with the solution for the analogous problem concerning instantaneous frequency of narrow-band Gaussian noise. Subsequently, a two-dimensional probability density function is derived that depends on the two first and three second spatial moments of the illumination intensity distribution of the scattering object. Some sample intensity distributions are considered for which explicit expressions for the probability density function are given.
Soliton solution for coupled periodically twisted birefringent optical fibers

Recently there has been interest in all-optical switching devices that may be implemented in optical communications or optical computing. I derive soliton solutions for the birefringent fiber filter coupler with the assumption of an ellipticity angle of 35°. In particular, I calculate the soliton switching behavior and illustrate it with some simple examples. I describe the conditions for soliton switching in terms of initial conditions and optical fiber parameters.
Reproductive biology of the Caribbean brooding octocoral Antillogorgia hystrix

The reproductive biology of the Caribbean gorgonian Antillogorgia hystrix was studied in the shallow-water reefs of Cross Harbour, Great Abaco (The Bahamas) from 2009 to 2010. Antillogorgia hystrix is an internal brooder that reproduces annually. The population at Cross Harbour was gonochoric and the sex ratio was skewed toward females (~3:1). Oogenesis precedes spermatogenesis by several months, and lasts at least 9 months, with oocytes >100 μm in diameter first becoming visible in dissections of samples from February; mature oocytes are present in late October–November. The size of mature oocytes (400–900 μm in diameter) was greater than that of the spermaries, which were rarely larger than 400 μm. Brooded planulae were observed in polyps from early November to mid-December, and planula release was observed in aquaria in December 2009, which suggests that planulation occurs continuously over this period. Planulae of A. hystrix contained dinoflagellate symbionts, presumably acquired during embryogenesis and/or by mature planulae while they were in the gastrovascular cavity of the polyp. Brooding is an uncommon reproductive strategy among Caribbean gorgonians and this is the first report of internal brooding in the genus Antillogorgia. The genus contains a number of sympatric species with different modes of reproduction, and knowledge of their reproductive biology is critical to understand their ecology and evolution.
Detection of magnetic flux with superconducting quantum interference gratings

The authors have carried out finite-inductance calculations of the critical current vs. flux (I/sub c/- Phi ) and voltage vs. flux (V- Phi ) characteristics of superconducting interferometers with many Josephson junctions in parallel. At least two features of the calculations suggest that many junction interferometers, called superconducting quantum interference gratings, might be advantageous for the detection of magnetic flux. First, the voltage noise can be reduced significantly for a given flux-to-voltage transfer coefficient, a feature which is likely to improve the magnetic flux sensitivity of both low- and high-T/sub c/ superconducting devices. In addition, nonuniformity of the junction critical currents appears to have little adverse effect on the predicted diffraction grating such as enhancement and narrowing of the peaks in the I/sub c/- Phi characteristic. Specific schemes for efficiently coupling flux into the device are proposed. >
Detection, Synchronization, and Doppler Scale Estimation with Multicarrier Waveforms in Underwater Acoustic Communication

In this paper, we propose a novel method for detection, synchronization and Doppler scale estimation for underwater acoustic communication using orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) waveforms. This new method involves transmitting two identical OFDM symbols together with a cyclic prefix, while the receiver uses a bank of parallel self-correlators. Each correlator is matched to a different Doppler scaling factor with respect to the waveform dilation or compression. We characterize the receiver operating characteristic in terms of probability of false alarm and probability of detection. We also analyze the impact of Doppler scale estimation accuracy on the data transmission performance. These analytical results provide guidelines for the selection of the detection threshold and Doppler scale resolution. In addition to computer-based simulations, we have tested the proposed method with real data from an experiment at Buzzards Bay, MA, Dec. 15, 2006. Using only one preamble, the proposed method achieves similar performance on the Doppler scale estimation and the bit error rate as an existing method that uses two linearly-frequencymodulated (LFM) waveforms, one as a preamble and the other as a postamble, around each data burst transmission. Compared with the LFM based method, the proposed method works with a constant detection threshold independent of the noise level and is suited to handle the presence of dense multipath channels. More importantly, the proposed approach does not need to buffer the whole data packet before data demodulation, which facilitates future development of online realtime receivers for multicarrier underwater acoustic communications.
The emergence of a syndrome-specific personality profile in young children with Down syndrome

For decades, researchers and practitioners have attempted to find evidence for a personality stereotype in individuals with Down syndrome that includes a pleasant, affectionate, and passive behaviour style. However, a more nuanced exploration of personality-motivation in Down syndrome reveals complexity beyond this pleasant stereotype, including reports of a less persistent motivational orientation and an over-reliance on social behaviours during cognitively-challenging tasks. It is hypothesised that the personality-motivation profile observed in individuals with Down syndrome emerges as a result of the cross-domain relations between more primary (cognitive, social-emotional) aspects of the Down syndrome behavioural phenotype. Young children with Down syndrome show a general profile of delays in the development of instrumental thinking coupled with emerging relative strengths in social-emotional functioning. If it is true that a less persistent motivational orientation emerges as a secondary phenotypic result of more primary strengths in social functioning and deficits in instrumental (means-end) thinking, it may be possible to alter the developmental trajectory of this personality-motivation profile with targeted and time-sensitive intervention. Implications for intervention planning are discussed.
Book reviews - Topics in intersystem electromagnetic compatibility

This book discusses mainly the application of the Wiener-Hopf technique to the solution of a class of electromapnetic boundary value problems associated with rectangular waves. Chapter I presents sone hackground material. Chanter II deals with the standard mode-mathcing matchinp technique used for formulating boundary value problem in guided wave theory. Chapter 111 gives a comprehensive discussion of the Wiener-Hopf techniaue and its applications for various boundary value problemns. Chapters IV and V discusses the generalization of mode-matchinp and Wiener-Hopf techniques so that the ranges of applications may be broadened. The book draws heavily on the research performed by the authros and their associates at the University of Illinois. The most significant aspect of the book is Weinstein's work on radiation and diffraction from the open end of a waveguide. It is a well written book on the application of the Wiener-Hopf technique to rectangular waveguide communications.
Four methods of estimating the minimal important difference score were compared to establish a clinically significant change in Headache Impact Test

Abstract Objective To estimate the smallest decrease in Headache Impact Test (HIT) scores that reflects meaningful clinical change among patients with chronic daily headache (CDH). Study Design and Setting We applied four methods of estimating the minimum important difference (MID) to data from 71 patients with CDH who participated in a clinical trial. The HIT was administered at baseline and at the 6-week follow-up assessment. Patients were considered to have experienced meaningful improvement if they reported that their headache condition was “somewhat better” or “much better” at the 6-week follow-up. Results Mean HIT scores at baseline and 6 weeks for all patients were 64.5 (standard deviation SD = 6.0) and 62.6 (SD = 5.7), respectively. HIT scores decreased 3.7 (SD = 4.4) and 1.4 (SD = 3.6) units, respectively, among patients who reported “somewhat better” change and those who reported no change at 6 weeks. Estimates of the MID of the HIT ranged from −2.7 to −2.3. Conclusions The method that we judge to be most valid estimated the MID of the HIT at −2.3 units (95% confidence interval = −4.3, −0.3). This suggests that a between-group difference in HIT change scores of 2.3 units over time among patients with CDH reflects improvement in patients' headache condition that may be considered clinically significant.
Root suckering in a Triassic conifer from Antarctica: Paleoecological and evolutionary implications

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Although root suckering and other types of sprouting are well studied in extant woody plants, little is known about the distribution of these traits at a macroevolutionary scale. Anatomically preserved fossil plants represent an excellent but understudied source of information of the distribution of sprouting behavior through time and across taxa. METHODS A block of silicified peat collected in the Middle Triassic Fremouw Formation at the Fremouw Peak locality, Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, contains a group of anatomically preserved roots of the fossil conifer Notophytum krauselii that bear young shoots. The specimen was prepared using the standard acetate peel technique and studied in reflected and transmitted light. KEY RESULTS Young sucker shoots bearing well-preserved leaves are produced in groups in some areas of the Notophytum roots. CONCLUSIONS The production of root suckers in Notophytum indicates that some of the trees growing in polar forests during the Triassic could respond to environmental stresses by regenerating their vegetative structures and had the potential to reproduce vegetatively. The specimens also represent the first anatomical evidence of root suckering in any fossil seed plant, and its occurrence in an early putative podocarp supports the idea that this trait might be ancestral in at least some extant conifer families.
Synthesis of functional polymers via borane monomers and metathesis catalysts

Abstract This paper summarizes the development of new functionalized hydrocarbon polymers prepared from borane-containing olefins and metathesis catalysts. Several unique polymer structures, such as alternating copolymers and telechelic polymers, have been synthesized, some of which are difficult to prepare by existing methods. Both ring-opening metathesis polymerization and metathesis degradation on borane-containing olefins have proved to be very useful for functionalization of hydrocarbon polymers. The advantages of monomers containing borane groups are: (a) the stability of metathesis catalysts to borane substituents; (b) the solubility of the borane monomer and polymer in the hydrocarbon solvents used for metathesis reactions; and (c) the versatility of borane groups, which can be transformed into a variety of functionalities, such as OH, NH2 and I. Some physical properties of the resulting polymers are also discussed.
Data Gaps for Monitoring Forest Carbon in the United States: An Inventory Perspective

There is increasing interest in accurate estimates of regional carbon fluxes, and identification of the causes of land/atmosphere/ocean exchange of carbon. Improved information will lead to better policies for managing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration. The goals of this paper are to review the capability of ongoing operational inventory programs for estimating forest carbon stocks and stock changes, and to identify opportunities to improve forest carbon monitoring by enhancing these programs and supplementing them with new monitoring capability. Carbon in forest ecosystems and wood products cannot be measured directly. Ongoing forest monitoring programs provide a statistical basis for estimating carbon stocks and stock changes, based on data already collected, with a temporal resolution of about 5 years. Improvements in inventories will shorten the reporting cycle and add some variables that enhance the content with respect to carbon estimation, but it will take about a decade for full implementation. Meanwhile, there is an important role for remote sensing measurements, modeling, and imputation techniques to fill gaps in spatial coverage and content. Elements of the proposed North American Carbon Program, if implemented, will improve the estimates of forest ecosystem carbon.
Identifying and Counselling the Sexually Active Adolescent Is Every Physician's Responsibility

Unwanted pregnancies among teen-agers today are so numerous that they now represent a major health problem for this age group. All physicians with adolescents in their practice are urged to determine which of these are at risk, and then institute preventive measures. The author offers suggestions and guidelines, and reviews the legal aspects.
Mantle cloaking using sub-wavelength conformal metallic meshes and patches

In this paper, we present for the first time a rigorous analytical model of mantle cloaking for cylindrical objects using 2-D sub-wavelength conformal square metallic meshes and patches. The model is based on Lorentz-Mie scattering theory which applies the two-sided impedance boundary condition at the interface of the sub-wavelength elements. It is shown that the analytical grid-impedance expressions derived for the planar FSS grids may be successfully used to model and tailor the surface reactance of cylindrical conformal mantle cloaks. The results obtained using our analytical model for mantle cloaks are validated against full-wave numerical simulations.
Ultra-High-Speed Superconductor Digital Circuits

Josephson junction integrated circuits using Rapid Single-Flux-Quantum (RSFQ) logic are capable of performing logic operations at ultrahigh clock frequencies in excess of 100 GHz [1]. In this report I will describe recent progress in design, fabrication, and testing of several circuits of this family.
Regulation of Interleukin-10 Gene Expression: Possible Mechanisms Accounting for Its Upregulation and for Maturational Differences in Its Expression by Blood Mononuclear Cells

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) downmodulates phagocytic immune responses and accentuates humoral responses. Human neonates exhibit broad immune deficits that parallel actions of IL-10. We postulated that IL-10 production would be diminished in neonatal blood cells. We found that IL-10 production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) in vitro was greater by adult cells than by term cells and preterm cells. Additional studies were undertaken to identify mechanisms responsible for the developmental differences in IL-10 gene expression. IL-10 transcription was present in freshly isolated adult and neonatal cells in the absence of detectable levels of transcript. Transcription rates were not different between adult and neonatal cells. IL-10 transcripts were approximately 40% more abundant in adult cells than in term cells and were consistent with differences in secreted protein; however, no differences were noted in mRNA stability. IL-10 half-life was 60 minutes for both adult and term PBMNCs. We conclude that up-regulation of IL-10 gene expression in PBMNCs is modulated at the post-transcriptional level, that IL-10 protein production and mRNA content are greater in activated cells from adults compared with those from neonates, and that maturational differences in IL-10 expression are not due to differences in transcription rate or mRNA stability. Maturational differences in IL-10 expression might be due to differences in subpopulations of cytokine-producing cells or differences in nucleo-cytoplasmic transport.
Iskall Arno, Inc. (Abridged)

This case condenses "Iskall Arno (A)" and "Iskall Arno (B)" (UVA-F-0780 and UVA-F-0781) for teaching in one class period. Senior managers are reviewing 12 capital-expenditure proposals; because of a financing constraint, they can choose only a subset. The case presents full quantitative analysis of the projects (NPVs, IRRs, and profitability indexes), as well as explicit analysis of expected synergies among the projects. The case illustrates the challenge of allocating capital under a constraint. Two student worksheet files are available for use with this case.
Deconstructing the Iboga Alkaloid Skeleton: Potentiation of FGF2-induced Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Release by a Novel Compound

Modulation of growth factor signaling pathways in the brain represents a new experimental approach to treating neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and addiction. Neurotrophins and growth factors exert synaptic, neuronal, and circuit level effects on a wide temporal range, which suggests a possibility of rapid and lasting therapeutic effects. Consequently, identification of small molecules that can either enhance the release of growth factors or potentiate their respective pathways will provide a drug-like alternative to direct neurotrophin administration or viral gene delivery and thus represents an important frontier in chemical biology and drug design. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), in particular, has been implicated in marked reduction of alcohol consumption in rodent addiction models, and the natural product ibogaine, a substance used traditionally in ritualistic ceremonies, has been suggested to increase the synthesis and release of GDNF in the dopaminergic system in rats. In this report, we describe a novel iboga analog, XL-008, created by unraveling the medium size ring of the ibogamine skeleton, and its ability to induce release of GDNF in C6 glioma cells. Additionally, XL-008 potentiates the release of GDNF induced by fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), another neurotrophin implicated in major depressive disorder, increasing potency more than 2-fold (from 7.85 ± 2.59 ng/mL to 3.31 ± 0.98 ng/mL) and efficacy more than 3-fold. The GDNF release by both XL-008 and the FGF2/XL-008 mixture was found to be mediated through the MEK and PI3K signaling pathways but not through PLCγ in C6 glioma cells.
Event Word of Mouth

Events rely on WOM to attract local community members and faraway fans alike. Via a field study (n=3,760), the authors introduce an event marketing success measure termed Event word-of-mouth (Event WOM), which is impacted by attendee resident status, sponsor and event factors. Based on field surveys in seven host communities in Colorado (Durango, Telluride, Montrose, Crested Butte, Gunnison, Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Colorado Springs, Golden, Boulder, Denver), the authors create and test a framework based on the Psychological Continuum Model to explain fans’ positive word-of-mouth for a sponsored event. The model shows relationships among: attendee’s distance from event (fan’s resident status), sports activeness, knowledge of the sport, identification with the sport, fans’ perception of the event as involved with the community, personal liking of the event, purchase intent, and ultimately event WOM.
Design and Experimental Evaluation of Flextensional-Cantilever Based Piezoelectric Transducers for Flow Energy Harvesting

Cantilever type piezoelectric harvesters, such as bimorphs, are typically used for vibration induced energy harvesting. However, a major drawback of a piezoelectric bimorph is its brittle nature in harsh environments, precipitating short life-times as well as output power degradation. The emphasis in this work is to design robust, highly efficient piezoelectric harvesters that are capable of generating electrical power in the milliwatt range. Various harvesters were modeled, designed and prototyped, and the flextensional actuator based harvester, where the metal cantilever is mounted and coupled between two flextensional actuators, was found to be a viable alternative to the cantilever type piezoelectric harvesters. Preliminary tests show that these devices equipped with 5x5x36 mm two piezoelectric PZT stacks can produce greater than 50 mW of power under air flow induced vibrations.
PERCUTANEOUS CLOSURE OF ACQUIRED GERBODE DEFECT: MANAGEMENT OF A RARE COMPLICATION OF CARDIAC SURGERY

Gerbode Defect is a congenital left ventricle (LV) to right atrial (RA) shunt. An acquired form characterized by a direct communication between the left ventricle and right atrium may results as a complication of aortic or tricuspid valve endocarditis or surgery. A 50-year-old lady with PMH of
The Legal Pitfalls in Compensating Employees Based on Their Family Need

The notion of paying an employee commensurate with his or her family need is not a novel one. This approach to compensation is steeped in Christian tradition.1 In practice, such a policy may manifest itself as a one-time payment to an employee in dire need, or as a salary supplement or as an additional benefit (such as health insurance) of fered regularly to all "heads of household." Where an employer deter mines that an employee cannot adequately support his or her family given the individual's particular circumstances, the employer adjusts the employee's salary (or offers the additional benefit) accordingly. In doing so, as described below, the employer fulfills a Christian obliga tion to meet the minimum needs of all employees. Inherent in this compensation practice, however, are legal pitfalls. Specifically, even the most well-intentioned policy may contravene the statutory mandate of "equal pay for equal work" expressed in the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA),2 and the nondiscrimination directives of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).3 The employer, how ever, may counter with both statutory and First Amendment defenses, detailed below, to overcome such allegations.
Distinguishing Untreated Osteoblastic Metastases From Enostoses Using CT Attenuation Measurements.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to determine whether CT attenuation thresholds can be used to distinguish untreated osteoblastic metastases from enostoses. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study group comprised 62 patients with 279 sclerotic bone lesions found at CT (126 enostoses in 37 patients and 153 metastases in 25 patients). The cause of sclerotic lesions was assessed histologically or by clinical and imaging follow-up. None of the patients had undergone prior treatment for the metastases. The mean and maximum attenuation were measured in Hounsfield units. ROC analysis was performed to determine sensitivity, specificity, AUC, 95% CIs, and cutoff values of CT attenuation to differentiate metastases from enostoses. Interreader reproducibility was assessed using an intraclass correlation coefficient with 95% CI. RESULTS. The mean and maximum CT attenuation values of enostoses were 1190 ± 239 HU and 1323 ± 234 HU, respectively, and those of osteoblastic metastases were 654 ± 176 HU and 787 ± 194 HU, ...
Gender, race, age, and regional differences in the association of pulse pressure with atrial fibrillation: the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study.

Pulse pressure (PP) has been associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) independent of other measures of arterial pressure and other AF risk factors. However, the impact of gender, race, age, and geographic region on the association between PP and AF is unclear. A cross-sectional study of data from 25,109 participants (65 ± 9 years, 54% women, 40% black) from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study recruited between 2003 and 2007 were analyzed. AF was defined as a self-reported history of a previous physician diagnosis or presence of AF on ECG. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratio for AF. Interactions for age (<75 years and ≥75 years), gender, race, and region were examined in the multivariable adjusted model. The prevalence of AF increased with widening PP (7.9%, 7.9%, 8.4%, and 11.6%, for PP < 45, 45-54.9, 55-64.9, and ≥65 mm Hg, respectively, [P for trend <.001]) but attenuated with adjustment. No differences by gender, race, and region were observed. However, there was evidence of significant effect modification by age (interaction P = .0002). For those <75 years, PP ≥ 65 mm Hg compared to PP < 45 mm Hg was significantly associated with higher risk of AF in both the unadjusted and multivariable adjusted models (odds ratio = 1.66 [95% CI = 1.42-1.94] and 1.32 [95% CI = 1.03-1.70], respectively). In contrast, higher PP (55-64.9 mm Hg) among those ≥75 years was significantly associated with a lower risk of AF. The relationship between PP and AF may differ for older versus younger individuals.
Sellar reconstruction: is it necessary?

BACKGROUND: Sellar reconstruction is practiced routinely during the transsphenoidal approach to pituitary tumor resection. This practice exposes the patient to risks of donor site complications and may interfere with measuring postoperative tumor reduction. We propose that it is not a necessary component of transsphenoidal pituitary surgery in the absence of intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 45 cases of minimally invasive pituitary surgery were reviewed. Twenty-eight cases were identified with no sellar reconstruction being performed. Age, sex, revision surgery, postoperative CSF leak, days with lumbar drain, meningitis, ophthalmoplegia, visual acuity loss, postoperative epistaxis, diabetes insipidus, development of empty sella syndrome, and length of stay were investigated in these cases. RESULTS: Twenty-three cases were the primary procedure and five cases were revision surgery. Complication rates were low and compared favorably with those reported in the literature. Five cases of transient diabetes insipidus occurred. There was one postoperative CSF leak that required 4 days with a lumbar drain. No cases of empty sella syndrome developed. There were no cases of meningitis. The average length of stay was 2.9 days. CONCLUSION: Sellar reconstruction during transsphenoidal approach to pituitary tumor resection is not required for patients without evidence of an intraoperative CSF leak. This practice exposes the patient to the risks of donor site complications without reducing the rate of postoperative complications.
Systematics and paleoecology of Late Cambrian echinoderms from the Western United States

Although echinoderm debris is locally common, articulated specimens are rare in Late Cambrian rocks from the Great Basin and Rocky Mountains of the western United States and are mostly associated with hardgrounds. The fauna, including cornute stylophorans, trachelocrinid eocrinoids, solute homoiosteleans, and rare edrioasteroids, includes several members of the archaic Cambrian Evolutionary Fauna, which had already passed its maximum diversity for echinoderms. In addition to the low diversity, articulated specimen abundance is very low, averaging only about one-tenth that found in overlying Lower Ordovician units. The transition between the Cambrian and Paleozoic Evolutionary Faunas for echinoderms in North America apparently occurred rapidly very close to the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary, because no unequivocal examples of the Paleozoic fauna (such as crinoids, glyptocystitid rhombiferans, asteroids, or echinoids) were found in the Late Cambrian sections.New taxa include several cothurnocystid stylophorans assigned to Acuticarpus delticus, new genus and species, Acuticarpus? republicensis, new species, and Archaeocothurnus goshutensis, new genus and species; Scotiaecystis? species, a poorly preserved cornute stylophoran with lamellipores; Minervaecystis? species, a fragmentary solute homoiostelean based on several steles; Tatonkacystis codyensis, new genus and species, a well-preserved trachelocrinid eocrinoid with five unbranched arms bearing numerous brachioles; an unnamed, poorly preserved, epispire-bearing eocrinoid; an unnamed, poorly preserved, globular eocrinoid? lacking epispires; and an unnamed, heavily weathered, edrioasterid edrioasteroid. Nearly all holdfasts found in these Upper Cambrian units are single-piece blastozoan types, probably belonging to trachelocrinid and other eocrinoids. Distinctive columnals and thecal plates of several additional undescribed eocrinoids and other echinoderms were locally abundant and are also described.
Total Synthesis of Nuclear Factor of Activated T-Cells-68 (NFAT-68): Sequential Use of Chiral Allenylsilane and Titanium Alkoxide-Mediated Reductive Coupling Bond Construction

Highly enantioenriched chiral allenylsilanes 4 were prepared in high yield through a scalable synthetic sequence, employing a modified copper-catalyzed SN2′ reaction. These reagents were used for the production of enantioenriched homoproparglylic ethers 5, which were subjected to titanium alkoxide-mediated reductive coupling with acetylenic esters to produce (E,E)-dienes 6 bearing α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated esters. Both enantiomers of nuclear factor of activated T-cells-68 (NFAT-68) were synthesized in five steps with the sequential use of the two methods.
The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Alcohol Use Among Adults in the United States: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Objective:To synthesize published literature that has tested the relationship between physical activity and alcohol use.Data Source:A systematic review of literature published between January 2005 ...