cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A composite source model for computing realistic synthetic strong ground motions

A composite source model is presented for convolution with synthetic Green's functions, in order to synthesize strong ground motions due to a complex rupture process of a large earthquake. Subevents with a power-law distribution of sizes are located randomly on the fault. Each subevent radiates a displacement pulse with the shape of a Brune's pulse in the far field, at a time determined by a constant rupture velocity propagating from the hypocenter. Thus, all the input parameters have a physical basis. We simulate strong ground motions for event-station pairs that correspond to records obtained in Mexico by the Guerrero accelerograph network. The synthetic accelerations, velocities, and displacements have realistic amplitudes, durations, and Fourier spectra.
A Practical Approach to the Dietary Treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia

Reducing high plasma triglyceride (TG) levels is an important step in the treatment and prevention of coronary artery disease. The rise in plasma TGs seen after subjects consume low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets for a period of time may be due to the simple form of carbohydrate provided and/or prevention of weight loss in these studies. Ad libitum low-fat, high-carbohydrate intake often results in weight loss and decreases in plasma TGs. Replacing dietary carbohydrate with monounsaturated fat lowers serum TG levels and maintains serum high-density lipoprotein levels but fails to result in weight loss. Low fat, high complex carbohydrate intake reduces incidence rates of coronary artery disease. On the basis of the evidence, a lowfat, high-complex carbohydrate diet combined with limited alcohol and sugar intake is recommended for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia.
Time-of-flight measurements of thermally induced defects in a-Si:H

Thermally induced defects in a-Si:H are studied by time-of-flight transient photoconductivity. The increase in defect density upon quenching from elevated temperatures is observed as a decrease in the mobility-lifetime product. The defect densities agree well with ESR data and also show that defects are induced approximately uniformly in the bulk. No thermally induced changes in the drift mobility are observed, from which it is deduced that there is no detectable change in the band tail states by the structural equilibration, by contrast with the situation in chalcogenides.
A novel subtelomeric translocation t(5;9) and a deletion of the RB1 gene in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML-M0)

No chromosomal rearrangements have been identified as specifically associated with minimally differentiated acute myeloid leukemia (AML-M0). Several research groups studied the cytogenetic features of AML-M0 and found that as much as 81% of patients with AML-M0 had chromosomal rearrangements; primarily -5/5q- and/or -7/7q- deletions or translocations involving 12p. A patient, who was diagnosed with AML-M0 eighteen months ago, was referred for cytogenetic evaluation for possible AML relapse. A subtle, cryptic t(5;9)(q35.3;q34.3), plus a deletion of the RB1 gene were detected in 18 out of 20 cells analyzed by FISH utilizing the TelVysion assay kit. To rule out the possibility that these chromosomal changes were related to the relapse of AML in this case, we repeated the same FISH test on the specimen at initial diagnosis before any treatment. The same abnormalities were found. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported with subtelomeric t(5;9)(q35.3;q34.3) and the deletion of the RB1 gene in a patient with AML-M0. Whether the t(5;9) combined with the deletion of the RB1 gene plays an important role in the development of AML-M0 warrants further investigation.
Morphology-dependent resonances in eccentrically stratified spheres.

Calculations based on an exact theory have been made of the scattering properties of spherical particles possessing arbitrarily placed spherical inhomogeneities. The inclusions are homogeneous but of otherwise arbitrary composition and are limited in size only by that of the host. It has been found that a single inclusion, though having a volume of only 10−6 that of the host, can produce large fluctuations in light scattered by the system as the inclusion passes through regions of high local intensity. The resonance spectrum of a glycerol droplet with inclusions centered in a hot spot reveals that the inclusions cause a spectral shift of the resonance peak. The directions of the shifts are consistent with the phase-matching conditions that must be met by photons traversing an orbit inside the host in order for a resonance to be sustained. Absorption spectra of systems with inclusions that are also large enough to sustain resonances are examined as well.
Dynamic Chromatin Localization of Sirt6 Shapes Stress- and Aging-Related Transcriptional Networks

The sirtuin Sirt6 is a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase that is implicated in gene regulation and lifespan control. Sirt6 can interact with the stress-responsive transcription factor NF-κB and regulate some NF-κB target genes, but the full scope of Sirt6 target genes as well as dynamics of Sirt6 occupancy on chromatin are not known. Here we map Sirt6 occupancy on mouse promoters genome-wide and show that Sirt6 occupancy is highly dynamic in response to TNF-α. More than half of Sirt6 target genes are only revealed upon stress-signaling. The majority of genes bound by NF-κB subunit RelA recruit Sirt6, and dynamic Sirt6 relocalization is largely driven in a RelA-dependent manner. Integrative analysis with global gene expression patterns in wild-type, Sirt6−/−, and double Sirt6−/− RelA−/− cells reveals the epistatic relationships between Sirt6 and RelA in shaping diverse temporal patterns of gene expression. Genes under the direct joint control of Sirt6 and RelA include several with prominent roles in cell senescence and organismal aging. These data suggest dynamic chromatin relocalization of Sirt6 as a key output of NF-κB signaling in stress response and aging.
Wet milled products, yields and composition of high-moisture corn treated with two long-chain polyphosphates

Abstract Corn at 21% and 14·4% moisture was treated with two long-chain polyphosphates. The corn was wet milled using a laboratory batch steeping process soon after treatment and again after 6 months of cold storage. The phosphate content of the steep solutions, and the yields and approximate composition of the milled fractions, were determined. The steep solutions of the phosphate-treated corn were significantly higher in phosphate than those of the untreated corn, but the total solids contents of the steep solutions were not significantly different. Phosphate-treated corn had a lower starch yield than did untreated corn after 6 months of storage, but the purity of the starch was unaffected. The yields of the other products, in general, were not affected by phosphate treatment. The protein content of the gluten and fiber was greater than in phosphate-treated corn, and the oil content of the germ was lower when milled soon after treatment but not after 6 months of storage. When the phosphate treatment did affect the wet milled fractions, the effects were not dependent on the type or level of phosphate used, but were influenced in some cases by storage time.
The impact of Confucianism on organizational communication

Confucianism has been identified as the major cultural factor that explains the economic success of the Asian Five Dragons. This paper explores the impact of Confucianism on the organizational communication in these nations, based on the four key principles of Confucian teachings: the hierarchical relationship, the family system, Jen, and the emphasis on education. This study further discusses the influence of these four principles of Confucianism on management behaviors and communication in the organization. Implications of Confucianism influence on organizational communication are also explained.
NMR Study of nanophase A1/A1-oxide powder and consolidated composites

Abstract 27 Al Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements from aluminum powders and consolidated nanophase aluminum made from those powders are presented. The signals from the metal and surface oxidation are easily separated and are compared before and after consolidation. The results presented indicate that the oxide coating becomes the interface region within the nanophase composite material and that during consolidation the metal has undergone a deformation equivalent to that seen for bulk material under a compressive strain of between 4% and 8%.
High Versus Low Control During Recess Transitions at a Christian School

Teachers and administrators at Christian schools often exercise high levels of control over children as they move to and from the classroom. This may be due to the fear of misbehavior related to higher activity levels and greater expression of emotions believed to result from decreased adult control. In a quasi-experimental study, the degree of control over children was varied as they moved between the classroom and the playground of a Christian school to determine what, if any, changes in activity level and emotional expression resulted, both on the playground and in the classroom. High control was associated with higher activity level on the playground but not in the classroom, while indications of joy increased significantly on the playground-but apparently not in the classroom-subsequent to the high-control conduction. No other significant changes in activity level or emotionality were discovered.
Effects of diphenylhydantoin on synthesis of collagen and noncollagen protein in tissue culture.

The direct effects of the anticonvulsant diphenylhydantoin (DPH) on collagen synthesis were examined in tissue cultures of 21-day-old fetal rat calvaria. Bones were incubated for 24 or 72 h and pulsed with [3H]proline for the last 2 h of culture; incorporation of label into collagenase-digestible (CDP) and noncollagen protein (NCP) was quantitated using purified bacterial collagenase. After 24 h of incubation, DPH at a concentration of 10 μg/ml significantly reduced the incorporation of [3H]proline into CDP; higher concentrations (30 and 100 ng/ml) also decreased the formation of NCP, although the inhibitory effect was greater on CDP. The effects of DPH could not be ascribed to altered amino acid uptake or the release of newly labeled protein from bone to medium. Skeletal DNA content and incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA were not affected by DPH. The inhibitory effect of DPH was completely reversed by 48 h of control treatment subsequent to an initial 24-h incubation with the drug. The stimulatory e...
Optimization of two-dimensional off-line LC/MS separations to improve resolution of complex proteomic samples.

In off-line 2D-HPLC a continuous salt gradient is applied in the first separation dimension. This increases the number of identified proteins from complex samples significantly due to higher chromatographic resolution compared to stepwise elution. Achievement of optimal resolution requires the optimization of the two separation dimensions. The influence of LC elution gradients in the first and second dimensions, of analysis time, of stationary-phase material, and of column dimensions was systematically investigated in order to obtain information on the overall peak capacity of the separation system. Provided data indicate that for complex samples such as an E. coli cell extract, a shallow LC SCX gradient with a high number of collected fractions significantly increases the overal peak capacity while for lower complexity samples short gradients with few fractions were sufficient to obtain a maximum of identified peptides. In addition, column dimensions and materials exihibited a strong effect on the overal...
Abstract 5579: Selenomethionine does not protect against testosterone plus 17 beta-estradiol-induced prostate carcinogenesis and prostatic oxidative stress in NBL rats

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Previous studies with selenium and/or vitamin E in prostate carcinogenesis animal models have been negative, but these models may not involve oxidative stress mechanisms. Selenium and vitamin E have been the subject of one of the largest trials ever conducted, SELECT, which was discontinued because there was no difference between the study arms and there were side effects, including an increased chance of developing diabetes mellitus with the use of selenium. We previously found that selenomethionine supplementation did not prevent prostate cancer in NBL rats treated with testosterone plus 17 beta-estradiol (T+E2), a model that does involve sex-hormone induced oxidative stress mechanisms and prostatic inflammation; this result was fully predictive of the outcome of the SELECT trial. Based on the outcomes of SELECT and our NBL rat study, we hypothesized that selenium has no protective effect against T+E2-induced prostate cancer development because it does not protect against oxidative stress. In the present study, we examined the potential of selenomethionine to modulate prostatic oxidative stress and induction of dysplasia and inflammation in the T+E2-treated NBL rat. Nbl/Crl rats were treated for 16 weeks with T+E2 by Silastic implants and were fed a natural ingredient control diet (NIH-07) with or with L-selenomethionine at a concentration of 1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg (as selenium). These diets were initiated one week post hormone implantation. T+E2 significantly increased immunohistochemical staining for 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in prostatic ducts, and in the lateral and dorsal prostate which are the main sites of T+E2-induced inflammation and preneoplasia after 16 weeks of hormone treatment, and in the seminal vesicles. However, selenomethionine did not reduce these effects and did not, by itself, change 8OHdG staining. There was a lobe-specific differential response and modulation of antioxidant enzymes. Glutathione peroxidase activity and protein expression level of manganese superoxide dismutase were induced by T+E2, which effects were counteracted by selenomethionine in the dorsolateral prostate, which is the main site of T+E2-induced inflammation and preneoplasia occurring after 16 weeks of hormone treatment. However, selenomethionine did not influence the induction by T+E2 of marked inflammation and dysplasia in the lateral prostate. These findings partially explain the negative outcome of our previous NBL rat study and is consistent with the negative results of the SELECT trial. (Supported in part by Grant No. CA104334) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5579. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5579
Flow in Fluidized Beds

Suppose we progressively increase the velocity of fluid which is flowing upward through a batch of solids. The frictional resistance increases, and eventually a point is reached where the resistance just equals the weight of solids. At this point the solids become suspended—in other words, they Open image in new window Fig. 7.1 Transition from a packed to a fluidized bed as the velocity of upflowing fluid is raised. Open image in new window Fig. 7.2 Frictional loss in the packed and in the fluidized state. become “fluidized”—and the superficial velocity of fluid needed to just fluidize the solids is called the minimum fluidizing velocity u mf . As the flow rate of fluid is increased beyond this point a liquid fluidized bed keeps expanding, while a gas bed expands only slightly. This progression is shown in Fig. 7.1. The fluidized state has many desirable liquidlike properties. For example, we can easily move solids about just by pumping or by gravity flow.
Performance Analysis of Balanced and Unbalanced Feed-Forward Equalizer Structures for Multi-Gigabit Applications in 0.18μm CMOS Process

In this paper, a comparative study of two different structures for the Feed Forward Equalizer (FFE) is presented to emphasize the effect of structural differences on the performance of the passive delay line based FFEs with large number of taps. Both FFEs are designed for compensation of Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) in multi-Gb/s data link. The two test structures use the same building blocks but differ in the implementation. Both of them have nine taps with passive delay cells and are designed in 0.18 mum CMOS technology.
Novel risk factors and the prediction of type 2 diabetes in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine potential added value of novel risk factors in predicting the development of type 2 diabetes beyond that provided by standard clinical risk factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study is a population-based prospective cohort study in four U.S. communities. Novel risk factors were either measured in the full cohort or in a case-control sample nested within the cohort. We started with a basic prediction model, previously validated in ARIC, and evaluated 35 novel risk factors by adding them independently to the basic model. The area under the curve (AUC), net reclassification index (NRI), and integrated discrimination index (IDI) were calculated to determine if each of the novel risk factors improved risk prediction. RESULTS There were 1,457 incident cases of diabetes with a mean of >7.6 years of follow-up among 12,277 participants at risk. None of the novel risk factors significantly improved the AUC. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s was the only novel risk factor that resulted in a significant NRI (0.54%; 95% CI: 0.33–0.86%). Adiponectin, leptin, γ-glutamyl transferase, ferritin, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, complement C3, white blood cell count, albumin, activated partial thromboplastin time, factor VIII, magnesium, hip circumference, heart rate, and a genetic risk score each significantly improved the IDI, but net changes were small. CONCLUSIONS Evaluation of a large panel of novel risk factors for type 2 diabetes indicated only small improvements in risk prediction, which are unlikely to meaningfully alter clinical risk reclassification or discrimination strategies.
Silicon implementation of an artificial dendritic tree

The silicon implementation of an artificial passive dendritic tree which can be used to process and classify dynamic signals is described. The electrical circuit architecture is modeled after complex neurons in the vertebrate brain which have spatially extensive dendritic tree structures that support large numbers of synapses. The circuit is primarily analog and, as in the biological model system, is virtually immune to process variations and other factors which often plague more conventional circuits. The nonlinear circuit is sensitive to both temporal and spatial signal characteristics but does not make use of the conventional neural network concept of weights, and as such does not use multipliers, adders, or other complex computational devices. As in biological neuronal circuits, a high degree of local connectivity is required. However, unlike biology, multiplexing of connections is done to reduce the number of conductors to a reasonable level for standard packages. >
Detection of red tides in the Southwestern Florida coastal region using ocean color data

Near real-time ocean color data from the Seaviewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) was used to detect and trace harmful algal bloom (HAB) (also termed as red tides) in the Southwest Florida coastal water, which was treated as Case-2 water, i.e., its optical characteristics are influenced not only by phytoplankton and related particles, but also by other substances, that vary independently of phytoplankton, notably inorganic particles in suspension and yellow substances. Similar to Ahn et al. (2006), a red tide index was constructed from in-situ radiometric measurements of the three SeaWiFS bands centered at 411 nm, 510 nm, and 555 nm to achieve derivation of indices that are then related to absorbing characteristics of harmful algae (i.e., Lw at 443 nm) from which a best fit with a cubic polynomial function is obtained providing indices of higher ranges for HABs and lower and slightly reduced ranges for turbid and non-bloom water. In order to quantify the HABs in terms of chlorophyll (Chl), an empirical relationship is established between the RI and in-situ Chl in surface water which yields a Red tide index Chlorophyll Algorithm (RCA). In contrast, the band-ratio chlorophyll product of SeaWiFS in this complex coastal environment provided false information. The red tide that formed from November to December 2004 off SW Florida was revealed by RCA imagery, and was confirmed by field sampling to contain medium (104 to 105 cells L−1) to high (>105 cells L−1) concentrations of the toxic Karenia brevis. The RCA imagery also showed that the bloom started in mid October south of Charlotte Harbor, and that it developed and moved to the south and southwest in the subsequent weeks. Our results show that the SeaWiFS data provides an unprecedented tool for research and managers to study and monitor algal blooms in coastal environments.
CGRRF1 as a novel biomarker of tissue response to metformin in the context of obesity

Abstract Objective Obesity-associated hyperestrogenism and hyperinsulinemia contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer. We recently demonstrated that metformin, a drug long used for treatment of type 2 diabetes, attenuates both insulin- and estrogen-mediated proliferative signaling in the obese rat endometrium. In this study, we sought to identify tissue biomarkers that may prove clinically useful to predict tissue response for both prevention and therapeutic studies. We identified CGRRF1 (cell growth regulator with ring finger domain 1) as a novel metformin-responsive gene and characterized its possible role in endometrial cancer prevention. Methods CGRRF1 mRNA expression was evaluated by RT-qPCR in the endometrium of obese and lean rats, and also in normal and malignant human endometrium. CGRRF1 levels were genetically manipulated in endometrial cancer cells, and its effects on proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated by MTT and Western blot. Results CGRRF1 is significantly induced by metformin treatment in the obese rat endometrium. In vitro studies demonstrate that overexpression of CGRRF1 inhibits endometrial cancer cell proliferation. Analysis of human endometrial tumors reveals that CGRRF1 expression is significantly lower in hyperplasia, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, MMMT, and UPSC endometrial tumors compared to normal human endometrium (p Conclusion CGRRF1 represents a novel, reproducible tissue marker of metformin response in the obese endometrium. Furthermore, our preliminary data suggests that up-regulation of CGRRF1 expression may prove clinically useful in the prevention or treatment of endometrial cancer.
FDTD simulation of EM wave propagation in 3-D media

A finite‐difference, time‐domain solution to Maxwell’s equations has been developed for simulating electromagnetic wave propagation in 3-D media. The algorithm allows arbitrary electrical conductivity and permittivity variations within a model. The staggered grid technique of Yee is used to sample the fields. A new optimized second‐order difference scheme is designed to approximate the spatial derivatives. Like the conventional fourth‐order difference scheme, the optimized second‐order scheme needs four discrete values to calculate a single derivative. However, the optimized scheme is accurate over a wider wavenumber range. Compared to the fourth‐order scheme, the optimized scheme imposes stricter limitations on the time step sizes but allows coarser grids. The net effect is that the optimized scheme is more efficient in terms of computation time and memory requirement than the fourth‐order scheme. The temporal derivatives are approximated by second‐order central differences throughout. The Liao transmitt...
Design of optimal dispersive mirrors for femtosecond enhancement cavities and compressors by minimizing phase distortion power

The optimization of phase distortion spectral power density is proposed as an alternative to GDD minimization of ultrafast cavity mirrors. This criterion is shown to minimize the detuning of cavity resonances from a uniform comb.
Qu’est-ce que la linguistique populaire ? Une question d’importance

La « folk linguistics » cherche a decouvrir ce que les non-linguistes savent du langage et a en tirer des enseignements sur leur theorie linguistique folk sous-jacente. Un tel travail doit etre mene non seulement pour parfaire l’ethnographie linguistique d’une communaute de langue, mais aussi pour les indications qui peuvent etre fournies et pour l’aide qui peut etre apportee a la theorie linguistique, a la variation et au changement linguistique, et enfin a la linguistique appliquee. L’analyse de donnees conversationnelles, qui emploie diverses techniques de l’analyse de discours, sera ici notre meilleur moyen de decouvrir les croyances en matiere de FL.
Admission-Related Migration by Older Nursing Home Residents

Objective. To examine recent admissions of older adults to intermediate care facilities in order to identify the factors associated with whether the individual originated in another county, a non-adjacent county, and another state. Methods. Employing a conceptual framework based upon migration theory and the long-term care decision process and a data set derived from multiple sources, logistic regression was used to examine whether characteristics of the county of residence prior to admission, the admission facility, and the individual are significant net predictors of the three types of mobility. Separate analyses were conducted for married and unmarried individuals. Results. The analytical models tended to have relatively good fit but only moderate predictive accuracy. In general, persons on Medicaid payment status were more likely to move to another county and to a non-adjacent county, whereas Medicaid payment was associated with a lower likelihood of migrating to Virginia from another state. Individuals originating in counties with higher bed rates had lower rates of migration to another county and non-adjacent county, whereas those from counties with higher occupancy rates were more likely to leave their county of origin. Conclusion. Examination of factors associated with the distance and patterns of nursing home mobility improves our understanding of the nursing home selection process and helps to illuminate the impact of public policy, market forces, and nursing home staff on who goes where to be admitted to a nursing home.
Ethics and the Cloud

Cloud computing is an idea that's rapidly evolving. Still, the amount of money and attention devoted to this topic makes it seems sensible to discuss how ethicists view the kinds of changes in computing that are being called "the cloud." This department is part of a special issue on cloud computing.
Helium and argon abundance constraints and the thermal evolution of Comet Austin (1989c1)

Far-UV rocketborne spectrometer observations have established upper Ar and He abundance limits on Comet Austin. These limits indicate, relative to solar abundance, that Comet Austin is depleted in He/O and no more than 30-times enriched in Ar/O. Implications of these values for thermal conditions experienced during formation and evolution are discussed.
On the generalized zero dynamics

An generalized zero dynamics is the dynamics of a system under an "infinite" output feedback law. A system with unstable zero dynamics may have a stable generalized zero dynamics, which can be used in the design of a controller.
Synthesis and photophysics of reverse saturable absorbing heteroleptic iridium(III) complexes bearing 2-(7-R-fluoren-2′-yl)pyridine ligands

Three new heteroleptic cationic iridium(III) complexes (1-3) bearing 5,5'-bis(7-benzothiazolylfluoren-2'-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine (N^N) and 2-(7-R-fluoren-2'-yl)pyridine (R = H, naphthalimide, NPh2) (C^N) ligands were synthesized and characterized. Their photophysical properties were investigated systematically by UV-vis absorption, emission, and transient absorption spectroscopy, and the UV-vis absorption spectra were simulated by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). All complexes exhibit ligand-centered (1)π,π* transitions with minor contributions from (1)ILCT (intraligand charge transfer, π(benzothiazolylfluorene) → π* (bpy)) and (1)MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer, dπ(Ir) → π* (bpy)) transitions below 475 nm, and very weak (1,3)MLCT and (1,3)LLCT (ligand-to-ligand charge transfer, π(C^N) → π* (bpy)) transitions above 475 nm. Complexes 1-3 are weakly emissive in fluid solution at room temperature and in glassy matrix at 77 K. The emission of 2 in toluene solution is possibly dominated by the substituted bipyridine ligand-localized (3)π,π* emission, while 1 and 3 likely exhibit (3)MLCT/(3)LLCT dominated emission in toluene solution. All complexes possess relatively strong triplet transient absorption (TA) from visible to NIR region, where reverse saturable absorption (RSA) could occur. Nonlinear transmission experiments at 532 nm using ns laser pulses demonstrate that all three complexes exhibit strong RSA, with the RSA strength following this trend: 1 >3 > 2. The different substituents on the fluorenyl groups of the C^N ligands alter the energy and lifetime of the lowest singlet and triplet excited states. They also affect the ground-state and excited-state absorption characteristics. The differences in the ratio of the excited-state absorption to that of the ground state and the triplet excited-state quantum yield result in the different degrees of RSA. Complexes 1-3 are strong reverse saturable absorbers at 532 nm and could potentially be used as broadband nonlinear absorbing materials.
Exchange and decomposition reactions of isobutyl iodide with iodine

In the presence of elementary iodine, isobutyl iodide (2-methyl-1-iodopropane) undergoes isotopic exchange and also decomposes with production of additional iodine. Both reactions are approximately first order in isobutyl iodide and half order in iodine molecules. In degassed hexachlorobutadiene at 160°, the rate constants for exchange and decomposition are 7.5 × 10−6 and 11.4 × 10−6 (liter/mole)1/2sec−1, respectively. The decomposition is probably initiated by iodine atom abstraction of a β hydrogen atom, but comparison with rates for related compounds indicates that this hydrogen abstraction does not contribute significantly to the mechanism of exchange.
Linearity analysis of CMOS passive mixer

The analysis of distortion behavior in a CMOS passive mixer is presented. We use a simple device model with continuous equation to characterize the MOSFET switch in different operating regions. The nonlinear behaviors of passive mixers based on different switch topologies are investigated with power series analysis, which demonstrates that the CMOS switch based approach exhibits a better linearity performance due to the distortion cancellation of even order nonlinearity. The calculated conversion gain and linearity performances are compared with simulation results.
Brown Norway Chromosome 13 Confers Protection From High Salt to Consomic Dahl S Rat

Consomic rats (SS.BN13), in which chromosome 13 from normotensive inbred Brown Norway rats from a colony maintained at the Medical College of Wisconsin (BN/Mcw) was introgressed into the background of Dahl salt-sensitive (SS/Mcw) rats, also maintained in a colony at the Medical College of Wisconsin, were bred. The present studies determined the mean arterial pressure (MAP) responses to salt and renal and peripheral vascular responses to norepinephrine and angiotensin II; 24-hour protein excretion and histological analyses were used to assess renal pathology in rats that received a high salt (4% NaCl) diet for 4 weeks. MAP of rats measured daily during the fourth week averaged 170+/-3.3 mm Hg in SS/Mcw rats, 119+/-2.1 mm Hg in SS.BN13 rats, and 103+/-1.3 mm Hg in BN/Mcw rats. After salt depletion, MAP fell an average of 27+/-4.5 mm Hg in SS/Mcw rats, 9+/-2.6 mm Hg in SS.BN13 rats, and 11+/-3.0 mm Hg in BN/Mcw rats. Protein excretion of SS/Mcw rats on a high salt diet averaged 189+/-30 mg/24 h, 63+/-18 mg/24 h in SS.BN13 rats, and 40+/-6.4 mg/24 h in BN/Mcw rats. Compared with SS.BN13 and BN/Mcw rats, SS/Mcw rats exhibited significantly greater increases of renal vascular resistance in response to intravenous norepinephrine and angiotensin II. Severe medullary interstitial fibrosis and tubular necrosis after a high salt diet were found consistently in SS/Mcw rat kidneys but were largely absent in the SS.BN13 and BN/Mcw rat kidneys. A similar degree of glomerular sclerosis was found in both SS/Mcw and SS.BN13 rats. In rats fed a 0.4% salt diet, the glomerular filtration rate of SS/Mcw rats was significantly less than that of BN/Mcw and SS.BN13 rats. These results reveal a powerful gene, or set of genes, within chromosome 13 of BN/Mcw rats that confers protection from the detrimental effects of high salt to the SS/Mcw rats.
Stomatal Opening: Role of Potassium Uptake by Guard Cells

Stomata in isolated epidermal strips open in response to light plus air free of carbon dioxide when the strips are floated on potassium chloride solutions of low concentrations. This opening depends on the stimulation of active accumulation of potassium in quantities sufficient to account for the observed changes in solute potential of the guard cells.
Design and analysis of pneumatic force generators for mobile robotic systems

Pneumatic components are rather rugged and suitable for harsh environments and therefore are an attractive alternative for mobile robots. Many robotics control algorithms require that the robot actuators be force or torque generators, so the robot controller can impose proper torque levels onto the robot joints as required by the control algorithm. While creating a torque generator using electric actuators is relatively straightforward using current feedback, there are challenges in transforming pneumatic actuators into pure force generators. This paper develops a control algorithm to convert pneumatic actuators into force generators. Because delivered work from a pneumatic actuator is product of the actuator force and the piston's displacement, the actuator force can be effectively controlled through precise measurement of the piston's displacement and robust control of the actuator's work. This paper first develops an exact model of a pneumatic system consisting of a double-acting cylinder and a servo-valve, with the goal of providing an insight into the design and control requirements for pneumatically actuated systems. Using the model, two subjects are presented in detail: 1) derivation of a control algorithm that converts a pneumatic actuator into a force generator for robotics control applications and 2) derivation of equations that can be used to design or size the power source for mobile robotic systems, where continuous source of power is unavailable.
Mirels' rating for humerus lesions is both reproducible and valid.

Mirels’ rating system is commonly used to predict risk of fracture in patients with metastatic bone lesions to long bones, but it has not been independently validated for use in humeral bone lesions. We asked whether this system was a valid and reproducible instrument for predicting impending pathologic fractures in the humerus. We presented 17 case histories and plain radiographs of 16 patients with humeral metastases through a web-based survey to 39 physicians with varying training and experience. Participants scored each case using Mirels’ criteria and provided a fracture prediction, which was compared with actual outcome in the subset of 12 patients with three fractures not treated prophylactically. Using Mirels’ definition of impending pathologic fracture (nine points or greater), the sensitivity and specificity for determining the likelihood of pathologic humeral fracture were 14.5% and 82.9%, respectively. When we used seven or more points as the definition of impending pathologic humeral fracture, sensitivity improved to 81% but specificity was reduced to 32%. Kappa analysis suggested moderate reproducibility across groups for prediction of pathologic fracture. The Mirels rating system for humeral lesions is reproducible and valid, but low specificity at acceptable sensitivity levels as reported remains a problem as for femoral lesions. Level of Evidence: Level III, diagnostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
3-D Numerical Simulation and Validation of Underfill Flow of Flip-Chips

A 3-D flow model, combined with the volume of fluid method, was developed to track capillary driven epoxy flow front, during the underfill process. Die edge effects and fillet spread based on the effect of process parameters were included in this model. Numerical results were validated against flow visualization data. Full field imaging experiments with quartz die were performed to observe flow front as a function of flow time. Development of this new modeling methodology focuses on predicting the capillary underfill flow behavior both in the first level interconnect area between a die and a substrate, and the area surrounding the die. This paper revealed that the edge flow effect contributes to pulling the overall flow front in the bump field area and formation of the fillet spread, which affects the risk associated with underfill delamination in flip chips. A comparative study, which included modeling results and experimental data, clearly indicated that the die edge effect cannot be neglected in order to capture the right trends of flow front shape evolution and an accurate fill time prediction. These comparisons also showed that the model developed in this paper is adequate to approximately simulate the fillet configuration all around the die after encapsulation of flip chips. The modeling methodology developed in this paper provides a fundamental understanding of underfill flow as a function of dispense process parameters, material properties, and package design parameters.
Separating the Effects of Vapor Pressure and Heat Exchange on Water Exchange by Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) Eggs

Abstract When turtle eggs are incubated on media at different water contents, both the water potential and thermal conductivity of the medium change. Snapping turtle eggs were incubated fully buried in sand at constant water content (θ, 4% by mass) but different water potentials (ψ) to assess the effect of ψ on egg water exchange independent of medium thermal conductivity (k). Treatment ψs were fixed using an isopiestic technique. Over the course of incubation, change in fractional egg mass was positively correlated with Ψ. Total egg water exchange ranged from 0.0 to +0.5 g × g−1 of initial egg mass for viable eggs. Hatching success averaged 0.94 for the four highest Ψs but decreased for the two lowest Ψs. Hatchling and yolk mass were independent of water exchange above egg mass gains of +0.1 g × g−1 (Ψs ≥ −542 kPa) but decreased for egg mass gains less than +0.1 g × g−1 (Ψs < −542 kPa). Hatchling and yolk water content and incubation period were independent of egg water exchange for all treatments. The r...
Introduction to Cramér (1942) On Harmonic Analysis in Certain Functional Spaces

Harald Cramer was born in 1893 in Stockholm, Sweden. He attended Stockholm University in 1912 and graduated with a Ph.D. degree in mathematics in 1917. He became interested in actuarial mathematics (applications of mathematics to insurance) and was appointed to a chair in actuarial mathematics and mathematical statistics in 1929. Details of his life and work may be found, for example, in the obituary by Leadbetter (1988) and references therein. Here we indicate only some influences leading to the present paper.
Book Review: The Law of Corporate Governance in Banks

Corporate governance of banks and financial institutions continues to be one of the most contentious issues discussed since the Great Recession in 2007-2008. The more recent Libor and Forex scandals have only intensified the calls for a better and a more effective regulatory response. The contributions in this book (The Law on Corporate Governance in Banks, by Iris H-Y Chiu and consulting Editor Michael McKee, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2015), 352 pages, hardback, ISBN 978-1-78254-885-0) address this concern from a UK perspective and analyze whether many of the past failures, such as excessive risk-taking and individual misconduct, may be preventable through better corporate behavior and a more effective internal governance of banks.
Taming Amphotericin B

A strategy is introduced for enhancing the cellular selectivity of Amphotericin B (AmB) and other classes of membrane-disrupting agents. This strategy involves attaching the agent to a molecular umbrella to minimize the disruptive power of aggregated forms. Based on this approach, AmB has been coupled to a molecular umbrella derived from one spermidine and two cholic acid molecules and found to have antifungal activities approaching that of the native drug. However, in sharp contrast to AmB, the hemolytic activity and the cytotoxcity of this conjugate toward HEK293 T cells have been dramatically reduced.
Measurement of antibodies to Machupo virus by the indirect fluorescent technique.

Bolivian hemorrhagic fever (BHF) was first recognized in the Province of Beni, Bolivia, in 1959 (1), and cases have continued to occur since then. Recent outbreaks have confirmed the fact that clinical manifestations can be quite nonspecific. Laboratory diagnosis is handicapped by a scarcity of facilities in the endemic region, as well as by the hazard to nonimmune personnel of working with the causative agent, Machupo virus. These problems also apply in varying degree to two other diseases caused by members of the arenavirus group (2, 3): Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF) caused by Junin virus (4) and Lassa fever caused by Lassa virus (5). The early recognition of outbreaks of these diseases is important since rodent control, immune serum therapy, and isolation of patients are thought to be of some use in treatment and prevention.A plaque-neutralization test for detection of Machupo virus antibodies has been developed and proved to be specific and sensitive (6). However, these advantages are posited on t...
The Outer Space Treaty

(1967). The Outer Space Treaty. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 23, No. 10, pp. 44-45.
Dynamics and Control of a Spatial Active Truss Actuator

The methods and the results of an analytical study of the vibration reduction potential of an octahedral, three degree-of-freedom, spatial active truss are presented. The continuum controlled was a 114" brass rod 75" long instrumented with strain gages to transduce strain. The active truss had extensible links with machine screws driven by dc motors. Good vibration control was achieved with good agreement between the experiment and the analysis.
Tumor miofibroblástico de laringe: Reporte de caso clínico y revisión de literatura

El tumor miofibroblastico inflamatorio de laringe es una patologia rara dentro de los tumores de cabeza, cuello y de via aerea, con una baja prevalencia, existiendo escasa literatura al respecto. Corresponde a un tumor benigno que generalmente se presenta como hallazgo incidental en relacion a cuerdas vocales con mayor frecuencia, que puede ser de caracter asintomatico o presentarse con clinica de obstruccion de via aerea como estridor y disnea progresiva, ademas de disfonia. Puede afectar a pacientes de cualquier edad, siendo mas frecuentes en adultos en edad media. El diagnostico se hace a traves de radiologia y visualizacion directa mediante laringoscopia con la consiguiente obtencion de muestra y estudio histopatologico. El tratamiento consta en la reseccion quirurgica completa de la lesion, asociado o no a terapia esteroidal, sin embargo la curacion completa no se logra en todos los casos producto de la naturaleza recidivante de la lesion.
A conjecture on the nature and evolution of consciousness

The profound importance of consciousness in everyday life suggests that it is a natural and necessary outgrowth of our biological heritage. In this paper we offer a conjecture that consciousness is a deep property of biological life itself. We propose a specific model of how a form of core consciousness could be present in all life forms, and subsequently how each species could create a unique form of consciousness from that common core. We formulate the first consideration as the core consciousness conjecture, and the extension to all animals as the extended core consciousness conjecture.
Fluence-dependent sputtering yield of micro-architectured materials

Abstract We present an experimental examination of the relationship between the surface morphology of Mo and its instantaneous sputtering rate as function of low-energy plasma ion fluence. We quantify the dynamic evolution of nano/micro features of surfaces with built-in architecture, and the corresponding variation in the sputtering yield. Ballistic deposition of sputtered atoms as a result of geometric re-trapping is observed, and re-growth of surface layers is confirmed. This provides a self-healing mechanism of micro-architectured surfaces during plasma exposure. A variety of material characterization techniques are used to show that the sputtering yield is not a fundamental property, but that it is quantitatively related to the initial surface architecture and to its subsequent evolution. The sputtering yield of textured molybdenum samples exposed to 300 eV Ar plasma is roughly 1/2 of the corresponding value for flat samples, and increases with ion fluence. Mo samples exhibited a sputtering yield initially as low as 0.22 ± 5%, converging to 0.4 ± 5% at high fluence. The sputtering yield exhibits a transient behavior as function of the integrated ion fluence, reaching a steady-state value that is independent of initial surface conditions. A phenomenological model is proposed to explain the observed transient sputtering phenomenon, and to show that the saturation fluence is solely determined by the initial surface roughness.
Cheminformatics Modeling of Amine Solutions for Assessing their CO2 Absorption Properties.

As stricter regulations on CO2 emissions are adopted worldwide, identifying efficient chemical processes to capture and recycle CO2 is of critical importance for industry. The most common process known as amine scrubbing suffers from the lack of available amine solutions capable of capturing CO2 efficiently. Tertiary amines characterized by low heats of reaction are considered good candidates but their absorption properties can significantly differ from one analogue to another despite high structural similarity. Herein, after collecting and curating experimental data from the literature, we have built a modeling set of 41 amine structures with their absorption properties. Then we analyzed their chemical composition using molecular descriptors and non-supervised clustering. Furthermore, we developed a series of quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPR) to assess amines’ CO2 absorption properties from their structural characteristics. These models afforded reasonable prediction performances (e. g., Q2LOO=0.63 for CO2 absorption amount) even though they are solely based on 2D chemical descriptors and individual machine learning techniques (random forest and neural network). Overall, we believe the chemical analysis and the series of QSPR models presented in this proof-of-concept study represent new knowledge and innovative tools that could be very useful for screening and prioritizing hypothetical amines to be synthesized and tested experimentally for their CO2 absorption properties.