cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimum-time/energy output-transitions in linear systems

This article addresses the optimal (minimum-time/energy) trajectory design for rapid output transitions, i.e. changing the output from one value to another, in linear systems. Furthermore, the output is required to be maintained constant (e.g. without vibration) outside the transition time interval. The output-transition problem is posed as a linear quadratic minimum-time (LQMT) optimal control problem, which avoids bang-bang controllers that result from solving the traditional time-optimal problem. Additionally, the LQMT approach allows the time-optimal requirement to be traded off with the energy requirement by selecting appropriated weighting factors. Current methods transform this LQMT output-transition problem into a state-transition problem by constraining the initial and final state of the output-transition interval. However, the choice of the initial and final states can be ad hoc and the resulting control law may not be optimal. In contrast, the proposed approach directly solves the LQMT output-transition problem by optimally choosing the initial and final states to minimize the output-transition cost. The novelty of the proposed approach is that inputs are not applied just during the output-transition time interval; rather, inputs are also applied before the beginning of and after the end of the output-transition time interval (these inputs are called pre- and post-actuation). The method is illustrated using a flexible structure model, and simulation results show substantial reduction in output-transition cost when compared with the cost of standard state-transition-based approaches, which do not use pre-and post-actuation.
Premature formation of glucokinase in developing rat liver.

Abstract Glucokinase that appears in normal rat liver after the 16th postnatal day was evoked prematurely, a week earlier, by three injections of hydrocortisone (one per day for 3 days) followed by an injection of glucose. As a result of such treatment 9-day-old rats can exhibit as much glucokinase activity as seen in 21-day-old control rats. The prematurely induced rise of glucokinase in developing rats was prevented by actinomycin, by mannoheptulose, or by estradiol administered 6 hours before each hydrocortisone injection. The normal developmental accumulation of glucokinase was partially inhibited by adrenalectomy, by preventing access to solid food, and by treatment with estradiol. The results suggest that adrenocortical secretion (known to increase after the 10th postnatal day) and the intake of solid food (starting after the 13th day) are the physiological stimuli that trigger the formation of glucokinase in normal rats. Our inability to evoke glucokinase before the 5th day may be due to the presence of estrogen in the newborn organism. The prenatal and postnatal levels of liver hexokinase are also presented; there were no changes observed as a result of any of the treatments that altered the levels of glucokinase.
Towards Continuously Auditable Systems

We argue that the trustworthiness of evolving software systems can be significantly enhanced by a rigorous process of independent on-line monitoring throughout the evolutionary lifetime of the system. Such monitoring can prevent fraud, encourage careful maintenance, and serve as an early detector of irregularities in the state and behavior of the system.
Effect of arginine infusion on plasma levels of growth hormone, insulin, and glucose during pregnancy and the puerperium.

Abstract Growth hormone response to arginine infusion was measured during each of the three trimesters of pregnancy and 2 to 3 days post partum and the values compared with that in control nonpregnant subjects. The response was equivalent to control during the first trimester, moderately reduced in the second, and markedly reduced in the last. These progressive changes in the response of HGH to arginine stimulation during the three trimesters of pregnancy suggest that the dynamics are related to physiologic alterations requiring months to become fully manifest.
Parkinsonism and dystonia.

Publisher Summary The clinical features of both Parkinsonism and dystonia can be visualized in conditions in which dopaminergic neurotransmission is impaired. The phenomenology and pathophysiology of diseases in which Parkinsonism and dystonia coexist can lead to important insights into the function of the basal ganglia and of dopamine specifically. Dystonia is classified as a hyperkinetic movement disorder, in which involuntary muscle contractions result in abnormal postures and movements. Dystonia can affect any part of the body and often has a characteristic distribution in different diseases. Dystonia can be a feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) in a variety of circumstances. A frequent early manifestation of PD is with limb, typically leg, dystonia. This can persist as a feature during “off” periods, particularly during the night and early morning, when patients are not medicated for an extended period. Such dystonia is distinct from the dystonia seen during “on” periods, in which it is fixed and painful. Truncal dystonia, resulting in forward and lateral flexion of the spine is seen in advanced PD. Dystonia of other regions has also been reported in PD, including cervical, cranial, and upper limb.
On-Line Discovery of Dense Areas in Spatio-temporal Databases

Moving object databases have received considerable attention recently. Previous work has concentrated mainly on modeling and indexing problems, as well as query selectivity estimation. Here we introduce a novel problem, that of addressing density-based queries in the spatio-temporal domain. For example: “Find all regions that will contain more than 500 objects, ten minutes from now”. The user may also be interested in finding the time period (interval) that the query answer remains valid. We formally define a new class of density-based queries and give approximate, on-line techniques that answer them efficiently. Typically the threshold above which a region is considered to be dense is part of the query. The difficulty of the problem lies in the fact that the spatial and temporal predicates are not specified by the query. The techniques we introduce find all candidate dense regions at any time in the future. To make them more scalable we subdivide the spatial universe using a grid and limit queries within a pre-specified time horizon. Finally, we validate our approaches with a thorough experimental evaluation.
Testosterone Enhancement of the Nerve Cell Body Response to Injury: Evidence Using in situ Hybridization and Ribosomal DNA Probes

In axotomized peripheral motoneurons capable of successful regeneration, one of the earliest morphological indicators of the injury response occurs within the nucleolus. In the initial part of this investigation, we mapped the nucleolar response of injured adult hamster facial motoneurons from a molecular perspective, utilizing in situ hybridization and ribosomal DNA probes complementary to stable rRNA. Recently, we have discovered that the gonadal steroid, testosterone propionate (TP), accelerates recovery from facial paralysis in the hamster by increasing the rate of regeneration of the fastest regrowing axons. In the second part of this study, the hypothesis that TP accomplishes these effects on facial nerve regeneration through an enhancement of the nerve cell body response to injury was tested using in situ hybridization and rDNA probes. Adult intact male hamsters were subjected to right facial nerve axotomies at the stylomastoid foramen. One-half of the axotomized animals received subcutaneous implants of TP, with the remainder sham implanted. In situ hybridization with tritiated rDNA probes was accomplished and levels of hybridizable rRNA assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Axotomy alone induced an upregulation in rRNA levels, with peak changes occurring by 24 hr postoperative and continuing through postoperative day 4. These molecular changes in the nucleolar response preceded, by a full day, any morphological signs of the nucleolar reactive pattern previously found in this cell type, and, as such, point to the usefulness of in situ hybridization as a tool to identify the earliest events associated with the axon reaction. A secondary smaller increase in rRNA levels was observed during the later stages of regeneration. TP significantly augmented the ribosomal response to injury, with levels of rRNA increased as early as 6 hr and the magnitude of the response greater than that occurring following axotomy alone. These results provide the first mechanistic step in the identification of the cellular processes underlying gonadal steroid augmentation of neuronal reparative processes. We conclude that TP accelerates the “switch” from a normal to a reparative state and suggest that this priming effect may be causally related to the differential effects of TP on the regenerative properties of this cell type.
Scattering of white light from levitated oblate water drops near rainbows and other diffraction catastrophes.

Oblate drops of water illuminated perpendicular to their symmetry axis generate a hyperbolic-umbilic diffraction catastrophe near the primary rainbow [ P. L. Marston E. H. Trinh , Nature London312, 529– 531 ( 1984)]. Observations were made of this diffraction catastrophe generated by white-light illumination of acoustically levitated drops of water in air. The observations suggest what generalized rainbows would look like if they were produced in nature when sunlight illuminates large raindrops. Unlike the usual rainbow arc, the transverse cusp of the unfolded catastrophe is not distinctly colored. The hyperbolic-umbilic focal section is distinctly colored as is another diffraction catastrophe generated in the rainbow region when the drop is highly oblate.
Toward a cooperative software testing process

This paper presents a case study examining the implementation of a change from ‘independent Software Quality Assurance testing’ to ‘cooperative testing’ and the resulting impact on the software life cycle. The same test tools have been used, so that any change can be primarily attributed to the process change. In the new process, bugs are caught and addressed earlier in the cycle. Additionally, early integration of the systematic test process coupled with a change in ownership, improved infrastructure and a more formal auditing of test plan execution has produced higher quality software with a more predictable release schedule. The new process has resulted in a higher rate of bug detection and correction during testing, as well as fewer bug reports from the field. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analyzing syntax error patterns among novice programmers

This paper reports on work to establish the relationship between various patterns of syntax errors and both the programming process and the ultimate degree of success. Students in introductory and intermediate programming courses tend to have a large number of syntax errors; some of these errors are simply typos, while others are the result of some type of misunderstanding about the fundamentals of programming or of the programming language. In this work, which is currently in progress, we have accumulated student compilation data from an intermediate programming-intensive course at The University of Alabama. We are in the process of correlating these data with both the (a) overall project grade and (b) whether or not the students followed an iterative enhancement paradigm in completing the assignment. The idea is to determine whether different patterns of errors led to a difference in overall performance, as well as whether different development paradigms led to different patterns of errors.
Zionism and Aladura's shared genealogy in John Alexander Dowie

AbstractIn this article, the author historically describes the process by which Faith Tabernacle Congregation was established by an Evangelist (and later Overseer) in John Alexander Dowie's Christian Catholic Church in Zion. He then explains the similarity of both churches' African missions – the Christian Catholic Church in South Africa and Faith Tabernacle in Nigeria. Both American churches, with a distinct genealogical relationship to one another, significantly affected very similar Christian movements, which were the Zionist movement in South Africa and the Aladura movement in Nigeria. Both of these movements are frequently credited with institutionalizing divine healing within African Christianity, and many scholars argue that African Pentecostalism begin within these movements. In the conclusion, the author reflects historiographically on this relationship: the Christian Catholic Church to Faith Tabernacle and particularly Zionism to Aladura. He argues that the historical relatedness between the two...
The role of screen size in viewer experiences of media content

(1999). The role of screen size in viewer experiences of media content. Visual Communication Quarterly: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 4-9.
Who Do You Refer? The Effects of a Policy Change on Juvenile Referrals

This article examined the effect that limiting police discretion regarding juvenile court referrals had on the referral of first-time juvenile arrestees to a county family court. Data were drawn from Lakeside, a midsized Midwestern police department, and are composed of juvenile arrest and county court records. Data were compiled on all juveniles arrested for the first time in 1993 (prepolicy change) and 1995 (post-policy change). Overall, juveniles were more likely to be referred to the county family court following the policy change. Younger offenders and offenders with less serious offenses were, consonant with our hypotheses, significantly more likely to be processed through the court after the policy change. Contrary to our expectations, the findings indicate that the likelihood of referral for race and gender combinations did not change significantly. This research highlights the importance of controlling for policy changes when examining trends in juvenile arrests and referrals.
Effects of equilibration time on photoreactivity of the pollutant DDE sorbed on natural sediments

Abstract Photolysis of the hydrophobic pollutant 1,1- bis ( p -chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethylene (DDE) was studied in aqueous suspensions of three well-characterized sediments. Results of the study can be described by equations that are based on a kinetic model that takes into account sorption kinetics. Analysis of the kinetic data using this model indicates that the sorbed DDE is, at equilibrium, about half in reactive sites and half in sites where the DDE is unreactive.
Role of immunostaining in cytopathology

The majority of malignant tumours are diagnosed cytologically with a high accuracy rate. However, expectations have now risen to a much higher level. The cytopathologist is expected to subtype the malignancy, define the possible site of primary when unknown clinically or when two primary tumours are in question, and also provide information that is helpful in selecting therapy and predicting prognosis. All these expectations pose new challenges to cytopathologists who often deal with limited cytologic material. In facing these new demands, immunocytochemistry has emerged as a useful adjunct to cytomorphology. Immunocytochemistry has become a suitable tool for the new tasks. Some of the advances in the application of immunostaining in cytopathology are summarized in this review.
The Role of Homogeneous Chemical Kinetics in the Anomalous Codeposition of Binary Alloys

The role of finite-rate homogeneous chemistry during the electrodeposition of binary alloys is analyzed using a detailed mathematical model. The model accounts for solute reactions and transport within the aqueous boundary layer as well as multistep reactions on the electrode surface. Calculations are carried out for nickel-iron deposition from a sulfate bath, using a previously proposed surface-reaction mechanism that accounts for the observed anomalous codeposition. The common assumption of homogeneous chemical equilibrium is found to produce only modest errors in the computed deposition rates, but it distorts the relative importance of hydrolyzed metal ions. In contrast with previous literature claims, the present calculations show that these ions tend to have a greater role than is predicted by assuming equilibrium. The model also suggests that the precipitation of solid metal hydroxides may be slow, i.e., that substantial supersaturation of the plating solution may occur.
The Basic Science/Clinical Science Interface and Treatment Development

Psychological constructs often are incorporated into treatments before they are investigated systematically from a basic-science perspective. We discuss the potential costs of such a sequence of events and the potential benefits of closer working ties between basic and clinical scientists, and we consider how applying basic knowledge of cognitive processes could enhance our understanding of psychotherapy outcome and mechanisms of action. We call upon clinical and basic scientists to engage in a more “mindful” enterprise of translational research.
Relational accommodation in negotiation: Effects of egalitarianism and gender on economic efficiency and relational capital

Highly relational contexts can have costs as well as benefits. Researchers theorize that negotiating dyads in which both parties hold highly relational goals or views of themselves are prone to relational accommodation, a dynamic resulting in inefficient economic outcomes yet high levels of relational capital. Previous research has provided only indirect empirical support for this theory. The present study fills this gap by demonstrating the divergent effects of egalitarianism on economic efficiency and relational capital in negotiation. Dyads engaged in a simulated employment negotiation among strangers within a company that was described as either egalitarian or hierarchical. As hypothesized, dyads assigned to the egalitarian condition reached less efficient economic outcomes yet had higher relational capital than dyads assigned to the hierarchical condition. Negotiations occurring between females resulted in lower joint economic outcomes than negotiations occurring between males. Results are consistent with the theory of relational self-construal in negotiation.
Modulating Excitatory Synaptic Neurotransmission: Potential Treatment for Neurological Disease?

Excitatory neurotransmission at many CNS synapses depends upon AMPA-type glutamate receptors. Derangements in AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission may be a contributing factor in neurological and neurodegenerative diseases and could be a target for therapeutic intervention. Drugs that positively modulate AMPA receptors by reducing AMPA receptor desensitization and/or slowing AMPA receptor deactivation, such as thiazide derivative (cyclothiazide, diazoxide, IDRA 21) and benzoylpiperidine derivatives (1-BCP, CX516, aniracetam), facilitate AMPA receptor-mediated processes and may have beneficial therapeutic effects. For example, AMPA modulators facilitate long-term potentiation, which may be important for memory storage, and facilitate memory encoding in behavioral experiments. Thus, AMPA modulators might ameliorate memory deficits that occur in dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. However, AMPA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity may occur with excessive AMPA receptor activation such as in seizures or ischemia, and positive AMPA modulators would promote neuronal injury under those conditions. Regardless of the ultimate clinical utility of positive AMPA modulators, their discovery and study have already provided significant insight into the physiology and structural determinants of important AMPA receptor properties. This review attempts to synthesize a variety of studies that have utilized these AMPA modulators to gain insight into fundamental as well as clinically relevant AMPA receptor-mediated processes.
1022 Multi-Center Randomized Trial Comparing the 19G and 25G Needles for EUS-Guided FNA of Solid Pancreatic Mass Lesions

100 Multi-Center Randomized Trial Comparing the 19G and 25G Needles for EUS-Guided FNA of Large Solid Pancreatic Mass Lesions Muhammad Hasan, Jayapal Ramesh, Ji Young Bang, Bronte a. Holt, Shantel Hebert-Magee, Amy L. Logue, Robert Hawes, Shyam Varadarajulu* Center for Interventional Endoscopy, Florida Hospital, Orlando, FL; Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL Background: Retrospective studies suggest that given the increased necrosis in large solid pancreatic mass lesions, more passes are required at EUS-FNA for establishing onsite diagnostic adequacy. The hypothesis of this study is that a larger gauge needle will procure more tissue than a smaller gauge needle and therefore will establish the diagnosis with fewer FNA passes. Aim: To compare 19 and 25G needles for EUS-FNA of large solid pancreatic mass lesions. Methods: In this multi-center trial, patients with solid pancreatic mass lesions 35mm or greater in size were randomized to undergo EUS-FNA using 19 or 25G needle. FNA maneuvers were performed using the fanning technique and without the use of suction. A pathologist blinded to randomization sequence evaluated specimens onsite for diagnostic adequacy. Main outcome measures: Compare the median number of passes needed to establish onsite diagnostic adequacy, specimen quality (bloodiness graded as mild if!33%, moderate if 34-66%, severe if O67%) and complications between 19 and 25G needles. Sample size was estimated based on detecting a difference of one pass required to establish onsite diagnostic adequacy, using standard deviation of 1 for 19G and 1.9 for 25G needle (power 80%, aZ0.05). Results: Of 80 randomized patients (19GZ40; 25GZ40) there was no significant difference in patient or disease characteristics between the cohorts (Table). Except for specimen bloodiness that was significantly greater in the 19G cohort, there was no difference in the median number of passes required to establish onsite diagnostic adequacy, final diagnosis, technical failures (none) or complications (none) between the two cohorts. Conclusion: 19G needle has no advantage over a 25G needle for establishing onsite diagnostic adequacy when performing EUS-FNA of large solid pancreatic mass lesions.
Piezoelectric energy harvesting from multifunctional wing spars for UAVs: Part 2. Experiments and storage applications

This paper is the second part of a two-part series investigating the development of multifunctional piezoelectric energy harvesting devices to be used in unmanned aerial vehicle and micro air vehicle applications. The proposed self-charging structures include piezoelectric layers and novel thin-film battery layers bonded to a substrate layer in order to create a multilayer, self-charging, load bearing energy harvesting device. Part 1 of this work (coupled modeling and preliminary analysis) presents a distributed parameter electromechanical model used to predict the response of the proposed selfcharging structures under harmonic base excitation. The model is compared to experimental results and found to be quite accurate. This paper investigates the fabrication and experimental evaluation of the self-charging structures. A detailed analysis of the thin-film batteries used in the self-charging structures is carried out, and their electrical and mechanical performance is evaluated. Typical charge and discharge curves are generated and analyzed. The fabrication process involved in creating self-charging structures is also outlined, including details on bonding of the layers and establishing electrical connections. A simple energy harvesting circuit is designed to allow the transfer of energy from the piezoelectric layers to the battery layers. Lastly, the energy harvesting performance of the self-charging structure is evaluated and typical charge and discharge time histories are recorded for the structure under base excitations.
Rem inhibits skeletal muscle EC coupling by reducing the number of functional L-type Ca2+ channels.

Abstract In skeletal muscle, the L-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channel (1,4-dihydropyridine receptor) serves as the voltage sensor for excitation-contraction (EC) coupling. In this study, we examined the effects of Rem, a member of the RGK \( R _ em , R _ em 2 , R _ ad , R _ em / R _ ir \) family of Ras-related monomeric GTP-binding proteins, on the function of the skeletal muscle L-type Ca 2+ channel. EC coupling was found to be weakened in myotubes expressing Rem tagged with enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (YFP-Rem), as assayed by electrically evoked contractions and myoplasmic Ca 2+ transients. This impaired EC coupling was not a consequence of altered function of the type 1 ryanodine receptor, or of reduced Ca 2+ stores, since the application of 4-chloro- m -cresol, a direct type 1 ryanodine receptor activator, elicited myoplasmic Ca 2+ release in YFP-Rem-expressing myotubes that was not distinguishable from that in control myotubes. However, YFP-Rem reduced the magnitude of L-type Ca 2+ current by ∼75% and produced a concomitant reduction in membrane-bound charge movements. Thus, our results indicate that Rem negatively regulates skeletal muscle EC coupling by reducing the number of functional L-type Ca 2+ channels in the plasma membrane.
Papillary Carcinoma of the Thyroid: Hereditary or Radiation-Induced?

AbstractFamilial medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a well-known syndrome, however, familial papillary thyroid carcinoma has been documented infrequently in brief reports and family members diagnosed with this disease usually involve a small number of patients. In this issue of the journal, Dr. Harris and colleagues report two members of a family with papillary thyroid carcinoma: a mother and her young daughter who presented with metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma. The authors suggest that the occurrence of the neoplasm at an advanced stage in closely related individuals early in life may be due to an underlying genetic abnormality. The mother, 17 years earlier at the age of 22, received brief treatment with localized posterior scalp irradiation for tinea capitis with her face and neck heavily shielded? However, I am not certain how the shielding was done, especially since thyroid carcinoma may arise in a thyroid which received a small amount of radiation. We have previously reported that lead shiel...
Identification and linkage relationships of three hexokinase genes in Aedes aegypti

Four regions of hexokinase activity are detected by starch gel electrophoresis of adult Aedes aegypti. Three of the regions, Hk-2, Hk-3, and Hk-4, are produced by three tightly linked loci, located on the third chromosome 7.25 map units from the locus fuzzy. The three loci show developmental differences as well as differences in substrate specificity.
On the applicability of a universal elastic trench profile

Abstract Using thin elastic plate theory and neglecting horizontal applied forces, a universal deflection profile applicable to many oceanic trenches is derived. This theoretical profile is compared with bathymetric profiles from the central Aleutian, Kuril, Bonin, and Mariana trench-outer rise regions. The profiles were corrected for sediment thickness and age variation of the lithosphere. Good agreement between theory and observation is found. The distance from the first point of zero deflection seaward of the trench to the point of maximum height of the outer rise is directly related to the flexural rigidity of the lithosphere. The thickness of the elastic lithosphere is found to vary between 20 and 29 km for the trench profiles considered. The good agreement obtained shows that horizontal forces may be neglected and that the bending lithosphere behaves elastically in the cases considered. The analysis shows that only unreasonably large horizontal forces would affect the universal deflection curve. It is concluded that although the near-surface lithosphere may be subject to brittle fracture, the deeper lithosphere is capable of transmitting elastic stresses as high as 9 kbar.
Motor Restoration and Spasticity Management after Stroke.

The treatment of stroke does not end after a 3-hour time window. Several randomized, controlled studies of focused stroke rehabilitation units showed that these units reduce disability, with treatment effects persisting for years. Although the exact reasons for the superiority of these specialized units remain uncertain, presumably some portion is related to the quality and types of therapies provided to the patients. Advances in the understanding of the brain’s ability to react to injury have led to the current testing of treatments based on the neuroscience of recovery rather than simply the clinician’s guess about what effective treatments might be. This chapter will provide an overview of the treatments directed towards the restoration of motor function and towards ameliorating spasticity after stroke. The data supporting the use of emerging therapies of constraint induced movement treatment and robotic treatment will be discussed.
Vegetation classification by two new iterative reallocation optimization algorithms

This paper presents two new non-hierarchical iterative reallocation optimization algorithms for vegetation classification. The OPTimal PARTitioning algorithm (OPTPART) optimizes the ratio of within-cluster similarity to among-cluster similarity; the OPTimal SILhouette algorithm (OPTSIL) optimizes the difference between the similarity of each sample to the cluster to which it is assigned and its similarity to the most similar cluster. The algorithms were tested on three vegetation datasets (Mt. Field Massif, Tazmania, Australia; Podyj/Thayatal National Park, Austria/Czech Republic; and Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, USA) using three dissimilarity/distance matrices (Bray-Curtis, chord distance, and Hellinger distance) and compared to five other commonly used or recently introduced vegetation classification algorithms (flexible-β, TWINSPAN, PAM, ISOPAM, and K-means) using eight goodness-of-clustering evaluators. Five of the eight evaluators were species-based and operate on the distribution of individual taxa among clusters; three were community-based and operate on the compositional similarity of clusters. OPTPART was initialized from random partitions and from the results of a flexible-β classification as the initial partition; OPTSIL was initialized from partitions resulting from OPTPART, flexible-β, and K-means classifications. Algorithms were ranked from best to worst on each clustering evaluator for each dissimilarity/distance matrix for each dataset, and summarized by median ranks. OPTPART, SIL/OPT (OPTSIL from an OPTPART initial partition), and SIL/FLEX (OPTSIL from a flexible-β initial partition) ranked 1–3 respectively for results pooled across all three datasets and dissimilarity/distance matrices. OPTPART, SIL/OPT, and SIL/FLEX consistently ranked 1–3 across the individual datasets, although the order varied slightly by dataset.
The effects of localized absorption on the mode conversion process in the RF heating of plasmas

The effects of localized absorption processes on mode conversion in the various RF heating schemes for fusion plasmas are analysed. An asymptotic separation technique separates local and asymptotic behaviour and leads to an integral equation through use of a fourth-order Green's function. Detailed calculations are presented for the deuterium ion cyclotron harmonic case with a hydrogen impurity ranging from impurities dominant to impurities absent. It is shown that as k∥ increases, mode conversion ceases and only ion cyclotron absorption occurs. Details of the E+ field, which has a minimum at resonance, and rotational transform effects are presented. The technique is applied to the other mode conversion processes (Alfven resonance, electron cyclotron harmonic, incident slow wave) but no numerical results are given.
Partnering with Cuba: earthquake hazards.

The 6 June Editorial by G. R. Fink, A. I. Leshner, and V. C. Turekian advocates “Science diplomacy with Cuba” (p. [1065][1]). I agree. Both countries could benefit from a joint evaluation of earthquake hazards in southeastern Cuba. The cities of Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo, including the U.S. base and prison, are close to the offshore, seismically active Oriente plate-boundary fault ([ 1 ][2]), but the earthquake danger from this fault has not been studied. The fault occupies the narrow Oriente Deep ([ 1 ][2], [ 2 ][3]) and skims the northern boundary of Haiti into the Dominican Republic, where paleoseismic analysis of the Septentrional fault shows evidence of earthquakes and a slip rate of 6 to 12 mm/year ([ 3 ][4]). This is about half of the total slip rate between the North American and Caribbean plates and serves as a proxy for the slip rate estimated for the Oriente fault off the coast of Cuba. No historical earthquake has ruptured the Oriente fault, indicating that the fault may be in a seismic gap. The United States has the expertise to help Cuba respond to its earthquake hazard by upgrading their seismic and global positioning system (GPS) networks, conducting paleoseismic studies along the coast to learn the earthquake history of the Oriente fault, and upgrading buildings at risk from an Oriente fault earthquake. 1. [↵][5]1. R. S. Yeats , Active Faults of the World (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 2012). 2. [↵][6]1. E. Calais 2. et al ., Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 326, 125 (1998). [OpenUrl][7] 3. [↵][8]1. C. S. Prentice 2. et al ., J. Geophys. Res. 103. 2149 (2003). [OpenUrl][9] [1]: pending:yes [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #ref-3 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DGeol.%2BSoc.%2BAm.%2BSpec.%2BPap.%26rft.volume%253D326%26rft.spage%253D125%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [8]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text" [9]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ.%2BGeophys.%2BRes.%26rft.volume%253D103%26rft.spage%253D2149%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
Using the ASCA national model® to facilitate school transitions.

The American School Counselor Association has developed the ASCA National Model® in order to provide school counselors with a structure for effective practice. The ASCA National Model can help school counselors think proactively about how they can best serve the students in their schools, and it contains ideas and tools for developing comprehensive school counseling programs that use the current best practices in the field. This article briefly summarizes the ASCA National Model and uses the model to identify effective program components for addressing student transitions.
p53-induced gene 3 mediates cell death induced by glutathione peroxidase 3.

Expression of glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) is down-regulated in a variety of human malignancies. Both methylation and deletion of GPx3 gene underlie the alterations of GPx3 expression in prostate cancer. A strong correlation between the down-regulation of GPx3 expression and progression of prostate cancer and the suppression of prostate cancer xenografts in SCID mice by forced expression of GPx3 suggests a tumor suppression role of GPx3 in prostate cancer. However, the mechanism of GPx3-mediated tumor suppression remains unclear. In this report, GPx3 was found to interact directly with p53-induced gene 3 (PIG3). Forced overexpression of GPx3 in prostate cancer cell lines DU145 and PC3 as well as immortalized prostate epithelial cells RWPE-1 increased apoptotic cell death. Expression of GPx3x73c, a peroxidase-negative OPAL codon mutant, in DU145 and PC3 cells also increased cell death. The induced expression of GPx3 in DU145 and PC3 cells resulted in an increase in reactive oxygen species and caspase-3 activity. These activities were abrogated by either knocking down PIG3 or mutating the PIG3 binding motif in GPx3 or binding interference from a peptide corresponding to PIG3 binding motif in GPx3. In addition, UV-treated RWPE-1 cells underwent apoptotic death, which was partially prevented by knocking down GPx3 or PIG3, suggesting that GPx3-PIG3 signaling is critical for UV-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results reveal a novel signaling pathway of GPx3-PIG3 in the regulation of cell death in prostate cancer.
Declining Phanerozoic background extinction rates: effect of taxonomic structure?

A decline in the total and per-family extinction rate of marine families1,2 during the Phanerozoic has been attributed to progressive improvements in the ecological properties of species. We believe this is not necessarily the case and suggest that the lower family extinction rates may reflect increases in the number of species per family, on the geological time scale, with higher species/family ratios being an inevitable consequence of the increase in species richness3 and the geometry of the branching evolutionary tree4. Because species-rich families are more likely to survive the stochastically constant background probabilities of species extinction, the biosphere has gradually accumulated species-rich clades and the total and per-family rates of extinction have consequently declined.
Impact of frontal lobe lesions on rehabilitation and recovery from acute brain injury.

The frontal lobe has been viewed historically in very different ways, ranging from enigmatic and mystifying to the crucial neural substrate for higher cognition and social behavior. Frontal lobe damage poses a unique and difficult set of challenges to the patient, their family and the neurorehabilitation team. Because of the role of the frontal lobe in adaptation and adjustment, such damage adversely affects a patient's participation in the process and content of rehabilitation. To aid diagnosis and treatment planning, a model of frontal lobe organization is outlined, focusing on the specific cognitive and behavioral symptom clusters associated with superior mesial, inferior mesial, dorsolateral and orbital frontal lesions. A taxonomy of social executive processes is presented for identifying impairments in social behavior and personality, based upon the domains of social self-regulation, social self-awareness, social-sensi­ tivity (empathy), and social-salience. Specific interventions are described that encompass dopamine agonist therapy for blunted affect, mutism and akinesia, cognitive strategies for improving organization and planning deficits, and evolving treatments for social impairments.
Event-related potentials correlate with task-dependent glucose metabolism.

Cognitive processing is associated with brain electrical activity that is reflected in event-related potentials (ERP). ERP during a target detection task, and regional cerebral glucose metabolism (CMRglc) measured simultaneously, may be influenced by the same neurophysiologic processes. We tested the hypothesis that ERP factors could be directly correlated with CMRglc to derive functional brain maps of brain activity at 120, 160, 200, 280, and 400 ms following stimulus presentation in a target detection task. We controlled for the potential confounding effects of age, sex, and task accuracy, and correlate target-related and nontarget-related ERP separately. Increases and decreases in CMRglc at each time point were identified with statistical parametric mapping (P < 0.001, uncorrected). The 120- and 160-ms maps were the same for target and nontarget processing, while maps for 280 and 400 ms clearly distinguished between targets and nontargets. Extrinsic (early) cognitive processes that depend mainly on stimulus characteristics show less variation based on stimulus meaning (i.e., letter vs shape; target vs nontarget) than later (intrinsic) cognitive processes. These early effects are lateralized to the left hemisphere, for negative ERP factors, and positive ERP-PET correlations are more likely than negative ERP-PET correlations. Thus, brain areas related to task processing impact both ERP and CMRglc measures, suggesting a shared neurophysiologic mechanism for negative ERP factors and increased CMRglc. Direct statistical analysis of these two measures using statistical parametric mapping provides high spatial and temporal resolution in multisubject experiments, while requiring only a single (18)FDG PET scan per subject.
EPR study of the symmetry breaking effect in ferroelectric cesium dihydrogen phosphate doped with Cr5+ ions

Abstract The (PO4)3− units in a CsH2PO4 (CDP) crystal were replaced in a small fraction of sites by (CrO4)3− groups and the EPR of the Cr5+ center was investigated. Splitting of the EPR line appears at T∗c=245 K, 91 K higher that the ferroelectric transition temperature Tc=154 K. The electronic wave function of Cr5+ (3d1) is identified as dx2−y2. The dx2−y2 function couples with the near protons and the reorientation of this unit in the two possible configurations occurs in the paraelectric phase and breaks the symmetry far above Tc. The observed correlation time 10−9 sec and associated activation energy ΔU=0.215 eV are discussed.
Distribution of [3H]AMPA binding sites in rat brain as determined by quantitative autoradiography

Abstract Alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) is a potent neuroexcitatory compound which acts at the quisqualate class of excitatory amino acid receptors. In this study we describe the pharmacological characteristics and anatomical distribution of [3H]AMPA binding sites in rat brain using quantitative autoradiography. These binding sites exhibit the appropriate pharmacological characteristics and are found in high concentrations in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex (especially layers I–III), induseum griseum, and dorsal lateral septum. Intermediate concentrations are found in the corpus striatum and deeper layers of cerebral cortex. Lower concentrations are found in the diencephalon, midbrain and brainstem. These results demonstrate that [3H]AMPA binding sites are found throughout the CNS and suggest brain regions which may use quisqualate receptors as glutamate neurotransmitter receptors.
Effect of suspension density on crystal size distribution

The concept of a continuous mixed suspension–mixed product removal crystallizer was used both as an analysis and experimental tool to study the effects of suspension density on crystal size distribution. If the crystals present in suspension are not a source of nuclei, larger crystals will be obtained in the presence of higher suspension densities. If the rate of new particle formation is proportional to the amount of crystals present, the crystal size obtained will not be changed by the suspension density level. There was evidence of nucleation rate dependency on the quantity of suspended crystals in the two systems studied experimentally.
Retrospective analysis of acute inhalation toxicity studies: Comparison of actual concentrations by filter and cascade impactor analyses

Abstract Determination of acute inhalation toxicity is usually the initial step in the assessment and evaluation of the toxic characteristic of a substance that may be inhaled. Commonly, data from this bioassays may serve as a basis for classification and labeling and may also be used for the derivation of Emergency Response Guidance Levels. The focus of this analysis is on the comparative measurement of actual total mass concentrations in inhalation chambers obtained from independent filter (or alternative) analyses and cascade impactor analyses and whether the similarity/disparity of concentration measurements found by different equipment and sampling strategies could serve as robust criterion for the identification of inconclusive measurements. Potential artifacts leading to erroneous concentrations include anisokinetic sampling errors, obstructions of filters, errors related to the calculation/measurement of the sampled volume of atmospheres, wall losses or evaporation. The outcome of this analysis supports the conclusion that the mass concentrations obtained by the commonly performed cascade impactor analysis provide an important adjunct to the established procedures. In summary, the similarity of mass concentrations obtained independently by cascade impactor and filter analyses, i.e., sampling equipment with different aspiration efficiencies and collection media, improve the judgment whether the results from atmosphere characterization are ‘conclusive’ or ‘inconclusive.’
Blocking the secretion of hepatic very low density lipoproteins renders the liver more susceptible to toxin-induced injury.

Recently, we generated mice lacking microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) in the liver (Mttp Δ/Δ) and demonstrated that very low density lipoprotein secretion from hepatocytes was almost completely blocked. The blockade in lipoprotein production was accompanied by mild to moderate hepatic steatosis, but the mice appeared healthy. Although hepatic MTP deficiency appeared to be innocuous, we hypothesized that a blockade in very low density lipoprotein secretion and the accompanying steatosis might increase the sensitivity ofMttp Δ/Δ livers to additional hepatic insults. To address this issue, we compared the susceptibility ofMttp Δ/Δ mice andMttp flox/flox controls to hepatic injury fromEscherichia coli lipopolysaccharides, concanavalin A, andPseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A. At baseline, neither theMttp Δ/Δ nor theMttp flox/flox mice had elevated serum transaminases or histologic evidence of hepatic inflammation. After the administration of the toxins, however, theMttp Δ/Δ mice manifested higher levels of transaminases and, unlike the Mttp flox/floxmice, developed histologic evidence of hepatic inflammation. The toxic challenge induced tumor necrosis factor-α to a similar extent inMttp Δ/Δ andMttp flox/flox mice, but other parameters of injury (e.g. chemokine transcript levels and lipid peroxides) were disproportionately increased in theMttp Δ/Δ mice. Our results suggest that blocking lipoprotein secretion in the liver may increase the susceptibility of the liver to certain toxic challenges.
Employees as customers judging quality: enhancing employee assessment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate current practices in employee satisfaction assessment to determine if quality in the production of library services and work systems are being assessed from the employees' perspective. It is grounded in the theoretical perspective that customers judge quality and that employees are internal customers, equally important to assessment efforts as are external customers. The paper argues that employees provide a unique perspective to the assessment of quality that external customers cannot provide and that quality assessment needs to be an additional form of employee assessment from that of employee satisfaction or organizational climate initiatives.Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of measures in organizational climate surveys gathered from the Association of Research Libraries was performed. Each item of several organizational climate surveys was analyzed for words and phrases identified as associated with quality assessment. Conclusions w...