cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incremental angular vestibulo-ocular reflex adaptation to active head rotation.

Studies on motor learning typically present a constant adaptation stimulus, corresponding to the desired final adaptive state. Studies of the auditory and optokinetic systems provide compelling evidence that neural plasticity is enhanced when the error signal driving adaptation is instead adjusted gradually throughout training. We sought to determine whether the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (aVOR) may be adaptively increased using an incremental velocity error signal (IVE) compared with a conventional constant and large velocity-gain demand (x2). We compared the magnitude of aVOR gain change for these two paradigms across different motion contexts (active and passive). Seven individuals with normal vestibular function and six individuals with unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) were exposed to the IVE and x2 (“control”) aVOR demand tasks. Each subject participated in 10 epochs of 30 active head impulses over a 15 min aVOR gain increase training session separately for the IVE and x2 paradigms, separated by either seven days (normal subjects) or 14 days (UVH subjects). For both normal and UVH subjects, both paradigms led to aVOR gain increase during the training session. For the normal subjects, the IVE paradigm led to larger aVOR gain change after training compared to the x2 paradigm, for both active (mean 17.3 ± 4% vs. mean 7.1 ± 9%, P = 0.029) and passive (mean 14.2 ± 5% vs. 4.5 ± 8%, P = 0.018) head impulses. For subjects with UVH, IVE produced a greater change in aVOR gain for active head impulses (mean 18.2 ± 9.2% vs. mean −6 ± 3.8%, P = 0.003). However, aVOR gains for passive head impulses were less consistent after IVE, with only two subjects displaying greater aVOR gain with this incremental paradigm. Some individuals generated compensatory saccades that occurred in the same direction of the deficient aVOR during either training paradigm. Our data suggest that the aVOR is modifiable when the velocity error signal is presented incrementally, and that this adaptation stimulus is particularly effective in the case of unilateral vestibular hypofunction. This has implications for programs of vestibular rehabilitation, where active head rotation is prescribed as a means to improve gaze stability.
Design of Surface Grinding Dynamometers

This paper discusses the application of some basic elastic theory of thin circular rings used as transducers and equations generally used in the design of a surface grinding dynamometer. Octagonal strain rings and their approximation in design application to dynamometers are presented. Examples of calculations are demonstrated. The wiring diagrams of strain gages on the dynamometer are also shown. The calibration setup, curves, and equations of calibration are dealt with. The author has a dual purpose in writing this paper: He wishes to have a record of his design experience for later reference and to share some valuable information with engineers and scientists in the field.
Rhetoric and Its Masses: An Introduction

In virtually every epoch of its history, the theory of rhetoric has been associated with large, anonymous groups of people. They appear sometimes as crowds and at other times as mobs. At still other times, these large, anonymous groups of people are figured as herds, (counter)publics, imagined communities, “the people,” the audience, or social imaginaries. In whatever guise they appear, these anonymous groups of people have played a major role in the development of the idea of rhetoric. A few examples will make my point. Plato (2001) defined rhetoric as discourse that would persuade an ignorant crowd (94). Augustine (2001) tailored rhetoric to the “multitude of the wise” (459). In the sixteenth century, Castiglione (2001) calibrated rhetoric to the tastes of “ladies or gentlemen” (663). In the eighteenth century, David Hume (2001) suggested that discourse must account for “man in general” (836). Thomas Sheridan (2001) developed his “Lectures on Elocution” from a consideration of “man in his animal state” (884). By 1828, Richard Whately (2001) could characterize the entire history of rhetoric as so many theories on how to persuade the “promiscuous multitude” (1007). In 1958, Chaim Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca made a large, anonymous group of people—the “universal audience”—famous as the enabling presupposition of all rational argument (Perelman and OlbrechtsTyteca 1991, 31–35). Finally, consider the vibrant subfield of public sphere theory. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, public sphere theory may be the most institutionally secured of rhetoric’s modalities. In this popular mode, rhetoric is understood as the democratic practice of engaging groups of people qua citizens. Administrators seem to love this vision of rhetoric. Basic courses in both writing and speech are often designed explicitly as training in civic engagement, and institutionalized centers for civic engagement are now a common feature of research universities. Rhetoric, we might say, has generated institutional security by tying its fate to (and betting its value on) a particularly resonant large group of anonymous people: the
Foxo1 links homing and survival of naive T cells by regulating L-selectin, CCR7 and interleukin 7 receptor

Foxo transcription factors have a conserved role in the adaptation of cells and organisms to nutrient and growth factor availability. Here we show that Foxo1 has a crucial, nonredundant role in T cells. In naive T cells, Foxo1 controlled the expression of the adhesion molecule L-selectin, the chemokine receptor CCR7 and the transcription factor Klf2, and its deletion was sufficient to alter lymphocyte trafficking. Furthermore, Foxo1 deficiency resulted in a severe defect in interleukin 7 receptor alpha-chain (IL-7Ralpha) expression associated with its ability to bind an Il7r enhancer. Finally, growth factor withdrawal induced a Foxo1-dependent increase in Sell, Klf2 and Il7r expression. These data suggest that Foxo1 regulates the homeostasis and life span of naive T cells by sensing growth factor availability and regulating homing and survival signals.
Generating visual mental images: Latency and vividness are inversely related

In three experiments, participants pressed a reaction time key and rated vividness after reading descriptions of common objects and imagining them as accurately as possible within a visual display subtending 1.2° or 10.8°. Display size had small effects on vividness and on image latency. Latency was much faster (≈2.5 sec) for vivid images than for nonvivid ones (≈7.5 sec), regardless of display size and initial size at which the images were generated (natural image size). Our findings characterize images as (1) detailed, as indicated by ratings of detail and by lack of category membership effects; (2) as occurring at many natural image sizes, so that time-consuming size adjustments are typically not needed; and (3) generated not concurrently with but after lexical access, as shown by latencies for the same image evoked by synonyms likepail andbucket. We conclude that image vividness and latency reflect the activation level of the visual imagery system, implying that image generation in everyday life mostly involves retrieving already-computed representations episodically stored in memory, which seldom require extensive re-elaboration such as size adjustment.
Assessment and management of acute pain in cats

Abstract: Cats are popular pets, but until recently, their peri-operative and traumatic pain had been seriously underestimated and under-treated. The lack of treatment stems from difficulty in recognizing pain, lack of licensed analgesic drugs, fear of toxic side effects, and lack of information specific to cats. Fortunately, in the last decade, many advances have been made in feline analgesia. It is now obvious that because of the cat's unique metabolism, species-specific studies are essential. Opioids are the mainstay of any analgesic protocol for acute pain and can be used with few side effects. Other drugs that can be utilized include the α2-agonists, local anesthetics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Pain assessment in cats is challenging and developing, and validating pain scoring systems remains an important goal. The information in this article will help the critical care and emergency clinician formulate a safe and effective analgesic plan for feline patients.
Health Policy Making Through Operative Actions: A Case Study of Provider Capacity Reduction in a Public Safety-Net System

This article describes and assesses the implications of policy decisions affecting health provider capacity in the Los Angeles County municipal safety-net health system from 1980 to 2000. Although never articulated in law or a county ordinance, the county pursued a sustained and discernable policy of cost reductions that affected capacity at King/Drew Medical Center from 1980 to 2000 without the input of beneficiaries or their advocates. Year after year, the county reduced personnel, supplies, and available beds either by reducing formal budgets or through operative actions of facility administrators that prevented the implementation of formally approved expenditures. This policy appears to have undermined the hospital system's mission of providing health services to at-risk populations with nowhere else to go. Decision making during the two decades under study revealed a decision-making pattern that challenged traditional models of policy decision making.
The CONTOUR remote imager and spectrograph

Abstract The Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) is a NASA Discovery mission to study the diversity of comet nuclei. Top level mission goals include imaging the nuclei of several comets at resolutions up to 4 m / pixel , acquiring spectral information in both the visible and infrared (IR), and obtaining detailed compositional measurements of the gas and dust. The CONTOUR Remote Imager and Spectrograph (CRISP) instrument, under development at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, achieves the primary imaging and spectral mapping objectives. CRISP includes a visible imager and 10-position filter wheel to survey the visible spectrum from 400 to 800 nm and provide high-resolution images of the nucleus. An imaging spectrograph, utilizing a 256×256 HgCdTe array and yielding a spectral resolution of 7 nm , analyzes the infrared IR spectrum from 800 to 2500 nm . A Stirling cycle refrigerator cools the IR array to cryogenic operating temperatures. The imager and spectrograph share a common optical path that includes a scan mirror to actively track the comet nucleus during approach and fly-by. An overview of the CRISP instrument is presented.
Patterns of co-variability between physical and biological parameters in the Arabian Sea

Abstract The relationship between physical forcing and biological response observed in the Arabian Sea for the years 1978–1986 were examined. Spatial and temporal patterns of variability in a climatological time-series of three possible physical forcing parameters and CZCS-derived phytoplankton pigment concentration during the annual cycle were quantified using single and joint empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and singular-value decomposition (SVD) analyses. Monthly composites of the NASA regional pigment data were interpolated to fill data voids and binned corresponding to the physical flux data. Nearly all the spatial-temporal analyses consistently partitioned a large portion of the variability using only 1 or 2 dominant modes and indicated a lag in the timing of the peak pigment concentration behind the maxima in physical forcing. In all cases, major modes of variability resembled the Southwest Monsoon pattern, with the Northeast Monsoon contributing very little to the total variance and covariance. The Joint EOF and SVD analyses incorporated subtle features surrounding the peak Southwest Monsoon phenomena. Correlation maps of the joint EOF analysis depicted differences in spatial variability of pigment concentration associated with stress and curl, showing areas of curl-driven upwelling distinct from coastal upwelling, with possible off-shore advection of the curl-induced high pigment waters.
Possible measurement of the vacuum polarization in heavy-ion scattering

A measurement of the vacuum polarization potential in nonrelativistic elastic heavy-ion scattering is suggested. We find that in a typical sub- Coulomb barrier event enough momentum is transferred from the projectile to the target nucleus to make the high-${q}^{2}$ behavior of the photon propagator observable. The elastic cross section is increased in a typical case by 2.5% above the Rutherford value. Only relative measurements are needed.[NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$($^{16}\mathrm{O}$, $^{16}\mathrm{O}$). Calculated vacuum polarization effect, sub-Coulomb, DWBA.]
Preliminary study of the benthic foraminifera of the San Francisco de Paula Section (Upper Paleocene-Lower Eocene), Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba

Benthic foraminifera were collected from the Paleocene-Eocene San Francisco de Paula section, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba. The benthic foraminifera comprise a small portion (<10%) of the total foraminiferal fauna. In each sample, the benthic foraminifera generally have a high species diversity but few individuals per species. The paleoecologic setting indicated by the benthic foraminifera is middle to upper bathyal. The benthic foraminifera collected from the San Francisco de Paula section are characteristic of the bathyal "Velasco type" fauna. Three intervals of the section contain species associated with the neritic "Midway type" fauna. The fauna in these intervals is a mixed "Midway" and "Velasco" assemblage. The mixing of the two faunas in the section suggests downslope transport of the "Midway type" species. Two important benthic foraminiferal biostratigraphic markers are recognized in the San Francisco de Paula section. The highest occurrence of Stensioina beccariiformis is an important biostratigraphic datum from the bathyal realm and is documented at this local- ity. Another marker, the highest occurrence of the abundant benthic foraminiferan Osangularia velascoensis, is an important datum in western Cuba and may be useful in upper bathyal Paleocene sections elsewhere in the Caribbean. Two bathyal benthic foraminiferal biozones are recognized at San Francisco de Paula: the Angulogavelinella avnimelechi- Anomalinoides rubinginosus Interval Zone (BB 1), and the Anomalinoides capitatus-Hanzawaia ammophila Partial Range Zone (BB2). The benthic foraminiferal fauna from the San Francisco de Paula section has affinities with many upper Paleocene-lower Eocene bathyal faunas worldwide. It is most like the upper Paleocene-lower Eocene benthic foraminiferal fauna collected from the Santa Anita Group of eastern Venezuela.
Optimizing Perovskites for the Water-Splitting Reaction

Electrochemical splitting of water into molecular oxygen (O2), protons, and electrons could provide a way to store the electricity generated from sustainable but intermittent energy sources, such as wind and solar power, as fuels ( 1 ). Hydrogen would be the simplest fuel to make, but the protons and electrons could be used to produce hydrocarbons and alcohols from CO2 or ammonia from N2. A major challenge is that efficient catalysts for water electrolysis are expensive and contain rare noble metals, so cost-effective approaches will require the discovery of efficient electrocatalysts that contain only Earth-abundant elements. On page 1383 of this issue, Suntivich et al. ( 2 ) describe a method for rational design of metal oxide catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction. They discovered perovskite-structure catalysts based on non-noble metals that work with a higher efficiency than one of the state-of-the-art catalysts, iridium oxide.
DETERMINATION OF RESIDUAL CHLORIDE IN SEVELAMER CARBONATE USING HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Sevelamer carbonate is the active ingredient of Renvela tablets; a cross-linked polymeric amine that binds phosphate. It was developed as a pharmaceutical alternative to sevelamer hydrochloride (Renagel). Renvela is indicated for the control of hyperphosphatemia in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Sevelamer carbonate is manufactured from sevelamer hydrochloride, in which carbonate replaces chloride as the counter ion. Therefore, chloride is one of the impurities present in sevelamer carbonate. A number of suitable analytical techniques are available for chloride estimation, including titration, colorimetry, electrochemical chromatography, indirect photochemical detection, and ion chromatography. Limits of detection range from 50 g/L for colorimetry to 5 mg/L for titration. The specification limit of chloride content in sevelamer carbonate is not more than 0.05%. As a result, accurate determination of this residual chloride in sevelamer carbonate is not possible with colorimetry and titration....
Relationship of Specific Electrogram Characteristics During Sinus Rhythm and Ventricular Pacing Determined by Adaptive Template Matching to the Location of Functional Reentrant Circuits that Cause Ventricular Tachycardia in the Infarcted Canine Heart

Localization of Reentrant Circuits. Introduction: It would be advantageous, for ablation therapy, to localize reentrant circuits causing ventricular tachycardia by quantifying electrograms obtained during sinus rhythm (SR) or ventricular pacing (VP). In this study, adaptive template matching (ATM) was used to localize reentrant circuits by measuring dynamic electrogram shape using SR and VP data. Methods and Results: Four days after coronary occlusion, reentrant ventricular tachycardia was induced in the epicardial border zone of canine hearts by programmed electrical stimulation. Activation maps of circuits were constructed using electrograms recorded from a multichannel array to ascertain block line location. Electrogram recordings obtained during SR/AP then were used for ATM analysis. A template electrogram was matched with electrograms on subsequent cycles by weighting amplitude, vertical shift, duration, and phase lag for optimal overlap. Sites of largest cycle-to-cycle variance in the optimal ATM weights were found to be adjacent to block lines bounding the central isthmus during reentry (mean 61.1% during SR; 63.9% during VP). The distance between the mean center of mass of the ten highest ATM variance peaks and the narrowest isthmus width was determined. For all VP data, the center of mass resided in the isthmus region ocurring during reentry. Conclusion: ATM high variance measured from SR/AP data localizes functional block lines forming during reentry. The center of mass of the high variance peaks localizes the narrowest width of the isthmus. Therefore, ATM methodology may guide ablation catheter position without resorting to reentry induction.
PSA levels and the probability of prostate cancer on biopsy

Abstract Objectives: Approaches to screening for prostate cancer have continued to be refined since the introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Since the introduction of PSA, increasing numbers of patients are presenting solely with an elevated PSA, and palpably normal prostate gland. As newer understanding emerges regarding the meaning of an isolated PSA elevation, urologists are becoming more enabled to counsel their patients and project a more accurate prediction of the likelihood of cancer on biopsy. The following will be a review of PSA in determining the presence of cancer on biopsy. Methods: PubMed and Medline literature searches as well as bibliographic reviews of published peer reviewed journals were performed to select articles regarding PSA and screening for prostate cancer. Relevant articles were reviewed and the data summarized as they pertain to interpreting PSA levels and predicting the presence of prostate cancer. Results: Widespread use of PSA for early detection has resulted in clinical stage T1c becoming the most prevalent presenting stage. For values of PSA between 4.0 and 10.0ng/ml, there exist a 22–27% likelihood of cancer, while those above 10ng/ml yield up to a 67% chance of cancer. It must be stressed that DRE must be combined with interpretation of PSA as up to 25% of men with prostate cancer have PSA levels within the normal range 0–4ng/ml. Conclusions: Evaluation of PSA in the context of prostate volume (PSAD), velocity (PSAV), and age-specific reference ranges, percent-free PSA, and predictive nomograms combining values have allowed for more accurate prediction of the likelihood of prostate cancer prior to biopsy.
Strain differences in activity of the rat using a home cage stabilimeter

Activity using an electronic version of the classic tambour mounted cage was measured for 557 rats from 12 inbred strains: ACI, A990, A35322, F344, INR, IR, MNR/Har, MNRA, MR/Har, TS1, TS3, WAG. The method provides an activity measure that in principle has some advantages over alternative measures. The results provide parametric data for methodological use and add to the standardization of these strains as behaviorally defined lines.
Question intonation in natural speech: A study of Changsha Chinese

Yes-no questions, when unmarked morphologically and syntactically, are marked intonationally. The intonation of this kind of question is generally characterized either by a terminal rise or a higher overall fundamental frequency (F0). Ultan (1978) found that 38 of a sample of 53 languages use the first pattern, and 18 the second. Even in tone languages, these two patterns are not unusual. For example, yes-no questions in Hausa have a final jump to an extra high level regardless of the nature of the final tones (Miller & Tench 1980); in Mandarin both the top line and the bottom line delimiting the pitch range are raised in question intonation (Shen 1990). However, the existence of a downward intonation as an alternative, for instance in English (Bolinger 1989) and French (Fonagy & Berard 1973) has been reported. Although a number of languages have been shown to have a fall for this kind of question, it remains uncertain just how the property of being a question is conveyed. This paper attempts to investigate this issue through an acoustical analysis and a perceptual test of Changsha Chinese, a 6-tone Chinese dialect of the Xiang group, spoken in Hunan. This dialect is selected, because (1) no tone sandhi occurs in this dialect, facilitating the interpretation of the F0 contours in the acoustical analysis; and (2) no empirical study of F0 in this dialect has been previously conducted. While the majority of empirical works on intonation use data collected from read speech, this study undertakes the exploration of natural speech.
Tissue dihydrotestosterone levels and clinical response to hormonal therapy in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels were measured by RIA in tumor tissue from 32 men with advanced prostate cancer and correlated with their clinical responses to antiandrogen therapy. In 24 patients with tumor tissue DHT levels greater than 2.5 ng/g, 20 initially responded to therapy with partial objective regression or were objectively stable for 12 or more months, while 4 patients relapsed in less than 1 yr. The average disease-free interval in this group was 24 months, with 9 patients still continuing in partial objective regression or objective stability. Of 8 patients with DHT levels less than 2.0 ng/g, 5 had either objective progression or were objectively stable for 6 months or less; 2 other patients have completed remissions ranging from 16–24 months, while 1 patient remains objectively stable for 21 months to date. The average disease-free interval in patients with DHT levels less than 2.0 ng/g was 9.75 months, which is significantly less (P < 0.001) than that of patients with DHT levels greater th...
Performance factors in subject-auxiliary inversion by children.

Children's reported copying-without-deletion errors, like ‘ Whose is that is? ’, have often been interpreted as the result of a non-adult rule of subject–aux inversion. By contrast, this study presents a performance account of these errors and supports this account by investigating what factors impede children's performance. Using an elicitation task, 16 test sentences were evoked from 16 3- to 5-year-old children. In particular, errors appeared (1) when the subject NP contained a relative clause, (2) when the relative clause had an object gap, and (3) when the relative clause was long. Since errors occurred in response to some sentence types and not others, and the children who made copying-without-deletion errors produced at least four correct responses, these results were interpreted as support for the performance account.
Field evaluation of a new grocery checkstand design

A novel express checkstand with basket cut-out was developed and evaluated in a small grocery store chain. Eight checkers performed three trials of simulated grocery checkout work with actor customers using both old and new checkstand designs. Usability was assessed by survey, structured interview and observation. Time-motion video analysis was used to evaluate differences in body postures, motions, and productivity. The new express checkstand design, which lowered and angled the presentation of the grocery basket, significantly (p<0.05) reduced right wrist flexion duration and repetition, and right arm elevation repetition. No significant differences were found in job cycle time between designs. These results demonstrate the utility of a new express checkstand design that could reduce extreme postures and motions with no loss in productivity.
Kinetics and thermodynamics of the bioreduction of potassium tetrachloroaurate using inactivated oat and wheat tissues

The reduction kinetics of gold(III) to gold(0), the growth of gold nanoparticles with time, and the activation energy of the nanoparticle formation were investigated using oat and wheat biomasses at pH 4. Both the gold reduction and the nanoparticle growth were found to follow first-order kinetics with nanoscale size ranges in the growth period of 1–6 h of 4.54–19 nm for oat biomass and 8.0–51.8 nm for wheat biomass. The formation of gold(0) on oat and wheat biomasses was determined to occur at rates of 0.040 and 0.049 mM/min, respectively. The rate of nanoparticles growth was determined to be 0.0052 and 0.0035 nm/min for wheat and oat, respectively, whereas the activation energy for the reduction of gold(III) on oat and wheat biomasses was 4.8 ± 0.5 and 0.66 ± 0.07 kJ/mol, respectively. However, the activation energy for the growth of the produced nanoparticles was determined to be 12.0 ± 1.2 and 17.0 ± 1.7 kJ/mol for oat and wheat, respectively. The lower activation energy for the wheat indicates that the reduction process is much more favorable on the wheat biomass.
Biquadratic exchange coupling in an unequal Fe/Cr/Fe(100) trilayer

Abstract We have investigated the magnetic properties of a (1 0 0)-oriented unequal trilayer, Fe(45 A)/Cr(30 A)/Fe(15 A), by means of Brillouin light scattering and magnetization measurements. The experimental results show that this sample highlights the effect of biquadratic coupling which aligns the magnetization of the Fe layers at 90° to each other. We extracted the bilinear and biquadratic coupling strengths by fitting the experimental results with a theory that treats the static and dynamic responses on an equal footing. Our results confirm that the model describes both the static and dynamic properties even when the magnetization of the layers is aligned at 90°. The coupling strengths, and their temperature dependence, are discussed and compared with other results reported in the literature.
Influence of diet on pre-ingestive particle processing in bivalves: I: Transport velocities on the ctenidium

Suspension-feeding bivalve molluscs can assume a large ecological role by linking benthic and pelagic ecosystems. Therefore, a knowledge of the factors that influence feeding rates and processes at the level of the individual is important in understanding bivalve-dominated environments. We examined the roles of diet quality and concentration on particle processing by the ctenidia of four species of bivalves: the mussels Mytilus edulis L. and Mytilus trossulus Gould, and oysters Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin) and Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg). Bivalves were delivered diets of three different qualities at three different concentrations (1–2×103, 104, 105 particles ml−1). The high-quality diet consisted of the cryptophyte Rhodomonas lens Pascher et Ruttner; the low-quality diet consisted of particles prepared from ground Spartina sp. detritus; the medium-quality diet consisted of a 50:50 mixture (by particle number) of both particle types. Particle transport velocities on the ventral groove and dorsal tracts were then measured by means of video endoscopy. Ventral-groove transport velocities of M. edulis were the most responsive, demonstrating a significant increase with increasing diet quality, and a significant decrease with increasing diet concentration. Transport velocities in the ventral groove and dorsal tracts of C. virginica were not significantly affected by changes in diet quality, but significantly increased with increasing diet concentration. Transport velocities of M. trossulus and C. gigas demonstrated little change with diet quality or concentration, indicating that responses are species specific. Our data suggest that differential control of particle transport on the bivalve ctenidium is one of the underlying mechanisms that contribute to compensatory feeding responses exhibited by the entire organism.
Two-parameter integral representation formula for the effective elastic moduli of two-phase composites

In this article, the integral representation formula (IRF) for the family of composites described in (1) is derived and the relation between moments of positive measures and the microstructure are established explicitly. This family represents composites consisting of one phase with fixed isotropic elasticity tensor and the other phase with varying elasticity tensor, e.g. viscoelastic materials whose complex-valued moduli change with frequency. Every choice of complex bulk modulus and shear modulus for constituent in Ω2 corresponds to a unique choice of parameters ξ1 and ξ2, the contrast between the bulk moduli and shear moduli, respectively. All choices with Im(ξ1) · Im(ξ2) > 0 have well-defined effective elasticity tensor C*(ξ1, ξ2). For each component of C* that can be obtained by e 0 : C* : e 0 with some real symmetric matrix e 0, the Borel measure in the IRF is independent of the choice of (ξ1, ξ2); it is determined by the microstructure and the reference medium C (1). This implies that information ...
Fibrin sealant augmentation with autologous pericranium for duraplasty after suboccipital decompression in Chiari 1 patients: A case series.

Background: The Chiari 1 malformation (CM1) involves decent of the tonsils of the cerebellum through the foramen magnum. Symptomatic disease requires a posterior fossa decompression with or without an expansile duraplasty. To date, the optimal surgical treatment for CM1 has not been delineated. The extent of bony removal, size of the dural opening, necessity for expansion of the dural space, choice of materials for the duraplasty, and possible need for augmentation with dural sealant are all factors that continue to be debated amongst neurological surgeons worldwide. We herein evaluate the use of fibrin sealant augmentation in combination with locally harvested autologous pericranium for duraplasty in adult CM1 decompression. Methods: Retrospective data collected from January 2006 to December 2011. Data were reviewed for surgical site infection or meningitis, cerebrospinal fluid leak, symptomatic pseudomeningocele, radiographic improvement of hindbrain compression, and postoperative recurrence of symptoms at a minimum of 1 year of follow-up. Outcomes were studied clinically, radiographically, as well as by using a patient-specific questionnaire. Results: Twenty-two consecutive patients were included. One patient required a revision for a delayed graft dehiscence in the setting of a rare form of aseptic meningitis with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis due to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) allergy. All remaining patients had successful decompressions with full resolution of their symptoms except for one patient who had persistent headaches. Conclusion: Autologous pericranium with dural sealant augmentation is an effective technique for expansile duraplasty in CM1 decompressions.
Comment on “constants of motion for superconductor arrays”

Abstract The “globally coupled” system of equations of motion recently considered by Watanabe and Strogatz [Physica D 74 (1994) 197–253] is shown to be a system of Riccati equations, and its integrability follows from the Riccati transformation to linear form. A simple demontration is given of the independence of a set of constants of motion.
How do local institutions mediate market and population pressures on resources? Forest panchayats in Kumaon India.

This article addresses one of the most controversial issues in resource management: how do population and market pressures affect resource use? After examining some shortcomings in several major approaches to the issue, the authors use structural equation analysis to decipher the relative and reciprocal influence of population pressures, markets, and institutional arrangements on forest use in the Kumaon Himalaya in India. By deploying an approach which investigates comparatively the effects of these factors, the article attempts to find a way out of the stultifying positions that participants in the debate on overpopulation and environmental change are forced to adopt. The results presented in the second half of the article are especially interesting, showing that local institutions created by the state play a critical role in mediating the influence of structural and socio-economic variables. The findings thus possess significant implications for all who are interested in co-management of renewable resources by the state and the community.
Nematic nanocomposites with enhanced optical birefringence

The proper performance of electro-optical devices utilising liquid crystals (LCs) requires materials with high diffraction efficiency, i.e. with high optical/dielectric anisotropy, low threshold voltage and fast switching. One can achieve increase of dielectric anisotropy by using chemical synthesis or mixing LC materials. However, in most cases, this causes an increase in the threshold voltage and switching times. Therefore obtaining materials with high dielectric anisotropy and keeping threshold voltage and switching times low is a challenging task. We achieved promising results by making binary mixtures of a polar nematic LC 4'-hexyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (HBPCN) with low percentage (1–10% by weight) gold nanoparticles. We report that for the mixtures with 1% and 2% gold the dielectric anisotropy increases by 100% and the birefringence by about 50% of their values for pure nematic. We also report that the increase of the dielectric anisotropy in the mixtures only slightly affects threshold voltage and...
Institutional design and governance of airport regulators: The case of Latin America

This paper offers a cross-country assessment of the governance of airport regulators in Latin America. The analysis links the institutional design of airport regulators, whether in the form of independent regulatory agencies or government departments, to their overall governance. It examines four dimensions of regulatory governance: autonomy, transparency, accountability, and bureaucratic quality. Independent regulatory agencies in the Latin American airport sector seem to provide a better framework for transparency and bureaucratic quality than government departments. It is not conclusively found, however, that independent regulatory agencies contribute to a more autonomous decision-making or to an enhanced accountability of regulators to other branches of government and airport users. Overall, governance indicators of airport regulators in Latin America are well below the threshold that defines good governance.
Selectivity and Metaplasticity in a Unified Calcium-Dependent Model

A unified, biophysically motivated Calcium-Dependent Learning model has been shown to account for various rate-based and spike time-dependent paradigms for inducing synaptic plasticity. Here, we investigate the properties of this model for a multi-synapse neuron that receives inputs with different spike-train statistics. In addition, we present a physiological form of metaplasticity, an activity-driven regulation mechanism, that is essential for the robustness of the model. A neuron thus implemented develops stable and selective receptive fields, given various input statistics
Experimental Study of Lapping Using Mixed Abrasive Grits

Wafers made of materials such as silicon, III-V and II-VI compounds, and optoelectronic materials, require high-degree of surface quality in order to increase the yield in micro-electronics fabrication to produce IC chips and devices. Measures of properties of surface quality of wafers include: nanotopography, surface morphology, global planarization, total thickness variation (TTV) and warp. Due to the reduction of feature size in micro-electronics fabrication, the requirements of such properties become more and more stringent. To meet such requirements, the wafer manufacturing processes of brittle semiconductor materials, such as slicing, lapping, grinding, and polishing have been continually improved. In this paper, the lapping process of wafer surface treatment is studied with experimental results of surface roughness and material removal rate. In order to improve the performance of lapping process, effects of mixed abrasive grits in the slurry of the free abrasive machining (FAM) processes are studied using a single-sided wafer-lapping machine. Under the same slurry density, experiments employing different mixing ratios of large and small abrasive grits, and various normal loadings on the wafer surface applied through a jig are conducted for parameter study. With various mixing ratios and loadings, observations and measurements such as the total amount of material removed, material removal rate, surface roughness, and relative angular velocity are presented and discussed in this paper. The experiments show that the half-half mixing ratio of abrasives removes more material than other mixing ratios under the same conditions, but with a higher surface roughness. The results of this study can provide a good reference to the FAM processes that practitioners use today by exploiting different mixing ratios and loadings of abrasive slurry in the manufacturing processes.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
COMPARISON OF ADAPTIVE RADIOTHERAPY TECHNIQUES FOR EXTERNAL RADIATION THERAPY OF CANINE BLADDER CANCER

Daily bladder variations make it difficult to utilize standard radiotherapy as a primary treatment option for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Our purpose was to develop a model comparing dose distributions of image-guided and adaptive radiotherapy (ART) techniques for canine bladder cancer. Images were obtained retrospectively from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans used for daily positioning of four dogs undergoing fractionated image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). Four different treatment plans were modeled for each dog, and dosimetric data were compared. Two plans were developed using planning target volumes based on planning computed tomography (CT) bladder volume. These plans then used bony anatomy or soft tissue anatomy for daily positioning and dosimetric modeling. The third plan type was a hybrid IGRT and ART technique utilizing a library of premade anisotropic planning target volumes using bladder wall motion data and selection of a "plan-of-the-day" determined from positioning CBCT bladder volumes. The fourth plan was an ART technique that constructed a new planning target volume each day based on daily bladder volume as determined by pretreatment CBCT. Dose volume histograms were generated for each plan type and dose distribution for the bladder and rectum were compared between plan types. Irradiated rectal volume decreased and irradiated bladder volume increased as plan conformality increased. ART provided the greatest rectal sparing, with lowest irradiated rectal volume (P < 0.001), and largest bladder volume receiving 95% of the prescription dose (P < 0.001). In our model, adaptive radiotherapy techniques for canine bladder cancer showed significant reduction in rectal volume irradiated when compared to nonadaptive techniques, while maintaining appropriate bladder coverage.
On self-referencing differences in judgment and choice ☆

Compared to judgment, choice is argued to elicit more self-referent processing and thereby produce greater subsequent recall of evaluated information. This response mode effect is shown to be dependent upon sufficient visualization to overcome the use of heuristic processing during choice. When visualizing prior to the task, choice leads to increased thinking about personal consumption occasions relative to judgment, leading to enhanced recall of vivid (vs. non-vivid) attributes. This proposed interaction of task and visualization was found in two experiments that assessed incidental recall following a choice or judgment task. In experiment 1, participants recalled more vivid product attribute information after choosing between options than after rating each option separately, but only when instructed to visualize during evaluation. To eliminate a comparison-based explanation of this effect, a second experiment was conducted that presented only one option in each category. Participants who evaluated their intention to purchase the option (a judgment equivalent of choice) demonstrated greater recall of vivid product attribute information than did participants who rated their liking for the option, and this recall difference was again moderated by instructions to visualize.
Plasma physics: a personal perspective

At a college where I taught, there was a ‘Last Lecture’ series, in which the faculty took turns giving a public lecture that would be the lecture they would give if it were to be their very last one. The invitation to contribute a few nontechnical pages to this issue of Journal of Plasma Physics has a somewhat similar valedictory ring, and inspires mixed feelings.
Autonomic activity during anticipation of an aversive tone in noninstitutionalized sociopaths.

Fifteen noninstitutionalized, compulsive-gambler sociopaths and 15 controls were run in a modification of Hare's (1965b) gradient of fear paradigm. Both heart rate and bilateral skin conductance were averaged during 8 3-sec intervals prior to the presentation of a 95dB tone. The controls showed both earlier and larger electrodermal anticipation of the tone than the sociopaths. For both groups of subjects, electrodermal anticipation of the tone began sooner and was larger in amplitude in the right hand than in the left hand. There were no significant heart rate differences between the two groups of subjects.
Gender and discipline in the workplace: Wait until your father gets home

This study examined recipients’ perceptions of workplace discipline. Females delivering discipline were perceived to be less effective and less fair than males. Both recipients’ biases and behavior differences by male and female supervisors appear to contribute to reduced effectiveness. These results suggest the need to raise the awareness of managers and subordinates regarding potential negative reactions to females administering discipline. Special training in discipline delivery for female managers may also be warranted.
The dependence of W-plug via EM performance on via size

The electromigration (EM) performance of W-plug vias of different sizes, different capping layer types and electron flow directions in a multilevel metallization system was investigated. When the electron flow direction was from metal 2 to metal 1, with a TiN-capped metallization system, the time-to-failure dispersion (sigma) was greatly influenced by via size. However, when the electron flow direction was from metal 1 to metal 2, there was little dependence on via size. Similarly, the via EM performance of a metallization system with titanium as a part of the capping layer exhibited no dependence on via size.
Reduced Gate-Leakage Current and Charge Trapping Characteristics of Dysprosium-Incorporated $\hbox{HfO}_{2}$ Gate-Oxide n-MOS Devices

The higher effective barrier height of Dy2O3 , which is around 2.32 eV calculated from the Fowler-Nordheim plot, accounts for the reduced leakage current in Dy-incorporated HfO2 n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. The lower barrier height of HfO2 characterizes the increasing electron-tunneling currents enhanced by the buildup of hole charges trapped in oxide, which causes a severe increase in the stress-induced leakage current (SILC), leading to oxide breakdown. However, the increased barrier height in Dy-incorporated HfO2 inhibits a further increase in the electron tunneling from the TaN gate, and trapped holes lessen the hole-tunneling currents, resulting in a negligible SILC. The lower trap generation rate by the reduced hole trap density and the reduced hole tunneling of the Dy-doped HfO2 dielectric demonstrate the high dielectric-breakdown strength by weakening the charge trapping and the defect generation during the stress.
Regulating gene expression with light-activated oligonucleotides

Since the development of light-responsive amino acids, the activity of numerous biomolecules has been photomodulated in biochemical, biophysical, and cellular assays. Biological problems of even greater complexity motivate the development of quantitative methods for controlling gene activity with high spatial and temporal resolution, using light as an external trigger. Photoresponsive DNA and RNA oligonucleotides would optimally serve this purpose, but have proven difficult to expand from proofs-of-concept to in vivo experiments. Until recently, the development of this technology was limited by the synthesis of oligonucleotides whose function could be significantly modulated with near-UV light. New synthetic protocols and strategies for both up- and down-regulating gene activity finally make it possible to address biological considerations. In the near future, we can expect photoresponsive DNA and RNA molecules that are relatively non-toxic, nuclease-resistant, and maintain their specificity and activity in vivo. Quantitative, laser-initiated methods for controlling DNA and RNA function will illuminate new areas in cell and developmental biology.
Is there a role for cyclosporine in asthma

Airway inflammation is a characteristic feature of asthma. After contact with a specific allergen on the surface of bronchial airway mast cells, IgE-dependent degranulation induces the early phase bronchial response, consisting of smooth muscle contraction and increased vascular permeability. The inflammatory LPR that begins 4 to 8 hours after the early phase is characterized by inflammatory cellular infiltrates in the bronchial mucosa and submucosa. The cells present in the bronchial airway wall and lumen, including mast cells, basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, platelets, Tand B-lymphocytes, macrophages, and epithelial cells, are all involved in the pathogenesis of the inflammation in asthma. Although none of the cells can be identified as the primary effector cell, lymphocytes appear to have a critical role because of their immunoregulatory functions. Systemic glucocorticoids remain the cornerstone of the treatment of severe asthma in patients refractory to bronchodilator therapy. Their long-term use systemically, however, is associated with substantial and often irreversible adverse side effects. The favorable experience with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy of dermatologic and rheumatologic diseases has prompted studies of drugs in the treatment of severe asthma. Anti-inflammatory agents studied for their steroid-sparing capability include methotrexate, gold, nedocromil , colchicine, dapsone, hydroxychloroquine, and azathioprine, among other drugs. Only methotrexate, gold, and nedocromil have proven to