cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Responses of coral gastrovascular cavity pH during light and dark incubations to reduced seawater pH suggest species-specific responses to the effects of ocean acidification on calcification

Coral polyps have a fluid-filled internal compartment, the gastrovascular cavity (GVC). Respiration and photosynthesis cause large daily excursions in GVC oxygen concentration (O2) and pH, but few studies have examined how this correlates with calcification rates. We hypothesized that GVC chemistry can mediate and ameliorate the effects of decreasing seawater pH (pHSW) on coral calcification. Microelectrodes were used to monitor O2 and pH within the GVC of Montastraea cavernosa and Duncanopsammia axifuga (pH only) in both the light and the dark, and three pHSW levels (8.2, 7.9, and 7.6). At pHSW 8.2, GVC O2 ranged from ca. 0 to over 400% saturation in the dark and light, respectively, with transitions from low to high (and vice versa) within minutes of turning the light on or off. For all three pHSW treatments and both species, pHGVC was always significantly above and below pHSW in the light and dark, respectively. For M. cavernosa in the light, pHGVC reached levels of pH 8.4–8.7 with no difference among pHSW treatments tested; in the dark, pHGVC dropped below pHSW and even below pH 7.0 in some trials at pHSW 7.6. For D. axifuga in both the light and the dark, pHGVC decreased linearly as pHSW decreased. Calcification rates were measured in the light concurrent with measurements of GVC O2 and pHGVC. For both species, calcification rates were similar at pHSW 8.2 and 7.9 but were significantly lower at pHSW 7.6. Thus, for both species, calcification was protected from seawater acidification by intrinsic coral physiology at pHSW 7.9 but not 7.6. Calcification was not correlated with pHGVC for M. cavernosa but was for D. axifuga. These results highlight the diverse responses of corals to changes in pHSW, their varying abilities to control pHGVC, and consequently their susceptibility to ocean acidification.
Floating Gate Perimeter Gated Single Photon Avalanche Diodes

This paper explores the effect of floating gate structures on the electric field distribution of perimeter gate single photon avalanche diodes using TCAD Sentaurus simulations. Physical models used for the simulation have been discussed extensively to expedite reproduction of simulation results in other simulation platforms. The simulations estimate the I-V characteristics of single-input and multiple-input floating gate devices as a function of applied floating gate voltage and studies the effect of gate oxide and polysilicon thickness on the device.
A 40-nm Ultra-Low Leakage Voltage-Stacked SRAM for Intelligent IoT Sensors

A stacked voltage domain SRAM is proposed as an effective leakage reduction technique where bit-cell arrays are split into two voltage domains (top and bottom) connecting in series between VDD and GND to generate a subthreshold retention voltage directly from a nominal supply with no area penalty or efficiency loss compared to the conventional voltage regulator approach. The Zigzag 8T bit-cell structure is chosen with an optimal transistor sizing to balance among hold stability, leakage, and area density. SRAM peripherals remains at full supply domain resulting in super-cutoff read for improved sensing margin and word-line overdrive for better write margin. A novel array swapping mechanism with a comprehensive timing control ensure stable access to arbitrary arrays within one system clock cycle. The proposed SRAM achieves 1.03-pW/b leakage at 0.58 V in 40 nm.
The influence of candidate race and ethnicity: the case of Asian Americans

Do voters use the race or ethnicity of a candidate in selecting whom to support? This paper examines the voting behavior of Asian Americans in elections in California. The analysis hinges on co-par...
Coagulation factors directly cleave SARS-CoV-2 spike and enhance viral entry

Coagulopathy is recognized as a significant aspect of morbidity in COVID-19 patients. The clotting cascade is propagated by a series of proteases, including factor Xa and thrombin. Other host proteases, including TMPRSS2, are recognized to be important for cleavage activation of SARS-CoV-2 spike to promote viral entry. Using biochemical and cell-based assays, we demonstrate that factor Xa and thrombin can also directly cleave SARS-CoV-2 spike, enhancing viral entry. A drug-repurposing screen identified a subset of protease inhibitors that promiscuously inhibited spike cleavage by both transmembrane serine proteases as well as coagulation factors. The mechanism of the protease inhibitors nafamostat and camostat extend beyond inhibition of TMPRSS2 to coagulation-induced spike cleavage. Anticoagulation is critical in the management of COVID-19, and early intervention could provide collateral benefit by suppressing SARS-CoV-2 viral entry. We propose a model of positive feedback whereby infection-induced hypercoagulation exacerbates SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.
Optimal Pricing Schemes for an Impatient Buyer.

A patient seller aims to sell a good to an impatient buyer (i.e., one who discounts utility over time). The buyer will remain in the market for a period of time $T$, and her private value is drawn from a publicly known distribution. What is the revenue-optimal pricing-curve (sequence of (price, time) pairs) for the seller? Is randomization of help here? Is the revenue-optimal pricing-curve computable in polynomial time? We answer these questions in this paper. We give an efficient algorithm for computing the revenue-optimal pricing curve. We show that pricing curves, that post a price at each point of time and let the buyer pick her utility maximizing time to buy, are revenue-optimal among a much broader class of sequential lottery mechanisms: namely, mechanisms that allow the seller to post a menu of lotteries at each point of time cannot get any higher revenue than pricing curves. We also show that the even broader class of mechanisms that allow the menu of lotteries to be adaptively set, can earn strictly higher revenue than that of pricing curves, and the revenue gap can be as big as the support size of the buyer's value distribution.
Tremors and their effects on DaTSCAN results

2703 Objectives Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. In the early stages, the main motor symptoms are shaking, rigidity, and abnormal gait. Ioflupane I 123 Injection (DaTSCAN™) is used to differentiate Parkinsonian tremors from other disorders presenting similar symptoms such as essential tremors (ET) by visualization of reduced dopaminergic activity in the striatal region of the brain. Since tremors occur during imaging, movement should be corrected so that the determination is conclusive. Methods Parkinson’s disease, essential tremors, other motor movement disorders related to the central nervous system were researched. DaTSCAN imaging was researched with additional readings regarding the role of attenuation correction in striatal SPECT imaging and the efficiency of programs such as OS-EM iterative reconstruction for better image quality. In order to differentiate PD from ET, accurate differentiation depends on visual assessment in over 500 studies. Results Presentation of distinct “comma-shaped” regions in the striatal region of the brain indicates a normal brain with no reduced dopaminergic neurons. The images of the DaTSCANs of those patients with Parkinson’s disease clearly shows regions of uptake in the same area but with variations other than the distinct shape of the normal brain. DaTScan in reviewed studies showed a 90% rate of agreement with clinical diagnosis - 90% in initial DaTSCAN results. Conclusions The use of Ioflupane I 123 Injection (DaTSCAN) to distinguish between Parkinsonian tremors and essential tremors demonstrates a high percentage rate especially when used with other clinical studies. Patient movement does not seem to be factor in the results due to attenuation correction programs
Large-eddy simulation with near-wall modeling using weakly enforced no-slip boundary conditions

Abstract In the present paper, weakly enforced no-slip wall boundary conditions are revisited in the context of Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) with near-wall modeling. A new formulation is proposed in the framework of weakly enforced no-slip conditions that is better aligned with traditional near-wall modeling approaches than its predecessors. The new formulation is tested on turbulent open-channel flows at friction-velocity-based Reynolds numbers Re τ = 395 and 950 benchmark problems. The computations are performed using the Residual-Based Variational Multiscale (RBVMS) formulation of LES, discretized using Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) based on Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS). The new near-wall model formulation gives more accurate results for the mean flow and velocity fluctuations than its older versions, while exhibiting better numerical stability than traditional near-wall modeling techniques.
Molecular Biology of Higher Plant Mitochondrial DNA

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the molecular biology of higher plant mitochondrial DNA. Advances in genetics of extrachromosomal traits, the development and application of molecular technologies, and the emergence of agronomically important considerations are the apparent bases for an expanding interest in this aspect of plant biology. The analysis of higher plant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) preparations by electron microscopy reveals that the majority of the DNA molecules observed are linear, with no fixed size distributions. The presence of significant quantities of circular DNAs in mtDNA preparations, which can be identified as a superhelical population in CsC1–ethidium bromide gradients, is associated with mtDNA preparations from tissue culture cells, such as potato. Variation of mitochondrial genomes is discussed in the chapter.
Accurately Detecting Source Code of Attacks That Increase Privilege

Host-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) that rely on audit data exhibit a delay between attack execution and attack detection. A knowledgeable attacker can use this delay to disable the IDS, often by executing an attack that increases privilege. To prevent this we have begun to develop a system to detect these attacks before they are executed. The system separates incoming data into several categories, each of which is summarized using feature statistics that are combined to estimate the posterior probability that the data contains attack code. Our work to date has focused on detecting attacks embedded in shell code and C source code. We have evaluated this system by constructing large databases of normal and attack software written by many people, selecting features and training classifiers, then testing the system on a disjoint corpus of normal and attack code. Results show that such attack code can be detected accurately.
Rorschach, Hermann (1884–1922)

Hermann Rorschach received his medical degree from Zurich in 1912 with a dissertation concerning hallucinations that was supervised by Bleuler. Except for a year on the staff of a sanitorium near Moscow, his career was spent mainly in posts at Swiss mental hospitals, but with some time in Russia. Heavily influenced by Freud, he was a promoter of psychoanalysis among Swiss psychiatrists. Keywords: diagnostic methods; personality assessment; Rorschach method; testing
PI3K and PLCγ Play a Central Role in Experimental PVR

PURPOSE It has been reported that the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-alpha receptor (alphaPDGFR) is required for experimental proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in rabbits. This study investigated which of the signaling enzymes downstream of the alphaPDGFR participate in PVR. METHODS A panel of cell lines that expressed alphaPDGFR signaling mutants were made and characterized. These cell lines were used in a rabbit model of PVR and in an in vitro collagen type I contraction assay. RESULTS Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and, to a lesser extent, phospholipase C (PLC)-gamma were the signaling enzymes required for the alphaPDGFR to mediate PVR. Furthermore, the cells lines that were the most effective at inducing PVR displayed the most potent activity in the in vitro contraction assay. CONCLUSIONS PI3K and PLCgamma are necessary downstream effectors of the alphaPDGFR in experimental PVR. Consequently, these two signaling enzymes are required for one or more of the cellular responses (chemotaxis, proliferation, extracellular matrix production, contraction) that contribute to PVR.
UH-60A airloads data acquisition and processing system

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center, recently completed the joint NASA/Army UH-60A Airloads Program. The objective of this program was to make in-flight the measurements of rotor blade airloads, blade vortex interaction, and blade acoustics. An advanced digital instrumentation system, capable of synchronous acquisition of several hundred high frequency pressure channels was designed and developed to gather the required airloads data. The instrumentation system was designed to operate on the rotor hub of a Blackhawk helicopter acquiring data, in night, from pressure transducers, strain gauges, and accelerometers embedded in the rotor blade, built under contract by Sikorsky Aircraft. A parallel effort was initiated to develop a ground telemetry system with the capability to handle the 7.5 megabits per second PCM-encoded telemetry data, generated by the instrumentation system, in real-time. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and performance of the rotary data acquisition system which was used to digitally acquire high speed rotor blade pressure data. These data were found to achieve the flight test research objectives of the UH-60A Airloads Program. >
Los Alamos Stories

Secret Mesa: Inside Los Alamos National Laboratory. by Jo Ann Shroyer. Wiley, New York, 1997. 240 pp. $24.95. ISBN 0-471-04063-0.
Impeaching a Federal Judge: Some Lessons from History

In August 2014, Federal District Judge Mark Fuller was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor battery after his wife called 911 from an Atlanta hotel room and told the operator, “He’s beating on me.” Judge Fuller has agreed to enter a pre-trial diversion program; if he completes the program, the criminal case against him will be dismissed. But Judge Fuller may face other consequences. The Acting Chief Judge of the Eleventh Circuit has initiated proceedings under the federal judicial misconduct statute. And some members of Congress and editorial writers have said that if Judge Fuller does not resign from the bench, Congress should begin impeachment proceedings. Federal judges serve during “good behavior,” and they can be impeached and removed from office only for “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” If the domestic-violence charges are substantiated, would that constitute an impeachable offense? In this statement, submitted at a hearing of the Task Force on Judicial Impeachment of the House Judiciary Committee, the author addresses some of the questions raised by a proposal to impeach a federal judge. What is the meaning of the constitutional language? No one argues that Judge Fuller has committed treason or bribery, so the question is whether his conduct falls within the category of “other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” The author discusses the evidence from the founding generation and from the commentators, and he briefly surveys the impeachment precedents. These historical materials suggest two broad (and overlapping) categories of conduct that may justify impeachment. The first is serious abuse of power. The second is conduct that demonstrates that an official is “unworthy to fill” the office that he holds. Another question is the relevance of the pending criminal charges. Can the House rely on a criminal conviction as the basis for impeachment? Can the House proceed with impeachment if the criminal charges are dropped? The author concludes that the House must exercise an independent judgment; it is not bound by determinations of other actors in other proceedings. The statement was submitted to the Task Force on Judicial Impeachment at a hearing on the possible impeachment of Judge Samuel B. Kent of the Southern District of Texas. The written statement is followed by supplementary material that includes the author’s oral testimony and the colloquies that followed. Based on the testimony at the hearing and other evidence, the House approved four articles of impeachment. Judge Kent resigned from the bench before his Senate trial.
When solids stop flow chemistry in commercial tubing

Flow chemistry has emerged as the enabling field of high-throughput, data-driven discovery, and process chemistry, yet solids handling remains its key challenge. Insoluble salt by-products can stop flow, fluctuate reagent concentrations in reactors, and cost unexpected time and materials consumptions. The clogging of perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) tubing, stainless steel (SS) tubing, and a silicon microreactor by NaCl during a Pd-catalyzed amination using XPhos ligand was each studied. Our goal of understanding the appropriate reactor design provides in-depth analyses of constriction and mechanical entrapment. Calculations of Stokes number (St)>1 revealed that NaCl particle depositions were independent of the reactor materials. Analyses of the clogging time’s dependence on the residence time (τ) and particle volume fraction (ϕ) discovered commercial tubing to be inadequate for the decoupling of the kinetics. The results prescribe why fabricated microreactors with on-chip analytics, particle formations and dissolut...
Discerning the miraculous: norms for judging apparitions and private revelations

En 1978, la Congregation pour la Doctrine de la Foi a discute des normes pour juger des apparitions et des revelations, approuvees par le pape Paul VI. L'A. a divise son etude selon les points suivants: il classe les termes majeurs utilises a propos des apparitions, puis il etudie les procedures et les normes pour juger des apparitions donnees par la Congregation; il livre une application de ces normes dans des cas d'apparitions; enfin, il discute quelques considerations theologiques et pastorales
Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. v. Shute: The Titantic of Worst Supreme Court Decisions

Certain law reviews recently have collected essays from various academic scholars opining on the Supreme Court’s finest decisions ever, and the rationales underlying the selections. As a counterpart to this exercise, this Symposium issue challenged an array of largely non-constitutional scholars to identify the Court’s worst decisions ever, and justify the reasons for inclusion among the Court’s most awful mistakes. In carry out this assignment, Authors were requested to avoid obvious “low-hanging fruit,” such as the Court’s Dred Scott decision. Authors also were asked to look to their own areas of particular expertise to identify the Court’s most vexing decisions. Finally, Authors were asked to limit their essay to a pithy contribution of approximately five to ten pages. Consistent with this task and guidelines, this essay suggest that hands down incontestably, Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. v. Shute handily wins the honor as the worst non-obvious, non-constitutional Supreme Court decision ever. Not only is the decision profoundly anti-consumer, but it bears no conceivable relationship to the way real people live in the real world. It is patently iniquitous and offends traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice. The Court’s decision is a corporate rogue wave, hurling unsuspecting, ordinary people overboard without a flotation device or life raft. The essay suggests that if the opportunity ever arises again for the Court to reconsider Carnival Cruise Lines, it is high tide that the Court set a new compass, clear the decks, untether this decision from its moorings, trim its sails, set it adrift, then torpedo it and bury the decision at sea. Only then will plaintiffs and defendants be on an even keel, with clear sailing into the sunset.
Prevalence of subnormal testosterone concentrations in men with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND One-third of men with type 2 diabetes have subnormal testosterone concentrations along with inappropriately normal LH and FSH concentrations. It is not known if the presence of renal insufficiency affects free testosterone concentrations in men with type 2 diabetes. HYPOTHESIS We hypothesized that type 2 diabetic men with chronic renal disease (CKD; estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)) have lower free testosterone concentrations than men with normal renal function (eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING This is a retrospective chart review of patients attending diabetes and nephrology clinics. Men with type 2 diabetes who had the following information available were included in the study: testosterone (total and free) done by LC/MS-MS followed by equilibrium dialysis, sex hormone binding globulin, LH, FSH and prolactin concentrations. PARTICIPANTS We present data on T and gonadotropin concentrations in 111 men with type 2 diabetes and CKD (stages 3-5) and 182 type 2 diabetic men without CKD. RESULTS The prevalence of subnormal free testosterone concentrations was higher in men with type 2 diabetes and CKD as compared to those without CKD (66% vs 37%, P < 0.001). Men with CKD had a higher prevalence of hypergonadotropic hypogonadism (26% vs 5%, P < 0.001) but not of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH; 40% vs 32%, P = 0.22). There was an increase in the prevalence of hypergonadotropic hypogonadism with decreasing eGFR. Fifty-two percent of men with renal failure (CKD stage 5) had hypergonadotropic hypogonadism and 25% had HH. In men with CKD, the hemoglobin concentrations were lower in those with subnormal free T concentrations as compared to men with normal free T concentrations (119 ± 19 vs 128 ± 19 g/l, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Two-thirds of men with type 2 diabetes and CKD have subnormal free T concentrations. The hypogonadism associated with CKD is predominantly hypergonadotropic.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Acute Liver Injury Associated with Combined Use of Ephedra, γ‐Hydroxybutyrate, and Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone that some athletes have used to enhance muscle mass and improve their athletic performance. Ephedrine is a potent sympathomimetic agent that can lead to cardiomyopathy similar to that seen with catecholamine excess. Adverse cardiovascular events attributed to anabolic steroid and ephedra use, such as arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, and sudden death, are rarely reported. Bodybuilders have used gamma-hydroxybutyrate, a potent secretagogue of growth hormone, to promote muscle development. Although dilated cardiomyopathy is a known complication of excess growth hormone levels, it has not been associated with use of gamma-hydroxybutyrate. A healthy 40-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for new-onset congestive heart failure and severe acute hepatitis that developed several months after he began using anabolic-androgenic steroids, ephedra, and gamma-hydroxybutyrate supplements. Analysis with an objective causality assessment scale revealed a probable adverse drug reaction between the patient's use of anabolic steroids, ephedra, and gamma-hydroxybutyrate and the development of his cardiomyopathy and acute liver injury.
Ultrasonographic Demonstration of Undescended Testes

Twelve cryptorchid patients had sonographic evaluation of the inguinal region prior to surgical orchiopexy. When the testis was within the inguinal canal, the gonad was localized preoperatively by sonography in eight of nine patients. One patient had an associated inguinal hernia in which loops of bowel concealed the gonad. There were no false positive cases. The authors were not able to show abdominal or pelvic maldescended testes.
Onset but not offset of irrelevant motion disrupts inhibition of return

In seven experiments, subjects were slower to detect targets in cued static objects than in uncued static objects, revealing inhibition of return (IOR). This occurred regardless of the presence or absence of continuous motion of other, task-irrelevant objects in the display. However, if the motion of the irrelevant objects began during the interval between cue and target, the amount of IOR was considerably reduced. Offset of motion during the cue-target interval had no effect. Implications for IOR, object perception, and attentional capture are discussed.
Single versus bilateral internal mammary artery grafts: 10-year outcome analysis

Abstract Background . The superior long-term patency of the internal mammary artery (IMA) confers important short-term and late survival advantages when grafted to the left anterior descending coronary artery. However, it remains uncertain whether patients derive additional survival benefit when both IMAs are used in coronary revascularization. Methods . Between June 1983 and May 1986, 160 patients (mean age 60 years) received bilateral IMA grafts for coronary artery bypass procedures, and in 93% of patients, the right IMA was used to bypass the left coronary system. During a similar interval, a group of 161 patients matched for symptomatic status and extent of disease (mean age, 62 years) received a single left IMA and saphenous vein grafts. Results . The two groups were similar with respect to gender, preoperative angina class, priority status, extent of coronary artery disease, left ventricular function, and number of distal anastomoses. Diabetes was more prevalent in the patient group receiving a single IMA graft (27% versus 17.5%; p = 0.05). Early outcome was similar in the two groups; operative mortality was 0.6% for the patient group receiving single IMA grafts and 0% for those with bilateral IMA grafts. The mean follow-up of 320 hospital survivors was 10 years. Univariate analysis revealed significantly fewer overall deaths in the patients receiving bilateral IMA grafts (n = 30; p = 0.05), and less late cardiac mortality (n = 12; p = 0.016). Ten-year actuarial survival for patients dismissed from the hospital was 76% for those receiving single IMA graft versus 85% for those receiving bilateral IMA grafts. Multivariate analysis revealed diabetes (risk ratio=1.73), advancing age (risk ratio=1.08), and lower ejection fraction (risk ratio=1.01) to be the only significant predictors of late cardiac death. Use of a single IMA graft was not significant ( p = 0.138) despite a risk ratio of 1.78. Use of only a single IMA graft correlated with an increased risk of angina recurrence ( p p = 0.019), and risk of any cardiac event ( p Conclusions . Independent risk factors for late death were diabetes mellitus, older age, and reduced ejection fraction. Patients receiving bilateral IMA grafts had better long-term survival than those with a single IMA graft, but this was not independent of diabetes. Multivariate analysis, however, did confirm that compared with single arterial grafts, bilateral IMA grafting was an independent predictor of lower rates of angina recurrence, late myocardial infarction, and the composite end point of any cardiac event.
Stochastic differential equations and their application to randomly time-varying control systems

Let a control system be represented by a system of n first-order stochastic differential equations where the coefficient matrix α(t, ω) is a sum of a deterministic matrix β(t) and a stochastic matrix α(t, ω). It is assumed that the deterministic part of the system is stable in the sense of Lyapunov. The stochastic differential equation becomes now an integral equation with a stochastic kernel. This integral equation is solved by constructing a resolvent kernel by means of a Neumann series expansion. Sufficient conditions for almost sure uniform convergence of the Neumann aeries expansion are given. Integral expressions for the expectation and covariance matrix of the stochastic vector y(t, ω) are found. These results have many applications in control systems theory.
Rhodium-mediated delamination of layered copper and zinc vinylphosphonates

Zinc and copper vinylphosphonates were characterized by X-ray crystallography and IR, and have layered structures which undergo facile delamination on contact with aqueous solutions of rhodium trichloride.
Electron Polarization in Beta Processes

Recent experiments have confirmed the hypothesis of Lee and Yang that there exist terms in the beta interaction which destroy the invariance of the theory under space inversion and charge conjugation; the possibility of the lack of invariance under time reversal had not yet been tested conclusively. We explore further consequences of these additional interactions, limiting the discussion to experiments involving the detection of polarized electrons and gamma rays from unpolarized nuclei. In particular, formulas are derived for the longitudinal polarization of electrons in beta decay, and for the correlation of the transverse polarization of electrons with the direction of a gamma ray. Such experiments would lead to an independent verification of the violation of selection rules for parity and charge conjugation, and to a possible test of the invariance under time reversal.
Filling-in percepts produced by luminance modulation

Abstract We report that when the luminance of a homogeneous spot of light is gradually increased or decreased, there are conditions in which the brightness of the spot is spatially nonuniform. When the spot luminance is increased, brightness changes in the spot's center lag behind changes at the edge and brightness appears to sweep inward. Conversely, if the luminance of the spot is decreased, there is a relative lag in the darkening toward the center of the spot and darkness seems to spread inward. In Experiment 1 we found that with both increasing and decreasing luminance sweeps, the strength of the brightness filling effects was strongest with luminance sweep durations of 0.25-0.5 sec. In Experiment 2, the sweep duration was held constant at 0.5 sec; the filling effect was seen when the dwell time spent at each luminance step was less than about 100 msec, but nonuniformities were not observed at longer dwell times. In Experiment 3, a spot of light was positioned to surround the optic disk in one eye. Surprisingly, when the spot was luminance modulated from bright to dark, darkness appeared to sweep from the edge to the center of the modulated disk, even though most of the disk's interior was imaged on a portion of the retina devoid of photoreceptors. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a neural filling-in mechanism in visual cortex plays a key role in brightness perception. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.
Growth of Stocker Channel Catfish to Large Market Size in Single‐Batch Culture

Catfish farmers increasingly are producing fish larger than the traditional size of 0.45-0.57 kg/fish in order to meet processing plant requirements for larger fish. Production of larger channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in multiple-batch culture has been investigated in a few studies, but the impact of understocked fingerlings on growth of carry-over fish is unknown. The present study was conducted to quantify growth, feed conversion ratio, net daily yield, and net and total yield of stocker channel catfish grown in single-batch, one-season culture to mean individual weights of 0.60, 0.72, 0.91, or 1.17 kg/fish. Channel catfish (mean weight = 0.26 kg/fish) were stocked into 12 0.1-ha ponds at 11,115 fish/ha. Fish were fed a 32% crude protein floating extruded feed once daily to apparent satiation. When the average weight of the fish population reached the target weight, three randomly selected ponds were harvested. Fish growth was linear in all treatments. Growth rates were similar for fish grown to 0.60, 0.72, and 0.91 kg/fish, and significantly lower (P < 0.05) than for fish grown to 1.17 kg. Variation in individual fish weight increased linearly with increased duration of culture period. Feed conversion ratio averaged 1.9 and did not differ significantly among treatments. The percentage of the fish population at harvest that fell within the 0.57 to 2.04 kg-size range preferred by processing plants increased from 56.6 to 98-5% as the mean weight at harvest increased from 0.60 to 1.17 kg/fish.
Nativism and Neurobiology : Representations, Representing, and the Continuum of Cognition

Whether or not the mind contains innately specified representations is highly contestable, especially in light of neurobiological evidence for the plasticity of the brain. In what follows, I provid...
Priorities for Nurse Training Act Legislation: A National Survey of Nursing Deans

1984 represents a pivotal year for nursing and nursing education in part as a result of future legislation of the Nurse Training Act (NTA). In the face of lost federal funds secondary to the recession, and/or the current administration's attitude toward funding for higher education as well as a decreasing number of college-age students, nursing must be prepared to launch a united effort to recapture lost funds and/or prevent future losses. This must be a deliberate, pragmatic, and well-organized effort. It must be goal-oriented, not merely reactive. To assess how nursing deans and/or chairpersons are planning to confront the financial and demographic realities of the1980s and 1990s a national survey was conducted among 227 nursing education administrators. These administrators responded to a four-page questionnaire providing quantitative and qualitative data. Areas covered in the questionnaire included previous use of NTA funds, priorities for future nurse training legislation and funding, enrollment trends of undergraduate and graduate nursing students and lastly, master plans and future goals designed to cope with reduced federal funding. Categories that were most important in the establishment, maintenance, or expansion of their programs were capitation, graduate and undergraduate student assistance, and special projects. The respondents indicated that future priorities for nurse training funding would include direct student assistance, piogram and institutional support, and individual needs of specific schools and/or regions. The respondents claimed that over the last five years 30% of schools had experienced a decline in enrollment of undergraduates, and 27% had experienced a decline in graduate enrollment. Lost federal funds contributed to 74 % of the undergraduate decline and 74% of the graduate decline. Future goals and master plans designed to cope with reduced federal funding have been characterized as developmental programatic approaches and/or a combined developmental/programatic approach. However, a startling 16% of the total respondents did not indicate future plans or goals. This survey further indicated that the priorities of those surveyed have changed from program concerns to student concerns and that their assessed needs are dramatically different from those of the Reagan administration. Of the deans and/ or chairpersons surveyed, 74% indicated that they were generating creative plans to cope with lost federal funds.
Beyond psychotherapy : Treating abused children by changing their social ecology

Historically, the child abuse field has approached intervention through individually focused child or adult psychotherapy. A more comprehensive understanding of current research indicates that the field is moving beyond individually focused models. Existing research on child sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect suggests that multiple factors within the child's social ecology relate to the occurrence of abuse and to its mental health impact. This article reviews the literature on child sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect with an emphasis on social ecological factors related to abuse, recovery and interventions. An approach to intervention is suggested that emphasizes potential target areas and interventions from across multiple systems (e.g., individual, family, school, child protection system).
Edwin Ginn's Vision of World Peace

Edwin Ginn, successful publisher of educational books, philanthropist, and founder of the World Peace Foundation, gave much thought to the problem of world peace and believed that he knew the answer. He was convinced that world peace, as he understood it, was highly desirable, was attainable, and was likely to be achieved in the not too distant future. To this achievement he devoted a third of the wealth accumulated during a lifetime of demonstrated business capacity and acumen. So confident was he of the correctness of his analysis of the peace problem that he stipulated in his will the use to be made, after world peace was attained, of the fund which he provided for the support of his World Peace Foundation. His trustees were charged with the duty of recognizing the attainment of peace and then transferring the fund to the support of his other favorite philanthropy, the Charlesbank Homes, which he expected to flourish in a peaceful world.
Iansiti et al. reply.

The authors reply to the comment that physical interpretations in terms of quantum phase fluctuations offord on the reduced critical current of high resistant, low-capactance Josephson junction is essentially same as offered by the authors. (AIP)
Functional and physical interactions between the estrogen receptor Sp1 and nuclear aryl hydrocarbon receptor complexes

17beta-Estradiol (E2) induces cathepsin D gene expression in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and previous analyses of the proximal promoter region of this gene identified two functional enhancer sequences; namely an Sp1(N)23estrogen-responsive element (ERE) half-site (-199 to -165) and an imperfect palindromic ERE (-119 to -107). A third region of the cathepsin D gene promoter (CD/L, -145 to -119) was also E2 responsive in transient transfection assays. A GC-rich sequence which contains two overlapping Sp1 binding sites (-145 to -135) was responsible for ER-mediated transactivation and required formation of an ER/Sp1 complex in which only the Sp1 protein bound DNA. E2 responsiveness of the CD/L sequence was also dependent on an adjacent overlapping GCGTG motif corresponding to the dioxin-responsive element (DRE) core binding sequence, which is the cognate response element for the heterodimeric aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)/AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT) transcription factor complex. The results show that ER-mediated transactivation of CD/L was associated with the Sp1(N)2-4DRE (core) motif and involved formation of a multiprotein ER/Sp1-AhR/ARNT complex. These results illustrate a unique example of an endogenous role for AhR/ARNT in the absence of added AhR agonist and indicate that the cathepsin D gene proximal promoter region contains at least three different functional motifs associated with ER-mediated transactivation.
3D large grid route planner for the autonomous underwater vehicles

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a 3D route planner, called 3DPLAN, which employs the Fast‐Pass A* algorithm to find optimum paths in the large grid.Design/methodology/approach – The Fast‐Pass A* algorithm, an improved best‐first search A* algorithm, has a major advantage compared to other search methods because it is guaranteed to give the optimum path.Findings – In spite of this significant advantage, no one has previously used A* in 3D searches. Most researchers think that the computational cost of using A* for 3D route planning would be prohibitive. This paper shows that it is quite feasible to use A* for 3D searches if one employs the new mobility and threat heuristics that have been developed.Practical implications – This paper reviews the modification of the previous 3DPLAN in the ocean dynamical environment. The test mobility map is replaced with more realistic mobility map that consists of travel times of each grid point to each of its 26 neighbors using the actual current veloci...
KIBBUTZ AND SHTETL: THE HISTORY OF AN IDEA

the Kibbutz, the Shtetl generated its own antithesis. It will become apparent, then, that the Kibbutz is a highly specialized and unique society established by people of a particular type at a particular time, in response to and in fulfillment of particular needs. Now the use of the terms "particular" and "unique" requires an immediate methodological qualification. Many contemporary students of society, mesmerized by what they naively conceive to be the methods and results of the physical and natural sciences,*** have devoted themselves to problems of the most generalizing order. They deal with "structure," process," "regularities," "levels of integration," and so on. While these are legitimate and vital concerns, they tend to remain hollow abstractions, unless quickened and concretized by the investigation of specific histories. For it is these specific histories which illuminate process, characterize structures, link levels of integration, and
Real-time affine invariant gesture recognition for LED smart lighting control

Gesture recognition has attracted extensive research interest in the field of human computer interaction. Realtime affine invariant gesture recognition is an important and challenging problem. This paper presents a robust affine view invariant gesture recognition system for realtime LED smart light control. As far as we know, this is the first time that gesture recognition has been applied for control LED smart light in realtime. Employing skin detection, hand blobs captured from a top view camera are first localized and aligned. Subsequently, SVM classifiers trained on HOG features and robust shape features are then utilized for gesture recognition. By accurately recognizing two types of gestures (“gesture 8" and a “5 finger gesture"), a user is enabled to toggle lighting on/off efficiently and control light intensity on a continuous scale. In each case, gesture recognition is rotation- and translation-invariant. Extensive evaluations in an office setting demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed gesture recognition algorithm.
Determination of Anthraquinone in Technical Material, Formulations, and Lettuce by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Foraging on lettuce seeds and seedlings by horned larks (Eremophila alpestris) causes millions of dollars in losses to the California lettuce crop annually. Anthraquinone (AQ; 9,10-anthracenedione) has been shown to deter pest birds from consuming the seeds and seedlings of several plant species and was evaluated as a repellent to horned larks when applied to lettuce seedlings. A set of analytical methods using simple liquid extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis were developed for the quantitation of AQ as technical material, as an active ingredient in a commercial formulation, and as a residue in lettuce plants. The methods were easy, reliable, and repeatable. AQ recoveries from control formulation fortified to concentrations of either 24 or 600 mg g-1 were 99 (±1.2%) and 98% (±1.2%), respectively, with a control formulation method limit of detection (MLOD) of 0.50 mg g-1. Control lettuce tissues from three growth stages were AQ-fortified to concentrations of 0.50 and 500...
Ab initio simulations of the structural phase transformation of 2H-SiC at high pressure

We study the pressure-induced phase transition in the $2H\text{\penalty1000-\hskip0pt}\mathrm{Si}\mathrm{C}$ (wurtzite) using a constant-pressure ab initio technique. A first-order phase transition from the wurtzite structure to a rocksalt structure at $600.0--700.0\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GPa}$ is predicted in the constant-pressure simulations. The transformation consists of two successive processes. First, the wurtzite crystal transforms into a fivefold coordinated hexagonal structure with space group $P{6}_{3}∕mmc$ due to a compression in the direction of the $c$ axis. Second, the hexagonal phase becomes unstable with respect to shear deformation and converts to first a fivefold coordinated orthorhombic intermediate state within the $Cmcm$ symmetry, and then a rocksalt state. We also study the wurtzite-to-rocksalt and zinc-blende-to-rocksalt phase transformations of SiC from the enthalpy calculations and find that both zinc-blende and wurtzite SiC polytypes show nearly similar equation of state and transforms to a rocksalt structure about $100.0\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GPa}$, in excellent agreement with experiments.
The Potential Role of Perfluorochemicals (PFCS) in Diagnostic Imaging

Although perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are known for their ability to carry oxygen, they are the most versatile and only universal contrast agents with important applications using x-ray, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance (MR). The characteristics that make them unique diagnostic agents are lack of hydrogen atoms, immiscibility with water, low surface tension, compressibility, and long intravascular persistence when emulsified and given i.v. When made radiopaque, they are visible with x-ray computed tomography (CT) and standard radiography. Because the neat liquid is inert it can be ingested, instilled in the lung, or introduced into any hollow organ to image the lumen without untoward effects. The long intravascular persistence allows the imaging of blood vessels and vascularized tissues. Small or deep vessels become visible on Color Doppler Imaging and angiographic images of any vascular tree including the coronaries can be rendered from the serial CT images. As PFCs accumulate within RE cells, specific liver and spleen enhancement is achieved allowing the detection of small tumors within these organs. When injected interstitially, the particles find their way to the draining lymphnodes providing detail of the internal architecture to detect the presence or absence of tumor involvement on both CT and sonography. Using 19F MR, tissue perfusion and tissue pO2 measurements can be achieved. As can be seen, the applications of PFC in diagnosis are vast, unique, and important. These new capabilities will carry radiological tools to new horizons.
The anatomy, function, and development of mammalian Aβ low-threshold mechanoreceptors

Touch sensation is critical for our social and environmental interactions. In mammals, most discriminative light touch sensation is mediated by the Aβ low-threshold mechanoreceptors. Cell bodies of Aβ low-threshold mechanoreceptors are located in the dorsal root ganglia and trigeminal ganglia, which extend a central projection innervating the spinal cord and brain stem and a peripheral projection innervating the specialized mechanosensory end organs. These specialized mechanosensory end organs include Meissner’s corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles, lanceolate endings, Merkel cells, and Ruffini corpuscles. The morphologies and physiological properties of these mechanosensory end organs and their innervating neurons have been investigated for over a century. In addition, recent advances in mouse genetics have enabled the identification of molecular mechanisms underlying the development of Aβ low-threshold mechanoreceptors, which highlight the crucial roles of neurotrophic factor signaling and transcription factor activity in this process. Here, we will review the anatomy, physiological properties, and development of mammalian low-threshold Aβ mechanoreceptors.
Gait and Function in Class III Obesity

Walking, more specifically gait, is an essential component of daily living. Walking is a very different activity for individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more (Class III obesity) compared with those who are overweight or obese with a BMI between 26–35. Yet all obesity weight classes receive the same physical activity guidelines and recommendations. This observational study examined the components of function and disability in a group with Class III obesity and a group that is overweight or has Class I obesity. Significant differences were found between the groups in the areas of gait, body size, health condition, and activity capacity and participation. The Timed Up and Go test, gait velocity, hip circumference, and stance width appear to be most predictive of activity capacity as observed during gait assessment. The findings indicate that Class III-related gait is pathologic and not a normal adaptation.