cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of an AC gas display panel

The details and results for a one-dimensional numerical analysis of the gaseous discharge occurring at a single intersection of an ac gas panel are reported. A particular object of the program is the determination of the electric field magnitude as a function of both position and time, taking into account the field distortion due to the space charge. The calculations are based on the Townsend avalanche mechanism but omit the dynamic role of metastable neon atoms in a Penning gas mixture. The calculated electrical properties of the panel are compared with experimental values.
Behavioural evidence for use of a light-dependent magnetoreception mechanism by a vertebrate

THE Earth's magnetic field provides an important source of directional information for terrestrial organisms1,5, but the sensory receptor or receptors responsible for magnetic field detection have yet to be identified. Theoretical models of the mechanism of magnetoreception have implicated specialized photoreceptors6,7. The proposed mechanisms would amplify the weak interaction of the geomagnetic field with a single electron spin to the level of photon detection, resulting in a modulation of the photoreceptor response to light. Although behavioural8,9 and neurophysiological10–12 studies have established a link between magnetic field sensitivity and the visual system, definitive evidence for the use of a light-dependent magnetoreception mechanism has been lacking. Here we show that magnetic compass orientation in a semiaquatic salamander is affected by the wavelength of light13, and that this wavelength-dependence is due to a direct effect of light on the underlying magnetoreception mechanism.
PARAOCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES TO LEAD AND TIN CARRIED BY ELECTRIC-CABLE SPLICERS

To test the hypothesis that electric-cable splicers contaminate their homes with lead and tin, nine splicers were matched with nine of their neighbors. House dust samples were collected in two areas within each home: a laundry room/dirty clothes area, and a composite sample from other areas in the house. Samples were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence for lead and tin (tin is a tracer to the occupational source of lead). The difference in the geometric mean lead concentrations in the laundry areas between the splicers' and neighbors' homes (1021 ppm and 390 ppm) was statistically significant (p<0.025). The difference in concentrations from the other areas of the house (585 ppm and 329 ppm) was also significant (p<0.05). Tin concentrations in house dust were very different between the two groups (p<0.0005), suggesting that electric-cable splicers were contaminating their homes with lead and tin from work. Recommendations are included to prevent paraoccupational lead exposures by eliminating t...
Selective demethylation of some aconitine-type norditerpenoid alkaloids

Demethylation of some aconitine-type norditerpenoid alkaloids was carried out with trimethylsilyl iodide and with HBr in glacial AcOH. Aconitine (10), cammaconine (23), delphinine (3), falconerine (18), lappaconitine (22), and talatizamine (24) afforded partially demethylated products. When methoxyl groups are present at the C-16 and C-18 positions, these are demethylated, and the methoxyl group at the C-1 position underwent demethylation in none the alkaloids studied except falconerine (18). With HBr-AcOH, in the case of alkaloids possessing a C-3 hydroxyl group, the methoxymethyl at C-18 formed a tetrahydrofuran, cyclizing at the C-6 position. Detailed NMR spectral studies (1H, 13C, 1H homonuclear COSY, HETCOR, and selective INEPT) carried out on the demethylation products have enabled accurate chemical shift assignments to be made for the demethylated alkaloids.
The Cost of Capital in Nonmarketed Firms

All western economies are mixed in the sense that there is both a marketed and a nonmarketed sector of firms. A natural question then arises: Should unincorporated business use higher or lower discount rates than incorporated business does? The same question has been a source of much controversy in public finance. Some authors, among them Arrow and Lind [1970] and Samuelson [1964], argue that public enterprises should use a lower discount rate because the government is better able to absorb risk and can more effectively diversify investments. Another group, which finds Hirshleifer [1966] and Diamond [1967] among its supporters, maintains that the discount rate should be the same for projects with comparable risk profiles, regardless of who undertakes them. As Diamond states:
Electron-spin-resonance transistors for quantum computing in silicon-germanium heterostructures

We apply the full power of modern electronic band-structure engineering and epitaxial heterostructures to design a transistor that can sense and control a single-donor electron spin. Spin-resonance transistors may form the technological basis for quantum information processing. One- and two-qubit operations are performed by applying a gate bias. The bias electric field pulls the electron wave function away from the dopant ion into layers of different alloy composition. Owing to the variation of the g factor (Si: g1.998,Ge:g1.563), this displacement changes the spin Zeeman energy, allowing single-qubit operations. By displacing the electron even further, the overlap with neighboring qubits is affected, which allows two-qubit operations. Certain silicon-germanium alloys allow a qubit spacing as large as 200 nm, which is well within the capabilities of current lithographic techniques. We discuss manufacturing limitations and issues regarding scaling up to a large size computer.
Novel hybrid mitigation strategy for improving the resiliency of hierarchical networks subjected to attacks

Abstract This paper studies the resiliency of hierarchical networks when subjected to random errors, static attacks, and cascade attacks. The performance is compared with existing Erdos–Renyi (ER) random networks and Barabasi and Albert (BA) scale-free networks using global efficiency as the common performance metric. The results show that critical infrastructures modeled as hierarchical networks are intrinsically efficient and are resilient to random errors, however they are more vulnerable to targeted attacks than scale-free networks. Based on the response dynamics to different attack models, we propose a novel hybrid mitigation strategy that combines discrete levels of critical node reinforcement with additional edge augmentation. The proposed modified topology takes advantage of the high initial efficiency of the hierarchical network while also making it resilient to attacks. Experimental results show that when the level of damage inflicted on a critical node is low, the node reinforcement strategy is more effective, and as the level of damage increases, the additional edge augmentation is highly effective in maintaining the overall network resiliency.
Shoreline Analysis and Barrier Island Dynamics: Decadal Scale Patterns from Cedar Island, Virginia

Abstract Nebel, S.H.; Trembanis, A.C., and Barber, D.C., 2012. Shoreline analysis and barrier island dynamics: Decadal scale patterns from Cedar Island, Virginia. Aerial photography, topographic maps, high-resolution satellite imagery, and global positioning system (GPS) data were compiled in ArcMAP™ and analyzed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) to determine decadal trends of shoreline movement on Cedar Island, Virginia. Shoreline retreat rates for Cedar Island had an alongshore average of −4.1 m/y based on simple endpoint analysis (1852–2007), while the short-term (1994–2007) retreat rates increased to −12.6 m/y. Retreat statistics were further calculated for the time intervals 1852–1910 (−5.1 m/y), 1910–62 (−3.5 m/y), 1962–80 (−3.9 m/y), 1980–94 (−6.5 m/y), 1994–2002 (−12.4 m/y), and 2002–06 (−13.8 m/y). This analysis indicates that retreat of the Cedar Island shoreline has been accelerating with a notable increase in rate within the years 1980 to 1994. Additionally, the shoreline data...
Circulating Tumor Cell Detection and Capture by Photoacoustic Flow Cytometry in Vivo and ex Vivo

Despite progress in detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs), existing assays still have low sensitivity (1–10 CTC/mL) due to the small volume of blood samples (5–10 mL). Consequently, they can miss up to 103–104 CTCs, resulting in the development of barely treatable metastasis. Here we analyze a new concept of in vivo CTC detection with enhanced sensitivity (up to 102–103 times) by the examination of the entire blood volume in vivo (5 L in adults). We focus on in vivo photoacoustic (PA) flow cytometry (PAFC) of CTCs using label-free or targeted detection, photoswitchable nanoparticles with ultrasharp PA resonances, magnetic trapping with fiber-magnetic-PA probes, optical clearance, real-time spectral identification, nonlinear signal amplification, and the integration with PAFC in vitro. We demonstrate PAFC’s capability to detect rare leukemia, squamous carcinoma, melanoma, and bulk and stem breast CTCs and its clusters in preclinical animal models in blood, lymph, bone, and cerebrospinal fluid, as well as the release of CTCs from primary tumors triggered by palpation, biopsy or surgery, increasing the risk of metastasis. CTC lifetime as a balance between intravasation and extravasation rates was in the range of 0.5–4 h depending on a CTC metastatic potential. We introduced theranostics of CTCs as an integration of nanobubble-enhanced PA diagnosis, photothermal therapy, and feedback through CTC counting. In vivo data were verified with in vitro PAFC demonstrating a higher sensitivity (1 CTC/40 mL) and throughput (up to 10 mL/min) than conventional assays. Further developments include detection of circulating cancer-associated microparticles, and super-resolution PAFC beyond the diffraction and spectral limits.
A Preschool Teacher Competency Rating Scale

The reliability and validity of a Preschool Teacher Competency Rating Scale (PTCRS) were tested using 30 female college students, with 15 students each at two different levels of a pre school teacher training program. An interrater reliability coefficient of .90 was obtained for the entire scale, and a range of coefficients from .41 to 96 was obtained for its nine subscales. Repeated-measures ANOV As applied to the data indicated that advanced level students were rated as significantly more competent as teachers than beginning level students, and both beginning and advanced level students were rated as significantly more competent as teachers at the end of their respective teacher training practicums on the entire PTCRS and its nine subscales. Moreover, additional exploratory analyses revealed that the PTCRS subscales ap peared to reflect accurately the impact of the preschool teacher training levels in the compe tency ratings of students at the end of their training practicums. On the basis of these findings, it was concluded that the PTCRS is a relatively reliable scale with some evidence of construct validity which can be used as an aid in training competent teachers of preschool children.
Superradiance effects on the infrared absorption and vibrational temperature of optically pumped molecules

Abstract Using controlled feedback and coincident far infrared absorption, we have shown that the superradiant emission process in NH 3 pumped by the 9R16 line of a CO 2 TEA laser has a marked effect on the absorption of laser energy and vibrational heating of the gas. Since many polyatomic molecules pumped by IR laser are efficient superradiant far infrared sources, the effect is important for laser induced fluorescence studies in these polyatomics.
Quasi-linear neural networks: application to the prediction and control of unsteady aerodynamics

The present work describes a new technique for the modeling of unsteady aerodynamics using neural networks. Surface pressure readings obtained from an airfoil pitched at constant rate between 0 and 60 degrees were evaluated for 6 different pitch rates and 9 different span locations. Using 5 of 54 records as a training set both a nonlinear and a linear neural network were trained on the time-varying pressure gradients. Thus, post-training, given the pressure distribution at any time (t) the models should predict the pressure distribution at time (t+(Delta) t). In addition, following training a linear equation system was calculated from the weight matrices of the linear neural network. The performance of both the linear equation system and the nonlinear network were evaluated using both sum-squared error and waveform correlations of the predicted and measured data. The results indicated that both models accurately predicted the unsteady flow fields to within 5% of the experimental data. Sum- squared errors were less than 0.01 and correlations were highly significant r > 0.09, (p 0.90, (p < 0.01), in all cases. Overall, the results clearly indicated that it was possible to predict a wide range of unsteady flow field conditions including novel pitch rates and novel span locations. Further, the results clearly showed that these techniques facilitated the mathematical quantification of these unsteady flow fields. A linear equation system was readily calculated from the linear neural network. The capability to predict this phenomenon across a wide range of flight envelopes in turn provides a critical step towards the development of control systems targeted at exploiting unsteady aerodynamics for aircraft maneuverability enhancement.
Dynamic remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton: Lessons learned from Listeria locomotion

The bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes displays the remarkable ability to reorganize the actin cytoskeleton within host cells as a means for promoting cell-to-cell transfer of the pathogen, in a manner that evades humoral immunity. In a series of events commencing with the biosynthesis of the bacterial surface protein ActA, host cell actin and many actin-associated proteins self-assemble to form rocket-tail structures that continually grow at sites proximal to the bacterium and depolymerize distally. Widespread interest in the underlying molecular mechanism of Listeria locomotion stems from the likelihood that the dynamic remodeling of the host cell actin cytoskeleton at the cell's leading edge involves mechanistically analogous interactions. Recent advances in our understanding of these fundamental cytoskeletal rearrangements have been achieved through a clearer recognition of the central role of oligo-proline sequence repeats present in ActA, and these findings provide a basis for inferring the role of analogous host cell proteins in the force-producing and position-securing steps in pseudopod and lamellipod formation at the peripheral membrane.
X-ray yields in muonic hydrogen

Abstract We have calculated the relative yields for K X-ray from muonic hydrogen as functions of the hydrogen density. The two experimental data agree with our analysis.
High Performance Silicon Nanowire Field Effect Transistors

Silicon nanowires can be prepared with single-crystal structures, diameters as small as several nanometers and controllable hole and electron doping, and thus represent powerful building blocks for nanoelectronics devices such as field effect transistors. To explore the potential limits of silicon nanowire transistors, we have examined the influence of source-drain contact thermal annealing and surface passivation on key transistor properties. Thermal annealing and passivation of oxide defects using chemical modification were found to increase the average transconductance from 45 to 800 nS and average mobility from 30 to 560 cm 2 /V‚s with peak values of 2000 nS and 1350 cm 2 /V‚s, respectively. The comparison of these results and other key parameters with state-of-the-art planar silicon devices shows substantial advantages for silicon nanowires. The uses of nanowires as building blocks for future nanoelectronics are discussed.
MULTICOMPONENT DIFFUSION AND CONVECTION IN MOLTEN MGO-AL2O3-SIO2

Abstract Multicomponent diffusion and convection in molten MgO-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 at 1550°C and 0.5 GPa were examined experimentally in diffusion couples formed around 22.5 (wt%) MgO, 17.5% Al 2 O 3 , and 60% SiO 2 . The diffusion matrix obtained from a simultaneous least squares inversion of convectively stable intersecting chemical diffusion profiles has large off-diagonal terms indicating, for example, very strong coupling of the flux of SiO 2 with gradients in MgO. In contrast to an earlier report on multicomponent diffusion involving the same compositions studied here, we found no features along the stable diffusion profiles that could not be explained in terms of a 2 × 2 diffusion matrix. X-ray concentration maps of the sectioned diffusion charges showed that double-diffusive convection had occurred in a number of experiments along the direction of constant SiO 2 , even though the more dense melt had been placed below the less dense composition. The occurrence of such double-diffusive fingering instabilities is shown to be consistent with the predictions of linear stability theory.
The Delimitation of Phylogenetic Characters

The bud disappears in the bursting-forth of the blossom, and one might say that the former is refuted by the latter; similarly, when the fruit appears, the blossom is shown up in its turn as a false manifestation of the plant, and the fruit now emerges as the truth of it instead. These forms are not just distinguished from one another, they also supplant one another as mutually incompatible. Yet at the same time their fluid nature makes them moments of an organic unity in which they not only do not conflict, but in which each is as necessary as the other; and this mutual necessity alone constitutes the life of the whole. — Hegel, Preface toPhenomenology of Spirit
Changing Ideas in New Testament Eschatology

SOONER OR LATER every study of the New Testament must deal with the problem of its eschatology. There are several reasons for this. In the first place, the center of the New Testament is the messiah whom the earliest preachers identified as Jesus. While the term itself simply means, "the Anointed One," by the time of the New Testament it had come to be inseparably associated with eschatological hopes. That these hopes were expressed in varied and often contradictory forms only adds to the problem. In any case, it is clear that the proclamation that the messiah is Jesus is inevitably an eschatological proclamation. In the second place, the New Testament documents are suffused with eschatological figures, expressions, and hopes. It is no longer possible to expunge this element from the records as extraneous. It was the lasting service of Albert Schweitzer to force New Testament scholarship to face this fact squarely. It may be accepted as axiomatic, therefore, that the message of the primitive church was an eschatological message and any account of it must deal with the problem of eschatology. Professor Dodd has sought to mitigate the radical conclusions of the "thorough-going eschatology" of Schweitzer by an hypothesis that arranges the evidence in such a way as to come virtually to the opposite conclusion. This theory has become familiar as realized eschatology. The important thing to note in comparing these two theories is the fact that New Testament eschatology is not consistent and therefore any system that seeks to present the matter in an organic unity must do so by a process of selection which eliminates certain factors as either accretions or garbled accounts of the facts.
Comparison of Maximum Tolerated Muscle Torques Produced by 2 Pulse Durations

Background: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is an effective therapeutic technique for strengthening weak muscles. A positive dose-response relationship exists between the elicited muscle forces during training and strength (force-generating capacity) gains. Patient discomfort limits NMES muscle forces, potentially compromising efficacy. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the NMES muscle torques produced by stimulation trains consisting of 2 different pulse durations. Design: During a single testing session, the 2 pulse duration conditions (50 and 200 microseconds) were tested on the opposite lower extremities of the participants. Methods: The study participants were 10 adults without remarkable medical histories. The maximum tolerated isometric knee extensor torque was the primary dependent variable. The peak currents and phase charges that produced the maximally tolerated torques, as well as the sensory, motor, and pain thresholds for the 2 pulse conditions, were compared. Results: The 200-microsecond pulse duration condition resulted in participants tolerating significantly greater muscle torques; it was associated with significantly greater phase charges but significantly lower peak currents. Limitations: This study only compared muscle torques in response to stimulation trains consisting of pulses with short (50-microsecond) or medium (200-microsecond) durations and did not examine long (∼400- to 600-microsecond) durations. Furthermore, the result of this study may not apply to NMES that uses stimulation patterns other than monophasic, square-wave pulsed current. Conclusions: It has been suggested that short pulse durations are most appropriate for NMES because they are less likely to recruit nociceptors. The results of this study, however, support the use of a medium pulse duration rather than a short pulse duration when the goal is to produce a maximum torque response from a muscle. These observations may be related to the currents and phase charges for the pain thresholds for the 2 pulse duration conditions.
Photosynthesis by inflated pods of a desert shrub, Isomeris arborea.

The photosynthetic capacity and carbon metabolism of the fruits of Isomeris arborea (Capparidaceae), an evergreen shrub endemic to the desert and coastal habitats of Southern California and Baja California, are described. The inflated structure of the pods of I. arborea provides a model system for experimental studies of fruit photosynthesis in native plants since the gas concentration of the internal space can be manipulated and monitored separately from the external pod environment. CO2 released by seed respiration is partially contained in the inner gas space of the pods, resulting in an elevated CO2 environment inside the fruit (500 to 4000 μmol mol−1 depending on the stage of fruit development). A portion of this CO2 is assimilated by the inner layers of the pericarp, but a larger fraction leaks out. The photosynthetic layers of the pericarp use two different sources of CO2: the exocarp fixes exogenous CO2 while the endocarp fixes CO2 released by seed respiration into the pod cavity. Even though the total weight of the fruit increases during development, the combined rates of fixation of externally and internally supplied CO2 remained constant (10–11 μmol CO2 pod−1 h−1). After the pods attain maximum volume, the major change in gas exchange that takes place during fruit growth is a gradual increase in the amount of respiratory CO2 released by the seeds. This shifts the CO2 balance of the fruit from positive, in young fruits, to negative in mature fruits. Pericarp photosynthesis helped support not only the cost of fruit maintenance, but also the cost of fruit growth, particularly during the first stages of fruit development. During later fruiting stages insufficient carbon is fixed to fully supply either respiration or growth.
Bronchopulmonary Cross-Colonization and Infection Related to Mycobacterial Contamination of Suction Valves of Bronchoscopes

Recurrent episodes of mycobacterial cross-contamination of bronchoscopy specimens were identified in a large, tertiary-care referral center. One episode was followed by active pulmonary infection due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Initial epidemiologic investigation implicated the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopes. In experiments, bronchoscopes and related equipment were exposed to a saline suspension of M. fortuitum (10(5)-10(7)/mL). Bronchoscopes were readily sterilized by routine cleaning and disinfection procedures, but the spring-operated suction valves remained contaminated, even after a 30-min exposure to 2% glutaraldehyde or after passage through a commercial bronchoscope washer. These results indicate that suction valves that have been heavily contaminated with mycobacterial organisms cannot be reliably disinfected with commercially available glutaraldehyde. Suction valves have since been routinely autoclaved after each use. No additional episodes of cross-contamination or infection have occurred over 24 mo of surveillance.
A hierarchical process-dissociation model

In fitting the process-dissociation model (L. L. Jacoby, 1991) to observed data, researchers aggregate outcomes across participant, items, or both. T. Curran and D. L. Hintzman (1995) demonstrated how biases from aggregation may lead to artifactual support for the model. The authors develop a hierarchical process-dissociation model that does not require aggregation for analysis. Most importantly, the Curran and Hintzman critique does not hold for this model. Model analysis provides for support of process dissociation--selective influence holds, and there is a dissociation in correlation patterns among participants and items. Items that are better recollected also elicit higher automatic activation. There is no correlation, however, across participants; that is, participants with higher recollection have no increased tendency toward automatic activation. The critique of aggregation is not limited to process dissociation. Aggregation distorts analysis in many nonlinear models, including signal detection, multinomial processing tree models, and strength models. Hierarchical modeling serves as a general solution for accurately fitting these psychological-processing models to data.
Identification of markers associated with global changes in DNA methylation regulation in cancers

DNA methylation exhibits different patterns in different cancers. DNA methylation rates at different genomic loci appear to be highly correlated in some samples but not in others. We call such phenomena conditional concordant relationships (CCRs). In this study, we explored DNA methylation patterns in 12 common cancers using data of 2434 patient samples collected by The Cancer Genome Atlas project. We developed an exploratory method to characterize CCRs in the methylation data and identified the 200 gene markers whose on-and-off statuses in DNA methylation are most significantly associated with drastic changes in CCRs throughout the genome. Clustering analysis of the methylation data of the 200 markers showed that they are tightly associated with cancer subtypes. We also generated a library of the significant CCRs that may be of interest to future studies of the regulation network of DNA methylation in cancer.
Reliability Modeling and Simulation in Power Systems With Aging Characteristics

In power system reliability evaluation, alternating renewal process is generally used to model the failure and repair cycle of a component. This means that after repair, the component is assumed to be restored to as good as new condition from the reliability perspective. However, in practice, there may exist an aging trend in some components as they grow old. This paper describes how aging characteristics of components may impact the calculation of commonly used reliability indices such as loss of load expectation (LOLE). In order to construct the system failure and repair history of components, sequential Monte Carlo simulation method using stochastic point process modeling is introduced. Three methods are described for this purpose and this methodology is applied to the single area IEEE reliability test system. The results are analyzed and compared.
A review of the literature on orientation as an indicator of level of consciousness.

Purpose: To review and compare the concepts of orientation and level of consciousness. Methods: Literature review, including studies of orientation as an indicator of level of consciousness, in the domains of nursing, medicine, and neuropsychology. Findings: Orientation to time, place, and person as a measure of level of consciousness is poorly understood. The nursing practice of assessing orientation is common in many practice settings, yet little research has been done to validate whether it is meaningful. Conclusions: This review lays important groundwork for future evidence-based research into the use of orientation as an indicator of level of consciousness.
Cytoplasmic DNA synthesis in Amoeba proteus. I. On the particulate nature of the DNA-containing elements.

The incorporation of tritiated thymidine in Amoeba proteus was reinvestigated in order to see if it could be associated with microscopically detectable structures. Staining experiments with basic dyes, including the fluorochrome acridine orange, revealed the presence of large numbers of 0.3 to 0.5 µ particles in the cytoplasm of all cells studied. The effect of nuclease digestion on the dye affinity of the particles suggests that they contain DNA as well as RNA. Centrifugation of living cells at 10,000 g leads to the sedimentation of the particles in the centrifugal third of the ameba near the nucleus. Analysis of centrifuged cells which had been incubated with H3-thymidine showed a very high degree of correlation between the location of the nucleic acid-containing granules and that of acid-insoluble, deoxyribonuclease-sensitive labeled molecules and leads to the conclusion that cytoplasmic DNA synthesis in Amoeba proteus occurs in association with these particles.
Cell Population Kinetics: A Modified Interpretation of the Graph of Labeled Mitoses

Graphs of labeled mitoses, derived from autoradiographs of cell populations with (3)H-thymidine, show depressions in the curves at their midpoints. These depressions reflect interruption of DNA synthesis midway through S phase. Such interruptions revealed by the method of labeled mitoses should be considered when determining cell-cycle times.
Skewness and mixtures of normal distributions

The effect of skewness on hypothesis tests for the existence of a mixture of univariate and bivariate normal distributions is examined through a Monte Carlo study. A likelihood ratio test based on results of the simultaneous estimation of skewness parameters, derived from power transformations, with mixture parameters is proposed. This procedure detects the difference between inherent distributional skewness and the apparent skewness which is a manifestation of the mixture of several distributions. The properties of this test are explored through a simulation study.
Acute Fulminating Neurogenic Hypertension Produced by Brainstem Lesions in the Rat

Bilateral electrolytic lesions of the nucleus tractus solitarii in the rat at the level of the obex abolished baroreceptor reflexes and resulted in an immediate, marked elevation in systemic blood pressure without a change in heart rate. In unanesthetized rats the hypertension was associated with a marked increase in total peripheral resistance, a reduction in blood flow in the abdominal aorta, and an increase in central venous pressure. The cardiac output was reduced to 62% of control as a consequence of reduced stroke volume, which was reflected, in turn, by increased end-diastolic pressure. The hypertension was abolished and the end-diastolic pressure lowered by blockade of alpha receptors with phentolamine. The hypertension was not due to changes in blood gases or to release of agents from the kidneys or the adrenal glands; it was very sensitive to anesthetics and was abolished or aborted by midcollicular decerebration. Within hours after lesioning, the rats developed progressive congestive heart failure and died in shock, often in association with pulmonary edema. We concluded that the fulminating hypertension evoked by lesions of the nucleus tractus solitarii was due to the increased vasoconstriction caused by the augmented discharge of sympathetic nerves in response to central deafferentation of baroreceptor reflexes; the hypertension was mediated by alpha receptors and depended on the integrity of structures lying above the midbrain.
Packaging modeling using fast broadband surface integral equation method

The augmented electric field integral equation with frequency scaling provides a stable formulation over broad frequency band. With the iterative solver and the mixed-form fast multipole algorithm, large scale packaging problems can be solved efficiently.
A unified method for handling discrete and continuous uncertainty in Bayesian Stackelberg games

Given their existing and potential real-world security applications, Bayesian Stackelberg games have received significant research interest [3, 12, 8]. In these games, the defender acts as a leader, and the many different follower types model the uncertainty over discrete attacker types. Unfortunately since solving such games is an NP-hard problem, scale-up has remained a difficult challenge.This paper scales up Bayesian Stackelberg games, providing a novel unified approach to handling uncertainty not only over discrete follower types but also other key continuously distributed real world uncertainty, due to the leader's execution error, the follower's observation error, and continuous payoff uncertainty. To that end, this paper provides contributions in two parts. First, we present a new algorithm for Bayesian Stackelberg games, called HUNTER, to scale up the number of types. HUNTER combines the following five key features: i) efficient pruning via a best-first search of the leader's strategy space; ii) a novel linear program for computing tight upper bounds for this search; iii) using Bender's decomposition for solving the upper bound linear program efficiently; iv) efficient inheritance of Bender's cuts from parent to child; v) an efficient heuristic branching rule. Our experiments show that HUNTER provides orders of magnitude speedups over the best existing methods to handle discrete follower types. In the second part, we show HUNTER's efficiency for Bayesian Stackelberg games can be exploited to also handle the continuous uncertainty using sample average approximation. We experimentally show that our HUNTER-based approach also outperforms latest robust solution methods under continuously distributed uncertainty.
Rh(III) complexes of singly and doubly reduced phthalocyanine ligands generated by chemical and electrochemical reduction

The paramagnetic complexes (FPc)(Me)Rh− (4) and (FPc)(PMe3)(Me)Rh− (10) have been prepared by reducing (FPc)(Me)Rh (1) and (FPc)(PMe3)(Me)Rh (2) with NaBH4 in methanol-d4 [FPc2− = dianion of 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octakis(trifluoromethyl)phthalocyanine]. Compounds 4 and 10 are further reduced by NaBH4 to complexes, which are assigned to (DFPc)(Me)Rh− (5) and (DFPc)(PMe3)(Me)Rh− (11), respectively. Based on the 1H NMR spectra of these complexes, 4 and 10 are assigned to the Rh(III) complexes of the singly reduced radical anion FPc˙3−, while 5 and 11 are assigned to the Rh(III) complexes of the doubly reduced, antiaromatic anion DFPc3−, which has the deuteron bonded to one of its meso nitrogens. As expected, the antiaromatic complexes 5 and 11 are not stable. At −40 °C, 5 was transformed successively into three aromatic compounds, the first of which was assigned to the ring-contracted α,β,γ-triazatetrabenzocorrole complex (TBC)(Me)Rh− [TBC3− = trianion of 3,6,10,13,17,20,24,27-octakis(trifluoromethyl)-α,β,γ-triazatetrabenzocorrole]. Cyclic voltammetry of 1 and 2 was also carried out. Two reversible one-electron reduction waves were observed for both 1 and 2. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of C3a Receptors, C5a Receptors, and Complement Protein C6 Deficiency in Collagen Antibody-Induced Arthritis in Mice

The complement system, especially the alternative pathway, plays essential roles in the induction of injury in collagen Ab-induced arthritis (CAIA) in mice. The goal of the current study was to directly compare the roles of receptors for C3a and C5a, as well as the membrane attack complex, as effector mechanisms in the pathogenesis of CAIA. Clinical disease activity in C3aR(-/-), C5aR(-/-), and C6-deficient (C6-def) mice was decreased by 52, 94, and 65%, respectively, as compared with wild-type mice. Decreases in histopathologic injury as well as in IgG and C3 deposition paralleled the clinical disease activity. A decrease in the percentage of synovial neutrophils was observed in C3aR(-/-), C5aR(-/-), and C6-def mice, and a decrease in macrophages was observed in C3aR(-/-) and C5aR(-/-), but not in C6-def, mice. Synovial mRNA obtained by laser capture microdissection exhibited a decrease in TNF-α in C5aR(-/-) mice and in IL-1β in both C5aR(-/-) and C6-def mice, whereas C3aR(-/-) mice demonstrated no change in either cytokine. Our findings show that absent C3aR-, C5aR-, or membrane attack complex-initiated effector mechanisms each decrease susceptibility to CAIA, with clinical effects most pronounced in C5aR-deficient mice. Although the absence of C3aR, C5aR, or C6 led to differential deficiencies in effector mechanisms, decreased proximal joint IgG and C3 deposition was common to all three genotypes in comparison with wild-type mice. These data suggest the existence of positive-feedback amplification pathways downstream of all three effectors that promote additional IgG deposition and C3 activation in the joint.
Diffusion–reaction models of genipin incorporation into fibrin networks

Genipin is a naturally derived small molecule that crosslinks compounds containing primary amines including many natural biopolymers. A diffusion–reaction model to predict the rates of delivery and incorporation of genipin into fibrin networks is presented. Genipin crosslink formation within fibrin hydrogels is a multi-step process that requires genipin diffusion and reaction with primary amines in hydrated networks. The reaction rate of genipin into fibrin gels was measured via spectroscopy while the rate of marginal crosslink formation was measured by rheology. Covalent coupling between genipin and primary amines in fibrin gels obeys second-order kinetics in genipin concentration with an effective activation energy of −71.9 ± 3.2 kJ mol−1. Genipin diffusion–reaction within fibrin gels exhibits Thiele moduli between 0.02–0.28, which suggests that the systems studied herein are reaction-limited. Genipin-crosslinked fibrin clots are resistant to fibrinolytic degradation as measured by rheology. Finally, active genipin can be delivered from poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) matrices to gels at rates that are comparable to the characteristic rate of incorporation in fibrin networks. Taken together, this work establishes a quantitative framework to engineer controlled release systems for genipin delivery into protein-based hydrogel networks.
The development of the error-related negativity (ERN) and its relationship with anxiety: Evidence from 8 to 13 year-olds.

Because anxiety disorders appear to follow developmental trajectories that begin early in development, it may be useful to examine the neurodevelopmental correlates of specific cognitive processes that have been linked to anxiety. For instance, the error-related negativity (ERN) is a negative deflection in the event-related potential that is maximal approximately 50 ms following the commission of errors at fronto-central electrode sites,and has consistently been found to be more negative among anxious adults. Much less,however, is known about anxiety and the ERN in children—especially when this relationship develops. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) while 55 children aged 8–13 performed an arrow version of the flankers task. Parents and children both reported on children's anxiety. Results suggest that the relationship between the ERN and anxiety changes as a function of age. Among older children, a larger (i.e., more negative) ERN was significantly related to increased anxiety based on parent report. Although the relationship was less robust, the relationship between ERN and anxiety was opposite among younger children.These results are discussed in terms of existing work on anxiety and the ERN, and the need for longitudinal and developmental studies on the relationship between ERN andanxiety
Commentary: Do older men and women gain equally from improving childhood conditions?

The relationship between early and late mortality within cohorts has been well-established. 1–4 Catalano and Bruckner add evidence that birth cohorts subjected to higher mortality ‘than expected’ before age 5 have higher mortality ‘than expected’ after age 5. 5 Their contribution employed evidence from three countries to document a link between cohort mortality at younger and older ages. Methods developed for time-series analysis were used to correct for trends, cycles, and autocorrelation. After eliminating the effect of a common trend, this analysis further supports the link between early and late life mortality in cohorts. A novel aspect finding is a sex difference: the link between mortality before age 5 and later age mortality is stronger for men than for women. The authors suggest that this might be due to the ‘relative resiliency’ of females compared to males across the ages.
Issues related to the decennial tetanus-diphtheria toxoid booster recommendations in adults.

In the United States, immunization with tetanus toxoid and diphtheria toxoid (Td) has been a staple of immunization programs for more than 50 years. Over the past decade, tetanus cases have hovered between 35 and 50 cases per year, 34 and diphtheria cases between 1 and 5 cases per year. 25 Despite this obvious success story, several important questions about current and future immunization policy remain to be answered.
Plant litter chemistry and microbial priming regulate the accrual, composition and stability of soil carbon in invaded ecosystems.

Summary Soil carbon (C) sequestration, as an ecosystem property, may be strongly influenced by invasive plants capable of depositing disproportionately high quantities of chemically distinct litter that disrupt ecosystem processes. However, a mechanistic understanding of the processes that regulate soil C storage in invaded ecosystems remains surprisingly elusive. Here, we studied the impact of the invasion of two noxious nonnative species, Polygonum cuspidatum, which produces recalcitrant litter, and Pueraria lobata, which produces labile litter, on the quantity, molecular composition, and stability of C in the soils they invade. Compared with an adjacent noninvaded old-field, P. cuspidatum-invaded soils exhibited a 26% increase in C, partially through selective preservation of plant polymers. Despite receiving a 22% higher litter input, P. lobata-invaded Pinus stands exhibited a 28% decrease in soil C and a twofold decrease in plant biomarkers, indicating microbial priming of native soil C. The stability of C exhibited an opposite trend: the proportion of C that was resistant to oxidation was 21% lower in P. cuspidatum-invaded soils and 50% higher in P. lobata-invaded soils. Our results highlight the capacity of invasive plants to feed back to climate change by destabilizing native soil C stocks and indicate that environments that promote the biochemical decomposition of plant litter would enhance the long-term storage of soil C. Further, our study highlights the concurrent influence of dominant plant species on both selective preservation and humification of soil organic matter.
The Impact Of Culture On The Purchase Of Life Insurance In Latin America And The Caribbean

This study attempts to determine the major reasons for the lack of success in marketing life insurance in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our results point at the importance of cultural variables of which the most significant is the percentage of the population that professes to be Catholic. We attribute this to a strong correlation between religious beliefs and risk preferences. The other major factor is the population’s attitude toward financial instruments in general. Both results are robust to the model specification. The findings should be of interest to insurance companies attempting to market life insurance throughout the world.
Mesoscale Variability in Denmark Strait: The PV Outflow Hypothesis*

Abstract The outflow through Denmark Strait shows remarkable mesoscale variability characterized by the continuous formation of intense mesoscale cyclones just south of the sill. These cyclones have a diameter of about 30 km and clear signatures at the sea surface and in currents measured near the bottom. They have a remnant of Arctic Intermediate Water (AIW) in their core. The authors’ hypothesis is that these cyclones are formed by stretching of the high potential vorticity (PV) water column that outflows through Denmark Strait. The light, upper layer of the outflow, the East Greenland Current, remains on the surface in the Irminger Sea, while the dense overflow water descends the east Greenland continental slope. The midlevel waters, mostly AIW, could thus be stretched by more than 100%, which would induce very strong cyclonic relative vorticity. The main test of this new hypothesis is by way of numerical experiments carried out with an isopycnal coordinate ocean model configured to have a marginal sea...
Relation of Osmolality to Jejunal Sorption of Water, Cations, and Glucose in Humans

Summary Net absorption and enterosorption of water, electrolytes, and glucose were determined in human subjects after the ingestion of solutions of isotonic electrolytes or of hypertonic glucose with electrolytes. After the ingestion of the isotonic solution there was, in the jejunum, a small but significant increase of osmolality (31 mOsm.) together with a significant absorption of water and an increase of sodium concentration as compared to the duodenum. As the hypertonic meal passed through the jejunal segment, absorption of water and glucose occurred simultaneously with a fall in osmolality from a mean of 548 mOsm. in the duodenum to a mean of 336 mOsm. in the jejunum. At the same time, the concentration of sodium and potassium increased. This suggests, within certain limits, that an hypertonic solution of glucose entering the jejunum is made isotonic primarily by the absorption of water and glucose rather than by exsorption of an hypotonic solution into the gut from the blood.
The electrical characterizations of glass interposer for integrated reliability test

In this paper, we investigated the assembly characterization for reliability test. The structure of a glass interposer with two RDL on the front-side and one RDL on the backside had been evaluated and developed. Key technologies, including via fabrication, topside RDL formation, micro-bumping, temporary bonding, glass thinning and backside RDL formation, were developed and integrated to perform well. The BT substrate design and PCB for electrical characterization of reliability tests are included as well. The results indicate that the device with the glass interposer can be integrated and there is also data showing the feasibility of the glass interposer for electronics applications.