cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Statistical Knowledge and Statistical Inference

In order to set the stage for what follows, I should like to explain, if I can, why philosophers sometimes worry about the sun’s rising rather than about techniques for randomized sampling. Ordinary people ordinarily take themselves to know some things, to have reasoned opinions about others, and to be in ignorance of yet others. They take other people to know some things, to have reasoned opinions about others, and to be in ignorance of yet others. But they also take other people to be immensely pig-headed about some things, and to be irrationally opinionated about others. You recall Shaw’s conjugation: I am firm, You are stubborn, he is pig-headed.
Hydrogen Evolution from Alfalfa and Clover Nodules and Hydrogen Uptake by Free-Living Rhizobium meliloti.

A series of Rhizobium meliloti and Rhizobium trifolii strains were used as inocula for alfalfa and clover, respectively, grown under bacteriologically controlled conditions. Replicate samples of nodules formed by each strain were assayed for rates of H2 evolution in air, rates of H2 evolution under Ar and O2, and rates of C2H2 reduction. Nodules formed by all strains of R. meliloti and R. trifolii on their respective hosts lost at least 17% of the electron flow through nitrogenase as evolved H2. The mean loss from alfalfa nodules formed by 19 R. meliloti strains was 25%, and the mean loss from clover nodules formed by seven R. trifolii strains was 35%. R. meliloti and R. trifolii strains also were cultured under conditions that were previously established for derepression of hydrogenase synthesis. Only strains 102F65 and 102F51 of R. meliloti showed measurable activity under free-living conditions. Bacteroids from nodules formed by the two strains showing hydrogenase activity under free-living conditions also oxidized H2 at low rates. The specific activity of hydrogenase in bacteroids formed by either strain 102F65 or strain 102F51 of R. meliloti was less than 0.1% of the specific activity of the hydrogenase system in bacteroids formed by H2 uptake-positive Rhizobium japonicum USDA 110, which has been investigated previously. R. meliloti and R. trifolii strains tested possessed insufficient hydrogenase to recycle a substantial proportion of the H2 evolved from the nitrogenase reaction in nodules of their hosts. Additional research is needed, therefore, to develop strains of R. meliloti and R. trifolii that possess an adequate H2-recycling system.
Mitigating the Susceptibility of GPGPUs Register File to Process Variations

As technology keeps scaling down at nano-scale, the increasing process variations (PV) induce significant delay variations and limit the maximum clock frequency in GPGPUs (general-purpose computing on graphics processing units). Each computing core (i.e. streaming multiprocessor) in GPGPUs supports thousands of simultaneously active threads, and requires a large register file. Such a sizeable register file is very sensitive to process variations, and becomes one of the major units in determining the core frequency. In this study, we first develop a novel mechanism that classifies registers into fast and slow categories in the highly-banked register architecture to maximize the frequency improvement. We then leverage the unique features in GPGPU applications to effectively tolerate the extra access delay to the slow registers. Our experimental results show that our proposed techniques are able to significantly optimize GPGPUs performance under process variations.
The Dangers of the Ivory Tower: The Obligation of Law Professors to Engage in the Practice of Law

This Article considers whether law professors have a professional obligation to keep current with the practice of law by actually engaging in such practice on some limited or occasional basis. The Author proposes that, at a minimum, law professors should be encouraged, if not required, to stay connected to the world of practice. Law professors could spend a sabbatical in practice, engage in some outside work while teaching, or simply observe, study, or communicate regularly with those who are actively engaged in the practice of law. If seen as a form of class preparation or as an nspiration for scholarship, such time will be well-spent and should enrich both teaching and scholarship.
Real-time telemetric monitoring in whole-body 60Co gamma-photon irradiated rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Background Animals undergoing experimental manipulations, such as exposure to radiation, may exhibit physiologic and behavioral signs of pain and distress. Telemetry permits close monitoring of these parameters for early and effective management during procedures. Methods Radiotelemetric units were surgically implanted into 24 Macaca mulatta before 6.5-Gy cobalt-60 γ-photon irradiation. Each unit transmitted electrocardiogram, intrathoracic pressure, and body temperature leads. Primate irradiation-restraint boxes and housing cages were modified to collect telemetric signals before, during, and after irradiation. Results Differences in respiratory rate, heart rate, or body temperature in telemetric-collected recordings, which were observed during non-irradiation and irradiation sessions, were statistically insignificant. Conclusions Insignificant changes in the physiological parameters during monitoring suggest that the animals experienced no detectable pain or distress during irradiation.
Chapter 23 Financing investment under asymmetric information

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a framework for understanding the basic Myers and Majluf underinvestment model as well as the related literature that examines how financial decisions provide information to market participants. The financial decisions analyzed include dividend policy, the scale of the investment project, the timing of the project's initiation, and the underpricing of the issue and the overpricing of the issue. The information content of these financial decisions have typically been examined in isolation. For example, it has not been examined whether or not it makes sense to underprice an equity issue if information to the market could also be provided by paying a dividend. To examine issues of this type, it is analyzed how efficiently the various financial decisions convey information to market participants. The analysis suggests that only those decisions (or combinations of decisions) thatprovide the most efficient signals, (i.e., minimum cost), can be used in equilibrium.
Toward a Unified Theory of Professional Regulation

The Bar has addressed several issues in recent years that impact the legal profession's structure, including rules relating to multidisciplinary practice, multijurisdictional practice, and client solicitations. Unfortunately, theories of legal ethics have not focused on these rules, but have instead concentrated on regulations that govern how lawyers represent their clients, such as the duty of confidentiality or rules against the presentation of perjured testimony. This article contends that, by applying ethics theories to the structural rules, an additional justification emerges for more progressive regulations. Specifically, the article concludes that traditional theories can supplement existing calls for multidisciplinary practices, more liberal unauthorized practice rules, and more permissive regulations of client solicitation.
Oral or Vaginal Misoprostol for Cervical Ripening

Poster Presentation Objective To compare vaginal and oral administration of misoprostol as a cervical‐ripening agent for induction of labor at dose levels commonly used in clinically practice. Design Noninferiority, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial. Setting Labor and delivery unit of a 12‐bed labor and delivery unit in a 409 bed, not‐for‐profit hospital in the Midwest. Sample Convenience sample of 258 women admitted to a labor and delivery unit with medical orders for elective induction of labor. Methods According to treatment assignment, women received a 25 mcg dose of misoprostol vaginally or a 50 mcg misoprostol dose orally. Repeat doses of the assigned treatment were provided every 4 hours for up to three total doses until an adequate contraction pattern was present and/or the Bishop score was ≥ 7. Depending on treatment assignment, placebo tablets were administered by the opposite route at the same time as the active drug. Oral and vaginal tablets were administered by the participant's care provider. Participants remained in semirecumbent positions for 2 hours following administration. Investigators, participants, and caregivers were blinded to group assignment throughout the study period. Results The average time to a Bishop score of at least 7 and to delivery was similar for the two methods for administration. Neonatal outcomes for the two groups were also similar. The group who received oral misoprostol had a significantly greater number of cesarean births. Conclusion/Implications for Nursing Practice Study results suggested that the two routes of administration for misoprostol have comparable outcomes. Other research has been based on greater doses of misoprostol for oral administration and has not shown a significant difference between delivery routes. Consideration should be given to the adequacy of dosing. Given that oral misoprostol is the preferred route of administration for nursing, further studies should be done to validate this finding.
Expanding the scope of research with transition-age foster youth: applications of the social network perspective

The support and resources embedded in social networks may be especially important for youth aging out of child welfare custody, such that foster youth support network characteristics influence the degree to which individual risk factors translate to poor outcomes during the transition from care. To examine the extent of this network influence on youth outcomes, social network analysis can be used to measure the interconnected relationships in the service network of caseworkers, foster parents and other providers, and in the personal network of biological family and community supports. By assessing these patterns of relationships, researchers can identify social network characteristics associated with particular subpopulations of foster youth who experience relatively successful or unsuccessful transition outcomes. This paper applies social network concepts and related methodology to frame foster youth transition support from a network perspective and to promote the generation of network-informed hypotheses that could expand the scope of research with this important population.
Site selective chemisorptions on molybdena-alumina catalysts

Abstract NO was found to adsorb selectively on the molybdena portion of reduced molybdena-alumina catalysts and CO2 on the uncovered alumina portion of the surface. These two chemisorptions had little effect on each other. The chemisorption of NO was correlatable with coordinative unsaturation developed during reduction (by the removal of oxygen as H2O or CO2); NO molecules were chemisorbed as pairs on sites which also dissociatively adsorbed H2 and catalyzed hydrogenation. The chemisorption amounted to NO/□ = 0.43 or to less than 1 NO pair for every 10 Mo (depending upon the extent of reduction). Alumina hydroxyl groups were regenerated as the catalyst was reduced and the CO2 chemisorption increased concomitantly. At 500 °C these quantities reached maximum values of about 50% recovery of the hydroxyls lost from the alumina when the catalyst was prepared and to a CO2 chemisorption of about 80 μmol/g. The intensities of the CO2 bands of the ir spectra were lower for reduced molybdena-alumina catalysts than for the parent alumina, but were otherwise identical. These bands remained unchanged when NO was added to the system and the NO bands remained unchanged when the previous spectrum for the CO2 was subtracted. Within the experimental error the reverse experiment, where CO2 was added to a catalyst on which NO had been previously chemisorbed, gave the same results. Interestingly, a bicarbonate band about 3610 cm−1 appeared on CO2 adsorption, while the highest frequency band from the alumina OH (at 3792 cm−1) was strongly diminished. An attempt was made to use these tools to determine the parts of the surface on which pyridine adsorption occurs. When CO2 was adsorbed first, it was eluted by pyridine and Lewis bound pyridine (LPy) was formed on the alumina surface. When NO was chemisorbed first its concentration was not greatly affected by the chemisorption of pyridine, but the two NO bands shifted to lower frequency by about 50 cm−1 and their relative intensity was altered. When pyridine was adsorbed first, the NO bands still formed but with lower intensity; the same shift to lower frequency was observed.
An ex-vivo model for evaluating bioenergetics in aortic rings

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and it exhibits a greatly increasing incidence proportional to aging. Atherosclerosis is a chronic condition of arterial hardening resulting in restriction of oxygen delivery and blood flow to the heart. Relationships between mitochondrial DNA damage, oxidant production, and early atherogenesis have been recently established and it is likely that aspects of atherosclerotic risk are metabolic in nature. Here we present a novel method through which mitochondrial bioenergetics can be assessed from whole aorta tissue. This method does not require mitochondrial isolation or cell culture and it allows for multiple technical replicates and expedient measurement. This procedure facilitates quantitative bioenergetic analysis and can provide great utility in better understanding the link between mitochondria, metabolism, and atherogenesis.
One-Year Observation of Transplanted Human Corneal Endothelium

Abstract In 34 penetrating corneal transplants, endothelial photographs were taken preoperatively and at four postoperative intervals: four days, three weeks, three months, and one year. Preoperative corneas from older donors had larger and more variably sized endothelial cells. Although the mean endothelial cell loss at the four day examination was only 17%, it continued at a linear rate so that by one year almost half of the central endothelial cells were gone. The continued cell loss was not significantly affected by the operative cell loss, the presence of a lens postoperatively, or the recipient endothelial status. Six of the 34 transplants sustained documented episodes of allograft rejection, but their endothelial cell losses were minimized by prompt treatment with corticosteroids. The cell losses in the 20 phakic and 14 aphakic transplants were similar at both the four-day and one-year intervals, although the aphakic grafts were thicker at both times. Two additional transplants with vitreous touch to the graft endothelium sustained large continuing endothelial cell losses despite maintenance of clear, thin transplants.
Mycoplasma capping on lymphocytes

When mycoplasmas infect lymphocytes they behave as multivalent ligands and cap on the lymphoid cell surface in the absence of added specific antibody. There is an apparent high correlation between mycoplasma capping and blast transformation of the infected lymphocytes. Mycoplasma caps are shed from the surface of cells as an aggregate containing host membrane vesicles. This novel interaction may suggest a physiological role for the phenomenon of capping and may play a part in mycoplasma pathogenesis.
Software piracy and its legal implications

Abstract Software piracy is a pervasive phenomenon in the wake of the proliferation of microcomputers in the end user computing environment. Software vendors and the software vendors' trade association, the Software Publishers Association (SPA), have been very aggressive in the US in pursuing infringements of copyright, with strong legislative support from the U.S. Congress. Unwittingly, an organization may be exposed to the risk of being held liable for copyright violations made by its employees. This paper discusses (1) types of software piracy, (2) organized anti-piracy campaigns, (3) forms of intellectual property protection for software, such as trade secrets, patents, licensing, copyrights, civil liability, and criminal liability, and (4) several cases of lawsuits and settlements.
Protective role for ovarian glutathione S-transferase isoform pi during 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced ovotoxicity

7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) destroys ovarian follicles at all developmental stages. This study investigated a role for the glutathione S-transferase (Gst) isoforms alpha (a), mu (m) and pi (p) and the transcription factors, Ahr and Nrf2, during DMBA-induced ovotoxicity, and their regulation by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling. Negative regulation of JNK by GSTP during DMBA exposure was also studied. Post-natal day (PND) 4 Fischer 344 rat ovaries were exposed to vehicle control (1% DMSO) ± DMBA (1 μM) or vehicle control (1% DMSO) ± LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor; 20 μM) for 1, 2, 4, or 6 days. Total RNA or protein was isolated, followed by RT-PCR or Western blotting to determine mRNA or protein level, respectively. Immunoprecipitation using an anti-GSTP antibody was performed to determine interaction between GSTP and JNK, followed by Western blotting to determine JNK and p-c-Jun protein level. DMBA had no impact on Gsta, Gstm or Nrf2 mRNA level, but increased Gstp mRNA and protein after 2 days. Ahr mRNA and protein increased after 2 and 4 days of DMBA exposure, respectively and DMBA increased NRF2 protein level after 4 days. JNK bound to GSTP was increased during DMBA exposure, with a concomitant decrease in unbound JNK and p-c-Jun. Ahr and Gstp mRNA were decreased (2 days) and increased (4 days) by PI3K inhibition, while Gstm mRNA increased (P < 0.05) after both time points, and there was no effect on Nrf2 mRNA. PI3K inhibition increased AHR, NRF2 and GSTP protein level. These findings support involvement of ovarian GSTP during DMBA exposure, and indicate a regulatory role for the PI3K signaling pathway on ovarian xenobiotic metabolism gene expression.
Training network administrators in a game-like environment

Management and automated configuration of large-scale networks is one of the crucial issues for Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Since incorrect configurations may lead to loss of an enormous amount of customer traffic, highly experienced network administrators are typically the ones who are trusted for the management and configuration of a running ISP network. In this paper, we present an online management and experimentation system with a "game" interface to train network administrators and explore what-if scenarios without having to risk the large-scale network operation. The interactive environment treats the trainee network administrators as players of a game and tests them with various failures or dynamics for real-time management and configuration of large-scale networks. To prototype the concept of "network management as a game", we modified NS-2 to establish an interactive simulation engine and connected the modified engine to a graphical user interface for traffic animation and interactivity with the player. We also conducted two user experiments using different learning methods and observed sizable improvement in the capabilities of trainees on the problem of interior gateway protocol link weight setting.
Synthesis of β-triphosphotriester pronucleotides

Dinucleoside phosphorochloridite were synthesized from phosphorus trichloride and three nucleoside analogues, 3'-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (FLT), 2',3'-dideoxy-5-fluoro-3'-thiacytidine (FTC), and 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC), in a multistep synthesis. Polymer-bound N-Boc p-acetoxybenzyl 5'-O-2'-deoxythymidine was reacted with dinucleoside phosphorochloridite in the presence of 2,6-lutidine, followed by the reaction with dodecyl alcohol and 5-(ethylthio)-1H-tetrazole, oxidation with tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and acidic cleavage, respectively, to afford the β-triphosphotriester derivatives containing three different nucleosides.
Attorney—Client Privilege and Electronic Data Transmission

Abstract The American legal system supports the ancient legal doctrine of attorney—client privilege, which establishes that conversations and materials sent between the attorney and the client are confidential. The attorney—client privilege allows the client discuss legal concerns candidly with his attorney and receive sound and accurate legal advice, knowing that the court cannot force the attorney to disclose any information or documents.
Self‐consistent methods for the treatment of low‐lying molecular vibrations

The subject of this article is the self-consistent-field (SCF) treatment of low-lying molecular vibrations in molecules subject to solvent effects and light atom migration. The analyses use a Cartesian Gaussian basis and Gaussian functional expansions of potential energy operators. The objective of the work was to establish approximate and practical methods of analysis of vibrational degrees of freedom in molecules that build on and compare well with the highly accurate treatments of vibrations in small molecular systems of the past decade. An application to a system in which hydrogen bonding contributes the major anharmonic effect illustrates the method. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Shared memory genetic algorithms in a multi-agent context

In this paper we present a concurrent implementation of genetic algorithms designed for shared memory architectures, intended to take advantage of multi-core processor platforms. Our algorithm divides the problems into sub-problems along the chromosome as opposed to the usual approach of dividing the population into niches. We show tests for timing and performance on a variety of platforms
189 EFFECT OF NALTREXONE, AN OPIATE ANTAGONIST, ON SERUM SOMATOMEDIN VALUES IN PREGNANCY

The effect of naltrexone, a long-acting opiate antagonist, on pregnancy was studied by implanting Alzet osmo-minipumps on day 5 of gestation in Sprague-Dawley rats. The pumps contained either 100 mg/ml naltrexone hydrochloride in 0.9% saline delivering 5.6 mg/kg/hr of drug for a period of 14 days, or saline only. Somatomedin activity was determined on serum obtained from individual mothers, and on pooled blood from fetuses. Delivery occurred under ether anesthesia. Blood was collected by decapitation. A competitive protein binding assay using Multiplication Stimulating activity(MSA) as previously described by Moses, et. al(Endo,104:536,1979) was used to determine somatomedin activity. Samples were chromatographed on Sephadex G50 in 1M acetate to remove binding protein before assay. Maternal somatomedin activity was lower in drug treated animals (MD) = 28.0±51.3 (n=5) than in controls (MC) = 337±51.3ng/ml (n=5), p=.069. Fetal somatomedin acivity of control animals measured 3778±3785 (n=2) vs. 3148±1454ng/ml (n=2) in those that were drug treated. Maternal weight gain was also unaffected (MC=114.0±14 vs. MD=116.3 ± 23.9g). However, drug treated animals had food intake decreased to 80% of control during the first week after pump implantation.
The application of the principles of invariance to the radiative transfer equation in plant canopies

Solutions of the radiative transfer equation describing photon interactions with vegetation canopies are important in remote sensing since they provide the canopy reflectance distribution required in the interpretation of satellite acquired information. The general one-dimensional two-angle transport problem for a finite copy of arbitrary leaf angle distribution is considered. Analytical solutions are obtained in terms of generalized Chandrasekhar's X- and Y-functions by invoking the principles of invariance. A critical step in the formulation involves the decomposition of the integral of the scattering phase function into a product of known functions of the incident and scattered photon directions. Several simplified cases previously considered in the literature are derived from the generalized solution. Various symmetries obeyed by the scattering operator and reciprocity relations are formally proved.
Outcomes of laparoscopic colorectal surgery: data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2009.

BACKGROUND: Specific International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes for laparoscopic procedures introduced in 2008 allow a more accurate evaluation of laparoscopic colorectal surgery. METHODS: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2009, a retrospective analysis of surgical colorectal cancer and diverticulitis patients was conducted. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios comparing the outcomes of laparoscopic, open, and converted surgery. RESULTS: A total of 121,910 patients underwent resection for cancer and diverticulitis, 35.41% of whom underwent laparoscopic surgery. Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery had lower postoperative complication rates, lower mortality, shorter hospital stays, and lower costs. Compared to open surgery, laparoscopic surgery independently decreased mortality, postoperative anastomotic leak, urinary tract infection, ileus or obstruction, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and wound infection. Converted surgery was independently associated with anastomotic leak, wound infection, ileus or obstruction, and urinary tract infection. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic colorectal surgery has lower postoperative complications, lower mortality, lower costs, and shorter hospital stays. Conversion had higher complications compared with laparoscopy. The use of laparoscopy should increase with efforts to minimize conversion.
The low strain tensile behavior of U-7.5 wt pct Nb-2.5 wt pct Zr

The stress-strain response of polycrystalline, γ-quenched U-7.5 wt pct Nb-2.5 wt pct Zr alloy was studied as a function of strain rate and compared to equilibrium stress-strain tests performed by allowing the strain to reach a maximum value at incrementally increasing stresses. Equilibrium stress-strain tests were also performed on prestressed samples. Sheet tensile specimens were held at various states of strain in an X-ray diffractometer to determine crystal structural changes during deformation. Prestressed tensile bars were sectioned and examined metallographically and with the X-ray diffractometer. Two linear regions were observed in the equilibrium stress-strain tests: a low stress region with a slope of 5.3 to 5.5 x 106 psi, and a region above 40,000 psi with a slope of 3.3 x 106 psi. Finite strain rates tended to increase both slopes. The diffractometer experiments yielded plots of lattice parameter vs strain which showed a shift from a bcc structure of the γs phase, to a bct structure of the γ0 phase between 1 and 3 pct deformation. It is postulated that this is a thermoelastic martensite transformation. A semiempirical equation was developed which describes the equilibrium stress-strain behavior of this alloy in terms of a stress induced phase transformation.
Protocol-based business process modeling and enactment

Business processes are conventionally modeled as monolithic flows that capture the desired business logic. However, developing process flows is challenging. Because a flow specifies what its participants should do, it restricts the autonomy of its participants, thus limiting their ability to exploit opportunities or accommodate exceptions according to their business preferences. We take a dual perspective wherein business processes are modeled as compositions of (instantiated) business protocols. Each business protocol specifies interactions among its partners; each protocol serves a unique business purpose, e.g., processing a payment or shipping an item. Thus, modularizing a monolithic business process via business protocols allows clear separation of concerns for modeling and enacting the process. We develop an approach in which protocols are compiled into local skeletal flows for each participant that can be fleshed out with local business logic as needed. Such flows are naturally distributed but can be enacted using commercial business flow engines. Thus, our protocol-based approach combines the benefit of improved modeling with simplified implementations.
Enantioselective Double Michael Addition/Cyclization with an Oxygen-Centered Nucleophile as the First Step in a Concise Synthesis of Natural (+)-Asteriscanolide

The total synthesis of (+)-asteriscanolide (1) starting from 2-bromo-4,4-dimethylcyclopentenone has been accomplished. The synthetic route features two key steps. The first step is an unprecedented Michael−Michael reaction sequence that involves a heteronucleophile and proceeds with complete asymmetric induction. The two five-membered rings of the target molecule are thereby generated enantioselectively in a single laboratory step. The second step is based on utilization of ring-closing metathesis to provide an eight-membered ring in which a conjugated 1,3-diene unit resides. Other features of the synthetic stratagem involve the utilization of singlet oxygen in a regiocontrolled ene reaction, the fully stereocontrolled hydrogenation of a dienone, and a chemoselective ruthenium tetraoxide oxidation.
Fuel processors for automotive fuel cell systems: a parametric analysis

Abstract An autothermally-reformed, gasoline-fueled automotive polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) system has been modeled and analyzed for the fuel processor and total system performance. The purpose of the study is to identify the influence of various operating parameters on the system performance and to investigate related tradeoff scenarios. Results of steady-state analyses at the design rated power level are presented and discussed. The effects of the following parameters are included in the analysis: operating pressure (3 and 1 atm), reforming temperature (1000–1300 K), water-to-fuel and air-to-fuel reactant feed ratios, electrochemical fuel utilization, and thermal integration of the fuel processor and the fuel cell stack subsystems. The analyses are also used to evaluate the impact of those parameters on the concentrations of methane and carbon monoxide in the processed reformate. Both of these gases can be reduced to low levels with adequate water-to-carbon used in the fuel processor. Since these two species represent corresponding amounts of hydrogen that would not be available for electrochemical oxidation in the fuel cell stack, it is important to maintain them at low levels. Subject to the assumptions used in the analyses, particularly that of thermodynamic equilibrium, it was determined that reforming temperatures of 1100 K, a water-to-carbon mole ratio of 1.5–2.5, and the use of fuel cell exhaust energy in the fuel processor subsystem can yield fuel processor efficiencies of 82–84%, and total system efficiencies of 40–42% can be achieved. For the atmospheric pressure system, if the exhaust energy is not used in the fuel processor subsystem, the fuel processor efficiency would drop to 75–82% and the total system efficiency would drop below 40%. At higher reforming temperatures, say 1300 K, the fuel processor efficiency would decrease to 78%, and the total system efficiency would drop below 39%, even with the use of the fuel cell stack exhaust energy.
Timing and Technique of Pulmonary Valve Replacement in the Patient With Tetralogy of Fallot

Residual right ventricular (RV) outflow tract pathology is universal among patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot, and pulmonary regurgitation (PR) is also commonly present. Although tolerated in early life, by the second decade of life PR is associated with an increased risk of death because of ventricular arrhythmias. Pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) is a safe procedure that will eliminate PR, but timing and indications are evolving. Patients with arrhythmias or prolonged QRS duration are candidates for PVR. Patients with symptomatic exercise intolerance are likely to have improvement in symptoms and quality of life and should be offered PVR. Cardiac magnetic resonance has become an essential component of the management of the patient with tetralogy of Fallot with PR, and has identified the potential for and limitations of RV remodeling following PVR. Among patients with severe RV enlargement, particularly those with diminished RV or left ventricular function, there is an increased risk of adverse events and even asymptomatic patients with severe PR should be considered for PVR. Valve replacement is accomplished with homografts or heterografts, either stented bioprosthetic valves or valved conduits. In a retrospective analysis of the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin experience with PVR, there was no difference in survival or freedom from reintervention between heterografts and homografts.
The distribution of the intervals between neural impulses in the maintained discharges of retinal ganglion cells

Simulated neural impulse trains were generated by a digital realization of the integrate-and-fire model. The variability in these impulse trains had as its origin a random noise of specified distribution. Three different distributions were used: the normal (Gaussian) distribution (no skew, normokurtic), a first-order gamma distribution (positive skew, leptokurtic), and a uniform distribution (no skew, platykurtic). Despite these differences in the distribution of the variability, the distributions of the intervals between impulses were nearly indistinguishable. These inter-impulse distributions were better fit with a hyperbolic gamma distribution than a hyperbolic normal distribution, although one might expect a better approximation for normally distributed inverse intervals. Consideration of why the inter-impulse distribution is independent of the distribution of the causative noise suggests two putative interval distributions that do not depend on the assumed noise distribution: the log normal distribution, which is predicated on the assumption that long intervals occur with the joint probability of small input values, and the random walk equation, which is the diffusion equation applied to a random walk model of the impulse generating process. Either of these equations provides a more satisfactory fit to the simulated impulse trains than the hyperbolic normal or hyperbolic gamma distributions. These equations also provide better fits to impulse trains derived from the maintained discharges of ganglion cells in the retinae of cats or goldfish. It is noted that both equations are free from the constraint that the coefficient of variation (CV) have a maximum of unity. The concluding discussion argues against the random walk equation because it embodies a constraint that is not valid, and because it implies specific parameters that may be spurious.
Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Nicotine Abuse

A simplistic hypothesis can be put forward as a working basis for research (Figure 2Figure 2). Upon smoking a cigarette, a small pulse of nicotine activates nAChRs that directly or indirectly induce DA release that provides a pleasurable effect. It is likely that the mesolimbic dopaminergic system mediates at least part of this reward. With continued use, nicotine builds up to a low steady-state concentration that causes significant nAChR desensitization and (over time) longer-term inactivation. There is evidence that nicotinic receptor turnover decreases following inactivation, leading to an increased number of nAChRs, which subsequently may lead to nicotinic cholinergic systems that are pathological. In between cigarettes, during sleep, or under conditions of abstinence while attempting to stop smoking, nicotine levels drop and a portion of the inactive nAChRs recover to a responsive state. Because of the increased number of nAChRs that have now become responsive in this pathological condition, some cholinergic systems other than the reward pathways become hyperexcitable to synaptically released ACh, contributing to the drive for the next cigarette. Thus, smokers medicate themselves with nicotine to regulate the number of functional nAChRs.Figure 2A Hypothetical Cycle for Perpetuating Nicotine UseThe increased number of nAChRs and the subsequent pathology of nicotinic cholinergic function is hypothesized to develop after chronic use of nicotine. The simplified scheme is described in the text.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint SlideSuperimposed on this simplistic cycle of nicotine exposure, there may be long-term synaptic changes that result in the learned behaviors that are associated with smoking and with the context in which smoking takes place. Because these behaviors are reinforced by repeated variable rewards from cigarettes (especially after abstinence) and by associated sensory cues, the desire for cigarettes extinguishes slowly and sometimes incompletely. These factors coupled to the easy access of cigarettes and constant advertising contribute to the difficulty in breaking the nicotine habit.
Dynamics of a moored barge under periodic and randomly disturbed excitation

Offshore systems often exhibit distinctly nonlinear phenomena. Even when excited periodically by waves, they show responses ranging from harmonic or subharmonic to chaotic motion. Depending on the system's parameters, these different types of responses can be coexisting, which makes the initial conditions crucial for the steady state response. Here, the case of a moored barge is considered. The excitation is assumed to have a periodic component and an additive disturbance modelled as white noise. The response of this system, which shows multiple attractors for purely periodic forcing, reveals some similarities but also fundamental differences for the disturbed forcing.
Essential Roles of the PI3 Kinase/Akt Pathway in Regulating Nrf2-Dependent Antioxidant Functions in the RPE

Purpose To investigate functional interactions between the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway and the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-dependent antioxidant system in cultured human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. Methods Cultured ARPE-19 cells were treated with different concentrations of PI3K inhibitors, followed by exposure to sulforaphane, an Nrf2 inducer. Akt phosphorylation was detected by Western blot analysis. Intracellular glutathione (GSH) content was measured by HPLC. Expression of genes downstream of Nrf2, including glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL) and glutathione S-transferase, was measured by quantitative RT-PCR. Nrf2 activity was measured by a dual luciferase assay after transfection of a reporter plasmid containing the antioxidant response element (ARE). The small interference RNA approach was used to knock down Nrf2 in the RPE. Nrf2 localization was determined by subcellular fractionation and Western blot analyses. Results PI3K inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002 caused dose-dependent cellular and mitochondrial GSH depletion and downregulation of the modulatory subunit of GCL in cultured RPE cells. Both the basal and the induced Nrf2 activities were inhibited by wortmannin and LY294002. Overexpression of a constitutively active form of Akt potentiated Nrf2 activation, and the effect of Akt was blocked by siRNA that knocked down Nrf2. LY294002 also inhibited sulforaphane-induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Conclusions The PI3K/Akt pathway plays key roles in regulating Nrf2-ARE-dependent protection against oxidative stress in the RPE.
Potentiometric, electronic structural, and ground- and excited-state optical properties of conjugated bis[(porphinato)zinc(II)] compounds featuring proquinoidal spacer units.

We report the synthesis, optical, electrochemical, electronic structural, and transient optical properties of conjugated (porphinato)zinc(II)-spacer-(porphinato)zinc(II) (PZn-Sp-PZn) complexes that possess intervening conjugated Sp structures having varying degrees of proquinoidal character. These supermolecular PZn-Sp-PZn compounds feature Sp moieties {(4,7-diethynylbenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (E-BTD-E), 6,13-diethynylpentacene (E-PC-E), 4,9-diethynyl-6,7-dimethyl[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-g]quinoxaline (E-TDQ-E), and 4,8-diethynylbenzo[1,2-c:4,5-c‘]bis([1,2,5]thiadiazole) (E-BBTD-E)} that regulate frontier orbital energy levels and progressively increase the extent of the quinoidal resonance contribution to the ground and electronically excited states, augmenting the magnitude of electronic communication between terminal (5,-10,20-di(aryl)porphinato)zinc(II) units, relative to that evinced for a bis[(5,5‘,-10,20-di(aryl)porphinato)zinc(II)]butadiyne benchmark (PZnE-EPZn). Electronic absorption spectra show s...
Syntheses, structure, and magnetic properties of several LnYbQ3 chalcogenides, Q=S, Se

Abstract The six Ln Yb Q 3 compounds β -LaYbS 3 , LaYbSe 3 , CeYbSe 3 , PrYbSe 3 , NdYbSe 3 , and SmYbSe 3 have been synthesized from high-temperature solid-state reactions of the constituent elements at 1223 K. The compounds are isostructural to UFeS 3 and crystallize in the space group Cmcm of the orthorhombic system with four formula units in a cell. Cell constants (A) at 153 K are: β -LaYbS 3 , 3.9238(8), 12.632(3), 9.514(2); LaYbSe 3 , 4.0616(8), 13.094(3), 9.932(2); CeYbSe 3 , 4.0234(5), 13.065(2), 9.885(1); PrYbSe 3 , 4.0152(5), 13.053(2), 9.868(1); NdYbSe 3 , 4.0015(6), 13.047(2), 9.859(1); SmYbSe 3 , 3.9780(9), 13.040(3), 9.860(2). The structure is composed of layers of Yb Q 6 ( Q =S or Se) octahedra that alternate with layers of LnQ 8 bicapped trigonal prisms along the b -axis. Because there are no Q – Q bonds in the structure the formal oxidation states of Ln /Yb/ Q are 3+/3+/2−. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that CeYbSe 3 and SmYbSe 3 are Curie–Weiss paramagnets over the temperature range 5–300 K.
A weakly dispersive edge wave model

Abstract We derive a general linear, weakly dispersive, Boussinesq-type equation that can be used to study edge waves on beaches with slow cross-shore variation of the depth and the alongshore current. The equation is more accurate than the non-dispersive shallow water equations and simpler than the fully dispersive elliptic mild slope equation (especially for a non-zero alongshore current). The improved performance of the new Boussinesq-type model is demonstrated using analytic solutions for edge waves on a plane beach with zero alongshore current.
The contribution of axial fiber extensibility to the adhesion of viscous capture threads spun by orb-weaving spiders

The viscous capture threads produced by over 4000 species of orb-weaving spiders are formed of regularly spaced aqueous droplets supported by a pair of axial fibers. These threads register increased stickiness when spans of increasing lengths contact a surface, indicating that adhesion is recruited from multiple droplets. This study examined threads produced by five species to test the hypothesis that axial fiber extensibility is crucial for this summation of adhesion. It did so by comparing the stickiness of unstretched threads with threads that had been elongated to reduce the extensibility of their axial fibers. As stretching these threads also increased the distance between their droplets, we measured the stickiness of stretched threads with contact plates whose widths were increased in proportion to the degree of thread elongation. We then accounted for the actual thread elongation achieved for each individual's threads and for differences in the five species' absolute thread extensibility. The results showed that in four species thread extensibility contributed positively to adhesion. For three species, thread extensibility and droplet volume together explained the mean per droplet adhesion of threads. Models based on these three species show that, as threads were elongated, increasing amounts of potential adhesion were lost to diminished axial fiber extensibility. These models indicate that approximately one-third of an unstretched viscous thread's stickiness accrues from the adhesive recruitment made possible by axial fiber extensibility.
Do People Whose Names Begin with “D” Really Die Young?

It has been reported that professional baseball players whose first names begin with the letter "D" tend to die relatively young (E. L. Abel & M. L. Kruger, 2010). However, the statistical evidence for this claim is based on selective data and a statistical test that ignores important confounding influences. A valid test applied to more comprehensive data from the same source does not show a statistically significant relationship between initials and longevity. In addition, data for the years 1960 through 2004 for 6.7 million White, non-Hispanic California decedents do not replicate the claim that D's die young.
Measurement of human vertical fusional response

Abstract Objective measurement of human vertical fusional response was carried out using a binocular eye movement monitoring device. The dichoptic stimulus consisted of a single horizontal line subtending 8.5°. The maximum fusible vertical disparity that could be introduced in a single step was 53.2′. The results indicate the presence of a predominant motor component and a small but significant central component in vertical fusional response. Approximately 8 sec were required for the completion of the motor response to a step disparity. Thus, the observed vertical disjunctive movements were roughly 8 times slower than horizontal disjunctive movements. Furthermore, while horizontal disjunctive movements were found to be symmetrical and in accordance with Hering's Law of Equal Innervation, vertical disjunctive movements were found to be unsymmetrical, both in their time course and in their final contributions to the overall motor response.
Pyroelectric-anemometer probe with improved sensitivity

Abstract A new pyroelectric-anemometer probe with a 2.5 × 5 mm2 area and 0.099 mm thick LiTaO3 plates is prepared. The effect of electrodeheater separation distance (ΔEH) on the electrode response is investigated. The new devices with ΔEH = 0.09 mm have a sensitivity one order of magnitude greater than the sensitivity of the best sample prepared in the previous study. The flow characteristics, however, in both cases are similar. The practical aspect of the pyroelectric-anemometer probe has been briefly discussed.
Fluidity of phospholipid bilayers and membranes after exposure to osmium tetroxide and gluteraldehyde.

Abstract The response of fluid bilayer regions to osmium tetroxide and glutaraldehyde fixation was examined in phospholipid multilayers and in nerve bundles from the walking legs of the lobster Homarus americanus . The samples were spinlabeled either with 5-doxylstearic acid (the 4′4′-dimethyloxazolidine- N -ozyl derivative of 5-ketostearic acid) or the maleimide spin label, 4-maleimido-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl. Osmium tetroxide fixation abolishes the characteristic orientation of the spin-labeled lipid bilayer regions and virtually eliminates motion on the electron spin resonance time scale. Glutaraldehyde treatment reduces the motion of maleimide spin labels covalently attached to proteins. However, in contrast to osmium tetroxide fixation, glutaraldehyde has essentially no effect on the orientation and mobility in the fluid bilayer regions, and hence probably does not restrict directly the potential for translational motion in membrane phospholipid bilayer regions.
The Achievements and Challenges of Silicon Photonics

A brief overview of silicon photonics is given here in order to provide a context for invited and contributed papers in this special issue. Recent progress on silicon-based photonic components, photonic integrated circuits, and optoelectronic integrated circuits is surveyed. Present and potential applications are identified along with the scientific and engineering challenges that must be met in order to actualize applications. Some on-going government-sponsored projects in silicon optoelectronics are also described.