cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New learning and control algorithms for neural networks

Neural networks offer distributed processing power, error correcting capability and structural simplicity of the basic computing element. Neural networks have been found to be attractive for applications such as associative memory, robotics, image processing, speech understanding and optimization. Neural networks are self-adaptive systems that try to configure themselves to store new information. This dissertation investigates two approaches to improve performance: better learning and supervisory control. A new learning algorithm called the Correlation Continuous Unlearning (CCU) algorithm is presented. It is based on the idea of removing undesirable information that is encountered during the learning period. The control methods proposed in the dissertation improve the convergence by affecting the order of updates using a controller. Most previous studies have focused on monolithic structures. But it is known that the human brain has a "bicameral" nature at the gross level and it also has several specialized structures. In this dissertation, we investigate the computing characteristics of neural networks that are not monolithic being enhanced by a controller that can run algorithms that take advantage of the known global characteristics of the stored information. Such networks have been called bicameral neural networks. Stinson and Kak considered elementary bicameral models that used asynchronous control. New control methods, the method of iteration and bicameral classifier, are now proposed. The method of iteration uses the Hamming distance between the probe and the answer to control the convergence to a correct answer, whereas the bicameral classifier takes advantage of global characteristics using a clustering algorithm. The bicameral classifier is applied to two different models of equiprobable patterns as well as the more realistic situation where patterns can have different probabilities. The CCU algorithm has also been applied to a bidirectional associative memory with greatly improved performance. For multilayered networks, indexing of patterns to enhance system performance has been studied.
Time-lapse study of normal human trophoblast in vitro

Time-lapse photographic observations of normal human trophoblast in vitro were made possible through the development of a new technique that allows for prolonged trophoblast culturing without stromal growth. Y body fluorescence and determinations of human placental lactogen (hPL) were used to confirm the specificity and viability of the cells in culture. Epithelioid cells (cytotrophoblast) with agranular cytoplasm, binucleated moderately granulated cells, and multinucleated heavily granulated syncytial masses were observed. The cytotrophoblast was observed in mitosis, whereas the syncytium showed strand formation and reabsorption, along with mass movement of cells at time of confluency. This technique should stimulate a renewed interest in the in vitro studies of normal human trophoblast.
Portuguese and Brazilian Books in the John Carter Brown Library, 1537 to 1839: With a Selection of Braziliana Printed in Countries other than Portugal and Brazil. Compiled and edited by Valeria Gauz. Providence, R.I.: John Carter Brown Library: Distributed in Brazil by Briquet de Lemos/Libros, 2009. 792p. ISBN 0-916617-69-6. $175

The John Carter Brown Library (JCB) has amassed one of the world’s great collections of colonial Braziliana since its founding in 1846, and this catalog is a testament to its preeminence. Over 1,200 titles are painstakingly cataloged and described by Brazilian specialist cataloger Valeria Gauz. Two widely regarded experts in the field of early Luso-Brazilian printing, Laurence Hallewell and Richard Ramer, served as prepublication consultants for the project. Norman Fiering, the former JCB Director and Librarian, comments in the preface that printed catalogs of collections are now considered “outmoded products” in the computer age. He then goes on to make . . .
Failure margin and performance degradation in "F-Cycle ring" networks

One problem in the contemporary computer networks is monitoring the failure margin, i.e., what number of anomalies (intrusions, viruses, node and link failures, power losses, etc.) can be tolerated before the network performance degrades to unacceptable levels. It is important to develop techniques that can be used to predict the behavior of computer networks and to determine dynamically how much reserve capacity and failure margin are available when anomalies occur. A solution for this challenging problem can ensure the predictable behavior and productive performance of computer networks. In this paper are study some of the fault-tolerance properties of the "F-Cycle Ring" (FCR) family of network interconnects that are designed to maximize the network's resistance to partitioning. In particular, the failure margin and the graceful performance degradation of one FCR topology for consecutive single failures are demonstrated.
Polar Cation Ordering: A Route to Introducing >10% Bond Strain Into Layered Oxide Films

The 3 d transition metal ( M ) perovskite oxides exhibit a remarkable array of properties, including novel forms of superconductivity, magnetism and multiferroicity. Strain can have a profound effect on many of these properties. This is due to the localized nature of the M 3 d orbitals, where even small changes in the M –O bond lengths and M –O–M bond angles produced by strain can be used to tune the 3 d – O 2 p hybridization, creating large changes in electronic structure. A new route is presented to strain the M–O bonds in epitaxial two-dimensional perovskite fi lms by tailoring local electrostatic dipolar interactions within every formula unit via atomic layer-by-layer synthesis. The response of the O anions to the resulting dipole electric fi elds distorts the M –O bonds by more than 10%, without changing substrate strain or chemical composition. This distortion is largest for the apical oxygen atoms (O ap ), and alters the transition metal valence state via self-doping without chemical substitution.
Studies of reductive elimination reactions to form carbon-oxygen bonds from Pt(IV) complexes.

The platinum(IV) complexes fac-L2PtMe3(OR) (L2 = bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, o-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene, R = carboxyl, aryl; L = PMe3, R = aryl) undergo reductive elimination reactions to form carbon−oxygen bonds and/or carbon−carbon bonds. The carbon−oxygen reductive elimination reaction produces either methyl esters or methyl aryl ethers (anisoles) and L2PtMe2, while the carbon−carbon reductive elimination reaction affords ethane and L2PtMe(OR). Choice of reaction conditions allows the selection of either type of coupling over the other. A detailed mechanistic study of the reductive elimination reactions supports dissociation of the OR- ligand as the initial step for the C−O bond formation reaction. This is followed by a nucleophilic attack of OR- upon a methyl group bound to the Pt(IV) cation to produce the products MeOR and L2PtMe2. C−C reductive elimination proceeds from L2PtMe3(OR) by initial L (L = PMe3) or OR- (L2 = dppe, dppbz) dissociation, followed by C−C coupling from the resulting five...
Acid-catalyzed hydrogenation during kerosene hydrodewaxing over H/ZSM-5

Abstract Hydrogen addition to the products derived from cracking kerosene over H/ZSM-5 was observed at hydrogen pressures between 4.1–8.7 MPa and at 373–390°C. At low pressures, kerosene cracking over H/ZSM-5 yielded typical cracked products: aromatics, as well as low molecular weight saturates and olefins. Endothermic reactor temperature profiles were also observed, indicative of cracking reactions. At high hydrogen partial pressures product selectivity was altered in that kerosene cracking gave high yields of low molecular weight paraffins and low yields of olefins and aromatics. Reactor temperature profiles were exothermic, indicative of hydrocracking reactions. A mechanism for acid catalyzed hydrogenation is suggested. Although hydrogenation was not observed at lower hydrogen pressures, hydrogen proved beneficial in maintaining catalyst activity at a stable level. Lost catalyst activity was restored by maintaining the catalyst under static hydrogen at 1.4 MPa and 370°C for 16 h.
Further analysis of maize C(4) pyruvate,orthophosphate dikinase phosphorylation by its bifunctional regulatory protein using selective substitutions of the regulatory Thr-456 and catalytic His-458 residues.

In C(4) plants such as maize, pyruvate,orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) catalyzes the regeneration of the initial carboxylation substrate during C(4) photosynthesis. The primary catalytic residue, His-458 (maize C(4) PPDK), is involved in the ultimate transfer of the beta-phosphate from ATP to pyruvate. C(4) PPDK activity undergoes light-dark regulation in vivo by reversible phosphorylation of a nearby active-site residue (Thr-456) by a single bifunctional regulatory protein (RP). Using site-directed mutagenesis of maize recombinant C(4) dikinase, we made substitutions at the catalytic His residue (H458N) and at this regulatory target Thr (T456E, T456Y, T456F). Each of these affinity-purified mutant enzymes was assayed for changes in dikinase activity. As expected, substituting His-458 with Asn results in a catalytically incompetent enzyme. Substitutions of the Thr-456 residue with Tyr and Phe reduced activity by about 94 and 99%, respectively. Insertion of Glu at this position completely abolished activity, presumably by the introduction of negative charge proximal to the catalytic His. Furthermore, neither the T456Y nor inactive H458N mutant enzyme was phosphorylated in vitro by RP. The inability of the former to serve as a phosphorylation substrate indicates that RP is functionally a member of the Ser/Thr family of protein kinases rather than a "dual-specificity" Ser-Thr/Tyr kinase, since our previous work showed that RP effectively phosphorylated Ser inserted at position 456. The inability of RP to phosphorylate its native target Thr residue when Asn is substituted for His-458 documents that RP requires the His-P catalytic intermediate form of PPDK as its protein substrate. For these latter studies, synthetic phosphopeptide-directed antibodies specific for the Thr(456)-P form of maize C(4) PPDK were developed and characterized.
Possible origin of high Tc superconductivity

Abstract A mechanism to explain high-Tc superconductivity, based on the double-well motion of the oxygen ions in such systems, is extended to predict Tc values of for (La, Ba)2CuO4 and Ba2Cu3O7. This gives lower bounds on Tc of 53K for the former and 44K for the latter. Since the second number, in particular, could be markedly enhanced by full allowance for the large amplitudes of the oxygen motions we argue that large Tc values have a purely vibronic origin.
For the Common Good

We don't have satisfactory answers to questions that ask what we must share with our neighbor for our common good and the rights we retain in the process. Yet such answers will be the legacy of our age. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/U0piYSt35YU is a video segment in which author David Alan Grier expands on his Errant Hashtag column, in which he discusses how the idea of "smart cities" makes more sense than the idea of "smart homes."
The A-Dip of Aortic Regurgitation

Echocardiography has become the diagnostic technique of choice for delineating the intracardiac hemodynamics in a host of pathophysiologic states. Pressures and flows can be estimated or measured with enough accuracy to allow for clinical decision-making. We present a case with an unusual Doppler echocardiographic finding and discuss its derivation.
The role of nerve-growth factor (NGF) in the central nervous system

NGF is a protein that stimulates growth and differentiation of sympathetic and sensory components of the peripheral nervous system. The purpose of this review is to examine the evidence that NGF has similar activity in the central nervous system. First, the primary mode of interaction of NGF with the nerve cell will be discussed, and the possibility that such an interaction takes place in the brain will be examined. Recent studies have demonstrated that NGF promotes regenerative sprouting of damaged catecholamine-containing neurons in the brain. The next part of the paper reviews this literature, and other findings that indicate or contraindicate a role of NGF in brain maturation of maintenance. The final part of this paper suggests specific avenues for future research in this area, and presents conclusions regarding the literatureon brain activity of NGF to date.
Fish communities on staghorn coral: effects of habitat characteristics and resident farmerfishes

Branching corals, like many in the genus Acropora, provide structurally complex habitats for reef fishes and other organisms. Fluctuations in the abundance, distribution and characteristics of thicket-forming staghorn Acroporids may contribute to changes in the abundance and species composition of reef fishes due to changes in the availability of shelter habitat and food. Farming damselfishes of the genus Stegastes can occur in high abundances in staghorn corals and actively defend food and nest space against organisms that threaten these resources. Here we assess the value of staghorn as habitat for fishes in the central South Pacific, and how the presence of territorial farming damselfishes may influence the assemblage of fishes that associate with staghorn corals. Surveys of 185 Acropora pulchra patches located in the lagoons surrounding the island of Moorea, French Polynesia revealed 85 species of fish from 25 families. Total fish abundance and species richness values ranged from no fish on a patch to a high of 275 individuals and 26 species. Patch area was the most important characteristic in explaining variation in attributes of the fish assemblage, with other characteristics explaining little of the species composition or trophic structure. Behavioral observations revealed that farming damselfishes were most aggressive toward corallivores, herbivores, and egg predators, while they ignored most carnivores and omnivores. Despite this pattern, we observed positive covariance between Stegastes and the group of fishes that elicited the strongest aggressive response when the effect of patch area was removed, suggesting these fishes remain drawn to the resources produced or enhanced by Stegastes on A. pulchra.
An Academic Library Director's Bestiary

The article examines some of the non-routine challenges that an academic library director can expect to deal with during his or her career. Each challenge is discussed in a paragraph or two, beginning by characterizing the challenge as an animal that serves as a metaphor for unusual but nonetheless important conditions that can, sooner or later, demand a response from any library director. The article considers strategies for managing the director's relationships with superiors, peer administrators, patrons, and library employees, and gives specific recommendations for handling them effectively.
Kidney-specific reconstitution of the A1 adenosine receptor in A1 adenosine receptor knockout mice reduces renal ischemia–reperfusion injury

Genetic deletion of the adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR) increased renal injury following ischemia–reperfusion injury suggesting that receptor activation is protective in vivo . Here we tested this hypothesis by expressing the human-A 1 AR in A 1 AR knockout mice. Renal ischemia–reperfusion was induced in knockout mice 2 days after intrarenal injection of saline or a lentivirus encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) or EGFP-human-A 1 AR. We found that the latter procedure induced a robust expression of the reporter protein in the kidneys of knockout mice. Mice with kidney-specific human-A 1 AR reconstitution had significantly lower plasma creatinine, tubular necrosis, apoptosis, and tubular inflammation as evidenced by decreased leukocyte infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokine, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression in the kidney following injury compared to mice injected with saline or the control lentivirus. Additionally, there were marked disruptions of the proximal tubule epithelial filamentous (F)-actin cytoskeleton in both sets of control mice upon renal injury, whereas the reconstituted mice had better preservation of the renal tubule actin cytoskeleton, which co-localized with the human-A 1 ARs. Consistent with reduced renal injury, there was a significant increase in heat shock protein-27 expression, also co-localizing with the preserved F-actin cytoskeleton. Our findings suggest that selective expression of cytoprotective A 1 ARs in the kidney can attenuate renal injury.
Pulmonary vein isolation for vagotonic, adrenergic, and random episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Pulmonary Vein Isolation. Introduction: Based on the clinical history, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) may be classified as vagotonic, adrenergic, or random. It is unclear whether pulmonary vein (PV) isolation is equally effective for these types of PAF. Methods and Results: Segmental ostial ablation to isolate the PVs was performed in 188 consecutive patients (mean age 53 ± 12 years) with PAF. Based on the clinical history, PAF was classified as random in 136 patients (72%), adrenergic in 30 (16%), and vagotonic in 22 (12%). Three or four PVs were targeted for isolation in all patients, and successful isolation was achieved in 96% of targeted PVs. At 1-year follow-up, 69% of patients with random AF, 83% of patients with adrenergic AF, and 50% of patients with vagotonic AF were free from recurrent episodes of AF in the absence of any antiarrhythmic drug therapy. Vagotonic AF was an independent clinical predictor of recurrent AF (P = 0.03). Conclusion: PV isolation has a lower efficacy in patients with vagotonic PAF than in patients with adrenergic or random episodes of PAF, suggesting that the PVs less often play an important role in vagotonic
Relativistic Zeeman effect in positronium,n=2

Approximate relativistic center-of-mass variables are employed for the calculation of the relativistic corrections to the Zeeman structure of then=2 energy level of positronium.
Resolution of Type 2 Diabetes Following Bariatric Surgery: Implications for Adults and Adolescents

Bariatric surgery is now widely reported to ameliorate or resolve type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults. Some clinical investigators even suggest its use as an early therapeutic intervention for type 2 diabetes in patients not meeting standard criteria for bariatric surgery. However, little is known about the exact mechanisms explaining the metabolic consequences, and much active investigation is underway to identify hormonal changes leading to diabetes resolution. This review includes a detailed description of various bariatric surgical procedures, including the latest less-invasive techniques, and a summary of current data providing insight into the short- and long-term metabolic effects. We outline current hypotheses regarding the mechanisms by which these surgical procedures affect diabetes and report on morbidity and mortality. Finally, we discuss the available data on bariatric surgery in adolescent patients, including special considerations in this potentially vulnerable population.
Egg consumption and CHD and stroke mortality: a prospective study of US adults.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between egg consumption and CHD and stroke mortality using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988–1994 (NHANES III) and follow-up survey.DesignA cross-sectional survey using a stratified, multi-stage probability sample was analysed, adjusting for survey design. Egg consumption was obtained from the FFQ and separated into categories of egg intake. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated for CHD and stroke mortality using multivariate Cox regression models.SettingA health and nutrition survey conducted in the USA from 1988 to 1994 with follow-up through 31 December 2000.SubjectsThe study population included men and women who were free of CVD and had completed a FFQ at baseline.ResultsMultivariate models adjusting for health, lifestyle and dietary factors indicated that ‘high’ egg consumption (≥7 times/week v. <1 time/week) was not associated with significantly increased CHD mortality (HR = 1·13, 95 % CI 0·61, 2·11 (men); HR = 0·92, 95 % CI 0·27, 3·11 (women)). There was a statistically significant inverse association between ‘high’ egg consumption and stroke mortality among men (HR = 0·27, 95 % CI 0·10, 0·73), but the estimate was imprecise because of sparse data. We did not observe a statistically significant positive association between ‘high’ egg consumption and CHD or stroke mortality in analyses restricted to individuals with diabetes, but these analyses may be limited due to the small number of diabetics.ConclusionsWe did not find a significant positive association between egg consumption and increased risk of mortality from CHD or stroke in the US population. These results corroborate the findings of previous studies.
Oxoanion systems containing trivalent actinides

Abstract A review of trivalent actinide oxoanion compounds is presented. This work focuses on the systematics and periodic trends in the trivalent actinide series from Pu(III) to Cf(III). Three systems, are focused on: iodates, phosphites, and borates. In the first two series, the structure and bonding parallels that of lanthanides; whereas in the final series the chemistry of the actinides is distinct from the lanthanides.
Laser scanning cytometry can complement the flow cytometric DNA analysis in paraffin-embedded cancer samples: a paradigmatic case.

Archival studies on paraffin-embedded tumor samples are often complicated by difficulty obtaining a reliable diploid DNA standard. Nontumor cells, e.g., inflammatory and stromal cells, most often found interspersed among tumor cells, would represent a solution to this problem. Unfortunately, there is an inherent difficulty to positively identifying tumor cells in paraffin-embedded specimens. Using an aneuploid paraffin-embedded breast cancer sample, we show here that laser scanning cytometer (LSC) in conjunction with flow cytometry can help to address this issue. Following standard protocols, the tissue was deparaffinized and rehydrated, and the nuclei mechanically isolated before being exposed to propidium iodide. An aliquot served for single-parameter flow cytometric analysis, and the remaining cells were cytocentrifuged onto a microscope slide and LSC analysis was performed. The DNA histogram profiles generated by the two approaches were comparable and both showed the presence of cell populations with different DNA content. To assess the nature of these subsets, we performed a correlated measurement of DNA content and chromatin organization at the single-cell level by LSC. This allowed the identification of several subsets of nuclei. Slides were then stained with Giemsa and the nature of these subsets was assessed morphologically by exploiting the relocating capability of LSC. Inflammatory and stromal cells, residual diploid epithelial cells, and hyperdiploid tumor cells-each characterized by a peculiar coordinate pattern of DNA content and chromatin organization-could be positively identified. Diploid, nontumor cells can then be used as an internal standard for DNA ploidy.
38 APPLICATION OF A FIVE-DAY PROGESTERONE-BASED SYNCHRONIZATION PROTOCOL FOR TIMED AI WITH SEXED SEMEN IN DAIRY HEIFERS

It is expected that pregnancy per AI with sexed semen would be 70 to 75% of that with conventional semen, and the use of sexed semen with timed AI (TAI) protocols is discouraged (DeJarnette et al. 2009 Theriogenology 71, 49-58). It was hypothesized that the 5-day Co-Synch + CIDR (controlled internal drug-release) protocol with 1 injection of PGF2α would be an acceptable reproductive management program for TAI of dairy heifers with sexed semen. The objectives were to compare pregnancy per TAI (P/TAI) using conventional or sexed semen for the first TAI (experiment 1), and to evaluate P/TAI of a reproductive management program with sexed semen for the first TAI and sexed or conventional semen for the second TAI (experiment 2). A total of 1,000 Holstein heifers between 13 to 14 months of age were synchronized with the 5-day Co-Synch + CIDR protocol, that consisted of an administration of GnRH (100 μg i.m. Cystorelin®, Merial Ltd., Iselin, NJ, USA) and a CIDR insert containing 1.38 g of progesterone inserted at Day 0; on Day 5 the CIDR was removed and one injection of PGF2α (25 mg, i.m. Lutalyse®, Pfizer Animal Health, New York, NY, USA) administered; on Day 8 a second injection of GnRH was administered concurrent with TAI. In experiment 1, 198 heifers were assigned randomly to be TAI with conventional (n = 98) or sexed (n = 100) semen for the first TAI. Commercial straws with sexed or conventional semen were obtained from 2 sires. In experiment 2, a total of 802 heifers received TAI to the first service with sexed semen. For the resynchronized TAI, nonpregnant heifers at 32 days after the first TAI were resynchronized with the 5-day Co-Synch + CIDR and were TAI with either sexed semen (n = 114) or with conventional semen (n = 373). Pregnancy per TAI to first and second TAI was analyzed by logistic regression using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (SAS Version 9.1 for Windows, SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA) with heifer treated as a random effect. In experiment 1, P/TAI was 51.0% and 42.0% at 45 days for conventional and sexed semen, respectively (P = 0.1). Pregnancy per TAI with sexed semen was 82.3% of conventional semen. In experiment 2, P/TAI at first service with sexed semen was 35.9% at 45 days after TAI. For the second TAI, P/TAI was 40.4% with sexed semen at 45 days and 59.2% with conventional semen at 60 days (P < 0.001). As expected, P/TAI was lower with sexed compared to conventional semen. Nevertheless, the application of the 5-day Co-Synch + CIDR protocol with one injection of PGF2α, as a reproductive management program for TAI of dairy heifers, achieved an acceptable P/TAI with sexed semen. We conclude that sexed semen can be used with TAI to effectively manage reproduction in dairy heifers by removing the challenges of detection of estrus and increase the number of females born.
Stimulated-emission pumping studies of acetylene X˜Σ1g+ in the 11 400–15 700-cm −1 region: the onset of mixing

Stimulated-emission pumping spectra of acetylene- h2X˜1Σg+ for J″ ≤ 10 and l″ (≈Ka) = 0, 2 at 11 400–15 700 cm−1 above the zero-point level exhibit a puzzling combination of contradictory symptoms of both regularity and severe mixing. The stimulated-emission pumping spectra are subjected to a variety of analyses in order to characterize the extent of vibrational mixing and the separability of rotation and vibration. These schemes include reduced term-value plots (from which 31 subband origins and B values were derived), screening for coincidences between term values accessible from successive upper-state (A1Au) rotational levels, polarization diagnostics, comparisons between observed, calculated total, and calculated Franck–Condon permitted vibrational densities of states, and various types of level-spacing statistics that are frequently used in studies of the quantum analog of classical chaos. The most remarkable observations are (i) the profound difference between the properties of l″ = 0 versus l″ = 2 levels, in particular the persistence of relatively perturbation-free term value plots for l″ = 0 levels but not for l″ = 2 levels, (ii) the negligibly small parity doubling of l″ = 2 levels, (iii) evidence of vibrational mixing (but not l″ mixing) within both l″ = 0 and l″ = 2 submanifolds, and (iv) nearly Poisson fluctuations of the level spacings rather than the spectral rigidity that underlies some forms of extremely chaotic classical dynamics.
Arts & Bots: Techniques for distributing a STEAM robotics program through K-12 classrooms

Arts & Bots is a craft-based robotics program focused on expression and creativity in the service of improving K-12 student technological fluency. In this paper, we describe how we transitioned Arts & Bots from an out-of-school program to a successful classroom tool applicable to many school subjects. We focus specifically on partnerships with teachers and professional development strategies.
A parametric study of power MOSFETs

The theoretical limitations of V-grooved and double-diffused power MOSFETs are studied using several design parameters as variables. The results are used to gauge the performance of currently available power MOSFETs and to project the capabilities of future devices. With proper design, the channel resistance can be negligible so that the on-state resistance is that of the bulk material (~8.3xl0-9 VdsB 2.5 Ω.cm2) plus the lead resistance. A transmission line effect associated with long resistive gate electrodes could limit the speed of certain devices. Devices with the capability of switching 10 kW per cm2 of chip area and hundred kilowatt per package are theoretically possible over a very wide voltage range. A new structure is proposed that could raise the power capability by an order of magnitude in very high voltage devices.
Morgain La Fee and the Celtic Goddesses

THOUGH neither Shakespeare nor Wordsworth had the famous queen of faery, Morgain, in mind, the quotations may well illustrate the diversity of attitudes, from extreme repugnance to charmed wonder, which the medieval romancers exhibit in their descriptions of her person and their delineation of her character. Morgain may bLthe most beautiful of nine sister fays, or an ugly crone. She may be Arthur's tender nurse in the island valley of Avilion, or his treacherous foe. She may be a virgin, or a Venus of lust. In her infinite variety she enthralled the fancy of the Middle Ages, and has lived on to our day not only in literature but also in folklore. As the Fata Morgana, she still evokes the mirages in the Straits of Messina. Manifestly a creature of tradition rather than invention, she must have had a long and complicated history a history which has yet to be written. In the following pages I attempt a sketch of her genesis and evolution which seems justified by the evidence. Nothing could be more astonishingly elaborate, and, if true, more significant for the understanding of Arthurian romance. The mysteries of her complex character become clear, and much besides that is most perplexing in the Matiere de Bretagne. The fay makes her first appearance in literature as Morgen in a well known passage in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini (ca 1150).1 She is the fairest and the chief of nine enchantresses, skilled in flying swiftly through the air and in the art of healing. They dwell on an island of amazing fertility, which we easily recognize as the Isle of Avalon. For hither Arthur was brought to be healed after the battle of Camblan. This passage might seem the logical starting point for our inquiry, but though I shall refer to it frequently, I prefer to take up first the second appearance of Morgain in literature, a less familiar passage in the Roman de Troie, which Benoit de Ste.-Maure composed about 1160. In the excellent edition by Consta'ns, vss 8023-33, we are introduced to the steed of Hector of Trov.2
Internality Regulation Through Public Choice

Much health and safety regulation can be understood as the product of political coalitions between two groups. The first, consisting of persons with self-control issues, enlists the government as an intermediary. The second either expects to benefit from the success of the first, or anticipates gains from a tax imposed on the first group’s behavior. A political entrepreneur might plausibly turn these groups’ preferences into law. This public choice perspective on regulation provides a positive explanation of why it is more likely that a legal system will engage in some health and safety programs than in others. The important break from the conventional view of regulation, as something that either controls externalities or is imposed paternalistically, is in advancing the idea that the government is an intermediary deployed by those who want help. Internalities, associated with collective action problems or with time inconsistent preferences, deserve equal billing. The discussion considers smoking regulation and other health and safety regulation, and then contrasts these with anti-obesity efforts where private contracting is a more feasible means of controlling internalities, and where political coalitions are less likely.
Isotopic ratio measurements by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

Abstract Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is often considered synonymous with SIMS in the static limit where the ion fluence on the sample surface is so low that damage is negligible. For this same reason, its use in measuring isotopic ratios has generally been ruled out. However, the high-spatial-resolution Ga+ ion beams typically used in ToF-SIMS make it a potentially attractive technique for the isotopic characterization of small features such as particles. We have developed a technique to measure isotopic ratios by ToF-SIMS with a spatial resolution of
Field-induced quantum criticality in YbAgGe

Abstract YbAgGe is one of the very few stoichiometric, Yb-based, heavy fermion materials that exhibit field-induced quantum criticality. We will present an overview of thermodynamic and transport measurements in YbAgGe single crystals. Moderate magnetic field (45–90 kOe, depending on orientation) suppresses long range magnetic order, giving rise to non-Fermi-liquid behavior followed at higher field by a crossover to a heavy Fermi-liquid. Given the more accessible temperature and field scales, a non-Fermi liquid region rather than point for T → 0 K may be detected.
Classical Field Theory in the Hamilton-Jacobi Formalism

A Hamilton-Jacobi formalism of classical relativistic field theory is developed. Both "time-independent" and "time-dependent" formulations are given, and the relation between them is discussed. In the former, the constants of the motion are identified with the "new" field variables, whereas in the latter they are the values of the fields on a suitable spacelike surface. The explicit introduction of a Hamiltonian density is avoided. As an illustration of the respective procedures, the classical Dirac and Klein-Gordon free fields are solved explicitly. A perturbation method is formulated for the case of fields in interaction. The metric tensor is not treated as a field quantity.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Patients in Residential Treatment Facilities.

This analysis compared the effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy among patients with intractable seizures: a group living in residential treatment facilities (RTF) with a group not living in RTFs (non-RTF). Among a constant cohort of patients with baseline, 3-month, and 12-month data, the RTF group had significantly (P < 0.05) larger numbers of patients with generalized seizures, previous callosotomy, psychiatric disorders, behavioral problems, and Rett's syndrome. Median seizure reductions after 3 months were 33% in the RTF group and 49% in the non-RTF group (P < 0.001); after 12 months, 50% (RTF) and 56% (non-RTF). After both 3 and 12 months, alertness, mood, postictal recovery, and cluster seizures improved in more than a third of patients in both groups. Because VNS therapy does not interact with medications and is delivered automatically, it should be seriously considered for patients with intractable epilepsy who reside in RTFs.
Legionella pneumophila Promotes Functional Interactions between Plasma Membrane Syntaxins and Sec22b

Biogenesis of a specialized organelle that supports intracellular replication of Legionella pneumophila involves the fusion of secretory vesicles exiting the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with phagosomes containing this bacterial pathogen. Here, we investigated host plasma membrane SNARE proteins to determine whether they play a role in trafficking of vacuoles containing L. pneumophila. Depletion of plasma membrane syntaxins by RNA interference resulted in delayed acquisition of the resident ER protein calnexin and enhanced retention of Rab1 on phagosomes containing virulent L. pneumophila, suggesting that these SNARE proteins are involved in vacuole biogenesis. Plasma membrane-localized SNARE proteins syntaxin 2, syntaxin 3, syntaxin4 and SNAP23 localized to vacuoles containing L. pneumophila. The ER-localized SNARE protein Sec22b was found to interact with plasma membrane SNAREs on vacuoles containing virulent L. pneumophila, but not on vacuoles containing avirulent mutants of L. pneumophila. The addition of α-SNAP and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) to the plasma membrane SNARE complexes formed by virulent L. pneumophila resulted in the dissociation of Sec22b, indicating functional pairing between these SNAREs. Thus, L. pneumophila stimulates the non-canonical pairing of plasma membrane t-SNAREs with the v-SNARE Sec22b to promote fusion of the phagosome with ER-derived vesicles. The mechanism by which L. pneumophila promotes pairing of plasma membrane syntaxins and Sec22b could provide unique insight into how the secretory vesicles could provide an additional membrane reserve subverted during phagosome maturation.
Design of self-checking circuits using DCVS logic: a case study

A technique for designing self-checking circuits using differential cascode voltage switch (DCVS) logic is presented. This technique is used in a design case study and the results obtained through actual implementation and testing of a self-checking circuit are discussed. It is demonstrated that the self-checking capability of the circuit can be used to implement fault tolerance at low hardware-overhead costs. >
Foreign Fighters in Iraq: A Cross-National Analysis of Jihadism

Statistics on the national origin of almost one thousand killed and captured foreign fighters in Iraq reveal noticeable differences among Muslim majority countries in their jihadism rate (number of fighters/million population). These cross-national differences are used to test different theories as to the causes of Islamist extremism. The findings do not support those theories which see the cause of jihadism in the political and economic failures of Muslim societies, since the foreign fighters come from the more developed countries. The foreign fighters also come from the more religious societies, and from those societies “occupied” by U.S. or Israeli military forces.
Computational model of OCT in lung tissue

Lung research may have significant impact on human health. As two examples, recovery from collapse of the alveoli and the severe post surgery declines in forced vital capacity in patients under the effects of anesthesia are both poorly understood. Optical imaging is important to lung research for its inherently high resolution. Microscopy and color imaging are fundamentals of medicine, but interior lung tissue is usually viewed either endoscopically or ex vivo, stained slices. Techniques such as confocal microscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT) have become increasingly popular in medical imaging because of their sectioning and depth penetration. Since OCT has the ability to achieve higher depth penetration than confocal it is more widely used in lung imaging, despite the difficulty of interpreting the images due to the poor numerical aperture (NA). To understand light propagation through the highly reflective and refractive surfaces of the lung, we developed a Finite-Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulation. FDTD solves a discrete approximation to Maxwell's equations. Initial simulations have shown that structure up to 30 - 40μm below the surface is clearly visible. Deeper structures are hard to interpret, because of light scattering, compounded by speckle associated with coherent detection. Further simulations and experimental imaging may lead to improved collection and processing of images at deeper levels.
Strictureplasty and intestinal resection: different options in complicated pediatric-onset Crohn disease.

Abstract Background/Purpose Surgical resection or strictureplasty (SP) are different options for intestinal Crohn disease (CD) strictures. The aim of this article is evaluation of long-term outcome of SP and resection. Methods From 1996 to 2011, 39 patients (23 male, 16 female) with symptomatic ileal and ileocolonic CD strictures resistant to medical/nutritional therapy and treated with surgery in 2 different surgical units were reviewed. The mean age at diagnosis was 11.82 years (range, 4-17 years). Mean age at surgery was 15.94 years (range, 4-24 years). Mean follow-up was 6.88 years (range, 0.5-15 years). Patients underwent resection (group A) or different SP techniques (group B). Results Twenty patients underwent intestinal resection (ileal or ileocolonic resection), and 19 patients underwent SP (jejunal, ileal, or ileocolic). Early postsurgical complications were observed in 2 patients of group A. Follow-up of group A patients revealed that 1 patient needed emergency treatment after 8 months surgery because of adhesions and 1 patient developed recurrence treated with medical therapy. In the follow-up group B, 3 patients experienced disease recurrence, 2 of them at the site of previous surgery. Conclusions At long-term follow-up, no significant difference in relapsing rate was observed between the 2 groups. Strictureplasty and resection represent an effective treatment of pediatric CD strictures. Strictureplasty could represent the first option for intestinal preservation.
Effects of Hurricane Allen on reef fish assemblages near Discovery Bay, Jamaica

On 6 August 1980, Hurricane Allen pounded the north coast of Jamaica with its heaviest seas of this century. The resulting destruction of fish habitats was followed by changes in predator abundance, herbivore behavior, and the distribution of territorial damselfishes. One year later, fish assemblages differed between patches of reef more or less severely damaged by the hurricane. Hurricanes of this magnitude could have an important influence on local patterns of behavior and species interactions, by redistributing fish habitats and their associated key species.
RELATIONSHIP OF RED BLOOD CELL 131-I-L-TRIIODOTHYRONINE BINDING COEFFICIENT AND CELL MATURATION.

Red blood cell 131I-L-triiodo-thyronine binding coefficients (K) were measured in rabbits before and after the administration of phenylhydrazine. The induced reticulocytosis resulted in an elevation of mean binding coefficient (37.5 to 56.2). Humans with elevated reticulocyte counts or high white blood cell counts had elevated binding coefficients. The red blood cell binding coefficients were also increased when washed red blood cells were resuspended in control plasma. The metabolic state or increased binding sites of the immature red blood cells or white cells may be responsible for the increased binding of the hormone by these cells. (Endocrinology 74: 689, 1964)
Contemporary issues in the psychiatric residential treatment of disturbed adolescents.

Over the last 25 years, the practice of psychiatric residential treatment for disturbed adolescents has undergone enormous changes. These changes in practice have been stimulated by major alterations in financial support for such treatment, along with administrative management, financial control, and referral processes that bear little resemblance to those involved in the early- to mid-1980s and before. Stimulated by the alarm of the costs of health care in general, residential treatment is highly scrutinized by private third-party payers and public funding sources. Managed care organizations contract to administrate health care benefits for insurance companies and large employers and publicly funded state agencies. The management of many large governmental users is currently privatized. For example, Champus has for some years been organized under Tricare, and managed care organizations bid for contracts to administrate large regions of such governmentally supported health care plans. In the same vein, major corporations contract with managed care firms to administrate the health care of their employees in an effort to contain costs. Even in situations in which benefits are managed directly by public agencies or private parties have indemnity insurance, cost containment and case management are endemic to the process of obtaining and maintaining funding for care. The impact of this movement to reduce health care costs aggressively is that lengths of stay for residential treatment of children and adolescents have been shortened drastically, and continuity of care is difficult to maintain. These effects fly in the face of traditional values held by individuals who provided residential treatment in the past [1–3]. Traditional residential treatment was committed to an emphasis on developmental growth and the nurturing structure of the therapeutic milieu. It emphasized the importance of reliable and sustainable relation
Salesperson response to loss of a major account: A qualitative analysis

Abstract This article fills a gap in the sales literature by focusing on an acute stressor, loss of a major sale or account, and by providing a framework to study sales relationship dissolution as a negative life event. Data were obtained through 16 in-depth interviews with salespersons from a variety of industries. All informants described themselves as generally successful while having lost a major account or new business in the recent past. The article is composed of the following sections: (1) a summary of relevant research from stress, sales management, and relationship literatures; (2) an explanation of the methodology; and (3) a summary of themes and metaphors evoked by salespersons, communicating the experience of loss as a negative life stressor.
Spectral convergence in tapping and physiological fluctuations: coupling and independence of 1/f noise in the central and autonomic nervous systems

When humans perform a response task or timing task repeatedly, fluctuations in measures of timing from one action to the next exhibit long-range correlations known as 1/f noise. The origins of 1/f noise in timing have been debated for over 20 years, with one common explanation serving as a default: humans are composed of physiological processes throughout the brain and body that operate over a wide range of timescales, and these processes combine to be expressed as a general source of 1/f noise. To test this explanation, the present study investigated the coupling vs. independence of 1/f noise in timing deviations, key-press durations, pupil dilations, and heartbeat intervals while tapping to an audiovisual metronome. All four dependent measures exhibited clear 1/f noise, regardless of whether tapping was synchronized or syncopated. 1/f spectra for timing deviations were found to match those for key-press durations on an individual basis, and 1/f spectra for pupil dilations matched those in heartbeat intervals. Results indicate a complex, multiscale relationship among 1/f noises arising from common sources, such as those arising from timing functions vs. those arising from autonomic nervous system (ANS) functions. Results also provide further evidence against the default hypothesis that 1/f noise in human timing is just the additive combination of processes throughout the brain and body. Our findings are better accommodated by theories of complexity matching that begin to formalize multiscale coordination as a foundation of human behavior.
The velocity perturbations above the orifice of an acoustically excited cavity in grazing flow

Detailed measurements of the time-dependent velocities induced inside and outside the opening of an acoustically excited, two-dimensional Helmholtz resonator imbedded in a grazing flow are presented. The remarkably clear structure of the perturbation field which evokes a pulsating source and a coherently pulsating vortex-image pair is described.