cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Codimension-one partitioning and phase space transport in multi-degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian systems with non-toroidal invariant manifold intersections

Abstract Invariant manifold formulations of phase-space transport theory offer a well-known means of prediction for the chaotic dynamics associated with 1 1 2 - and 2-degree-of-freedom systems. Whether such a means of prediction extends to systems with more than 2 degrees-of-freedom has thus far received little attention. We derive a multi-degree-of-freedom turnstile-based phase space transport theory for Hamiltonian flows with non-toroidal intersections of global stable and unstable manifolds of invariant normally hyperbolic sets of a Poincare section on the energy surface. These non-toroidal manifold intersections are the typical case for flows with more than 2 degrees-of-freedom, and they disallow a partitioning of phase space via segments of stable and unstable manifolds alone. We show it is nevertheless possible for these intersection geometries to construct codimension-one partitions (dividing surfaces) of the Poincare section that respect asymptotic behavior, and hence divide between regions of qualitatively different dynamics (bounded versus unbounded, rotation versus libration, and so on). These partitioning surfaces thus provide a geometrically exact criterion for capture into, and escape from, regions in the Poincare section corresponding to qualitatively different dynamics. A turnstile-based phase space transport theory is then derived to describe transitions across the partitioning surfaces. We use Melnikov theory to study partition geometry, and to search through multi-dimensional phase space and parameter space to explore variation of O(e) flux across the partition. Searches of this kind would be helpful in the control and optimization of any number of nonlinear physical processes associated with transitions across broken separatrices, such as molecular dissociation and atomic ionization. We observe significant variation in the effectiveness of separatrix crossing with differing phase and action values, and hence note the motivation to retain phase information, and the role of Arnold diffusion in sending points to regions of enhanced or diminished separatrix crossing, referred to as Arnold enhancement and Arnold suppression of transport across codimension-one partitions.
Hydrogen-atom transfer from transition metal hydroperoxides, hydrogen peroxide, and alkyl hydroperoxides to superoxo and oxo metal complexes.

Superoxochromium(III) complexes L(H2O)CrOO2+ (L = (H2O)4 and 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) oxidize hydroperoxo complexes of rhodium and cobalt in an apparent hydrogen-atom transfer process, i.e., L(H2O)CrOO2+ + L(H2O)RhOOH2+ → L(H2O)CrOOH2+ + L(H2O)RhOO2+. All of the measured rate constants fall in a narrow range, 17−135 M-1 s-1. These values are about 2.5−3.0 times smaller in D2O, where the hydroperoxo hydrogen is replaced by deuterium, and coordinated molecules of water by D2O. The failure of the back reaction to take place in the available concentration range places the O−H bond dissociation energy in RhOO−H2+ at ≤320 kJ/mol. The rates of oxidation of L(H2O)RhOOH2+ by CraqOO2+ are comparable to those for the oxidation of the corresponding hydrides despite the great difference (≥80 kJ/mol) in the driving force for the two types of reactions. A chromyl ion, CrIVaqO2+, oxidizes L(H2O)RhOOH2+ and the cobalt analogs to the corresponding superoxo complexes. The rate constants are ∼102-fold larger than t...
El Nino-La Nina Events Simulated with Cane and Zebiak's Model and Observed with Satellite or In Situ Data Part I: Model Data Comparison

Abstract The Zebiak and Cane model is used in its “uncoupled mode,” meaning that the oceanic model component is driven by the Florida State University (FSU) wind stress anomalies over 1980–93 to simulate sea surface temperature anomalies, and these are derived in the atmospheric model component to generate, wind anomalies. Simulations am compared with data derived from FSU winds, International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project cloud convection, Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer SST, Geosat sea level, 20°C isotherm depth derived from an expendable bathythermograph, and current velocities estimated from drifters or current-meter moorings. Forced by the simulated SST, the atmospheric model is fairly successful in reproducing the observed westerlies during El Nino events. The model fails to simulate the easterlies during La Nina 1988. The simulated forcing of the atmosphere is in very poor agreement with the heating derived from cloud convection data. Similarly, the model is fairly successful in repr...
Characterization of Polypropylene and Polyester Meltblown Materials used for Food Oil Absorption

Meltblown polypropylene and polyester and paper towels were examined for food oil absorption capacity by weight difference method. Six food oils (coconut, corn, cottonseed, olive, safflower, and sunflower) were used to include a range of fatty acid compositions. Materials were examined by scanning electron microscopy to note physical characteristics that related to absorption. Polypropylene absorbed 33.4% of the oils compared to 25.1% for polyester and 24.2% for paper towels. This was noted by the large pore size and small diameter fibers forming great numbers of pockets which could include oil. Polypropylene material should be considered in microwavable packaging as means to decrease dietary fat.
Subcellular location and topography of rat hepatic monoacylglycerol acyltransferase activity.

Monoacylglycerol acyltransferase activity from suckling rat liver was localized to the microsomal subcellular fraction by differential centrifugation and comparison with the partitioning of selected marker enzymes. Chymotrypsin, pronase, and proteinase K inactivated the monoacylglycerol acyltransferase activity in detergent-disrupted microsomes, but not in intact microsomes, falsely suggesting a lumenal location for the enzyme. The impermeant inhibitors mercury-dextran and 4,4'-diisothiocyano,-2.2'-disulfonic acid stilbene inhibited monoacylglycerol acyltransferase in intact microsomes. These data, as well as the lack of latency and the inability of the substrate palmitoyl-CoA to readily permeate hepatic microsomes from suckling rats, strongly suggest that the enzyme's active site faces the cytosolic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum.
Eigenvalue Sensitivities of a Linear Structure Carrying Lumped Attachments

a = length of a plate along the x direction B = p p characteristic matrix b = length of a plate along the y direction bij = i; j th element of B c = viscous damping coefficient D = flexural rigidity of a plate E = Young’s modulus g = user-defined function that depends on the characteristic equation of the combined system h = thickness of a plate I = area moment of inertia of the cross section of a beam I = identity matrix j = imaginary unit Ki = ith generalized stiffness of a host linear structure Kpq = generalized stiffnesses of a host plate K = N N diagonal stiffness matrix whose elements are Ki k = translational spring constant kt = torsional spring constant L = length of a beam Mi = ith generalized mass of a host linear structure Mpq = generalized masses of a host plate M = N N diagonal mass matrix whose elements are Mi m = lumped mass parameter N = number of generalized coordinates p = number of lumped attachments q = number of attachment locations s = number of parameters that characterizes a lumped attachment t = time variable u xa = u1 xa u2 xa uN xa T ui = u xi ui x = a function that depends on the ith eigenfunction of a linear structure evaluated at x w x; t = lateral deflection of a linear structure evaluated at x and t x = spatial coordinate along a linear structure xa = attachment location in the x direction xi = ith attachment location ya = attachment location in the y direction i = ith physical parameter of a lumped attachment = vector of the perturbations of the system parameters and attachment locations r = change in the rth lumped system parameter from its nominal value xs = change in the sth attachment location from its nominal value ji = Kronecker delta i t = ith generalized coordinate evaluated at t = column vector of the perturbed eigenvalues = diagonal matrix consisting of the exact eigenvalues of a linear structure 0 = column vector of the unperturbed eigenvalues = eigenvalue of the combined system I = imaginary part of i = ith eigenvalue of the combined system or the ith eigenvalue of the perturbed system i0 = ith eigenvalue of the unperturbed system R = real part of = Poisson’s ratio = mass per unit length of a beam or mass per unit area of a plate = a parameter that describes the lumped attachment i = parameter that describes the ith lumped attachment i x = ith eigenfunction of a host linear structure evaluated at x i x = derivative of i x with respect to x ! = natural frequency of a combined system !hi = ith natural frequency of a host linear structure r = matrix of the eigenvalue gradients
Response to Comment on “Air Emissions Due to Wind and Solar Power”

Air emissions from current natural gas generators used to fill in variations in wind and solar power are significant even with good unit dispatch.
Governance of Terror: New Institutionalism and the Evolution of Terrorist Organizations

A preoccupation with network approaches in terrorism studies has inadvertently marginalized the fact that terrorist groups are subject to many of the same bureaucratic forces that impact all purposeful organizations. Because typical organizations are subsumed in the concept of networks, it is curious that scholars have been so quick to bypass more traditional models of organizations and bureaucracy that may help us understand network topology. This article relies on the new institutional approach to organizational behavior. Using the Coase theorem to explain the costs and benefits associated with different organizational structures, it follows that counterterrorism efforts may drive some groups toward greater autonomy while compelling others to adopt common bureaucratic processes, often referred to as isomorphism. By exploring the different costs that terror groups face and examining the characteristics of terrorists associated with different groups, organizational theory can help explain a divergent trend in terrorism research: leaderless jihad and increased bureaucratization.
Chinese Feminisms and Adaptation-as-Translation Readings of Letter from an Unknown Woman

In her paper, "Chinese Feminisms and Adaptation-as-Translation Readings of Letter from an Unknown Woman," Jinhua Li investigates the complex cultural and political issues engendered by an increasingly popular phenomenon of transnational film adaptations. Through a comparative reading of Jinglei Xu's 2004 adaptation of Stefan Zweig's novella Brief einer Unbekannten (Letter From an Unknown Woman), Jinhua Li argues that the adaptation-as-translation approach, as a valuable theoretical model for feminist cultural studies of Eastern-Western dynamics, allows the film to be read not only as a "translated/adapted" literary discourse that functions on different narrative levels, but also as a trope for the reimagination of gender politics in China and the reinscription of Chinese feminism. Jinhua Li, "Chinese Feminisms and Adaptation-as-Translation Readings of Letter from an Unknown Woman" page 2 of 9 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 9.1 (2007):
Acute erythroid leukemia: a reassessment using criteria refined in the 2008 WHO classification.

Acute erythroid leukemia (AEL) is a rare type of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) for which diagnostic criteria have been refined in the 2008 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of AML. The relationship of AEL to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) and to AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) is not clearly defined. We conducted a retrospective, multi-institutional study of patients with AEL and compared them with patients with MDS or AML-MRC with erythroid hyperplasia (≥ 50% erythroid cells). Among a total of 124 patients with AEL, 32% had a history of MDS or chronic cytopenia, 32% had therapy-related disease, and 35% had de novo disease. Sixty-four percent of patients had unfavorable AML risk-group karyotypes. FLT3 and RAS mutations were infrequent, occurring in 6% and 2%, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) of all AEL patients was 8 months, comparable with that of patients with MDS or AML-MRC with erythroid hyperplasia. The OS was related to cytogenetic risk group, but not blast count or morphologic dysplasia. Our findings suggest that AEL is in the continuum of MDS and AML with erythroid hyperplasia, where karyotype rather than an arbitrary blast cutoff represents the most important prognostic factor.
Projection-operator approach to the unified treatment of radiative and dielectronic recombination

A formalism that is based on projection operators is employed to obtain a general recipe for constructing matrix elements of the transition or T operator for electron-ion photorecombination processes in model systems featuring a limited number of discrete states and continua. The projection-operator formalism allows for a natural separation of the total transition operator into a direct, or radiative recombination, contribution and a resonance, or dielectronic recombination contribution. Implementation of the general recipe is discussed, and expressions for matrix elements of needed propagators in the combined Hilbert space of electron and photon continua are derived for model systems in which one makes the pole approximation on the photon continua, but not on the electron continua. The simplifications that occur when the pole approximation is made on all continua are presented. Finally, the recipe is employed to describe photorecombination for two model systems that feature an isolated autoionizing state. One model includes an arbitrary number of possible final-state photon continua, and the second model includes an arbitrary number of possible final-state electron continua. For the former model, it is shown how the various terms entering into the expression for the recombination transition amplitude can be obtained from a perturbation series and interpreted in terms of Feynman-like diagrams.
Residence time, groundwater age, and solute output in steady-state groundwater systems

The total travel distance and the hydraulic conductivity in steady-state groundwater flow systems are modeled with asymmetric gamma distribution functions. The ratio of the total travel distance over the hydraulic conductivity, scaled by a factor involving the hydraulic gradient and the aquifer porosity, equals the residence time of groundwater. The residence time measures the period elapsed between recharge and discharge of groundwater from an aquifer flow system. The residence time is a random variable whose probability density function (p.d.f.) is determined by those of the total travel distance and the hydraulic conductivity. The p.d.f. of the residence time was derived and from that, applying basic mass-balance considerations, followed that of the groundwater age. The age is the time elapsed since the recharge of groundwater in transit through an aquifer flow system. It is shown that the p.d.f.s of the residence time and the groundwater age are related by a first-order, linear, differential equation. The cumulative distribution functions of the residence time and the groundwater age and their first and second moments are also derived, and so is the output concentration of a solute that enters a steady-state groundwater flow system dissolved in recharge. A computational example illustrates the advantage of treating the residence time and the groundwater age statistically and constraining them with Darcy's law and mass-balance principles. Solute output shows a complex structure with stable and radioactive solutes in deceptively simple steady-state groundwater flow regimes.
Workload decomposition for QoS in hosted storage services

The growing popularity of hosted storage services and shared storage infrastructure in data centers is driving the recent interest in performance isolation and QoS in storage systems. Due to the bursty nature of storage workloads, meeting the traditional response-time Service Level Agreements requires significant over provisioning of the server capacity. We present a graduated, distribution-based QoS specification for storage servers that provides cost benefits over traditional QoS models. Our method RTT partitions the workload to minimize the capacity required to meet response time requirements of any specified fraction of the requests.
Using the incomplete information framework to develop service provider communication guidelines

The debate over how services should be advertised and communicated has raged on for decades. Much of the early work on services emphasized the use of tangible cues and was primarily issue and/or profession specific. There are no real communication guidelines that encompass all service marketers. This paper looks at how consumers use information in a purchase situation to establish communication guidelines for service providers. Marketers know consumers rarely have full information in a buying situation and have devised communication strategies accordingly. Services in particular offer less information than traditional consumer goods because of services inherent distinguishing characteristics, e.g. intangibility, non‐standardization and concurrent production and consumption. Integrating both conceptual and empirical work this paper uses a framework of incomplete information to examine commonly practiced communication methods of advertising, signaling, personal sources and relationship marketing. Using the two‐dimensional framework advanced in this paper, 16 communication guidelines for service providers are presented.
Beta-blocker exposure is associated with improved survival after severe traumatic brain injury.

Background: Beta-blocker use in elective noncardiac surgery has been associated with a reduction in mortality and cardiovascular complications. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often associated with a hyperadrenergic state. We hypothesized that adrenergic blockade would confer improved survival among TBI patients. Methods: Retrospective review of the Trauma Registry of the American College of Surgeons database at a Level I trauma center was conducted. All trauma patients admitted from January 2004 to March 2005 with head Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 3 or greater were evaluated. Patients with length of stay 30 days were excluded. Beta-blocker exposure was defined as receiving beta-blockers for 2 or more consecutive days. Results: In all, 420 patients met in. clusion criteria: 174 patients exposed to beta-blockers [BB(+)] and 246 not exposed [BB(-)]. Mean age in BB(+) group was 50 years and 36 years in BB(-) group (p < 0.001). Mean Injury Severity Score was 33.6 for BB(+) group and 30.8 for BB(-) group (p = 0.01). Predicted survival (by Trauma and Injury Severity Score) for BB(+) group was 59.1% compared with 70.3% for BB(-) group (p < 0.001). Observed mortality for BB(+) group was 5.1%, 10.8% for BB(-) group (p = 0.036). Adjusted incidence rate ratio of mortality among those exposed to beta-blockers compared with those not exposed was 0.29 (95% confidence interval). Conclusions: Beta-blocker exposure was associated with a significant reduction in mortality in patients with severe TBI. This reduction in mortality is even more impressive, considering that the BB(+) group was older, more severely injured, and had lower predicted survival.
Iwasawa Invariants of Real Abelian Number Fields

Abstract Letkbe a real abelian number field andpan odd prime. We give a criterion for the vanishing of the λ-invariant for the Z p-extension ofkand apply it to give some examples of λ=0.
First order zero-one laws for random graphs on the circle

We look at a competitor of the Erdős–Renyi models of random graphs, one proposed in E. Gilbert [J. Soc. Indust. Appl. Math. 9:4, 533–543 (1961)]: given δ>0 and a metric space X of diameter >δ, scatter n vertices at random on X and connect those of distance <δ apart: we get a random graph G. Letting X be a circle, we look at zero-one laws for (in First Order Logic) various δ. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 14, 239–266, 1999
Are there spurious precipitation trends in the United States Climate Division database

[1] The United States Climate Division datasets (CDD) may contain spurious precipitation trends, induced by the method in which climate divisional data are created. This study investigated how the redistribution of stations within a climate division has affected purported annual trends in precipitation. CDD were compared to USHCN data for the 15 climate divisions of New England. Results showed that trends in the datasets are not always the same. We conclude that changing mean latitude, longitude, and elevation of stations within a division through time can affect, and even induce, trends in the time series. Trends found here were mostly increasing through time, but rates of change differed dramatically in some cases. Two climate divisions did have opposing trends between datasets. It appears that other factors, such as distance from the coast and changing slope direction (aspect) of stations, may also influence these trends.
Soluble or Insoluble Prussian Blue for Radiocesium and Thallium Poisoning

OBJECTIVE:To review the available English-language literature concerning the efficacy of soluble and insoluble Prussian blue used as a therapeutic agent in radiocesium and thallium poisoning.DATA SOURCES:A thorough search of MEDLINE, Toxline, and EMBASE databases (1960s-August 2003) was performed. Search terms included Prussian blue, thallium, and radiocesium poisoning. Bibliographies of relevant papers were reviewed for additional citations.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Reports and studies of human trials and cases, along with animal and relevant in vitro data, were sought. Data were categorized as insoluble and soluble Prussian blue and by thallium and radiocesium poisoning.DATA SYNTHESIS:The majority of evidence describing the efficacy of Prussian blue for radiocesium poisoning is based on the use of the insoluble form. In contrast, the majority of data supporting the efficacy of Prussian blue in thallium poisoning involves the use of the soluble form.CONCLUSIONS:Insoluble Prussian blue has recen...
Inhibitory Effects of Circumferential Pressure on Flexor Carpi Radialis H-Reflex in Adults with Neurological Deficits

The effects of circumferential air-splint pressure on the flexor carpi radialis H-reflex in 22 participants with cerebrovascular accident and 5 with spinal cord injury were examined. H-reflexes were assessed by measuring the peak-to-peak amplitude change before, during, and after circumferential pressure was applied to the forearm. 12 H-reflexes (H/M ratio: M = 25%; SD = 14) were recorded before pressure application to obtain a baseline value for comparison of data. A pneumatic 34-cm air splint inflated to 51-60 mmHg provided pressure around the forearm. H-reflex recordings were taken at 1, 3, and 5 min. during and 1 min. after application of pressure. A one-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was applied to compare pressure and postpressure measurements against the baseline value. Tukey multiple-comparison tests were used when significant F ratios were noted. Analysis indicated H-reflex amplitudes decreased significantly at 1, 3, and 5 min. during pressure and quickly returned to baseline when pressure was released. The study suggests air splints decreased the H-reflex in participants with neurological deficits and may be used in the upper extremity temporarily to reduce muscle activity associated with neurological dysfunction.
Desulfovibrio species are potentially important in regressive autism.

Abstract Autism is a complex disorder with no specific diagnostic test so the disease is defined by its characteristics including cognitive defects, social, communication and behavioral problems, repetitive behaviors, unusual sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, restricted interests, and self stimulation. The incidence of this disease has increased remarkably in recent years and was 110/10,000 children (∼1%) in multiple areas of the US in 2007. The financial burden on families and communities is enormous. In terms of predisposing factors, heredity plays a role in some subjects, but it is clear that environmental factors are also important. Environmental toxins can affect the immune system adversely. Intestinal bacteria are recognized by a few investigators as potentially important and we have proposed that certain antimicrobial drugs may be a key factor in modifying the intestinal bacterial flora adversely, selecting out potentially harmful bacteria that are normally suppressed by an intact normal intestinal flora. We had felt that clostridia in the gut might be involved in autism because they are virulent organisms and spore-formers; spores would resist antibacterial agents so that when antibiotics were discontinued the spores would germinate and by toxin production or another mechanism lead to autism. However, a recent study of ours employing the powerful pyrosequencing technique on stools of subjects with regressive autism showed that Desulfovibrio was more common in autistic subjects than in controls. We subsequently confirmed this with pilot cultural and real-time PCR studies and found siblings of autistic children had counts of Desulfovibrio that were intermediate, suggesting possible spread of the organism in the family environment. Desulfovibrio is an anaerobic bacillus that does not produce spores but is nevertheless resistant to aerobic and other adverse conditions by other mechanisms and is commonly resistant to certain antimicrobial agents (such as cephalosporins) often used to treat ear and other infections that are relatively common in childhood. This bacterium also produces important virulence factors and its physiology and metabolism position it uniquely to account for much of the pathophysiology seen in autism. If these results on Desulfovibrio are confirmed and extended in other studies, including treatment trials with appropriate agents and careful clinical and laboratory studies, this could lead to more reliable classification of autism, a diagnostic test and therapy for regressive autism, development of a vaccine for prevention and treatment of regressive autism, tailored probiotics/prebiotics, and important epidemiologic information.
Media Exposure and Marijuana and Alcohol Use Among Adolescents

We aimed to determine which media exposures are most strongly associated with marijuana and alcohol use among adolescents. In 2004, we surveyed 1,211 students at a large high school in suburban Pittsburgh regarding substance use, exposure to entertainment media, and covariates. Of the respondents, 52% were female, 8% were non-White, 27% reported smoking marijuana, and 60% reported using alcohol. They reported average exposure to 8.6 hr of media daily. In adjusted models, exposure to music was independently associated with marijuana use, but exposure to movies was independently associated with alcohol use. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Therapeutic removal of amyloid deposits in cutaneous amyloidosis by localised intra-lesional injections of anti-amyloid antibodies

In the skin, amyloidosis can be found with or without systemic disease. Primary cutaneous amyloidosis defines those amyloidoses restricted to the skin without involvement of other systems. Here, we used conformation-specific antibodies to characterise both fibrillar and oligomeric amyloid aggregates in the skin from patients with cutaneous amyloidosis. Localised cutaneous amyloidosis with different morphology was reproduced in mice by intra-dermal (i.d.) and subdermal administration of amyloid-enhancing factor. Moreover, we demonstrated that conformational antibodies were effective in clearing amyloid deposits caused by localised intra-lesional injections without the necessity of an immune response. Given the accessibility and amyloid localization in this disease, direct i.d. injections of conformational antibodies could be a convenient and direct method for treatment.
Bus Energy Consumption for Multilevel Signals

A comprehensive analysis of energy consumption for voltage-mode multilevel signals on a nanometer-technology bus is presented. A transition-dependent model is used which allows simplified calculation of the energy consumption. The accuracy of the approach is demonstrated using circuit simulations of three different electrical models of the bus, namely, lumped-C, distributed-RC, and distributed- RLC networks. We also verify that bus energy consumption is independent of driver resistance, as predicted by the model. Finally, we present a comparative analysis of power consumption for multilevel and binary buses.
Differential voltage analyses of high-power lithium-ion cells. 4. Cells containing NMC

Abstract Cells with and without a LiC2O4BF2 electrolyte additive and that contained Li1.05(Mn1/3Co1/3Ni1/3)0.95O2 (NMC) positive electrodes were tested for calendar and cycle life at 60% state of charge. The temperatures used in these tests were 25 and 45 °C (cycle life) and 45 and 55 °C (calendar life). An analysis of the C/25 capacity data shows that the C/25 capacity decreases with the square root of time. The additive slowed down the rate of capacity decline. The C/25 data were subjected to differential voltage analysis to determine the possible cause of the capacity decrease and at which electrode the capacity decrease was occurring. Data from full cells and half-cells were compared to elucidate individual electrode contributions. This analysis indicated that lithium-capacity-consuming side reactions were occurring primarily at the negative electrode.
Characterization of die stresses in microprocessor packages subjected to thermal cycling

In this work, we have used test chips containing piezoresistive sensors to characterize the in-situ die surface stress evolution during thermal cycling of flip chip ceramic ball grid array (FC-CBGA) components suitable for microprocessor packaging. The utilized (111) silicon test chips were able to measure the complete three-dimensional stress state (all 6 stress components) at each sensor site being monitored by the data acquisition hardware. The test chips had dimensions of 20 × 20 mm, and 3600 lead free solder interconnects (full area array) were used to connect the chips to the high CTE ceramic chip carriers. Before packaging, the sensor resistances were measured by directly probing the individual test chip wafers. After every packaging step (flip chip solder ball reflow, underfill dispense and cure, lid attachment and adhesive cure), the sensor resistances were re-measured, so that the die stresses induced by each assembly operation could be characterized. A package carrier was developed to allow measurement of the die stresses in the FC-CBGA components subjected to thermal cycling loads without inducing any additional mechanical loadings. Initial experiments consisted of measuring the die stress levels while the components were subjected to a slow (quasi-static) temperature changes from 0 to 100 C. In later testing, long term thermal cycling of selected parts was performed from 0 to 100 C (40 minute cycle, 10 minute ramps and dwells). After various durations of cycling, the sensor resistances at critical locations on the die device surface (e.g. die center and die corners) were recorded. From the resistance data, the stresses at each site were calculated and plotted versus time. Finally, thermal cycling of selected parts was performed, and in-situ measurements of the transient die stress variations were performed. During the thermal cycling, sensor resistances at critical locations on the die device surface (e.g. die center and die corners) were recorded continuously. From the resistance data, the stresses at each site were calculated and plotted versus time.
Luteinizing Hormone Beta Promoter Stimulation by Adenylyl Cyclase and Cooperation with Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone 1 in Transgenic Mice and LBetaT2 Cells

Rat luteinizing hormone beta (Lhb) gene transcription is stimulated by hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone 1 (GnRH1), and this response may be modulated by other signaling pathways such as cAMP. Here we characterize the ability of cAMP, alone or with GnRH1, to stimulate Lhb gene transcription in mouse pituitary and clonal gonadotroph cells. Both cAMP and pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating peptide increase GnRH1 stimulation of luciferase activity in pituitaries of mice expressing the rat Lhb-luciferase transgene, suggesting cAMP and GnRH1 pathways interact in vivo. cAMP stimulation of the Lhb-luciferase transgene was similar between females in metestrus and proestrus, but GnRH1 stimulation was greater at proestrus. Additive effects with combined treatments were observed at metestrus and proestrus. Elevated intracellular cAMP stimulated Lhb promoter activity in LbetaT2 clonal gonadotroph cells, alone and with GnRH1. In LbetaT2 cells, cAMP stimulation of the Lhb promoter was eliminated by inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA); GnRH1 stimulation was partially suppressed by either PKA or protein kinase C inhibitors. Only the proximal GnRH1-responsive region of the promoter was required for cAMP stimulation, and mutation of the 3 0 NR5A1 site diminished the response. Regulation of primary mRNA transcripts from the endogenous Lhb gene by cAMP and GnRH1 correlated with results from the Lhb-luciferase transgene or transfected promoter. Occupancy of the endogenous promoter by EGR1 was increased by GnRH1 with or without forskolin, but forskolin alone had little effect. Thus, cAMP stimulation of Lhb promoter activity, and enhancement of GnRH1 stimulation, occurs in multiple physiological states independent of steroid status, via a PKA-dependent mechanism.
Efficient cosmological parameter estimation from microwave background anisotropies

We reexamine the issue of cosmological parameter estimation in light of current and upcoming high-precision measurements of the cosmic microwave background power spectrum. Physical quantities which determine the power spectrum are reviewed, and their connection to familiar cosmological parameters is explicated. We present a set of physical parameters, analytic functions of the usual cosmological parameters, upon which the microwave background power spectrum depends linearly (or with some other simple dependence) over a wide range of parameter values. With such a set of parameters, microwave background power spectra can be estimated with a high accuracy and negligible computational effort, vastly increasing the efficiency of the cosmological parameter error determination. The techniques presented here allow calculation of microwave background power spectra ${10}^{5}$ times faster than comparably accurate direct codes (after precomputing a handful of power spectra). We discuss various issues of parameter estimation, including parameter degeneracies, numerical precision, mapping between physical and cosmological parameters, systematic errors, and illustrate these considerations with an idealized model of the Microwave Anisotropy Probe experiment.
Delineation of the Human Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Anti-Smith Antibody Response Using Phage-Display Combinatorial Libraries

The anti-Smith (Sm) autoantibody response is highly specific for systemic lupus erythematosus and is predominantly targeted to the Sm-B/B' and -D1 polypeptides. In all animal species thus far studied, anti-Sm Abs initially recognize proline-rich epitopes in the carboxyl terminus of the Sm-B/B' protein and subsequently to multiple other epitopes in B/B' and D. The absence of appropriate mAbs has limited our understanding of the genetic and structural basis of this autoimmune response. Using phage-display technology and lymphocytes from a systemic lupus erythematosus patient we have generated the first and only panel of human IgG anti-Sm mAbs thus far available. These Abs reproduced to a remarkable extent the serological reactivity of the patient. Epitope mapping and genetic studies revealed that the anti-Sm response is produced by distinct B cell clones with restricted epitope reactivity. All of the Abs in our study were exclusively encoded by different members of the V(H)4 gene family. On the aggregate, our results demonstrate that combinatorial libraries can recapitulate the immune repertoire of peripheral blood B memory cells and that epitope spreading appears to occur through the sequential recruitment of nonclonally related autoreactive B cell clones.
On the Construction of Diabatic and Adiabatic Potential Energy Surfaces Based on Ab Initio Valence Bond Theory

A theoretical model is presented for deriving effective diabatic states based on ab initio valence bond selfconsistent field (VBSCF) theory by reducing the multiconfigurational VB Hamiltonian into an effective twostate model. We describe two computational approaches for the optimization of the effective diabatic configurations, resulting in two ways of interpreting such effective diabatic states. In the variational diabatic configuration (VDC) method, the energies of the diabatic states are variationally minimized. In the consistent diabatic configuration (CDC) method, both the configuration coefficients and orbital coefficients are simultaneously optimized to minimize the adiabatic ground-state energy in VBSCF calculations. In addition, we describe a mixed molecular orbital and valence bond (MOVB) approach to construct the CDC diabatic and adiabatic states for a chemical reaction. Note that the VDC-MOVB method has been described previously. Employing the symmetric SN2 reaction between NH3 and CH3NH3 + as a test system, we found that the results from ab initio VBSCF and from ab initio MOVB calculations using the same basis set are in good agreement, suggesting that the computationally efficient MOVB method is a reasonable model for VB simulations of condensed phase reactions. The results indicate that CDC and VDC diabatic states converge, respectively, to covalent and ionic states as the molecular geometries are distorted from the minimum of the respective diabatic state along the reaction coordinate. Furthermore, the resonance energy that stabilizes the energy of crossing between the two diabatic states, resulting in the transition state of the adiabatic ground-state reaction, has a strong dependence on the overlap integral between the two diabatic states and is a function of both the exchange integral and the total diabatic ground-state energy.
Stoichiometric and catalytic reactivity of tris(oxazolinyl)borate main group metal compounds

Scorpionate ligands, exemplified by the tris(pyrazolyl)borate (Tp) ligand, have been widely used to form metal catalysts across the periodic table. This class of monoanionic ligands commonly binds in either a bior tridentate fashion, and is capable of donating up to six electrons to the metal center. However, the B–N bond is susceptible to isomerization resulting in a loss of steric protection around the metal center. We set out to address this problem by developing a new class of scorpionate ligands based on oxazoline rings in which the B–N bond is replaced by a more robust B–C bond. The first example of this new oxazoline-based scorpionate ligand, tris(4,4-dimethyl2-oxazolinyl)phenyl borate, To, is prepared by reaction of 2-lithio-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolide and 0.30 equiv of dichlorophenylborane. The resulting lithium salt is found to be competent as a transfer agent to Group IV transition metals via salt metathesis. Both the protonated form of To and the thallium salt, HTo and TlTo, are also successfully prepared, and are found to transfer To to transition metals in higher yield than the lithium analog. The steric bulk of this ligand is greater than that of tris(3,5-Me2-pyrazolyl)borate (Tp), as quantified by solid angles of crystallographically characterized zirconium(IV) complexes. The unique steric pocket created by the To ligand led us to examine the reactivity of To main group metal compounds. When reacted with [AlMe3]2, To binds in a bidentate fashion to give -ToAlMe2. The reactivity of this compound is explored and compared to the bis(oxazolinyl)borate, {-PhMeB(Ox)}AlMe2, which is synthesized via a methide abstraction/oxazoline coordination reaction of the parent borane PhB(Ox)2 with [AlMe3]2. These compounds were found to be surprisingly robust, and were capable catalysts for the ring opening polymerization of lactide at high temperature.
Post-earthquake functionality of highway overpass bridges

Bridges are crucial to the transportation network in a region struck by an earthquake. Collapse of a bridge determines if a road is passable. Ability of a bridge to carry traffic load after an earthquake determines the weight and speed of vehicles that can cross it. Extent of system and component structural damage in bridges determines the cost and time required for repair. Today, post-earthquake bridge evaluation is qualitative rather than quantitative. The research presented in this paper aims to provide a quantitative engineering basis for quick and reliable evaluation of the ability of a typical highway overpass bridge to function after an earthquake. The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center's probabilistic performance-based evaluation approach provides the framework for post-earthquake bridge evaluation. An analytical study was performed that linked engineering demand parameters to earthquake intensity measures. The PEER structural performance database and reliability analysis tools were then used to link demand parameters to damage measures. Finally, decision variables were developed to describe three limit states, repair cost, traffic function, and collapse, in terms of induced damage. This paper presents the analytical models used to evaluate post-earthquake bridge function, decision variables and their correlation to the considered limit states, and fragility curves that represent the probability of exceeding a bridge function limit state given an earthquake intensity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mucin granule-associated proteins in human bronchial epithelial cells: the airway goblet cell "granulome"

Background: Excess mucus in the airways leads to obstruction in diseases such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, and cystic fibrosis. Mucins, the highly glycosolated protein components of mucus, are stored in membrane-bound granules housed in the cytoplasm of airway epithelial “goblet” cells until they are secreted into the airway lumen via an exocytotic process. Precise mechanism(s) of mucin secretion, including the specific proteins involved in the process, have yet to be elucidated. Previously, we have shown that the Myristoylated Alanine-Rich C Kinase Substrate (MARCKS) protein regulates mucin secretion by orchestrating translocation of mucin granules from the cytosol to the plasma membrane, where the granules dock, fuse and release their contents into the airway lumen. Associated with MARCKS in this process are chaperone (Heat Shock Protein 70 [HSP70], Cysteine string protein [CSP]) and cytoskeletal (actin, myosin) proteins. However, additional granule-associated proteins that may be involved in secretion have not yet been elucidated. Methods: Here, we isolated mucin granules and granule membranes from primary cultures of well differentiated human bronchial epithelial cells utilizing a novel technique of immuno-isolation, based on the presence of the calcium activated chloride channel hCLCA1 (the human ortholog of murine Gob-5) on the granule membranes, and verified via Western blotting and co-immunoprecipitation that MARCKS, HSP70, CSP and hCLCA1 were present on the granule membranes and associated with each other. We then subjected the isolated granules/membranes to liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify other granule associated proteins. Results: A number of additional cytoskeletal (e.g. Myosin Vc) and regulatory proteins (e.g. Protein phosphatase 4) associated with the granules and could play a role in secretion were discovered. This is the first description of the airway goblet cell “granulome.”
Perspectives: A newsletter for individuals with Alzheimer's or a related disorder

This article describes the development of a newsletter written for people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder and outlines some of its benefits for people living with dementia, family carers and professionals. The publication is one of a growing number of resources that attempts to address the direct needs and experiences of persons living with dementia.
Bile salt export pump is dysregulated with altered farnesoid X receptor isoform expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

As a canalicular bile acid effluxer, the bile salt export pump (BSEP) plays a vital role in maintaining bile acid homeostasis. BSEP deficiency leads to severe cholestasis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in young children. Regardless of the etiology, chronic inflammation is the common pathological process for HCC development. Clinical studies have shown that bile acid homeostasis is disrupted in HCC patients with elevated serum bile acid level as a proposed marker for HCC. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that BSEP expression was severely diminished in HCC tissues and markedly reduced in adjacent nontumor tissues. In contrast to mice, human BSEP was regulated by farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in an isoform-dependent manner. FXR-α2 exhibited a much more potent activity than FXR-α1 in transactivating human BSEP in vitro and in vivo. The decreased BSEP expression in HCC was associated with altered relative expression of FXR-α1 and FXR-α2. FXR-α1/FXR-α2 ratios were significantly increased, with undetectable FXR-α2 expression in one third of the HCC tumor samples. A similar correlation between BSEP and FXR isoform expression was confirmed in hepatoma Huh7 and HepG2 cells. Further studies showed that intrahepatic proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), were significantly elevated in HCC tissues. Treatment of Huh7 cells with IL-6 and TNF-α resulted in a marked increase in FXR-α1/FXR-α2 ratio, concurrent with a significant decrease in BSEP expression. Conclusion: BSEP expression is severely diminished in HCC patients associated with alteration of FXR isoform expression induced by inflammation. Restoration of BSEP expression through suppressing inflammation in the liver may reestablish bile acid homeostasis. (HEPATOLOGY 2013)
Accelerated Testing of Radiation-Induced Soft Errors in Solid-State Drives

Accelerated soft error testing with neutron and proton beams was done on a variety of solid-state drives. Effects included temporary hangs, permanent drive failure, and both detected and silent data corruption. Projected rates for sea-level cosmic rays vary widely from model to model, which is arguably insignificant for some but problematic for others. Design protections for reducing soft error sensitivity are discussed and evaluated for effectiveness. Radiation testing was able to detect silent data corruption at levels 10 000 times lower than can be detected in a conventional reliability demonstration test. We argue that accelerated testing should be a standard part of drive design validation.