cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The fiscal cost implications of an accommodating approach to banking crises

Abstract In recent decades, a majority of countries have experienced a systemic banking crisis requiring a major – and expensive – overhaul of their banking system. Budgetary outlays, whether immediate or deferred, have exceeded 50% of GDP in some cases. This paper uses cross-country econometric evidence to examine whether the design of crisis containment and resolution policies can systematically influence the overall magnitude of fiscal costs. We find that accommodating policies such as blanket deposit guarantees, open-ended liquidity support, repeated partial recapitalizations, debtor bail-outs and regulatory forbearance all tend to add significantly and sizably to fiscal costs.
Rethinking Aotearoa’s human geography

Abstract This essay is a reconsideration of my attempt as a geography Master’s candidate in 1950, to estimate the Maori population of New Zealand about the time of James Cook’s 1769–1773 voyages. Thinking that the 100,000 estimated by J. R. Forster, naturalist with Cook , excluded significant populations, I proposed a number approaching 250,000. But the subsequent rise of particular Social Sciences with a focus on Maori prehistory has challenged some earlier authorities. Critical evaluations of historical sources, demographic analysis, archaeological calculations based on settlement-sites, residues of fish and shellfish consumed, and analyses of past evaluations, generally suggest estimates not much exceeding 100,000 despite severe losses incurred through introduced diseases and tribal wars between 1770 and 1840. Parallels to losses among Pacific Islanders exist, yet may be deceptive. A survey of recent authorities on the Maori indicates general acceptance of deflated estimates.
From Interactions to Conversations: The Development of Joint Engagement during Early Childhood.

This research traces the development of symbol-infused joint engagement during mother–child interactions into the preschool years. Forty-nine children, who had been previously observed as toddlers (L. B. Adamson, R. Bakeman, & D. F. Deckner, [Adamson, L. B., 2004]), were systematically observed during interactions with their mothers at ages 3½, 4½, and 5½ during activities related to the past and future, internal states, and graphic systems. Although the amount of symbol-infused joint engagement reached a ceiling by 3½, its focus continued to become more complex and its form more balanced. Individual differences in children's symbol-infused joint engagement were stable across 4 years. These findings highlight both how joint engagement is transformed as conversational skills develop and how it remains rooted in earlier interactions and supported by caregiver's actions.
CB2 cannabinoid receptors inhibit synaptic transmission when expressed in cultured autaptic neurons

The role of CB2 in the central nervous system, particularly in neurons, has generated much controversy. Fueling the controversy are imperfect tools, which have made conclusive identification of CB2 expressing neurons problematic. Imprecise localization of CB2 has made it difficult to determine its function in neurons. Here we avoid the localization controversy and directly address the question if CB2 can modulate neurotransmission. CB2 was expressed in excitatory hippocampal autaptic neurons obtained from CB1 null mice. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were made from these neurons to determine the effects of CB2 on short-term synaptic plasticity. CB2 expression restored depolarization induced suppression of excitation to these neurons, which was lost following genetic ablation of CB1. The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) mimicked the effects of depolarization in CB2 expressing neurons. Interestingly, ongoing basal production of 2-AG resulted in constitutive activation of CB2, causing a tonic inhibition of neurotransmission that was relieved by the CB2 antagonist AM630 or the diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor RHC80267. Through immunocytochemistry and analysis of spontaneous EPSCs, paired pulse ratios and coefficients of variation we determined that CB2 exerts its function at a presynaptic site of action, likely through inhibition of voltage gated calcium channels. Therefore CB2 expressed in neurons effectively mimics the actions of CB1. Thus neuronal CB2 is well suited to integrate into conventional neuronal endocannabinoid signaling processes, with its specific role determined by its unique and highly inducible expression profile.
A new Estonian-English dictionary

(1983). A new Estonian-English dictionary. Journal of Baltic Studies: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 150-156.
Low Temperature Effects on IM7/977-3 Cross-Ply Composite Material Properties at High Strain Rates

Composite materials are used in a wide variety of low temperature applications because of their unique and highly tailorable properties. These low temperature applications of composites include their use in Arctic environments and most of them involve dynamic loads, for example, spacecraft applications where they use cryogenic engines, hypervelocity impact situations at very high altitudes, civil engineering applications in extreme cold regions, and offshore structures in cold regions. The U.S. Navy stated that under certain conditions naval vessels might encounter strain rates up to 1200/sec. Because the dynamic properties of composite materials may vary widely with both strain rates and temperature, it is important to use the dynamic properties at the expected temperatures when the loading conditions involve high strain rates and extreme temperatures. Very few materials have been characterized at high strain rates even at room temperature. Still less effort has been spent in trying to model the high strain rate properties to develop a predictive capability at room temperature. It has been hoped that earlier modeling for metals, such as Johnson and Cook [1], and Zerilli and Armstrong [2] might be used for composite materials. The Johnson-Cook model was modified by Weeks and Sun [3] for composite materials. Other recent modeling research has been performed by Theruppukuzki and Sun [4], Hsiao, Daniel and Cordes [5] and Tsai and Sun [6]. Woldesenbet and Vinson [7] have characterized the high strain rate and fiber orientation effects on one typical graphite/epoxy composite. Most of these characterizations model ultimate strengths only.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Progressive, severe lung injury secondary to the interaction of insults in gastric aspiration.

□ This study examines lung injury and inflammation over 24 hours following intratracheal instillation of hydrochloric acid (acid), small nonacidic gastric particles (SNAP), or combined acid and sma...
The value of incentives in blood donation.

In their Policy Forum “Economic rewards to motivate blood donation” (24 May, p. [927][1]), N. Lacetera et al. discuss evidence that paying donors for blood may increase donations. Here, I make two clarifications and explain why I have concerns with excessive incentives or cash payments offered
Incorporation of Tritium into Human Plasma Triglycerides from Glucose-1- 3 H and Lactic Acid-2- 3 H

THE importance of TPNH as a specific hydrogen donor in fatty acid synthesis is well known. TPNH formed during the process of glucose oxidation through the pentose phosphate pathway is an established precursor for such synthesis1; TPNH formed from isocitric acid oxidation may be another important source2. Experiments done with glucose-1-3H in obese hyperglycaemic mice3 show a small per cent incorporation of tritium dose into body fatty acids (maximum incorporation obtained is 2 per cent). Measurement of tritium in body water of these mice indicates that 70–80 per cent of the tritium contained in the glucose-1-3H can be accounted for in body water. This low ratio of tritium in fatty acids to tritium in body water casts some doubt as to the critical need of hydrogen atoms at the 1 position of glucose in maintaining fatty acid synthesis. This doubt has been further substantiated by recent investigations4 with three different pairs of substrates: (1) lactic acid-2-3H and lactic acid-2-14C; (2) glucose-1-3H and glucose-1-14C; (3) glucose-6-3H and glucose-6-14C injected into obese, non-diabetic patients. Tritium content in body water and carbon-14 content in respired carbon dioxide were measured. The 3HOH : 14CO2 ratio in the case of lactic acid has been found to remain at a level of about 3 : 1 at all times up to 2 h, whereas in the case of the other two pairs (2) and (3) the same ratio shows a value of about 6 : 1 at 30 min, gradually decreasing to about 3 : 1 at 130 min after injection. This is indirect evidence that hydrogen transferred from the carbon-1 position of glucose has very little specificity for reductive synthetic reactions compared with other metabolic sources of hydrogen.
Determination of RNA orientation during translocation through a biological nanopore.

Abstract We investigate single-molecule electrophoretic translocation of A 50 , C 50 , A 25 C 50 , and C 50 A 25 RNA molecules through the α -hemolysin transmembrane protein pore. We observe pronounced bilevel current blockages during translocation of A 25 C 50 and C 50 A 25 molecules. The two current levels observed during these bilevel blockages are very similar to the characteristic current levels observed during A 50 and C 50 translocation. From the temporal ordering of the two levels within the bilevel current blockages, we infer whether individual A 25 C 50 and C 50 A 25 molecules pass through the pore in a 3′→5′ or 5′→3′ orientation. Correlation between the level of current obstruction and the inferred A 25 C 50 or C 50 A 25 orientation indicates that 3′→5′ translocation of a poly C segment causes a significantly deeper current obstruction than 5′→3′ translocation. Our analysis also suggests that the 3′ ends of C 50 and A 25 C 50 RNA molecules are more likely to initiate translocation than the 5′ ends. Orientation dependent differences in a smaller current blockage that immediately precedes many translocation events suggest that this blockage also contains information about RNA orientation during translocation. These findings emphasize that the directionality of polynucleotide molecules is an important factor in translocation and demonstrate how structure within ionic current signals can give new insights into the translocation process.
Cytochrome c immobilization into mesoporous molecular sieves

The immobilization of cytochrome c into the mesoporous moleclar sieves MCM-48 (Mobil Composition of Matter) and SBA-15 (Santa Barbara Amorphous), as well as the layered niobium oxide Nb-TMS4 (Niobium Transition Metal Oxide Molecular Sieve) is described. The cytochrome c loading was influenced by the molecular sieve structure, i.e., one-dimensional vs. three-dimensional. Cytochrome c immobilization was accomplished by absorption into the molecular sieves followed by silylation of the pore openings. The molecular sieves containing cytochrome c were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV/Vis, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The protein was found to be stable in the molecular sieve under conditions that would denature the protein in solution. The immobilized cytochrome c retained its redox activity following immobilization for several months as demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry (CV).
Vitamin D, Insulin Resistance, and Type 2 Diabetes

Vitamin D deficiency has become a major public health problem in the United States and worldwide due to its increasing prevalence and potential health risks. There is growing evidence from experimental studies that vitamin D is essential for pancreatic insulin secretion and peripheral insulin action through binding to the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Observational evidence, primarily from cross-sectional studies, has shown that low dietary vitamin D intake or vitamin D levels are inversely related to glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, decreased insulin secretion, as well as prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. Population genetic data for an association between VDR gene polymorphisms and type 2 diabetes have been sparse and yielded inconsistent results. Prospective data, although limited, tend to support an inverse association between serum 25(OH) vitamin D levels and incident type 2 diabetes. Direct evidence from randomized trials on the effect of vitamin D supplements on insulin homeostasis, however, remains limited. Future well-designed randomized clinical trials are warranted to address the potential beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation on preventing type 2 diabetes.
Sinoauricular block and retrograde auricular conduction in a case of permanent complete heart block

Abstract 1.1. A case of complete heart block with occasional sinoauricular block and retrograde auricular beats is presented. 2.2. The dropping of P waves occurred in a definite relation to the beginning of the preceding idioventricular contraction. The time of the sinoauricular block coincided with the time of the highest vagal tone after the idioventricular beats. 3.3. Retrograde P waves occurred only when the preceding P-R interval was 0.40 to 0.76 sec. Although that coincided with the supernormal phase in the auriculoventricular node or bundle of His above the scar, this phase probably played no important role in the retrograde conduction in our case. 4.4. The time of the retrograde conduction in our case bore a definite relation to the length of the preceding P-R interval. This may be expected to occur when the conduction tissue is damaged and the rate of conduction varies with the degree of its recovery.
A comparison of repeated exposure to fearful and disgusting stimuli among spider phobics

This study examined the role of fear and disgust in repeated exposure among spider phobics. Thirty spider phobics were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups. Both groups completed measures of fear and disgust and performed two initial standardized Behavioral Avoidance Tests (BATs; one with a fear stimulus – live tarantula, and one with a disgust stimulus – dead rat). One group was then repeatedly exposed to the tarantula and the other to the dead rat. Results of the study indicated that exposure to either the disgust stimulus or the live tarantula was associated with significant decreases in fear, avoidance, and disgust. However, it was found that repeated exposure to the fear stimulus produced a greater decrease in avoidance behavior. Results suggest that both types of exposure can be effective in alleviating associated symptoms and provide additional evidence that disgust sensitivity plays a role in the treatment of spider phobia. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MEAN-FIELD THEORY OF CONFINED PARTICLES: OFF-MASS-SHELL ASPECTS OF RELATIVISTIC WAVE FUNCTIONS

We study nonlinear equations in two variables which arise in a theory of nontopological solitons. For simplicity, we limit our considerations to a relativistic mean-field description of two scalar particles which form a bound state. We present results for a model in which the constituents have a momentum-dependent mass whose form is motivated by nonperturbative QCD studies. We discuss the probability distribution of the squared four-momentum, k2, of a particle of momentum kμ. We also introduce a definition of the “constituent mass” of our particles and comment on the relation of our model to the constituent quark model of hadron structure. The wave functions obtained have an interesting structure and are free of the on-mass-shell singularities which are present in solutions of conventional Bethe-Salpeter equations.
The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, edited by John Anthony McGuckin, 2 vols. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, xxii + 833 pp. US$400 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-4051-8539-4

Eastern Orthodoxy is a faith unknown to many in the Anglophone world and imperfectly understood by many more, among them even some of its own adherents. This fine reference work will help ameliorat...
Characteristics of uncooled indium antimonide photoconductors

Uncooled indium antimonide (InSb) photoconductors were studied to determine their primary noise source, spectral response, and maximum attainable spectral detectivity. The dominant noise component was determined by theoretically analyzing the background photon generation- recombination noise, thermal generation-recombination noise, and Johnson noise, using conditions of the experimental setup. It was shown that at room temperature (300 K) Johnson noise was predominant. Using this fact, an expression was derived for spectral detectivity which gave a value of 1.3 X 108 cm-Hz1/2/watt for a 25.2 k(Omega) photoconductor and 5.9 X 108 cm-Hz1/2/watt for a 10 k(Omega) photoconductor. The measurements from the experiment showed a peak wavelength response at 5 micrometer and a cutoff wavelength (50% of maximum) at 5.5 micrometer. The average peak spectral detectivity for the 25.2 k(Omega) photoconductor was 1.17 X 108 cm- Hz1/2/watt and for the 10 k(Omega) photoconductor, 4.48 X 108 cm- Hz1/2/watt. These results compared well with theory.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Disturbances and gap dynamics in a semiarid grassland: A landscape-level approach

We developed a spatially-explicit gap dynamics simulation model to evaluate the effects of disturbances at the scale of a landscape for a semiarid grassland in northcentral Colorado, USA. The model simulates the establishment, growth, and death of individual plants on a small plot through time at an annual time step. Long-term successional dynamics on individual plots (single gaps) and on a landscape composed of a grid of plots were evaluated. Landscapes were simulated as either a collection of independent plots or as a collection of interacting plots where processes on one plot were influenced by processes on adjacent plots. Because we were interested in the recovery of the dominant plant species, the perennial grass blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis (H.B.K.) Lag. ex Griffiths) after disturbances, we focused on scale-dependent processes, such as seed dispersal, that are important to the recruitment of individuals of B. gracilis. The type of simulated landscape was important to the recovery time of B. gracilis after a disturbance. Landscapes composed of independent plots recovered more rapidly following a disturbance than landscapes composed of interacting plots in which the recovery time was dependent on the spatial scale of the disturbance.
Can natural or anthropogenic explanations of late-Holocene CO2 and CH4 increases be falsified?

Concentrations of CO2 and CH4 in the atmosphere rose slowly during the millennia prior to the industrial era. Opposing explanations for these increases have invoked natural and anthropogenic source...
Serological relationships between rabbit immunoglobulin allotypes controlled by the b locus.

Abstract Systematic examination of the cross-reactions of anti-b-locus allotype alloantisera, both qualitatively and quantitatively has led to the construction of a ‘map’ of the serological relationships between b4, b5, b6 and b9. The main features of this ‘map’ are minimal between b5 and b6 and maximal distances between b4 and b9. The other distances lie between these two extremes. Since the b6 allotype has the most in common with every other allotype and b9 has the least, the b6 antigen and anti-b6 are most frequently involved in cross-reactions whereas b9 and anti-b9 are involved the least. This information leads to the conclusion that for the most specific anti-b-locus allotype anibodies, the recipients of choice are heterozygous b5b6 for anti-b4- and anti-b9, b4b6 for anti-b5 and b4b5 for anti-b6.
Time-based user-movement pattern analysis from location-based social network data

Virtual social interactions play an increasingly important role in the discovery of places with digital recommendations. Our hypothesis is that people define the character of a city by the type of places they frequent. With a brief description of our dataset, anomalies and observations about the data, this paper delves into three distinct approaches to visualize the dataset addressing our two goals of: 1. Arriving at a time-based region specific recommendation logic for different types of users classified by the places they frequent. 2. Analyzing the behaviors of users that check-in in groups of two or more people. The study revealed that distinct patterns exist for people that are residents of the city and for people who are short-term visitors to the city. The frequency of visits, however, is both dependent on the time of the day as well as the urban area itself (e.g. eateries, offices, local attractions). The observations can be extended for application in food and travel recommendation engines as well as for research in urban analytics, smart cities and town planning.
Status report on Jefferson Lab`s high-power infrared free-electron laser

Jefferson Lab is building a free-electron laser to produce tunable, continuous-wave (cw), kW-level light at 3-6 {mu}m wavelength. A superconducting accelerator will drive the laser, and a transport lattice will recirculate the beam back through the accelerator for energy recovery. Space charge in the injector and coherent synchrotron radiation in magnetic bends will be present, and the machine is instrumented to study these phenomena during commissioning. The wiggler and optical cavity are conventional; however, significant analysis and testing was needed to ensure mirror heating at 1 kW of outcoupled power would not impede performance. The FEL is being installed in its own facility, and installation will be finished in Fall 1997. This paper surveys the machine, the status of its construction, and plans for its commissioning.
Selection strategies and reversal-nonreversal shifts in verbal discrimination transfer

Verbal discrimination transfer with structured lists that permit the operation of an intrapair selection strategy was compared for reversal and nonreversal shift conditions. Reversal transfer was significantly superior to nonreversal transfer. However, reversal transfer did not differ significantly from a control condition in which the selection strategy was operative on the transfer list only.
Tunable magnetostatic-wave oscillator employing a single GaAs MMIC chip

A microwave tunable magnetostatic surface-wave delay-line oscillator which employs a single GaAs monolithic amplifier chip in the feedback loop has been developed. No directional coupler is needed, and a single-mode oscillation can be tuned continuously from 4.82 to 6.39 GHz without frequency jumping. At 61 GHz, an output power of 4.4 dBm was measured with a phase noise of —100dBc/Hz at 10kHz offset from the oscillation frequency.
A Review of Vinorelbine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

As combinations and sequences of anthracyclines and taxanes increasingly become standard adjuvant treatment for early breast cancer, a major need for new treatment options for metastatic breast cancer will arise. Vinorelbine is highly active in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, both as a single agent and in combination regimens. Furthermore, it is well tolerated, with a low incidence of subjective toxicities. It is anticipated, therefore, that vinorelbine will become increasingly utilized for treating metastatic breast cancer due to its favorable safety profile, good tolerability, and promising results in combination with other chemotherapy agents. Combinations with trastuzumab and newer molecular targeting agents are being explored. Doublets or triplets of vinorelbine with drugs other than anthracyclines and taxanes could be considered in the next generation of adjuvant and neoadjuvant trials, where it is anticipated that anthracycline/taxane combinations are likely to replace anthracycline/cyclophosphamide combinations as the mainstay of adjuvant treatment.
Calcium Localized in Odontogenic Cells of Rat Mandibular Teeth by the Glyoxal Bis (2-Hydroxyanil) Method

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUALE LOCALISATION DE CALCIUM IN CELLULAS ODONTOGENE DE DENTES MANDIBULAR DEL RATTO PER MEDIO DEL METHODO A GLYOXAL-BIS(2-HYDROXYANIL).—Blocos fresc de mandibula, de un spissitate de 1 mm, esseva obtenite ab rattos sugente e tincturate durante 16 horas in un solution de glyoxal-bis(2-hydroxyanil) (GBHA) e postea dishydratate in ethanol, acclarate in xyleno, includite in paraffin, sectionate a un spissitate de 7μ, e affixate per pression digital a albuminisate lamellas de vitro. Le lamellas esseva immergite in un solution de Na2CO3 e KCN pro assecurar specificitate pro calcium e contratincturate con blau methylenic. Granulos rubie de Ca-GBHA esseva localisate in le cytoplasma de adamantoblastos e cementoblastos e in le processos odontoblastic. Calcium in apatite non esseva tincturate.
Chernobyl-related ionising radiation exposure and cancer risk: an epidemiological review

Summary The Chernobyl nuclear accident on 26 th April, 1986, led to a massive release of radionuclides into the environment. Although vast areas of Europe were affected by Chernobyl-related ionising radiation, the accident had the greatest impact in Belarus, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation. Epidemiological studies that have investigated the link between the Chernobyl accident and cancer have largely focused on malignant diseases in children, specifically thyroid cancer and leukaemia. There is good evidence to suggest that rates of thyroid cancer in children from the countries that were formally part of the Soviet Union have risen as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident. The findings for childhood leukaemia are less conclusive. Overall rates for this disease do not seem to have been affected by the Chernobyl-related ionising radiation, but there may be a larger risk of infant leukaemia in contaminated areas of Europe. Among adult populations, there is no strong evidence to suggest that risk of thyroid cancer, leukaemia, or other malignant disease has increased as a result of the Chernobyl accident.
Many Task Computing for modeling the fate of oil discharged from the Deep Water Horizon well blowout

The Deep Water Horizon well blowout on April 20th 2010 discharged between 40,000–1.2 million tons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. In order to understand the fate and impact of the discharged oil, particularly on the environmentally sensitive Florida Keys region, we have implemented a multi-component application which consists of many individual tasks that utilize a distributed set of computational and data management resources. The application consists of two 3D ocean circulation models of the Gulf and South Florida and a 3D oil spill model. The ocean models used here resolve the Gulf at 2 km and the South Florida region at 900 m. This high resolution information on the ocean state is then integrated with the oil model to track the fate of approximately 10 million oil particles. These individual components execute as MPI based parallel applications on a 576 core IBM Power 5 cluster and a 5040 core Linux cluster, both operated by the Center for Computational Science, University of Miami. The data and workflow between is handled by means of a custom distributed software framework built around the Open Project for Networked Data Access Protocol (OPeNDAP). In this paper, we present this application as an example of Many Task Computing, report on the execution characteristics of this application, and discuss the challenges presented by the many task distributed workflow involving heterogeneous components. The application is a typical example from the ocean modeling and forecasting field and imposes soft timeliness and output quality constraints on top of the traditional performance requirements.
Robust attitude stabilization of spacecraft using nonlinear quaternion feedback

This paper considers the problem of three-axis attitude stabilization of a rigid spacecraft. A nonlinear control law which uses the feedback of the unit quaternion and the measured angular velocities is proposed and is shown to provide global asymptotic stability. The control law does not require the knowledge of the system parameters and is, therefore, robust to modeling errors. The significance of the control law is that it can be used for large-angle maneuvers with guaranteed stability. >
Changing Spectrum of Mortality Due to Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Analysis of 260 Deaths during 1995–1999

We analyzed the deaths in an outpatient human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care clinic at University Hospitals in Cleveland from January 1995 through December 1999. The number of annual deaths decreased progressively, from 112 in 1995 to 32 in 1999. The median final CD4(+) cell count before death increased progressively from 10 cells/microL in 1995 to 90 cells/microL in 1999 (P<.01); 20%--25% of patients who died from 1997 through 1999 had plasma HIV RNA levels below detection limits. From 1995 through 1998, deaths due to infection, to end-stage acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and to malignancies decreased, whereas the proportion of deaths due to end-organ failures and of uncertain relationship to HIV infection increased. The spectrum of mortality in HIV disease has changed recently; although opportunistic infections cause death less frequently, deaths are occurring in people who have control of HIV replication and with some preservation of immune function. These observations underscore the need to monitor the etiologies of HIV-associated mortality and to better our understanding of the relationships among immune defenses, treatment-related toxicities, and end-organ failure in patients with HIV disease.
Laser control of physicochemical processes; experiments and applications

This review outlines experimental advances that have been made in laser control of physicochemical processes, with an emphasis on the 2004–2006 period. After a brief introduction, an overview of the technology available for delivering ultrashort shaped femtosecond pulses is presented. Special attention is given to recent progress on laser control of chemical reactions and the application of this concept to molecular identification. We also cover control of simpler systems such as atoms and diatomic molecules. Laser control of large molecules in solution is also reviewed from the point of view of selective spectroscopic excitation with applications in microscopy and control of nanoparticles. We conclude with an outlook that takes into account the physical limitations that will dictate the best strategies to achieve robust laser control of physicochemical processes.
CD4+ T Cells Regulate Pulmonary Metastasis of Mammary Carcinomas by Enhancing Protumor Properties of Macrophages

During breast cancer development, increased presence of leukocytes in neoplastic stroma parallels disease progression; however, the functional significance of leukocytes in regulating protumor versus antitumor immunity in the breast remains poorly understood. Utilizing the MMTV-PyMT model of mammary carcinogenesis, we demonstrate that IL-4-expressing CD4+ T lymphocytes indirectly promote invasion and subsequent metastasis of mammary adenocarcinomas by directly regulating the phenotype and effector function of tumor-associated CD11b+Gr1-F4/80+ macrophages that in turn enhance metastasis through activation of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling in malignant mammary epithelial cells. Together, these data indicate that antitumor acquired immune programs can be usurped in protumor microenvironments and instead promote malignancy by engaging cellular components of the innate immune system functionally involved in regulating epithelial cell behavior.
Visual Discrimination Task Improvement: A Multi-Step Process Occurring During Sleep

Performance on a visual discrimination task shows long-term improvement after a single training session. When tested within 24 hr of training, improvement was not observed unless subjects obtained at least 6 hr of post-training sleep prior to retesting, in which case improvement was proportional to the amount of sleep in excess of 6 hr. For subjects averaging 8 hr of sleep, overnight improvement was proportional to the amount of slow wave sleep (SWS) in the first quarter of the night, as well as the amount of rapid eye movement sleep (REM) in the last quarter. REM during the intervening 4 hr did not appear to contribute to improvement. A two-step process, modeling throughput as the product of the amount of early SWS and late REM, accounts for 80 percent of intersubject variance. These results suggest that, in the case of this visual discrimination task, both SWS and REM are required to consolidate experience-dependent neuronal changes into a form that supports improved task performance.
Basis-Function Trees as a Generalization of Local Variable Selection Methods for Function Approximation

Local variable selection has proven to be a powerful technique for approximating functions in high-dimensional spaces. It is used in several statistical methods, including CART, ID3, C4, MARS, and others (see the bibliography for references to these algorithms). In this paper I present a tree-structured network which is a generalization of these techniques. The network provides a framework for understanding the behavior of such algorithms and for modifying them to suit particular applications.
Some conjectures on the design of a rod outer segment

Photoreceptor diameter and spacing have been extensively analyzed with respect to diffraction, waveguiding and other phenomena and have been found to be consistent with optimal design criteria. Photoreceptor length, on the other hand, has received but little attention. It is proposed here that the outer segment length of rods is optimal with respect to the competing demands of maximal photon absorption and minimal noise. This is borne out by our calculations based on the experimental data.
Automated Analytic Continuation Method for the Analysis of Dispersive Materials

All dielectrics are dispersive. This frequency dependence of materials must be modeled in a well-defined way whenever microwave structures are expected to operate over broad bands of frequency. The well known analytic properties of the permittivity can be used to generate such models by fitting them to experimental data using non-linear optimizers. However, in that approach the questions of convergence to the true global solution and the sensitivity to experimental noise remain open. Here it is shown that an automated deterministic approach to generate such a model for the important case of multi-Debye relaxation materials can be implemented. The method is compared to a recently proposed alternate approach: hybrid particle swarm-least squares optimization method (PSO/LS) that was demonstrated on idealized data sets with bandwidths in excess of 10 000:1. In our case no arbitrary parameters need be set to guarantee convergence nor need any constants be added after the fact to match the data. The case of materials with DC conductivity (imaginary permittivity growing to infinity at DC) is as easily dealt with as the conventional pure Debye case. Physically realizable results are generated even when the data is realistically noisy and spans a frequency bandwidth as small as 18:1.
Ser/Thr Protein Phosphatase 5 Inactivates Hypoxia-induced Activation of an Apoptosis Signal-regulating Kinase 1/MKK-4/JNK Signaling Cascade

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades are multifunctional signaling networks that influence cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and cellular responses to stress. Since the activation/propagation of MAPK signaling requires the sequential phosphorylation of many downstream proteins, the phosphatases that dephosphorylate MAPKs represent critical elements in the control of MAPK-signaling networks. Here we show that hypoxia induces a transient increase in the activity of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK-1), a MAPKKK that responds to oxidative stress by triggering cascades leading to the phosphorylation/activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and p38-MAPK. Hypoxia-induced ASK-1/MKK-4/JNK signaling is suppressed by serine/threonine protein phosphatase type 5 (PP5), which acts to turn off ASK-1/MKK-4/JNK signaling via two mechanisms. First, in a rapid response hypoxia facilitates the association of endogenous PP5 with ASK-1. PP5 binds to the C-terminal domain of ASK-1, and studies with siRNA targeting PP5 indicate that PP5 acts to suppress the phosphorylation of MKK4 (Thr-261), JNK (Thr-183/Tyr-185), and c-Jun (Ser-63) without affecting the activating phosphorylation of p38 MAPK (Thr-180/Tyr-182), p44/p42-MAPK/ERK1/2 (Thr-202/Tyr-204), or c-Jun protein levels. If hypoxia is prolonged, the expression of PP5 is increased due to the activation of a transcriptional activator, which was identified as hypoxia-inducible factor-1. Together, these studies indicate that PP5 plays an important role in the survival of cells in a low oxygen environment by suppressing a hypoxia-induced ASK-1/MKK4/JNK signaling cascade that promotes an apoptotic response.
Comparison of the effects of erythropoietin and anakinra on functional recovery and gene expression in a traumatic brain injury model

The goal of this study was to compare the effects of two inflammatory modulators, erythropoietin (EPO) and anakinra, on functional recovery and brain gene expression following a cortical contusion impact (CCI) injury. Dosage regimens were designed to provide serum concentrations in the range obtained with clinically approved doses. Functional recovery was assessed using both motor and spatial learning tasks and neuropathological measurements conducted in the cortex and hippocampus. Microarray-based transcriptional profiling was used to determine the effect on gene expression at 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days post-CCI. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was used to evaluate the effect on relevant functional categories. EPO and anakinra treatment resulted in significant changes in brain gene expression in the CCI model demonstrating acceptable brain penetration. At all three time points, EPO treatment resulted in significantly more differentially expressed genes than anakinra. For anakinra at 24 h and EPO at 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days, the genes in the top 3 functional categories were involved in cellular movement, inflammatory response and cell-to-cell signaling. For EPO, the majority of the genes in the top 10 canonical pathways identified were associated with inflammatory and immune signaling processes. This was true for anakinra only at 24 h post-traumatic brain injury (TBI). The immunomodulation effects of EPO and anakinra did not translate into positive effects on functional behavioral and lesion studies. Treatment with either EPO or anakinra failed to induce significant beneficial effects on recovery of function or produce any significant effects on the prevention of injury induced tissue loss at 30 days post-injury. In conclusion, treatment with EPO or anakinra resulted in significant effects on gene expression in the brain without affecting functional outcome. This suggests that targeting these inflammatory processes alone may not be sufficient for preventing secondary injuries after TBI.
The Relationship between Aircraft Icing and Synoptic-Scale Weather Conditions

Abstract More than 2700 aircraft icing pilot reports are compared to analyses of operationally available data for 37 cases of winter weather. Statistical results regarding the number of occurrences of icing reports with airmass origin, location relative to fronts, troughs and low pressure centers, precipitation type, cloud cover, lightning/thunder, fog, radar reflectivity, and synoptic-scale forcing mechanisms are developed. Statistics are created for several combinations of icing severity and type, including a category for some of the worst icing encountered by aircraft (clear or mixed icing of moderate or greater severity), then normalized by the areal extent of the weather features. Results indicate that the locations most conducive to icing conditions were arctic, West Coast, and East Coast air masses; 250–600 km ahead of active and stationary warm fronts; in areas of freezing drizzle, freezing rain, and ice pellets when precipitation was occurring; and in areas with obscured and overcast sky conditio...
Deflections in Gridworks and Slabs

Because the exact determination of elastic deformations in plates and slabs by the mathematical theory of elasticity has proved to be impractical in all but the simple cases, engineers have been fo...
Reithrodontomys burti in Sinaloa

In the summer of 1954 one of us (Alcorn) obtained three specimens of Reithrodontomys burti Benson in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. Two of the specimens (61662, 61666 KU) were taken at a place 4 mi. N Terrero (17 mi. SSE Guamuchil) and the other (61672 KU) was taken about 20 miles to the southward at a point 1 mi. S Pericos. Previously, this species was known only from 11 mi. W Hermosillo and from Rancho de Costa Rica (near Hermosillo) in the state of Sonora (Hooper, Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Mich., No. 77: …
Ab-initio simulation of the ionization and fragmentation of acetylene by strong femtosecond laser pulses

The electron and nuclear dynamics of acetylene when interacting with strong short laser pulses has been simulated in the framework of real-space Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) and molecular dynamics. The stretching and dissociation of individual bonds are reported, and are shown to depend on the laser field intensity and orientation relative to the laser polarization. The ionization dynamics, including ionization from individual Kohn-Sham orbitals, is also reported. The orbital ionization dynamics are shown to vary with an increase in the intensity of the laser field.
Abstract B28: Genomic analysis of osteosarcoma for identification of targeted therapies

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive pediatric bone malignancy that affects 400 children per year in the United States. OS is characterized by genomic instability and numerous copy number alterations (CNA). We hypothesized that CNA may be drivers of OS and that targeting cancer genes with CNAs may be a novel approach for treatment of OS. We have established a robust approach for generation of patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from patients with OS. To date, 15 PDX have been established from OS patients. Using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we have identified possible target CNAs for individual patients and are currently testing them in their corresponding PDX. In two patients, an amplification in c-myc suggested possible susceptibility to the BRD4 inhibitor JQ1 or the CDK9 inhibitor AT7519. In a third patient sample, amplification of Cyclin D and Cyclin E in the setting of wild-type Rb suggested responsiveness to a CDK inhibitor. A fourth patient had a FOXM1 amplification which suggests a vulnerability to Palbociclib, a CDK4/6 specific inhibitor. This patient sample also had an Aurora kinase B amplification, suggesting susceptibility to inhibition of this kinase as a therapeutic approach. We treated the corresponding PDX with the drug predicted to target the patient sample based on CNA. In all cases, treatment of the PDX with the drugs predicted show a significant reduction in tumor growth compared to vehicle alone or to the drugs predicted for the other patient CNAs. As a follow up we are currently submitting several more patient samples and paired PDX for WGS as well as RNAseq to determine other potential targeted therapeutics based on CNA. In summary, our work suggests that WGS can be used to identify potential novel therapies for patients with OS. Further work will be needed to determine whether response in PDX models correlates with clinical response in patients. Citation Format: Leanne Sayles, Marcus Breese, E. Alejandro Sweet-Cordero. Genomic analysis of osteosarcoma for identification of targeted therapies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Pediatric Cancer Research: From Mechanisms and Models to Treatment and Survivorship; 2015 Nov 9-12; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(5 Suppl):Abstract nr B28.
Study on XML-based general heterogeneous databases store agreement

In the information age,information share and exchange are becoming more and more important.Distributed crossing databases and platform have become the central issues of resources integration.On the basis of various types of database of various platform,we designed a set of database store agreement to address the above issues by using XML as middle data.This store agreement can build a data-based platform for data analysis to accomplish the concentrated visiting of the upper system to the data of different databases.
Domain morphology, boundaries, and topological defects in biophotonic gyroid nanostructures of butterfly wing scales

Many organisms in nature have evolved sophisticated cellular mechanisms to produce photonic nanostructures and, in recent years, diverse crystalline symmetries have been identified and related to macroscopic optical properties. However, because we know little about the distributions of domain sizes, the orientations of photonic crystals, and the nature of defects in these structures, we are unable to make the connection between the nanostructure and its development and functionality. We report on nondestructive studies of the morphology of chitinous photonic crystals in butterfly wing scales. Using spatially and angularly resolved x-ray diffraction, we find that the domains are highly oriented with respect to the whole scale, indicating growth from scale boundaries. X-ray coherent diffractive imaging reveals two types of crystalline domain interfaces: abrupt changes between domains emerging from distinct nucleation sites and smooth transitions with edge dislocations presumably resulting from internal stresses during nanostructure development. Our study of the scale structure reveals new aspects of photonic crystal growth in butterfly wings and shows their similarity to block copolymer materials. It opens new avenues to exploration of fundamental processes underlying the growth of biological photonic nanostructures in a variety of species.
Fate of a second porcine bioprosthetic valve.

Since October, 1971, 744 porcine bioprosthetic valves were inserted in patients discharged from the hospital and were therefore at risk for primary valve failure or tissue degeneration. In this period of time, 41 valves have demonstrated spontaneous degeneration. The percentages of valve survival without degeneration are as follows: at 6 years, 93% ± 1.5% (SE); 7 years, 88% ± 2.0%; 8 years, 82% ± 2.9%; 9 years, 80% ± 3.4%. The incidence of degeneration appears to be decreasing even though the total number of valves at risk is increasing each year. Of the 41 valves removed for spontaneous degeneration, 25 valves in 24 patients have been replaced by a second bioprosthesis. These 24 patients have been followed up for from 2 to 61 months, and there has been no clinical evidence of degeneration of the second bioprosthesis. One patient has had a second bioprosthesis longer than the first. Although others have suggested that degeneration may be immunologic event, our experience suggests that there is no “second set” rejection. The absence of a “second set” rejection and the suggestion of a decreasing incidence of degeneration makes us continue to favor the bioprosthesis for primary and secondary valve replacement.
Pornography, Humiliation, and Consent

This article considers the role of humiliation in contemporary pornography, arguing that it constitutes a severe form of harm to many female pornography performers. It further contends that the apparently consensual nature of much humiliating pornography exacerbates its harm to the humiliated performers.
Distributed Adaptive Learning Mechanisms

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Motivation Incremental Adaptive Solutions Diffusion Adaptive Solutions Concluding Remarks Acknowledgments References
Ministers at War: Winston Churchill and His War Cabinet. By Jonathan Schneer. (New York, NY: Basic Books, 2014. Pp. xxii, 323. $29.99.)

That vast mountain, Churchilliana, seems not to beg for augmentation. Churchill's thoughts and actions in the Second World War especially have attracted a considerable scholarship based on extensiv...