cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Sliding Mode Control of MEMS Vibrational Gyroscope

This paper presents a new sliding mode adaptive controller for MEMS z-axis gyroscope. The proposed adaptive sliding mode control algorithm can on-line estimate the component of the angular velocity vector, which is orthogonal to the plane of oscillation of the gyroscope (the z-axis) and the linear damping and stiffness model coefficients. The stability of the closed-loop system can be guaranteed with the proposed control strategy. The numerical simulation for MEMS Gyroscope is investigated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive sliding mode control scheme. It is shown that the proposed adaptive sliding mode control scheme offers several advantages such as on-line estimation of gyroscope parameters including angular rate and large robustness to parameter variations and external disturbance.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Far Infrared Spectra Of The Haloacetyl Halides

The far infrared spectra (350 to 35 cm-1) of a series of haloacetyl halides, CH2XCY0, in the vapor phase have been recorded at a resolution of 0.10 cm-1. The fundamental asymmetric torsional frequencies of the more stable trans (two halogen atoms oriented trans to one another) and high energy conformers have been observed and the asymmetric torsional potential functions governing internal rotation about the C-C bond have been determined. The conformation of the high energy rotamer is cis or gauche depending on the size and position of the substituted halogen. Ab initio calculations at the 3-21G, 3-21G* and 6-31G* basis set levels of the optimized geometries, potential surfaces and vibrational frequencies are used to support the conclusions made from the experimental results.
Direct transfer of a foreign MHC gene into human melanoma alters T cell receptor Vβ usage by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

The direct introduction of foreign genes into tumors shows promise as a therapeutic modality to enhance tumor immunogenicity. Hence, melanoma nodules were directly injected with a vector encoding an allogeneic MHC class I molecule, HLA-B7. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were isolated from cutaneous melanoma biopsies before and after HLA-B7 gene transfer. TIL were expanded in interleukin-2 (IL-2) by standard techniques for approximately 4 weeks, then analyzed for T cell receptor Vβ usage by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Prior to gene transfer, TIL Vβ usage was found to be highly restricted, the only one to four Vβ families being expressed and one or two of these families representing more than 90% of the repertoire. As anticipated, TIL Vβ usage varied among patients expressing different HLA types. However, Vβ13 was over-represented in that six of eight patients utilized Vβ13 as a dominant family, regardless of HLA type. Following HLA-B7 gene transfer, TIL Vβ usage was markedly altered: (1) Vβ families that dominated following gene transfer differed from the Vβ families utilized by TIL prior to treatment, and (2) introduction of the HLA-B7 gene resulted in a more diverse repertoire with an increase in the number of Vβ families represented. In two patients, TIL were evaluated before treatment and from multiple, distinct melanoma nodules following gene transfer. In these two patients, a comparison was made between TIL Vβ profiles obtained after treatment from nodules that had been injected with the HLA-B7 gene or left untreated. Interestingly, the Vβ repertoires of TIL from uninjected nodules following gene transfer were similar to that of TIL from injected nodules, rather than pretreatment TIL. These data demonstrate a direct immunological effect of foreign MHC gene transfer into human melanoma, and suggest that local expression of an allogeneic MHC molecule generates systemic alterations in the antitumor immune response.
Exchange rate mean reversion from real shocks within an intertemporal equilibrium model

Abstract The post Bretton Woods era has been characterized by real exchange rates that exhibit mean reversion, with mixed evidence as to whether this reversion is partial (PPP never holds) or essentially complete. This paper generates these stylized facts theoretically by synthesizing a simple intertemporal open economy model with the elasticities approach to the current account. A central feature of the model is the existence of non-traded goods. The model can generate partial or approximately complete mean reversion for the real exchange rate (depending on parameter values) if innovations in output are made up of permanent and temporary components. In addition, temporary output shocks generate a type of hysteresis wherein the short-run path for the exchange rate permanently alters its long-run equilibrium value.
Parkinsonism reduces coordination of fingers, wrist, and arm in fine motor control

This experiment investigates movement coordination in Parkinson's disease (PD) subjects. Seventeen PD patients and 12 elderly control subjects performed several handwriting-like tasks on a digitizing writing tablet resting on top of a table in front of the subject. The writing patterns, in increasing order of coordination complexity, were repetitive back-and-forth movements in various orientations, circles and loops in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, and a complex writing pattern. The patterns were analyzed in terms of jerk normalized for duration and size per stroke. In the PD subjects, back-and-forth strokes, involving coordination of fingers and wrist, showed larger normalized jerk than strokes performed using either the wrist or the fingers alone. In the PD patients, wrist flexion (plus radial deviation) showed greater normalized jerk in comparison to wrist extension (plus ulnar deviation). The elderly control subjects showed no such effects as a function of coordination complexity. For both PD and elderly control subjects, looping patterns consisting of circles with a left-to-right forearm movement, did not show a systematic increase of normalized jerk. The same handwriting patterns were then simulated using a biologically inspired neural network model of the basal ganglia thalamocortical relations for a control and a mild PD subject. The network simulation was consistent with the observed experimental results, providing additional support that a reduced capability to coordinate wrist and finger movements may be caused by suboptimal functioning of the basal ganglia in PD. The results suggest that in PD patients fine motor control problems may be caused by a reduced capability to coordinate the fingers and wrist and by reduced control of wrist flexion.
Administration of the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporine modulates cocaine-induced locomotor activity in rats

Rationale Cocaine administration in rats increases locomotor activity as a result of underlying changes in neurotransmitter dynamics and intracellular signaling. The serine/ threonine phosphatase, calcineurin, is known to modulate several signaling proteins that can influence behavioral responses to cocaine.
Optimization of Electrochemical Aptamer-Based Sensors via Optimization of Probe Packing Density and Surface Chemistry

Electrochemical, aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors, which are comprised of an electrode modified with surface immobilized, redox-tagged DNA aptamers, have emerged as a promising new biosensor platform. In order to further improve this technology we have systematically studied the effects of probe (aptamer) packing density, the AC frequency used to interrogate the sensor, and the nature of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) used to passivate the electrode on the performance of representative E-AB sensors directed against the small molecule cocaine and the protein thrombin. We find that, by controlling the concentration of aptamer employed during sensor fabrication, we can control the density of probe DNA molecules on the electrode surface over an order of magnitude range. Over this range, the gain of the cocaine sensor varies from 60% to 200%, with maximum gain observed near the lowest probe densities. In contrast, over a similar range, the signal change of the thrombin sensor varies from 16% to 42% and optimal signaling is observed at intermediate densities. Above cut-offs at low hertz frequencies, neither sensor displays any significant dependence on the frequency of the alternating potential employed in their interrogation. Finally, we find that E-AB signal gain is sensitive to the nature of the alkanethiol SAM employed to passivate the interrogating electrode; while thinner SAMs lead to higher absolute sensor currents, reducing the length of the SAM from 6-carbons to 2-carbons reduces the observed signal gain of our cocaine sensor 10-fold. We demonstrate that fabrication and operational parameters can be varied to achieve optimal sensor performance and that these can serve as a basic outline for future sensor fabrication.
Gender and the predictive validity of the LSI-R: A study of parolees and probationers.

The Level of Service Inventory—Revised (LSI-R) is a classification instrument used to identify the risks and needs of offenders. Originally validated for use with male offenders, some scholars have questioned the instrument’s suitability for use with female offenders. The current study attempts to contribute to the discussion on gender and the predictive validity of the LSI-R. A sample of 2,849 probationers and parolees were administered the LSI-R at two points in time. This design allows for the analysis of the instrument’s predictive validity at Time 1 and Time 2, and of the impact that changes in LSI-R scores may have on rates of recidivism. The results suggest that the LSI-R is a valid instrument for predicting recidivism with male and female offenders and thus should be viewed as a useful resource for practitioners engaged in correctional treatment.
The impact of catalyst science on catalyst design and development

Abstract Progress in catalyst science has led to a molecular-level understanding of catalyst structure and the relationship between structure and catalyst performance. A similar level of progress has been achieved in understanding the structure of adsorbed species and the dynamics of elementary processes involved in catalyzed reactions. This paper discusses the contributions of catalyst science to the design and development of catalysts, and identifies areas for future research.
Getting on Each Other’s Nerves: Marking Territory and Policing Borders in Failure and Nerve in the Academic Study of Religion: Essays in Honor of Donald Wiebe

AbstractThis review essay assesses the continued relevance of Donald Wiebe’s diagnosis of problems with and prescriptions for the academic study of religion, critically reviews some of the contributions to a recent collection of essays in honor of Wiebe, identifies some issues or problems that are left lingering by these contributions, and offers some tentative proposals for dealing with them.
Sterotex—A Grinding Aid

Powdered samples for x-ray analysis are often ground in mills by using a rotating ring and puck inside a grinding cylinder. Such commercial grinders are the Disc Mill (Angstrom, Inc.), Bleuler Mill (Applied Research Laboratories, Inc.), and Shatter-box (Spex Industries, Inc.). A grinding aid is frequently added along with the sample to increase the grinding efficiency, to minimize contamination caused by abrasion with the grinding media, and to eliminate sample’s sticking to the grinding surfaces and thus aid in sample transfer. Grinding aids frequently employed are soap powders, sodium alkylsulfonate, and Boraxo. These products contain sodium; this precludes their use when sodium is to be determined. Sterotex powder,1 a vegetable-fat product that is free of the elements determined by x-ray, has been tested and used as a grinding aid. Sterotex, a fine powder about 95% −200 mesh, easily and uniformly disperses with the sample. When required, it can be premixed with the sample to minimize spot-impacting of the sample on the grinding surfaces. To eliminate this problem with, for example, Boraxo, the as-received product should be ball-milled to about −50 mesh. Sterotex also imparts some binding action when briquets are prepared from the pulverized sample.
Accreditation: A New Embedded-Computer Standardization Approach

Culminating in a set of criteria for an accreditation strategy, this article carefully examines the issues surrounding accreditation as a standardized acquisition method.
Optimum semiconductors for high-frequency and low-noise MESFET applications

An analytic MESFET device model has been used to study the optimum velocity-field characteristics of materials that are potentially useful for millimeter-wave and low-noise MESFET applications. Materials of current interest have been characterized and compared. Results explain the relative importance of parameters such as low-field mobility and saturated velocity. Differences between GaAs and Si performance are explained and a number of attractive compound semiconductors for high-frequency and low-noise device fabrications are indicated.
National curricula for advanced science classes in American high schools? The influence of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program on science curricula

Unlike many countries, the USA does not have a national system of education, and consequently there is tremendous variation in high school science curricula. Although there exist no federally sanctioned exit examinations, the College Board has partially filled this void through its Advanced Placement (AP) Program. This voluntary, non‐governmental programme offers subject‐specific examinations whereby students may earn college credit. To determine the influence of this nation‐wide testing programme, the researcher performed within‐subjects analysis of course curricula using information provided by educators experienced in teaching accelerated students both independently and within the AP Program. Although no assessment of quality was made, it was determined that teachers presented material in greater breadth, in greater depth, and with much greater speed when preparing students for the AP examination. The responsiveness of teachers to College Board recommendations demonstrates that nation‐wide science curr...
Female homicides in United States workplaces, 1980-1985.

BACKGROUND: Women, while noted for low occupational injury mortality rates, are more likely to die as victims of assault than from any other manner of injury at work. METHODS: From the National Traumatic Occupational Fatality surveillance data, 950 women were identified who were fatally assaulted at work. Homicide rates were calculated for the demographic and employment characteristics of these women. Risk ratios among types of lethal injuries were examined. RESULTS: During 1980-1985, the crude six-year workplace homicide rate was 4.0 deaths per million working women: one twentieth the homicide rate of the US female population. Decedents ranged from 16 years (the lowest age included in the data base) to 93 years of age. Working women older than 65 years had the highest age-specific homicide rate, 11.3 per million. Women younger than 20 had the lowest, 2.5 per million per year. Homicide rates for women of races other than White were nearly twice as high as those of Whites. The leading causes of death were gunshot wounds (64 percent), stabbings (19 percent), asphyxiations (7 percent), and blunt force trauma (6 percent). Nearly 43 percent of the deceased women had been employed in retail trade: 8.7 per million employed women annually. CONCLUSIONS: During 1980-1985, only 6 percent of the nation's victims of work-related injury deaths were female: 41 percent of those women were murdered. Homicide is currently the leading manner of traumatic workplace death among women in the United States.
Command, control and technology

(1988). Command, control and technology. Defense Analysis: Vol. 4, Command and Control, pp. 267-286.
Dithiazolodithiazolyl Radicals: Substituent Effects on Solid State Structures and Properties

A general synthetic route to the pyridine-bridged dithiazolodithiazolyl framework R2BPR1, involving N-alkylation of a 4-substituted 2,6-dichloropyridine, followed by amination and double Herz cyclization with S2Cl2, has been developed. The radicals R2BPMe (R2 = Me, Ph) have been prepared and characterized by EPR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Their crystal structures have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Both structures consist of undimerized slipped radical π-stacks. Lateral interactions in MeBPMe (space group P21/c) generate chainlike arrays with radicals linked by inversion centers; there are no close interchain S−S contacts. By contrast, in PhBPMe (space group P3121) the radical π-stacks are nested about 31 axes, so as to produce an extensive 2-dimensional network of intermolecular S−S interactions. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that MeBPMe is essentially paramagnetic, whereas PhBPMe displays strong antiferromagnetic coupling. A value of J = −149 cm-1 ...
Structure of states in the mass-90 region by (p, p′γ) angular correlations at the 52+(g.s.) analog resonances: (I). The 94Mo(p, p′γ) reaction

Abstract Angular correlations between the inelastically scattered protons to the 0.871 MeV (2+), 1.582 MeV (4+), 1.868 MeV (2+) and 2.08 MeV states of 94Mo and the subsequent 2+ → 0+ γ-rays were measured as a function of incident energy near the 5 2 + ( g.s. ) analog in 95Tc. General arguments, which take into account compound nuclear enhancement, were used to extract accurate relative partial-width amplitudes of the analog resonance.
From the Artist's Perspective: The Psychopathology of the Normal World

Freud recognized that psychiatric knowledge of creative individuals presents challenges of a radically different kind, in contrast to the understanding of average clients seen in a psychiatrist's routine practice, and he admitted that “before the problem of the creative artist, psychoanalysis must, alas, lay down its arms” (Freud, 1928/1961, p. 177). Since Freud, little has happened in psychology and psychiatry to throw appreciable light on creative processes in relation to the incapacitating emotional and cognitive problems experienced by some creative people. In this article, I take a fresh look at the now customary psychiatric assessment of creative artists who experience severe emotional and cognitive problems. Such problems have not been understood in the context of the artist's usually ignored struggle to live and work creatively in a world dominated both by psychologically normal people and by corresponding standards of psychiatric normality.
Reactivity and kinetic studies of (NH4)2(MoS4) in acidic aqueous solution: possible relevance to the angiostatic function of the MoS4(2-) ligand.

Abstract Although addition of mineral acids to WS 4 2 - in water is known to lead to aggregation and formation of various polynuclear thiotungstate anions, acid hydrolysis of the MoS 4 2 - anion is reported to give mainly MoS 3 or MoS 2 as hydrolysis products. Knowledge of the resulting product(s) from such reactions has implications on the use of tetrathiomolybdate ( MoS 4 2 - ) as both a potential anti-tumor drug and for the treatment of Wilson’s disease. In this investigation, reaction of HCl with MoS 4 2 - in water was monitored as a function of time. Reaction mixtures of both 1:1 and 2:1 mole ratios of the acid to MoS 4 2 - were examined, as well as MoS 4 2 - reactions in simulated human stomach fluids at pH of ∼2 and 3. Monitoring by electrospray mass spectrometry (ESMS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and UV–visible spectroscopy clearly has revealed the formation of complex mixtures of polynuclear thiomolybdates (Mo 2 –Mo 18 ). Generally, a two-stage consecutive reaction sequence occurs. A faster stage ( k = 7.0–7.9 × 10 −2 min −1 ), which seems to extend to trinuclear thiomolybdate species, followed by a slower second stage ( k = 5.4–15.2 × 10 −4 min −1 ) to higher polynuclear thiomolybdates. Under acidic conditions (e.g. pH ∼ 3) that could also mimic some human stomach fluids, and under anaerobic atmosphere where the generated hydrogen sulfide is prevented from escaping from the reaction vessel, Mo 3 S 9 2 - predominates over an extended reaction period. In similar reactions under aerobic conditions and where the hydrogen sulfide is irretrievably lost from the reaction mixture the binuclear ( Mo 2 O a S 10 - a 2 - ; a = 0 – 3 ) and trinuclear ( Mo 3 O b S 9 - b 2 - ; b = 1 – 3 ) anions predominate.
Omission of Dysphagia Therapies in Hospital Discharge Communications

Despite the wide implementation of dysphagia therapies, it is unclear whether these therapies are successfully communicated beyond the inpatient setting. The aim of this study was to examine the rate of dysphagia recommendation omissions in hospital discharge summaries for high-risk subacute care (i.e., skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation, long-term care) populations. We performed a retrospective cohort study that included all stroke and hip fracture patients billed for inpatient dysphagia evaluations by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and discharged to subacute care from 2003 through 2005 from a single large academic medical center (N = 187). Dysphagia recommendations from final SLP hospital notes and from hospital (physician) discharge summaries were abstracted, coded, and compared for each patient. Recommendation categories included dietary (food and liquid), postural/compensatory techniques (e.g., chin tuck), rehabilitation (e.g., exercise), meal pacing (e.g., small bites), medication delivery (e.g., crush pills), and provider/supervision (e.g., 1-to-1 assist). Forty-five percent of discharge summaries omitted all SLP dysphagia recommendations. Forty-seven percent (88/186) of patients with SLP dietary recommendations, 82% (93/114) with postural, 100% (16/16) with rehabilitation, 90% (69/77) with meal pacing, 95% (21/22) with medication, and 79% (96/122) with provider/supervision recommendations had these recommendations completely omitted from their discharge summaries. Discharge summaries omitted all categories of SLP recommendations at notably high rates. Improved post-hospital communication strategies are needed for discharges to subacute care.
A blood fluidizing activity

Abstract The viscosity, hematocrit and plasma proteins, determined by simple techniques on one ml of blood, were some of the parameters observed in a long term study of clinical thromboembolism. The known dependence of viscosity on the hematocrit and plasma proteins was usually observed, but frequent exceptions were found. Many viscosities appeared that were far less than expected from the blood's composition. These variations were attributed to a blood fluidizing activity that was not dependent on dilution. This activity was quantized by a formula that expressed it in percent. Its normal range of activity was delineated by analysis of 1000 tests on 200 well individuals, and its general behavior outlined by 5239 tests on a variety of patients seen in practice. Extended follow-up studies on many normal subjects and patients indicated that the intensity of fluidizing activity was characteristic for the individual, and seemed to be directed by a mechanism whose control settings may vary. It was suggested that this fluidizing activity may play a prominent role in blood rheology.
A poromechanical model of freezing concrete to elucidate damage mechanisms associated with substandard aggregates

Abstract A poromechanical composite model is developed to predict time-dependent stress and strain fields in freezing concrete containing aggregates with undesirable combinations of geometry and constitutive properties. Sensitivity of the stress fields to the aggregate and matrix constitutive parameters is assessed to inform improved concrete design. The model trends presented in this paper are in agreement with experimental results from literature. The model indicates that for both air-entrained and non-air-entrained concrete, destructive tensile stress may be triggered at the aggregate–matrix boundary, with the severity enhanced by the Mandel–Cryer effect. It is determined that high-porosity, low-permeability aggregates are most vulnerable to D-cracking.
Proton decay of the isobaric analogs of the ground states of207Pb and208Pb

The proton decays\(\tilde p\) of isobaric analog states of207, 208Pb in the reactions207, 208Pb(p, n) have been studied using a neutron-proton coincidence technique. The width anomaly observed in (p, n) [4] and (p, n\(\tilde p\)) singles spectra [11] is resolved in the coincident spectra.
Identification of a Protective Role for Protein Phosphatase 1cγ1 against Oxidative Stress-induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Apoptosis

The development of therapeutic strategies to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated damage in blood vessels has been limited by a lack of specific targets for intervention. Targeting ROS-mediated events in the vessel wall is of interest, because ROS play important roles throughout atherogenesis. In early atherosclerosis, ROS stimulate vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth, whereas in late stages of lesion development, ROS induce VSMC apoptosis, causing atherosclerotic plaque instability. To identify putative protective genes against oxidative stress, mouse aortic VSMC were infected with a retroviral human heart cDNA expression library, and apoptosis was induced in virus-infected cells by 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DMNQ) treatment. A total of 17 different, complete cDNAs were identified from the DMNQ-resistant VSMC clones by PCR amplification and sequencing. The cDNA encoding PP1cγ1 (catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 1) was present in several independent DMNQ-resistant VSMC clones. DMNQ increased mitochondrial ROS production, caspase-3/7 activity, DNA fragmentation, and decreased mitochondrial transmembrane potential in VSMC while decreasing PP1cγ1 activity and expression. Depletion of PP1cγ1 expression by short hairpin RNA significantly enhanced basal as well as DMNQ-induced VSMC apoptosis. PP1cγ1 overexpression abrogated DMNQ-induced JNK1 activity, p53 Ser15 phosphorylation, and Bax expression and protected VSMC against DMNQ-induced apoptosis. In addition, PP1cγ1 overexpression attenuated DMNQ-induced caspase-3/7 activation and DNA fragmentation. Inhibition of p53 protein expression using small interfering RNA abrogated DMNQ-induced Bax expression and significantly attenuated VSMC apoptosis. Together, these data indicate that PP1cγ1 overexpression promotes VSMC survival by interfering with JNK1 and p53 phosphorylation cascades involved in apoptosis.
Hybrid Seed and the Economic Well-Being of Smallholder Maize Farmers in Zambia

The development and diffusion of hybrid maize in Zambia since the 1970s is a major achievement in African agriculture, but other than profitability studies, analyses of how this process has affecte...
A rabbit preparation for neuro-behavioral auditory research

Abstract Auditory thresholds were determined in rabbits by a classically conditioned nictitating membrane response established with a tone-conditioned stimulus and a shock-unconditioned stimulus. The audiograms obtained were comparable in shape and sensitivity to threshold curves measured for a variety of small mammals by other conditioning techniques. This procedure provides a quick and efficient method for measuring hearing sensitivity in a restrained preparation that permits precise stimulus control as well as providing an ideal situation for a variety of physiological studies of hearing in an awake, behaving animal.
Methods for developing country level estimates of the incidence of deaths and non-fatal injuries from road traffic crashes

The estimates of the incidence of deaths and non-fatal injuries from road traffic crashes are essential inputs for prioritising national health and transport policies. This article sketches a methodology for assembling such estimates at the country level by piecing together data from a wide array of sources that include death registers, hospital records, funeral records, health surveys and police reports. Using examples of the types of data sources available in four developing countries (Iran, Mexico, Ghana and India), methods are proposed for making these consistent and extrapolating to estimates of injury incidence at the country level. This requires filling information gaps, mapping from varying case definitions, deriving population-based incidence estimates from sources that may not track denominator populations, and appropriately reapportioning cases assigned to poorly specified causes. The principles proposed here will form the methodological basis for a series of country reports to be published in the future.
Rehearsal strategies of Alcoholic Korsakoff patients

Abstract An overt rehearsal procedure was used to monitor the rehearsal strategies that Alcoholic Korsakoff, Chronic Alcoholic, and Normal Control patients used when learning a 20-item list. It was found that Korsakoff patients spontaneously rehearse only one word at a time, that word being the one currently presented, regardless of the organizational salience of the list of words. Alcholics and Control patients, on the other hand, tended to rehearse several words in addition to the one being currently presented, and they demonstrated increasing ability to rehearse semantically related words together as the organizational salience of the list increased. This ability to rehearse in an enriched manner placed the two control groups at a distinct advantage over the Korsakoff patients at the time of recalling the list.
The evaluation of urban congestion management schemes

At present, there are no established techniques for the comprehensive evaluation of urban congestion management schemes. There is uncertainty concerning the magnitude of their effects, the valuation of impacts upon particular interest groups and the manner in which the net community benefits should be compared to operating and capital costs. Thus, it is possible that some inappropriate proposals may be implemented while other, more worthwhile projects are rejected. The object of this paper is therefore, to examine three related topics-the nature of congestion, evaluation methodology and the approach to scheme design.
Responses of Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons during Natural Whisking Behaviors in the Awake Rat

Rats use their whiskers to locate and discriminate tactile features of their environment. Mechanoreceptors surrounding each whisker encode and transmit sensory information from the environment to the brain via afferents whose cell bodies lie in the trigeminal ganglion (Vg). These afferents are classified as rapidly (RA) or slowly (SA) adapting by their response to stimulation. The activity of these cells in the awake behaving rat is yet unknown. Therefore, we developed a method to chronically record Vg neurons during natural whisking behaviors and found that all cells exhibited (1) no neuronal activity when the whiskers were not in motion, (2) increased activity when the rat whisked, with activity correlated to whisk frequency, and (3) robust increases in activity when the whiskers contacted an object. Moreover, we observed distinct differences in the firing rates between RA and SA cells, suggesting that they encode distinct aspects of stimuli in the awake rat.
Religion and Nationalism Understanding the Consequences of a Complex Relationship

This article offers a first attempt to understand the relationship between religion and nationalism. It first addresses the absence of a discussion of religion in the literature on nationalism. Some of the most prominent authors, including Ernest Gellner, Benedict Anderson and Eric Hobsbawm, have all largely neglected the role of religion in their discussions of the rise of nationalism by focussing on economic factors. A proper understanding of the development of nationalism should incorporate the direct and indirect influences of religion. Second, this article lays out an initial classification of the different ways in which religion and nationalism interact. I identify a number of degrees of influence which religion has on nationalism. In the first case, religious nationalism, religion and nationalism are inseparable. In other national movements, religion plays a less dominant role, merely assisting the more prominent nationalist movement as a cohesive element. This article concludes with an explanation...
A flood-based information flow analysis and network minimization method for gene regulatory networks

Background: Biological networks tend to have high interconnectivity, complex topologies and multiple types of interactions. This renders difficult the identification of sub-networks that are involved in condition- specific responses. In addition, we generally lack scalable methods that can reveal the information flow in gene regulatory and biochemical pathways. Doing so will help us to identify key participants and paths under specific environmental and cellular context. Results: This paper introduces the theory of network flooding, which aims to address the problem of network minimization and regulatory information flow in gene regulatory networks. Given a regulatory biological network, a set of source (input) nodes and optionally a set of sink (output) nodes, our task is to find (a) the minimal sub-network that encodes the regulatory program involving all input and output nodes and (b) the information flow from the source to the sink nodes of the network. Here, we describe a novel, scalable, network traversal algorithm and we assess its potential to achieve significant network size reduction in both synthetic and E. coli networks. Scalability and sensitivity analysis show that the proposed method scales well with the size of the network, and is robust to noise and missing data. Conclusions: The method of network flooding proves to be a useful, practical approach towards information flow analysis in gene regulatory networks. Further extension of the proposed theory has the potential to lead in a unifying framework for the simultaneous network minimization and information flow analysis across various “omics” levels.
X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Analysis of Silicon Oxide Deposited by a Nitrous Oxide/Silane Glow Discharge

Thin layers (100A) of SiOx were deposited at room temperature in a RF glow discharge in a nitrous oxide-silane ambient. Surface properties of the deposit were studied using quantitative and qualitative XPS and AES. Abrupt changes in the energy difference between the O 1s and Si 2p photoelectron peaks, the O/Si stoichiometric ratio, and nitrogen incorporation are observed with varying amounts of silane in the gas ambient (for a fixed nitrous oxide flow). The abrupt change in binding energy difference correlates with the presence of free oxygen in the glow discharge as measured by in-situ mass spectrometry. At silane flows below the abrupt change, nitrogen is excluded from the deposit and the surfaces appear to be chemically silicon dioxide with a O/Si ratio of 2.1 as determined from quantitative XPS analysis. Above the abrupt change, the films exhibit a surface composition of less than 2.0.
Effects of Practices Related to Catch-and-Release Angling on Mortality and Viral Transmission in Juvenile Largemouth Bass Infected with Largemouth Bass Virus

Abstract Largemouth bass virus (LMBV; family Iridoviridae) has recently emerged as a causative agent in fish kills of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides. Little is known about how the virus is transmitted or what factors predispose fish to mortality subsequent to infection. Concern has nevertheless arisen that activities related to recreational angling may affect transmission dynamics and may alter the susceptibility of infected fish to clinical disease. This study examined the separate effects of two angling-related factors on the susceptibility of juvenile largemouth bass to mortality from LMBV infection and on the transmission of LMBV from infected to uninfected fish. The first factor was hook-and-line angling. Infected fish that underwent a simulated angling treatment did not experience higher mortality or have higher viral loads in their tissues than those that were not angled. The second factor was direct contact between infected and uninfected fish, as would occur in live wells and holding tanks...
Severely atypical medium-sized congenital nevus with widespread satellitosis and placental deposits in a neonate: The problem of congenital melanoma and its simulants

We describe a neonate with a highly atypical melanocytic proliferation that arose in a medium-sized congenital nevus, in association with multiple cutaneous satellite lesions and placental deposits. The patient's pathologic findings and benign clinical course to date raise the problem of diagnosis of congenital melanoma and the importance of clinical follow-up to determine the biologic behavior of severely atypical, histologically malignant proliferations in congenital melanocytic nevi.
Leucine metabolism in human newborns

The present study was designed to 1) determine whether a relationship exists between newborn birth weight and leucine metabolism and 2) compare leucine and energy metabolism in a period of rapid growth and development (i.e., newborn) with a constant nongrowth period (i.e., adult). Leucine kinetics and energy expenditure were measured in the postabsorptive state in 12 normal full-term newborns in early neonatal life and in 11 normal adults using a primed constant L-[1-13C]leucine infusion combined with respiratory calorimetry. A significant positive correlation between newborn birth weight and leucine flux was observed. Leucine flux per kilogram body weight was significantly greater in newborns compared with adults, as was leucine oxidation and energy expenditure. When normalized to metabolic body weight (W0.75), newborns and adults had similar rates of energy expenditure, leucine flux, and oxidation. The allometric exponent relating leucine flux to body weight (0.80) was nearly equivalent to that describing the energy expenditure-to-body weight relationship (0.79) and both were similar to the 0.75 metabolic weight exponent. These data suggest the following. 1) A relationship exists between newborn birth weight and protein metabolism, as reflected by the correlation between leucine flux when expressed as micromoles per kilogram per hour and birth weight. It is speculated that this relationship may be the result of differences in previous protein and energy supplies. 2) The high rate of leucine flux measured in newborns probably reflects the rapid remodeling of protein that occurs in this period of development, even during fasting.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Density of an equimolar mixture of ethane and methyl chloride

We have measured the density of an equimolar gas mixture of C2H6–CH3Cl between 323.15 and 473.15 K at pressures to 14.0 MPa. Interaction second virial coefficients and dew-point pressures are extracted from the measurements. Intermolecular force constants for the Lennard-Jones and Stockmayer models are determined optimally for like and unlike pair interactions. Recent methods of prediction for second virial coefficients, both pure and interaction, are tested against experiment.
β-Arrestins Regulate Atherosclerosis and Neointimal Hyperplasia by Controlling Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Migration

Atherosclerosis and arterial injury-induced neointimal hyperplasia involve medial smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation and migration into the arterial intima. Because many 7-transmembrane and growth factor receptors promote atherosclerosis, we hypothesized that the multifunctional adaptor proteins beta-arrestin1 and -2 might regulate this pathological process. Deficiency of beta-arrestin2 in ldlr(-/-) mice reduced aortic atherosclerosis by 40% and decreased the prevalence of atheroma SMCs by 35%, suggesting that beta-arrestin2 promotes atherosclerosis through effects on SMCs. To test this potential atherogenic mechanism more specifically, we performed carotid endothelial denudation in congenic wild-type, beta-arrestin1(-/-), and beta-arrestin2(-/-) mice. Neointimal hyperplasia was enhanced in beta-arrestin1(-/-) mice, and diminished in beta-arrestin2(-/-) mice. Neointimal cells expressed SMC markers and did not derive from bone marrow progenitors, as demonstrated by bone marrow transplantation with green fluorescent protein-transgenic cells. Moreover, the reduction in neointimal hyperplasia seen in beta-arrestin2(-/-) mice was not altered by transplantation with either wild-type or beta-arrestin2(-/-) bone marrow cells. After carotid injury, medial SMC extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation and proliferation were increased in beta-arrestin1(-/-) and decreased in beta-arrestin2(-/-) mice. Concordantly, thymidine incorporation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation and migration evoked by 7-transmembrane receptors were greater than wild type in beta-arrestin1(-/-) SMCs and less in beta-arrestin2(-/-) SMCs. Proliferation was less than wild type in beta-arrestin2(-/-) SMCs but not in beta-arrestin2(-/-) endothelial cells. We conclude that beta-arrestin2 aggravates atherosclerosis through mechanisms involving SMC proliferation and migration and that these SMC activities are regulated reciprocally by beta-arrestin2 and beta-arrestin1. These findings identify inhibition of beta-arrestin2 as a novel therapeutic strategy for combating atherosclerosis and arterial restenosis after angioplasty.
“The collective circle”: Latino immigrant musicians and politics in Charlotte, North Carolina

Through their music making, Latino immigrant musicians and audience members in Charlotte, North Carolina, debate political questions relevant to their lives as workers and residents of a globalizing city. Despite contentious politics around immigration, Charlotte's Latino musicians are not active in the organized immigration-reform movement. Looking at their ambivalent political positionality, I engage with five key themes: how “relationship songs” reveal musicians’ personal politics; the effect of everyday policing on immigrant communities and musicians’ responses to immigration enforcement policies; the politics of laboring as a Latino musician, including the training and professional ethics that accompany music making; the emergence of musicians as “grassroots intellectuals”; and the importance of the “collective circle”—a frenetic style of band–audience interaction—in helping constitute a sense of agency and shape the informal political stances that Latino musicians take.
The Molecular Perspective: Hepatitis B Virus

INTRODUCTION Viruses are remarkable for their economy: it is often hard to imagine how so much trouble can be packed into such a small object. Hepatitis B virus is no exception. It is barely 50 nanometers across—just over twice the diameter of a ribosome—and encodes only a handful of proteins in its small genome of about 3,000 DNA nucleotides. But with this modest arsenal, the virus manages to evade the immune system and attack liver cells, leading to hepatitis and, in some cases, cancer. Hepatitis B virus, shown in Figure 1, is composed of several layers. Outermost, there is a membrane envelope, picked up when the virus buds from an infected cell. The membrane is studded with three similar forms of an envelope protein. These envelope proteins search for cells to infect, attaching to a yet-unknown receptor on the liver cell surface. Inside the membrane, there is a protein capsid, as shown in Figure 2. As with many viral capsids, it is formed of a single type of protein, which associates to form a hollow shell with icosahedral symmetry. The most common form of hepatitis B virus contains a capsid composed of 240 capsid proteins, but about 10% have a smaller capsid comprised of 180 proteins. The inner workings of the virion, which includes the DNA genome and a reverse transcriptase enzyme, are unusual. In most copies of the virus, the genome is composed of one complete DNA strand that is held in a big loose circle by a partial second strand. This odd genome—part single strand and part double helix—is a consequence of the method by which the virus replicates. In the cell, a long RNA copy of the genome is packaged into a new capsid, then the reverse transcriptase gets to work and copies it into the DNA form of the mature infectious virion. Construction of the second strand may halt when the capsid gets too crowded, stopping short of a full-length double helix. Alternatively, the formation of double-stranded DNA appears to be the signal that causes the capsid to seek out the membrane and start budding out of the cell. So, reverse transcription may be halted prematurely when the supply of nucleotides is shut off as the virus buds. Either way, the reverse transcriptase rarely completes its job of making a complete double-stranded copy of the genome. Hepatitis B virus also has an unusual mechanism for fighting the immune system. Infected cells are forced to build new viruses, but they also construct smaller virus-like particles that contain no DNA. The infected cell floods the blood with these small subviral particles and they sop up the antibodies that are waiting to attack the viruses. Infected individuals may have trillions of these little decoys in every milliliter of blood. The method, however, has backfired in recent times, since a very similar particle, made by recombinant DNA technology, is now used as a vaccine against the virus. In many cases, infection by hepatitis B virus is cleared
Mild orotic aciduria and uricosuria in severe trauma victims

Hypermetabolic responses with respect to pyrimidine and purine kinetics in trauma victims were investigated during the catabolic phase before and after nutritional support. Orotic acid and uric acid excretions were measured in 32 adult, severely traumatized, hypermetabolic, and highly catabolic patients while they were receiving fluids with no calories or nitrogen. Patients were then fed intravenously amino acids and glucose or glucose alone or fed enterally for 5-6 d. Daily excretions of orotic acid, uric acid, urea, nitrogen, and creatinine were monitored. Mild orotic aciduria and uricosuria with hypouricemia were the basal-trauma responses. The significant (P = 0.001, r = 0.70) positive correlation between orotic and uric acid excretion demonstrates the parallelism between pyrimidine and purine metabolism. Feeding for 5-6 d could decrease but not readily abolish the injury-induced metabolic changes in nitrogen, pyrimidine, and purine metabolism. Glucose infusion alone may be sufficient to counteract the metabolic effects of trauma in the early flow phase of injury.
Rubidium Polyhydrides Under Pressure: Emergence of the Linear H3− Species

The structures of compressed rubidium polyhydrides, RbH(n) with n>1, and their evolution under pressure are studied using density functional theory calculations. These phases, which start to stabilize at only P = 2 GPa, consist of Rb(+) cations and one or more of the following species: H(-) anions, H(2) molecules, and H(3)(-) molecules. The latter motif, the simplest example of a three-center four-electron bond, is found in the most stable structures, RbH(5) and RbH(3) , which metallize above 200 GPa. At the highest pressures studied, our evolutionary searches find an RbH(6) phase which contains polymeric (H(3)(-))(∞) chains that show signs of one-dimensional liquid-like behavior.
p53 and hTERT Determine Sensitivity to Viral Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a potent host defense against microbes. Most viruses have adapted strategies to counteract this response. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) produces a balance between pro- and antiapoptotic processes during infection. When antiapoptotic signals become limiting, infected cells die through HSV-dependent apoptosis (HDAP). Oncogenic pathways were previously implicated in HDAP susceptibility. Here, we exploited our ability to selectively express all, one, or no oncogenes in the well-defined HeLa cell system to dissect the requirements for HDAP. Human papillomavirus E6 and E7 oncogene expression was inhibited by the E2 viral repressor. Sole expression of E6 mediated HDAP sensitization. Next, two known cellular targets of E6 were independently modulated. This demonstrated that E6 sensitizes HeLa cells to HDAP through hTERT and p53. Given the universality of the apoptotic antiviral response, p53 and telomerase regulation will likely be important for counteracting host defenses in many other viral infections.