cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Digital processing capabilities using holographically recorded data pages in electro-optic crystals

Abstract Digital logic operations on holographically recorded binary data pages in electro-optic crystals as previously reported by others are summarized and extended. The basic logic operations available and processing capabilities are identified and discussed.
A view of the future of NASA's Deep Space Network and associated systems

The current architecture of the Deep Space Network reflects its heritage of supporting past, and ongoing NASA missions. In the future, the size and character of the Agency's deep space mission fleet will significantly change. Consequently, the DSN must evolve to accomodate anticipated needs.
Molecular stratigraphy of the Santa Barbara basin: comparison with historical records of annual climate change

Abstract The molecular record of 20th Century climatic variability in laminated sediments of the Santa Barbara basin has been compiled. Distributions and abundance profiles of alkenones and selected sterols reveal annual oscillations in sea surface temperatures and phytoplankton productivity. Positive excursions in alkenone temperature profiles coincide with all major 20th Century El Nino events recording oceanic warming. Downcore abundance profiles for dinosterol, brassicasterol, cholesterol and alkenones reflect productivity trends in phytoplankton and illustrate the comparative resilience of their molecular records. Series of subsurface concentration maxima for dinosterol, a dinoflagellate-derived sterol, appear synchronous with regional historical reports of dinoflagellate blooms.
Targeting heme oxygenase-1 in the treatment of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the major cause of mortality in the industrialized world. Emerging evidence indicates that the stress protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) that degrades heme to carbon monoxide (CO), iron and biliverdin plays a beneficial role in various vascular disorders including atherosclerosis. This review will highlight the numerous antiatherogenic properties of the enzyme and focus on putative therapeutic approaches that could be employed to deliver HO-1 or its reaction products to the vasculature.
Cognitive Skill, Skill Demands of Jobs, and Earnings among Young European American, African American, and Mexican American Workers

Do the cognitive skills possessed by an individual affect access to more cognitively demanding occupations and hence to the associated higher earnings ? To what extent do differences between African American, U.S.-born Mexican American, and European American (white) in average cognitive skills account for the lower-skilled jobs and lower earnings of African American and Mexican American ? From analyses of 1991 National Longitudinal Survey (NLSY) data for six groups defined by ethnicity and gender, the authors found that individual cognitive skill level (as assessed by standardized test scores) affects access to occupations requiring more cognitive skill, and affects wages levels, even when controlling for education, work experience, and other factors. Most of the effect of cognitive skills on earnings is direct; a smaller portion is indirect, through access to occupations requiring more cognitive skill. The lower average cognitive skill levels for African American and Mexican American explain a substantial proportion of the earnings gaps between these groups and European American. By contrast, cognitive skills explain none of the gender gap in pay within ethnic groups. The authors conclude that to understand or alter racial or ethnic inequalities in earnings, scholars and policy-makers must attend to social sources of group differences in cognitive skills, such as school, family, and neighborhood experiences
Quenching of polymer inside aluminum DSC pans : Origin of an apparent artifact

To obtain amorphous polymer samples for thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), a typical procedure involves quenching the sample, which is encapsulated inside an aluminum DSC pan and lid, into liquid nitrogen or liquid nitrogen-cooled glass beads. We demonstrate that this procedure can cause an artifact endotherm in the subsequent DSC scan of the polymer. The artifact is not related to the polymer sample itself, but is possibly due to phase change of surface moisture introduced during the process of transferring into the DSC cell. A procedure to eliminate the artifact is discussed.
Substrate-guided-wave hologram-based continuously variable true-time-delay module for microwave phased-array antennas

A continuously variable optical true time delay module, based on substrate-guided-wave and holographic optical elements, is designed and fabricated. The dispersion effect of volume holographic gratings is combined with a novel structure to obtain continuously variable time delay intervals from tens of picosecond down to sub-picosecond, which can be employed for K-band (18 GHz - 26.5 GHz) and Ka band (26.5 GHz - 40 GHz) phased-array antennas. The insertion loss of the packaged module is 10 dB, including fan-out loss and propagation loss, while the non-uniformity of insertion loss is within 0.6 dB among all channels. The crosstalk among channels is less than -40 dB. An optical true time delay module is designed to provide delay signals for -60 degrees to +60 degrees continuously steering of an eight-element K-band phased-array antenna system. Antenna field patterns are simulated with the change of optical wavelengths. The demonstrated architecture can be used in both the transmitting and the receiving modes and can be easily scaled up for large arrays.
Analysis of Interfacial Cracking in Flip Chip Packages With Viscoplastic Solder Deformation

This paper examines the modeling of viscoplastic solder behavior in the vicinity of interfacial cracking for flip chip semiconductor packages. Of particular interest is the relationship between viscoplastic deformation in the solder bumps and any possible interface cracking between the epoxy underfill layer and the silicon die. A 3-D finite element code, developed specifically for the study of interfacial fracture problems, was modified to study how viscoplastic solder material properties would affect fracture parameters such as strain energy release rate and phase angle for nearby interfacial cracks. Simplified twolayer periodic symmetry models were developed to investigate these interactions. Comparison of flip chip results using different solder material models showed that viscoplastic models yielded lower stress and fracture parameters than time independent elastic-plastic simulations. It was also found that adding second level attachment greatly increases the magnitude of the solder strain and fracture parameters. As expected, the viscoplastic and temperature dependent elastic-plastic results exhibited greater similarity to each other than results based solely on linear elastic properties. !DOI: 10.1115/1.1649242"
Variation in health and socioeconomic status within the W. Montague Cobb skeletal collection: Degenerative joint disease, trauma and cause of death

This paper examines health differences between two distinct samples within an African American skeletal population by investigating variation in osteoarthritis (OA) patterns, the presence of enthesopathies, fractures and cause of death. Surveys and statistical treatments tested the hypothesis that two samples within a population that have different socioeconomic contexts will present associated differences in health.Binomial statistics were used to examine differences in OA patterns and prevalence within and between groups, and according to age and sex. These data were paired with information on the presence of enthesopathies at select muscle attachment and insertion sites to add another dimension to the assessment of mechanical strain. Finally causes of death, when available, were recorded to compare leading causes within and between samples, as well as with the larger population.Data reveal significant differences in the prevalence of OA between groups. Significant differences also presented when comparing the prevalence of unilateral and bilateral affect. Although a number of differences in health status observed can be attributed to age, relationships between the presence of OA and enthesopathies in a portion of the sample indicates that degenerative change and hypertrophy in the samples reflect both systemic and non-systemic change. The presence and pattern of fractures and causes of death are also suggestive of differences in social context between the two samples. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
Evidence for a cholecystokinin gut-brain axis with modulation by bombesin

The relationship between cerebrospinal fluid and plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) levels was investigated by simultaneous withdrawal of CSF and blood from anesthetized mongrel dogs and measurement of CCK immunoreactivity by radioimmunoassay. A significant correlation occurred between CSF and plasma levels of CCK. During a CCK IV infusion, a statistically significant inverse correlation was noted between CSF and plasma values, while no significant relationship was noted during a bombesin (BBS) IV infusion. When infusion data were analyzed together with the appropriate baseline data, polynomial analysis revealed significant biphasic relationships for both CCK and BBS infusion studies. Intraventricular infusion of CCK did not alter plasma levels. These data suggest that existence of a mechanism relating CSF to plasma CCK levels (a gut to brain axis) with possible modulation or suppression by BBS.
Studies of the blood ofAscidia ceratodes. Total blood cell counts, differential blood cell counts, hematocrit values, seasonal variations, and fluorescent characteristics of blood cells

Seasonal, and animal size and weight variations of the blood cells of the vanadium-containing ascidian,Ascidia ceratodes, were determined. The fluorescent properties of various cell types were ascertained, and discussed in terms of cell development, phylogenic position of the species, and chemicals in the cells.
The importance of dopaminergic neurotransmission in the hypermotility response produced by the administration of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid into the nucleus accumbens.

Abstract The bilateral injection of N- methyl- d -aspartic acid (NMA) into the nucleus accumbens of rats has been shown to stimulate locomotor activity. This response is antagonized by drugs that interfere with dopaminergic neurotransmission, such as reserpine, α-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT) and haloperidol, suggesting that NMA may exert its effects by stimulating the release of dopamine (DA) from nerve terminals. To test this hypothesis, the ability of NMA to release endogenous DA from slices of nucleus accumbens, which were incubated in magnesium-free medium was evaluated. It was found that NMA, at concentrations of 0.1 and 1 mM, did not stimulate the release of endogenous DA from slices in magnesium-free normal medium, medium containing pargyline (to inhibit monoamine oxidase) or medium containing methylphenidate (to block the reuptake of released DA). In contrast, both amphetamine (10−5 M) and a high potassium (20 and 40 mM) stimulated the release of endogenous dopamine. The lack of effect of NMA on the release of endogenous DA was supported by in vivo studies which showed that the injection of NMA into the nucleus accumbens, in a dose that stimulated locomotor activity, did not increase the turnover of dopamine as reflected by an increase in the concentration of DOPAC. In contrast, the direct administration of haloperidol (13 nmol) into the nucleus accumbens produced a marked increase in the concentration of DOPAC. To determine the role of activation of DA receptors in the hypermotility response to NMA, NMA was administered together with subthreshold doses of either DA or apomorphine into the nucleus accumbens of rats pretreated with AMPT. Both DA and apomorphine restored the hypermotility response to NMA. These results suggest that the hypermotility response to NMA is not mediated by the stimulation of the release of DA. However, this response is dependent upon the activation of DA receptors in the nucleus accumbens.
Molecular dynamics simulations of a pulmonary surfactant protein B peptide in a lipid monolayer.

Pulmonary surfactant is a complex mixture of lipids and proteins that lines the air/liquid interface of the alveolar hypophase and confers mechanical stability to the alveoli during the breathing process. The desire to formulate synthetic mixtures for low-cost prophylactic and therapeutic applications has motivated the study of the specific roles and interactions of the different components. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations were carried out on a model system composed of a monolayer of palmitic acid (PA) and a surfactant protein B peptide, SP-B1–25. A detailed structural characterization as a function of the lipid monolayer specific area revealed that the peptide remains inserted in the monolayer up to values of specific area corresponding to an untilted condensed phase of the the pure palmitic acid monolayer. The system remains stable by altering the conformational order of both the anionic lipid monolayer and the peptide secondary structure. Two elements appear to be key for the constitution of this phase: an electrostatic interaction between the cationic peptide residues with the anionic headgroups, and an exclusion of the aromatic residues on the hydrophobic end of the peptide from the hydrophilic and aqueous regions.
Solid waste and pancreatic cancer: an ecologic study in Florida, USA

Background Other than cigarette smoking, modifiable risk factors for pancreatic cancer have not been consistently identified. This study explored the ecologic relationship between pancreatic cancer incidence and measures of cigarette smoking, income, and solid waste collection for Florida's 67 counties. Methods We used Florida's population-based cancer registry to compare county-specific incidence rates of pancreatic cancer among Whites to median household income, the per county prevalence of cigarette smoking, and to measures of per capita municipal solid waste collected. Results County-specific incidence rates for pancreatic cancer ranged from 0 to 8.1 per 100 000 per year and were significantly correlated with income (r = 0.35), cigarette smoking (r = 0.39), and solid waste (r = 0.47). The correlation between pancreatic cancer and solid waste was largely attributable to one sub-component of solid waste, yard trash (grass dippings, and tree and shrub trimmings) (r = 0.42). Using a stepwise regression procedure, only cigarette smoking and yard trash remained significant in the model. Conclusions These data suggest that some factor associated with grass and tree trimmings, e.g. insecticides and herbicides, may increase the risk for pancreatic cancer. This hypothesis is consistent with several reports of pancreatic cancer and insecticide exposure in individuals and may suggest new avenues for research in pancreatic cancer.
PMN Based Thin Film Capacitor for Decoupling Applications in High Speed Digital Circuits

A new type of Pb(Mgl1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN) based thin film decoupling capacitor for high speed digital circuits is presented. The thin film capacitor fabricated on a ceramic Al2O3 substrate with Ball Grid Array (BGA) terminations showed low impedance and low inductance characteristics in the 100MHz - 1GHz range. The sol-gel derived Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3(PMN-PT) thin film showed a high dielectric constant (k=3000) with broad temperature dependence. The capacitor consists of a PMN-PT thin film (0.8 µm thickness), Au electrodes, and solder balls mounted on the upper electrode as terminals. Numerical simulations based on the Partial Element Equivalent Circuit (PEEC) model were conducted for the design of electrodes, which gives low inductance of the capacitor. It was shown that the thin film 1.2mm × 1.2mm capacitor mounted on a board exhibits high capacitance of 20 nF, low ESR of 100 mΩ, and low inductance of 135 pH. These values are in good agreement with the results of numerical simulations.
(M)other tongue: a selected annotated bibliography of world "Englishes"

The cultures and languages of Africa and Asia have had an immense impact on the use of English language there. Awareness of this impact led to a recognition of new, indigenized varieties known collectively as world “Englishes”. They display a number of linguistic and pragmatic patterns different from native varieties, and these have been the subject of much scholarly activity over the last 30 years. This selected bibliography attempts to introduce the literature to librarians, other than English, linguistics, or education selectors. Interdisciplinary in nature, the study of world “Englishes” has implications for research in the history, culture, sociology, and politics of these regions. Selectors in these subjects and general reference librarians should therefore know more about world “Englishes” to provide more useful assistance to patrons.
Developments and Trends in Ecological Risk Assessment

Ecological risk assessment (ERA) has been defined as “the process that evaluates the likelihood that adverse ecological effects may occur or are occurring as a result of exposure to one or more stressors” [1]. Functionally, risk assessment is technical support for decision making under uncertainty. It is applied to finance, industrial safety, wildfire management, regulation of chemicals, and many other fields. ERAs are simply those risk assessments that support decisions concerning a hazard to nonhuman biological systems. It is distinguished from other types of environmental assessments by the clear definition of a decision which must be made by a decision maker who acknowledges uncertainty. The explicit analysis of uncertainty leads to other properties of risk assessment such as the requirement of clearly defined endpoints and the involvement of a decision maker in formulating the assessment problem.
MEASUREMENT ERROR AND ITS IMPACT ON PARTIAL CORRELATION AND MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSES

In studies examining associations between dietary factors and biomedical risk factors, the relations, if they exist, are frequently attenuated by measurement error. Measurement error may be due to a large intraindividual variation and an inadequate number of measurements or to an inaccurate measuring instrument. This paper evaluates the impact of measurement error on partial correlation and multiple linear regression analyses. Quantitative methods are derived to estimate the potential attenuation of associations. The results indicate that when the controlled variables do not have measurement error, but the correlated variables do, the attenuation of the partial correlation coefficient (or multiple regression coefficient) is greater than that of the simple correlation (or regression) coefficient. When both the correlated variables and the controlled variables have measurement error, the partial correlation (or the regression) coefficients can be either increased or decreased.
Phylogenetic Approaches Toward Crocodylian History

▪ Abstract A review of crocodylian phylogeny reveals a more complex history than might have been anticipated from a direct reading of the fossil record without consideration of phylogenetic relationships. The three main extant crocodylian lineages—Gavialoidea, Alligatoroidea, Crocodyloidea—are known from fossils in the Late Cretaceous, and the group is found nearly worldwide during the Cenozoic. Some groups have distributions that are best explained by the crossing of marine barriers during the Tertiary. Early Tertiary crocodylian faunas are phylogenetically composite, and clades tend to be morphologically uniform and geographically widespread. Later in the Tertiary, Old World crocodylian faunas are more endemic. Crocodylian phylogeneticists face numerous challenges, the most important being the phylogenetic relationships and time of divergence of the two living gharials (Gavialis gangeticus and Tomistoma schlegelii), the relationships among living true crocodiles (Crocodylus), and the relationships among...
Fast (10 ns) x-ray pulse production from a 60 ns generator using a plasma opening switch

Summary form only given. There is interest in developing a capability for generating a bremsstrahlung pulse with approximately 10 ns full width at half maximum (FWHM) using several-MeV electrons at a few-hundred kA. One approach to do this is to use a plasma opening switch (POS) to reduce the output pulse width of a standard pulsed power generator. Similar output pulses have been achieved in the past using a POS on the Gamble II generator (2 MV, 1 MA, 60 ns).[l] This paper reports new experiments on Gamble II using cable-gun and flashboard plasma sources and several configuration variations to establish promising techniques to generate the desired output pulse from conventional, longer-pulse generators. Gamble II has a coaxial, 3-ohm water-filled output line connected through an insulator to an inductive vacuum section, initially short-circuited by the POS plasma. During the short circuit phase of the POS, energy increases in the vacuum inductance. At peak current, the inductively-stored energy is about 80% of the energy in the forward-going power pulse. The POS opens quickly, switching the current to a downstream electron-beam diode. Bremsstrahlung is generated when electrons impact a tantalum anode. The resulting x-ray pulse width depends on when the POS opens. The time of opening is controlled by adjusting the initial density and electrode dimensions. Fast switching on Gamble II occurs when the center conductor diameter of the coaxial POS is 5 cm, the plasma length is 8 cm, and when opening starts prior to the end of the forward-going power pulse. The diode load is located 25 cm downstream from the load-end of the POS. This separation is necessary to avoid interference of the POS plasma with the electron-beam diode, which consists of a 6-cm diameter hollow cylindrical cathode, spaced 1-cm from a planar tantalum anode. If the POS conducts for about 80 ns, the current reaches 700 kA prior to switching. The forward-going power pulse is decreasing from its maximum at this time, and the voltage at the insulator crosses zero about 10 ns later. The combination of high conducted current and a diminishing power pulse result in a 9-ns x-ray FWHM, with 500 kA and 3 MV at the diode. Increasing the conduction time results in reduced diode power, while reducing the conduction time results in increased x-ray pulse width.
The experiences and challenges in setting up a mobile computing track

The world of web development has been impacted by the mobile computing, particularly the wide use of smart phones. The rising trend in mobile computing has motivated us to develop a new senior technical track (Bachelor of Science) on Mobile and Web. This panel will discuss the various aspects of setting up new mobile computing courses to be added to the curriculum. IT and other computing faculty must create and deliver these new and exciting mobile computing courses -- all while teaching their regular courses. Difficulties arise with not having the correct technology platforms for the students to use, faculty not knowing all of the elements of these new mobile computing courses themselves, and the time element for faculty to create new courses with their heavy workloads. The panelists will discuss the various aspects of creating a new mobile computing 'track' for the BSIT program at SPSU. Each panelist will discuss various aspects of the track and how SPSU went about creating the track and how it will be rolled out. After each panelist speaks, the floor will be open for discussion and sharing between all attendees.
Specificity of endothelial cell reorientation in response to cyclic mechanical stretching

Evidence suggests that cellular responses to mechanical stimuli depend specifically on the type of stimuli imposed. For example, when subjected to fluid shear stress, endothelial cells align along the flow direction. In contrast, in response to cyclic stretching, cells align away from the stretching direction. However, a few aspects of this cell alignment response remain to be clarified: (1) Is the cell alignment due to actual cell reorientation or selective cell detachment? (2) Does the resulting cell alignment represent a response of the cells to elongation or shortening, or both? (3) Does the cell alignment depend on the stretching magnitude or rate, or both? Finally, the role of the actin cytoskeleton and microtubules in the cell alignment response remains unclear. To address these questions, we grew human aortic endothelial cells on deformable silicone membranes and subjected them to three types of cyclic stretching: simple elongation, pure uniaxial stretching and equi-biaxial stretching. Examination of the same cells before and after stretching revealed that they reoriented. Cells subjected to either simple elongation or pure uniaxial stretching reoriented specifically toward the direction of minimal substrate deformation, even though the directions for the two types of stretching differed by only about 20 degrees. At comparable stretching durations, the extent of cell reorientation was more closely related to the stretching magnitude than the stretching rate. The actin cytoskeleton of the endothelial cell subjected to either type of stretching was reorganized into parallel arrays of actin filaments (i.e., stress fibers) aligned in the direction of the minimal substrate deformation. Furthermore, in response to equi-biaxial stretching, the actin cytoskeleton was remodeled into a "tent-like" structure oriented out of the membrane plane-again towards the direction of the minimal substrate deformation. Finally, abolishing microtubules prevented neither the formation of stress fibers nor cell reorientation. Thus, endothelial cells respond very specifically to the type of deformation imposed upon them.
Genetic evidence for lacustrine spawning of the non-anadromous Atlantic salmon population of Little Gull Lake, Newfoundland

Allozyme markers were used to investigate the spatial boundaries of the non-anadromous Atlantic salmon population of Little Gull Lake, Eastern Canada. Mixed year class samples of juvenile salmon were analysed from inlet streams, upstream lakes, the outlet river and sites downstream. No evidence was found that individuals from the Lake's non-anadromous population were present in these samples, strongly suggesting that the non-anadromous population is confined to the lake and has a lacustrine spawning habit.
Written Emotional Expression as an Intervention for Asthma: A Replication.

Abstract There is a great deal of research revealing how asthma is influenced by psychological variables such as symptom perception and negative emotions. Psychologically-based treatments including bio-feedback, yoga, hypnosis, stress management, relaxation and guided imagery, and written-emotional expression have all been effective in improving pulmonary lung function and overall quality of life. It has been estimated that asthma affects approximately 6 million children under the age of 18. The ramifications for this population include increased absenteeism, restriction of activities, and poor peer relationships. Therefore, students with asthma often require school psychological services. This study used a multiple baseline design across four participants in order to replicate written emotional expression as an intervention to improve lung functioning, quality of life, and negative emotions in elementary, middle, and high school students with asthma. Calibrated spirometry was used to assess the predicted...
Physical Fitness and the Mentally Retarded: A Critical Review of the Literature:

Teaching the mentally retarded skills that build and maintain physical fitness is important for a number of reasons. Until recently, however, this area has been overlooked by most educators and community recreation specialists. Little empirical evidence exists indicating the activities and instructional techniques best suited for this population. There are also few data showing the general level of fitness of mentally retarded persons, improvement in the level of fitness, or the long-term effects of participation in fitness programs. A literature review revealed several factors that should affect future research and programming in fitness through training programs for the mentally retarded. Two of the most significant factors are weaknesses in past studies and the current emphasis on integration of the retarded into regular, community-based programs.
Japanese Working Class Lives: An Ethnographic Study of Factory Workers.

Japanese Working Class Lives: An Ethnographic Study of Factory Workers. James E. Roberson. New York: Routledge, 1998. 227 pp.
How the Translation of a 19th Century Medical Text Enhances the Professional Development of a Senior Undergraduate

At Juniata College, the first semester of a three-semester course of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has been redesigned into a problem-based learning (PBL) format that uses only the primary literature to chart the science and history behind the neurotoxincurare. While evaluating the literature for articles to include in the course, we came across Claude Bernard's 1857 monumental text, “Lecons Sur Les Effets Des Substances Toxiques de Medicamenteuses.” Seeing value in the scientific content, we set about translating the text for an English-speaking classroom. The endeavor also fortuitously led us through the ethical, legal, and societal implications (ELSI) of biomedical research. As a senior undergraduate, I reflect upon the ELSI components of the translation; these include the evolution of research ethics, the evolution and application of the scientific method (and Bernard's criticism of his contemporaries for their lack of proper methodology), and the evolution of language (both French and the scient...
On Bus Type Assignments in Random Topology Power Grid Models

In order to demonstrate and test new concepts and methods for the future grids, power engineers and researchers need appropriate randomly generated grid network topologies for Monte Carlo experiments. If the random networks are truly representative and if the concepts or methods test well in this environment they would test well on any instance of such a network as the IEEE model systems or other existing grid models. Our previous work [1] proposed a random topology power grid model, called RT-nested-small world, based on the findings from a comprehensive study of the topology and electrical properties of a number of realistic grids. The proposed model can be utilized to generate a large number of power grid test cases with scalable network size featuring the same small-world topology and electrical characteristics found from realistic power grids. On the other hand, we know that dynamics of a grid not only depend on its electrical topology but also on the generation and load settings, and the latter closely relates with an accurate bus type assignment of the grid. Generally speaking, the buses in a power grid test case can be divided into three categories: the generation buses (G), the load buses (L), and the connection buses (C). In [1] our proposed model simply adopts random assignment of bus types in a resulting grid topology, according to the three bus types' ratios. In this paper we examined the correlation between the three bus types of G/L/C and some network topology metrics such as node degree distribution and clustering coefficient. We also investigated the impacts of different bus type assignments on the grid vulnerability to cascading failures using IEEE 300 bus system as an example. We found that (a) the node degree distribution and clustering characteristic are different for different type of buses (G/L/C) in a realistic grid, (b) the changes in bus type assignment in a grid may cause big differences in system dynamics, and (c) the random assignment of bus types in a random topology power grid model should be improved by using a more accurate assignment which is consistent with that of realistic grids.
Spinal TNFα is necessary for inactivity‐induced phrenic motor facilitation

A prolonged reduction in central neural respiratory activity elicits a form of plasticity known as inactivity-induced phrenic motor facilitation (iPMF), a 'rebound' increase in phrenic burst amplitude apparent once respiratory neural activity is restored. iPMF requires atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) activity within spinal segments containing the phrenic motor nucleus to stabilize an early transient increase in phrenic burst amplitude and to form long-lasting iPMF following reduced respiratory neural activity. Upstream signal(s) leading to spinal aPKC activation are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that spinal tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) is necessary for iPMF via an aPKC-dependent mechanism. Anaesthetized, ventilated rats were exposed to a 30 min neural apnoea; upon resumption of respiratory neural activity, a prolonged increase in phrenic burst amplitude (42 ± 9% baseline; P 0.05). Intrathecal TNFα without neural apnoea was sufficient to elicit long-lasting phrenic motor facilitation (pMF; 62 ± 7% baseline; P < 0.05). Similar to iPMF, TNFα-induced pMF required spinal aPKC activity, as intrathecal delivery of a ζ-pseudosubstrate inhibitory peptide (PKCζ-PS) 35 min following intrathecal TNFα arrested TNFα-induced pMF (28 ± 8% baseline; P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that: (1) spinal TNFα is necessary for iPMF; and (2) spinal TNFα is sufficient to elicit pMF via a similar aPKC-dependent mechanism. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that reduced respiratory neural activity elicits iPMF via a TNFα-dependent increase in spinal aPKC activity.
The Cox-Maze IV procedure for lone atrial fibrillation

Numerous devices are being used for the ablation of atrial fibrillation. All of the technologies used appropriately can be effective in the clinical situation. At our institution, we have favored bipolar radiofrequency ablation. Numerous experimental studies in our laboratory have shown that these devices provide reliable lesion transmurality and safety. We also have utilized cryosurgery at the valve annuli. These technologies have been used to replace most of the incisions of the Cox-Maze procedure. This new operation has been termed the Cox-Maze IV, and can be performed either through a median sternotomy or through a right mini-thoracotomy. This modified operation requires only two small atriotomies. The right heart ablations can be performed on the beating heart, but left atrial lesions are created on the arrested heart. The left atrial appendage is always amputated or excluded. In our hands, this procedure has been able to cure over 90% of patients, both with paroxysmal and permanent atrial fibrillation.
Structural Health Monitoring of a 54-Story Steel-Frame Building Using a Wave Method and Earthquake Records

The variations of identified wave velocities of vertically propagating waves through the structure are investigated for a 54-story steel-frame building in downtown Los Angeles, California, over a p...
Micro-G silicon accelerometer using surface electrodes

We present a new technology platform for silicon inertial sensors. The platform combines three technology features to set new performance and manufacturability standards for MEMS sensors. First, bonding three silicon wafers creates wafer level packaging and a homogenous stack of silicon material improving device temperature stability. Second, through-wafer etching is used to define the mechanical structure creating a proof mass with 1000x larger mass than a typical MEMS sensor. Finally, we use surface electrode technology to create a lateral capacitance-based transducer enabling large capacitance change per acceleration and allowing a large dynamic range without electrode contact. The large mass together with reduced damping of a lateral sensor result in substantially reduced thermal-mechanical noise. We present a two axis, in-plane, MEMS accelerometer having nG/√Hz noise performance, over 130 dB dynamic range, 300 Hz bandwidth, and a chip size comparable to other MEMS accelerometers. The platform is extensible to gyroscopes and single chip IMU.
Artificial neural network applications in power electronics

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) or neural networks are an emerging technology that are advancing rapidly and having an impact on many scientific and engineering applications. The frontier of power electronics and motor drives has recently been advanced considerably by the advent of this technology, and the future indicates a tremendous promise. Neural networks have brought challenges to the expertise of power electronic engineers with traditional background. This paper discusses the principles of neural networks and describes some of their applications in power electronics and motor drives. The specific applications include static feedback signals estimation for a vector drive, space vector PWM for a two-level voltage-fed inverter and voltage model flux vector estimation. Finally, some problems and challenges for practical applications are discussed.
Reflections on the Evolving African Peace and Security Architecture

ABSTRACTIn the twenty-first century, African states and a wide range of partners have made considerable progress in constructing the African Peace and Security Architecture––a complex set of interrelated and overlapping institutions with mandates spanning the entire conflict management spectrum from preventive diplomacy to postwar reconstruction. Specifically, as used here, the African Peace and Security Architecture refers to the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, the African Standby Force, the Continental Early Warning System, the Peace Fund, the Panel of the Wise, and the relevant Regional Economic Communities, regional mechanisms, and parts of the African Union Commission involved in these institutions. This article reflects on the evolution of these institutions and highlights some of the main areas of progress as well as the challenges encountered along the way.
The priming of cytotoxic T-cell precursors is strictly helper T cell-dependent.

Allogeneic chimaeras that utilize C.B-17 SCID mice (H-2d) as recipients of MHC mismatched bone marrow from C57B1/6 (H-2b) or SJL/J (H-2s) mice have been used to provide experimental evidence demonstrating the necessity for a direct interaction between an effector T helper and the cytotoxic T-cell precursor in order to generate cytotoxic effector T cells specific for the minor histocompatibility (H) antigens of DBA/2 (H-2d) mice. No effect of helpers specific for antigen-processed or not-presented on antigen-presenting cells could be observed. Allo-chimaeras that contain T cells bearing H-2s, and which are restricted to H-2d, make a cytotoxic T-cell response to minor H antigens which is H-2d restricted if, and only if, cloned anti-H-2s effector T helpers are present during the in vivo priming step. Cloned anti-H-2d effector helpers, which are without effect in the allo-chimaeras, do provide a strong helper activity when tested in normal H-2d mice. These findings cannot be reconciled with a strict single recognitive model of restrictive antigen recognition, but they are consistent with a dual recognitive model, which incorporates many of the features of the single recognitive model.
Syntax and Discourse in Near-Native French: Clefts and Focus

This study examines aspects of the syntax-discourse interface in near-native French. Two cleft structures—c’est clefts and avoir clefts—are examined in experimental and spontaneous conversational data from 10 adult Anglophone learners of French and ten native speakers of French. C’est clefts mark focus, and avoir clefts introduce new discourse referents. Although previous research on the syntax-discourse interface has revealed residual difficulties in near-native speakers, the near-natives in the present study evinced nativelike behavior on a range of measures, a finding that suggests complete acquisition of aspects of the syntax-discourse interface.
Möglichkeiten der Entdeckung von Demokratie bei Kindern

Die Vermittlung der Demokratie als das zentrale Anliegen der politischen Bildung in einer demokratischen Gesellschaft verspielt ein reichhaltiges Potenzial, wenn sie sich allein auf das Jugend- und das Erwachsenenalter in seinen verschiedenen Phasen beschrankt. Man mag zwar gegenwartig noch auf Skepsis bei einem Teil der Padagogen und Lehrer/innen bezuglich der „Kindgemasheit“ politisch-demokratischen Lernens stosen, doch wird in der Fachdidaktik mittlerweile ubereinstimmend davon ausgegangen, dass Kinder und Politik bereits viel miteinander zu tun haben.
A novel mechanism controlling transition between good and bad ROS in cancer cells

For many years, oxidative stress has been considered to be a tumor-promoting event1-3. However, contrasting data have recently emerged arguing that elevation of the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) above a certain threshold4 suppresses not only cancer cell viability but also their proliferation and invasion in vitro, and tumorigenesis in vivo5-12. The endogenous mechanisms controlling the transition of ROS levels over such thresholds are unknown. Recently, we have discovered a key factor that may account for one such mechanism. It is well known that high ROS levels increase nuclear amounts of NRF2, a universal transcriptional activator of anti-oxidant genes13. We demonstrated that when ROS levels exceed a certain threshold, NRF2 induces expression of the transcription factor KLF9 (Kruppel-like factor 9)14. KLF9 represses several anti-oxidant genes, including mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD2)15, thus paradoxically resulting in ROS amplification14. TXNRD2 protein is critical for maintenance of intracellular red-ox status and ROS detoxification15. Here, using malignant melanoma as a model, we demonstrate that KLF9-TXNRD2 axis (where KLF9 acts as a tumor suppressor and TXNRD2 as an oncogene) controls melanoma progression via regulation of ROS levels. Moreover, we present data strongly suggesting that pharmacological inhibition of TXNRD2 is a promising anticancer strategy.
Approximate optimal online continuous-time path-planner with static obstacle avoidance

Online approximation of the optimal path for a control affine nonlinear autonomous agent subject to input and state constraints (e.g., actuator saturation, obstacles, no-enter zones) is considered. A model-based adaptive dynamic programming technique is implemented to locally estimate the unknown value function associated with the optimal path-planning problem. By performing a local approximation, the locations of the static obstacles do not need to be known until the obstacles are within a defined approximation window. The developed feedback policy guarantees ultimately bounded convergence of the approximated path to the optimal path without the requirement of persistence of excitation, typically required for online adaptive dynamic programming. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed method.
Ligand recruitment and spin transitions in the solid-state photochemistry of Fe(III)TPPCl.

We report evidence for the formation of long-lived photoproducts following excitation of iron(III) tetraphenylporphyrin chloride (Fe(III)TPPCl) in a 1:1 glass of toluene and CH2Cl2 at 77 K. The for...
THE ROLE OF BODY SIZE IN THE ASSEMBLY OF WEST INDIAN BIRD COMMUNITIES

On analyse la structure du peuplement en ce qui concerne la taille corporelle pour des especes d'oiseaux cohabitant sur un groupe d'iles des Antilles, cette avifaune etant divisee en quatre groupes trophiques (frugivores, insectivores (insectes en vol), nectarivores, insectivores (insectes ne volant pas)). Les differences de taille au sein des guildes est un facteur important de structuration des biocenoses d'oiseaux des Antilles, mais probablement pas le seul
Temperature dependence of the low-frequency vibrational modes in LiNaS O 4 and LiKS O 4

The Raman spectra of the external modes in LiNaS${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ and LiKS${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ are measured from 12 to 1000 K. Each crystal has at least one phase transition in this interval. As the temperature increases, one low-frequency mode in each crystal decreases markedly in frequency as the bandwidth rapidly broadens. The relative contributions of overdamping and soft-mode behavior to the observed temperature dependence are calculated. The temperature dependence of the bandwidths are analyzed in terms of current theories. Finally, differences in the dynamics of the constituent ions in the high-temperature phases of the two crystals are discussed.
Event Analysis of Claim Making in Mexico: How are Social Protests Transformed into Political Protests?

Why do citizens demand certain kinds of citizenship rights rather than another in a given context? This article extends the idea of political and cultural opportunities to Mexico's authoritarian context to explore why Mexicans, who had prioritized social rights over other rights, came to emphasize political rights in a context of neoliberalism. In particular, I ask how this transformation from social protests to political protests happened when neither political nor cultural opportunities appeared to be conducive to it? I gathered 1174 episodes of popular protests between 1964 and 2000 from Mexican newspapers and employed a quantitative event analysis to examine discursive aspects of claims making. In the neoliberal period, demands for social rights and material issues were made increasingly in conjunction with demands for political rights. Mexicans came to realize that their everyday needs and redistributive demands would not be satisfied without dealing with undemocratic political system. It is this cha...
Compressibility mechanisms of alkali feldspars; new data from reedmergnerite

Structural and volume compressibility data for reedmergnerite, NaBSi 3 O 8 , were obtained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at pressures up to 4.7 GPa. The bulk modulus was determined to be 69.8(5) GPa with the pressure derivative constrained to 4. Unit-cell compression is anisotropic, as indicated by unit strain tensors. Tetrahedral bond lengths and angles remained relatively constant over the pressure interval, whereas Na-O bonds decreased systematically. T-O-T angles underwent a variety of behaviors, remaining constant or decreasing with pressure. The compression for reedmergnerite is similar to that of low-albite, wherein bending of the (Al.B)-Oco-Si angle compresses the Na-bearing zigzag channels. In contrast, micro-cline compresses by shearing the four-membered rings, which in turn compresses the K-bearing channels. At about 4 GPa, a new bond between K and Obm appears that alters the compression mechanism and explains the discontinuity in the pressure variation of crystallographic parameters observed by Allan and Angel (1997). Thus, the compression mechanism of the alkali feldspars is dominated by the compression of alkali containing channels. However, because of low symmetry, this can be accomplished in several ways. The observed variety of compression pathways resulted from T-O-T angle bending energetics that were coupled with the effects of alkali cation bonding.
Letter by Murakami and Nawa Regarding Article, "Bilateral Superior Venae Cavae With Crisscross Atrial Drainage".

We read with great interest the article by Tripathi and colleagues1 that reported the anomalous connection of the right superior vena cava (RSVC) to the left atrium (LA) and the left superior vena cava (LSVC) draining into the right atrium via the coronary sinus in a patient with sick sinus syndrome. It is an extremely rare anomaly. The authors diagnosed the patient as having an “RSVC draining into the LA and persistent LSVC (PLSVC) …