cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simple model of ion transport through alamethicin channels in lipid membranes.

Abstract The electrical characteristics of wide membrane channels such as those induced in lipid membranes by alamethicin have been analyzed using an electrodiffusion model. The channel is considered to be a water filled cylinder in which the potential energy barrier is a result of the difference in polarization energy of the ion environment when the ion is located inside as compared to outside of the channel. In addition, an electric field related to the channel structure is assumed. It is shown that without postulating any specific chemical ion-channel interaction one can reproduce experimental membrane potentials for NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2 concentration gradients with a single set of channel parameters. The calculations also yield experimental J-V characteristics of discrete conduction states. In addition, a simple mechanism of interchannel coupling based on the above model is discussed. The model suggests a unifying approach to the problem of the origin of interionic selectivity of membrane channels induced by polyene antibiotics.
Study of the soft X-ray emission from carbon ions in a capillary discharge

The soft X-ray emission from plasma produced in polyacetal and polyethylene capillary discharges excited by current pulses 100 ns full-width half-maximum (FWHM), 50 ns risetime, and peak currents up to 60 kA has been studied. Time-resolved spectra show that intense C/sub VI/ line emission dominates in the polyethylene discharges, peaking shortly after the maximum of the current and vanishing before the end of the current pulse. Polyacetal capillary spectra are dominated by O/sub VI/ lines and show weak C/sub VI/ emission. Plasma density and temperature for the polyethylene discharge were derived from the Stark broadening of C/sub VI/ Balmer lines and the relative intensities of C/sub VI/ and C/sub V/ lines. A short (5 ns FWHM) pulse of energetic beam electrons was detected in coincidence with the onset of the discharge. >
Universality of Tag Systems with P = 2

By a simple direct construction it is shown that computations done by Turing machines can be duplicated by a very simple symbol manipulation process. The process is described by a simple form of Post canonical system with some very strong restrictions.This system is monogenic: each formula (string of symbols) of the system can be affected by one and only one production (rule of inference) to yield a unique result. Accordingly, if we begin with a single axiom (initial string) the system generates a simply ordered sequence of formulas, and this operation of a monogenic system brings to mind the idea of a machine.The Post canonical system is further restricted to the “Tag” variety, described briefly below. It was shown in [1] that Tag systems are equivalent to Turing machines. The proof in [1] is very complicated and uses lemmas concerned with a variety of two-tape nonwriting Turing machines. The proof here avoids these otherwise interesting machines and strengthens the main result; obtaining the theorem with a best possible deletion number P = 2.Also, the representation of the Turing machine in the present system has a lower degree of exponentiation, which may be of significance in applications.These systems seem to be of value in establishing unsolvability of combinatorial problems.
Eigenvalues for an exponentially screened Coulomb potential

Abstract A scaling law is developed which expresses the eigenvalues of the Debye-Huckel potential in terms of a single parameter. A semi-classical quantization is shown to give an accurate approximation to the eigenvalues and it is used to obtain simple procedures for the calculation of the critical screening lengths and the numbers of discrete quantum states in any exponentially screened Coulomb potential.
The layered structure of coronary adventitia under mechanical load.

The mechanical loading-deformation relation of elastin and collagen fibril bundles is fundamental to understanding the microstructural properties of tissue. Here, we use multiphoton microscopy to obtain quantitative data of elastin and collagen fiber bundles under in situ loading of coronary adventitia. Simultaneous loading-imaging experiments on unstained fresh coronary adventitia allowed morphometric measurements of collagen and elastin fibril bundles and their individual deformation. Fiber data were analyzed at five different distension loading points (circumferential stretch ratio λθ = 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8) at a physiological axial stretch ratio of λaxial = 1.3. Four fiber geometrical parameters were used to quantify the fibers: orientation angle, waviness, width, and area fraction. The results show that elastin and collagen fibers in inner adventitia form concentric densely packed fiber sheets, and the fiber orientation angle, width, and area fraction vary transmurally. The extent of fiber deformation depends on the initial orientation angle at no-distension state (λθ = 1.0 and λaxial = 1.3). At higher distension loading, the orientation angle and waviness of fibers decrease linearly, but the width of collagen fiber is relatively constant at λθ = 1.0–1.4 and then decrease linearly for λθ ≥ 1.4. A decrease of the relative dispersion (SD/mean) of collagen fiber waviness suggests a heterogeneous mechanical response to loads. This study provides fundamental microstructural data for coronary artery biomechanics and we consider it seminal for structural models.
CT Perfusion in the Treatment of a Swine Model of Unilateral Renal Artery Stenosis: Validation with Microspheres

Purpose To assess the feasibility of using current computed tomography (CT) perfusion techniques for evaluating unilateral renal artery stenosis (RAS) with assessment of pre- and posttreatment perfusion and to compare those results against the standard of microsphere injection. Materials and Methods Six juvenile swine with surgically created right RAS were examined in a combined angiography-CT suite. CT perfusion, injection of fluorescent microspheres, and digital subtraction angiography were performed before and after release of the stenosis. Cortical horseshoe-shaped regions of interest were used to measure blood flow (in milliliters/[100 g · min]). Two cortical samples (superior and inferior) from each kidney were excised and sent to a reference laboratory for microsphere analysis. The relative blood flow ratio (RBFR) and posttherapy increase in blood flow were determined. The Pearson product correlation was calculated to compare the absolute blood flow, pretherapy RBFR, and posttherapy increase in blood flow between the two techniques. Bland-Altman analysis of the absolute blood flow measurements was performed. Results Forty-eight blood flow measurements showed moderate correlation ( r = 0.712, P r = 0.859, P n = 12), whereas the posttherapy increase in blood flow was highly correlated ( r = 0.898, P n = 12). Conclusions CT perfusion and microspheres produce similar indexes of relative renal cortical perfusion when normalized to the unaffected kidney. Further work is needed to determine the clinical utility of CT perfusion for pre- and posttherapy decision making.
Effects of cross-reinnervation on some chemical properties of red and white muscles of rat and cat.

Abstract It appears that highly specific attributes of the nerve regulate the speed of contraction of slow and fast muscle. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the innervation is also specifically responsible for some of the metabolic differences between slow and fast muscles. Self-reinnervation and cross-reinnervation of slow and fast muscles of adult rats and cats were obtained by nerve anastomosis. Six months postoperatively the muscles were examined histochemically and biochemically (quantitatively) for enzymes representative of the glycolytic, oxidative, and pentose-shunt pathways of carbohydrate metabolism, and electrophoretically for soluble-protein pattern. In comparison with self-reinnervated controls, the cross-reinnervated slow muscles exhibited many of the histochemical, quantitative and electrophoretic characteristics of fast muscle, though the conversion was not complete. The cross-reinnervated white muscles showed very little histochemical or quantitative evidence of conversion. However, the electrophoretic protein pattern of the rostral portion of the cross-reinnervated white medial gastrocnemius became converted to a pattern similar to that of red muscle; thus operative failure alone could not have accounted for the relative lack of change in the cross-reinnervated white muscle. The results are consistent with those of several recent reports and support the conclusion that muscle enzymes are neurally regulated. However, the incompleteness of the conversions observed in all these studies indicates that the degree of conversion is probably determined by an interaction between specific neural factors and other physiological influences.
Observation of the Deexcitation of the Th 229 m Nuclear Isomer

The $^{229}\mathrm{Th}$ nucleus possesses the lowest-energy nuclear isomeric state. Two widely accepted indirect measurements of the transition energy place it within reach of existing laser capabilities. Direct searches for the isomer deexcitation have proven elusive despite extensive effort over the past couple of decades. There is now a growing interest in finding this unique transition because of its potential applications in nuclear, atomic, condensed matter, and optical physics, quantum information, metrology, and cosmology, including the development of a new type of clock based on this nuclear transition. In this Letter we report the first direct observation of the deexcitation of the lowest-lying isomeric state in $^{229}\mathrm{Th}$. By collecting $^{229}\mathrm{Th}$ recoils following the alpha decay of $^{233}\mathrm{U}$ into ${\mathrm{MgF}}_{2}$ plates and measuring the subsequent light emission, we have isolated the isomer deexcitation and measured the transition's half-life to be $6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{h}$. Through comparison measurements with $^{235\mathrm{m}}\mathrm{U}$ isomer, we found that the observed $^{229\mathrm{m}}\mathrm{Th}$ deexcitation signal originates from photon emission rather than internal conversion electron emission. This discovery lays the groundwork for optical and laser spectroscopy of $^{229\mathrm{m}}\mathrm{Th}$ nuclear isomer and the development of a $^{229}\mathrm{Th}$ nuclear clock.
Has a quarter-trillion-dollar settlement helped the tobacco industry?

This paper builds on a growing body of literature analyzing the economic effects of the so-called Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) between the “big four” tobacco companies and the State Attorneys General. Because the marginal cost imposed by the settlement is a function of the market sales of the original four participants, subsequent participating firms will most likely be at a disadvantage. Consistent with increased market power for the original signers, the data since the settlement show increased price overshifting of taxes. Additionally, price undershifting is shown to have occurred prior to the MSA, which would be a rational response of a firm facing a settlement that imposes marginal costs inversely related to sales volume at the time of the agreement. These results suggest that efficiency evaluations may overstate the social benefits of the agreement and the persistent profitability of the industry may be due to the MSA.
19th international workshop on foundations of object-oriented languages (FOOL'12)

The search for sound principles for object-oriented languages has given rise to considerable research during the last few decades, leading to a better understanding of the key concepts of object-oriented languages and to important developments in type theory, semantics, program verification, and program development. The purpose of this workshop is to provide a forum for discussing new ideas in the foundations of object-oriented languages and provide feedback to authors. Submissions to this workshop were invited in the general area of foundations of object-oriented languages, object-oriented languages, including integration with other paradigms and extensions, such as aspects, components, and meta-programming.
A thermodynamic analysis of the NiAl system

Abstract Phase equilibrium and thermodynamic data of the binary NiAl system are analyzed using thermodynamic models. The liquid and fcc (γ) phases are treated as disordered solutions, the intermetallic compounds with appreciable ranges of homogeneity, i.e. γ′-(Ni3Al), B2-(NiAl) and Al3Ni2, are described by compound energy models, and the other intermetallic phases are taken to be line compounds. The phase equilibrium and thermodynamic properties calculated from the model parameters are in accord with most of the experimental data reported in the literature. For γ′-(Ni3Al) and B2-(NiAl), the model-calculated defect concentrations as functions of temperature and composition are in agreement with experimental data. In comparison to previous thermodynamic descriptions reported in the literature, the present one has fewer model parameters with more reasonable values. Despite this, the agreement between model-calculated thermodynamic values and phase boundaries and experimental data is as good as or better than that obtained in earlier studies.
Hierarchical control and performance evaluation of multi-vehicle autonomous systems

This paper will describe how the Mobility Open Architecture Tools and Simulation (MOAST) framework can facilitate performance evaluations of RCS compliant multi-vehicle autonomous systems. This framework provides an environment that allows for simulated and real architectural components to function seamlessly together. By providing repeatable environmental conditions, this framework allows for the development of individual components as well as component performance metrics. MOAST is composed of high-fidelity and low-fidelity simulation systems, a detailed model of real-world terrain, actual hardware components, a central knowledge repository, and architectural glue to tie all of the components together. This paper will describe the framework’s components in detail and provide an example that illustrates how the framework can be utilized to develop and evaluate a single architectural component through the use of repeatable trials and experimentation that includes both virtual and real components functioning together
A note on the nonexistence of Barker sequences

A Barker sequence is a sequence with elements ±1 such that all out-of-phase aperiodic autocorrelation coefficients are 0, 1 or -1. It is known that if a Barker sequence of length s > 13 exists then s = 4N2 for some odd integer N ≥ 55, and it has long been conjectured that no such sequence exists. We review some previous attempts to improve the bound on N which, unfortunately, contain errors. We show that a recent theorem of Eliahou et al. [5] rules out all but six values of N less than 5000, the smallest of which is 689.
Is surgical therapy needed for unruptured arteriovenous malformations

A conservative attitude toward unruptured arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) has been based on the belief that surgical resection is too risky and that their natural history is benign. We have operated on 103 patients with a cerebral AVM. In the 49 patients with unruptured AVMs, there was no mortality, and the morbidity was 14.2%. Similarly, low surgical morbidity has been reported from several centers during the last few years. The chance of hemorrhage for both ruptured and unruptured AVMs is about 3% per year, and the combined morbidity and mortality of each hemorrhage is at least 40%. All patients with an AVM should be individually considered for possible surgical resection, whether or not they have bled.
Coherent light scattering spectroscopy for supersonic flow measurements

A unified discussion on coherent light scattering spectroscopy and its spectral dependence on molecular gas velocity, temperature and density is presented. The feasibility of using coherent Raman spectroscopy techniques for nonintrusive measurements of supersonic flow parameters is demonstrated and recent laboratory as well as wind tunnel experiments are reviewed. In addition, the advantages of using coherent Rayleigh-Brillouin spectroscopy for measuring high pressure flows are discussed.
Repair of a post-traumatic common iliac arteriovenous fistula

Abstract The management of a patient with a post-traumatic common iliac arteriovenous fistula was repaired surgically is reported. the current use of less-invasive endoluminal techniques is reviewed
High-throughput genotyping and mapping of single nucleotide polymorphisms in loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.)

The development and application of genomic tools to loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) offer promising insights into the organization and structure of conifer genomes. The application of a high-throughput genotyping assay across diverse forest tree species, however, is currently limited taxonomically. This is despite the ongoing development of genome-scale projects aiming at the construction of expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries and the resequencing of EST-derived unigenes for a diverse array of forest tree species. In this paper, we report on the application of Illumina’s high-throughput GoldenGate™ SNP genotyping assay to a loblolly pine mapping population. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified through resequencing of previously identified wood quality, drought tolerance, and disease resistance candidate genes prior to genotyping. From that effort, a 384 multiplexed SNP assay was developed for high-throughput genotyping. Approximately 67% of the 384 SNPs queried converted into high-quality genotypes for the 48 progeny samples. Of those 257 successfully genotyped SNPs, 70 were segregating within the mapping population. A total of 27 candidate genes were subsequently mapped onto the existing loblolly pine consensus map, which consists of 12 linkage groups spanning a total map distance of 1,227.6 cM. The ability of SNPs to be mapped to the same position as fragment-based markers previously developed within the same candidate genes, as well as the pivotal role that SNPs currently play in the dissection of complex phenotypic traits, illustrate the usefulness of high-throughput SNP genotyping technologies to the continued development of pine genomics.
Evaluation of Methods to Estimate the Surface Downwelling Longwave Flux during Arctic Winter

Abstract Surface longwave radiation fluxes dominate the energy budget of nighttime polar regions, yet little is known about the relative accuracy of existing satellite-based techniques to estimate this parameter. We compare eight methods to estimate the downwelling longwave radiation flux and to validate their performance with measurements from two field programs in the Arctic: the Coordinated Eastern Arctic Experiment (CEAREX) conducted in the Barents Sea during the autumn and winter of 1988, and the Lead Experiment performed in the Beaufort Sea in the spring of 1992. Five of the eight methods were developed for satellite-derived quantities, and three are simple parameterizations based on surface observations. All of the algorithms require information about cloud fraction, which is provided from the NASA–NOAA Television and Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) polar pathfinder dataset (Path-P); some techniques ingest temperature and moisture profiles (also from Path-...
The free-end interface crack problem for bonded orthotropic layers

Abstract The plane elasticity problem of two bonded orthotropic layers containing cracks perpendicular to and along the interface is considered. The cracks are extended to intersect the boundaries and each other in such a way that a crack configuration suitable to study the edge debonding problem associated with bonded dissimilar materials is obtained. The problem is reduced to the solution of a system of singular integral equations with Cauchy type singularities. Numerical results for stress intensity factors and energy release rates are presented for various loading conditions and for isotropic as well as orthotropic material pairs. These results indicate that elementary strength of material type calculations for energy release rates provide a very good approximation to the actual elasticity solution even for relatively short cracks under some practical loading conditions such as thermal loading, as long as the thicknesses of the layers are not very different.
Voice therapy practices and techniques: a survey of voice clinicians.

Abstract Members of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Special Interest Division on Voice were asked to rate statements which emanated from a previously conducted national survey regarding the practice of voice therpy (Larson and Mueller, 1991). Respondents rated eight data-based statements on a five-point scale as to agreement/disagreement. Results indicated strong agreement with previous findings with the exception of the item addressing treatment time. Implications of these results are discussed.
Recent advances in targeted drug delivery approaches using dendritic polymers

Since they were first synthesized over 30 years ago, dendrimers have seen rapid translation into various biomedical applications. A number of reports have not only demonstrated their clinical utility, but also revealed novel design approaches and strategies based on the elucidation of underlying mechanisms governing their biological interactions. This review focuses on presenting the latest advances in dendrimer design, discussing the current mechanistic understandings, and highlighting recent developments and targeted approaches using dendrimers in drug/gene delivery.
Low-Level Sinusoidal Signal Detection From a High-Resolution Virtual Spectral Image Using Autoregressive Vector Extrapolation

A new high-resolution virtual spectral imaging technique is able to resolve a closely spaced dominant and low-level sinusoidal signal (power spread of up to 15 dB) in harsh signal-to-noise ratio environments with limited samples where a high-resolution 2-D autoregressive (AR) spectral estimation algorithm failed. This feat is accomplished by applying a 2-D fast Fourier transform to an expanded 2-D measurement data set (which consists of the original measurements extended by vector-extrapolated virtual measurements). The virtual measurement data are created from the original 2-D measurements using an innovative virtual-data vector extrapolation algorithm. A special 2-D AR model is used to model the measurements and then used to extrapolate measurements a vector at a time. Simulations compare our virtual spectral image with a high-resolution 2-D AR spectral image and a spectral image of the truth (the measurements that the extrapolation algorithm is trying to predict). The virtual measurement data are also compared with the true measurement data. We analytically show that the virtual measurements are a function of the true measurements plus some residual error terms. Mean-squared-error simulations show that the extrapolated measurements are well behaved for our problem space and provide a cost example.
Implementing incipient actions: The discourse marker ‘so’ in English conversation

Abstract The discourse marker ‘so’ is most commonly described as indexing inferential or causal connections. However, recordings of everyday talk show that these are not its only functions. The article uses the methodology of conversation analysis and examines a large corpus of recorded conversations to explicate the role of ‘so’ in implementing incipient actions. The analysis focuses on the use of ‘so’ for prefacing sequence-initiating actions (such as questions) and demonstrates that speakers deploy this preface to indicate the status of the upcoming action as ‘emerging from incipiency’ rather than being contingent on the immediately preceding talk. ‘So’ prefacing is recurrently used in contexts where the activity being launched has been relevantly pending. Additionally, speakers can use ‘so’ to characterize and constitute a particular action as advancing their interactional agenda. The article shows that this marker is a resource for establishing discourse coherence and, more fundamentally, accomplishing understanding.
A Simple Forecasting Model for the U.S. Economy

AN ATTEMPT IS MADE in this paper to construct for the U.S. economy a statistical system for forecasting gross national product, consumption, and private investment (in plant and equipment).l The system is based on the pattern of relationships observed for the period 1929-52. It has been found that, in spite of the great changes during these 23 years, the magnitudes of the major economic variables can be foretold with great accuracy throughout the period by one set of equations constructed on the basis of the movements of a few key variables. These key variables are so-called "predetermined variables" (both exogenous variables and the values of endogenous variables during preceding periods), whose magnitudes for a subsequent period either may be known at the time the forecasts are made or can be assumed on the basis
Structurally adaptive neural network for underwater target classification

This paper presents the application of a novel scheme for dynamic structural adaptation for back-propagation neural networks. It utilizes the time and order update formulations in the orthogonal projection theorem to establish a recursive weight updating procedure for the training process and a dynamic node creation procedure during the training process. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated on a simple multiplexer problem and a real-life application dealing with underwater target classification from the acoustic backscattered signals. It is shown through the simulation results that the dynamic structural adaptation scheme offers better trainability for the networks without requiring prohibitive cost of retraining. In addition, the results on the testing data indicate good classification performance of the network trained in conjunction with the structural adaptation method.
Simulation of ultrafast carrier processes in pulse/probe and dual pulse correlation probing of InGaAs-type narrow band gap semiconductors

An ensemble Monte Carlo technique has been developed for the simulation of optical pulse-and-probe and dual pulse correlation experiments with tunable laser sources in InGaAs thin films lattice matched to InP. Electrons and holes, and all scattering mechanisms, including carrier-carrier scattering, have been included. The time evolution of electron and hole distributions, and optical absorption have been simulated. Results are correlated with measured data from the research group of C. Pollock at this conference. It was found that inhomogeneity effects and heavy and light holes are necessary for good agreement with experimental data. Finally the extraction of time constants from measurements is a1dresset
Anesthesia for Awake Craniotomy

Who would want to have their brain operated upon while awake? Probably not very many individuals, if they had a choice. So why are craniotomies performed while patients are awake? One reason is because the area of the brain upon which the surgeon plans to operate is close to sites that subserve functions important to life, such as speech and muscle control. If the patient is awake while the surgery is being performed, then the function of these areas can be continually tested to assure the surgeon that the planned resection of brain tissue from that area will not leave the patient with a major neurological deficit. 1,2 Another reason that craniotomies are performed while the patient is awake is to permit recording of electrical activity from the cortical surface. Such recording is termed electrocorticography (ECoG). The use of ECoG allows a “topographical map” to be made of the brain. This map shows the locations of primary and secondary epileptogenic discharges, as well as the route and extent of the spread of such electrical
Nanometre diameter fibres of polymer, produced by electrospinning

Electrospinning uses electrical forces to produce polymer fibres with nanometre-scale diameters. Electrospinning occurs when the electrical forces at the surface of a polymer solution or melt overcome the surface tension and cause an electrically charged jet to be ejected. When the jet dries or solidifies, an electrically charged fibre remains. This charged fibre can be directed or accelerated by electrical forces and then collected in sheets or other useful geometrical forms. More than 20 polymers, including polyethylene oxide, nylon, polyimide, DNA, polyaramid, and polyaniline, have been electrospun in our laboratory. Most were spun from solution, although spinning from the melt in vacuum and air was also demonstrated. Electrospinning from polymer melts in a vacuum is advantageous because higher fields and higher temperatures can be used than in air.
Substance Abuse in an Inpatient Psychiatric Sample

The relationship between psychoactive drug abuse and psychopathology is complex. There have been few systematic explorations of substance abuse in psychiatric populations since the recent epidemic of cocaine abuse. To update and further explore the relationship between psychiatric illness and substance abuse, 100 consecutively admitted patients to an inpatient psychiatry unit were administered a drug and alcohol use/abuse questionnaire. Sixty-four percent endorsed current or past problems with substance abuse and 29% met DSM-III-R criteria for substance abuse in the 30 days prior to admission. For the major diagnostic categories, there were no significant differences between groups in percentages of patients with substance abuse disorders. There was a trend (p less than or equal to .2) toward an increased number of lifetime psychiatric hospitalizations in the substance-abusing group. Alcohol was the most common drug of choice followed by stimulants, cannabis, and sedative hypnotics. Differences in drug choices between diagnostic categories are discussed. Forty-three percent of urine drug screens obtained were positive, and of those with positive urine drug screens, 42% denied drug use upon admission. Only 40% of patients with current or past substance abuse problems had received treatment for their chemical dependency. In our sample, while substance abuse was very prevalent, it was underreported and undertreated.
Kelso Dunes, Mojave Desert, California

Kelso Dunes lie in a mountain-rimmed basin, 35 miles east of their principal sand source, where the predominant, sand transporting, westerly wind is locally counterbalanced by strong, orographically controlled winds from other directions. In the sand-mantled source area most grains larger than 1 mm travel principally by creep under saltation impact. The size distribution and sorting characteristics of eolian sand become well established after 10–12 miles of saltation transport. Further transport produces greater rounding and more mineralogical fractionation but does not greatly alter other characteristics. Fifteen years of measurements along established lines across individual transverse dunes record a high degree of activity but only a hesitating advance, involving three steps forward and two and a half steps back. Opposing winds shift the sand back and forth from one dune flank to the other, with frequent reversals in crestal asymmetry. Crestal position is not a reliable index of bulk movement. Dune crests shifted back and forth within a 30–40-foot zone, moving several hundred feet in 10–12 years but ending up only a few feet from first-observed positions. Greatest accumulation and removal changes lie just to either side of the crest and are associated with reversals in dune form. Although tens to hundreds of feet of sand may be moved, net surface change in level after 10–12 years can usually be measured in inches in the crestal zone. Lee-slope beds dipping 10–25 degrees predominate within these dunes and are overlain by a thin, well-laminated, windward-slope layer inclined as much as 16 degrees in the opposite direction. Slip-slope deposits as steep as 30 degrees are only scantily preserved. The orientation of several hundred lee slopes reflects only modestly the influence of prevailing western winds. Storm winds from other directions, earlier winds with a more southerly component, and local orographic controls complicate the picture. This suggests that reliable interpretation of paleo-wind directions from cross-bedding in ancient eolian sandstones requires a knowledge of the type of dunes represented and their response to a possibly varied wind pattern. Observations with smoke pots during high winds lead to the conclusion that no strong, fixed eddy lies to the lee of transverse dunes in the Kelso complex. When strong transverse winds blow, currents on the slip face are for the most part capricious and too gentle to produce significant sand movement. Occasional gusts and traveling eddies traverse the slip face, usually in a longitudinal or oblique direction. However, no powerful, fixed, lee-side eddy was found which significantly influences dune behavior and morphology in the manner and to the degree postulated by Vaughan Cornish.
Percutaneous absorption in diseased skin: an overview

The stratum corneum's (SC) functions include protection from external hazardous environments, prevention of water loss and regulation of body temperature. While intact skin absorption studies are abundant, studies on compromised skin permeability are less common, although products are often used to treat affected skin. We reviewed literature on percutaneous absorption through abnormal skin models. Tape stripping is used to disrupt water barrier function. Studies demonstrated that physicochemical properties influence the stripping effect: water-soluble drugs are more affected. Abrasion did not affect absorption as much. Freezing is commonly used to preserve skin. It does not seem to modify water absorption, but still increases the penetration of compounds. Comparatively, heating the skin consistently increased percutaneous absorption. Removing SC lipids may increase percutaneous absorption of drugs. Many organic solvents are employed to delipidize. Delipidization with chloroform-methanol increased hydrophilic compound permeability, but not lipophilic. Acetone pre-treatment enhanced hydrophilic compound penetration. More data is needed to determine influence on highly lipophilic compound penetration. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) induces irritant dermatitis and is frequently used as a model. Studies revealed that SLS increases hydrophilic compound absorption, but not lipophilic. However, skin irritation with other chemicals increases lipophilic penetration as much as hydrophilic. Animal studies show that UV exposure increases percutaneous absorption whereas human studies do not. Human studies show increased penetration in psoriatic and atopic dermatitis skin. The data summarized here begin to characterize flux alteration associated with damaged skin. Understanding the degree of alteration requires interpretation of involved conditions and the enlarging of our database to a more complete physicochemical spectrum.
Cerebellar ataxia in youths at risk for bipolar disorder

Objective: Structural, biochemical, and functional cerebellar abnormalities occur in individuals with or at-risk for developing bipolar disorder (BD), but the clinical implications of these abnormalities are unknown. The present study examined cerebellar function in youths who were at familial risk for BD by comparing ataxia battery scores of youths with a bipolar parent to those of healthy youths. Methods: Trained raters administered an ataxia battery, consisting of three tasks, to children (aged 8–12 years) with at least one parent with BD type I (BDI) who themselves did not have BDI (at-risk or AR group, n = 21) and healthy comparison children (aged 8–12 years) with parents free of DSM-IV Axis I psychopathology (HC group, n = 23). Results: AR youths performed worse than HC youths on the Sharpened Romberg test (subjects standing heel-to-toe) and standing on one foot with eyes open (p < 0.02). Conclusions: The results indicate that youths at familial risk for BD have more difficulty performing a Sharpened Romberg test than a HC group, suggesting that midline cerebellar dysfunction may be a biomarker for the future development of BD. Further studies examining the relationships among youths at risk for BD, coordination abnormalities, and cerebellar dysfunction are needed.
Mergers, Spinoffs, and Employee Incentives

This article studies mergers between competing firms and shows that while such mergers reduce the level of product market competition, they may have an adverse effect on employee incentives to innovate. In industries where value creation depends on innovation and development of new products, mergers are likely to be inefficient even though they increase the market power of the post-merger firm. In such industries, a stand-alone structure where independent firms compete both in the product market and in the market for employee human capital leads to a greater profitability. Furthermore, our analysis shows that multidivisional firms can improve employee incentives and increase firm value by reducing firm size through a spinoff transaction, although doing so eliminates the economies of scale advantage of being a larger firm and the benefits of operating an internal capital market within the firm. Finally, our article suggests that established firms can benefit from creating their own competition in the product and labor markets by accommodating new firm entry, and the desire to do so is greater at the intermediate stages of industry/product development. (JEL G34) This article studies the effect of mergers on employee incentives and shows that in industries with high human capital intensity, mergers between competing firms can be inefficient, since they weaken employee incentives to innovate. Hence, our article provides an explanation for why many mergers fail to create value even though they reduce the level of competition in the product market. In addition, our analysis suggests that a multidivisional firm can improve employee incentives and create value by reducing firm size through a spinoff transaction. We consider two firms operating in the same product market where firm value is created by developing innovations generated by employees. Innovation arises as an outcome of costly effort exerted by employees. The firms can choose between two types of organization structure. The first is a standalone structure where the two firms operate independently in the same product market. The second is a merger where the two firms merge into a single firm. We thank Andres Almazan, Alex Edmans, Diego Garcia, Eitan Goldman, Matthias Kahl, Matt Spiegel (the editor), Gunter Strobl, an anonymous referee, and seminar participants at the 2010 AFA meetings, Florida State
Staggered chiral perturbation theory for heavy-light mesons

We incorporate heavy-light mesons into staggered chiral perturbation theory ($\mathrm{S}\ensuremath{\chi}\mathrm{PT}$), working to leading order in $1/{m}_{Q}$, where ${m}_{Q}$ is the heavy-quark mass. At first nontrivial order in the chiral expansion, staggered taste violations affect the chiral logarithms for heavy-light quantities only through the light-meson propagators in loops. There are also new analytic contributions coming from additional terms in the Lagrangian involving heavy-light and light mesons. Using this heavy-light $\mathrm{S}\ensuremath{\chi}\mathrm{PT}$, we perform the one-loop calculation of the $B$ (or $D$) meson leptonic decay constant in the partially quenched and full QCD cases. In our treatment, we assume the validity both of the ``fourth root trick'' to reduce four staggered tastes to one, and of the $\mathrm{S}\ensuremath{\chi}\mathrm{PT}$ prescription to represent this trick by insertions of factors of $1/4$ for each sea-quark loop.
Partial-Wave Bethe-Salpeter Equation

The Bethe-Salpeter equation for higher wave bound states of two scalar particles is investigated in the ladder approximation. It is shown that all solutions have the Deser-Gilbert-Sudarshan-Ida integral representation and that they behave like $o[{({p}^{2})}^{\ensuremath{-}l\ensuremath{-}2}]$ as ${p}^{2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ apart from a solid harmonic. The angular momentum $l$ is continued to complex values, and it is proved that the wave functions are essentially holomorphic with respect to $l$ in $\mathrm{Re}lg\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{4}$. The equation for the Regge trajectories is also discussed.
Convertibility and Productivity of Manufacturing System Configurations

Conversions between different products manufactured on the same system often require time-consuming shut-downs and thus, incur productivity losses. Producing multiple products on the same line complicates system productivity analysis because production rates, failure rates, and repair rates vary between different part types. Certain manufacturing system configurations have advantages when convertibility is considered. Ideally, manufacturing lines that produce a mix of products or undergo a product rollover would not see any loss in production relative to lines that continuously produce a single product throughout the system lifetime. This paper investigates the interactions between convertibility and productivity for different manufacturing system configurations, using analytical methods. The methods presented in this paper can be applied to assembly or machining stations in dedicated, flexible, or reconfigurable manufacturing systems. When designing such systems, it is important to recognize that more convertible systems are more productive over the long-term, as product designs change.© 2003 ASME
What Evidence Supports Special Processing for Faces? A Cautionary Tale for fMRI Interpretation

We trained a neurocomputational model on six categories of photographic images that were used in a previous fMRI study of object and face processing. Multivariate pattern analyses of the activations elicited in the object-encoding layer of the model yielded results consistent with two previous, contradictory fMRI studies. Findings from one of the studies [Haxby, J. V., Gobbini, M. I., Furey, M. L., Ishai, A., Schouten, J. L., & Pietrini, P. Distributed and overlapping representations of faces and objects in ventral temporal cortex. Science, 293, 2425-2430, 2001] were interpreted as evidence for the object-form topography model. Findings from the other study [Spiridon, M., & Kanwisher, N. How distributed is visual category information in human occipito-temporal cortex? An fMRI study. Neuron, 35, 1157-1165, 2002] were interpreted as evidence for neural processing mechanisms in the fusiform face area that are specialized for faces. Because the model contains no special processing mechanism or specialized architecture for faces and yet it can reproduce the fMRI findings used to support the claim that there are specialized face-processing neurons, we argue that these fMRI results do not actually support that claim. Results from our neurocomputational model therefore constitute a cautionary tale for the interpretation of fMRI data.
Psychological Functioning Among Middle-Aged and Older Adult Pulmonary Patients in Exercise Rehabilitation

Twenty-seven adults (10 men, 17 women) with chronic pulmonary disease participated in a 30-day rehabilitation program including aerobic exercise, education, and stress management. Mean age of the sample was 55.5± 15.8 years (Range:27-83 years). Subjects underwent assessments of physiological functioning, neuropsychological functioning, and psychological well-being before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) the exercise program. Using a median age split, the sample was divided into older adult (mean age-68.6± 9.2) and middle-aged (mean age= 43.4 ± 9.5) groups, and data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance, with age as a between subjects factor. The exercise intervention has no significant effect on indicators of pulmonary function, but both age groups achieved significant gains in cardiopulmonary endurance. Middle-aged subjects functioned at a higher level than older adult subjects at both times of measurement, and middle-aged subjects achieved significantly greater gains in walking distance than old...
Flight control application of eigenstructure assignment with optimization of robustness to structured state space uncertainty

The authors propose a robust eigenstructure assignment design method which optimizes the sufficient condition for robust stability while constraining the dominant eigenvalues to lie within chosen regions in the complex plane. This constrained optimization problem is solved by using the sequential unconstrained minimization technique with a quadratic extended interior penalty function. Also introduced is a similarity transformation on the uncertain plant which can reduce the conservation of the sufficient condition. The design of a robust eigenstructure assignment controller for a pitch pointing/vertical translation maneuver of the AFTI F-16 aircraft is presented as an example. >
Effective low dosage of mepivacaine in ultrasound-guided axillary nerve block: a double-blinded, randomized clinical trial of efficacy in patients undergoing distal upper extremity surgery.

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate two low-dose volumes (20 mL or 30 mL) of 1.5% mepivacaine solution used for ultrasound-guided axillary blockade for outpatients undergoing distal upper limb surgery. Design Prospective, double-blinded randomized study. Setting Outpatient surgical setting of a university-affiliated hospital. Patients 64 adult, ASA physical status 1, 2, and 3 patients, aged 28-46 years, scheduled for upper limb surgery. Interventions Patients were randomized to two groups to receive either 20 mL of 1.5% mepivacaine solution (n=31) or 30 mL of 1.5% mepivacaine solution (n=33) for ultrasound-guided axillary plexus blockade. Measurements Block duration, proportion of surgical and functional successful blocks, onset of sensory and motor blockade measured from 0 to 30 minutes following final needle extraction, total amount of preoperative sedative (midazolam), and intraoperative propofol administered were recorded. Main Results Following axillary plexus blockade, neither patient group showed any statistically significant difference in the percentage of functionally successful blockade (30 mL, 100%: 20 mL, 97%; P = 0.48), surgically successful blockade (30 mL, 100%; 20 mL, 94%; P = 0.23), cumulative sensory or motor blockade surgical time, block performance time, preoperative midazolam use, or intraoperative propofol use. Conclusion Low volumes (30 mL or 20 mL) of 1.5% mepivacaine provides satisfactory anesthesia for ambulatory distal upper limb surgery with no significant difference in clinical outcomes.
The current management of infectious diseases in the liver transplant recipient.

Routine availability of rapid and reliable diagnostic assays, improvements in surgical technique, the advent of effective strategies, and a more conservative approach to immunosuppression, have contributed towards a significant decline in the infectious morbidity in organ transplant recipients in the recent years. The spectrum of major infections after transplantation, however, has undergone a striking evolution. The epidemiologic trends in infectious diseases through the last decade have been most notable for a dramatic decrease in the incidence of several opportunistic infections, for example, cytomegalovirus and Pneumocystis carinii, largely because of advances in prophylaxis against these pathogens. Paralleling these trends, there has been an exponential rise in the proportion of infections caused by antimicrobial resistant bacteria. These multiresistant organisms have now emerged as leading pathogens at many transplant centers and their management is a daunting challenge. Recognition of novel microorganisms as potential pathogens, for example, human herpesvirus 6 and 8, also has implications relevant for transplant recipients. This review focuses on these emerging trends and advances in the approach towards the management of infections after liver transplantation.