cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Mechanical Characterization Method for Thin Film Microactuators and Its Application to NiTiCu Shape Memory Alloy

In an effort to develop a more full characterization tool of shape memory alloys, a new technique is presented for the mechanical characterization of microactuators and applied to SMA thin films. A test instrument was designed to utilize a spring-loaded transducer in measuring displacements with resolution of 1.5 pm and forces with resolution of 0.2 mN. Employing an out-of-plane loading method for freestanding SMA thin films, strain resolution of 30{mu}{epsilon} and stress resolution of 2.5 MPa were achieved. This new testing method is presented against previous SMA characterization methods for purposes of comparison. Four mm long, 2 {micro}m thick NiTiCu ligaments suspended across open windows were bulk micromachined for use in the out-of-plane stress and strain measurements. The fabrication process used to micromachine the ligaments is presented step-by-step, alongside methods of fabrication that failed to produce testable ligaments. Static analysis showed that 63% of the applied strain was recovered while ligaments were subjected to tensile stresses of 870 MPa. In terms of recoverable stress and recoverable strain, the ligaments achieved maximum recovery of 700 MPa and 3.0% strain. No permanent deformations were seen in any ligament during deflection measurements. Maximum actuation forces and displacements produced by the 4 mm ligaments situated on 1 cm square test chips were 56 mN and 300 {micro}m, respectively. Fatigue analysis of the ligaments showed degradation in recoverable strain from 0.33% to 0.24% with 200,000 cycles, corresponding to deflections of 90 {micro}m and forces of 25 mN. Cycling also produced a wavering shape memory effect late in ligament life, leading to broad inconsistencies of as much as 35% deviation from average. Unexpected phenomena like stress-induced martensitic twinning that leads to less recoverable stress and the shape memory behavior of long life devices are addressed. Finally, a model for design of microactuators using shape memory alloys is presented to illustrate how results obtained from these tests can be interpreted and applied to the creation of MEMS devices.
A Constant-Factor Approximation Algorithm for Online Coverage Path Planning with Energy Constraint.

In this paper, we study the problem of coverage planning by a mobile robot with a limited energy budget. The objective of the robot is to cover every point in the environment while minimizing the traveled path length. The environment is initially unknown to the robot. Therefore, it needs to avoid the obstacles in the environment on-the-fly during the exploration. As the robot has a specific energy budget, it might not be able to cover the complete environment in one traversal. Instead, it will need to visit a static charging station periodically in order to recharge its energy. To solve the stated problem, we propose a budgeted depth-first search (DFS)-based exploration strategy that helps the robot to cover any unknown planar environment while bounding the maximum path length to a constant-factor of the shortest-possible path length. Our $O(1)$-approximation guarantee advances the state-of-the-art of log-approximation for this problem. Simulation results show that our proposed algorithm outperforms the current state-of-the-art algorithm both in terms of the traveled path length and run time in all the tested environments with concave and convex obstacles.
Monopoly of Violence

Review of Robert Churchill's, To Shake Their Guns in the Tyrant’s Face: Libertarian Political Violence and the Origins of the Militia Movement (2008).To Shake Their Guns in the Tyrant’s Face is a work in three acts, each a snapshot of a period in our 'collective memory' of the American Revolution.
Seeing the Night Sky

Abstract. Clear, dark night skies are harder to see now than ever before, and it will only become more difficult as people continue to move into heavily light polluted and expanding urban areas. Dark Sky Parks offer a place where anyone can go to experience true dark skies, observing the stars and other celestial bodies in conditions unencumbered by artificial light and other sources of pollution. An atlas of these Dark Sky Parks will raise awareness about their existence and locations with the goal of education and outreach. Observatories may be utilized with a similar outcome; however, they need to be located in close proximity to large populations but far enough away to optimize dark skies. This research presents an approach for mapping Dark Sky Parks in the United States through the ongoing production of Seeing the Night Sky: An Atlas of Dark Sky Parks, and a related GIS location optimization model to identify potential observatory locations in a defined study area based on land availability, slope, presence of water/floodplain, proximity to populated places, light pollution, elevation, and transportation infrastructure.
Convexity, II: Concavity and Monotonicity

This chapter will first provide a remarkable equivalence between matrix concavity and matrix monotonicity for positive functions not even hinted at in the scalar case. Then we’ll discuss a connection between matrix convexity and Loewner matrices .
Short-Term Longitudinal Relationships Between Smartphone Use/Dependency and Psychological Well-Being Among Late Adolescents.

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study was to determine the short-term longitudinal pathways between smartphone use, smartphone dependency, depressive symptoms, and loneliness among late adolescents. Methods A two-wave longitudinal survey was used using adolescents between the ages of 17 and 20 years. The interval between wave 1 and wave 2 was between 2.5 and 3 months. Using convenience sampling, the total number of participants who completed both waves of data collection was 346. Validated measures assessed smartphone dependency, smartphone use, depressive symptoms, and loneliness. The longitudinal model was tested using path modeling techniques. Results Among the 346 participants (33.6% male, mean [standard deviation] age at wave 1, 19.11 [.75] years, 56.9% response rate), longitudinal path models revealed that wave 1 smartphone dependency predicted loneliness (β = .08, standard error [SE] = .05, p = .043) and depressive symptoms (β = .11, SE = .05, p = .010) at wave 2, loneliness at wave 1 predicted depressive symptoms at wave 2 (β = .21, SE = .05, p Conclusions Considering the rates of smartphone ownership/use among late adolescents (95%), the association between smartphone use and smartphone dependency, and the deleterious effects of loneliness and depression within this population, health practitioners should communicate with patients and parents about the links between smartphone engagement and psychological well-being.
Safe community gardening practices: focus groups with garden leaders in Atlanta, Georgia

Although best management practices have been recommended by government agencies and non-profit organizations to reduce community gardeners' potential exposure to soil contaminants such as lead, some gardeners do not perform these practices. Understanding gardeners' beliefs and motivations is critical for effective promotion of safer gardening practices. This study, grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), employed five focus groups to investigate Atlanta community garden leaders' perspectives concerning three gardening practices: composting, hygiene behaviors, and mulching. These general practices are also considered safe gardening practices in that they can reduce exposure to toxicants in urban gardens. Qualitative analysis identified advantages and disadvantages; supporters and non-supporters; and barriers and facilitators that might influence gardeners' opinions regarding these behaviors. Gardeners expressed that more funding, volunteers, and training are needed to promote these behaviors. Gardeners noted that mulch and compost provided advantages such as improving soil quality, but a primary barrier was concern about contamination of source materials. Focus group participants did not directly associate composting and mulching with reduction of exposure to soil contaminants. Behavioral challenges related to hygiene included concerns about decreased exposure to salubrious bacteria, inadequate access to potable water, and limited availability of gloves and wipes. These study findings characterize factors that community garden stakeholders should consider when promoting safe gardening practices and interventions.
Tunable and Flexible Nano Photonic Crystals

While there have been many astounding demonstrations in 2D photonic crystals, most photonic crystals are passive without means of external control. Providing ondemand tunability to the photonic crystals would expand existing application areas and may enable new applications. Guided-mode resonance (GMR) is diffraction grating which shows sharp reflectance/transmittance response on narrow specific wavelength of the incident light. Flexible GMR devices are great vehicles to achieve high resolution high sensitivity strain sensor. This paper reviews thermally and mechanically tunable 2D photonic crystals and flexible GMR strain sensors.
Holocaust Memories and Polish Catholic Identity: Cultural Transmutations of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

The decades-long debates over Polish-Jewish relations during the Holocaust have intensified recently when the right-wing Polish government embarked on a revisionist trajectory to purge any negative historical findings about Polish mistreatment of Jews. This deliberate attempt to impose a collective vision of the past according to currently promoted nationalistic political interests contrasts with the authentic voices that arise from real-time literary testimonials produced by Polish writers. Reaching us from the critical moment of Jewish genocide, this body of documental fiction not only belies present-day propagandist manipulations of history by acknowledging Polish moral failure at the time existential crisis; it also delivers a profound lesson about the frailty of ethical norms and the limits of empathy in the reality of genocidal terror.
Delayed Neutrons from N-17

The energies of the delayed neutrons which follow the decay of ${\mathrm{N}}^{17}$ have been measured by means of a triple proportional-counter recoil spectrometer. The ${\mathrm{N}}^{17}$ was obtained from the ${\mathrm{C}}^{14}(\ensuremath{\alpha}, p){\mathrm{N}}^{17}$ reaction at a mean $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle energy of 25-Mev. Two neutron groups were observed, with energies of 1.22\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06 Mev and 0.426\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.018 Mev. These correspond to neutron groups were observed, with energies of 1.22\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06 Mev and 0.426\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.018 Mev. These correspond to neutron emission from the ${\frac{3}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$states of ${\mathrm{O}}^{17}$ at 5.38 and 4.55 Mev, respectively. This result is consistent with the expected ${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}$ of ${\mathrm{\textonehalf{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ for the ground state of ${\mathrm{N}}^{17}$ and with the small stripping widths for these levels in ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}(d, p){\mathrm{O}}^{17}$. The ratio of the intensity of the high-energy group to the low-energy one is 1.6, which corresponds to a ratio of 4 for the squares of the $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay matrix elements.
Ecological narratives of forced resettlement in Cold War Malaya

This article examines the forced resettlement of more than 500,000 ethnic rural Chinese during the Malayan Emergency that lasted from 1948 until 1960. The phrase “winning the hearts and minds of th...
Parent-adolescent physiological synchrony: Moderating effects of adolescent emotional insecurity.

The present study investigated physiological synchrony in the parasympathetic nervous system among fathers, mothers, and adolescents during a real-time family interaction, and child characteristics that may moderate the level of physiological synchrony. Our sample consisted of 191 families with adolescents (Mage = 12.4 years) and both of their parents, who participated in a triadic family conflict discussion. During the discussion, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured for all three family members. Multilevel analysis indicated a significant positive concurrent synchrony between adolescents and their mothers, as well as between fathers and mothers on a minute-to-minute basis. No RSA synchrony was found between adolescents and their fathers. Furthermore, adolescent emotional insecurity significantly moderated mother-adolescent RSA synchrony. Whereas adolescents with low emotional insecurity exhibited positive synchrony with their mothers, no synchrony was observed when adolescent emotional insecurity was high. In conclusion, findings of the present study illuminate the patterns of RSA synchrony among parents and adolescents and highlight a link between adolescent emotional insecurity and attenuated mother-adolescent physiological synchrony.
Organ transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Making the best patient care decision.

It is with great interest and sadness that we read the experience of Akalin et al. and Pereira et al. with unprecedented mortality (18‐28%) in transplant recipients in New York City, New York. High mortality reports in transplant patients have created anxiety among some community practitioners as evidence as to why transplants should not be performed at this time, contrary to the recommendations from multiple transplant organizations.
A Positive Dialectic: Beps and The United States

This essay addresses the interaction between the changes in the international tax regime identified by Mason and U.S. international tax policy. Specifically, I will argue that contrary to the general view, the United States actively implemented the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) recommendations through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). Moreover, the changes of the TCJA influenced the current OECD effort of BEPS 2.0. Thus, the current state of affairs can be characterized as a constructive dialogue: The OECD moves (BEPS 1), the United States responds (TCJA), the OECD moves again (BEPS 2). If the international tax regime is to survive, it is important that BEPS 2 will succeed, and that the US will then go along and amend the TCJA accordingly. From this kind of positive dialectic, a new international tax regime fit for the twenty-first century may emerge.
First-Order Reversal Curve (FORC) Measurements for Decoding Mixtures of Magnetic Nanowires

The progression of nanotechnology has resulted in the exploitation of very complex magnetic nanostructures with anomalous magnetic responses, which cannot be fully understood using hysteresis loop measurements. First-order reversal curve (FORC) measurements are among the most powerful tools for characterization of complex bulk, micro-, and nano-systems that are broadly used in the field of magnetism. The main advantage of FORC is that it scans the whole area of hysteresis loops in a two-dimensional fashion, leading to detailed information regarding the intrinsic magnetic nanostructures and the magnetic interactions. In this review, we specifically focus on the current state of FORC measurements and their use in decoding magnetic nanoparticles assemblies.
Support Social Connectedness through Technology-mediated Shared Activities

Shared activities can improve the quality of connection during mediated communication and help overcome barriers with traditional communication technology. Prior research has explored new technology designs to support shared activities and context in remote communication. Only a few studies have investigated the long-term impact of novel technology design on people’s social connectedness. My dissertation work explores technology design that support in-person social practices in remote context during shared activities, and studies the long-term effect of the proposed system design on people’s social connections. The four different studies are designed to understand current practices with shared activities in building and maintaining social connections, design communication technology to nurture meaningful relationship during remote activities and evaluate the proposed system with a long-term field study. Overall, my dissertation contributes an in-depth understanding of how technology can better support people’s social practices during shared activities and helps inform opportunities for technology to better connect people.
Do congressional leaders detect and deter cartel cheating? : evidence from committee assignments

Abstract. The present study extends recent work in the public choice literature that suggests that monopoly legislators form cartel-like organizations in an effort to extract greater benefits in the political process. With any cartel organization cheating is expected to arise. If any political cartel (or business cartel) is to be successful, cheating must be detected and punished. Previous work examining the voting behavior and committee placement of Congressional Black Caucus members presents observable evidence of cartel success, but it fails to examine how cheating by individual Congressional Black Caucus members is detected and deterred. This study points out that (1) use of ADA voting records by Democratic House leaders renders “cartel cheating” easily detectable, (2) any observed cheating is punished by Democratic leaders through placement on less desirable House committees, and (3) such a punishment diminishes the “legislative” level of representation that an individual Representative can provide.
Chiral Phase Transitions in an External Field

A formalism is described for the study of chiral symmetry breaking in the presence of a constant external field. It is applied to the case of a uniform magnetic field and chiral symmetry is found to be spontaneously broken in the weak coupling regime. The broken chiral symmetry is restored at high tempeatures as well as at large chemical potentials, but with different characteristics: the chiral symmetry restoration at high temperatures corresponds to a second-order phase transition, whereas the chiral phase transition at high densities is a first-order one.
NASA research in aeropropulsion

Selected examples of recent accomplishments and current activities that are relevant to the principal classes of civil and military vehicles: subsonic transports, commuters, supersonic transports, general aviation, rotorcraft, V/STOL, and high performance. Some instances of emerging technologies with potential high impact on further progress are discussed.
Estimating (human) cognitive states in a human-machine system: a fuzzy modeling approach

A fuzzy model for evaluating and estimating the human operator states in a human machine system is proposed. The major parts of the model consist of subjective evaluation of the human 'perception' of task, the translation of the subjective data to fuzzy membership functions, and the application of an intuitive heuristic to determine the desired operator states. The model efficacy is demonstrated by experimenting with the human operator cognitive states in a pursuit tracking task.
Seed Treatment Effects on Maize Seedlings Coinfected with Fusarium spp. and Pratylenchus penetrans

Seedling diseases of maize are caused by a complex of organisms, including fungi in the genus Fusarium. Root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) are common in fields where maize is grown, and they are known to interact with Fusarium spp. in several crops. The objectives of this study were to assess the impacts of seed treatment combinations on maize seedlings coinfected with Pratylenchus penetrans and two Fusarium spp. that cause seedling disease symptoms (Fusarium graminearum and F. verticillioides) and to determine whether there were interactions between P. penetrans and the Fusarium spp. Growth-chamber experiments were conducted with fungicide- or nematicide-treated or untreated maize seed planted in a sand-soil mixture infested with inoculum of either F. graminearum or F. verticillioides. A suspension of 4,000 P. penetrans (mixed stages) was added to the pots at the time of planting. After 30 days, shoot length and fresh and dry shoot and root weights were determined. Total root length and fine root length, root volume, numbers of root tips and forks, and root surface area were measured through analysis of digital images of the root systems. After 42 days, P. penetrans nematodes were extracted and quantified from roots and soil. There were significant effects of the treatments on root health with interactions between Fusarium spp. and P. penetrans. F. graminearum caused the greatest reductions in root and shoot growth, and interactions with P. penetrans were more evident for F. verticillioides than for F. graminearum. Image analysis of root system architecture showed that seed treatment significantly improved root system characteristics. Seed treatments containing the nematicide abamectin in combination with fungicides reduced root infection by P. penetrans and provided the healthiest root system when under attack by the Fusarium-Pratylenchus complex.
Cone-beam tomography from 12 pinhole vertices

We have devised a simple model of inherent tomographic capability for a limited cone-beam system consisting of a few unordered cone-vertex locations. The projections are assumed to not be truncated, and represent ideal line-integrals (no noise or physical effects, and perfect sampling and resolution). The model can easily be applied, and is intended to predict which resolution features can not be recovered from the cone-beam projection data, independent of the reconstruction algorithm applied. Our model tells us about tomographic capability outside the convex hull of the vertex set, whereas conventional theory (Tuy's condition) says nothing for this case. We tested our model with a system consisting of 12 vertices. The results have motivated us to successively refine our reconstruction algorithm, striving for the bounds claimed by our model.
The Need for Design Cases: Disseminating Design Knowledge

12.00 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE This article covers the definition of a design case as a specialized and critical form of design knowledge, including discussion of similar types of scholarship that are not design cases and the characteristic ways in which design cases are used. Arguments for developing rigorous design cases are presented.
Identifying and analyzing multiple threads in computer-mediated and face-to-face conversations

We compared face-to-face (FTF) and computer-mediated (CMC) conversations among small groups of scientists carrying out data collection campaigns. We found multiple threads of conversation in both settings, but this was much more extensive in the CMC cases. The two kinds of conversation were very similar in content and nature of participation, but difTered in their temporal flow. The software that supported the CMC conversations allowed interactions that were quite similar in character to the F TF situations. The low incidence of thread confusions and the potential value of overhearing uset%l conversations does not seem to warrant providing technology in the CMC situation to split apart conversational threads.
Epitaxial growth of manganese on silicon: Volmer-Weber growth on the Si(111) surface.

Mn forms islands with a $\sqrt{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{3}$ reconstruction and a minimum thickness of 4 \AA{} on Si(111). When up to 4 ML Mn is deposited at room temperature and annealed, Mn displays a modified Volmer-Weber growth mode with $\sqrt{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{3}$ islands surrounded by partially ordered silicon adatom arrangements similar to those of quenched Si(111). Mn deposited at an elevated temperature also forms $\sqrt{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{3}$ islands, but the surrounding clean Si preserves the 7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7 arrangement. At coverages of Mn above 4 ML, the surface is almost completely covered with a $\sqrt{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{3}$ overlayer.
Elevated systolic blood pressure: increased cardiovascular risk and rationale for treatment.

S ince the invention of indirect auscultatory sphygmomanometry at the turn of the century, physicians have tended to focus more on treating elevations of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) than elevations of systolic blood pressure (SBP). The primary focus on DBP resulted from theoretical concerns that the level of DBP was more related to end organ damage.’ Also, the original Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study,2 the first to prove benefit in treating high blood pressure, focused on DBP. The fact that SBP rises on average throughout the life span in industrialized societies gave impetus to the notion that elevation of SBP was an aging-related phenomenon attributable to decreased compliance of the major arteries. For years a common clinical dictum was that a normal SBP for older persons was “100 plus the person’s age.” Therefore clinicians have been uncertain whether to treat isolated systolic hypertension (ISH; SBP 2 160 mm Hg, DBP 45 years of age, SBP is a greater risk factor for subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than are elevations of DBP.4 In fact, elevation of SBP is the only traditional reversible cardiovascular risk factor that does not have an attenuation of risk with advancing age. The recent publication of epidemiologic data from the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT) screenees strongly reinforces the fact that elevations of SBP are a more potent risk factor than elevation of DBP, even in middle-aged males.5 It now appears that, for
PAKDD'12 best paper: generating balanced classifier-independent training samples from unlabeled data

We consider the problem of generating balanced training samples from an unlabeled data set with an unknown class distribution. While random sampling works well when the data are balanced, it is very ineffective for unbalanced data. Other approaches, such as active learning and cost-sensitive learning, are also suboptimal as they are classifier-dependent and require misclassification costs and labeled samples, respectively. We propose a new strategy for generating training samples, which is independent of the underlying class distribution of the data and the classifier that will be trained using the labeled data. Our methods are iterative and can be seen as variants of active learning, where we use semi-supervised clustering at each iteration to perform biased sampling from the clusters. We provide several strategies to estimate the underlying class distributions in the clusters and to increase the balancedness in the training samples. Experiments with both highly skewed and balanced data from the UCI repository and a private data set show that our algorithm produces much more balanced samples than random sampling or uncertainty sampling. Further, our sampling strategy is substantially more efficient than active learning methods. The experiments also validate that, with more balanced training data, classifiers trained with our samples outperform classifiers trained with random sampling or active learning.
Calculation of electric transport close to a Lifshitz transition in a high magnetic field

The effects of the Landau quantization and interactions on a Lifshitz transition are studied. The Landau quantization leads to a quasi-one-dimensional behavior for the direction parallel to the field. The repulsive Coulomb interactions give rise to a gas of strongly correlated carriers. Consequently, in the ground state, an electron pocket is emptied in a discontinuous fashion as a function of the chemical potential or magnetic field. This discontinuity is gradually smeared by temperature, in agreement with experiments for CeIn3. We further calculate the conductivity and the Hall conductivity in the presence of nonmagnetic impurities, the Landau quantization and interactions.
Histamine release from rat mast cells induced by the lectin from the snail, Cepaea nemoralis L. - a counterpart to the triggering action of polycations?

Summary One of the two lectins, occurring in the albumen gland of the snail, Cepaea nemoralis L., is shown to be a histamine releaser from isolated rat mast cells as well as in vivo. The release reaction is induced in the same dosis range as the agglutination of human red blood cells occurs. Both the reactions are inhibitable by the addition of N-acetyl-neuraminic acid. The releasing activity of the lectin seems to be a counterpart to the triggering action of polycations, because its specificity is directed against this sugar.
Periodic trends governing the interactions between impurity atoms [H–Ar] and α-U

The binding energies, geometries, charges and electronic structures of a series of impurity atoms [H–Ar] interacting with the α-U lattice in various configurations were assessed by means of density functional theory calculations. Periodic trends governing the binding energy were highlighted and related to the electronic properties of the impurity atoms, with some consideration given to the band-structure of α-U. The strongest bound impurity atoms include [C, N, O] and [Si, P, S]. The general trends in the binding energy can be reproduced by a simple parameterisation in terms of the electronegativity (charge-transfer) and covalent radius (elasticity theory) of the impurity atom. The strongest bound atoms deviate from this model, due to their ability to bind with an optimum mixture of covalency and ionicity. This last point is evidenced by the partial overlap of the impurity atom p-band with the hybrid d–/f-band of α-U. It is expected that the trends and general behaviour reported in this work can be extend...
Marine phytoplankton distributions measured using shipboard flow cytometry

Abstract Flow cytometry is an alternative to traditional methods of studying the distribution and abundance of phytoplankton that allows rapid, objective analysis of light scattering and fluorescence of individual cells in a natural water sample. We report here the first flow cytometric analysis of phytoplankton communities carried out at sea. Light scatter and autofluorescence of individual cells were measured in water samples from the Gulf Stream. These flow cytometric ‘signatures’ allowed us to discriminate between different groups of phytoplankton, enumerate them, and detect changes in average pigment fluorescenee resulting from changes in population structure. The results indicate that flow cytometric techniques can be used on board ship with minimal modification of available equipment. They also show promise for automated analyses of plankton and particles in the sea.
Crucibles of Political Loyalty: Church Institutions and Electoral Continuity in Hungary

1. Explaining political persistence 2. Electoral persistence and volatility in Hungary 3. The churches first confront communism 4. The battle for souls, 1948-56 5. The battle for souls after 1956 6. Church community and rightist persistence: statistical evidence 7. Conclusion.
A fast method for speckle tracking

Speckle tracking method has been studied for velocity vector imaging in medical ultrasound for many years. However, the method is slow as compared to the conventional color Doppler imaging due to a larger amount of computation is needed. In this study, a method is developed to reduce the amount of computation. Instead of using an entire rectangular block in a 2D kernel (full kernel) to calculate the sum of absolute difference between image frames, only data in two diagonal lines, two bisectors, or a combination of the diagonal and bisector lines (see Fig. 1(b), (c), and (d)), are used. Both simulation and experiment were conducted to verify the proposed method. 11 frames of images are reconstructed with the delay-and-sum (D&S) and the high-frame-rate (HFR) imaging methods of a single plane wave transmission. In the simulation, two point scatterers, located at depths of 10 and 70 mm with velocities of 0.5 and 1.0 m/s respectively, are placed in the imaging area. Ten velocities are estimated by speckle tracking using both the full kernel and the crosses. The average errors of velocities measured are 7.3% for D&S and 5.5% for HFR imaging methods with diagonal lines, 2.5% for D&S and 4.0% for HFR imaging methods with bisectors, 3.6% for D&S and 3.2% for HFR imaging methods when both diagonal and bisector lines are used, and 2.6% for D&S and 2.5% for HFR imaging methods based on the full kernel. In the experiment, two small glass beads (point scatterers), located at depths of around 10 and 70 mm with velocities of 0 and a fixed value respectively, were placed in a water tank. The average measurement errors are 15.5% for D&S and 11.4% for HFR imaging methods with diagonal lines, 10.7% for D&S and 12.5% for HFR imaging methods with bisectors, 13.2% for D&S and 9.3% for HFR imaging methods when both diagonal and bisector lines are used, and 10.3% for D&S and 8.7% for HFR imaging methods with the full kernel. These results were obtained with a kernel area of 1.8 × 1.8 mm (or 100 × 100=10000 pixels for the full kernel and 4 × 100=400 pixels for a combination of diagonal and bisector lines). In this condition, the computation time is 18.5 times smaller with the combined diagonal and bisector lines than that with the full kernel (excluding the fixed image reading time). As the size of the kernel is increased, there will be more reduction in computation time with the new method. The new speckle tracking method can achieve similar accuracies in velocity estimations while significantly reducing the computation time.
Variations in DNA subtype and antifungal susceptibility among clinical isolates of Candida tropicalis.

Abstract Candida tropicalis has been known to be a major cause of invasive Candida infection. Numerous reports have documented C. tropicalis as the most common species of Candida other than C. albicans . The epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility of C. tropicalis are poorly defined. A series of 89 clinical isolates of C. tropicalis from 56 patients hospitalized at seven different U.S. medical centers were analyzed by restriction endonuclease analysis of genomic DNA (REAG) using the restriction enzymes Sfi I and BssH II followed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The MICs of the isolates for amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine (5FC), fluconazole, itraconazole, and D0870 were determined by microbroth dilution testing. A total of 49 different DNA types were identified among the 89 isolates. Generally, each DNA type represented an individual patient, and serial isolates from the same patient were the same DNA type. Small clusters of patients infected with the same DNA type of C. tropicalis suggested possible nosocomial transmission. The MICs of the various antifungal agents were amphotericin B 0.5 to 2.0 μg/ml (MIC 90 = 2.0 μg/ml), 5FC 0.25 to 1.0 μg/ml (MIC 90 = 0.5 μg/ml), fluconazole 0.25 to 8.0 μg/ml (MIC 90 = 1.0 μg/ml), itraconazole 0.03 to 1.0 μg/ml (MIC 90 = 0.5 μg/ml), and D0870 0.007 to 0.12 μg/ml (MIC 90 = 0.03 μg/ml). These data support previous observations that infections caused by C. tropicalis frequently originate from the patient's own endogenous flora. Clusters of a single strain in individual hospitals also suggests that limited nosocomial transmission may occur.
Using multimedia records to support mixed-method evaluation

This chapter explores how multimedia records, particularly digital video, can enhance the analysis and presentation of research findings and can facilitate mixed-method research designs. The authors draw analogies between mixing methods and mixing technologies.
Comments on phosphorescence decay times of benzene and methyl-benzene derivatives

Abstract It is shown that methyl substitution in benzene increases σ, π-mixing to an extent which is readily observable in the intrinsic phosphorescence lifetime. It is also shown that C-H vibrational modes which are external to the benzene ring (i.e. in the CH 3 group) contribute to phosphorescence quenching. Finally, some recently reported ‘relaxation effects’ are shown to be caused by poor temperature controls.
A physical interpretation of the multiple-node removal algorithm of a flow graph

A simple physical interpretation of the multiple-node removal algorithm for both Coates' flow graph and Mason's signal-flow graph is presented. It is shown that the transmittances associated with the branches of a reduced flow graph can be interpreted as the graph transmissions of certain subgraphs.
Detection of aromatase cytochrome P450, 17α-hydroxylase cytochrome P450 and NADPH:P450 reductase on the surface of cells in which they are expressed

Abstract Using the membrane impermeant probe NHS-LC-biotin, we show in this report that a fraction of aromatase P450 (P450arom), the enzyme that catalyzes estrogen biosynthesis, is present at the surface of cells in which it is expressed, either endogenously or as a consequence of transfection. The same findings were obtained for a truncated form of P450arom lacking the putative membrane-spanning region, thus suggesting the presence of other membrane-spanning region(s) within its structure. P450arom is not unique in this regard as we find that a fraction of 17α-hydroxylase P450 as well as NADPH:P450 reductase also are present at the cell surface. It is therefore possible that a number of microsomal P450s are expressed at the cell surface in this fashion.
Getting Up Close and Personal With Climate Scientists in Thin Ice

In a new documentary screened at the 2013 Fall Meeting, viewers follow the wanderings of Simon Lamb, a New Zealand geologist on a mission. Lamb is out to explore firsthand the research that climate scientists do and to gauge whether their claims that human-made emissions are changing Earth's climate are correct.
Excitation of rostral medullary pacemaker neurons with putative sympathoexcitatory function by cyclic AMP and β-adrenoceptor agonists ‘in vitro’

Abstract This study explores the mechanism of action of catecholamines on rostral medullary pacemakers neurons with putative sympathoexcitatory function, in tissue slices. The firing rate of the pacemaker neurons of nucleus reticularis rostroventrolateralis (RVL pacemakers) was reversibly increased by agents which elevate intracellular levels of cAMP (forskolin and 8-br-cAMP). Forskolin dideoxy, an analog without action on adenylate cyclase, was ineffective and adenosine, a potential degradation product of 8-br cAMP produced inhibition exclusively and only in high doses (0.1–1 mM). The firing rate of these cells was uniformly increased by epinephrine and isoproterenol (10 μM) but unaffected by both phenylephrine (100 μM) and clonidine (up to 1 μM). These effects were abolished by pretreatment with the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (10 μM) but they were unaffected by the α-antagonist phentolamine (100 μM). The indirectly-acting sympathomimetic amine tyramine (0.1–1 mM) activated all the cells tested. The effect of tyramine was antagonized by the β-blocker pindolol and was absent 7 days after microinjection of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine into the lateral aspect of the RVL. Intracellular recordings indicated that both isoproterenol and tyramine enhanced the rate of depolarization of the pacemaker neurons during the interspike interval and produced a decrease in input resistance. After tetrodotoxin (TTX) pretreatment, isoproterenol produced a depolarization also associated with a reduction in input resistance. Three conclusions are proposed. First, RVL pacemakers have functional β-adrenergic receptors whose activation increases their discharge rate via the intracellular production of cAMP. The effect of cAMP is due at least in part to the activation of an inward current which may be carried by a cation. Secondly, RVL neurons are in close proximity to a releasable pool of catecholamines which is susceptible to destruction by the cytotoxic agent 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Finally it is tentatively suggested that the reduction in sympathetic tone produced by centrally acting β-blockers could be due, at least in part, to an action of these agents on RVL pacemaker cells.
Sustained reduction of nicotine craving with real-time neurofeedback: exploring the role of severity of dependence.

Background Neurofeedback delivered via real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) is a promising therapeutic technique being explored to facilitate self-regulation of craving in nicotine-dependent cigarette smokers. The current study examined the role of nicotine-dependence severity and the efficacy of multiple visits of neurofeedback from a single region of interest (ROI) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) on craving reduction. Methods Nine nicotine-dependent cigarette smokers participated in three rtfMRI visits that examined cue-induced craving and brain activation. Severity of nicotine dependence was assessed with the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence. When viewing smoking-related images with instructions to "crave," patient-tailored ROIs were generated in the vicinity of the ACC. Activity levels from the ROI were fed back while participants viewed smoking cues with the instruction to reduce craving. Results Neurofeedback from a single ROI in the ACC led to consistent decreases in self-reported craving and activation in the ACC across the three visits. Dependence severity predicted response to neurofeedback at Visit 3. Conclusions This study builds upon previous rtfMRI studies on the regulation of nicotine craving in demonstrating that feedback from the ACC can reduce activation to smoking cues across three separate visits. Individuals with lower nicotine-dependence severity were more successful in reducing ACC activation over time. These data highlight the need to consider dependence severity in developing more individualized neurofeedback methods.
Protein folding: sticky N17 speeds huntingtin pile-up.

Aggregation of huntingtin protein with an expanded polyglutamine region is enhanced by its 17-residue N-terminal domain, which binds to itself and to the polyglutamine region. This enhancement is inhibited when the N-terminal domain binds to the chaperonin TRiC.
Thermal stresses in multi-layered curved bars

Abstract Solutions are presented for the thermal stress distributions in curved bars consisting of layers of either homogeneous isotropic or cylindrically orthotropic materials. Typical plots are given for two-layered and three-layered curved bars.
The importance of measuring IFNβ bioactivity: Monitoring in MS patients and the effect of anti-IFNβ antibodies

Abstract Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with IFNβ develop anti-IFNβ antibodies, which can interfere with the bioactivity of the injected cytokine, i.e., antibody-mediated decreased bioactivity (ADB). The precise levels of anti-IFNβ antibodies inducing decreased bioactivity is unknown. We repeatedly used a bioactivity measure, gene expression of MxA or GEM, and correlated bioactivity with measures of binding and neutralizing antibodies. The binding antibody assay was a capture ELISA, and the neutralizing antibody (NAb) assay was a cytopathic effect (CPE) assay. 27% (17 / 64) of patients repeatedly sampled developed critical ADB. Bioactivity as determined by GEM correlated negatively with NAb titer, and bioactivity that had been lost with the development of NAbs returned if NAb levels diminished. These data reveal that the GEM assay is a useful adjunct in the management of MS patients treated with IFNβ, and that lost bioactivity returns when anti-IFNβ antibody levels diminish.
Bridging k and q space in the cuprates: Comparing angle-resolved photoemission and STM results

A critical comparison is made between the angle-resolved-photoemission-spectroscopy- (ARPES-) derived spectral function and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies of Friedel-like oscillations in ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8+\ensuremath{\delta}}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}(\mathrm{Bi}2212)$. The data can be made approximately consistent, provided that (a) the elastic scattering seen in ARPES is predominantly small-angle scattering and (b) the ``peak'' feature seen in ARPES is really a dispersive ``bright spot,'' smeared into a line by limited energy resolution; these are the bright spots which control the quasiparticle interferences. However, there is no indication of bilayer splitting in the STM data.
Kinetics of microbial reduction of Solid phase U(VI).

Sodium boltwoodite (NaUO2SiO3OH·1.5 H2O) was used to assess the kinetics of microbial reduction of solid-phase U(VI) by a dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium (DMRB), Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1. The bioreduction kinetics was studied with Na-boltwoodite in suspension or within alginate beads in a nongrowth medium with lactate as electron donor at pH 6.8 buffered with PIPES. Concentrations of U(VI)tot and cell number were varied to evaluate the coupling of U(VI) dissolution, diffusion, and microbial activity. Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS) collectively indicated that solid-phase U(VI) was first dissolved and diffused out of grain interiors before it was reduced on bacterial surfaces and/or within the periplasm. The kinetics of solid-phase U(VI) bioreduction was well described by a coupled model of bicarbonate-promoted dissolution of Na-boltwoodite, intragrain...
Cyclooxygenase-2 regulation in colon cancer cells : Modulation of rna polymerase II elongation by histone deacetylase inhibitors

We are interested in the mechanism of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) regulation in colon cancer cells because this knowledge could provide insight into colon carcinogenesis and suggest ways to suppress Cox-2 expression in colon tumors. Studying the HT-29 colon cancer cell line as a model, we found that Cox-2 mRNA and protein levels were activated over 10-fold by the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Moreover, we found that the histone deacetylase inhibitors butyrate and trichostatin A could block Cox-2 activation in a gene-specific manner. TNF-alpha and butyrate did not significantly affect Cox-2 promoter activity, mRNA stability, or negative regulation by the Cox-2 3'-untranslated RNA region. A nuclear run-on assay showed that TNF-alpha increased Cox-2 transcription, whereas butyrate was suppressive. Because butyrate has been reported to suppress polymerase elongation on the c-myc gene, we employed the chromatin immunoprecipitation assay to determine the influence of butyrate and trichostatin A on polymerase distribution on the Cox-2 gene. These data indicated that butyrate restricted polymerase elongation from exon 1 to 2 on both the c-myc and Cox-2 genes. We propose that histone deacetylases regulate a transcriptional block on the Cox-2 and c-myc genes and that this block may be a potential target for pharmacological intervention.