cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of optimization procedures for the 2*2 Sinclair and the 4*4 Mueller matrices in coherent radar polarimetry and its application to radar target versus background clutter discrimination

Basic principles of radar polarimetry are introduced. The target characteristic polarization state theory is developed first for the coherent case using the three-step, the basis transformation, and the power (Mueller) matrix optimization procedures. Kennaugh's and Huyen's theories of radar target polarimetry are verified for the monostatic reciprocal case. It is shown that there exist in total five unique pairs of characteristic polarization states for the symmetric scattering matrix, of which two pairs, the cross-polarization null and the copolarization max pairs, are identical, whereas the cross-pol max and the cross-pol saddlepoint pairs are distinct. The fifth pair, the co-pol null pair, lies in the plane spanned by the co-pol max/cross-pol null and the cross-pol max pairs, which determines the target characteristic circle on the polarization sphere reestablishing Huynen's polarization fork concept. The theory is verified by an example in which the co-polarized and cross-polarized power density plots are presented next to the polarization fork. >
The strategy process, middle management involvement, and organizational performance

This paper reports the results of a study investigating the strategic involvement of middlelevel managers in 20 organizations. The results suggest that involvement in the formation of strategy is associated with improved organizational performance. Consensus among middle-level managers, defined as strategic understanding and commitment, is related to involvement in the strategic process but not to organizational performance. Implications for research and the management of the strategic process are discussed.
Parents' disclosure of their HIV infection to their children in the context of the family.

We interviewed 33 HIV-infected parents from the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study (HCSUS), 27 of their minor children, 19 adult children, and 15 caregivers about the process of children learning that their parents were HIV positive. We summarize the retrospective descriptions of parents’ disclosure of their HIV status to their children, from the perspective of multiple family members. We analyzed transcripts of these interviews with systematic qualitative methods. Both parents and children reported unplanned disclosure experiences with positive and negative outcomes. Parents sometimes reported that disclosure was not as negative as they feared. However, within-household analysis showed disagreement between parents and children from the same household regarding disclosure outcomes. These findings suggest that disclosure should be addressed within a family context to facilitate communication and children’s coping. Parents should consider negative and positive outcomes, unplanned disclosure and children’s capacity to adapt after disclosure when deciding whether to disclose.
Low Altitude Road Following Constraints Using Strap-down EO Cameras on Miniature Air Vehicles

Miniature air vehicles (MAVs) are particularly well suited for short distance, over the horizon, low altitude surveillance and reconnaissance tasks. In this paper we focus on aerial surveillance of borders and roads, where a strap- down EO camera is used in-the-loop to track a border or road pathway. We assume that quality tracking requires that the pathway always remains in the footprint of the camera. The objective of this paper is to explore roll angle and altitude above ground level constraints imposed on a bank-to-turn MAV due to the requirement to keep the pathway in the footprint of the strap-down camera. We derive the required altitude to maintain the pathway in the footprint of the camera and the associated bank angle constraints. The effectiveness of the result is explored using a high fidelity simulator.
Noncooperative Eigencoding for MIMO Ad hoc Networks

A new noncooperative eigencoding algorithm is introduced for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) ad hoc networks. The algorithm performs generalized waterfilling with respect to its transmit covariance matrix and the receive node covariance matrix, both of which can be estimated locally. A cooperative algorithm is also developed as a benchmark in simulations. Simulation results show that the noncooperative algorithm performance is close to that of the cooperative method and is much better than greedy optimization. A game theoretic interpretation of the algorithm is also provided.
Performance evaluation of a generalized linear SIC for DS/CDMA signals

The linear successive interference canceler (LSIC) is a multiuser detector that separates code-division multiple-access (CDMA) signals in a multistage manner. In each stage, a user is detected, and its contribution is regenerated and canceled from the input of that stage. A user's spreading sequence is employed for despreading and respreading, and the magnitude of the despreader output is used as the amplitude estimate to reconstruct that user's signal. This paper describes a generalized version of the LSIC (GLSIC) that employs various types of linear filters for the despreading and respreading operations. We analyze the bit error rate (BER), asymptotic multiuser efficiency (AME), and the mean and variance of the amplitude estimates of the GLSIC. It is shown that for certain choices of linear filters, complete cancellation of a user can be achieved, irrespective of the reliability of the symbol estimates. We also demonstrate that, from a BER and AME viewpoint, it is not beneficial to use a linear canceler with a decorrelator or a minimum mean-square-error (MMSE) receiver.
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor-δ The Middle Child Vies for Attention

Adaptation to changes in energy balance is critical for survival of all organisms. Successful adaptation during mammalian evolution was driven by starvation, but energy excess leading to insulin resistance and atherosclerosis1 presents challenges for adaptation in the current era. The highly orchestrated response to nutritional status is mediated, in part, by peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs), which control lipid and glucose utilization as well as inflammatory responses in many tissues. The 3 members of the PPAR family, PPARα, PPARδ, and PPARγ, form heterodimers with the retinoid X receptor and bind to peroxisome proliferator response elements.2 PPAR expression patterns overlap, but PPARα is present in liver and muscle, PPARγ is mostly in adipocytes, PPARδ is present in many tissues, and all 3 are in macrophages. See accompanying article on page 52 PPARδ, the least characterized family member, is induced in skeletal muscle after exercise.3 In mice, PPARδ activation increased muscle fatty acid oxidation and improved exercise tolerance.4 In healthy humans, a synthetic PPARδ agonist, GW501516, reduced postprandial plasma triglycerides, increased high-density lipoprotein, and increased muscle expression of enzymes involved in fatty acid oxidation.5 Similar effects were observed when PPARδ …
A new on-line single-phase to three-phase UPS topology with reduced number of switches

This paper presents design considerations and performance analysis of a new on-line single-phase to three-phase uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system with reduced number of switches. The proposed new UPS system consists of an integrated rectifier/boost converter with power factor correction (PFC) capabilities and a two-leg inverter connected to a split DC-link bus. Two battery sets are directly connected to the DC-link bus resulting in a very simple system. The proposed topology uses only 6 active switches reducing the cost of the system compared to the traditional 7, 8, and 10-switch topologies. It has sinusoidal input current with unity power factor and high quality output voltages even with nonlinear loads. Detailed circuit operation and analysis as well as simulation and experimental results are presented.
Issues in modeling a national network of airports

The modeling of networks consisting of a large number of geographically dispersed airports is considered. The need for models of this type has become clear recently as a result of growing systemwide congestion of air traffic, the propagation of delays from one airport to others, and the desire, at the national policy level, to intelligently allocate scarce federal resources among competing alternatives and local airport projects. Some fundamental difficulties associated with network models of this type are examined. Important issues include problem size and data requirements; the probabilistic and dynamic nature of the airport system's demand and capacity; the combinatorially explosive number of possible network states and the resulting need for careful statistical sampling and analysis; the sensitivity of computational performance to the level of detail in the network model; the difficulty of preparing demand scenarios that predict future connections between pairs of airports; and user requirements for model robustness, portability, and transparency. These issues are discussed and illustrated in some detail, including references to specific existing network models of the ATC (air traffic control) system. >
Potassium Adsorption on Pt(111) and its Effect on Co Chemisorption

Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) have been used to study the chemisorption properties of carbon monoxide on potassium predosed Pt. SIMS cluster ions (such as K + , K 2 + , KO + and KCO + ) were monitored to probe, K-CO interactions. Large changes in the SIMS yields are observed as the potassium coverage is varied. The SIMS results are correlated with previous work function change and TPD studies. Temperature programmed secondary ion mass spectrometry of potassium-containing ions indicates a local interaction between potassium and CO molecules. As typically observed on transition metal surfaces, two different CO TPD states are observed. The lower temperature state shifts to higher temperatures with increasing potassium coverage and to lower temperatures with increasing CO exposure. The high temperature CO state builds in with increasing potassium coverage and is accompanied by simultaneous potassium desorption. Evidence for the occurrence of both long-range (indirect) and short-range (direct) potassium effects on adsorbed CO is presented.
Metamaterial-inspired GPS L1 rectennas

Several GPS L1 (1.5754 GHz) rectennas have been developed for low input power applications. These rectennas incorporate high efficiency, electrically small, metamaterial-inspired near field resonant parasitic antennas, and a Schottky diode that has a low built-in voltage, and a resistor as the load. For the low, 0.0 dBm (1.0 mW), input power level to the protractor-based rectennas, the measured rectifying efficiencies of the larger (ka = 0.808) and 25% smaller (ka = 0.604) protractor versions are, respectively, 78.0% at 1.5754 GHz and 67.9% at 1.55 GHz. Similarly, for the 0dBm input power to an S-inclusion-based rectenna (ka∼0.611) that again is matched directly to the input impedance of the rectifying circuit, the simulated and measured rectifying efficiencies were, respectively, 75.7% and 79.6%. It will be demonstrated that the simulated and measured results are in good agreement in all cases.
Relationships between the generalized functional method and other methods of nonimaging optical design

The recently developed generalized functional method provides a means of designing nonimaging concentrators and luminaires for use with extended sources and receivers. We explore the mathematical relationships between optical designs produced using the generalized functional method and edge-ray, aplanatic, and simultaneous multiple surface (SMS) designs. Edge-ray and dual-surface aplanatic designs are shown to be special cases of generalized functional designs. In addition, it is shown that dual-surface SMS designs are closely related to generalized functional designs and that certain computational advantages accrue when the two design methods are combined. A number of examples are provided.
Brain evolution in Homo: The “radiator” theory

The “radiator” theory of brain evolution is proposed to account for “mosaic evolution” whereby brain size began to increase rapidly in the genus Homo well over a million years after bipedalism had been selected for in early hominids. Because hydrostatic pressures differ across columns of fluid depending on orientation (posture), vascular systems of early bipeds became reoriented so that cranial blood flowed preferentially to the vertebral plexus instead of the internal jugular vein in response to gravity. The Hadar early hominids and robust australopithecines partly achieved this reorientation with a dramatically enlarged occipital/marginal sinus system. On the other hand, hominids in the gracile australopithecine through Homo lineage delivered blood to the vertebral plexus via a widespread network of veins that became more elaborate through time. Mastoid and parietal emissary veins are representatives of this network, and increases in their frequencies during hominid evolution are indicative of its development. Brain size increased with increased frequencies of mastoid and parietal emissary veins in the lineage leading to and including Homo, but remained conservative in the robust australopithecine lineage that lacked the network of veins. The brain is an extremely heatsensitive organ and emissary veins in humans have been shown to cool the brain under conditions of hyperthermia. Thus, the network of veins in the lineage leading to Homo acted as a radiator that released a thermal constraint on brain size. The radiator theory is in keeping with the belief that basal gracile and basal robust australopithecines occupied distinct niches, with the former living in savanna mosaic habitats that were subject to hot temperatures and intense solar radiation during the day.
IMMUNOLOGICAL HOMOGRAFT ENHANCEMENT. INTERACTIONS OF ANTISERUM AND SKIN AND TUMOR HOMOGRAFTS.

SummaryC3H mouse skin and the C3H tumor B.P.8 were both placed as homografts in the same B6D2F1 mice, which were also treated with an antiserum directed against histocompatibility antigens of the donor tissues. The amount and duration of antiserum treatment was varied, as was the relative time of the two graftings. The tumor was readily enhanced by antiserum, but it was possible only with difficulty to demonstrate any enhancement of skin graft survival by antiserum injection. Growth of the B.P.8 tumor was enhanced by doses of antiserum that had no demonstrable effect on the rejection of a simultaneously applied C3H skin homograft. When the skin grafts were applied 10 or 15 days before the tumor cell inoculum, the tumor tended to show accelerated rejection despite simultaneous injection the growth of tumor in control animals. The results of these and other findings presented here are interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that an efferent mechanism is responsible for the immunological enhancement of homo...
Occurrence of osteoporosis & factors determining bone mineral loss in young adults with Graves' disease.

Background & objectives: There is a paucity of data with conflicting reports regarding the extent and pattern of bone mineral (BM) loss in Graves' disease (GD), especially in young adults. Also, interpretation of BM data in Indians is limited by use of T-score cut-offs derived from Caucasians. This study was aimed to evaluate the occurrence of osteoporosis in active treatment naive patients with GD and determine the factors predicting BM loss, using standard T-scores from Caucasians and compare with the cut-offs proposed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for diagnosing osteoporosis in Indians. Methods: Patients with GD, >20 yr age without any history of use of anti-thyroid drugs, and normal controls without fracture history, drugs use or co-morbidities underwent BM density (BMD) assessment at lumbar spine, hip and forearm, thyroid function and calcium profile assessment. Women with menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency and men with androgen deficiency were excluded. Results: p0 atients with GD (n=31) had significantly lower BMD at spine (1.01±0.10 vs. 1.13±0.16 g/cm 2 ), hip (0.88±0.10 vs. 1.04±0.19 g/cm 2 ) and forearm (0.46±0.04 vs. 0.59±0.09 g/cm 2 ) compared with controls (n=30) (P Interpretation & conclusions: Osteoporosis at hip or spine is not a major problem in GD and more commonly involves forearm. Diagnostic criterion developed from Caucasians tends to overdiagnose osteoporosis in Indians. T 3 elevation and phosphate are important predictors of BMD. Baseline I 131 uptake may have some role in predicting BMD.
Smooth conjugacy and S-R-B measures for uniformly and non-uniformly hyperbolic systems

We give a new proof of the fact that the eigenvalues at corresponding periodic orbits forms a complete set of invariants for the smooth conjugacy of low dimensional Anosov systems. We also show that, if a homeomorphism conjugating two smooth low dimensional Anosov systems is absolutely continuous, then it is as smooth as the maps. We furthermore prove generalizations of these facts for non-uniformly hyperbolic systems as well as extensions and counterexamples in higher dimensions.
The Role of Social Capital in the Creation of Community Wireless Networks

Community wireless networks (CWNs) offer free or affordable Internet access for the purpose of improving the well-being of the community. Many questions have been raised about the ownership, sustainability, and social and economic implications of CWNs. To address these concerns, we propose a conceptual framework that describes the role of social capital in the creation of CWNs. This framework takes into account a number of collective actions and cooperative activities that contribute to the development of CWNs. These actions and cooperative activities include donating money and hardware, volunteering manpower and technical skills, developing open source software for the network, and sharing wireless nodes with peers. We used the collective actions and cooperation construct of the social capital concept to attribute these types of community contributions. We collected data via a survey to support the proposed framework. The primary implication for practitioners is that mobilizing embedded resources in communities can build a common wireless infrastructure for their digital needs. This study is an important step towards advancing this topic as an intellectual stream.
Understanding and Assessing Nutrition

Most countries collect short-term food consumption information of individuals on a regular basis. These data, after much analysis and interpretation, are used to assess the nutritional status of population subgroups, design food assistance programs, guide nutritional and food policy, and—in epidemiological applications—uncover associations between diet and health. In this review, we focus on surveillance, a broad term that includes, for example, estimation of nutritional status and evaluation of the adequacy of the diet. From a statistical viewpoint, dietary intake and evaluation questions pose tremendous methodological challenges. Nutrient and food adequacy are defined in terms of long-term intakes, yet we can only practically observe short-term consumption, perhaps over one or two days. Food consumption measurements are noisy and subject to both systematic and random error, and in addition, there are very large day-to-day differences in a person's food consumption. Observed distributions of food and nut...
Spaced Steel Columns

End tie plates in battened columns may contribute significantly to the buckling strength. Their effect is accentuated by the study of a spaced column, defined herein as the limiting case of a battened column in which the battens are attached to the longitudinal column elements by hinged connections. The strengthening effect of the end tie plates is due to two factors: (1) A shortening of the lenngth within which the column components can bend about their own axes and (2) the longitudinal components are forced to buckle in a modification of second mode shape and thus have elastic buckling coefficients that approach four times those of the first mode. In addition to their contribution to column strength, end tie plates perform their usual role of distributing the direct or moment applied loads to the component elements of either laced or battened columns.
TOD-tree: task-overlapped direct send tree image compositing for hybrid MPI parallelism

Modern supercomputers have very powerful multi-core CPUs. The programming model on these supercomputer is switching from pure MPI to MPI for inter-node communication, and shared memory and threads for intra-node communication. Consequently the bottleneck in most systems is no longer computation but communication between nodes. In this paper, we present a new compositing algorithm for hybrid MPI parallelism that focuses on communication avoidance and overlapping communication with computation at the expense of evenly balancing the workload. The algorithm has three stages: a direct send stage where nodes are arranged in groups and exchange regions of an image, followed by a tree compositing stage and a gather stage. We compare our algorithm with radix-k and binary-swap from the IceT library in a hybrid OpenMP/MPI setting, show strong scaling results and explain how we generally achieve better performance than these two algorithms.
An Inquiry-Based Project Focused on the X-ray Powder Diffraction Analysis of Common Household Solids

While X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) is a fundamental analytical technique used by solid-state laboratories across a breadth of disciplines, it is still underrepresented in most undergraduate curricula. In this work, we incorporate XRPD analysis into an inquiry-based project that requires students to identify the crystalline component(s) of familiar household products. Centering the project on materials which students encounter in their everyday lives helps to demystify the technique, making it accessible to everyone with a basic understanding of crystallinity and unit cells. In an XRPD study, each crystalline component generates a unique set of peaks in the diffractogram. Comparing the collected diffractogram to a library of diffractograms for known crystalline materials allows students to identify the crystalline components in their unknown. Students must determine for themselves the chemical compositions of the possible unknowns, and link their findings back to the analysis of the collected data. Init...
From Carolingian Official to Croatian Ruler -The Croats and the Carolingian Empire in the First Half of the Ninth Century

The author uses contemporary Frankish sources and the results of archaeological research to illustrate the political currents of the first half of the ninth century that framed the development of the Croatian dukedom (kneževina). He proposes a new reading for a passage from the Annales regni Francorum referring to Borna, Croatian duke (knez) and Frankish vassal. This new reading allows the reinterpretation of the first stages of development of the dukedom in the sense that Duke Borna expanded his territory by making use of the fighting that followed the insurrection of his neighbour Ljudevit, Duke of Pannonia Inferior. The author also surveys the typology and characteristics of societies that developed along the limes of the Carolingian Empire, and places in this context the further development and internal processes of integration in the Croatian dukedom.
Book and Atlas Reviews

The beautifully designed and thoroughly engaging Historical Atlas of Maine is a long-awaited contribution to the history of Maine, New England, and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. The brainchild ...
The natural expression of individual differences in self-reported level of response to alcohol during ecologically assessed drinking episodes.

Low sensitivity to alcohol is a well-established risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, little is known about how the low sensitivity phenotype is expressed on a fine-grained, momentary level in drinkers’ daily experience. The objective of the study is to evaluate individual differences in subjective states and appraisals of alcoholic beverages during the ascending limb of real-world drinking episodes. Social drinkers (N = 398) with varying degrees of alcohol sensitivity as indexed by the Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol form (SRE; Schuckit et al. in Addiction 92:979–988, 1997a) recorded diary entries over a 3-week monitoring period (2576 drinking episodes containing 6546 moments). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to evaluate whether individual differences in alcohol sensitivity predicted differing intra-episode estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) trajectories, ratings of subjective states, and drink appraisals. Lower self-reported alcohol sensitivity was associated with consuming “too much, too fast,” as indicated by a steeper slope of ascending eBAC. In models adjusted for momentary eBAC level, participants reporting lower alcohol sensitivity at baseline showed blunted subjective intoxication and drink-contingent punishment. The results suggest that low sensitivity to alcohol is associated with a blunting of some forms of subjective feedback (i.e., perceptions of intoxication and punishment) that might typically encourage drinking restraint. This may ‘tip the scales’ toward excess consumption and could help to explain why a low alcohol sensitivity forecasts AUD.
Knowledge-based systems

No kind of technology has had such a profound effect upon our lives and society as the new knowledge-based systems which start to overcome the traditional computer technology. Few areas of science raise such high expectations and meet with so much sceptical resistance as Artificial Intelligence (AI). So it is the task of philosophy of science and technology to analyze the factual methodological possibilities of AI-technology. After a historical sketch of AI-development (Chapter 2), the technological foundations of expert systems are described (Chapter 3). It is a surprising result of analysis that expert systems are technical realizations of well-known philosophical methodologies. In this very sense, AI is not only technology, but philosophy too (Chapter 4). On the other hand the question arises if knowledge-based systems can support the work of philosophers of science who want to explain the process of scientific research, inventions, and discoveries. This application of AI for the philosophical professionals is discussed in the 5th chapter. In the 6th chapter some scenarios of AI-technology are described which are expected in the nineties. Then, besides philosophy of science and technology, we have to consider the ethical questions which arise in evaluating the factual impact of AI-technology on our lives and society.
Ultrastructure of the Gill Epithelia in the Crayfish Procambarus Clarkii at Different Stages of the Molt Cycle

ABSTRACT The ultrastructure of gill filament epithelia of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii was examined during all stages of the molt cycle. When compared to events in the telson, apolysis and preexuvial cuticle deposition were greatly delayed in both respiratory and ion-transporting gill filament types, occurring only during the last 10% of the premolt. No postexuvial cuticular deposition was noted, the cuticle appearing to be complete immediately after ecdysis. No changes in the morphology of gill filament epithelia were noted that would indicate epithelial involvement in preexuvial cuticle synthesis. Silver staining, used to detect epithelia involved in active transport of ions, revealed staining patterns during all stages of pre- and postmolt that were similar to patterns seen in intermolt animals.
The Rehnquist Court and the Free Exercise of Religion

Throughout much of the twentieth century the United States Supreme Court has promoted the free exercise of reli gion. Beginning with the Jehovah's Witness cases in the 1940s,1 the justices extended the protection of the First Amendment over many of the practices of religious and philosophical minori ties. Yet, in little more than four terms under Chief Justice William Rehnquist (1986-1991), the Supreme Court has restruc tured the boundaries of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Although an absolute ban on coercion of religious belief remains in place,2 alteration of the Free Exercise Clause doctrine has taken place along two dimensions related to gov ernmental coercion of religious conduct. First, the Rehnquist Court established limitations on the ap plicability of strict scrutiny analysis in free exercise cases, a mode of analysis central to the treatment of religious conduct as a fundamental right. Second, the Rehnquist Court justices adopted a less general reading of the meaning of free exercise that effectively limited the scope of conduct of expression cov ered by the clause. Through both alterations in doctrine the jus tices made it more difficult for disadvantaged religious associations to lodge successful free exercise challenges to public policy.
Beverages, Satiation, Satiety, and Energy Balance

The high medical, social, and economic costs make reducing the number of overweight or obese individuals a leading public health goal throughout the world. To better understand how the obesity epidemic arose and to aid the development of new strategies to curb the obesity epidemic, there has been an increased focus on understanding how food characteristics influence energy balance. A better understanding of this relationship would be useful to (a) improve effective weight management strategies, (b) assist the food industry in food product reformulations that aid weight management, and (c) guide government policy relating to the food industry. One salient food characteristic that has recently come under considerable scrutiny is its physical form (liquid or solid). The reason for this interest is that the putative weak satiation/satiating properties of energy-yielding beverages are a potential contributor to the obesity epidemic.
Collision‐induced dissociation of uranyl‐methoxide and uranyl‐ethoxide cations: Formation of UO2H+ and uranyl‐alkyl product ions

RATIONALE The lower levels of adventitious H2 O in a linear ion trap allow the fragmentation reactions of [UO2 OCH3 ](+) and [UO2 OCH2 CH3 ](+) to be examined in detail. METHODS Methanol- and ethanol-coordinated UO2 (2+) -alkoxide precursors were generated by electrospray ionization (ESI). Multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry (MS(n) ) and collision-induced dissociation (CID) were performed using a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. RESULTS CID of [UO2 OCH3 (CH3 OH)n ](+) and [UO2 OCH2 CH3 (CH3 CH2 OH)n ](+) , n = 3 and 2, causes loss of neutral alcohol ligands, leading ultimately to bare uranyl-alkoxide species. Comparison of 'native' to deuterium-labeled precursors reveals dissociation pathways not previously observed in 3-D ion trap experiments. CONCLUSIONS UO2 H(+) is generated from [UO2 OCH3 ](+) by transfer of H from the methyl group. Variable-energy and variable-time CID experiments suggest that the apparent threshold for production of UO2 H(+) is lower than for UO2 (+) , but the pathway is kinetically less favored for the former than for the latter. CID experiments reveal that [UO2 OCH2 CH3 ](+) dissociates to generate [UO2 CH3 ](+) , a relatively rare species with a U-C bond, and [UO2 (O = CH2 )](+) .
Monochromatic multicomponent fluorescence sedimentation velocity for the study of high-affinity protein interactions

Many proteins in cells combine to form molecular machines or complexes that carry out specific processes inside cells. Analytical ultracentrifugation is a technique commonly used to explore the physical properties of proteins and their complexes and in this way to gain insights into the biological roles of these molecules. The technique involves spinning a sample containing the molecules to generate a strong centrifugal force, while monitoring the movement of the molecules. Under these conditions, molecules with different sizes and masses sink – or “sediment” – at different rates, so individual proteins and their complexes can be clearly distinguished. Analytical ultracentrifugation was recently extended to make it possible to detect fluorescent tags added on to proteins. This advance allowed researchers to study more dilute samples or complexes that are held together especially tightly. However, only tags of a single color can be detected because of physical constraints of the fluorescent detection system. This meant that only one kind of fluorescent signal could be tracked at any one time. However, a group of fluorescent tags called photoswitchable fluorescent proteins (psFPs) offer new opportunities for detecting multiple signals. This is because these psFPs switch between fluorescent and non-fluorescent states while being detected in the ultracentrifuge. Zhao et al. have now exploited this unique photoswitching property by accurately measuring how fast a number of psFPs switched between fluorescent and non-fluorescent states while they were sedimenting. Each different psFPs switched in a distinct way, even for psFPs of the same color, meaning that each psFP could be identified from its switching rate, similar to identifying a person from their fingerprints. This discovery allowed Zhao et al. to distinguish different psFPs in a mixed sample as if they had different colors. Further experiments went on to demonstrate that this approach could identify the binding proteins in a protein mixture made of three components, and be used to study a biologically important protein complex that can itself exist in two distinct forms. The approach will therefore provide a valuable tool to observe different components in a complex individually and will provide researchers the opportunity to study how mixed protein complexes form at very low concentrations. Future developments of the approach may make it possible to study other properties of protein complexes such as their overall shape and their behavior under conditions that mimic those inside the cell.
Identification of Newborn Cells by BrdU Labeling and Immunocytochemistry In Vivo

Bromodeoxyuridine, variously abbreviated as BrdU, BudR, and BrdUrd, is a halogenated thymidine analog that is permanently integrated into the DNA of dividing cells during DNA synthesis in S phase. BrdU can be immunocytochemically detected in vitro and in vivo, allowing the identification of cells that were dividing the period of BrdU exposure. In vivo, it has been used to identify the "birthdate" of cells during development, to examine the fate of postnatally generated cells, and to label cells before transplantation, for subsequent identification.
Analyzing the 't Hooft Model on an $x^{+} - p^{+}$ Lattice

We study the 't Hooft model (large ${N}_{c}$ QCD in two space-time dimensions) using an improved approach to digitizing the sum of gauge theory Feynman diagrams based on light-cone gauge ${A}^{+}=0$ and discretized ${p}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{ix}}^{+}.$ Our purpose is to test the new formalism in a solvable case, with the hope to gain some insight into how it might be usefully applied to the physically interesting case of four-dimensional QCD.
An interdisciplinary family-centered program: An innovative approach to better meet the multifaceted needs of grandparent-headed families

An innovative interdisciplinary family-centered pilot program for grandparent-headed families was developed and evaluated by university faculty from social work, education, nursing, and physics usi...
Molecular mimicry and multiple sclerosis--a possible role for degenerate T cell recognition in the induction of autoimmune responses.

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. The etiology is unknown, but several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that the pathogenesis is mediated by autoreactive T lymphocytes. Molecular mimicry has been proposed as a possible mechanism for the development of an autoimmune response to myelin antigens. According to this model, an immune reaction to self antigens could be initiated by T cells that cross-react with infectious agents that “mimic” the autoantigen, i.e. they share immunologic epitopes. It was previously thought that, in order for a cross-reaction of T cells to two different antigens to occur, a substantial amino acid sequence homology between the two antigens was required. More recent studies on the basic mechanisms of T cell antigen recognition have shown that, at least for some T cell clones, antigen recognition is more “degenerate” and sequence homology is not required for crossreactivity to occur. This article reviews the relevance of these recent advances in basic T cell receptor immunology to the occurrence of autoimmunity in the central nervous system.
Determining the Threshold for HbA1c as a Predictor for Adverse Outcomes After Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Multicenter, Retrospective Study.

Abstract Background Although HbA1c is commonly used for assessing glycemic control before surgery, there is no consensus regarding its role and the appropriate threshold in predicting adverse outcomes. This study was designed to evaluate the potential link between HbA1c and subsequent periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), with the intention of determining the optimal threshold for HbA1c. Methods This is a multicenter retrospective study, which identified 1645 diabetic patients who underwent primary total joint arthroplasty (1004 knees and 641 hips) between 2001 and 2015. All patients had an HbA1c measured within 3 months of surgery. The primary outcome of interest was a PJI at 1 year based on the Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria. Secondary outcomes included orthopedic (wound and mechanical complications) and nonorthopedic complications (sepsis, thromboembolism, genitourinary, and cardiovascular complications). A regression analysis was performed to determine the independent influence of HbA1c for predicting PJI. Results Overall 22 cases of PJI occurred at 1 year (1.3%). HbA1c at a threshold of 7.7 was distinct for predicting PJI (area under the curve, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.78). Using this threshold, PJI rates increased from 0.8% (11 of 1441) to 5.4% (11 of 204). In the stepwise logistic regression analysis, PJI remained the only variable associated with higher HbA1c (odds ratio, 1.5; confidence interval, 1.2-2.0; P = .0001). There was no association between high HbA1c levels and other complications assessed. Conclusion High HbA1c levels are associated with an increased risk for PJI. A threshold of 7.7% seems to be more indicative of infection than the commonly used 7% and should perhaps be the goal in preoperative patient optimization.
Coherent on-chip spectral-engineered mid-IR frequency comb generation in Si waveguides

Engineered spectral broadening of mid-IR frequency combs is presented in silicon waveguides. Supercontinuum generated light is shown to be coherent for dual-comb spectroscopy by heterodyne detection against a second independent comb.
Interoperability issues for terrain databases in distributed interactive simulation

In distributed interactive simulation (DIS), each node is responsible for maintaining its own model of the synthetic environment. Problems may arise if significant inconsistencies are allowed to exist between these separate world views, resulting in unrealistic simulation results or negative training, and a corresponding degradation of interoperability in a DIS simulation exercise. In the DIS community this is known as the terrain database (TDB) correlation problem. In this paper we investigate the terrain database correlation problem and the resultant effects on interoperability in DIS systems. The fundamental elements of terrain databases designed for real-time distributed simulation are introduced. A generic data pipeline for terrain database generation systems is developed for the purpose of illustrating causes of the correlation problem and issues of terrain database fidelity. Implications of the problem are discussed, and testing methodologies are recommended for its mitigation
Review: Microalbuminuria predicts overall mortality and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Source Citation Dinneen SF, Gerstein HC. The association of microalbuminuria and mortality in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Arch Intern Med. 1997 Jul 14;1413-8.
Effects of chemical and enzymatic modifications on starch-stearic acid complex formation.

Debranched unacetylated and acetylated potato starches with two degrees of substitution, 0.041 (low) and 0.078 (high), combined with or without β-amylase hydrolysis were prepared to form soluble and insoluble complexes with stearic acid. The effects of modifications on the complexation, thermal properties, and X-ray patterns of soluble and insoluble complexes were investigated. Acetylation decreased the recovery of insoluble complexes but increased that of soluble complexes. Low acetylated, β-amylase-treated starch had a significantly increased amount of complexed stearic acid (123.1 mg/g) for insoluble complexes; high acetylated, β-amylase-treated starch had the highest complexed stearic acid (61.2 mg/g) for the soluble complexes. The melting temperature of the complexes decreased with acetylation. All β-amylase-treated acetylated complexes displayed the V-type diffraction pattern with peaks at 2θ = 7.4°, 12.9°, and 20°. These results suggest that starch can be modified by acetylation, debranching, and/o...
Applications of Ultrafast Spectroscopy to Solid State Laser Materials

Workers in the field of luminescence spectroscopy have, for the most part, been constrained to the role of observer: following excitation with light, the crystal is allowed to tell its own story while we merely record its unfolding. With the advent of femtosecond lasers and new pulse-shaping techniques, we now have the possibility of controlling the outcome of the story. This article will focus on some possible uses of ultrafast spectroscopy for uncovering the physics of rare earth- and transition metal-doped ionic insulating crystals, or solid state laser materials. Specifically, we will show how coherent wavepacket excitation and mode selective excitation can be used to investigate and to control the nonradiative processes, such as multiphonon decay, vibronic transitions, and phonon-assisted energy transfer.
Lasting Impacts of Outdoor Orientation Programming: A Preliminary Study Using Longitudinal Data

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the lasting impacts of students who attended outdoor orientation programs. This research sought to explore a critical gap in outdoor recreation research: longitudinal research about lasting impacts of outdoor orientation programming. We asked the following research questions to guide the study: (a) Do students who attended New Student Wilderness Expedition (NSWE) at Texas State University have higher grade point averages and higher retention rates than students who attended traditional new student orientation (NSO) programs? (b) Do students who participated in NSWE programming perceive a lasting positive impact on social factors that contribute to college retention? (c) Do students who participated in NSWE programming perceive a lasting impact on their existential development? Findings indicate that students who participated in NSWE were significantly more likely to graduate than students who attended NSO and that students perceived lasting positive social impacts and a lasting impact on existential development. Subscribe to JOREL
Chemical Transformations of Poplar Lignin during Cosolvent Enhanced Lignocellulosic Fractionation Process

Converting lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and bioproducts is significantly hindered by the innate recalcitrance of biomass to chemical and biological breakdown, and it usually requires a pretreatment stage in order to improve conversion yields. A promising novel pretreatment named Cosolvent Enhanced Lignocellulosic Fractionation (CELF) involving dilute acid treatment of biomass in a THF–water mixture was recently developed to overcome biomass recalcitrance. Detailed elucidation of physicochemical structures of the fractionated lignin that is precipitated from CELF pretreatment of hardwood poplar, also called CELF lignin, reveals transformations in its molecular weights, monolignol composition, and hydroxyl group content. Isolated CELF lignin revealed dramatic reductions in its molecular weight by up to ∼90% compared with untreated native lignin. Furthermore, CELF lignin’s β-O-4 interunit linkages were extensively cleaved after CELF pretreatment as indicated by a semiquantitative HSQC NMR analysis. Th...
Diurnal rhythms in intraocular pressure, axial length, and choroidal thickness in a primate model of eye growth, the common marmoset.

PURPOSE. In chickens, there are circadian rhythms in axial length, choroidal thickness, and intraocular pressure (IOP), the phases of which differ, depending on visual manipulations that alter ocular growth rate. In this study, these same rhythms were sought in the common marmoset, a primate model of eye growth, to establish whether these may play a role in ocular growth regulation across species. METHODS. IOP was measured by applanation tonometry in 14 untreated marmosets ranging in age from 24 to 259 days. High-frequency A-scan ultrasonography was used to measure ocular dimensions (axial length and choroidal thickness) in 12 marmosets ranging in age from 24 to 572 days. Four monkeys were measured when they were juveniles (110 days of age) and again later, when they were adolescents. Measurements were typically made at 12-hour intervals, although three animals were measured at 6-hour intervals. Nine monkeys had both IOP and axial dimensions measured in the same experiment. RESULTS. There was a diurnal rhythm in IOP in the marmosets: IOP was higher during the dark period and lower during the light period (mean change, 3.6 mm Hg; P 0.005). There were also rhythms in axial length and choroidal thickness. The rhythm in axial length was dependent on age, with fastergrowing eyes of juveniles increasing in length during the day and decreasing at night (25 m vs. –22 m; P 0.001) and slower-growing eyes of adolescents showing the opposite pattern (27 m vs. 46 m; P 0.0001). The choroid thickened during the night and thinned during the day, at all ages measured (19 m vs. –16 m; P 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS. Diurnal rhythms in IOP, axial length, and choroidal thickness exist in primates. Age-related differences in the phase relationships of these rhythms may be associated with differences in the rates of ocular growth. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2002;43:2519 –2528)
Bayesian Approach to the Estimation of a Poisson Mean with Application to NBA Three Point Attempts

Bayesian Credible Intervals are proposed for a Poisson mean. These intervals are compared to five classical confidence intervals found in the literature. A simulation study is performed to compare the procedures using two different criteria and it is attempted to determine which of the procedures performs best for various values of the parameter and sample size. Estimation of the number of three-point shot attempts and three-point shot makes by the San Antonio Spurs is given as an example.
MULTIPLE CEREBRAL EMBOLI ASSOCIATED WITH LEFT ATRIAL MYXOMA

Cardiac myxoma, the most common primary cardiac tumor, is a rare but an important etiology for stroke in the young patients. A 51 year-old man with no past medical history who was found confused and disoriented at home with blurry vision except which otherwise physical exam was unremarkable. Head