cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum-induced changes in the physiology of mammalian retinal glial cells: role of lysophosphatidic acid

1. With a breakdown of the vascular-CNS barrier, serum enters the nervous system. Although this is a frequent pathophysiological event, knowledge of the effects of serum on the function of the nervous system is limited. In this study, we examined the effects of serum on the activity of ion channels in Muller cells: the principal glia of the retina. 2. Freshly dissociated Muller cells from the bovine and human retina were studied with the perforated-patch configuration of the patch clamp technique. In other experiments, electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded from isolated rat retinas. 3. Perforated-patch recordings revealed that serum induced a calcium-permeable, non-specific cation (NSC) current. Approximately 40 s after induction of this current, an outwardly rectifying K+ current was also detected. Sensitivity to charybdotoxin and margatoxin indicated that this K+ current was due to the activation of Kv1.3 channels. This increase in the Kv1.3 current was dependent on extracellular calcium. 4. The NSC and Kv1.3 currents were activated by serum in 100% and 95% of the sampled Muller cells, respectively. Also, in a minority (21%) of the cells, the inwardly rectifying K+ current was inhibited slightly. These changes in ion channel activity were associated with depolarization of the Muller cells. 5. We hypothesized that activation of NSC channels would reduce the siphoning of K+ via the Muller cells. Consistent with this idea, ERGs from isolated retinas showed serum-induced reductions in the slow PIII component, which is generated by Muller cells responding to light-evoked changes in the extracellular K+ concentration. 6. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a component of serum, had effects on Muller cells that were qualitatively similar to those induced by serum. 7. Our observations demonstrate that exposure to serum alters the activity of multiple types of ion channels in Muller glial cells of the mammalian retina. When there is a breakdown of the blood-retina barrier, LPA may be one of the serum-derived molecules which regulates the physiology of Muller cells.
Method for measuring visual resolution at the retinal level.

To measure the intrinsic resolving capacity of the retinal and neural levels of vision, we devised a method that creates two lines with controllable contrast on the retina. The line separation can be varied at will, down to values below those achievable with conventional optical techniques. Implementation of the method with use of a He–Ne laser leads to a procedure that permits analysis of the performance of the human visual apparatus.
Why does diabetes increase atherosclerosis? I don't know!

Epidemiological data has firmly established the correlation between coronary heart disease and both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Is the acceleration of atherosclerosis with insulin deficiency and insulin resistance due to defective insulin actions, hyperglycemia, or some other process that is present in diabetic patients? Several major glucose-lowering trials in type 1 (1) and type 2 diabetic (2) patients that showed reductions in microvascular complications failed to achieve significant reduction in macrovascular events. One hypothesis to explain these trial results is that metabolic abnormalities associated with diabetes, and not overt hyperglycemia per se, accelerate macrovascular complications. Support for this comes from the observation that coronary heart disease is increased in prediabetic patients (3): people who have several metabolic abnormalities associated with type 2 diabetes but who do not have fasting hyperglycemia or elevated glycosylated hemoglobin. Another possibility is that the clinical trials were insufficient in intensity or duration to have an impact on the disease process in subjects with multiple risk factors. Recently, a 6-year follow-up study showed that type 1 patients receiving more intensive insulin therapy had significantly fewer coronary artery calcifications assessed by electron beam CAT scan and carotid artery intimal/media thickness (4). Thus, as has been surmised for many years, the degree of hyperglycemia has an impact on arterial, as well as capillary, pathology. Cellular and animal experimentation has been used to study the mechanisms linking diabetes and atherogenesis; however, our understanding of diabetes-induced accelerated vascular disease is still incomplete. Diabetes-specific and more general causes of atherosclerosis are shown in Figure ​Figure11. Figure 1 Potential causes of diabetes-induced macrovascular disease. The presence of increased conventional risk factors in patients with diabetes is surely one reason for greater atherosclerosis (18). In some animal models, diabetes-induced hyperlipidemia occurs ...
Mechanisms of secretion of proteins into bile: studies in the perfused rat liver.

Employing the in situ perfused rat liver, we examined the origins and mechanisms of transport of proteins into bile. First, utilizing polyacrylamide gels, we noted that many biliary proteins co-migrated with dominant serum proteins. Upon liver perfusion with serum-free medium, most proteins disappeared from the biliary profile; one major biliary protein that was not present in serum, identified as secretory component, remained. Kinetic analysis of the disappearance half-lives of the biliary proteins suggested that some serum proteins enter bile by a slow (20 to 30 min; transcellular) route, while others utilize both slow and rapid (5 min; paracellular) routes. In biosynthetic labeling experiments, secretion of newly synthesized proteins into bile was delayed about 20 min when compared with secretion of proteins into the perfusion medium and comprised less than 1% of the total secreted proteins. When a new liver was inserted into the perfusion medium containing newly synthesized secreted proteins, only two proteins, hemopexin and an unidentified protein, were transported into the bile from the perfusion medium; other biliary proteins were presumed to come directly from the hepatocyte. This latter group included some proteins that were secreted into the perfusion medium as well as into bile, and others, e.g., secretory component, that were secreted only into bile. Based on our results we have defined six pathways for entry of proteins into bile.
The behavioral pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Scale (BEHAVE-AD): factor structure among community-dwelling Alzheimer's disease patients.

Objective. The aims of this study were to (a) determine the factor structure of the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Scale (BEHAVE-AD), and (b) examine the associations of the observed factors to the level of cognitive impairment. Design. Cross-sectional study of geriatric patients evaluated at an outpatient memory disorders clinic. Sample. One hundred and fifty-one consecutive patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) according to NINCDS–ADRDA diagnostic criteria. Results. Principal factors analysis with Varimax rotation resulted in a five-factor solution that accounted for 40·0% of the common variance. The factors included agitation/anxiety (agitation, anxiety of upcoming events; other anxiety), psychosis (delusions of theft, suspiciousness/paranoia; visual hallucinations), aggression (verbal aggressiveness; physical threats/violence; fear of being left alone; other delusions), depression (tearfulness; depressed mood) and activity disturbance (wandering; delusion one's house is not one's home). Several factors were associated with level of cognitive impairment as assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Conclusion. The results of this study suggest that the BEHAVE-AD measures a wide range of behavioral pathology that can be empirically represented by five independent symptom clusters among outpatient AD patients. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adapting quantization offset in multiple description coding for error resilient video transmission

Multiple description coding (MDC) provides an excellent error resilient approach for transmitting video over wireless ad hoc networks. In this paper, we propose an improvement to this scheme by jointly selecting the quantization offsets in different paths to achieve the best overall video quality at the decoder. The statistical distribution of the transform coefficients in the encoded video sequence is parameterized using a Laplacian model. The optimal offset values are computed by solving a multi-level optimization problem based on the statistics of the transform coefficients and the individual path failure probabilities. In order to reduce the computational complexity, the encoding modes for the motion vectors and transform coefficients are collected in the first step. In the second step, the model parameter is calculated from the transform coefficients and the offset search is performed when the model parameter between frames deviates beyond the pre-set threshold. In the final step, the stored modes and the respective offset values are directly used for encoding the two bit streams. The simulation results using H.264/AVC system confirm the advantages of the proposed approach under different packet loss conditions.
Bringing real-time scheduling theory and practice closer for multimedia computing

This paper seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice of real-time scheduling in the domain of high speed multimedia networking. We show that the strict preemptive nature of real-time scheduling leads to more context switching, and requires system calls for concurrency control. We present our scheduling scheme called rate-monotonic with delayed preemption (rmdp) and show how it reduces both these overheads. We then develop the analytical framework to analyze rmdp and other scheduling schemes that lie in the region between strict (immediate) preemption and no preemption. Our idealized scheduler simulation methodology accounts for the blocking introduced by these schemes under the usual assumption that the time for context switching and preemption is zero. We derive simpler schedulability tests for non-preemptive scheduling, and prove a variant of rate-monotonic scheduling that has fewer preemptions. Our measurements on Sparc and Pentium platforms, show that for the workloads we considered, Rmdp increases useful utilization by as much as 8%. Thus our scheduling policies have the potential to improve performance over existing methods.
Phase transformations in niobium involving interstitials

Abstract A homogeneous phase transformation b.c.c. Nb to a f.c.c. lattice, probably NbO but containing C + N also, has been observed by transmission electron microscopy both in thin foils and in bulk specimens containing ~0.5 at. % interstitials after suitable aging treatments. The transformation proceeds in the following sequence: 1. (a) ordering in Nb with interstitials taking 1 2 1 2 , 00 1 2 sites 2. (b) formation of a precipitate in alternate prisms of Nb and NbO 3. (c) growth to perfect NbO structure 4. (d) recrystallization of NbO above 1000°C. In thin foils the crystallographic features of the transformation are [001]Nb ∥ [001]NbO, (011)Nb ∥ (111)NbO. The habit planes are four variants of {101} but only those inclined at less than 90° to the foil surface operate. In bulk specimens the habit planes are observed to be {021} which is in accord with the crystallographic theory for martensitic transformations. The difference between bulk and thin film behavior is attributed to the lack of constraints in the latter where the strains appear to be accommodated elastically. Conversely, in bulk specimens, dislocations are generated from the precipitate—matrix interfaces.
Comparative study of breastfeeding structure and its relation to human reproductive ecology

Although a controversial issue in the not distant past, it is now well established that breastfeeding is the primary factor mediating post-partum subfecundity. This complex interaction between behavior and physiology is a central research focus in several fields sharing a common concern with the mechanisms that regulate human reproduction. Despite the demonstrated linkage between lactation and return of the first post-partum menses, many questions regarding the relationship between variation in breastfeeding behavior and variation in ovarian function remain unanswered. In particular, women of seemingly comparable breastfeeding magnitude display substantial heterogeneity in the duration of post-partum subfecundity. In addition, the hormonal mechanisms by which lactation regulates ovarian function remain unclear, and the debates regarding the contribution of factors other than breastfeeding to post-partum subfecundity continue unresolved. Part of the difficulty in addressing these questions derives from the use of disparate methodological approaches and an absence of specificity in analytical units. In particular, maternal recall of breastfeeding behavior is subject to substantial bias yet is the data source for most analyses. In addition, although a growing body of evidence suggests that variation in breastfeeding structure may contribute to variation in ovarian function, most studies fail to distinguish or evaluate the different components of suckling behavior. Elucidating the bases of this variation amongst women and populations requires disentangling the roles of the environment, culture, and behavior in structuring suckling activity. Anthropologists in particular have an opportunity to achieve significant insights into the ecology of human breastfeeding and reproduction. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On the Relation Between Philosophical Worldviews and Theories of Counseling and Development: A Comment

An alternate understanding of the role of organicism (Pepper, 1942) in contemporary developmental and constructivist thought is offered in reaction to Steenbarger's (1991) recent analysis of contextualist themes in counseling and development.
Singularity-free two-dimensional cosmologies.

We present a class of theories of two-dimensional gravity which admits homogeneous and isotropic solutions that are nonsingular and asymptotically approach a FRW matter-dominated universe at late times. These models are generalizations of two-dimensional dilaton gravity and both vacuum solutions and those including conformally coupled matter are investigated. In each case our construction leads to an inflationary stage driven by the gravitational sector. Our work comprises a simple example of the nonsingular universe'' constructions of Brandenberger and co-workers.
Pathophysiology of prediabetes

The term prediabetes refers to subjects with impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance who are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although both types of patients are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, they manifest distinct metabolic abnormalities. In this article, we summarize the metabolic abnormalities that characterize each state and the contribution of these metabolic abnormalities to the increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Communication-Avoiding QR Decomposition for GPUs

We describe an implementation of the Communication-Avoiding QR (CAQR) factorization that runs entirely on a single graphics processor (GPU). We show that the reduction in memory traffic provided by CAQR allows us to outperform existing parallel GPU implementations of QR for a large class of tall-skinny matrices. Other GPU implementations of QR handle panel factorizations by either sending the work to a general-purpose processor or using entirely bandwidth-bound operations, incurring data transfer overheads. In contrast, our QR is done entirely on the GPU using compute-bound kernels, meaning performance is good regardless of the width of the matrix. As a result, we outperform CULA, a parallel linear algebra library for GPUs by up to 17x for tall-skinny matrices and Intel's Math Kernel Library (MKL) by up to 12x. We also discuss stationary video background subtraction as a motivating application. We apply a recent statistical approach, which requires many iterations of computing the singular value decomposition of a tall-skinny matrix. Using CAQR as a first step to getting the singular value decomposition, we are able to get the answer 3x faster than if we use a traditional bandwidth-bound GPU QR factorization tuned specifically for that matrix size, and 30x faster than if we use Intel's Math Kernel Library (MKL) singular value decomposition routine on a multicore CPU.
Constrained flooding: a robust and efficient routing framework for wireless sensor networks

Flooding protocols for wireless networks in general have been shown to be very inefficient and therefore are mainly used in network initialization or route discovery and maintenance. In this paper, we propose a framework of constrained flooding protocols. The framework incorporates a reinforcement learning kernel, a differential delay mechanism, and a constrained and probabilistic retransmission policy. This type of protocol takes the advantages of robustness from flooding, but maintains energy efficiency by constraining retransmissions. Without the use of any control packets, such a protocol adapts to the specific routing requirements of the task and the dynamic changes of the network. We analyze this framework in simulation using a real-world application in sensor networks.
Poly(A)-binding proteins: multifunctional scaffolds for the post-transcriptional control of gene expression

Most eukaryotic mRNAs are subject to considerable post-transcriptional modification, including capping, splicing, and polyadenylation. The process of polyadenylation adds a 3' poly(A) tail and provides the mRNA with a binding site for a major class of regulatory factors, the poly(A)-binding proteins (PABPs). These highly conserved polypeptides are found only in eukaryotes; single-celled eukaryotes each have a single PABP, whereas humans have five and Arabidopis has eight. They typically bind poly(A) using one or more RNA-recognition motifs, globular domains common to numerous other eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins. Although they lack catalytic activity, PABPs have several roles in mediating gene expression. Nuclear PABPs are necessary for the synthesis of the poly(A) tail, regulating its ultimate length and stimulating maturation of the mRNA. Association with PABP is also a requirement for some mRNAs to be exported from the nucleus. In the cytoplasm, PABPs facilitate the formation of the 'closed loop' structure of the messenger ribonucleoprotein particle that is crucial for additional PABP activities that promote translation initiation and termination, recycling of ribosomes, and stability of the mRNA. Collectively, these sequential nuclear and cytoplasmic contributions comprise a cycle in which PABPs and the poly(A) tail first create and then eliminate a network of cis- acting interactions that control mRNA function.
Elasticity Solutions Versus Asymptotic Sectional Analysis of Homogeneous, Isotropic, Prismatic Beams

The original three-dimensional elasticity problem of isotropic prismatic beams has been solved analytically by the variational asymptotic method (VAM). The resulting classical model (Eiiler-Bernoulli-like) is the same as the superposition of elasticity solutions of extension, Saint-Venant torsion, and pure bending in two orthogonal directions. The resulting refined model (Timoshenko-like) is the same as the superposition of elasticity solutions of extension, Saint-Venant torsion, and both bending and transverse shear in two orthogonal directions. The fact that the VAM can reproduce results from the theory of elasticity proves that two-dimensioned finite-element-based cross-sectional analyses using the VAM, such as the variational asymptotic beam sectional analysis (VABS), have a solid mathematical foundation. One is thus able to reproduce numerically with VABS the same results for this problem as one obtains from three-dimensional elasticity, but with orders of magnitude less computational cost relative to three-dimensional finite elements.
The Mixed Instrumental Controller: Using Value of Information to Combine Habitual Choice and Mental Simulation

Instrumental behavior depends on both goal-directed and habitual mechanisms of choice. Normative views cast these mechanisms in terms of model-free and model-based methods of reinforcement learning, respectively. An influential proposal hypothesizes that model-free and model-based mechanisms coexist and compete in the brain according to their relative uncertainty. In this paper we propose a novel view in which a single Mixed Instrumental Controller produces both goal-directed and habitual behavior by flexibly balancing and combining model-based and model-free computations. The Mixed Instrumental Controller performs a cost-benefits analysis to decide whether to chose an action immediately based on the available "cached" value of actions (linked to model-free mechanisms) or to improve value estimation by mentally simulating the expected outcome values (linked to model-based mechanisms). Since mental simulation entails cognitive effort and increases the reward delay, it is activated only when the associated "Value of Information" exceeds its costs. The model proposes a method to compute the Value of Information, based on the uncertainty of action values and on the distance of alternative cached action values. Overall, the model by default chooses on the basis of lighter model-free estimates, and integrates them with costly model-based predictions only when useful. Mental simulation uses a sampling method to produce reward expectancies, which are used to update the cached value of one or more actions; in turn, this updated value is used for the choice. The key predictions of the model are tested in different settings of a double T-maze scenario. Results are discussed in relation with neurobiological evidence on the hippocampus - ventral striatum circuit in rodents, which has been linked to goal-directed spatial navigation.
Optimizing the use of contingent labor when demand is uncertain

Abstract We develop a new model for flexible workforce management in environments with uncertainty in the demand for labor. In particular we model a workforce comprised of regular workers who have fixed schedules and may work overtime, and contingent workers whose working hours are flexible as specified by a contract over a finite planning horizon. Our model can represent a variety of contracts, including: temporary workers, on-call workers with guaranteed minimum pay, and comp-time arrangements. We formulate the model as an optimization problem that determines the regular and contingent worker pool sizes that minimize expected labor and backlog costs. Embedded within this problem is a dynamic programming problem of making optimal operational staffing decisions with respect to the utilization of contingent and overtime resources. Numerical examples demonstrate the effect that the timing of information has on the benefits of flexibility. We also derive structural results that may be exploited to reduce the computational effort required to use the model.
Stochastic optimal control of unknown linear networked control system using Q-learning methodology

In this paper, the Bellman equation is utilized forward-in-time for the stochastic optimal control of Networked Control System (NCS) with unknown system dynamics in the presence of random delays and packet losses which are unknown. The proposed stochastic optimal control approach, referred normally as adaptive dynamic programming, uses an adaptive estimator (AE) and ideas from Q-learning to solve the infinite horizon optimal regulation control of NCS with unknown system dynamics. Update laws for tuning the unknown parameters of the adaptive estimator (AE) online to obtain the time-based Q-function are derived. Lyapunov theory is used to show that all signals are asymptotically stable (AS) and that the approximated control signals converge to optimal control inputs. Simulation results are included to show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Electrocardiogram of the diving seal.

During the normal dive, the seal has a reflex bradycardia that is not accompanied by inversion of P waves or T waves or by atrial or ventricular arrhythmias, although the seal does have an occasional block of conduction across the A-V node during normal diving. The reflex bradycardia during the dive appears to be mediated through vagal stimulus. The electrocardiograms of the seal during voluntary diving and during forced submersion with struggle are different.
Effects of dietary caffeine on fertility and embryonic loss in chickens.

Abstract White Leghorn pullets were fed standard diets supplemented with 0.0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0% levels of dietary caffeine. The two highest levels of caffeine caused the production of soft-shelled eggs and a cessation of egg production within 3 days. Although 0.1% caffeine did not effect fertility, it significantly increased embryonic mortality over a 14-day period following a single insemination.
Characterization of a Panel of Insertion Mutants in Human Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein B

Glycoprotein B (gB; gpUL55) of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) plays a critical role in virus entry and cell-to-cell spread of infection. To define the structure-function relationships in gB, a panel of linker-insertion mutations was generated throughout the coding region. This strategy yielded a panel of 22 mutants with four amino acid insertions and 3 large truncation mutants. Assessment of the mutant proteins' biosynthetic properties and folding patterns analyzed in context with predicted secondary features revealed novel insights into gB's structure and trafficking properties. All of the insertion mutants were able to assemble into oligomers, suggesting that oligomerization is tolerant of small insertions and/or that multiple regions of the protein may be involved. Computer algorithm predictions of gB's secondary structure indicate that the furin-recognized cleavage site falls within an exposed loop. This loop may be particularly sensitive to structural alterations, since insertions upstream and downstream of the cleavage site rendered the mutant proteins cleavage defective. In addition, a strong correlation existed between terminal folding and cleavage of gB. Interestingly, terminal folding was not correlated with delivery to the cell surface but may influence the rate of transport to the cell surface. Nine mutants, containing insertions in both the extracellular and intracellular portions of gB, retained wild-type structural properties. This panel of characterized gB mutants, the first of this type for an HCMV protein, will be a useful tool in dissecting the role of gB during HCMV infection.
The Science of Unitary Human Beings and Interpretive Human Science

Natural science and human science are identified as the bases of most nursing theories and research programs. Natural science has been disclaimed by Martha Rogers as the philosophy of science that undergirds her work. The question remains, is the science of unitary human beings an interpretive human science? The author explores the works of Rogers through a dialectic with two human scientists' works. Wilhelm Dilthey's works represent the founding or traditional view, and Jurgen Habermas' works represent a contemporary, reconstructionist view. The ways Rogerian thought contributes to human studies but is distinct from traditional and reconstructionist human sciences are illuminated.
Estimation of in vivo reticuloendothelial system phagocytic activity in rats by direct blood clearance techniques and nuclear scintigraphy

There has been considerable interest in the examination of reticuloendothelial system phagocytic blockade. In this study, the kinetics of phospholipid liposome-mediated and intraperitoneal silica-mediated phagocytic blockade were examined using five methods of analysis of in vivo 99mTc-labeled albumin clearance and reticuloendothelial cell uptake. Two direct blood sampling techniques revealed significant impairment in 99mTc-labeled albumin clearance after treatment with silica (P less than 0.05), while liposome treatment was not associated with such impairment. A method utilizing nuclear scintigraphy for the determination of blood clearance was incapable of detecting silica-mediated blockade but demonstrated significant impairment by liposomes at 2 hr (P less than 0.001), 6 hr (P less than 0.05), and 24 hr (P less than 0.001). Gamma camera imaging methods for determination of hepatic uptake demonstrated significant (P less than 0.05) and reversible impairment of 99mTc-labeled albumin uptake by liposomes. The most promising of these techniques utilizes deconvolutional analysis of liver region of interest time-activity curves to correct for continuously changing blood concentrations of tracer and for intracellular tracer processing and catabolism. Measurements of reticuloendothelial system phagocytic activity should include methods that take into account the observed discrepancies between blood clearance determinations and reticuloendothelial cell uptake.
“Inverse latent” macro square-wave jerks and macro saccadic oscillations

A patient recovering from an acute encephalopathy demonstrated several ocular motor disturbances reflecting cerebellar and brainstem dysfunction. Two of these, macro square-wave jerks and macro saccadic oscillations, have never been reported in the same patient. The macro square-wave jerks disappeared with monocular viewing, a previously undescribed "inverse latent" characteristic.
A note on scattering from dielectric bodies by the modified geometrical optics method

A graphical comparison is shown between exact and approximate backscattering widths for dielectric cylinders with both polarizations, up to relatively high frequencies. Some of the phenomena responsible for the behavior of the scattering cross section are examined and interpreted physically.
Using public online information to facilitate message forwarding in opportunistic networks

Message forwarding in opportunistic networks, is a challenging problem owing to the high dynamics of the embedded network. Different from most of the work targeting at this problem, instead of inferring people's movement from context or social knowledge, this paper studies utilizing online public information to learn node's mobility and facilitate the message forwarding for opportunistic networks, including human centered sensor networks. A calendar based message forwarding scheme is proposed on the basis of the online public calendar data to discover path which is a node sequence from source node to destination node where pair of adjacent nodes share overlapped time and location. Message relay occurs when the adjacent nodes have contact with each other during the overlapped time. By forwarding messages along the determined path in opportunistic networks, we could achieve message delivery with extremely low resource consumption. The evaluation results show that it is very promising to support the message forwarding in opportunistic networks by exploring useful online public information such as public calendars.
Electrical Properties and Schottky Barriers of Metal-Semiconductor Interfaces

The electrical properties of metal/Si(100) and metal/Ge(100) interfaces formed by the deposition of metal on both n-type and p-type Si(100) and Ge(100) have been studied in the temperature range 77–295 K with the use of current- and capacitance-voltage techniques. Compound formation is found to have very little or no effect on the Schottky-barrier height and its temperature dependence. For silicon, the barrier height and its temperature dependence are found to be affected by the metal. For germanium, on the other hand, the barrier height and its temperature dependence are unaffected by the metal. The temperature dependence of the Si and Ge barrier heights is found to deviate from the predictions of recent models of Schottky-barrier formation based on the suggestion of Fermi-level pinning in the center of the semiconductor indirect band gap.
A comparison of performance between two cluster algorithms applied to mineral spectra

The K-means (KM) and Self-Organizing Map (SOM) are two popular and very different techniques for clustering data. Both techniques require a set of training data which are used in an iterative process to find clusters in this set. For the KM, the number of clusters must be preassigned before a training session begins, whereas, the number of SOM clusters is determined after a single training is completed. In this paper we compare the clustering performance of these two methods using data from three mineral spectral libraries whose samples have been hierarchically labeled with Class, Subclass, and Group names. These names are used to determine the overall mineralogical purity of the clusterings as a function of cluster number. The degree of cluster overlap is also determined as a function of cluster number using the Davies-Bouldin (DB) index. We show that, in general, the purity and overlap of KM and SOM derived clusters differ significantly for cluster numbers small compared to the number of training samples. The KM clusters are less pure and overlap more than SOM clusters. The ramifications of these results on the accuracy of classification of spectra not used for training is discussed.
A micromachined finite coplanar line-to-silicon micromachined waveguide transition for millimeter and submillimeter wave applications

A finite ground coplanar (FGC) line-to-waveguide transition utilizing a novel, free-standing printed E-plane probe has been demonstrated in W-band (75-110 GHz). One way to improve the performance of such a transition and to extend its utility well into the submillimeter range is to thin the supporting substrate beneath the probe. This paper presents the W-band performance of a fully micromachined finite ground coplanar line-to-silicon diamond waveguide transition with the substrate beneath the probe entirely removed, thus forming a free-standing metal structure.
Caroli's disease and adult polycystic kidney disease: a rarely recognized association.

— Caroli's disease is a rare form of fibropolycystic disease of the hepatobiliary system characterized by segmental cystic dilatation of intrahepatic ducts. It is associated with intrahepatic cholelithiasis, cholangitis and hepatic abscesses. Like other forms of fibropolycystic disease of the liver, Caroli's disease is often accompanied by cystic renal disease, specifically renal tubular ectasia or medullary sponge kidney. Adult-type polycystic kidney disease associated with Caroli's disease is rare, only one such case having appeared in the literature to our knowledge. We present a second instance of this association.
Modeling microbial populations with the original and modified versions of the continuous and discrete logistic equations

The life histories of microbial populations, under favorable and adverse conditions, exhibit a variety of growth, decay, and fluctuation patterns. They have been described by numerous mathematical models that varies considerably in structure and number of constants. The continuous logistic equation alone and combined with itself or with its mirror image, the Fermi function, can produce many of the observed growth patterns. They include those that are traditionally described by the Gompertz equation and peaked curves, with the peak being symmetric or asymmetric narrow or wide. The shape of survival and dose response curves appears to be determined by the distribution of the resistance's to the lethal agent among the individual organisms. Thus, exponential decay and Fermian or Gompertz-type curves can be considered manifestations of skewed to the right, symmetric, and skewed to the left distributions, respectively. Because of the mathematical constraints and determinism, the original discrete logistic equation can rarely be an adequate model of real microbial populations. However, by making its proportionality constant a normal-random variate it can simulate realistic histories of fluctuating microbial populations, including scenarios of aperiodic population explosions of varying intensities of the kind found in food-poisoning episodes.
Fuzzy Partitions II: Belief Functions. A Probalistic View

In this section, we will examine the classical random variables from the point of view of belief functions. Let (C, Θ, Pr) be a probability space, where C is the universe, Θ is a σ-algebra, and Pr is a probability measure [2]; we will be interested in the case C is a finite set.
Hate Crime in the Media: A History

In exploring the topic Hate Crime in the Media: A History, Victoria Munro seems to suggest that the media audience bear—or at least share—culpability for the many assorted hate crimes perpetrated i...
Law as Plan and Artefact

Scott Shapiro’s theory that law is a social plan is helpful in seeing law essentially as a tool of human creation and as such is sympathetic to understanding law in terms of the social functions it performs, a method I argue for elsewhere. I focus here on two problems with the theory as presented. The planning theory does not adequately explain the persistence of law beyond the utility of those who implement it. Generally, plans can cease to exist as soon as those engaged in them have no more use for them. Laws however, must usually be declared invalid or otherwise nullified for them to have no further effect. Shapiro’s use of self-certification to explain how law is differentiated from other forms of social planning is ad hoc and threatens circularity when he admits it to be a matter of degree. Both of these issues can be better solved by seeing law as an institutionalised abstract artefact, with a greater emphasis upon the nature of institutions doing much of the work done by the idea of planning.
It's Time To Examine the Nomological Net of Job Knowledge

Lievens and Motowidlo (2016) argue compellingly that situational judgment tests (SJTs) measure job-relevant general domain knowledge, conceptualized as implicit trait policies (ITPs). ITPs are defined as a person's knowledge about the utility of expressing certain traits. They develop through the feedback a person receives when acting in accordance with their trait profiles in different environments (work, life, leisure). Positive feedback reinforces the knowledge that behavior in accordance with one's own traits is appropriate, and negative feedback reinforces the knowledge that an approach that differs from one's trait tendencies may be more effective. As such, ITPs represent a person's knowledge about the effectiveness of behaviors across a variety of contexts.
2008 Association for the Sociology of Religion Presidential AddressEncounters in the Heartland: What Studying Rural Churches Taught Me about Working across Differences*

The story of declining rural churches is a powerful one. A story of declining rural churches in declining communities is engaging on both the cognitive and emotional levels and leads the hearer into the powerful narrative of modernization. Yet, it is a story that neglects the migration trends into more rural areas. I argue that narrative of declining rural churches is a story about moral order, an emotional story imbued with a sense of loss for a world inconsistent with the world in which most of us live our lives. I suggest that the persistence of this story is an expression of the ambivalence some people feel about modern life, as they choose new ways of doing things that work for them, but at the same time, imagine a loss of the emotional connection embedded in the old ways. I suggest we move to thinking about these individual rural communities as borderlands in the way that Gloria Anzaldua uses the term, and to describe what happens in communities-when established residents invite newcomers into their churches-as encounters. Furthermore, I show that how the work of ethnographers takes place inside of the borderland, and is part of the process of encounter. Finally, I argue that for all participants, encounters bring with them the possibility of change.
A report from the 16th Annual IGPA Conference (December 9-11, 2013 - Brussels, Belgium).

The 16th annual International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance (IGPA) conference brought together approximately 200 attendees representing 35 nations. The IGPA consists of generic industry associations from the United States (GPhA), Canada (CGPA), Europe (EGA), Jordan (JAPM), South Africa (NAPM), and Japan (JGA), in addition to observer member organizations from Brazil (ProGenericos), Mexico (AMEGI) and Taiwan (TGPA). Conference attendees listened to industry experts and participating organization representatives present some of the key issues affecting the generic industry. Nick Haggar (President, EGA) welcomed attendees by highlighting the impact that IGPA and its member alliance associations have on healthcare around the world. The 2-day conference reviewed the trends in 11 different markets, the ongoing trade negotiations between numerous countries and the role generic associations in their respective countries can have in increasing patient access to affordable high-quality medicines.
The Euler-Diderot Anecdote

(1942). The Euler-Diderot Anecdote. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 49, No. 5, pp. 302-303.
Interleukin-6-associated anemia: determination of the underlying mechanism.

Recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6) is a pluripotent cytokine with proinflammatory, antitumor, and growth factor effects. Clinical investigations of rhIL-6 either alone as immunotherapy or as a colony-stimulating factor in conjunction with chemotherapy have shown a dose-dependent, rapid onset, and largely reversible decrease in venous hematocrit levels. In an effort to determine the mechanism for the rhIL-6-associated anemia, we measured red blood cell volume serially in patients receiving rhIL-6 at either 30 micrograms/kg/day as a 120-hour continuous intravenous infusion (renal cell carcinoma) or 100 micrograms/kg/d intravenously over 1 hour for 5 days (melanoma) as part of two separate phase II trials. Radioisotope dilution assays with 51Cr-labeled autologous red blood cells and hemolysis screens were performed on day 1 before the initiation of therapy and on day 5 shortly before the end of therapy. In the 6 patients studied, the mean decrease in hemoglobin concentration was 1.9 +/- 0.94 g/dL. The mean decrease in the hematocrit level was 6% +/- 2% and the mean increase in total blood volume was 731 +/- 337 mL. These changes were explained by a mean decrease in red blood mass of 106 +/- 109 mL and a mean increase in plasma volume of 743 +/- 289 mL. The decrease in red blood cell mass was largely explained by phlebotomy during the hospitalization, but was not statistically significant (paired t-test, P = .06). All other changes were statistically significant (P < .05). Simple regression analysis indicated that the decrease in hematocrit level and increase in plasma volume were related (y = -1.78 - .0066X; R = -.74). Measurements of lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin, haptoglobin, and reticulocyte counts and serial stool hemoccults did not indicate hemolysis or blood loss. We conclude that the anemia caused by IL-6 is caused by an increase in plasma volume.
Daily and Seasonal Patterns of Singing by the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat, Tadarida brasiliensis

Singing is a specialized vocal behavior that supports courtship and territoriality but costs energy and time. Singing behaviors are well documented in the Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis, but many important questions about the functional significance of singing in this species remain unanswered. To better understand how singing benefits this species we analyzed daily and seasonal temporal patterns of singing in both a natural and a captive colony for extended periods of time and measured the average call and song rates over the course of seven days and over one entire year. Analyses revealed that under natural conditions singing was most prevalent at onset of the spring and fall migration periods but also continued at a less frequent rate throughout the summer months. Singing rates were highest during the spring mating season, but singing also continued through the summer months in exclusively male colonies. In a natural roost, males sang the most just before sunrise, but also sang prolifically just after sunset and sporadically throughout the night. This pattern suggested that singing patterns were driven by the activity of conspecifics leaving and returning to the roost, and also indicated that singers may spend less time foraging than their roost-mates. We tested this by measuring movements and singing patterns in a captive colony, where roost-mates were confined to flying around the vivarium at night. Under these conditions captive bats sang continuously at high rates throughout the night. We propose that singing by T. brasiliensis evolved initially to facilitate migration by facilitating more rapid localization of roosts by bats passing through novel territories, particularly just before sunrise. Singers sacrifice foraging time but may gain a reproductive advantage by attracting more bats to their roost during the spring mating season, which may explain why males but not females of this species sing.
Operator algebra approach to quantum capacities

Using a suitable algebraic setup, we find new estimates of the quantum capacity and the potential quantum capacity for non-degradable channels obtained by random unitaries associated with a finite group. This approach can be generalized to quantum groups and uses new tools from operator algebras and interpolation of Renyi-type entropies. As an application, we obtain new estimates for the depolarizing channel in high dimension.
Berry phase jumps and giant nonreciprocity in Dirac quantum dots

We predict that a strong nonreciprocity in the resonance spectra of Dirac quantum dots can be induced by the Berry phase. The nonreciprocity arises in relatively weak magnetic fields and is manifest in anomalously large field-induced splittings of quantum dot resonances which are degenerate at $B=0$ due to time-reversal symmetry. This exotic behavior, which is governed by field-induced jumps in the Berry phase of confined electronic states, is unique to quantum dots in Dirac materials and is absent in conventional quantum dots. The effect is strong for gapless Dirac particles and can overwhelm the $B$-induced orbital and Zeeman splittings. A finite Dirac mass suppresses the effect. The nonreciprocity, predicted for generic two-dimensional Dirac materials, is accessible through Faraday and Kerr optical rotation measurements and scanning tunneling spectroscopy.
Writing as a Tool for Transformation

The author (Social Worker, Art Educator, Theatre Artist) discusses the creation and evolution of the Identity Writing workshop; a life writing exercise that helps students, artists, and teachers integrate their personal/political experiences of change into meaningful and authentic artistic expressions. Reflections stemming from the junctions between the author’s personal and professional lives provide compelling insights into moments of transformation through art-making. A simple writing activity is included for new, emerging, or established artists and creative teachers.