cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classical solutions and the large-N limit

Abstract For various models of increasing complexity, it is shown that the large- N limit is dominated by solutions to the classical equations of motion, supplemented by boundary conditions that follow from canonical commutation relations. The basic idea is to focus on ordered invariant equal-time Green functions, and to classify the intermediate states that contribute according to the group of invariance. It is then possible to define reduced matrix elements and their classical limits for large N systematically. The method is also applied to the hamiltonian version of the lattice gauge theory, and the relevant boundary conditions on the classical solutions are deduced.
INOSITOL 1,4,5-TRISPHOSPHATE-MEDIATED CA2+ RELEASE FROM PLATELET INTERNAL MEMBRANES IS REGULATED BY DIFFERENTIAL PHOSPHORYLATION

Platelets are activated by an increase in cytosolic Ca2+, and a portion of this increase is derived from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3)-mediated Ca2+ release from internal stores via the InsP3 receptor. Cytosolic cAMP inhibits platelet activation, and experiments were designed to determine if cAMP-dependent phosphorylation affects the rate of InsP3-mediated Ca2+ release. Western blotting of platelet internal membranes with anti-InsP3 receptor and anti-actin binding protein antibodies revealed that the platelet contains type 1 InsP3 receptor and that it is distinct from actin binding protein. The platelet InsP3 receptor was shown to be phosphorylated by endogenous, membrane-bound kinases as well as by exogenous protein kinase A. Prior phosphorylation of the insP3 receptor by endogenous kinases inhibited additional protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation by 60%. Furthermore, endogenous phosphorylation resulted in a 2-fold increase in the InsP3-mediated Ca2+ release rate relative to dephosphorylated controls. Following endogenous phosphorylation, additional phosphorylation by protein kinase A returned the Ca2+ release rate to control values, while protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation of dephosphorylated membranes did not affect the release rate. These results suggest that the InsP3 receptor within intact platelets is phosphorylated by endogenous kinases which results in a high InsP3-mediated Ca2+ release rate, and that increases in cAMP result in additional phosphorylation that inhibits Ca2+ release, thus contributing to inhibition of platelet activation.
Flexible contingency plans in optimal linear designs

Traditionally, optimal designing is defined as the applied science of finding the ''best feasible rational'' design by using optimization techniques. But this definition does not explicitly deal with optimal design problems with multiple objectives and multiple resource availability levels. This paper redefines the optimal design problems by considering how to design optimal configurations (systems) and how to construct the related optimal contingency plans to cope with various decision situations, such as the changes of the contribution parameter and the resource parameter. For a given linear design problem with multi-objective functions and multi-resource availability levels, this paper elaborates how to locate all potentially optimal configurations and construct the flexible contingency plans for each of the configurations. In constructing the flexible contingency plans, not only are the selected design variables involved in a potentially optimal configuration used, but also all possible slack variables, which allow flexibility to utilize the slack resources. Based on theoretical results, an algorithm of effectively and systematically locating all potentially optimal configurations and the corresponding optimal flexible contingency plans under various decision situations is also provided.
Neutron investigations of rotational motions in monolayer and multilayer films at the interface of MgO and graphite surfaces.

Recent experimental investigations of the rotational motion of methane and molecular hydrogen using inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements in combination with thermodynamic techniques have...
Intracellular recordings of pontine medial gigantocellular tegmental field neurons in the naturally sleeping cat: behavioral state-related activity and soma size difference in order of recruitment.

Intracellular recordings and neurobiotin labeling of medial pontine gigantocellular tegmental field (m-PFTG) neurons in the undrugged, naturally sleeping cat were performed to establish the relationship between soma size and membrane potential (MP) activity before and during the onset of the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep. Initial recordings without labeling revealed that recorded neurons in the m-PFTG had a tonic, sustained membrane depolarization in REM sleep as compared with more polarized MP levels in slow-wave sleep (S) and phasic depolarizations in wakefulness (W) on a more polarized MP level. In neurobiotin-labeled neurons, there was a strong correlation between the soma size of m-PFTG neurons and the 'lead time', the time of onset relative to the beginning of REM, of a sustained increase in membrane depolarization. Thirty-nine m-PFTG neurons with soma cross-sectional areas ranging from 2098 microm(2) to 5958 microm(2) (mean value 3833.8 microm(2)) were analyzed. A majority of these m-PFTG neurons showed an increase in membrane depolarization associated with depolarizing postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) and spike generation that occurred before electrographic signs of REM sleep onset, while the rest of the neurons depolarized at the beginning of or just after REM sleep onset. Our previous work had suggested that many of these m-PFTG neurons were output neurons to the spinal cord. Analysis of the onset time of sustained membrane depolarization (Leadtime(MP)) revealed that larger cells had a longer lead time, while analysis of the lead times for onset of sustained PSPs and action potentials (Leadtime(AP)) showed this measure not to be dependent on soma size, but to be rather uniform, occurring just before the onset of REM sleep. Hence recruitment time, defined as the difference between Leadtime(AP) and Leadtime(MP), was dependent on cell soma size, implying that larger neurons may take longer to depolarize to an MP level critical for generating sustained action potentials, while smaller neurons may require less time.
The cumulant expansion of the free energy of disordered systems and the spin glass transition

Abstract The cumulants in the expansion of the free energy are shown to be essential in the investigation of the spin glass transition. Their singular behavior indicates the phase transition. At high temperatures their contributions are negligible and the annealed and quenched free energies become identical.
Metabolism of cyclic AMP in isolated renal tubules: Effects of prostaglandins and parathyroid hormone

Abstract Concentrations of cyclic AMP (cAMP) were increased in isolated renal cortical tubules from hamsters by both parathyroid hormone (PTH) and prostaglandin E 1 (PGE 1 ) with maximal effects of PGE 1 being 6–8 fold greater than those of PTH during a 10 min period. However, cAMP concentrations in cells treated with 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine (MIX) were increased with maximal concentrations of either hormone to the same degree. Similar effects of both hormones were observed on adenylate cyclase activity in renal homogenates. Simultaneous addition of hormones produced changes in both cAMP concentrations in intact tubules as well as adenylate cyclase activity of homogenates which were not completely additive. Degradation of cAMP, estimated in intact tubules as the difference in cAMP levels in the presence and absence of MIX, was increased by both hormones, however, changes were 2–3 fold greater in tubules exposed to PTH than to PGE 1 . Neither hormone directly altered cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity in either 30,000 x g supernatant or pellets from renal cortical homogenates. The results suggest that both hormones increase the production of cAMP in renal cortical tubules and may share a common target cell type in this response. Degradation of cAMP, however, is differentially effected by the two hormones, probably reflecting differences exerted on intracellular mechanisms regulating the enzymatic hydrolysis of cAMP.
Theoretical study of sensing targets through the wall using ultra-wideband technology

This study investigates the modeling of through-wall sensing using ultra-wideband (UWB) signals. The combined method of ray tracing and diffraction (CMRTD) is employed to model and study the interaction between the UWB signal and the target. The result is obtained in frequency domain, and then transformed into time domain by use of inverse Fourier transform. Numerical results of scattering from a two-dimensional (2D) perfectly conducting circular cylinder are obtained and compared with those from the eigenfunction expansion method. Good agreements between the results are achieved. In addition, the attenuating effects of walls are considered and numerical result of scattering from a 2D perfectly conducting circular cylinder behind a homogeneous, single-layered dry wall is presented. The model can be easily extended to handle the dielectric target and the multiple-layered walls.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Saved from Ourselves

A reaction to U.S. power was undoubtedly underway before September 11, as chronicled in The Washington Quarterly's summer 2001 articles. Ironically, terrorism has generated a surge of nostalgic sympathy for the United States. What will the United States do with this hiatus?
Ion-implanted microwave field-effect transistors in GaAs

Abstract Microwave field effect transistors have been fabricated in gallium arsenide by using sulfur ion implantation directly into semi insulating Cr doped substrates to produce the channel region, eliminating the need for growth of an epitaxial layer. This implantation method has been used to produce 0·25 μm thick, n -type layers with uniform thickness and carrier concentration, and carrier mobility ranging from 2410 to 3620 cm 2 /V sec in different samples. Because of the uniformity, FET's fabricated in these layers have exhibited reproducibility of transconductance and pinchoff voltage from device to device on a wafer to better than ±10 per cent. Cr doped GaAs of commonly available quality was found to be satisfactory for FET fabrication, although minimum Cr compensation is desirable to obtain highest mobility. S parameter measurements of microwave characteristics indicated a projected f max = 20 GHz but transducer gain cutoff occurred at approximately 7 GHz because of impedance mismatch and package parasitics.
Neuroinflammatory responses after experimental diffuse traumatic brain injury

Little is known about microglial activation and macrophage localization after diffuse brain injury (DBI). DBI-mediated perisomatic traumatic axonal injury (TAI) was recently identified within the neocortex, hippocampus, and thalamus, providing an opportunity to characterize immune cell responses within diffusely injured brain loci uncomplicated by contusion. By using moderate midline/central fluid percussion injury, microglial/macrophage responses were examined with antibodies targeting immune cell phenotypes and amyloid precursor protein, a marker of TAI. Parallel assessments of blood-brain barrier alterations were also performed. Within 6 to 48 hours postinjury, microglial activation within injured loci was observed, whereas microglia within non-TAI-containing regions maintained a resting phenotype. Microglial activation shared a spatiotemporal relationship with TAI though no clear interactions were observed. By 7 to 28 days postinjury, activated microglia contained myelin debris, yet revealed limited aggregation. Immunophenotypic macrophages were also localized to injured loci. Select macrophages approximated somatic membranes of perisomatically axotomized neurons with evidence of bouton disruption. No causality was established between blood-brain barrier alterations and these inflammatory responses. These findings indicate rapid, yet initially nonspecific, and persistent microglial/macrophage responses to DBI. DBI-mediated inflammatory responses suggest further expansion of traumatic brain injury histopathologic evaluations to identify neuroinflammation indicative of diffuse pathology.
Variables related to the rate of childhood myopia progression.

ABSTRACTThis study was undertaken to examine the relations between the rate of childhood myopia progression and variables available in patient records. Data were obtained from four private optometry practices and two university-based longitudinal studies. Subjects were myopes with a minimum number o
Waiting for conflict before requesting an ethics consultation.

In many ways, requesting an ethics consultation is like asking for any other clinical consultation. A physician recognizes a problem out of her or his area of expertise and requests help from a specialist. The question may be factual, such as whether an advance directive is valid. The request may be for a procedure, such as an evaluation of a patient's capacity to consent to a particular procedure. The query may be to “diagnose” the source of a patient's unexpected refusal of treatment. It may be to outline a clinical strategy, such as a plan to protect the unaware, at-risk spouse of an individual infected with the human immunodeficiency virus who is reluctant to reveal the diagnosis. And, perhaps most consistent with other types of clinical consultation, the ethics consultation may function simply to support the decision of the astute clinician who has identified an ethical issue, reasoned through the case, and formulated a solution to the dilemma. Yet, the study by DuVal and colleagues demonstrates a different trigger for many ethics consults: conflict. The investigators administered a survey to a national sample of physicians practicing internal medicine, oncology, and critical care to evaluate whether they had requested an ethics consultation in the past 2 years and the reason for the consultation. This first-ever evaluation of ethics consultation in a nationally representative sample revealed that more than half of these physicians had requested an ethics consultation. The most common stimuli for ethics consultation were conflicts and other emotionally charged issues. Conflicts triggered more than one third of the consultations. Intimidation, fear, frustration, and other emotions prompted nearly one tenth of the consultations. Previous research—focused on routine consultation for end-of-life issues—has shown that consultation is well received and may result in small improvements in health care resource use toward the end of life.1,2 DuVal and colleagues show that a wide variety of topics are targeted by ethics consultation and that much of the work of consultation is conflict resolution, mediation, and communication enhancement. These roles require the ethics consultant to possess special skills in addition to clinical ethics knowledge.3 The authors' study suggests that physicians should consider earlier consultation in solving cases presenting ethical issues. Early recognition of ethical issues and “preventive ethics” should be a central focus of ethics consultation. Recognizing the need for a surrogate decision maker, identifying possible cross-cultural conflicts, and acknowledging conflicts among health care providers before crises arise can lead to earlier and more effective ethics consultation that aims at optimal clinical care and teaching the clinician the skills to handle the next case. Patients need not be headed toward the “ethics ICU” before assistance in solving clinical ethics problems is requested.
Icam-1 targeted nanogels loaded with dexamethasone alleviate pulmonary inflammation.

Lysozyme dextran nanogels (NG) have great potential in vitro as a drug delivery platform, combining simple chemistry with rapid uptake and cargo release in target cells with “stealth” properties and low toxicity. In this work, we study for the first time the potential of targeted NG as a drug delivery platform in vivo to alleviate acute pulmonary inflammation in animal model of LPS-induced lung injury. NG are targeted to the endothelium via conjugation with an antibody (Ab) directed to Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1(ICAM-NG), whereas IgG conjugated NG (IgG-NG) are used for control formulations. The amount of Ab conjugated to the NG and distribution in the body after intravenous (IV) injection have been quantitatively analyzed using a tracer isotope-labeled [125I]IgG. As a proof of concept, Ab-NG are loaded with dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory therapeutic, and the drug uptake and release kinetics are measured by HPLC. In vivo studies in mice showed that: i) ICAM-NG accumulates in mouse lungs (∼120% ID/g vs ∼15% ID/g of IgG-NG); and, ii) DEX encapsulated in ICAM-NG, but not in IgG-NG practically blocks LPS-induced overexpression of pro-inflammatory cell adhesion molecules including ICAM-1 in the pulmonary inflammation.
Theoretical investigation of the binding of small molecules and the intramolecular agostic interaction at tungsten centers with carbonyl and phosphine ligands.

The factors controlling both the binding of small molecules to several tungsten complexes and agostic bonding in the W(CO)3(PCy3)2 complex have been examined through B3LYP hybrid density functional theory and ab initio MP2 calculations with and without basis set superposition error (BSSE) corrections. This approach attempts to isolate insofar as possible the separate effects of intrinsic bonding interactions, electron induction by ligands, and steric hindrance and strain. An important conclusion from this study is that for bimolecular reactions, BSSE corrections must be included for quantitative predictions. There is a reasonably good correlation between the BSSE-corrected B3LYP and MP2 results for bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) of very small molecules (H2, N2, and CO), but generally B3LYP BDEs tend to be smaller than the corresponding MP2 values. In the few cases where a comparison with experimental data can be appropriately made, it appears that the BSSE-corrected MP2 BDEs are more reliable. Using ...
ANALYSIS OF WING-SHAPE CHARACTERITICS OF MIGRATORY LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS*

Morphological characteristics of the forewings of 42 species of moths and 31 species of butterflies were comparatively analyzed with special reference to their migration ability. The curvature values of costal margin of the forewings revealed that the migratory moths and butterflies have relatively narrower forewings with straighter costal margin as compared with respective non migratory species. The posterior area of forewings was wider in the migratory moths and narrower in the migratory butterflies than that of respective non migratory species.
Thermocline Degradation in a Packed Bed Thermal Storage Tank

A time-dependent mathematical analysis of the fluid and solid temperature profiles of the bed during holding periods when no new fluid enters the tank was developed for the special case where the inlet fluid velocity is zero. The analysis incorporates the additional effects of thermal conduction and finite tank length.
Anatomic relationship between the spinal accessory nerve and internal jugular vein in the upper neck.

Abstract Objective The goal of this study was to precisely detail the relationship between the spinal accessory nerve (SAN) and the internal jugular vein (IJV) in the upper neck, specifically at the level of the posterior belly of the digastric muscle. Study Design Case series with planned data collection. Setting University hospital. Subjects and Methods This information was prospectively gathered intraoperatively in patients undergoing a neck dissection. The neck dissections were performed for the treatment or diagnosis of cancer, independent of the research goals. Eighty-six subjects underwent neck dissections, 56 unilateral and 30 bilateral. The position of the SAN was determined to be oriented lateral to the IJV, medial to the IJV, posterior to the IJV, or directly through the IJV at the level of the posterior belly of the digastric muscle. Results Of 116 neck dissections, 112 (96%) were oriented lateral to the IJV at the level of the superior border of the posterior belly of the digastric muscle. In three necks (3%), the SAN was positioned medial to the IJV, and one (1%) traveled directly through the IJV. Conclusion The SAN has an intimate anatomic relationship with the IJV as it travels through the neck. The SAN is nearly always oriented lateral to the IJV, and the IJV and SAN are likely at some increased risk of injury during neck dissection in cases where the nerve travels medial to or through the IJV.
The use of surfactants to modify molar response factors in the secondary ion mass spectrometry of liquid surfaces

Abstract Differences in the relative molar response observed for a series of closely related analytes in glycerol solution using secondary ion mass spectrometry are attributable largely to differences in surface activity. These differences can be minimized if a relatively large quantity of a surfactant of opposite charge is added to the solution before analysis. This added surfactant is chosen to dominate the surface selectively with the result that differences in surface activity among the species of interest become unimportant. The added surfactant does not interfere because its complementary charge state ensures very low response relative to the species of interest. It is further demonstrated that, in much the same way, surfactants can be used to enhance the response of an analyte relative to a matrix such as glycerol. This paper describes the first reported application of surfactants as reagents to modify the secondary ion mass spectra of liquid solutions.
A Binomial Test of Group Differences With Correlated Outcome Measures

Building on previous arguments for why educational researchers should not provide effect-size estimates in the face of statistically nonsignificant outcomes (Robinson & Levin, 1997), Onwuegbuzie and Levin (2005) proposed a 3-step statistical approach for assessing group differences when multiple outcome measures are individually analyzed within the same study. One suggested Step 3 strategy was to conduct a binomial (or “sign”) test of the number of between-group outcome mean differences that are in the same direction. However, because multiple measures within a study typically are correlated, the binomial test's independence assumption will be violated. In the present investigation, the authors (a) performed a Monte Carlo simulation study to assess the Type I error behavior of the binomial test under varying degrees of independence-assumption violations, resulting in a table of adjusted critical values; and (b) illustrated use of this table by applying its adjusted critical values to a real research example.
Abnormalities in CaiHandling in Myocytes that Survive in the Infarcted Heart are not just due to Alterations in Repolarization

Abstract Studies from our laboratory have defined alterations in Ca i handling in the non-dialyzed subepicardial cells that have survived in the 5 day infarcted heart (IZs). To determine whether changes in the action potential profile contributed to the observed Ca i changes we have used a combined voltage clamp/epifluorescent technique to determine and compare changes in fura 2 ratios in IZs compared to those of epicardial cells from the non-infarcted canine hearts (NZs). We found that Ca i changes in voltage clamped IZs persisted. In NZs, Ca i transients showed the expected voltage dependence while IZs did not. To determine whether altered NaCa exchanger activity contributed to the observed changes in Ca i in IZs, we measured NaCa exchanger Ca 2+ fluxes (reverse and forward mode) and ionic currents in both cell types and under different Na i loads (10 and 20 m m ). We found that there were no significant differences in resting, peak or magnitude of fura 2 ratio changes or in outward current densities between NZs and IZs even under the different Na i loads. Thus, we suggest that chronic up- or downregulation of the NaCa exchanger protein does not underlie observed Ca i changes in IZs. Additionally, Ca 2+ released with paced voltage steps represented 79% of that released by caffeine in NZs while, in IZs, caffeine releasable Ca 2+ was equivalent to that released with step depolarization. Thus, abnormalities in Ca i handling in IZs appear not to arise secondarily to changes in action potential configuration nor do they appear to be due to disease-induced alteations in NaCa exchanger function.
Uranium(III)/(IV) nitrile adducts including UI4(N[triple bond]CPh)4, a synthetically useful uranium(IV) complex.

The synthesis of complexes used to elucidate an understanding of fundamental An(III) and An(IV) coordination chemistry requires the development of suitable organic-soluble precursors. The reaction of oxide-free uranium metal turnings with 1.3 equivalents of elemental iodine in acetonitrile provided the U(III)/U(IV) complex salt, [U(N⋮CMe)9][UI6][I] (1), in which the U(III) cation is surrounded by nine acetonitrile molecules in a tricapped trigonal prismatic arrangement, a [UI6]2- counterion, and a noncoordinating iodide. The U−N distances for the prismatic and capping nitrogens are 2.55(3) and 2.71(5) A, respectively. The same reaction performed in benzonitrile afforded crystalline UI4(N⋮CPh)4 (3) in 78% isolated yield. In the solid state, 3 shows an eight-coordinate U(IV) atom in a “puckered” square antiprismatic geometry with U−N and U−I distances of 2.56(1) and 3.027(1) A, respectively. This benzonitrile UI4 adduct is a versatile U(IV) synthon that is soluble in methylene chloride, benzonitrile, and te...
Crystallization and solidification studies in calcia-alumina fibres formed via inviscid melt spinning (IMS)

Abstract Differential thermal analysis (DTA) is used to study solidification phenomena in 46.5 wt% CaO-53.5wt% Al2O3 (m.p. = 1392 °C) fibres formed via inviscid melt spinning (IMS). After an initial heating cycle at 20 °C min−1 in nitrogen to 1600 °C showing crystallization of the amorphous fibres, cooling curves indicate a solidification exotherm at 1403 °C, followed by two small exotherms, believed to be solidification of sub-solidus liquid. Subsequent heating cycles show no crystallization transformations, indicating near complete crystallization upon cooling between heating cycles. XRD results obtained after a final cooling step show two anhydrous calcium aluminate phases are present: CaAl2O4 and Ca3Al2O6.
Octobasic Laguerre polynomials and permutation statistics

Abstract A set of orthogonal polynomials with eight independent “ q 's” is defined which generalizes the Laguerre polynomials. The moments of the measure for these polynomials are the generating functions for permutations according to eight different statistics. Specializing these statistics gives many other well-known sets of combinatorial objects and relevant statistics. The specializations are studied, with applications to classical orthogonal polynomials and equidistribution theorems for statistics.
Deconfinement in Yang-Mills theory through toroidal compactification with deformation

We introduce field theory techniques through which the deconfinement transition of four-dimensional Yang-Mills theory can be moved to a semi-classical domain where it becomes calculable using two-dimensional field theory. We achieve this through a double- trace deformation of toroidally compactified Yang-Mills theory on R2 \times S1_L \times S1_{\beta}. At large N, fixed-L, and arbitrary {\beta}, the thermodynamics of the deformed theory is equivalent to that of ordinary Yang-Mills theory at leading order in the large N expansion. At fixed-N, small L and a range of {\beta}, the deformed theory maps to a two-dimensional theory with electric and magnetic (order and disorder) perturbations, analogs of which appear in planar spin-systems and statistical physics. We show that in this regime the deconfinement transition is driven by the competition between electric and magnetic perturbations in this two-dimensional theory. This appears to support the scenario proposed by Liao and Shuryak regarding the magnetic component of the quark-gluon plasma at RHIC.
Analyzing Electromagnetic Induction Data: Suggestions from Laboratory Measurements

Recent inversions of electrical profiles of the upper mantle beneath the oceans permit a variety of conductivity-depth profiles ranging from models with monotonically increasing conductivity to layered models having decreases of conductivity with depth. Laboratory data on possible mantle materials can physically explain high mantle conductivities in terms of a fluid phase (partial melt, hydrous fluid) or a good solid conductor (amorphous or graphitic carbon) and favor a profile having a high conductivity layer (HCL) underlain by a more resistive layer.
Regional 3-D heterogeneities by waveform inversion — application to the Atlantic area

The waveform inversion method described in Woodhouse & Dziewonski (1984) was modified to retrieve regional scale 3-D heterogeneities by using the minor arc part of seismograms. The lateral heterogeneities are expanded horizontally into blocks (10°× 10°) and radially into Legendre polynomials up to order 3 (0–670 km), and thus the results show much fine details of lateral variation than previous global scale studies. We assumed that the heterogeneities produce the perturbation of eigenfrequencies which are the minor arc average of local eigenfrequency shift. We applied the method to the upper mantle beneath the Atlantic Ocean and its environments. Care was taken about the weighting of the data set. We found that the fit of each seismogram became better when the weighting of each seismogram is proportional to the inverse of initial data residuals. Resolution is good in the triangular region surrounded by South America, Europe, and North America. Resolution is not good in the South Atlantic because of the poor path coverage. Depth resolution is not clear, because of the use of Legendre polynomials, though the results suggest a broad half-width of the order of 200 km or more. We found some similarities between previous global studies and our results. For example, low velocities beneath the East Pacific Rise, Chile Rise and Azores triple junction and a high velocity Canadian shield are obtained. However, there are also differences; the high-velocity zone beneath the Brazilian shield at shallow depth is not a prominent feature in this study. Instead, we found a somewhat unexpected feature near the Romanche and Vema fracture zones where shallow positive anomalies exist. Smoothed results calculated by the spherical harmonic expansion are also shown for the purpose of comparison with global studies.
China’s urbanization 2020: a new blueprint and direction

China released its first national urbanization plan in March 2014. The plan outlines a bold move to grant urban hukou (household registration) to 100 million people, mostly migrants, in the next six years. If successfully implemented, the plan will help China to achieve genuine urbanization and alleviate some major social and economic problems. It has also brought forth a new vision of urbanization with an emphasis on the human aspects. This article presents a preliminary evaluation of the new plan.
Increased Sensitivity to Nicotine-Induced Seizures in Mice Expressing the L250T α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Mutation

High doses of nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco, induce clonic-tonic seizures in animals. Pharmacological and biochemical data have suggested that α7-containing neuronal nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) contribute to these seizures. To study potential α7 contributions, we examined α7 subunits with a Leu250-to-Thr substitution in the channel domain, which creates a gain-of-function mutation. Previous studies have shown that mice homozygous for the α7 L250T mutation (T/T) die shortly after birth, but animals heterozygous for the mutation (+/T) are viable and grow to adulthood. Hippocampal neurons from the +/T mice exhibited altered α7-type currents with increased amplitudes and slower desensitization kinetics, confirming a partial gain of function for the α7 nAChR. We found that +/T mice were more sensitive to the convulsant effects of nicotine compared with their wild-type (+/+) littermates. Furthermore, although their behavior was normal in basal conditions, +/T mice showed a unique nicotine-induced phenotype, consisting of head-bobbing and paw-tapping movements. Increased sensitivity to nicotine-induced seizures occurred despite a 60% decline in brain α7 nAChR protein levels. There were no changes in the levels of α4, α5, α6, α7, β2, and β4 mRNA, or in [ 125 I]epibatidine and [ 3 H]nicotine binding between +/T and +/+ mice. Recent data from our laboratory show that α7-null mice maintain normal sensitivity to nicotine-induced seizures. Hence, these present findings suggest that alterations in the properties rather than absence of α7 nAChRs might affect the mechanisms underlying the convulsive properties of nicotine.
Michaelis—Menten elimination kinetics: Areas under curves, steady‐state concentrations, and clearances for compartment models with different types of input

For single bolus administration, intermittent bolus administrations to steady-state, a single dose as a zero order input, intermittent zero order inputs to steady-state, and continuous zero order input to steady-state, and for both simple Michaelis-Menten elimination and parallel Michaelis-Menten and first order elimination, the appropriate equations are given for the areas, AUC 0-oo or AUC 0-tau, steady-state concentrations, and clearances. Some 20 new equations have been derived. For the case of first order input and Michaelis-Menten elimination, no solution is given but the effect of input rate on systemic availability is reported following some numerical integrations. The effect of slow input in reducing systemic bioavailability when Michaelis-Menten elimination kinetics are operative is stressed and the implications of this in the field of sustained-release medication mentioned.
Concanavalin a binding and cytodifferentiation in pancreatic acinar carcinoma of rat

The binding of concanavalin A to the plasmalemma of acinar carcinoma cells was characterized by electron microscopy utilizing horseradish peroxidase. Heavy labeling due to specific concanavalin A binding was detected on the plasmalemma of undifferentiated carcinoma cells lacking zymogen maturation, neoplastic cells of intermediate differentiation with only occasional zymogen granules, and highly differentiated acinar carcinoma cells containing numerous cytoplasmic zymogen granules. The plasmalemma of acinar carcinoma cells was also compared to the normal pancreatic acinar cell plasmalemma by measurement of specific 125I-labeled concanavalin A binding. Although only about one-third of pancreatic acinar carcinoma cells demonstrate mature zymogen differentiation, the acinar carcinoma had a full complement of normal plasmalemma receptors for 125I-labeled concanavalin A. It is concluded that, unlike normal pancreas, the presence of concanavalin A receptors on the plasmalemma of acinar carcinoma cells is not a specific membrane marker for differentiated cells containing zymogen granules.
Human Complement Receptors for C3b (CR1) and C3d (CR2)

The human C3b receptor (CR1) is a polymorphic glycoprotein comprised of a single polypeptide chain. Of the 4 allotype forms of CR1 that have been described, the 2 most common have M [subr]'s of 250,000 and 260,000, and are regulated by alleles having frequencies in a Caucasian population of 81.5% and 18.5%, respectively. CR1 is present on erythrocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, macrophages, B lymphocytes, some T lymphocytes, mast cells, and glomerular podocytes. CR1 number on erythrocytes is genetically regulated, and ranges from less than 100 sites per cell to greater than 1000 sites per cell, the average in the normal population being 500–600 sites per cell. A model accounting for this wide distribution proposes the existence of 2 codominant alleles determining low and high receptor number respectively; CR1 number is not affected by the structural polymorphism, so that the loci for these two phenotypic characteristics are distinct. The function of CR1 on erythrocytes may be to promote the clearance of immune complexes from the circulation. CR1 number on myelomonocytic cells is regulated by chemotactic factors which can rapidly transfer CR1 sites from a latent, presumably intracellular, site to the plasma membrane of these cells, thereby enhancing their ability to interact with opsonized foreign material. The receptor is involved in the endocytic reactions of these cells, and recent findings have demonstrated that this function can be modulated by T cell-derived factors, fibronectin, and phorbol esters. The role of CR1 on lymphocytes remains to be fully explored, although the receptor may enhance the differentiation of B cells into antibody-secreting cells.
Vanishing of Euler class groups

Abstract In this paper, we prove some theorems about vanishing of Euler class groups. For example, suppose B = A [ X , f −1 ] where A [ X ] is a polynomial ring, f ∈ A [ X ] is a non-zero divisor and dim ( B ) = dim ( A ) + 1 ⩾ 3 . Then we prove that the Euler class group E ( B , L ) = 0 for any rank one projective B module L.
Control of flexible spacecraft with time-varying configuration

This paper is concerned with the dynamics and control of systems with time-varying configuration, such as maneuvering articulated flexible spacecraft. The mathematical model consists of a rigid platform and a given number of retargeting flexible antennas. The mission consists of maneuvering the antennas so as to coincide with preselected lines of sight while stabilizing the platform in an inertial space and suppressing the elastic vibration of the antennas. A perturbation technique permits the derivation of a new control law for systems with time-varying configuration, in which the time-varying terms are relatively small. According to the proposed perturbation method, the control gains consist of zero-order time-invariant gains obtained from the solution of a matrix algebraic Riccati equation, which are valid both during and after the maneuver, and higher-order time-varying gains obtained from the solution of matrix differential Lyapunov equations, which are valid only during the maneuver. The approach is illustrated by means of a numerical example.
Efficient Formulations for Exact Stochastic Simulation of Chemical Systems

One can generate trajectories to simulate a system of chemical reactions using either Gillespie's direct method or Gibson and Bruck's next reaction method. Because one usually needs many trajectories to understand the dynamics of a system, performance is important. In this paper, we present new formulations of these methods that improve the computational complexity of the algorithms. We present optimized implementations, available from http://cain.sourceforge.net/>, that offer better performance than previous work. There is no single method that is best for all problems. Simple formulations often work best for systems with a small number of reactions, while some sophisticated methods offer the best performance for large problems and scale well asymptotically. We investigate the performance of each formulation on simple biological systems using a wide range of problem sizes. We also consider the numerical accuracy of the direct and the next reaction method. We have found that special precautions must be taken in order to ensure that randomness is not discarded during the course of a simulation.
Improving climate model representations of snow hydrology

Abstract In this study previous work that led to an improved representation of snow albedo in global climate models is expanded to include regional simulations of snow cover over three distinctly different regions of the United States. We also discuss broadening our work in snow cover parametrization to include representation of the following processes: (i) the `dirtiness' of snow (due to dust and other particulate loading); (ii) partitioning of energy between melt, evaporation of meltwater, and refreezing within the snow pack; (iii) heat added to a snowpack by rain; and (iv) the vertical temperature profile within a snowpack. In addition, a new parameter, called `WFLUX', is introduced as a useful glaciological parameter that is based on the net energy available for snowmelt. The snow hydrology formulation of Marshall and Oglesby is implemented into two widely used climate models: a global GCM, the NCAR CCM3/LSM, and a regional climate model, the RegCM2 version of MM4. A suite of new simulations has been made with RegCM2 for three regions of the United States for the 1992–1993 snow season. The regions of interest include the western US/Rocky Mountain region, the region surrounding the Great Lakes and the northeastern United States. Calibration and validation of the new snow hydrology is accomplished by comparison to available ground and satellite based datasets of snowcover, including both mean conditions and year-to-year variability. The goal is not just to improve the simulation of the present-day seasonal cycle (which is reasonably well simulated by many current climate models) but also to improve the predictive capability of models when used to address questions of past climate (especially those involving glaciation) and possible future climatic change.
The relative importance of the bone marrow and spleen in the production and dissemination of B lymphocytes.

Abstract The relative importance of the bone marrow and spleen in the production of B lymphocytes was investigated in guinea pigs by the combined use of [ 3 H]TdR radio-autography and fluorescent microscopy after the staining of B cells by FITC-F(ab′) 2 -goat-anti-guinea pig Ig. Large and small lymphoid cells possess sIg in the marrow and spleen but B cell turnover in the marrow exceeds that in the spleen. That newly generated bone marrow B cells are not derived from an extramyeloid bursa equivalent was demonstrated by the absence of [ 3 H]TdR labeled B cells in tibial marrow 72 hr after [ 3 H]TdR was administered systemically, while the circulation to the hind limbs was occluded. Pulse and chase studies with [ 3 H]TdR showed that large marrow B cells are derived from sIg-negative, proliferating precursors resident in the bone marrow and not from the enlargement of activated small B lymphocytes. The acquisition of [ 3 H]TdR by splenic B cells lagged behind that observed in the marrow. Three days after topical labeling of tibial and femoral bone marrow with [ 3 H]TdR, a substantial proportion of splenic B cells were replaced by cells that had seeded there from the labeled marrow. The studies unequivocally identify the bone marrow as the organ of primary importance in B cell generation and indicate that in the guinea pig rapidly renewed B lymphocytes of the spleen are replaced by lymphocytes recently generated in bone marrow. The rate of replacement of B lymphocytes in the lymph node by cells newly generated in the bone marrow takes place at a slower tempo than in the spleen.
Machine operant conditioning

This research investigates learning of machine reflexes by applying punishment and reward reinforcement to teach artificial neuronlike systems a prescribed behavior. Stochastic neuronlike elements based on the classical weighted sum of inputs and threshold model can learn stimulus-response associations by emulated classical Pavlovian conditioning, i.e. make associations between conditioned and unconditioned stimuli and later responses. Several mathematical models have been developed which apply abstractions of classical conditioning to such threshold logic devices. Temporal sequences of stimulus-response associations can be dynamically learned by using operant conditioning when only aggregate external reinforcement is available. >
Financial Innovations and the Stability of the Housing Market

The recent crisis has underlined the importance of the interaction of financial innovations and the housing market. We consider five major innovations relevant to housing finance. These are (i) mortgages; (ii) specialised housing finance institutions; (iii) government interventions in housing finance in the US during the Great Depression; (iv) covered bonds; and (v) securitised mortgages. The history of these innovations and their positive and negative aspects are discussed. Future innovations to help the stability of the housing market are also suggested.
Cloning of Phanerochaete chrysosporium leu2 by complementation of bacterial auxotrophs and transformation of fungal auxotrophs.

A Phanerochaete chrysosporium cDNA library was constructed in an expression vector that allows expression in both Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This expression vector, λYES, contains the lacZ promoter for expression in E. coli and the GAL1 promoter for expression in yeast. A number of genes were cloned by complementation of bacterial amino acid auxotrophs. The cDNA encoding the β-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase from P. chrysosporium was characterized further. The genomic clone (gleu2) was subsequently isolated and was used successfully as a selectable marker to transform P. chrysosporium auxotrophs for LEU2. Protoplasts for transformation were prepared with readily obtained conidiospores rather than with basidiospores, which were used in previous P. chrysosporium transformation procedures. The method described here allows other genes to be isolated from P. chrysosporium for use as selectable markers.
Multitone acoustic sensor network with mobile access: an experimental testbed

Sensor network with mobile access (SENMA) was proposed as an architecture for large scale sensor networks. With promising results in analysis and simulation, we have developed an experimental testbed for SENMA using indoor acoustic transmission. Indoor acoustic signal shows a similar propagation characteristic to radio frequency (RF) transmission in a manageable physical dimension. It shows the average attenuation with distance and fading due to multiple reflections from walls. In this paper, we describe the system design of acoustic SENMA testbed and its application. The developed system includes the basic features of SENMA such as the mobile access point(s), transmission of beacon signal, probabilistic transmission depending on channel state, and multiple access from the sensors. We use the frequency division multiple access (FDMA) in the uplink where sensors transmit acoustic tones in different frequencies. The reception models such as collision channel and signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) model can be applied and the network performance like throughput is calculated based on the processing of the recorded sound from the sensors.