cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black holes with multiple charges and the correspondence principle

We consider the entropy of near extremal black holes with multiple charges in the context of the recently proposed correspondence principle of Horowitz and Polchinski, including black holes with two, three and four Ramond-Ramond charges. We find that at the matching point the black hole entropy can be accounted for by massless open strings ending on the D-branes for all cases except a black hole with four Ramond-Ramond charges, in which case a possible resolution in terms of brane-antibrane excitations is considered.
GABAA receptor modulation of temperature sensitive neurons in the diagonal band of Broca in vitro.

Abstract Several regions of the brain, including the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB), contain neurons that are responsive to changes in local temperature. These neurons are hypothesized to participate in thermoregulation and sleep–wake control. The HDB contains a large number of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) terminals, and it has many neurons that utilize GABA as a neurotransmitter. Therefore, in this study we characterized the in vitro effects of the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol (0.5, 0.25, 0.1 and 0.0625 μM doses) and the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline (3.0 and 1.0 μM doses) on the firing rate and thermosensitivity of HDB neurons. Of the 51 neurons recorded in a submerged slice chamber, 53% were warm sensitive, 45% were temperature insensitive and 2% were cold sensitive. All neurons exposed to bath applied muscimol exhibited reductions in both firing rate and thermosensitivity. Muscimol induced reductions were maintained for at least 20 min after washout. Neurons exposed to bicuculline had no change in firing rate or thermosensitivity. However, after bicuculline washout there were reductions in both firing rate and thermosensitivity. These findings support the hypothesis that GABAA receptor induced inhibition of HDB thermosensitive neurons can modulate both thermoregulation and sleep–wake control.
Family Reintegration Difficulties and Couples Therapy for Military Veterans and Their Spouses.

There is compelling evidence that mental health problems complicate the process of family reintegration of military service members after a wartime deployment. Couples in which one spouse has recently returned from military deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan and are experiencing marital problems can present a significant treatment challenge. There is little empirical evidence regarding effective treatments for this population, and these couples tend to exhibit a wide range of difficulties, including the following: conflicts about reintegration, problems with posttraumatic stress disorder and/or depression, chronic injury, infidelity, and personal and social challenges associated with rejoining civilian life. Behavioral couples therapy provides a useful framework for intervention with these couples, combined with individual treatment and education about the impact of combat deployment. This paper discusses considerations for integrating these treatment approaches and future clinical and research needs for these couples.
Transnationalism and Feminist Activism in Cuba: The Case of Magín

The emergence of the feminist network Magin in Cuba in the mid-1990s challenged the monopoly of the official women's organization over issues related to women. Magin came into being as a result of encounters with feminists in international meetings, and it grew and developed through transnational support. Yet the organization did not extend beyond a small group of professional women and eventually the state closed it down. This article probes the question of why autonomous feminist organizing did not succeed in Cuba, particularly given a window of opportunity presented by the collapse of the Soviet Union. I suggest that the nature of transnational networks, combined with the political hegemony of the Cuban government, limited the scope of Magin as an independent women's organization. Although transnational advocacy networks helped Cuban feminists to create new spaces for dialogue, they also encouraged tendencies of specialization and professionalization that led the women to forgo the possibility of building a broad-based autonomous movement. An analysis of feminist networks in Cuba can contribute to our knowledge of the pitfalls and promises of transnationalism, particularly in nonliberal democratic contexts.This research was made possible by support from the Social Sciences Research Council, the University of Chicago, and Princeton University. I am grateful to the women of Magin who gave generously of their time to share their experiences and ideas. In particular, I would like to thank Norma Guillard for providing materials and carrying out investigations for me long distance. Thanks to Mervyn Bain, Matt Cleary, Elisabeth Friedman, Kathryn Hochstetler, Catherine Murphy, Hairong Yan, and anonymous reviewers and editors of Politics & Gender for crucial feedback and/or enlightening conversations. An earlier version of this article was presented at the American Political Science Association meetings in Chicago, September 2004.
Test cases for wind power plant dynamic models on real-time digital simulator

The objective of this paper is to present test cases for wind turbine generator and wind power plant models commonly used during commissioning of wind power plants to ensure grid integration compatibility. In this paper, different types of wind power plant models based on the Western Electricity Coordinating Council Wind Generator Modeling Group's standardization efforts are implemented on a real-time digital simulator, and different test cases are used to gauge their grid integration capability. The low-voltage ride through and reactive power support capability and limitations of wind turbine generators under different grid conditions are explored. Several types of transient events (e.g., symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults, frequency dips) are included in the test cases. The differences in responses from different types of wind turbine are discussed in detail.
Complementary and alternative medicine in fibromyalgia and related syndromes

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has gained increasing popularity, particularly among individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) for which traditional medicine has generally been ineffective. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs on CAM studies for FMS was conducted to evaluate the empirical evidence for their effectiveness. Few RCTs achieved high scores on the CONSORT, a standardized evaluation of the quality of methodology reporting. Acupuncture, some herbal and nutritional supplements (magnesium, SAMe) and massage therapy have the best evidence for effectiveness with FMS. Other CAM therapies have either been evaluated in only one RCT with positive results (Chlorella, biofeedback, relaxation), in multiple RCTs with mixed results (magnet therapies), or have positive results from studies with methodological flaws (homeopathy, botanical oils, balneotherapy, anthocyanidins, dietary modifications). Lastly, other CAM therapies have neither well-designed studies nor positive results and are not currently recommended for FMS treatment (chiropractic care).
Mossy fiber-CA3 synapses mediate homeostatic plasticity in mature hippocampal neurons.

Network activity homeostatically alters synaptic efficacy to constrain neuronal output. However, it is unclear how such compensatory adaptations coexist with synaptic information storage, especially in established networks. Here, we report that in mature hippocampal neurons in vitro, network activity preferentially regulated excitatory synapses within the proximal dendrites of CA3 neurons. These homeostatic synapses exhibited morphological, functional, and molecular signatures of the specialized contacts between mossy fibers of dentate granule cells and thorny excrescences (TEs) of CA3 pyramidal neurons. In vivo TEs were also selectively and bidirectionally altered by chronic activity changes. TE formation required presynaptic synaptoporin and was suppressed by the activity-inducible kinase, Plk2. These results implicate the mossy fiber-TE synapse as an independently tunable gain control locus that permits efficacious homeostatic adjustment of mossy fiber-CA3 synapses, while preserving synaptic weights that may encode information elsewhere within the mature hippocampal circuit.
Symmetry theory of the Aharonov-Bohm effect: Quantum mechanics in a multiply connected region☆

Abstract The conventional Schrodinger treatment of the Aharonov-Bohm effect of inaccessible magnetic fields postulates the use of single-valued wave functions, even in a multiply connected region. The principles of symmetry theory are shown to justify this postulate in a cylindrically symmetric system, and to lead directly to the Aharonov-Bohm effect. The necessity for the canonical angular momentum to be an integer or half-integer is the crux of the argument.
Primary sternal osteomyelitis in a 40 days old infant: a case report and review of the literature.

Primary sternal osteomyelitis is extremely rare in children and only very few cases have been reported in the international literature. A 40 days old Caucasian infant was referred to our clinic with a 4 days history of fever and malaise, accompanying a painful swelling of four days duration involving the lower end of the sternum. Examination revealed a 2 cm swelling which was fixed to the underlying bone. A full blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein were measured and x-rays (Anterior and Lateral views) and Ultrasound was performed. Blood cultures were also taken. The patient was commenced empirically to Vancomycin and Cefotaxime intravenously. The values of White Blood Cell (16,720), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (132 mm) and C-reactive protein (108 mg/dl) were elevated, the X-rays showed bone destruction and dislocation of the 3rd sternal nuclei and in the U/S performed appeared a soft tissue mass measuring 2,37/1,02 cm related to the periosteum. Surgical debridement was then performed and swab cultures were taken intraoperatively. The infant grew Streptococcus Pneumoniae and Enterococcus Species. The infant was discharged after 25 days from the hospital. He gradually improved over a period of 2 months, became pain free and repeated x-rays showed significant bone resolution. Primary osteomyelitis in infants is a very rare condition that usually resolves with antibiotic therapy and surgical debridement.
Central and peripheral interactions between the agouti-related protein and leptin

The agouti-related protein (AgRP) is a powerful appetite modulator expressed in the hypothalamus and the adrenal gland and regulated by leptin. Here we report the robust expression of AgRP in epididymal fat and its upregulation in this tissue by feeding rather than by fasting. This was observed in both the obesity-susceptible C57BL/6J and the obesity-resistant CAST/Ei mouse strains. Surprisingly, AgRP expression was higher in the hypothalamus and the adrenal gland in the leaner and obesity-resistant CAST/Ei strain. In vitro leptin treatment upregulated endogenous AgRP in mouse hypothalamus and adrenal cells, after an acute 6-h exposure, but it downregulated AgRP after a long-term 60-h exposure. AgRP, on the other hand, upregulated its own endogenous expression in the hypothalamus and the adrenal cells and also upregulated endogenous leptin in the adrenal cells. These results reveal a novel feedback loop and reciprocal transcriptional regulation between AgRP and leptin centrally and peripherally.
Immunologic Mechanisms of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is widely recognized as the most commonly identified cause of progressive neurologic disability in young adults throughout the developed world. The disorder is clinically suspected when patients experience either acute attacks of neurologic compromise or instead are afflicted by a steadily progressive deterioration in functional capabilities. The pathophysiology of acute exacerbations is thought to be related to the development of inflammation and its consequences, within strategic and often discrete central nervous system tract systems. Although a myriad of hypotheses have been formulated to explain the underpinnings of the mechanisms that contribute to both the predilection and triggering of the multiphasic inflammatory events that personify multiple sclerosis, much remains to be done to understand fully the specific set and sequence of events that produce the disease and its cardinal features.
An ;15,000-Year Record of El Nino—Driven Alluviation in Southwestern Ecuador

Debris flows have deposited inorganic laminae in an alpine lake that is 75 kilometers east of the Pacific Ocean, in Ecuador. These storm-induced events were dated by radiocarbon, and the age of laminae that are less than 200 years old matches the historic record of El Nino events. From about 15,000 to about 7000 calendar years before the present, the periodicity of clastic deposition is greater than or equal to 15 years; thereafter, there is a progressive increase in frequency to periodicities of 2 to 8.5 years. This is the modern El Nino periodicity, which was established about 5000 calendar years before the present. This may reflect the onset of a steeper zonal sea surface temperature gradient, which was driven by enhanced trade winds.
Non-coincident multi-wavelength emission absorption measurements in MHD plasmas

Abstract An analysis of the effect of non-coincident sampling on the measurement of atomic number density and temperature by multi-wavelength emission absorption methods is presented under the assumption that the emission and transmitted lamp signals are time resolved but not coincident. The analysis shows that the averages of such measurements are valid despite fluctuations in temperature and optical depth. Under potassium-seeded MHD conditions the fluctuations introduce additional uncertainty into measurements of potassium atom number density and temperature but do not significantly bias the average results. Measurements in a prototype-scale MHD flow with coincident and non-coincident sampling support the analysis.
Effects of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin on the Antitumor Effect of Cisplatin in SCID Mice Bearing Human Ovarian Cancer: A Possible Oxygen Effect

Abstract Purpose. Experiments were designed to evaluate the effect of an elevated hematocrit using recombinant human erythropoietin (Epo) on the antitumor response of cisplatin on human ovarian cancer engrafted in mice. Methods. Forty female severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice with large human ovarian cancer xenografts implanted on the gonadal fat pad (GFP) and 40 female SCID mice with small subcutaneous (sq) human ovarian cancer xenografts were placed in one of four treatment groups. Group 1 (controls) received phosphate-buffered saline injections. Group 2 (Epo group) received Epo at 20 units three times per week. Group 3 (cisplatin group) received cisplatin at 5 mg/kg/week. Group 4 (Epo + cisplatin group) received Epo and cisplatin as above. Cisplatin was administered on day 0 for mice bearing large GFP tumors and was injected on days 0 and +7 for mice bearing small sq tumors. Epo injections were started on day −15 and continued until the completion of the experiment. Evaluations of the tumor growth, hematocrits, and performance status were made. The experiments were repeated in 24 SCID mice bearing small sq tumor xenografts with similar results. Representative data were reported. Results. Among mice bearing large GFP tumors, a tumor growth delay was noted in the groups that received cisplatin with or without Epo compared to controls ( P P = 0.07). Among mice bearing small sq tumors, a significant improvement in tumor regression was achieved in the Epo + cisplatin group compared to the cisplatin group ( P P Conclusions. The data demonstrate a cisplatin-sensitizing effect on human ovarian cancer in SCID mice induced by the pretreatment elevation and maintenance of the hematocrit using Epo. These findings are consistent with an oxygen sensitization of cisplatin. Corroboration of these results may have significant clinical implications for the treatment of solid tumor patients.
Higher-order semantic structures in an African Grey parrot's vocalizations: evidence from the hyperspace analog to language (HAL) model.

Previous research has described the significant role that social interaction plays in both the acquisition and use of speech by parrots. The current study analyzed the speech of one home-raised African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) across three different social contexts: owner interacting with parrot in the same room, owner and parrot interacting out of view in adjacent rooms, and parrot home alone. The purpose was to determine the extent to which the subject's speech reflected an understanding of the contextual substitutability (e.g., the word street can be substituted in context for the word road) of the vocaliza- tions that comprised the units in her repertoire (i.e., global co-occurrence of repertoire units; Burgess in Behav Res Methods Instrum Comput 30:188-198, 1998; Lund and Burgess in Behav Res Methods Instrum Comput 28:203-208, 1996). This was accomplished via the human language model hyperspace analog to language (HAL). HAL is contextually driven and bootstraps language ''rules'' from input without human intervention. Because HAL does not require human tutelage, it provided an objective measure to empirically examine the parrot's vocalizations. Results indicated that the subject's vocali- zation patterns did contain global co-occurrence. The presence of this quality in this nonhuman's speech may be strongly indicative of higher-order cognitive skills.
The debt crisis and development: A comparison of major economic theories

Abstract This article sets out to look at the different economic views about the issues surrounding the debt crisis. Section 2 defines the debt crisis and outlines the growth, nature and size of less developed country debt. Section 3 explains the international financial context within which the debt crisis developed. Section 4 looks at the crisis of the 1980s, compares it with that of the 1930s, and examines the likelihood and consequences of widespread default on debt. Sections 5 and 6 look at the differing views on where the blame for the crisis lies and what are the appropiate solutions or outcomes.
Monomers of the Escherichia coli SSB-1 mutant protein bind single-stranded DNA.

Abstract The Escherichia coli wild-type single strand binding (SSB) protein is a stable tetramer that binds to single-stranded (ss) DNA in its role in DNA replication, recombination and repair. The ssb-1 mutation, a substitution of tyrosine for histidine-55 within the SSB-1 protein, destabilizes the tetramer with respect to monomers, resulting in a temperature-sensitive defect in a variety of DNA metabolic processes, including replication. Using quenching of the intrinsic SSB-1 tryptophan fluorescence, we have examined the equilibrium binding of the oligonucleotide, dT(pT)15, to the SSB-1 protein in order to determine whether a ssDNA binding site exists within individual SSB-1 monomers or whether the formation of the SSB tetramer is necessary for ssDNA binding. At high SSB-1 protein concentrations, such that the tetramer is stable, we find that four molecules of dT(pT)15 bind per tetramer in a manner similar to that observed for the wild-type SSB tetramer; i.e. negative co-operativity is observed for ssDNA binding to the SSB-1 protomers. As a consequence of this negative co-operativity, binding is biphasic, with two molecules of dT(pT)15 binding to the tetramer in each phase. However, the intrinsic binding constant, K16, for the SSB-1 protomer-dT(pT)15 interaction is a factor of 3 lower than for the wild-type protomer interaction and the negative co-operativity parameter, σ16, is larger in the case of the SSB-1 tetramer, indicating a lower degree of negative co-operativity. At lower SSB-1 concentrations, SSB-1 monomers bind dT(pT)15 without negative co-operativity; however, the intrinsic affinity of dT(pT)15 for the monomer is a factor of ~10 lower than for the protomer (50 m m -NaCl, pH 8.1, 25 °C). Therefore, an individual SSB-1 monomer does possess an independent ssDNA binding site; hence formation of the tetramer is not required for ssDNA binding, although tetramer formation does increase the binding affinity significantly. These data also show that the negative co-operativity among ssDNA binding sites within an SSB tetramer is an intrinsic property of the tetramer. On the basis of these studies, we discuss a modified explanation for the temperature-sensitivity of the ssb-1 phenotype.
Artificially-induced nucleopolyhedrosis virus epizootic in populations of Neodiprion sertifer (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae)

An artificially-induced epizootic was created in European pine sawfly (N. sertifer) populations at density levels of 5, 7, and 10 colonies per tree when plots were treated with 3.5 x 108 polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB) per 0.04 ha. The progress of the epizootic was followed daily. The onset of mortality was at 13 days posttreatment, with a peak mortality period between 14 and 16 days across all density situations. During this period, ca. 70% of the total larval mortality was recorded. Of all the larval instars that died, the 4th experienced the greatest percentage of virus-induced mortality (ca. 58%). The average number of PIB accumulated per larva was inversely related to the density situations. That is, larvae in a low-density situation (five colonies per tree) accumulated more virus than those in a moderate-density situation (seven colonies per tree), and similarly between the moderate and high-density situations (10 colonies per tree). This resulted in an inverse relationship between the average number of PIB produced per plot and colony density per tree: 2.92 x 109, 9.00 x 108, and 3.3 x 108, in low-, moderate-, and high-density situations, respectively.
Solubility of Pyrazine and Its Derivatives in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Isopleths and solution densities are reported, from ≈ 25 to 100 °C and pressures to ≈ 200 bar, for mixtures of CO2 with pyrazine, 2-methoxypyrazine, 2-acetylpyrazine, 2-methylpyrazine, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine. These five solute + CO2 systems exhibit type-I phase behavior with similar mixture critical pressures up to 100 °C. The Peng−Robinson equation of state, with kij equal to zero, provides a semi-quantitative representation of the data for all of the pyrazines with the exception of the 2-acetylpyrazine + CO2 system, which required a kij of −0.100 to get a reasonable representation of the data. The data presented here further substantiates the observation that supercritical CO2 can be used to extract pyrazines from natural materials.
Activation of alternative sites of replicon initiation in Chinese hamster cells exposed to ultraviolet light.

Abstract Exposure to UV light is known to produce lesions that block DNA polymerases at least on the leading strand. If several lesions are present in adjacent replicons, it is likely that sections of DNA would remain unreplicated because of the presence for blocking lesions. For cells to multiply and survive these areas must eventually be replicated. One mechanism that has been postulated to be involved in the replication of DNA between two blocking lesions is the activation of alternative sites of replicon initiation. To detect the existence of alternative sites of replicon initiation we employed the high specific/low specific activity labelling protocol first used by Huberman and Riggs (1968) for DNA fiber autoradiography. After development of the autoradiographs, the distances between adjacent sites of replicon initiation (inter-origin distances) were measured. In both wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and UV-5 CHO cells, which exhibit no excision repair abilities, the inter-origin distances were, on average, shorter in cells exposed to UV, indicating that exposure to UV results in the activation of alternative sites of initiation. This activation appears to occur immediately after UV in both cell lines, but persist for a longer time in the excision-deficient line.
Levels of Water-Soluble Vitamins in Methanogenic and Non-Methanogenic Bacteria

The levels of seven water-soluble vitamins in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, Methanococcus voltae, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron were compared by using a vitamin-requiring Leuconostoc strain. Both methanogens contained levels of folic acid and pantothenic acid which were approximately two orders of magnitude lower than levels in the nonmethanogens. Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum contained levels of thiamine, biotin, nicotinic acid, and pyridoxine which were approximately one order of magnitude lower than levels in the nonmethanogens. The thiamine level in Methanococcus voltae was approximately one order of magnitude lower than levels in the nonmethanogens. Only the levels of riboflavin (and nicotinic acid and pyridoxine in Methanococcus voltae) were approximately equal in the methanogens and nonmethanogens. Folic acid may have been present in extracts of methanogens merely as a precursor, by-product, or hydrolysis product of methanopterin.
An ultrastructural analysis of the photoreceptors of the squid and their synaptic connections. I. Photoreceptive and non-synaptic regions of the retina

As part of a larger ultrastructural study on the photoreceptors of the squid, Loligo pealei, this paper reports findings on non-synaptic regions. The cross-sectional profiles of individual distal segments coincided in horizontal sections as far as 75 μ apart, but progressively less with greater separations. Areas of cross-section showed a unimodal distribution skewed towards 6 μ2, the smallest areas. The distribution of ratios of villous to smooth border was unimodal and skewed with 1.0 being the most numerous and minimal ratio. This ratio tended to increase linearly with area. Cells of small cross-section were completely surrounded by villous border of other cells and about 60° of the perimeter of any cell had microvilli on both sides of the border. Cells participated in odd or even numbers of rhabdomes, up to eight. Pentalaminar membrane junctions between microvilli of the same or neighboring cells were observed. Cytoplasmic microtubules were concentrated near villous borders. In light adaptation some ommin granules entered the photoreceptor tips, and the rhabdomes which formerly began near the surface, now began somewhat below this level. A terminal bar zone existed proximal to the rhabdomes. Here glial cytoplasm separated photoreceptors and both cells contained ommin granules. Photoreceptor somas lacked glial separation and were highly interplicated. Mitochondria were longitudinally arranged along the somal membrane. The planes of the lamellate membrane bodies, seen in the somal cytoplasm of the cells, did not exhibit a rectilinear pattern such as that displayed by the basically rectangular distal segment cross-sections and microvillar orientations.
Temporal complexity of depolarization indicates myocardial sympathetic denervation and predicts sudden cardiac arrest in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and poor left ventricular ejection fraction

Temporal complexity of depolarization indicates myocardial sympathetic denervation and predicts sudden cardiac arrest in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and poor left ventricular ejection fraction Salah Al-Zaiti, CRNP, PhD, Amit Sethi, OTR/L, PhD, Mary Carey, RN, PhD, FAHA, John Canty,MD, FAHA, James Fallavollita, MD, FAHA University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester NY, USA VA WNY Health Care System at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA The Center for Research in Cardiovascular Medicine, Buffalo, NY, USA The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
High-power, high-repetition-rate femtosecond pulses tunable in the visible.

We demonstrate a Ti:sapphire-pumped intracavity-doubled optical parametric oscillator (OPO) that generates a total of up to 240 mW of sub-100-fs pulses tunable in the visible. The OPO consists of a 1.5-mm-thick KTiPO4 (KTP) crystal configured in a ring cavity that is synchronously pumped by a self-mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser operating at an 81-MHz repetition rate and 2.1-W average power, producing 115-fs pulses at λ = 790 nm. Intracavity doubling of the OPO is accomplished by inserting a 47-μm-thick β-BaB2O4 crystal into an additional focus in the OPO cavity. We demonstrate continuous tuning of the second-harmonic output from 580 to 657 nm. The potential tuning range of this intracavity-doubled KTP OPO is approximately 500 to 800 nm.
Breaking the mold of pre-service and in-service teacher education: innovative and successful practices for the twenty-first century

edited by Audrey Cohan and Andrea Honigsfeld, Lanham, Maryland, Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2011, xvii + 295 pp., $70 (hardback), ISBN 978-1607095514, $34.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-1607095521, $...
High-Density Lipoprotein Regulates Calcification of Vascular Cells

Accumulating evidence has suggested the protective role of HDL in cardiovascular disease processes. Calcification is a common feature of atherosclerotic lesions and contributes to cardiovascular complications due to the loss of aortic resilience and function. Recent studies have suggested that vascular calcification shares several features with skeletal bone formation at the cellular and molecular levels. These include the presence of osteoblast-like calcifying vascular cells in the artery wall that undergo osteoblastic differentiation and calcification in vitro. We hypothesized that HDL may also protect against vascular calcification by regulating the osteogenic activity of these calcifying vascular cells. When treated with HDL, alkaline phosphatase activity, a marker of osteogenic differentiation of osteoblastic cells, was significantly reduced in those cells. Prolonged treatment with HDL also inhibited calcification of these cells, further supporting the antiosteogenic differentiation property of HDL when applied to vascular cells. Furthermore, HDL inhibited the osteogenic activity that was induced by inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 as well as by minimally oxidized LDL. HDL also partially inhibited the IL-6-induced activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in calcifying vascular cells, suggesting that HDL may inhibit cytokine-induced signal transduction pathways. The inhibitory effects of HDL were mimicked by lipids extracted from HDL but not by HDL-associated apolipoproteins or reconstituted HDL. Furthermore, oxidation of HDL rendered it pro-osteogenic. Taken together, these results suggest that HDL regulates the osteoblastic differentiation and calcification of vascular cells and that vascular calcification may be another target of HDL action in the artery wall.
Superfluidity in three-species mixtures of Fermi gases across Feshbach resonances

In this Rapid Communication a generalization of the BEC-BCS crossover theory to a multicomponent superfluid is presented by studying a three-species mixture of Fermi gas across two Feshbach resonances. At the BEC side of resonances, two kinds of molecules are stable which gives rise to a two-component Bose condensate. This two-component superfluid state can be experimentally identified from the radio-frequency spectroscopy, density profile, and short noise measurements. As approaching the BCS side of resonances, the superfluidity will break down at some point and yield a first-order quantum phase transition to normal state, due to the mismatch of three Fermi surfaces. Phase separation instability will occur around the critical regime.
A practical guide to permanent magnet DC motor production magnetizing

This paper is presented as a practical user guide for the production magnetizing of DC permanent magnet motors. After a brief and basic summary of magnetization theory, the paper presents an overview of production magnetizing equipment, fixtures, and methodologies. A summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each methodology is provided.
Reconstruction of a mandible after shotgun trauma: report of case

Methods for managing soft tissue and bony defects and for reconstruction of a mandible with an implant and graft are presented in this report of treatment of a gunshot wound.
Honeycomb pattern formation by laser-beam filamentation in atomic sodium vapor

Summary form only given. There is currently great interest in phenomena involving the spontaneous emergence of a regular spatial pattern when a laser beam propagates through a nonlinear medium. Such phenomena have been studied previously in a variety of media, including atomic vapors, liquid crystals, photorefractive crystals, organic liquids, glasses, semiconductors, and bacteriorodopsin. Most observations of regular patterns were obtained in systems with optical feedback (including optical resonators) and/or with counterpropagating beams. Here we report on a striking from of pattern formation in sodium vapor that occurs with a single laser beam (i.e. with no feedback mechanism) and which appears to have been previously unreported, even though there have been studies of sodium vapor under similar experimental conditions, as well as studies of small-scale self-focusing with a single beam in Kerr (non-saturable) media.
The synthesis of six-bar linkages as constrained planar 3R chains

Abstract In this paper, we constrain a planar serial chain formed by three revolute joints, so that it becomes a one degree-of-freedom six-bar linkage. Our focus is on the various ways that two RR chains can be attached to constrain the links of the 3R chain, and ensure that the end-effector passes through a set of five specified task positions. This synthesis process yields designs for the Watt I and Stephenson I, II, and III six-bar linkages. This approach does not apply to the Watt II because its floating link is not connected to the ground frame by a 3R chain. We demonstrate the synthesis process with the design of a six-bar steering linkage intended for use on a gravity racer.
The Preparation of Belladonna and Stramonium Tinctures through the Use of the Colloid Mill

Through the use of the colloid mill it has been possible to prepare tinctures of belladonna and stramonium in a matter of minutes, whereas conventional extraction methods require periods ranging from days to weeks. A great saving of time may be achieved by using the colloid mill either alone or in combination with a short period of maceration.
Multicomponent diffusion and vapor‐liquid equilibria of dilute organic components in aqueous sugar solutions

A technique for direct measurement of the differential diffusion coefficients in a ternary system of water, sugar, and a dilute organic species is described. The individual sugars were d-fructose, d-glucose, and sucrose; and ethyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, n-butyl acetate, and n-hexanal individually constituted the dilute organic species. The four ternary diffusivities were obtained over a range of sugar concentrations by the use of horizontal diaphragm cells, a differential interferometer, a flame-ionization gas-liquid chromatograph and postulation of the validity of the Onsager reciprocal relations. The equilibrium partial pressures of the dilute organic species over these solutions have also been measured, using a vapor head space chromatographic technique.
Approximate Dynamic Programming—II: Algorithms

Approximate dynamic programming (ADP) is a powerful class of algorithmic strategies for solving stochastic optimization problems, where optimal decisions can be characterized using Bellman's optimality equation, but the characteristics of the problem make solving Bellman's equation computationally intractable. This brief article provides an introduction to the basic concepts of ADP, while building bridges between the different communities that have contributed to this field. We cover basic approximate value iteration (temporal difference learning), policy approximation, and a brief introduction to strategies for approximating value functions. We cover Q-learning, and the use of the postdecision state for solving problems with vector-valued decisions. The approximate linear programming method is introduced along with a discussion of step size selection issues. The presentation closes with a discussion of some practical issues that arise in the implementation of ADP techniques. Keywords: approximate dynamic programming; Q-learning; basis functions; linear programming; stochastic approximation
Ethical and Legal Concerns for MFTs in the Context of Clergy-Collaborative Care: Is What I Share Really Confidential?

Research identifies collaborative care as an effective approach to increasing the effectiveness of clients’ change work, yet collaborative care can undermine therapy if collaboration somehow alters the context of therapy. Our point of focus here is MFT-clergy collaboration, which places legal protection of confidentiality at risk through disclosures to clergy, who operate in a distinct, Constitutionally protected niche where the weight of the law is prevented from being used to mandate and help ensure confidentiality. With uneven legal and professional realities, we recommend that therapists utilize distinct protocols when engaging in therapist-clergy collaborative care in order to mitigate risk for their clients and themselves.
A Silicon-on-Insulator Photonic Wire Based Evanescent Field Sensor

We demonstrate a new, highly sensitive evanescent field sensor using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) photonic wire waveguides. Theoretical analysis shows that thin SOI waveguides can provide higher sensitivity over devices based in all other common planar waveguide material systems for the probing of both thin adsorbed biomolecular layers and bulk homogeneous solutions. A Si photonic wire waveguide was incorporated into a Mach-Zehnder interferometer based sensor, configured to monitor the index change of a homogeneous solution. High effective index change of 0.31 per refractive index unit (RIU) change of the solution was measured, confirming theoretical predictions
Energy grid state estimation under random and structured bad data

The problems of state recovery and bad data detection in energy grids, while being strongly interconnected, have been treated independently. Furthermore, while state recovery has been studied intensively, it has been less well studied when the measurements are deemed to be contaminated by random bad data (due to sensor failures) or structured bad data (due cyber attacks). This paper provides a unifying framework that takes into account the inherent connection between state recovery and bad data detection in order to accomplish the combined tasks of detecting the presence of random and structured bad data, and providing reliable estimates for the state of the grid and injected bad data. Optimal detectors and estimators are characterized.
Slow motion of a sphere in a compressible viscous fluid

Es ist allgemein bekannt, dass der Widerstand eines Korpers, der sich langsam in zaher Flussigkeit bewegt, durchStokes' Gleichung bestimmt ist. Im Laufe der Jahre ist eine grosse Anzahl von Formeln fur Korper verschiedener geometrischer Gestalt in der Literatur veroffentlicht worden. In beinahe allen Fallen wurden diese Formeln mit der Annahme von Bewegungen in inkompressibler Flussigkeit abgeleitet. Sehr wenige Beispiele existieren fur Bewegung in kompressibler Flussigkeit mit Warmeubertragung.
The relationship between motivation, learning strategies and choice of environment whether traditional or including an online component

This study examined how students’ achievement goals, self-efficacy and learning strategies influenced their choice of an online, hybrid or traditional learning environment. One hundred thirty-two post-secondary students completed surveys soliciting their preferences for learning environments, reasons for their preference, their motivational orientation towards learning and learning strategies used. Findings indicated that most students preferred traditional learning environments. This preference was based on how well the environment matched their personal learning style and engaged them as students. Discriminant analyses indicated significant differences in motivational beliefs and learning strategies; students who preferred traditional environments showed a mastery goal orientation and greater willingness to apply effort while learning. Students who preferred less traditional environments presented as more confident that they could manage a non-traditional class. These findings have implications for understanding students’ motivation for learning in diverse educational settings.
LXXV.—Fossil insects in the British Museum

(1927). LXXV.—Fossil insects in the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 20, No. 120, pp. 585-594.
Polyphase speech recognition

We propose a model for speech recognition that consists of multiple semi-synchronized recognizers operating on a polyphase decomposition of standard speech features. Specifically, we consider multiple out-of-phase downsampled speech features as separate streams which are modeled separately at the lowest level, and are then integrated at the higher level (words) during first-pass decoding. Our model lessens the severity of the oversampling problem in many speech recognition systems - i.e., that speech modulation energy is most important below 25 Hz but a 100 Hz frame rate gives a modulation bandwidth of 50 Hz. Our polyphase approach moreover captures wider and more diverse dynamics within the speech signal. Our integrative network is high-level, namely it couples together and decodes word strings from different recognizers simultaneously and asynchronously. We provide preliminary results on the 10-word vocabulary version of the switchboard (small-vocabulary switchboard) task and show that our polyphase recognition system significantly outperforms an optimized baseline (HMM) approach.
Towards a better understanding of QT interval variability

The International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Guideline E14 recommends ‘Thorough QT Study’ as a standard assessment of drug-induced QT interval prolongation. At the same time, the value of drug-induced QTc prolongation as a surrogate marker for risk of life-threatening polymorphic ventricular tachycardia known as torsades des pointes remains controversial. Beat-to-beat variability of QT interval was recently proposed as an alternative metric. The following review addresses mechanisms of beat-to-beat QT variability, methods of QT interval variability measurements, and its prognostic value in clinical studies.
Surgical treatment of femoral fractures in obese children.

To The Editor: This letter is in response to the article by Leet et al., entitled “Surgical Treatment of Femoral Fractures in Obese Children: Does Excessive Body Weight Increase the Rate of Complications?” (2005;87:2609-13), which focused on complications in obese children undergoing surgical treatment of femoral fractures. While most surgeons, it is safe to say, prefer to operate on thin patients rather than obese patients, most of us have the anecdotal impression that various kinds of complications seem to be more common in obese patients, regardless of whether they are children or adults. The authors apparently wanted to prove that these anecdotal beliefs are actually true and could be quantified statistically by looking at a group of children undergoing surgery for the treatment of femoral fractures. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, I do not believe that they proved their point. The first problem is that there was a relatively small number of what they classified as obese patients among the total number of patients in the study, and, for …
Chronic Effects of Moniliformin in Broilers and Turkeys Fed Dietary Treatments to Market Age

Floor pen studies were conducted, with broilers from 1 to 7 wk of age and with turkeys from 1 to 14 wk of age, to evaluate the chronic effects of moniliformin (M). Fusarium fujikuroi (M-1214) culture material was added to typical corn-soybean basal diets to supply 0, 25, or 50 mg M/kg diet (broilers) or 0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, or 50 mg M/kg diet (turkeys). Compared with controls, chicks fed diets containing 50 mg M/kg consumed more feed, had lower body weight gain, were less efficient in converting feed to body weight gain, and had increased relative heart and proventriculus weights. Chicks fed the diet containing 50 mg M/kg also had significantly higher mortality and decreased mean corpuscular volumes compared with controls. Broilers fed 25 and 50 mg M/kg also had increased serum gamma glutamyltransferase activities. Feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion of turkeys fed dietary M were not affected. At 6 and 14 wk, turkeys fed 25, 37.5, or 50 mg M/kg diet had increased (P < 0.05) relative heart weights when compared with controls. At week 14, turkeys fed diets containing 37.5 or 50 mg M/kg also had increased (P < 0.05) relative liver weights compared with turkeys fed 0, 12.5, or 25 mg M/kg diet. Lesions, observed only in the hearts of broilers and turkeys fed 50 mg M/kg, were loss of cardiomyocyte cross striations, increased cardiomyocyte nuclear size, and an increased number of cardiomyocyte mitotic figures (turkeys only). Results indicate that ≥37.5 mg M/kg is hepatoxic and ≥25 mg M/kg is cardiotoxic to turkeys and 50 mg M/kg diet is toxic to broilers fed to market age.
Thinking with Diagrams in Architectural Design

The paper discusses the use of freehand diagrams in architectural design. It examines the roles of diagrams in various contexts: pedagogical books, design studies, designers' introspective accounts and empirical studies of drawing in design. It offers several examples of thinking with diagrams in design and concludes with a discussion of the requirements for computational support for the diagrams in design thinking.
Blastomere removal from cleavage-stage mouse embryos alters steroid metabolism during pregnancy

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a genetic screening of embryos conceived with assisted reproduction technologies (ART). A single blastomere from an early-stage embryo is removed and molecular analyses follow to identify embryos carrying genetic defects. PGD is considered highly successful for detecting genetic anomalies, but the effects of blastomere biopsy on fetal development are understudied. We aimed to determine whether single blastomere removal affects steroid homeostasis in the maternal-placental-fetal unit during mouse pregnancy. Embryos generated by in vitro fertilization (IVF) were biopsied at the four-cell stage, cultured to morula/early blastocyst, and transplanted into the oviducts of surrogate mothers. Nonbiopsied embryos from the same IVF cohorts served as controls. Cesarean section was performed at term, and maternal and fetal tissues were collected. Embryo biopsy affected the levels of steroids (estradiol, estrone, and progesterone) in fetal and placental compartments but not in maternal tissues. Steroidogenic enzyme activities (3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase, and cytochrome P450 19) were unaffected but decreased activities of steroid clearance enzymes (uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase and sulfotransferase) were observed in placentas and fetal livers. Although maternal body, ovarian, and placental weights did not differ, the weights of fetuses derived from biopsied embryos were lower than those of their nonbiopsied counterparts. The data demonstrate that blastomere biopsy deregulates steroid metabolism during pregnancy. This may have profound effects on several aspects of fetal development, of which low birth weight is only one. If a similar phenomenon occurs in humans, it may explain low birth weights associated with PGD/ART and provide a plausible target for improving PGD outcomes.