cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conclusion: Philosophy as Basic Approach Toward Neuroscience

In the Preliminary Discussion, the author reviews the claims and theoretical positions investigated in Chaps. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The question of the possibility of a universal or at least universally-valid (accepted) notion of the mind–body problem is summarized. Through the analysis of the previously discussed subfields, in connection with Neurolinguistics, Neuroheuristics, Artificial Intelligence and the core field of Critical Neuroscience, the author proposes here the Triple-S Model: Self, Soul, Spirit as a solving re-examination of the problem. In this process, the reconsideration and restructurization of core assumptions, frameworks and moral-ethical decision-making processes are implemented to verify the accuracy of claims in contemporary neuroscience and propose a more detailed, precise and scientifically reliable understanding of our true self.
In situ reactions during direct laser deposition of Ti-B4C composites

Abstract Direct laser deposition of a mixture of titanium (Ti) and boron-carbide (B4C), using the laser engineered net shaping process, results in a complex multi-phase Ti matrix composite due to the incipient interfacial reactions between liquid titanium and solid/partially melted B4C. Detailed microstructural characterization, at multiple length scales, reveals that titanium boride (TiB) precipitates are the initial reaction product which act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for TiC precipitates. Both the TiB and TiC precipitates in turn act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for fine β-Ti grains, within the retained liquid titanium, which eventually transform into fine equiaxed α-Ti grains comprising the matrix.
Executive function in XXY: Comparison of performance-based measures and rating scales.

Few studies have systematically assessed executive functioning (EF) skills in boys with XXY, and these are limited by small samples and restricted EF assessment. This study used a broader battery of performance-based measures as well as parent-rating scales of EF in 77 boys and adolescents with XXY (mean age = 12.5 years), recruited from a clinical trial and an outpatient clinic. Exploratory factor analyses were used to create EF domains from performance-based measures, and similar domains were measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function and Conners Parent-Rating Scales. The boys with XXY showed a distinct EF profile, with the greatest deficit in attention and more moderate deficits in working memory, switching, and planning/problem solving. Parent ratings showed similar challenges, as well as impaired inhibition. Independent sample t-tests showed no difference on performance measures between boys diagnosed or not diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although parents of boys diagnosed with ADHD reported more difficulties. There were no differences on performance-based tests between those diagnosed pre- and postnatally, although parents of postnatally diagnosed boys reported more metacognitive problems. Language deficits, cognition, and socio-economic status did not account for EF deficits.
Computational Creativity: Improv Agents and Conceptual Blending

Conceptual blending CB is a basic mental operation that plays a fundamental role in the construction of meaning in our everyday life. The core of CB is the partial matching of two input mental spaces and the selective projection from those inputs into a novel 'blended' mental space, which then dynamically develops an emergent structure. Improvisational acting is one specialized domain in which conceptual blending is heavily used; improvisers are required to co-create stories on the stage in real time based on how they continuously perceive their environment. The Digital Improv Project has been engaged in a multi-year study of the cognitive processes involved in improvisational acting and has led to a better understanding of human cognition and creativity. In this article, the authors provide a computational model for the conceptual blending of cognitive scripts that can help digital improv agents to select the two input spaces required in the blending process. The blend is an emergent structure that provides new interesting events that the digital improv agents can adopt in their acting.
The role of self-efficacy and information processing in weight loss during an mHealth behavioral intervention.

Self-efficacy (SE) and information processing (IP) may be important constructs to target when designing mHealth interventions for weight loss. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship...
Constructing Reservoir Area–Volume–Elevation Curve from TanDEM-X DEM Data

Area–volume–elevation (AVE) curves are critical for reservoir operation rules. However, such curves are not publicly available for most global reservoirs. Here, we present a framework to derive reservoir AVE curves from TanDEM-X data, using Lake Mead (∼600 km2) as an example. First, the maximum water extent from 1984 to 2018—provided by the global surface water (GSW) dataset—was used as a mask to obtain the TanDEM-X data. Then, the TanDEM-X water indication mask (WAM) was applied to the extracted TanDEM-X data to obtain the visible bathymetry, which represents the topography between the maximum extent (according to GSW) and the water extent from WAM. Last, the AVE curve was generated by integrating the volume values from the top to bottom layers. TanDEM-X also captures the elevation values of the transitional waters, which are defined as the difference between the highest and lowest water levels. The transitional waters were obtained by thresholding amplitude and coherence images, and their elevations were then added to the visible bathymetry to extend the AVE curves with an elevation range extending from 344–369 m to 341–369 m. Validation results against in situ lidar survey values suggest a high-accuracy of elevation–area (E-A) relationships with R 2 values of >0.99 and NRMSE values from 2.11% to 2.45%, and elevation–volume (E-V) relationships with R 2 values of 1 and NRMSE values from 1.11% to 1.29%. Results also show that TanDEM-X data can capture the interannual variations due to multiple acquisitions, and that the elevation measurements for the lake shore areas are reliable.
A New Method of Turning of Caprolon Blanks with the Use of Cutting Fluid

Results of experimental studies of the process of turning of caprolon with the use of cutting fluid (lubricant and coolant) are presented. The use of an aqueous emulsion with the addition of water repellent in turning of caprolon is scientifically evaluated. On this basis a new method of turning of caprolon blanks is developed and patented. A reduction in the parameters of water absorption by caprolon in the course of turning with the delivery of a aqueous emulsion of potassium palmitate into the cutting zone is experimentally established. Note that turning of caprolon by the traditional method leads to activation of the process of water absorption. Turning accompanied by the delivery of an emulsion of potassion palmitate into the cutting zone produces a surface of the part that is better machined by comparison with the traditional method of turning.
Quality-Aware Distributed Computation and Communication Scheduling for Fast Convergent Wireless Federated Learning

In wireless federated learning (WFL), machine learning (ML) models are trained distributively on wireless edge devices without the need of collecting data from the devices. In such a setting, the quality of a local model update heavily depends on the variance of the local stochastic gradient, determined by the mini-batch data size used to compute the update. In this paper, we explore quality-aware distributed computation for WFL where user devices share limited communication resources, using mini-batch size as a "knob" to control the quality of users’ local updates. In particular, we study joint mini-batch size design and communication scheduling, with the goal of minimizing the training loss as well as the training time of the FL algorithm. For the case of IID data, we first characterize the optimal communication scheduling and the optimal minibatch sizes. Then we develop a greedy algorithm that finds the optimal set of participating users with an approximation ratio. For the case of non-IID data, we first characterize the optimal communication structure and the optimal mini-batch sizes. Then we develop algorithms that find the optimal communication order for some special cases. Our findings provide useful insights for the computation-communication co-design for WFL. We evaluate the proposed mini-batch size design and communication scheduling using simulations, which corroborate improved learning accuracy and learning time.
Personality disorder and suicide risk among patients in the veterans affairs health system.

Among veterans in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care, patients with mental health and substance use conditions experience elevated suicide rates. However, despite previously demonstrated high rates of suicidal behavior, little is known regarding suicide rates among veteran VHA users with personality disorders (PDs) as a whole, or by PD clusters (A: Eccentric; B: Dramatic; C: Fearful; and PD-not otherwise specified). PD prevalence and suicide rates were assessed through 2017; overall and by clusters for 5,517,024 veterans alive as of 12/31/2013 and with more than 2 VHA encounters in 2012-2013. In all, 46,050 (.83%) had a PD diagnosis in 2012-2013. Suicide risk was examined using proportional hazards regressions adjusted for age, sex, veteran status, clustering within a geographic region, and other mental health diagnoses. Patients with PDs had greater suicide risk than those without (156.5 vs. 46.7 per 100,000 person-years). Individuals in Cluster B, which includes borderline and antisocial PDs, were at the highest risk (178.5 per 100,000 person-years), followed by PD-not otherwise specified and Cluster C (152.6 and 121.4 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). Rates of PDs in the VHA system were lower than those usually found in community samples. Veterans with a PD diagnosis had an increased risk of suicide, which was especially elevated for those with Cluster B diagnoses. Study findings document the importance of enhancing diagnosis and treatment for veterans with PDs and targeted suicide prevention services. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Exploitable molecular mechanisms in hibernation—III

Abstract 1. 1. The aromatic circular dichroism of diphosphofructose phosphatase of the albino rat, golden Syrian hamster and New Zealand rabbit were used to compare their conformations. 2. 2. The conformational transitions incited by Na + , K + , pH, and spontaneous denaturation were compared and studied. 3. 3. From a comparative analysis of the tertiary structure of the phosphatases, as it is revealed by circular dichroism, it was concluded that the strong interactions of tyrosyl residues with non-polar micro-environments confer to the hamster enzyme a degree of rigidity which was found unmatched in the isofunctional protein of the rat.
Treatment of rats with the TRH analog MK-771. Down-regulation of TRH receptors and behavioral tolerance.

Abstract The regulation of receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in the central nervous system (CNS) was studied by administering the TRH analog, MK-771 to rats by three different schedules and then measuring changes in the binding of [3H](3MeHis2)TRH and behavioral responses to a challenge with MK-771. The behavioral responses monitored were wet-dog shakes, large motor movements, small motor movements and forepaw tremor. Temperature changes were also monitored. The first schedule consisted of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of MK-771 for seven days (5 μg/μl per hr) via a mini-osmotic pump. At the end of the treatment, rats showed no shaking or large motor movements typically induced by TRH, in response to a 5 mg/kg (i.p.) challenge of MK-771. Receptors were found to be 50% of control levels in the three areas of brain examined. The second schedule consisted of the administration of MK-771 (5 μg/2μl, i.c.v., once a day and 2 mg/kg, i.p., once a day). It was found that the number of receptors decreased on about the same time course as development of tolerance to wet-dog shakes and large motor movements. The third schedule consisted of the administration of MK-771 ( 5μg 2μl , i.c.v.) once every 2hr to a total of four doses. These animals eventually developed tolerance to the wet-dog shakes produced by the subsequent challenge with MK-771 and also showed a 50% decrease in receptor binding after the fourth exposure. The conclusions from these data are that receptors for TRH down-regulate in response to constant agonist stimulation and that the decrease in the number of receptors is accompanied by a decreased behavioral sensitivity to TRH agonists. These results suggest that tolerance to the action of TRH in the CNS may be due to down-regulations receptors and demonstrate that a putative peptide neuromodulatory system is highly adaptable to receptor stimulation.
Scale and Modeling Issues in Water Resources Planning

Resource planners and managers interested in utilizing climate model output as part of their operational activities immediately confront the dilemma of scale discordance. Their functional responsibilities cover relatively small geographical areas and necessarily require data of relatively high spatial resolution. Climate models cover a large geographical, i.e. global, domain and produce data at comparatively low spatial resolution. Although the scale differences between model output and planning input are large, several techniques have been developed for disaggregating climate model output to a scale appropriate for use in water resource planning and management applications. With techniques in hand to reduce the limitations imposed by scale discordance, water resource professionals must now confront a more fundamental constraint on the use of climate models-the inability to produce accurate representations and forecasts of regional climate. Given the current capabilities of climate models, and the likelihood that the uncertainty associated with long-term climate model forecasts will remain high for some years to come, the water resources planning community may find it impractical to utilize such forecasts operationally.
Applications of Computational Geometry in Mechanical Engineering Design and Manufacture

This contribution has a threefold purpose. Firstly, it urges a wider interpretation of ‘Computational Geometry’ than is often taken. Secondly, it emphasizes the importance of the choice of representations as well as algorithms in geometric computing. Thirdly, it provides examples from the author's experience, supporting the opinions expressed.
An Exchange between the Hydrogen Atom on Carbon 5 of Deoxyuridylate and Water Catalyzed by Thymidylate Synthetase

Abstract Thymidylate synthetase from Escherichia coli has been shown to catalyze an exchange between water and the hydrogen on carbon atom 5 of deoxyuridylate at a rate which is approximately 5 to 10% of the rate of the over-all reaction. The exchange reaction exhibited an absolute requirement only for tetrahydrofolate. In the absence of formaldehyde or of Mg++, the exchange activity was reduced to about 25 and 40%, respectively, of the activity of the complete system, whereas the rates of both the over-all reaction and the displacement of tritium from deoxyuridylate-5-3H were reduced to about 5 and 25%, respectively. These findings have been interpreted as support for the reversible formation of an intermediate having a methylene bridge between carbon atom 5 of deoxyuridylate and nitrogen atom 5 of tetrahydrofolate.
Ethylene oxide and breast cancer incidence in a cohort study of 7576 women (United States).

Background: Ethylene oxide (ETO) is a sterilant gas considered to be a human carcinogen, due primarily to excess hematopoietic cancer in exposed cohorts. ETO causes mammary tumors in mice, and has been associated with breast cancer incidence in one small epidemiologic study. Methods: We have studied breast cancer incidence in a cohort of 7576 women employed for at least one year and exposed for an average 10.7 years while working in commercial sterilization facilities. Breast cancer incidence (n = 319) was ascertained via interview, death certificates, cancer registries, and medical records. Interviews were obtained for 68% of the cohort. Results: The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for incident breast cancer in the whole cohort using external referent rates (SEER) was 0.87 (0.77–0.97). The SIR for those in the top quintile of cumulative exposure, with a 15 year lag, was 1.27 (0.94–1.69), with a positive trend of increasing SIR with increasing exposure (p = 0.002). SIRs are under-estimated because breast cancer incidence in the whole cohort was under-ascertained, due to incomplete response and lack of complete coverage by state cancer registries. In internal nested case–control analyses of those with interviews (complete cancer ascertainment), controlling for reproductive risk factors, a positive exposure–response was found with the log of cumulative exposure with a 15-year lag (p = 0.0005). The odds ratio by quintile of cumulative exposure were 1.00 (0 exposure due to 15 year lag), 1.06, 0.99, 1.24, 1.42, and 1.87. Conclusions: Our data suggest that ETO is associated with breast cancer, but a causal interpretation is weakened due to some inconsistencies in exposure–response trends and possible biases due to non-response and incomplete cancer ascertainment.
Red cell hemolysis catalyzed by a factor from rabbit red cells: I. Some general properties of the hemolytic system

A partial elucidation of the mechanism of a unique hemolytic system has been presented. This system involves the hemolysis of red cells by a protein factor isolated from rabbit erythrocytes in the presence of ATP, Mg2+ and Na+ or K+. The involvement of two discrete steps was indicated. The first concerned a binding of the hemolytic factor to the red cell membrane and required ATP, Mg2+ and Na− or K−. This reaction could be monitored by a stroma-inhibition assay. The ADP-ATP exchange reaction of hemolytic factor indicated that a high-energy phosphorylated intermediate may interact with the red cell membrane. The second step in the process concerned the hemolysis of the red cells. This could be made to occur in an isolated, hemolytically active hemolytic factor-erythrocyte complex which did not require ATP, other cofactors or added hemolytic factor. The equilibrium of Na+ and K+ occurred down a concentration gradient followed by hemoglobin efflux. The hemolytic factor-erythrocyte complex could be separated from hemolytic factor binding to the red cell membrane by taking advantage of the occurrence of binding at pH 7.5 where hemolysis was inhibited. Hemolysis by the hemolytic factor-erythrocyte complex can also be completely inhibited by 1.0 mM N-ethylmalcimide. The overall hemolysis reaction was inhibited by increasing concentrations of Na+, K+ and sucrose. The hemolytic factor-binding step was activated by Na+ and K+ while sucrose had no effect. ATP, a substrate for the binding step, was found to inhibit overall hemolysis and its component steps of hemolytic factor binding and hemolytic factor erythrocyte complex hemolysis at higher concentrations. ADP which was not required for hemolysis, inhibited in a manner similar to that of ATP. A comparison of the above inhibitory effects was made between the overall hemolytic reaction and its component parts and a scheme for the hemolytic process was presented.
Two new areas concerning side impact protection for passenger car occupants

In vehicle crash accidents, approximately 27% to 30% of passenger car occupant casualties are attributed to side impact accidents. The annual death toll in side impacts for passenger car occupants reached 9000 in 1975 and 1976 and has been between 7000 and 8000 in the 1980's. Since 1977, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and many other groups have conducted a significant amount of research on occupant side impact protection with emphasis on thorax injury reduction. Three important problem areas in the side impact are (1) thorax-to-side interior impact, (2) head impacts with a-pillar/roof rail components and (3) occupant ejection through side doors/windows. While the first problem area has been thoroughly studied, the remaining two areas are seldom discussed and less well understood. Therefore, they are relatively new areas to many people. Since a large number of occupants are involved in these two areas, the potential for injury reduction could be very significant. The purpose of this study is to identify the nature and the extent of these problems and to explore injury mitigation concepts which may be easily applied to enhance side impact protection. A detailed accident data analysis and several experimental and analytical studies on potential safety approaches were carried out. The results show that the head impact problems are well defined and effective safety countermeasures are readily available. Also, ejection mitigation is a valid approach for occupant injury reduction. Due to the complex nature of ejection problems, more work is required to determine performance requirements for ejection mitigation. (Author/TRRL)
Extrusion of Sodium and Hydrogen Ions as the Primary Process in Potassium Ion Accumulation by Streptococcus faecalis

Glycolyzing cells of Streptococcus faecalis accumulate K(+) with concurrent extrusion of equivalent amounts of H(+) and Na(+). An attempt was made to clarify the retionship between the movements of Na(+) and K(+). Sodium was displaced from cells glycolyzing in the presence of ammonia, diethylamine, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, and other nitrogenous cations; by contrast, K(+) was completely retained. Accumulation of K(+) by heterologous exchange for Na(+) was not inhibited by antibiotics which facilitate diffusion of K(+) across the membrane, but was blocked by proton conductors. The results indicate that extrusion of Na(+) and H(+) from the cells is a primary, energy-linked process which generates an electrical potential (interior negative); K(+) accumulation occurs in response to this potential. Two mutants deficient in K(+) accumulation and retention were examined in terms of this model. One mutant is apparently defective in exchange of K(+) for H(+). In the other mutant, exchange of K(+) for Na(+) is impaired.
Urea as a dietary supplement for humans.

Use of urea as a nonprotein supplement in the feeding of beef cattle and other ruminant animals is a technique of practical application. Urea, has also been used in human feeding studies. Its early employment was that of an added source of amino nitrogen in studies designed to determine minimum requirements of the essential amino acid. Later studies suggested that it’s inclusion in diet containing sub-optimal amounts of protein supplied by various food product could result in the establishment of apparent improvement in protein nutriture. Other studies indicate that urea is not unique in this ability but is only one of many possible sources of amino nitrogen and is actually one of the least effective. Known and potential hazzards definitely prohibit the use of urea supplements to food products other than in research or clinical laboratories at the present time.
Antigenic competition. Cellular or humoral.

The injection of one antigen into mice inhibited the response to a second when 1 to 10 days separated the two injections. When the same type of inhibition was attempted in γ-irradiated mice reconstituted with normal spleen cells, the inhibition was greater in mice receiving 50 million spleen cells than in those receiving 10 million. The results are interpreted as favoring a humoral mechanism of inhibition.
Grading the invasive component of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and its relationship with progression-free survival

Although grading is valuable prognostically in pTa and pT1 papillary urothelial carcinoma, it is unclear whether it provides any prognostic information when applied to the invasive component in muscle-invasive carcinoma. The authors analyzed 93 cases of muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder treated with radical cystectomy for which follow-up information was available. Each case was graded using the Malmstrom grading system for urothelial carcinoma, applied to the invasive component. Pathologic stage, lymph node status, and histologic invasion pattern were also recorded and correlated with progression-free survival. Thirty-four cases (37%) were pT2, 40 (43%) were pT3, and 19 (20%) were pT4. Of the 77 patients who had a lymph node dissection at the time of cystectomy, 34 (44%) had metastatic carcinoma to one or more lymph nodes. The median survival for pT2, pT3, and pT4 stages was 85, 24, and 29 months, respectively (p = 0.0001). Lymph node-negative and lymph node-positive patients had a median survival of 63 and 23 months, respectively (p = 0.0001). Fifteen patients (16%) were graded as 2b and 78 patients (84%) were graded as 3. Median survival of patients graded as 2b was 34 months compared with 31 months for patients graded as 3 (p value not significant). Three invasive patterns were recognized: nodular (n = 13, 14%), trabecular (n = 39, 42%), and infiltrative (n = 41, 44%). The presence of any infiltrative pattern in the tumor was associated with a median survival of 29 months, compared with 85 months in tumors without an infiltrative pattern (p = 0.06). Pathologic T stage and lymph node status remain the most powerful predictors of progression in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma. In this group of patients histologic grade, as defined by the Malmstrom system and as applied to the invasive component, provided no additional prognostic information. An infiltrative growth pattern may be associated with a more dismal prognosis.
Relationships between groundwater contamination and major-ion chemistry in a karst aquifer☆

Abstract Groundwater contamination was examined within a rural setting of the Inner Bluegrass Karst Region of central Kentucky where potential contaminant sources include soil-organic matter, organic and inorganic fertilizer, and septic-tank effluent. To evaluate controls on groundwater contamination, data on nitrate concentrations and indicator bacteria in water from wells and springs were compared with physical and chemical attributes of the groundwater system. Bacterial densities greater than the recommended limit were found in all springs and approximately half of the wells, whereas nitrate concentrations >45 mg l −1 were restricted to 20% of the springs and 10% of the wells. Nitrate concentrations varied markedly in closely spaced wells and springs, which indicates that land use is not the primary control on groundwater contamination. Groundwater contamination is related to the distribution of chemical water types in the study area. All Ca subtype water was contaminated with nitrate and bacteria. Ca subtype water occurs in the shallow, rapidly circulating groundwater zone, which is most susceptible to contamination. The similarity in nitrate concentrations between local springs, major springs, and wells that contain Ca subtype water indicates that the occurrence of large conduits is not the main control on nitrate and bacterial contamination of groundwater. Temporal fluctuations in nitrate concentrations of Ca subtype water are attributed to seasonal fluctuations in recharge and in plant growth. Ca-Mg water subtype was generally not contaminated, and Na-HCO 3 and Na-Cl water types were not contaminated. Ca-Mg water subtype, and Na-HCO 3 and Na-Cl water types are associated with longer residence times and reducing conditions, which allow bacterial die-off and denitrification, respectively. Differences in residence time and reducing conditions among the chemical water types and subtypes are attributed to variations in rock permeability and to the occurrence of horizontal shales that control the rate and depth of active groundwater circulation. This relationship between chemical water types and contaminant concentrations is important for groundwater monitoring programs and the siting of waste-disposal facilities.
Disciplinary Expertise Revisited: The scholarship of teaching and learning philosophy

How should students be able to think and what should they be able to do as a result of studying philosophy? What will most readily engage students in the practice of the discipline? And how do we determine the learning strengths and needs of students in order to assist them in the practice of the discipline? These are the questions taken up in this article in an attempt to explore the difference it makes and the expertise it requires to inquire into philosophy as a framework for student learning. Reflecting on his own principles and practices in teaching philosophy, the author indicates potential implications for the scholarship of teaching and learning and the place of theory within it.
Myofibroblastoma of the breast revisited: An etiologic association with androgens?

Myofibroblastoma of the breast is an uncommon benign stromal tumor encountered predominantly among elderly men. Histologically, myofibroblastoma is a well-circumscribed tumor comprised of bipolar spindle cells arranged in short fascicles traversed by collagen bundles. Based on previous histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural observations, this tumor is thought to be derived from myofibroblasts. The pathogenesis of myofibroblastoma is unknown. Given the demographics of this lesion, the established trophic effect of steroid hormones, and the potential diagnostic utility of hormone receptor analysis in differentiating spindle cell tumors, we immunohistochemically tested for estrogen and androgen receptors in a host of spindle cell lesions including myofibroblastoma of the breast. Five cases reported herein of histological confirmed myofibroblastoma obtained from male and female breasts each showed strong nuclear antibody staining for the androgen receptor, not seen in four cases of leiomyosarcoma, three cases of fibromatosis, three cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and two cases of monophasic synovial sarcoma. We postulate that the androgen receptor or its ligands may be pathologically related to the development of myofibroblastoma of the breast and diagnostically useful in differentiating it from other spindle cell lesions.
The hydrogen collision model: theory and experiment

Abstract The H collision model of the Staebler–Wronski effect in hydrogenated amorphous silicon attributes light- and carrier-induced metastability to the association in pairs of mobile H that have diffused long distances after excitation from Si–H bonds. This microscopic model is consistent with the constraints imposed by electron spin resonance and other experiments. Mobile H density is the key variable of the quantitative theory describing metastable dangling-bond creation. As predicted, pulsed illumination experiments show that there is an intermediate precursor between electron–hole recombination and metastable dangling-bond (DB) creation. I suggest this precursor is mobile H, whose density normally requires about a millisecond to respond to changes in illumination. The numerical constants describing H emission and trapping within the H collision model are estimated from recent pulsed-illumination experiments. A representative numerical solution of the model is shown.
POLITICAL CRIME, POLITICAL JUST1CE, AND POLITICAL PRISONERS

Few attempts have previously been made systematically to define or interrelate the concepts of political crime, political criminal, political justice, and political prisoner. To establish a more adequate conceptual base for research, political crime and political criminals are herein defined in terms of motiwtions underlying criminal acts, regardless of the nature of the acts themselves; political justice is defined in terms of the state's reaction to perceived threat; and political prisoners are defined as those incarcerated because of either political crime (politico1 criminals) or political justice (victims of repression). Dimensions for a taxonomy of political crime are suggested.
Lack of oscillations in Dual-Phase-Lagging heat conduction for a porous slab subject to imposed heat flux and temperature

This study shows that the physical conditions necessary for thermal waves to materialize in Dual-Phase-Lagging porous media conduction are not attainable in a porous slab subject to a combination of constant heat flux and temperature (Neumann and Dirichlet) boundary conditions. It is demonstrated that the approximate equivalence between Dual-Phase-Lagging (DuPhlag) heat conduction model and the Fourier heat conduction in porous media subject to Lack of Local Thermal Equilibrium (La Lotheq) that suggested the possibility of thermal oscillations and resonance reveals a condition that cannot be fulfilled because of physical constraints.
A novel liposomal formulation of FTY720 (fingolimod) for promising enhanced targeted delivery.

Abstract We describe here the development and characterization of the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of a novel liposomal formulation for FTY720 delivery, LP-FTY720. The mean diameter of LP-FTY720 was ~ 157 nm, and the FTY720 entrapment efficiency was ~ 85%. The liposomal formulation protected FTY720 from degradation in aqueous buffer and showed toxicity in CLL patient B cells comparable to that of free FTY720. Following intravenous injection in ICR mice, LP-FTY720 had an increased elimination phase half-life (~ 28 vs. ~ 19 hr) and decreased clearance (235 vs. 778 mL/h/kg) compared to the free drug. Antibodies against CD19, CD20 and CD37 were incorporated into LP-FTY720, which provided targeted delivery to CLL patient B cells and thus achieved higher killing efficacy. The novel liposomal carrier of FTY720 demonstrated improved pharmacokinetic properties, comparable activity, and a potential platform for targeted delivery to CLL by overcoming the limited application of free FTY720 to B malignancy treatment. From the Clinical Editor This team reports on a novel liposomal formulation for FTY720 delivery, demonstrating improved pharmacokinetic properties, comparable activity, and a potential platform for targeted delivery to CLL using antibodies incorporated in the liposomes. The method expected to overcome the limited application of free FTY720 to B malignancy treatment.
Hydrocarbon barrier performance of plasma-surface-modified polyethylene

Plasma modifications were applied on the inner surfaces of high-density polyethylene bottles. The methods applied include Ar gas plasma treatment, plasma polymerization with tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), trimethylsilane (TMS) + O2 (1:4), CH4, and C2H2 monomers, plasmainduced acrylic acid grafting polymerization, and C2H2 plasma polymerization plus acrylic acid plasma polymerization. Solvent weight-loss data are reported primarily for the n-hexane/HDPE bottle system. The best permeation reduction factor of 0.03 was obtained with C2H2 plasma polymerization at a high energy level followed by acrylic acid plasma polymerization at a low energy level. C2H2 plasma polymerization at an energy level of 1010 J/kg and C2H2 plasma polymerization followed by acrylic acid grafting polymerization offer a similar permeation reduction factor of 0.07. A combination of improved surface polarity and tightness of the surface is responsible for remarkable reductions in permeation rates. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Simulation and Modeling-Extracting SPICE model parameters from data sheets

A simple way to extract useful SPICE parameter relationships from curves of typical h/sub FE/ versus I/sub c/ when using the Gummel-Poon model is presented. The approach is applied to two examples. One example is provided by Motorola data sheets for the 2N2222 transistor. The second example considered is the data sheet from Unitrode's 2N6350 Darlington bipolar transistor. >
Estimation and prediction of renal function in patients with renal tumor.

Purpose: The goals of surgery for renal tumors include the preservation of renal function. When considering surgical options, it is important to accurately assess renal function and the risk of postoperative chronic kidney disease.Materials and Methods: An institutional database was used to identify 359 patients who underwent nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy. Creatinine clearance was estimated using 14 previously published models and compared with creatinine clearance measured using a 24-hour urine collection. Models were generated for predicting renal function following nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy. All models were validated with an external data set of 245 patients.Results: Models that accurately estimated creatinine clearance preoperatively and postoperatively were the Cockcroft-Gault model based on actual weight, and the Mawer, Bjornsson, Hull and Martin models. In patients with an estimated creatinine clearance between 60 and 89 ml per minute preoperatively the risk of chronic kidney disease ...
The dorsomedial hypothalamus mediates stress-induced hyperalgesia and is the source of the pronociceptive peptide cholecystokinin in the rostral ventromedial medulla

While intense or highly arousing stressors have long been known to suppress pain, relatively mild or chronic stress can enhance pain. The mechanisms underlying stress-induced hyperalgesia (SIH) are only now being defined. The physiological and neuroendocrine effects of mild stress are mediated by the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), which has documented connections with the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), a brainstem region capable of facilitating nociception. We hypothesized that stress engages both the DMH and the RVM to produce hyperalgesia. Direct pharmacological activation of the DMH increased sensitivity to mechanical stimulation in awake animals, confirming that the DMH can mediate behavioral hyperalgesia. A behavioral model of mild stress also produced mechanical hyperalgesia, which was blocked by inactivation of either the DMH or the RVM. The neuropeptide cholecystokinin (CCK) acts in the RVM to enhance nociception and is abundant in the DMH. Using a retrograde tracer and immunohistochemical labeling, we determined that CCK-expressing neurons in the DMH are the only significant supraspinal source of CCK in the RVM. However, not all neurons projecting from the DMH to the RVM contained CCK, and microinjection of the CCK2 receptor antagonist YM022 in the RVM did not interfere with SIH, suggesting that transmitters in addition to CCK play a significant role in this connection during acute stress. While the RVM has a well-established role in facilitation of nociception, the DMH, with its well-documented role in stress, may also be engaged in a number of chronic or abnormal pain states. Taken as a whole, these findings establish an anatomical and functional connection between the DMH and RVM by which stress can facilitate pain.
Capillary Force Lithography for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide1. Cardiac tissue engineering holds much promise to deliver groundbreaking medical discoveries with the aims of developing functional tissues for cardiac regeneration as well as in vitro screening assays. However, the ability to create high-fidelity models of heart tissue has proven difficult. The heart’s extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex structure consisting of both biochemical and biomechanical signals ranging from the micro- to the nanometer scale2. Local mechanical loading conditions and cell-ECM interactions have recently been recognized as vital components in cardiac tissue engineering3-5. A large portion of the cardiac ECM is composed of aligned collagen fibers with nano-scale diameters that significantly influences tissue architecture and electromechanical coupling2. Unfortunately, few methods have been able to mimic the organization of ECM fibers down to the nanometer scale. Recent advancements in nanofabrication techniques, however, have enabled the design and fabrication of scalable scaffolds that mimic the in vivo structural and substrate stiffness cues of the ECM in the heart6-9. Here we present the development of two reproducible, cost-effective, and scalable nanopatterning processes for the functional alignment of cardiac cells using the biocompatible polymer poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)8 and a polyurethane (PU) based polymer. These anisotropically nanofabricated substrata (ANFS) mimic the underlying ECM of well-organized, aligned tissues and can be used to investigate the role of nanotopography on cell morphology and function10-14. Using a nanopatterned (NP) silicon master as a template, a polyurethane acrylate (PUA) mold is fabricated. This PUA mold is then used to pattern the PU or PLGA hydrogel via UV-assisted or solvent-mediated capillary force lithography (CFL), respectively15,16. Briefly, PU or PLGA pre-polymer is drop dispensed onto a glass coverslip and the PUA mold is placed on top. For UV-assisted CFL, the PU is then exposed to UV radiation (λ = 250-400 nm) for curing. For solvent-mediated CFL, the PLGA is embossed using heat (120 °C) and pressure (100 kPa). After curing, the PUA mold is peeled off, leaving behind an ANFS for cell culture. Primary cells, such as neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, as well as human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, can be maintained on the ANFS2.
Establishing a cationic AAA-DDD hydrogen bonding complex

Abstract The synthesis of a cationic donor-donor-donor (DDD) hydrogen bonding receptor is described. The binding of this receptor with an acceptor-acceptor-acceptor (AAA) guest is found to have a binding constant above 5 × 105 M−1. To prove that the isotherm from which this binding constant is determined is not due to proton transfer from the receptor to the guest, non-aqueous titrations on a variety of pyridine-like structures were performed.
A study of white middle-class adolescent boys' responses to “semenarche” (the first ejaculation)

Few empirical studies focus on how boys respond to puberty. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire and interview survey of 36 white middleclass adolescent male camp counselors (mean age, 18.4 years) that addressed pubertal changes and first ejaculation (“semenarche”). It is a descriptive and hypothesis generating study. The first ejaculation, biologically significant in sexual and reproductive functioning, was found to be psychologically meaningful but socially invisible. The mean age at semenarche was 12.9 years. All of the boys in the group had sex education in school, yet many felt unprepared for their first ejaculation, which occurred earlier than they expected and before formal education. Those who felt prepared expressed more positive feelings and coped better. Common responses to semenarche included surprise, curiosity, pleasure, and confusion. Most subjects did not tell anyone that this event occurred and many boys initially confused ejaculation and urination. The association of the first ejaculation with sexuality makes it a charged event. Psychosocial and developmental difficulties in sexual education for young males are noted.
An advanced tabu search for solving the mixed payload airlift loading problem

This article describes a new, two-dimensional bin packing algorithm that feasibly loads a set of cargo items on a minimal set of airlift aircraft. The problem under consideration is called the Mixed Payload Airlift Loading Problem (MPALP). The heuristic algorithm, called the Mixed Payload Airlift Loading Problem Tabu Search (MPALPTS), surpasses previous research conducted in this area because, in addition to pure pallet cargo loads, MPALPTS can accommodate rolling stock cargo (ie tanks, trucks, HMMMVs, etc) while still maintaining feasibility. To demonstrate its effectiveness, the load plans generated by MPALPTS are directly compared to those generated by the Automated Air Load Planning Software (AALPS) for a given cargo set; AALPS is the load planning software currently mandated for use in all Department of Defense load planning. While more time consuming than AALPS, MPALPTS required the same or fewer aircraft than AALPS in all test scenarios.
Search for extra-dimensional effects

A model which conjectures the existence of an additional spatial dimension is investigated. A categorization of the spatio-temporal variables is suggested by observing that the ordinary variables of three-space are controllable while the temporal variable is not due to the inexorable passage of time. To the additional spatial dimension is imputed the uncontrollable label on the grounds that the associated numbers are not subject to prediction. On the basis of the assumption that relativity theory is valid in the enlarged space the Doppler effect technique is extended so as to enable a description of the effects of motion in an additional direction. An application to some measurements obtained by utilizing the Mossbauer effect is subject to a statistical analysis in the light of the above proposals. It is found that the fluctuation in the data may be ascribed to the independent random motions in the additional direction of absorber and detector about a rest position both with r.m.s. velocity 12.2 m/s.
The strongCP problem in a compact Robertson-Walker universe

For a universe of the compact Robertson-Walker cosmology, Gauss's law requires the QCD vacuum angle θ to vanish, taking with it the strongCP problem.
Climate, environment, and humans in North America’s Great Basin during the Younger Dryas, 12,900–11,600 calendar years ago

Global climate change associated with the onset of the Younger Dryas chronozone affected different regions of the northern hemisphere in different ways. In the Great Basin of western North America, the effect was positive for human populations. Relatively cool temperatures causing effectively wetter conditions filled some pluvial basins with shallow but permanent lakes and other basins with wellwatered marshes or meadows. Vegetation communities dominated by sagebrush and grasses promoted healthy and diverse animal populations. Ten archaeological sites from the region have been dated to the Younger Dryas chronozone. Evidence from these sites indicates that Paleoindians with skull shapes and mitochondrial DNA similar to modern western North American Indians occupied the region. These early humans produced a material culture characterized predominantly by large stemmed bifacial points, although one site contained a small fluted point. Curated tool forms and technological activities represented in analyzed lithic assemblages suggest a highly mobile settlement strategy, and redundant short-term occupations of sites indicate frequent and long-distance residential moves across territories spanning distances of up to 400 km. Paleoindian subsistence pursuits focused on artiodactyls (primarily mule deer, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn antelope), leporids (chiefly jackrabbits), birds (sage grouse and waterfowl), insects (grasshoppers), and possibly fish. Easy-to-process plants like cactus pads were also eaten, but small seeds do not seem to have been an important part of Great Basin human diets until long after the Younger Dryas, closer to 9500 cal BP. The Great Basin record contains no evidence for natural catastrophe at the onset of the chronozone. Instead, the Younger Dryas appears to have been among the best of times for human foragers in this region of North America. 2011 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA.
On ego development and the structure of personality

Abstract present a theory of ego development as composed of several substructures related so that achievement of a given stage in one substructure is necessary but not sufficient for achieving the corresponding stage of another. The postulation of an exact relation belies what is known of the texture of human behavior and is premature in the absence of precise measurement of the several substructures and precise matching of stages. An alternative, the empirical method of simultaneously constructing a measure of ego development and portraits of the several stages, which Snarey et al. criticize for lack of strict logical coherence, is in the best tradition of contemporary science. The stage portraits are “prototypes” or “fuzzy sets.” Any mental structure can be divided into substructures, but the most general, superordinate structure is likely to prove most useful.