cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of water conservation measures on summer residential water use in Los Angeles, California

Warmer and drier conditions over the past decade in California, in addition to court-mandated restrictions on the Sacramento River Delta water supply, have generally reduced the amount of water resources available to Southern California. These constraints on water supply led water agencies to implement a range of water conservation and watering restrictions programs, mostly targeted at outdoor use. The City of Los Angeles, the largest of 88 cities in the County of Los Angeles and the most populous in the United States, took several measures to attempt to reduce residential water consumption. Three phases of water restrictions were implemented during the 2008–2010 period: voluntary restrictions (FY2008), mandatory restrictions (FY2009), and yet more stringent mandatory restrictions combined with a price increase and a decrease in overall household allocations (FY2010). Our research aims at quantifying the impact of these increasing restrictions on single-family residential water use across the City. Ten years of monthly individual billing data (2000–2010) were obtained from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the municipal utility for the City. Monthly single-family customer water use records at the Public Use Microdata Area level from 2000 to 2007 were used to develop and validate a linear regression model that integrated unemployment and climate information during a period without restrictions. Predictions from the model were then compared to actual consumption to assess the impact of water restrictions during the 2008–2010 period. We also contrasted voluntary water restrictions counseled by LADWP with mandatory water use restrictions. Results show that more stringent mandatory outdoor watering restrictions combined with pricing measures were most effective and resulted in a 23% decrease in City average single-family water use during summer of FY2010. Voluntary restrictions in FY2008 were less effective in reducing water use.
The Securitization of Transnational Labor Migration: The Case of Malaysia and Indonesia

Existing studies on transnational migration in Southeast Asia tend to view it primarily from labor, human rights, or gender perspectives. Few of these studies have viewed labor migration as a security problem between the countries involved. This article attempts to close this gap in the literature by looking at the case study of labor migration from Indonesia and Malaysia from a security perspective and how it affects the relationship between migrants, citizens, and governments of these two countries. The article utilizes securitization theory introduced by the Copenhagen School to explain why, within the last two decades, Malaysian politicians have shifted their treatment of Indonesian migrants from a policy of toleration to one that considers them a security threat against Malaysian society.
Biscyclopropylidene: the case of the mising double-bond Raman frequency

Abstract In numerous derivatives of biscyclopropylidene, (CH2)2CC (CH2)2 the double-bond frequency expected in the range 1600–2000 cm−1 in the Raman effect failed to appear. To study the cause of this absence, the i.r. spectra of solid, liquid and gaseous biscyclopropylidene have been observed in the region 4000-50 cm−1, and Raman spectra of the liquid phase have also been recorded at high gain. The 32 allowed vibrations have been assigned on the basis of a D2h molecular structure, and a normal-coordinate calculation carried out with a modified Urey—Bradley force-field. The anomalously weak Raman intensity of the double-bond vibration has been interpreted by means of a bond polarizability theory for tetra-substituted doublebonds. The theory accounts for the difference in the observed intensifies in the double-bond Raman lines in biscyclopropylidene and tetramethylethylene and is used to predict intensities for this line due to other alkyl-substituted double-bonds.
Being Aristotelian: Using Virtue Ethics in an Applied Media Ethics Course

This pedagogical essay explores the tendency of undergraduate media ethics students to do what Bernard Gert calls “morality by slogans” and their tendency to misuse Aristotle's golden mean slogan. While not solving the dilemma of morality by slogans, the essay suggests some ways of rectifying the misuse of the golden mean and encouraging its more authentic application.
Critical Behavior of Magnets with Dipolar Interactions. II. Feynman-Graph Expansion for Ferromagnets near Four Dimensions

The Feynman-graph-expansion approach of Wilson is used to study the critical behavior for $0lt=(\frac{T}{{T}_{c}})\ensuremath{-}1\ensuremath{\ll}\frac{G}{J{a}^{d}}$ and $H=0$ of an isotropic ferromagnet in $d=4\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\ensuremath{\epsilon}g0)$ dimensions with exchange and dipolar interactions between $d$-component spins. [Here $G=\frac{{(g{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B})}^{2}}{2}$ measures the dipole-dipole interaction strength, $J$ is the short-range exchange parameter, and $a$ is the lattice spacing.] The susceptibility and the two-spin correlation functions are calculated to first order in $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$, and agree with previous work, based on the renormalization-group approach. In addition the correlation function for transverse-spin fluctuations at ${T}_{c}$ is investigated, yielding the critical exponent $\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\approx}\frac{20{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2}}{867}$ [whereas for short-range exchange forces one has $\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\approx}\frac{3{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2}}{{12}^{2}}$]. The limiting angular dependence of the four-spin correlation function is obtained.
Exact transient vibration of stepped bars, shafts and strings carrying lumped masses

A new analytical method is developed for transient vibration analysis of stepped systems composed of distributed components like elastic bars, flexible shafts and taut strings, and lumped masses. The method, with a distributed transfer function formulation and a residue formula for inverse Laplace transform, gives the exact transient response of a stepped system with any number of components and subject to arbitrary external, boundary and initial excitations. The proposed method does not depend on system eigenfunctions, is able to accurately predict jumps in stress and strain distributions, and is numerically efficient as its utility only requires simple operations of two-by-two matrices.
Distribution of academic research funds: a case of Japanese national research grant

Drawing on a database of the competitive research funds in the Japanese academia, this study examines the distribution of research grants at the university and individual levels. The data indicates high inequality at the university level and slightly lower inequality at the individual level. Over the last three decades, the total grant budget has greatly increased and an increasing number of researchers have received the funds. Simultaneously, large-size grants have become more common and multiple awarding (i.e., one researcher receives more than one grant simultaneously) has become more frequent. These changes taken together, the level of inequality has not been changed substantially. The extent of inequality largely differs between scientific fields; especially high in basic natural sciences and relatively low in social sciences. A close examination of inequality over researchers' career indicates different patterns of transition between fields and cohorts. Finally, both at the university and individual levels, the funding distribution is found more unequal than the distribution of publications as an output indicator.
Uncertainty and the acquisition of capacity: a competitive analysis

Abstract Motivated by experience with the telecommunications industry, analysis of a dynamic game approach to price competition is undertaken. In the underlying model, two firms competing for demand determine the amount of new capacity to be acquired which has the effect of reducing the unit cost of production and thereby the price charged for output. Using a factorial experimental design approach, policy oriented results are obtained which explore the effects of several factors in the exogenous environment (level of exogenous demand, purchase cost of capacity, and interest rate) on a firm's optimal behavior and competitive position. In particular, the experimental designs facilitate analysis of the impact of synergistic forces in the external environment. Lastly, the effect of different levels and forms of uncertainty associated with exogenous demand are explored.
Mitochondrial protein synthesis: resistance to emetine and response to RNA synthesis inhibitors.

Abstract Mitochondrial protein synthesis is not inhibited by concentrations of emetine that completely suppress cytoplasmic protein synthesis. The emetine resistant, chloramphenicol sensitive structures sediment in a broad band about 95S and in a sharp band at 55S after brief treatment with RNAse. The activity of the structures has a half-life of 3 hours in cordycepin or actinomycin D and of less than 30 minutes in ethidium bromide.
Factor Score Reliabilities and Domain Validities

Kaiser and Michael (1977) reported a formula for factor scores giving an internal consistency reliability (generalized KR 20) and its square root, the domain validity. The use of this formula is found to be inappropriate if variables are included which have trivial weights for the factor for which the score is being computed. The problem can be corrected by considering only the salient variables.
Abstract 1084: c-Crk proto-oncogene and TGF-β signaling pathway contribute to transcriptional repression ofp120-cateninin non-small cell lung cancer cells

As a member of adherens junction, p120-catenin (p120ctn) plays a major role in cell adhesion through stabilization of E-cadherin. p120ctn is transcriptionally down-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), although the molecular mechanisms underlying p120ctn repression are incompletely defined. Here we further investigated transcriptional regulation of p120ctn in NSCLC. We prepared a promoter reporter plasmid construct that contained p120ctn promoter region from position -1082 to +320 relative to transcription start site. Through serial deletion mutation analysis of the p120ctn promoter, we pinpointed cis-acting elements involved in regulation of p120ctn. We identified transcription factor SP1 as a transcriptional repressor of p120ctn that directly binds to segment (−9 to +36) of the p120ctn promoter. SP1 can receive multiple signals from several intracellular signaling pathways. Through examination of SP1 binding partners, we identified proto-oncogene c-Crk and TGF-β signaling pathway to be involved in transcriptional down-regulation of p120ctn. RNAi mediated silencing of CRK in A549, H157 and H358 cells increased p120ctn protein levels. On the other hand, over-expression of CRK-I in H358 cells down-regulated p120ctn, an effect that was abrogated by simultaneous silencing of SP1. We also observed that CRK-II serine phosphorylation was inversely correlated with p120ctn expression level. This finding suggests a role for serine/threonine kinases in promoting metastasis through phosphorylation of CRK I/II and subsequently down-regulation of p120ctn. In summary, our data provide evidence for the role of c-Crk proto-oncogene and TGF-β signaling in transcriptional repression of p120ctn that further clarifies the mechanism by which these biochemical signals promote metastasis in NSCLC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1084. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1084
Postnatal retinal development as measured by the electroretinogram in premature infants

Light-adapted and dark-adapted electroretinograms were obtained in 27 premature infants who were screened for retinopathy of prematurity shortly after birth. Thirteen showed no retinopathy and 13 had mild to moderate retinopathy, which ranged from stage I, zone III (International Classification) to stage III, zone II. Measurements were made during the first 16 months of life. The configuration of the waveforms under both photopic and scotopic conditions changed during this period showing increased amplitudes of both the a- and the b-waves. A scotopic intensity series was performed and the b-wave amplitudes and implicit times were measured. The b-wave amplitude data were averaged for three adult control subjects, for infants without retinopathy of prematurity measured at 3–4 and at 6–7 months and for infants with retinopathy of prematurity measured at 3–4 and at 6–7 months. The Naka-Rushton function was fitted to the average data. The Rmax increased from 3 to 6 months and from 6 months to adulthood, and the Isat values decreased over this age range. The b-wave implicit times were within normal range in the 6-month data. There was no difference in Rmax or Isat for infants with and without ROP.
Neuro-oncology: Glioblastoma—community adjusts to new standard of care

Recent analysis of treatment patterns and survival of newly diagnosed patients with glioblastoma in community settings in the USA has shown that the medical community rapidly adjusted to the new standard of treatment—the so-called 'Stupp regimen'. The findings are encouraging, but further research is needed to improve patient survival.
A note on two conjectures of geller

In this note we answer two conjectures of Geller as given in this journal. The technical language used herein is as that in Geller's article, and hence no dictionary of these words will be given. For the sake of clarity of presentation, each of Geller's conjectures is answered in a separate section.
The Mapping of Kaula's Solution Into the Orbital Reference Frame

Kaula's celebrated solution to the problem of satellite motion in the gravitational field of a rigid body is transformed to give the perturbation spectra in both position and velocity in the radial, transverse and normal directions of the orbital reference frame. This work is an extension and a refinement of the theory of orbital perturbations due to the geopotential previously published by Rosborough and Tapley (1987).
The future of DNA-DNA hybridization studies

This article draws on many vertebrate examples to assess the future of DNA-DNA hybridization studies. I first discuss whether applications of the method have reached the point of diminishing returns, or rather the start of a great leap forward, in our evolutionary understanding. Vertebrate groups whose relationships are especially likely to be illuminated include parrots, pigeons, bats, pinnipeds, mammalian carnivores, frogs, and rodents. There are at least two reasons why classifications based on DNA-DNA hybridization may prove to differ from classifications based on particular character, whether these be noncoding DNA sequences or protein sequences or anatomical characters. Because evolutionary relationships can now be deduced independently of anatomical characters, this should permit a renaissance in comparative anatomical studies of adaptation. The origin of major functional shifts from changes in a small fraction of the genome is illustrated by polar bears, sea otters, warblers, vultures, and especially by humans.
Emergency Room Use and Access to Primary Care: Evidence from Houston, Texas

To cope with the rising number of uninsured, communities around the country are pursuing a variety of strategies to expand local health care safety nets. One measure that has been suggested to evaluate what is working is primary care-related emergency depart- ment (ED) visits. In this paper, we evaluate the applicability of this measure as an access indicator by examining its correlation with other indicators of medical under-service. We obtained ED visit data from safety net hospitals in Houston, Texas and applied the New York University ED Algorithm to estimate the rate of visits that were primary care- related. We then examined at the ZIP code level the correlation of primary care-related ED visits per 1,000 population with the federal government's Index of Medical Underservice (IMU), the poverty rate, and the uninsurance rate. Primary care-related ED visits were found to be weakly correlated with the IMU and strongly correlated with the rate of uninsurance and poverty. These findings suggest that the combination of this indicator with other measures of access could be used to moni- tor and evaluate local initiatives designed to expand care and coverage to the medically underserved.
Examining the Effects of Divorce on the Academic Achievement of Children

Abstract Over the past thirty years, one of the primary concerns facing researchers examining the effects of divorce on the academic achievement of children has been how to best control for socioeconomic status (SES). Prior to 1971, many researchers did not control for SES at all. Herzog and Sudia (1971) argued that adequately controlling for SES was essential for obtaining accurate effects for divorce. In recent years, several social scientists (Cherlin, Kiernan, and Chase-Lansdale, 1995; Allison and Furstenberg, 1989; Milne, 1989) have gone a step further and argued that a predissolution control for SES, when available, is preferable to a postdissolution control for SES. For divorce nearly always causes a drop in the income element of SES. Yet it is not clear whether using a predissolution control for SES really yields effects for divorce that are different than one would obtain if a postdissolution control for SES is used. Using the NELS 1988-92 data set, this study examines whether using a predissolut...
Superconvergence relations and sum rules for reflection spectroscopy

Superconvergence relations for the complex reflectivity r˜(ω), its amplitude r(ω), and its phase θ(ω) are considered. It is shown that infinite families of sum rules can be systematically generated for various moments of Re r˜m(ω) and Im r˜m(ω); these rules are analogous to similar sum rules for the refractive index. They provide self-consistency checks on ellipsometric and interferometric measurements in which both phase and amplitude information are obtained experimentally. For the more common situation in which only the reflectivity amplitude is measured, it is customary to decouple amplitude and phase by considering the complex function ln r˜(ω) = ln r(ω) + iθ(ω) Simple superconvergence rules do not hold for this quantity because of the divergence of ln r(ω) at high frequencies where r(ω) approaches zero. However, this difficulty can be partially overcome by treating the logarithmic derivative of ln r˜ or by limiting consideration to finite energy intervals. The resulting rules are applicable to nonmetals and include a superconvergence relation for dr/dω and finite-energy reflectance-conservation and phase f-sum rules. The derivative rule is applicable to reflectance and modulated-reflectance studies, whereas the finite-energy rules provide direct self-consistency checks on infrared spectra. Examples of the application of these rules to the reststrahl spectra of an ionic solid are discussed.
Commentary II - Evolution of some epidemilogic methods and concepts in selected textbooks of the 20 th century: a review

Soz.Praventivmed. 49 (2004) 107 0303-8408/04/020107–1 DOI 10.1007/s00038-004-0045-6 © Birkhauser Verlag, Basel, 2004 Assuming I was editing your journal, I would not hesitate to publish this brief review of epidemiological texts. Of course, since one of my books is also one of the subjects of the review, you might well sniff bias. I regret that I do not have the time right now to write an adequate commentary; I leave for South Africa within a short while for a two month-sojourn. Should you choose to publish some or all of these few comments, you are welcome to do so. Overall, I think the commentary is generally well-written, fair and appropriate; given the brevity of the review, it earns a description as succinct. It seems to me that the selection of texts and the discussion are generally satisfactory. Each book, that the authors choose to denote one period from another, does reflect something of a new departure for each generation. One point of detail: the choice of MacMahon & Pugh (1970) considerably misplaces in time the true and earlier impact of MacMahon, Pugh & Ipsen (1960), the forerunner of the later 1970 text, which was essentially the innovative first edition of the 1970 text. With regard to my own work, as with any author one may be oversensitive to omissions and error. The authors refer to the topic of ecological systems and fallacies as being addressed only more recently than the appearance of the texts reviewed. It happens that this is the only omission worth noting in respect of my own work. My book on Causal thinking, for the first time in any epidemiological text as far as I know, addresses the fundamentals of ecological systems virtually from the outset of the work. Certainly it is inherent in my conception of what I intended the book itself to do. The text also treats of the ecological fallacies that always may snuggle within such systems. The risk of fallacy is dealt with both directly and indirectly in Chapter 6. I recognize that the authors have carefully circumscribed their topic to cover texts and not papers. I believe, however, that in discussing development across generations they might with benefit consider the conceptual framework of successive scientific revolutions provided by Thomas Kuhn and placed the texts reviewed within that context. Admittedly the concept in epidemiology is fully developed neither in my own nor any other of the texts discussed, but only much later in my papers on “The evolution of epidemiology since WW 2” and on “Choosing a future for epidemiology” (with Ezra Susser). Still, I think that I can say that the idea is in fact present in nascent form in Causal thinking in the health sciences.
No effect of LSD upon 5-hydroxytryptamine level in mouse eye

Abstract 1. 1. LSD has been tested in mice to determine whether it causes a change in 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration in eyes, similar to the effect described in brain tissues. 2. 2. No such effect was seen.
Energy lost by slow electrons in collissions with molecules

Abstract The mean energy lost by slow electrons in collisions with molecules has been calculated from published electron transport data. The general features of the large fractional energy losses are explained in terms of either direct molecular excitation or indirect via the decay of low-energy compound negative ion states. Evidence is also provided which suggests that the N 2 O compound negative ion resonance at 2.3 eV predominantly decays elastically.
Obituary Notice for Edward G. Jones (1939–2011)

Ted Jones was an outwardly brusque, bigger than life authority on all aspects of neuroanatomy, but especially on relationships between thalamus and cerebral cortex and more especially on the struct...
Responses of tropical reef fauna to brittle-star luminescence (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

Abstract The behavior of Caribbean reef animals was observed in response to luminescent signals produced by the brittle-star Ophiopsila riisei (Lutken). Field observations on various species and laboratory observations on decapod crustaceans showed differences between species in responsiveness to contact-elicited luminescent flashes. Actively foraging predators and scavengers, including an octopus, Octopus briareus (Robson), two species of shrimp, Rhynchocinetes rigens (Gordon) and Brachycarpus biunguiculatus (Lucas), a blenny, Malacoctenus sp., and a number of small decapod crabs, primarily produced avoidance behaviors towards luminescent flashes in the field. Other smaller scavengers, hermit crabs and small shrimps, and a cleaner shrimp, Stenopus hispidus (Oliver), showed minimal responses to field flashes. In laboratory experiments, a lobster, Panulirus argus (Latreille), and Brachycarpus biunguiculatus exhibited increased avoidance and decreased predatory responses to luminescent brittle-stars vs. nonluminescent controls. Stenopus hispidus, however, did not show any significant changes in predatory or avoidance behaviors between luminescent and nonluminescent ophiuroids. The differences in species responsiveness is statistically related to their feeding behavior, and is associated with their proximity to dense aggregations of luminescent brittle-stars. The differing responses of reef animals to luminescent flashes may affect their spatial and temporal distribution and in turn have an effect on the structure of nocturnal reef communities.
Olfactory responses of the egg parasitoid, Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), to host plants infested by Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Abstract Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault is an egg parasitoid with potential use in glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar), biological control in California. We tested the hypotheses that (1) G. ashmeadi uses chemical volatiles as cues to find hosts, (2) its success in host finding varies among plant species, and (3) the release of semiochemicals is systemically induced by GWSS feeding and oviposition. Using a glass Y-tube olfactometer, we determined G. ashmeadi’s preference for volatiles of infested versus uninfested lemon, grapevine, red-tip photinia, and crape myrtle plants. The parasitoid’s first choice to, its residence time, and the number of visits per Y-tube arm were used to assess its plant choice. G. ashmeadi chose the infested lemon, red-tip photinia, or grapevine plant significantly more often (62%, 67%, and 63%, respectively) than uninfested hosts, whereas they chose infested and uninfested crape myrtle equally often (49%). Females spent more time in and made more visits to the olfactometer arm connected to the infested plant than to the arm connected to the uninfested plant, except when testing crape myrtle. When testing for a systemic plant response to GWSS infestation, only infested lemon was significantly more attractive to the parasitoids than was an uninfested plant. These results suggest that G. ashmeadi females use chemical volatiles as cues to find GWSS egg masses and that host finding success varies among GWSS host plants. Some plants used by GWSS as oviposition hosts may serve as an escape from parasitization by G. ashmeadi and act as reservoirs for new GWSS individuals.
Improved Approaches for Cost-Effective Traffic Grooming in WDM Ring Networks: Uniform-Traffic Case.

To fully utilize the capabilities of a SONET/ADM network, traffic grooming is needed to multiplex a number of lower-rate traffic streams into a higher-rate stream, and vice versa. Although the capacity of a SONET ring network can be upgraded by operating it over multiple wavelengths, the corresponding network design may be costly if it employs a large number of ADMs. A cost-effective design attempts to minimize the total number of ADMs used in the network while carrying the offered traffic. We introduce and evaluate the performance characteristics of two new traffic-grooming approaches for WDM ring networks, called single-hop and multihop. Our single-hop implementation uses the simulated-annealing heuristic. After placing all the traffic on “virtual circles”, we group the circles in order to reduce the number of ADMs in the network. Our multihop implementation places an ADM at each node based on the requested traffic in the traffic-demand matrix; then, it tries to groom the wavelengths which can be groomed. We select one of the nodes to be the “hub” node which has an ADM for each wavelength. The hub node, therefore, can “bridge” traffic between all of the wavelengths. Each algorithm is specified and illustrated by a simple example. Our results demonstrate that it is beneficial to use a single-hop approach based on simulated annealing for a small grooming ratio, but for a large grooming ratio and node number, we advocate the use of the multihop approach.
Benchmarking nonrigid techniques for hepato-pulmonary motion mapping

Physiological activities like respiration and interventional procedures non-linearly alter the structural and functional configuration of Hepato-Pulmonary system. Structurally, respiration-induced motion poses a significant obstacle in the precise target localization for minimally invasive hepato-pulmonary procedures. Current motion compensating approaches with image guided advance-and-check intraOperative systems are inadequate. Spatiotemporal augmentation of intraOperative images with motion maps derived from preOperative scans will provide a reliable roadmap for successful intervention. However, judicious choice of deformable techniques is required to accurately capture the organ specific motion. In this paper, we evaluate a number of oft-cited deformable registration techniques in terms of deformation quality, algorithmic convergence and per-iteration cost. Recommendations are proposed based on the convergence measures and smoothness of the motion maps.
Cholinergic systems in the rat brain: III. Projections from the pontomesencephalic tegmentum to the thalamus, tectum, basal ganglia, and basal forebrain

Abstract The ascending Cholinergic projections of the pedunculopontine and dorsolateral tegmental nuclei, referred to collectively as the pontomesencephalotegmental (PMT) Cholinergic complex, were investigated by use of fluorescent tracer histology in combination with choline-O-acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) pharmacohistochemistry. Propidium iodide, true blue, or Evans blue was infused into the anterior, reticular, mediodorsal, central medial, and posterior nuclear areas of the thalamus; the habenula; lateral geniculate; superior colliculus; pretectal/parafascicular area; subthalamic nucleus; caudate-putamen complex; globus pallidus; entopeduncular nucleus; substantia nigra; medial septal nucleus/vertical limb of the diagonal band area; magnocellular preoptic/ventral pallidal area; and lateral hypothalamus. In some animals, separate injections of propidium iodide and true blue were made into two different regions in the same rat brain, usually a dorsal and a ventral target, in order to assess collateralization patterns. Retrogradely transported fluorescent labels and ChAT and/or AChE were analyzed microscopically on the same brain section. All of the above-delimited targets were found to receive Cholinergic input from the PMT Cholinergic complex, but some regions were preferentially innervated by either the pedunculopontine or dorsolateral tegmental nucleus. The former subdivision of the PMT Cholinergic complex projected selectively to extrapyramidal structures and the superior colliculus, whereas the dorsolateral tegmental nucleus was observed to provide Cholinergic input preferentially to anterior thalamic regions and rostral portions of the basal forebrain. The PMT Cholinergic neurons showed a tendency to collateralize extensively.
Retrograde versus antegrade cardioplegia: Impact on right ventricular function

Abstract Retrograde cardioplegia administered through the coronary sinus has several documented advantages over antegrade cardioplegia but has been thought to provide inadequate right ventricular myocardial protection. We prospectively compared the effects of retrograde and antegrade cardioplegia on right ventricular performance in patients undergoing myocardial revascularization. Two groups of similar age, extent of disease, and preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction received retrograde (n = 16) or antegrade (n = 14) crystalloid cardioplegia. A right ventricular rapid-response thermistor catheter, previously developed and validated in our institution, was used to measure right atrial pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricular ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume index, and stroke volume index before bypass (baseline) and at several intervals after bypass. There were no differences in cross-clamp time, heart rate, cardiac enzymes, inotrope requirements, or arrhythmias between the two groups. Right ventricular parameters were equivalent in both groups at all time intervals except 30 minutes after bypass, at which time right ventricular end-diastolic volume index was lower (80 ± 6 versus 93 ± 6 mL/m 2 ; p 2 , p p
Efficient Sampling Methods for Tradeoff Studies Under Uncertainty

Tradeoff studies help designers better understand how different design considerations relate to one another and to make decisions. Generally a tradeoff study involves a systematic multi-criteria evaluation of various alternatives for a particular system or subsystem. After evaluating these alternatives, designers eliminate those that perform poorly using the Pareto dominance criterion and explore more carefully those that remain.An analogous procedure is possible when design criteria are uncertain. This approach is based on stochastic dominance principles that involve comparisons of probability distributions defined in the design criteria space. Although this is well-founded mathematically, the procedure can be computationally expensive because it typically entails a sampling-based uncertainty propagation method (e.g. Monte Carlo or quasi-Monte Carlo methods) for each alternative being considered.In this paper we describe a statistically sound method which allows designers to sample the minimum number of samples necessary to eliminate dominated design alternatives under uncertainty. Dominance is evaluated using the appropriate hypothesis testing with specified confidence for a small sample, and the sample incrementally increased until dominance conditions can be determined. The method is demonstrated in the context of a tradeoff study for an automobile transmission.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Versatile networks of simulated spiking neurons displaying winner-take-all behavior

We describe simulations of large-scale networks of excitatory and inhibitory spiking neurons that can generate dynamically stable winner-take-all (WTA) behavior. The network connectivity is a variant of center-surround architecture that we call center-annular-surround (CAS). In this architecture each neuron is excited by nearby neighbors and inhibited by more distant neighbors in an annular-surround region. The neural units of these networks simulate conductance-based spiking neurons that interact via mechanisms susceptible to both short-term synaptic plasticity and STDP. We show that such CAS networks display robust WTA behavior unlike the center-surround networks and other control architectures that we have studied. We find that a large-scale network of spiking neurons with separate populations of excitatory and inhibitory neurons can give rise to smooth maps of sensory input. In addition, we show that a humanoid brain-based-device (BBD) under the control of a spiking WTA neural network can learn to reach to target positions in its visual field, thus demonstrating the acquisition of sensorimotor coordination.
A hreels, tpd study of nitric oxide adsorption, desorption and reaction on clean and sulfur covered palladium (100)

The effect of sulfur poisoning on the adsorption, desorption and reactions of NO on the Pd(100) surface was studied using TPD, EELS, and LEED at sulfur precoverages ranging from zero to saturation (0.5 monolayer) and for NO coverages between zero and saturation (0.65 ML). NO adsorption is primarily associative. Simple steric blocking accounts for the decrease in NO saturation coverage with adsorbed sulfur. Correspondingly, a 25% decrease in the saturation coverage of NO was observed at a sulfur coverage of 0.1 ML, as expected for simple atop site blockage by sulfur. Thereafter the NO coverage declined more slowly, with detectable NO adsorption at θS(sat). Three different vibrational modes were detected by EELS at 1510, 1720, and 1750 cm−1, which were assigned respectively to a bridge site, an atop site and a weakly bound NO. The 1720 cm−1 loss frequency is coverage dependent. NO adsorption on the clean surface gives rise to atop site occupation in a c(2 × 2) LEED structure at 300 K, and a p(4 × 2) structure at 410 K, corresponding to coverages of 0.5 and 0.25 ML, respectively. The p(4 × 2) structure was generally observed to form a single domain. In the presence of 0.03 ML of sulfur the p(4 × 2) LEED pattern is not observed at any temperature, but the c(2 × 2) LEED pattern persists up to at least 0.2 ML sulfur. Correspondingly, the atop to bridge site transfer was not observed, and the high temperature desorption state was eliminated by adsorbed sulfur, implying that the most strongly bound state is bridge bonded. Only small amounts of N2 and N2O are observed to desorb during heating of adsorbed NO, and oxygen is not observed as a product. At sulfur coverages above 0.10 ML these side reactions were suppressed.
Polymorphisms Past and Present

Polymorphisms, particularly genetic variants of the red blood cell, have served as a major focus for the research of Frank B. Livingstone over the course of a long and productive career. Recent investigations confirm the value of key insights that he contributed to this area more than four decades ago. As Livingstone recognized, the same underlying evolutionary model that guides genetic studies in present populations also provides a productive framework for interpreting patterns of variation in the skeleton and dentition throughout past human evolution. Examples explored in detail here include polymorphisms in hominoid nasal bone shapes and fourth lower premolar roots. This work provides both empirical and theoretical contexts for investigating patterns of human variation over the last 6 to 8 million years.
The effects of early sexual abuse on adult risky sexual behaviors among persons with severe mental illness

OBJECTIVE: There were two aims: first, to examine the relationship between prior sexual abuse and three types of adult risky sexual behaviors [(1) ever traded sex for drugs or money, (2) had unprotected sex in the past 6 months, and (3) frequency of unprotected sex in the past 6 months] among persons with severe mental illness (SMI), and second, to examine the potential mediating effects of adult rape, substance use, and PTSD. METHOD: Using a pooled sample of individuals with SMI (N=609), logistic and negative binomial regression analyses were used to investigate the impact of prior sexual abuse on these adult risky sexual behaviors. RESULTS: Childhood sexual abuse was associated with having ever traded sex for money and having engaged in unprotected sex in the past 6 months. However, childhood sexual abuse was inversely associated with the number of times males had unprotected sex in the past 6 months. Results differed between males and females and the impact of potential mediators also varied by gender and type of outcome studied. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a complex link between childhood sexual abuse and adult risky sexual behaviors in persons with SMI. Clinical assessments of child abuse sequelae should include a variety of indicators and parameters of adult risky sexual behavior, as persons with SMI are at an increased risk of engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors and tend to have a higher exposure to childhood sexual abuse than does the general population.
Interleukin-2 rescues helpless effector CD8+ T cells by diminishing the susceptibility to TRAIL mediated death.

Abstract CD8+ T cells primed in the absence of CD4+ T cell help are programmed to produce TRAIL, which results in Death receptor (DR5) mediated apoptosis upon restimulation. Here, we studied whether these ‘helpless’ effector CD8+ T cells are consigned to an apoptotic fate or whether their helpless program can be altered by inflammatory or growth cytokines. We found that helpless CD8+ T cells regained their full proliferative and functional capacity only when IL-2 was added to cell cultures, while IL-7 and IL-15, two common gamma chain cytokines associated with CD8+ T cell homeostasis and memory, could only partly restore secondary expansion in helpless CD8+ T cells. Recovery of functional CD8+ T cell immunity by IL-2 was concomitant with induction of IL2Rα (CD25) expression, downregulation of TRAIL, and the upregulation of anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-2 and FLIP. The addition of IL-2 to helpless CD8+ T cells also interfered with DR5-mediated apoptosis induction, indicating that IL-2 affects several components of the TRAIL-DR5 pathway. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the helpless phenotype is not fixed, and that IL-2R signaling at the time of reactivation can play an important role in restoring CD8+ T cell function.
Prolonged paralysis after neuromuscular blockade

Non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents have been used with increasing fLequency in critically ill patients. Recently, numerous reports have described patients with prolonged muscle weakiies...
Evidence for nonstatistical population of configurations in Li-like neon following Cl 1 3 + → Ne collisions

Recent measurements of the x-ray and Auger line strengths in Li-like neon produced by 45-MeV ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{13+}$ \ensuremath{\rightarrow} Ne collisions are compared with theoretical values. We assume that in the collision there is a statistical population of configurations and multiplet states. An overpopulation of the $1s2{s}^{2}$ and $1s2s2p$ configurations (relative to the $1s2{p}^{2}$) is observed. We suggest cascade feeding as a likely mechanism for producing this effect.
Name ambiguity and androgyny

Subjects with gender-ambiguous names or nicknames (i.e., names that can belong to either males or females) were compared on Bem's androgyny scale to subjects having common or uncommon first names or nicknames to determine if name ambiguity was related to sex-role identification. The results showed that for our sample of college undergraduates (N=489), both males (N=246) and females (N=243) with ambiguous nicknames (e.g., Pat, Tony, Marty) were more often classified as androgynous on the Bem inventory than were subjects with uncommon, common, or no nicknames. Ambiguous first names were unrelated to the androgyny scale. Name and nickname ambiguity were not related to liking of name, self-concept, family tradition, social class differences, or grade point average.
Chiral symmetry and the quark model

The construction of chiral-symmetric quark models is investigated. We show that the Nambu-Goldstone realization of chiral symmetry leads naturally to representation mixing of quark states and of their composites. Constructing SU(6) wave functions for hadron states, we obtain a mixing scheme algebraically equivalent to the Melosh transformation. The resulting phenomenology for pionic decays and for weak and electromagnetic vertices is known to be very successful. The present work provides a theoretical basis for these results and opens new avenues for the study of SU(6) symmetry and the investigation of deep-inelastic scattering processes.
Workload-Cognizant Concurrent Error Detection in the Scheduler of a Modern Microprocessor

We present a Concurrent Error Detection (CED) scheme for the Scheduler of a modern microprocessor. The proposed CED scheme is based on monitoring a set of invariances imposed through added hardware, violation of which signifies the occurrence of an error. The novelty of our solution stems from the workload-cognizant way in which these invariances are selected so that they leverage the application-level error masking inherent in program execution. Specifically, in order to ensure cost-effectiveness of the hardware employed to construct these invariances, we make use of information regarding the type and frequency of errors affecting the typical workload of the microprocessor. Thereby, we identify the most susceptible aspects of instruction execution and we accordingly distribute CED resources to protect them. Our approach is demonstrated on the Scheduler of an Alpha-like superscalar microprocessor with dynamic scheduling, hybrid branch prediction and out-of-order execution capabilities. Using an extensive fault-simulation infrastructure that we developed around this microprocessor, we profile the impact of Scheduler faults across a variety of different SPEC2000 benchmarks. Based on the results, we construct a CED scheme which monitors the time and location of instruction execution, the executed operation, the utilized resources, as well as the executed and retired sequence of instructions. At a hardware cost of only 32 percent of the Scheduler, the corresponding CED scheme detects over 85 percent of its faults that affect the architectural state of the microprocessor. Furthermore, over 99.5 percent of these faults are detected before they corrupt the architectural state, while the average detection latency for the remaining faults is in the order of a few clock cycles, implying that efficient recovery methods can be developed.
Employees' Perceptions of Career Management Practices: The Development of a New Measure.

This article introduces a new measure of employees' Perceptions of Career Management Practices (PCMP). Previous career management research has, to a considerable degree, been largely descriptive an...
Mutational hotspots in the TP53 gene and, possibly, other tumor suppressors evolve by positive selection

The mutation spectra of the TP53 gene and other tumor suppressors contain multiple hotspots, i.e., sites of non-random, frequent mutation in tumors and/or the germline. The origin of the hotspots remains unclear, the general view being that they represent highly mutable nucleotide contexts which likely reflect effects of different endogenous and exogenous factors shaping the mutation process in specific tissues. The origin of hotspots is of major importance because it has been suggested that mutable contexts could be used to infer mechanisms of mutagenesis contributing to tumorigenesis. Here we apply three independent tests, accounting for non-uniform base compositions in synonymous and non-synonymous sites, to test whether the hotspots emerge via selection or due to mutational bias. All three tests consistently indicate that the hotspots in the TP53 gene evolve, primarily, via positive selection. The results were robust to the elimination of the highly mutable CpG dinucleotides. By contrast, only one, the least conservative test reveals the signature of positive selection in BRCA1, BRCA2, and p16. Elucidation of the origin of the hotspots in these genes requires more data on somatic mutations in tumors. The results of this analysis seem to indicate that positive selection for gain-of-function in tumor suppressor genes is an important aspect of tumorigenesis, blurring the distinction between tumor suppressors and oncogenes. This article was reviewed by Sandor Pongor, Christopher Lee and Mikhail Blagosklonny.
Stability Measurements of the Ca and Yb Optical Frequency Standards

The paper describes two types of optical atomic clocks. The first is based on freely expanding calcium atoms and is optimized for experimental simplicity and high stability. The second is based on Yb atoms confined to an optical lattice that is designed to yield minimal shifts for the clock transition at 578 nm. Measurements of the effective beatnote between the clocks via a femtosecond-laser frequency comb show a fractional frequency instability of <5 times 10-16 @ 100 s averaging time
Effective Detection of Toxigenic Clostridium difficile by a Two-Step Algorithm Including Tests for Antigen and Cytotoxin

We evaluated a two-step algorithm for detecting toxigenic Clostridium difficile: an enzyme immunoassay for glutamate dehydrogenase antigen (Ag-EIA) and then, for antigen-positive specimens, a concurrent cell culture cytotoxicity neutralization assay (CCNA). Antigen-negative results were ≥99% predictive of CCNA negativity. Because the Ag-EIA reduced cell culture workload by ≈75 to 80% and two-step testing was complete in ≤3 days, we decided that this algorithm would be effective. Over 6 months, our laboratories' expenses were US$143,000 less than if CCNA alone had been performed on all 5,887 specimens.