cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of SIS heterojunctions for use as mm-wave mixers exhibiting coversion gain

We apply the quantum formulation of heterodyne mixer theory to SIS heterojunctions (junctions between dissimilar superconductors). Conversion gain is predicted over a wide range of mm-wave frequencies in the 3-port Y-mixer model by exploiting the naturally occurring region of negative conductance in the DC I-V characteristic. In the signal frequency range 50–250 GHz this region persists in the pumpedjunction I–V characteristic for local oscillator power <1 nW and leads to a negative conductance at the mixer's IF port.
Structure and expression of two nuclear receptor genes in marsupials: insights into the evolution of the antisense overlap between the α-thyroid hormone receptor and Rev-erbα

Alternative processing of α-thyroid hormone receptor (TRα, NR1A1) mRNAs gives rise to two functionally antagonistic nuclear receptors: TRα1, the α-type receptor, and TRα2, a non-hormone binding variant that is found only in mammals. TRα2 shares an unusual antisense coding overlap with mRNA for Rev-erbα (NR1D1), another nuclear receptor protein. In this study we examine the structure and expression of these genes in the gray short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica, in comparison with that of eutherian mammals and three other marsupial species, Didelphis virginiana, Potorous tridactylus and Macropus eugenii, in order to understand the evolution and regulatory role of this antisense overlap. The sequence, expression and genomic organization of mRNAs encoding TRα1 and Rev-erbα are very similar in the opossum and eutherian mammals. However, the sequence corresponding to the TRα2 coding region appears truncated by almost 100 amino acids. While expression of TRα1 and Rev-erbα was readily detected in all tissues of M. domestica ages 0 days to 18 weeks, TRα2 mRNA was not detected in any tissue or stage examined. These results contrast with the widespread and abundant expression of TRα2 in rodents and other eutherian mammals. To examine requirements for alternative splicing of TRα mRNAs, a series of chimeric minigenes was constructed. Results show that the opossum TRα2-specific 5' splice site sequence is fully competent for splicing but the sequence homologous to the TRα2 3' splice site is not, even though the marsupial sequences are remarkably similar to core splice site elements in rat. Our results strongly suggest that the variant nuclear receptor isoform, TRα2, is not expressed in marsupials and that the antisense overlap between TRα and Rev-erbα thus is unique to eutherian mammals. Further investigation of the TRα and Rev-erbα genes in marsupial and eutherian species promises to yield additional insight into the physiological function of TRα2 and the role of the associated antisense overlap with Rev-erbα in regulating expression of these genes.
1.4.3 The Open Academic Model and the Impact of the Stevens Systems Engineering Program

The Open Academic Model (OAM) is the research and education concept adopted by the Systems Engineering Program at Stevens Institute of Technology. Applying OAM principles, the Stevens program has grown from inception in 2001 into one of the largest in the U.S. in terms of education and research. The Stevens Systems Engineering program performance and consequent impact is characterized with respect to the OAM, which is based on five principles: (1) Broad Partnerships, (2) Blurred Boundaries, (3) Agile Environment, (4) Community Sharing; and (5) Second-Career Faculty. The individual aspects of the OAM are not unique to Stevens, but the combination is novel and has underpinned Stevens' impact when the program is measured against the four general criteria of size, quality, publication record, and faculty leadership. The OAM has been implemented via a number of strategies that correlate with the performance of the program.
Empirical tests of reciprocity theory: Problems in assessment

Abstract Observations and experiments designed to test Trivers' (1971) theory of reciprocal altruism face two difficulties. First, in many cases the costs and benefits of behaviors being exchanged cannot be expressed directly in terms of effects on the actors' fitness. This is particularly true when an exchange of cooperative acts involves different types of behavior, such as grooming and alliance formation in non-human primates. Second, in many social groups individuals differ widely in their ability to confer benefits on others. High-ranking animals can, for example, offer greater assistance than low-ranking animals and adults can help offspring more than offspring can help adults. As a result, what appears not to be a reciprocal interaction from the observer's point of view may in fact support Trivers' theory when costs and benefits are calculated from the animals' own perspectives. We discuss these issues with special reference to our own experiments on reciprocal exchanges of grooming and alliance formation in free-ranging vervet monkeys.
Biochemical and Toxicological Studies with Laboratory and Field Populations of Heliothis virescens (F.)

Abstract Mixed-function oxidase (MFO), glutathione S -transferase (GST), and esterase (EST) activities toward spectrophotometric substrates were measured in tissue homogenates of larval and adult tobacco budworms, Heliothis virescens (F.), from colonies collected throughout the 1993 cotton growing season and were compared with activities in pyrethroid-susceptible and -resistant laboratory strains. Levels of enzyme activities from both larvae and adults were variable among strains and did not correlate with susceptibility to cypermethrin. This finding, together with previous results showing expression of enhanced levels of cypermethrin metabolism in some of these strains, suggests that activities measured with these model substrates provide a poor indication for expression of metabolic resistance to pyrethroids. However, larval EST and GST activities were moderately con-slated ( r 2 > 0.60) with resistance to profenofos, and the toxicological significance of activities measured with these substrates bears further examination. In addition, small (but significant) differences in sensitivities of acetylcholinesterase to inhibition by paraoxon were measured, indicating a potential contribution of reduced target site sensitivity as a mechanism of organophosphate resistance in these strains. Finally, levels of MFO, GST, and EST activities from field-collected insects were higher in larval than adult homogenates and, except for MFO activities, were not correlated between life stages from the same strain. These results provide further evidence that expression of enzyme activities differs between developmental stages of this insect.
Calnexin bridges the gap toward a pan-fungal vaccine.

Vaccines are needed to combat the global rise in fungal diseases. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Wuthrich et al. (2015) identify calnexin as a target of antigen-specific CD4 T cell responses against multiple fungal pathogens. This study illustrates that a conserved epitope triggers convergent cell-mediated immune responses to confer heterologous antifungal immunity.
The use of Hückel theory charge densities and localization energies for the prediction of kinetic and thermodynamic factors involved in an assumed model for the hydrohalogenation of 1,3-butadiene, isoprene and chloroprene

It is assumed that the first step in the hydrohalogenation of a diene under conditions such that an ionic mechanism is operative involves the formation of a linear carbonium ion via attachment of a proton to the 1-position and that the second step involves addition of the halide ion to either the 2- or 4-positions. If it is also assumed that hyperconjugation plays some non-negligible role in the carbonium ion intermediate, then it turns out that the use of Huckel theory charge densities and localization energies predict (1) that the 1,2-product is kinetically favored in the cases of butadiene and isoprene, (2) that the 1,4-product is kinetically favored in the case of chloroprene, and (3) that the 1,4-product is thermodynamically favored in all of the above systems. All of these predictions appear to be in agreement with available experimental results.
Spatial-mode discrimination and control in high-power single-mode large-optical-cavity diode lasers

High-power single-mode diode lasers are in demand for fiber data distribution systems, long-distance high-data-rate optical communications, analog signal transmission, and guided-wave signal processing. Large-optical-cavity (LOC)-type structures1,2 have already demonstrated single-mode operation to 50 mW/facet cw and 100 mW/facet at 50% duty cycle as well as coupling up to 20-mW cw power in telecommunication-type graded-index fibers (0.2 N.A.; 50-μm diameter). Here for the first time we present an analysis of LOC-type structures that takes into account the effect of gain-induced index depressions on lateral-mode discrimination and control. The resultant flexibility in laser design allows tailoring diodes of given cross-sectional geometry for maximum single-mode-power operation.
Behavioral Disturbances Associated with Dementia: Nursing Implications

Abstract As “baby boomers” come of age, the number of older adults will dramatically increase. The demand for nursing care of the elderly population will be at an all-time high, especially for those with dementia of the Alzheimer's type, one of the most devastating illnesses that threatens this group. The care of the patient with Alzheimer's disease is particularly challenging because researchers and clinicians are only beginning to understand this very complicated disorder. This article presents an overview of the care and treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Specific nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions are discussed within the context of cognitive impairment and the behavioral/psychological (consistency) symptoms of dementia. (J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc [2001]. 7, S14-S22.)
Power system transient stability using individual machine energy functions

Recent efforts to apply direct methods of transient stability analysis to multimachine power systems have used the so-called "energy functions." These functions describe the system transient energy causing the synchronous generators to depart from the initial equilibrium state, and the power network's ability to absorb this energy so that the synchronous machines may reach a new post-disturbance equilibrium state. Recent results have shown that not all the transient energy contributes to system separation. Indeed it has become increasingly evident that system separation depends on the energy of certain individual machines or groups of machines, which comprise the critical group, and which tend to separate from the rest of the machines (which make up the noncritical group). Thus there is a need for generating energy functions for individual machines (or for groups of machines). Using a center of inertia frame of reference, the energy function V_{i} for machine i is derived. A procedure for first swing transient stability assessment is developed using the energy function of individual machines and groups of machines. The method is tested extensively on two realistic power networks (the 20-generator IEEE System and the 17-generator reduced Iowa System). An analytical justification for using the critical energy of individual machines in stability assessment is provided using an invariance principle for ordinary differential equations. Power system transient stability is analyzed using the energy function of the critical group of machines. This energy function is dependent on all state variables of the power system, and satisfies the hypotheses of the invariance theorem of La Salle, enabling us to deduce the asymptotic stability of the post-disturbance equilibrium of the entire power system. It also enables us to obtain an estimate of the domain of attraction of this equilibrium of the entire power system. The methodology advanced herein, which combines computer-aided techniques with analytical tools, yields less conservative results than were obtained in previous works that used total system energy. It is to be noted that the present results are preliminary in the sense that the mechanism of separation of the critical group of machines from the rest of the system needs further investigation.
Research on the Multi-Carrier Generation of WDM-ROF System and its Application Analysis in Smart Grid

In this paper, we proposed the multi-carriers generation scheme for WDM-ROF and explored the typical applications in smart grid. The result and the analysis show that the WDM-ROF is one of the promising technologies to satisfy the new requirements in smart grid. It can realize high-speed, huge-capacity communication by converging wired and wireless technologies. It will enhance the whole communication performance in the power communication system.
Management of recurrent intussusception: nonoperative or operative reduction?

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to determine how to manage children with recurrence of intussusception. Methods Medical records of patients treated for intussusception from 1976 to 2008 at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health were reviewed. Information on patients who developed recurrent intussusception was extracted to study patterns of recurrent attack and suitable management procedures. The statistical differences were analyzed by the χ 2 and the Student t test, with a P value Results During the study period, 1340 patients were treated for 1448 episodes of intussusceptions, with an average of 40 cases per year. There were 108 episodes of recurrent intussusception in 75 patients (45 males and 30 females). The overall recurrence rate was 8%. Patient age at the first episode ranged from 3 months to 12 years (average, 14.9 months). The time interval before each recurrence ranged from 1 day to 3.2 years (average, 7.8 months). The number of recurrences ranged from 1 to 5 attacks. Recurrent intussusception occurred in 35 (15.8%) of 222 children following successful hydrostatic barium enema (BE) reduction and in 55 (11.4%) of 482 after successful pneumatic or air enema (AE) reduction. There was no statistical difference between the recurrence rates after the 2 nonoperative procedures ( P = .08). Recurrent intussusception developed in 14 (3.0%) of 457 patients after operative manual reduction. Recurrence was not observed after intestinal resection for initial irreducible intussusception in 175 patients. The remaining 4 recurrent episodes occurred after spontaneous reduction. Of the 108 episodes of recurrence, BE and AE reductions were successful in 25 (96.2%) of 26 attempts and in 57 (92%) of 62 attempts, respectively. Seven patients had their first episode of intussusception treated surgically. All 7 when they recurred were successfully treated with either BE or AE reduction. Operative intervention was needed in 23 episodes of recurrent intussusception; 18 were reduced manually, and 5 required intestinal resection. Overall, 7 (9.3%) of the 75 recurrences had a pathologic lead point: colonic polyps in 4 cases and Meckel diverticulum in 3 cases. There were no deaths among the 75 patients with recurrent intussusception. Conclusions Recurrent intussusception should be initially treated by nonoperative reduction. Laparotomy is needed in cases with failure of BE or AE reduction, in cases with suspicion of a pathologic lead point, and in selected cases with several episodes of recurrence. The treatment of recurrent intussusception, in general, should be similar to that of primary intussusception.
Telomere biology in aging and cancer

It is thought that a limited investment by the body in many types of maintenance and repair causes aging. Cell turnover is one mechanism of replacing damaged cells, and cell division thus contributes to good repair, but the number of times cells can divide is limited to form a barrier against cancer. Precancerous cells must divide many times to accumulate all of the mutations needed to become malignant. Limiting the number of times they can divide helps prevent cancer. The mechanism for counting cell divisions lies in structures at the ends of the chromosomes called telomeres that shorten with every division, eventually causing cell aging. This shortening can be prevented and cells immortalized using the enzyme telomerase, which can elongate telomeres. Immortalizing all of the cells in the body might increase repair but would remove the barrier to malignancy and would probably cause premature death from cancer in many cases, although the ability to immortalize cells opens up enormous opportunities for using normal cells for therapeutic purposes in localized areas. Eventually, once better controls and treatments for cancer are available, cellular rejuvenation by manipulating telomeres may reduce some of the physiological declines that accompany aging. Such treatments should increase health span, but because replicative aging represents only one of many processes that may contribute to overall human aging, modest increases in life span are expected at best.
Brainstem Activation of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-β Receptor Modulates the Late Phase of the Hypoxic Ventilatory Response

The early phase of the biphasic ventilatory response to hypoxia in mammals is critically dependent on NMDA glutamate receptor activation within the nucleus of the solitary tract. However, the mechanisms underlying the subsequent development of the typical ventilatory roll-off are unclear and could underlie important roles in the functional and molecular adaptation to oxygen deprivation. Because the growth factor platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB can modulate the open channel probability of NMDA receptors by activating PDGF-beta receptors, its contribution to hypoxic ventilatory roll-off was examined. Administration of PDGF-BB, but not PDGF-AA, in the nucleus of the solitary tract was associated with significant attenuations of the early hypoxic ventilatory response in conscious rats. Furthermore, marked reductions in the magnitude of hypoxic ventilatory roll-off occurred in mice heterozygous for a mutation in the PDGF-beta receptor. Administration of a PDGF-beta receptor antagonist to wild-type littermates elicited similar declines in hypoxic ventilatory roll-off. The relative abundance of PDGF-beta receptors was confirmed in the nucleus of the solitary tract and other nuclei implicated in the hypoxic ventilatory response. In nucleus of the solitary tract lysates, PDGF-beta receptor tyrosine phosphorylation was temporally correlated with hypoxic ventilatory roll-off formation. Increased PDGF-B chain mRNA expression was induced by hypoxia in the nucleus of the solitary tract, and PDGF-B chain immunoreactivity colocalized with approximately 40% of nucleus of the solitary tract neurons, demonstrating hypoxia-induced c-Fos enhancements. Thus, PDGF-BB release and PDGF-beta receptor activation in the nucleus of the solitary tract are critical components of hypoxic ventilatory roll-off and may have important functional implications in processes underlying survival and acclimatization to hypoxic environments.
Angiotensin II and angiotensin-(1-7) decrease sFlt1 release in normal but not preeclamptic chorionic villi: an in vitro study

During preeclampsia, placental angiogenesis is impaired. Factors released from the placenta including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor (PLGF), soluble VEGF receptor 1 (sFlt1), and soluble endoglin (sEng) are regulatory molecules of placental development and function. While the renin angiotensin system has been shown to regulate angiogenic factors in other research fields, these mechanisms have not been extensively studied during pregnancy. We evaluated the effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) and angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] on the release of VEGF, PLGF, sFlt1, and sEng from placental chorionic villi (CV). CV were collected from nulliparous third-trimester normotensive and preeclamptic subjects. CV were incubated for 0, 2, 4, and 16 hours with or without Ang II (1 nM and 1 microM) or Ang-(1-7) (1 nM and 1 microM). The release of VEGF, PLGF, sFlt1, sEng, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and human placenta lactogen (HPL) was measured by ELISA. The release of sFlt1, PLGF, sEng from normal and preeclamptic CV increased over time. Release of sFlt1 and sEng was significantly higher from preeclamptic CV. VEGF was below the detectable level of the assay in normal and preeclamptic CV. After 2 hours, sFlt1 release from normal CV was significantly inhibited with Ang II (1 nM and 1 microM) and Ang-(1-7) (1 nM and 1 microM). There was a time-dependent increase in HPL indicating that the CV were functioning normally. Our study demonstrates a critical inhibitory role of angiotensin peptides on sFlt1 in normal pregnancy. Loss of this regulation in preeclampsia may allow sFlt1 to increase resulting in anti-angiogenesis and end organ damage in the mother.
Estrogen regulation of nitric oxide and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in immune cells: implications for immunity, autoimmune diseases, and apoptosis

Nitric oxide plays a central role in the physiology and pathology of diverse tissues including the immune system. It is clear that the levels of nitric oxide must be carefully regulated to maintain homeostasis. Appropriate levels of nitric oxide derived from iNOS assist in mounting an effective defense against invading microbes. Conversely, inability to generate nitric oxide results in serious, even fatal, susceptibility to infections. Further, dysregulation or overproduction of nitric oxide has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many disorders, including atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Therefore, depending upon the levels of nitric oxide generated, the potential exists for nitric oxide to behave like a "double-edged" biological sword. Taking these issues into consideration, it is thus pivotal to understand the regulation of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is regulated by many endogenous factors including hormones such as estrogens. While the effects of estrogen on the generation of nitric oxide in non-immune tissues are relatively well documented, the effect of estrogen on iNOS/nitric oxide in immune cells is only now becoming apparent. Our laboratory has recently shown that estrogen treatment of mice markedly upregulates the levels of iNOS mRNA, iNOS protein, and nitric oxide in activated splenocytes. This upregulation of nitric oxide is in part mediated through interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), a pro-inflammatory cytokine that is enhanced by estrogen. These findings are important considering that estrogens are not only involved in regulation of normal immune responses, but also are implicated in many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. To date, there are no reviews on the effects of estrogen on immune tissue-derived nitric oxide and therefore this review will address this critical gap in the literature. Given the increasing importance of immune-tissue-derived iNOS in health and disease, studies on estrogen-induced regulation of iNOS may offer a better understanding of diseases and aid in devising new therapeutic interventions.
Magnetic resonance imaging compatible robotic system for fully automated brachytherapy seed placement

Objectives To introduce the development of the first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible robotic system capable of automated brachytherapy seed placement.
Catalyst activity, stability, and transformations during oxidation in supercritical water

Abstract We used three different catalysts (bulk MnO 2 , bulk TiO 2 , and CuO/Al 2 O 3 ) to oxidize phenol in supercritical water in a tubular flow reactor. CuO/Al 2 O 3 was the most active of the three on a mass of catalyst basis whereas MnO 2 was the most active on an areal basis. All three catalysts largely maintained their activities for phenol disappearance and for CO 2 formation throughout more than 100 h of continuous use. MnO 2 and TiO 2 were stable in the sense that no Mn or Ti was detected in the reactor effluent. The CuO/Al 2 O 3 catalyst, on the other hand, was not stable. Both Cu and Al were detected in the reactor effluent. The bulk transition metal oxide materials experienced a 3–4-fold reduction in specific surface area after exposure to supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) conditions, whereas the supported CuO/Al 2 O 3 catalyst experienced a 20-fold reduction. Being used as an oxidation catalyst in supercritical water transformed the bulk MnO 2 into Mn 2 O 3 , the CuO catalyst into Cu 2 O, the Al 2 O 3 support into AlO(OH), and anatase TiO 2 into rutile TiO 2 . Of the three materials considered, bulk MnO 2 appears to be the best oxidation catalyst for supercritical water conditions. It is stable under reaction conditions, and it provided high activities and good activity maintenance.
Biophysical characteristics of gap junctions in vascular wall cells: implications for vascular biology and disease

The role gap junction channels play in the normal and abnormal functioning of the vascular wall is the subject of much research. The biophysical properties of gap junctions are an essential component in understanding how gap junctions function to allow coordinated relaxation and contraction of vascular smooth muscle. This study reviews the properties thus far elucidated and relates those properties to tissue function. We ask how biophysical and structural properties such as gating, permselectivity, subconductive states and channel type (heteromeric vs homotypic vs heterotypic) might affect vascular smooth muscle tone.
Vocational Rehabilitation of the Socially Disadvantaged: Demographic and Intellectual Correlates of Outcome

Data are reported relating various demographic and intelligence attributes of socially disadvantaged clients to successful or unsuccessful outcome of a comprehensive vocational assessment and guidance program. Mothers of illegitimate children tended to complete the assessment program but to remain unemployed. Age was positively related to success, whereas education was unrelated. Verbal and performance IQ were positively related to outcome for females. Successful Caucasian males were higher in verbal IQ than successful male Caucasians, but no difference was found for Negro males. Performance IQ was nonpredictive of outcome for both white and Negro males. Higher verbal than performance IQ was positively correlated with success for male Caucasians.
Compress-and-Forward Rates for the Gaussian Relay with ISI and Colored Noise

The achievable rate of a relay channel with inter- symbol interference and additive colored Gaussian noise is examined under an input power constraint and the compress-and-forward (CF) strategy at the relay. Using classical techniques, it is shown that the circular degraded relay channels is equivalent to that of the linear one in the limit of infinite block lengths. The achievable rate for CF for a circular Gaussian relay channel is equivalent to that of coupled collection of parallel, memoryless relay channels. Additionally, this parallel channel decomposition is shown to be information lossless for the evaluation of the CF rate.
Two-dimensional wavelet transform and application to holographic particle velocimetry

The goal of holographic particle velocimetry is to infer fluid velocity patterns from images reconstructed from doubly exposed holograms of fluid volumes seeded with small particles. The advantages offered by in-line holography in this context usually make it the method of choice, but seeding densities sufficient to achieve high spatial resolution in the sampling of the velocity fields cause serious degradation, through speckle, of the signal-to-noise ratio in the reconstructed images. The in-line method also leads to a great depth of field in paraxial viewing of reconstructed images, making it essentially impossible to estimate particle depth with useful accuracy. We present here an analysis showing that these limitations can be circumvented by variably scaled correlation, or wavelet transformation. The shift variables of the wavelet transform are provided automatically by the optical correlation methodology. The variable scaling of the wavelet transform derives, in this case, directly from the need to accommodate varying particle depths. To provide such scaling, we use a special optical system incorporating prescribed variability in spacings and focal length of lenses to scan through the range of particle depths. Calculation shows, among other benefits, improvement by approximately two orders of magnitude in depth resolution. A much higher signal-to-noise ratio together with faster data extraction and processing should be attainable.
A SiGe BiCMOS linear regulator with wideband, high power supply rejection

An improved biasing scheme for NMOS cascode structures for linear voltage regulators is proposed for mixed-signal communication systems. The proposed regulator achieves approximately 40 dB power supply rejection over wide frequency range, 15 mA load current regulation, and a regulated voltage temperature coefficient of 6 ppm/°C. This paper also presents a modified Gilbert cell SiGe-based HBT voltage reference circuit for the proposed regulator. The bandgap circuit demonstrates a simulated line regulation of 95 dB at DC, 70 dB at 1 MHz, and a reference voltage temperature coefficient of 2 ppm/°C. The proposed regulator has been designed for the IBM SiGe BiCMOS 0.35-μm process.
Incomplete IUS removal.

A 51-year-old woman was referred to my clinic to exchange her Mirena® intrauterine system (IUS). The IUS was inserted 8 years ago under local anaesthetic at the local hospital, as the general practitioner was unable to insert the IUS due to a tight cervix, as the woman's three births had all been by …
Trends in the CERES Dataset, 2000–13: The Effects of Sea Ice and Jet Shifts and Comparison to Climate Models

The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) observations of global top-of-atmosphere radiative energy fluxes for the period March 2000‐February 2013 are examined for robust trends and variability. The trend in Arctic ice is clearly evident in the time series of reflected shortwave radiation, which closelyfollowstherecordoficeextent.Thedataindicatethat,forevery10 6 km 2 decreaseinSeptemberseaice extent, annual-mean absorbed solar radiation averaged over 758‐908N increases by 2.5Wm 22 , or about 6Wm 22 between 2000 and 2012. CMIP5 models generally show a much smaller change in sea ice extent over the 1970‐2012 period, but the relationship of sea ice extent to reflected shortwave is in good agreement with recent observations. Another robust trend during this period is an increase in reflected shortwave radiation in the zonal belt from 458 to 658S. This trend is mostly related to increases in sea ice concentrations in the Southern Ocean and less directly related to cloudiness trends associated with the annular variability of the Southern Hemisphere. Models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) produce a scaling of cloud reflection to zonal wind increase that is similar to trend observations in regions separated from the direct effects of sea ice. Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) model responses over the Southern Ocean are not consistent with each other or with the observed shortwave trends in regions removed from the direct effect of sea ice.
Diffusion in Gallium Arsenide and GaAs-Based Layered Structures

The mechanisms of Ga self-diffusion can be derived from interdiffusion experiments in intrinsic and doped GaAs-based superlattices. These experiments allow to conclude that Ga self-diffusion in intrinsic and n-doped GaAs is carried by triply negatively charged gallium vacancies whereas in p-doped GaAs positively charged gallium self-interstitials dominate Ga self-diffusion. The diffusion mechanisms of Zn and Be are discussed with special emphasis on the difference between their in- and out-diffusion behavior which is due to diffusion-induced non-equilibrium point defects.
Multiplexed spectroscopy with holographic optical tweezers

We have developed a multiplexed holographic optical tweezers system with an imaging spectrometer to manipulate multiple optically trapped nanosensors and detect multiple fluorescence spectra. The system uses a spatial light modulator (SLM) to control the positions of infrared optical traps in the sample so that multiple nanosensors can be positioned into regions of interest. Spectra of multiple nanosensors are detected simultaneously with the application of an imaging spectrometer. Nanosensors are capable of detecting changes in their environment such as pH, ion concentration, temperature, and voltage by monitoring changes in the nanosensors' emitted fluorescence spectra. We use streptavidin labeled quantum dots bound to the surface of biotin labeled polystyrene microspheres to measure temperature changes by observing a corresponding shift in the wavelength of the spectral peak. The fluorescence is excited at 532 nm with a wide field source.
The Early Development of the Autonomic Nervous System Provides a Neural Platform for Social Behaviour: A Polyvagal Perspective

We present a biobehavioral model that explains the neurobiological mechanisms through which measures of vagal regulation of the heart (e.g., respiratory sinus arrhythmia) are related to infant self-regulatory and social engagement skills. The model describes the sequential development of the neural structures that provide a newborn infant with the ability to regulate physiological state in response to a dynamically changing postpartum environment. Initially, the newborn uses primitive brainstem-visceral circuits via ingestive behaviors as the primary mechanism to regulate physiological state. However, as cortical regulation of the brainstem improves during the first year of life, reciprocal social behavior displaces feeding as the primary regulator of physiological state. The model emphasizes two sequential phases in neurophysiological development as the fetus transitions to postpartum biological and social challenges: 1) the development of the myelinated vagal system during the last trimester, and 2) the development of cortical regulation of the brainstem areas regulating the vagus during the first year postpartum.
Do Adenosine A3 Receptors Cause Preconditioning

Since 1972 there has been a concerted search for an intervention which might make the heart resistant to infarction. Until recently, however, cardiologists have been largely frustrated in this attempt. Neither free radical scavengers, beta blockers, calcium antagonists nor anti-inflammatory agents could reproducibly limit infarction in the animal models (1–3). In 1986 Murry et al. (4) reported that the heart could be made resistant to infarction by a prior exposure to a sublethal ischemic insult. This natural adaptation exhibited by the heart has caused much of the cardiology community to ask the intriguing question: how does it do it? While intentionally preconditioning the heart with ischemia will probably never be a therapy for ischemic heart disease, the possibility of mimicking this effect pharmacologically may hold great promise.
Synthesis and in vivo stability studies of [18F]-zwitterionic phosphonium aryltrifluoroborate/indomethacin conjugates

With the goal of developing new positron emission tomography (PET) probes for imaging inflammation in cancer tumours, we have conjugated zwitterionic phosphonium aryltrifluoroborates as fluoride captors with indomethacin, a known cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor. The resulting conjugates have been radiolabeled by 18F–19F isotopic exchange in aqueous solutions. NMR studies combined with in vivo data show that the nature of the phosphonium substituents plays an important role on the stability of the radiotracers.
Feeding Assessment and Therapy for the Neurologically Impaired

This paper is concerned with a therapeutic approach to problems in feeding children with abnormal muscle tone and poor muscle coordination. Feeding therapy is intended to promote normal sensorimotor experience and maximum independence during feeding, as well as to assist in meeting the basic nutritional requirements of the neurologically impaired child. With regard to the goals of therapy, attention is given to means of assessment, intervention, and treatment. The Eating Assessment Tool is presented as an instrument for measuring progress in feeding behaviors.
European Union Trade and Investment Relations with Emerging Markets

Emerging market economies are an important trade and investment partner for the European Union (EU). We measure the EU comparative advantage in manufactured goods and high-technology products using first the actual exchange and growth rates, and then an approximate equilibrium exchange rate and potential growth rate. It turns out that the EU has a comparative advantage vis-a-vis all its trading partners except for the Asian economies. Subsequently, the paper examines EU investments in emerging markets which account for 33 per cent of all EU outward FDI. Finally, we show that the EU has a number of trade agreements with emerging market economies in effect or under negation.
INTERFACIAL INSTABILITY IN STRATIFIED FLOW

When heated water from a thermal power plant is discharged onto the free surface of an estuary or river, a density stratified flow consisting of superposed layers of hot and cold water is established. Such a flow is characterized by an initially stable interface at which there is zero velocity difference and a decaying density difference. Since it is known that after the density difference has decayed sufficiently the interface will be destroyed by turbulent eddies generated at the bottom boundary, it is pertinent to inquire if the point of interfacial stability can be easily located. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the question of interfacial stability in the presence of boundary generated turbulence and in the absence of interfacial shear. Although the problem of interfacial stability has been previously investigated, scant attention has been given to the case of a two layer flow without shear in the presence of boundary generated turbulence. Keulegan (1949) investigated a turbulent current of fresh water moving over a quiescent pool of saline water. He concluded that the stability of the interface could be adequately described by a single dimensionless parameter, the "Keulegan" number.
Injectable and Biodegradable Supramolecular Hydrogels by Inclusion Complexation between Poly(organophosphazenes) and α-Cyclodextrin

Biodegradable poly(organophosphazenes) containing side chains of various oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ethers (mPEGs) and glycine ethyl ester units were synthesized and characterized. Novel supramolecular-structured hydrogel systems based on the inclusion complex between the mPEG grafted polyphosphazenes and α-cyclodextrin were prepared in aqueous media. The gelation time depended on the length of the mPEG side chains, the molar ratio between mPEG repeat units and α-cyclodextrin, and the concentration of the polymeric gel precursors. The rheological measurements of the supramolecular hydrogels indicate a fast gelation process and flowable character under a large strain. The hydrogel systems demonstrate unique structure-related reversible gel–sol transition properties at a certain temperature due to the reversible supramolecular assembly. The formation of a channel-type inclusion complex induced gelation mechanism was studied by DSC, TGA, 13C CP/MAS NMR, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The strong potenti...
Simulations of sulfate–nitrate–ammonium (SNA) aerosols during the extremehaze events over northern China in October 2014

Abstract. Extreme haze events have occurred frequently over China in recent years. Although many studies have investigated the formation mechanisms associated with PM2.5 for heavily polluted regions in China based on observational data, adequately predicting peak PM2.5 concentrations is still challenging for regional air quality models. In this study, we evaluate the performance of one configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem) and use the model to investigate the sensitivity of heterogeneous reactions on simulated peak sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium concentrations in the vicinity of Beijing during four extreme haze episodes in October 2014 over the North China Plain. The highest observed PM2.5 concentration of 469 µg m−3 occurred in Beijing. Comparisons with observations show that the model reproduced the temporal variability in PM2.5 with the highest PM2.5 values on polluted days (defined as days in which observed PM2.5 is greater than 75 µg m−3), but predictions of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium were too low on days with the highest observed concentrations. Observational data indicate that the sulfur/nitric oxidation rates are strongly correlated with relative humidity during periods of peak PM2.5; however, the model failed to reproduce the highest PM2.5 concentrations due to missing heterogeneous/aqueous reactions. As the parameterizations of those heterogeneous reactions are not well established yet, estimates of SO2-to-H2SO4 and NO2/NO3-to-HNO3 reaction rates that depend on relative humidity were applied, which improved the simulation of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium enhancement on polluted days in terms of both concentrations and partitioning among those species. Sensitivity simulations showed that the extremely high heterogeneous reaction rates and also higher emission rates than those reported in the emission inventory were likely important factors contributing to those peak PM2.5 concentrations.
Identification of Amino Acids of the Torpedo Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Contributing to the Binding Site for the Noncompetitive Antagonist [3H]Tetracaine

[(3)H]Tetracaine is a noncompetitive antagonist of the Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) that binds with high affinity in the absence of cholinergic agonist (K(eq) = 0.5 microM) and weakly (K(eq) = 30 microM) in the presence of agonist (i.e., to nAChR in the desensitized state). In the absence of agonist, irradiation at 302 nm of nAChR-rich membranes equilibrated with [(3)H]tetracaine results in specific photoincorporation of [(3)H]tetracaine into each nAChR subunit. In this report, we identify the amino acids of each nAChR subunit specifically photolabeled by [(3)H]tetracaine that contribute to the high-affinity binding site. Subunits isolated from nAChR-rich membranes photolabeled with [(3)H]tetracaine were subjected to enzymatic digestion, and peptides containing (3)H were purified by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by reversed phase HPLC. N-terminal sequence analysis of the isolated peptides demonstrated that [(3)H]tetracaine specifically labeled two sets of homologous hydrophobic residues (alphaLeu(251), betaLeu(257), gammaLeu(260), and deltaLeu(265); alphaVal(255) and deltaVal(269)) as well as alphaIle(247) and deltaAla(268) within the M2 hydrophobic segments of each subunit. The labeling of these residues establishes that the high-affinity [(3)H]tetracaine-binding site is located within the lumen of the closed ion channel and provides a definition of the surface of the M2 helices facing the channel lumen.
Dietary change: prescription vs. goal setting.

This investigation assessed the effectiveness of two teaching strategies, dietary prescription (Diet-Directed [D-D]) and individual goal setting (Self-Directed [S-D]), on compliance with the U.S. Dietary Goals and Guidelines. College women, 18 to 30 years old, enrolled in a one-credit course that met for 1 hour and 15 minutes weekly for 10 weeks to learn the principles and application of the U.S. Dietary Goals and Guidelines. The D-D group received a prescribed diet; the S-D group learned goal-setting skills; and a Control group received no treatment. Caloric, total fat, and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) intake decreased significantly in both treatment groups. The D-D group reduced caloric, fat, and PUFA intake by week 5 and maintained those changes for the remainder of the experiment. The S-D group decreased caloric intake by the eighth week and decreased fat and PUFA intake between weeks 5 and 8. Those changes, however, were not maintained for the duration of the experiment. The results demonstrate that the study population made dietary changes in the direction of the U.S. Dietary Goals and Guidelines. Further investigations are required to assess the effectiveness of various teaching strategies on long-term dietary compliance.
“If That Would Have Happened”: The Moral Imperative of Environmental History

In 1969, South Carolina state officials announced plans to develop a BASF petrochemical factory near Hilton Head Island. However, local residents—both white and African American—mobilized a national campaign against the factory, eventually resulting in the withdrawal of the plans. Over time, the narrative of “BASF’s defeat” has become an important part of the region’s historiography, often presented as both a symbolic victory of stakeholders defeating special interests, as well as the unique and strong character of local environmental concerns. Importantly, too, the factory’s defeat shifted the regional political economy away from heavy industry toward the kind of exurban development that began on Hilton Head in the 1960s and continues today. In this chapter, we discuss this event and the place in which it occurred—Southern Beaufort County—to consider the role of historiography and narrative in exurban politics. Specifically, we explore discourses that have emerged from the defeat of the BASF factory to understand the way past events shape today’s landscape and normalize the vision and materialization of amenity-based development. Thus, we argue that the often taken-for-granted BASF moral narrative is mobilized as part of a broader discourse that legitimates a pattern of unequal geography on the development landscape of Southern Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Sedimente und Sedimentgesteine

Grose Bereiche der Erdoberflache einschlieslich des Meeresbodens werden von Sedimenten bedeckt. Diese Schichten aus Lockermaterial sind auf unterschiedliche Weise entstanden, die meisten aus der Verwitterung der Kontinente. Einige sind Ruckstande von Organismen, die Gehause aus mineralischer Substanz abgeschieden haben. Andere bestehen aus anorganischen Kristallen, die ausgefallt wurden, als die in Ozeanen und Binnenseen gelosten chemischen Substanzen miteinander reagierten und sich neue Minerale bildeten.
Domestic Workers Refusing Neo-Slavery in the UAE:

Dubai’s Kafala system regulates the lives, labors, and mobility of migrant domestic workers who have seen no new rights with reforms. this is how they resist.
Five-year outcomes from a prospective trial of image-guided accelerated hypofractionated proton therapy for prostate cancer.

AbstractPurpose: To report 5-year outcomes of a prospective trial of image-guided accelerated hypofractionated proton therapy (AHPT) for prostate cancer.Patients and methods: 215 prostate cancer patients accrued to a prospective institutional review board-approved trial of 70Gy(RBE) in 28 fractions for low-risk disease (n = 120) and 72.5Gy(RBE) in 29 fractions for intermediate-risk disease (n = 95). This trial excluded patients with prostate volumes of ≥60 cm3 or International Prostate Symptom Scores (IPSS) of ≥15, patients on anticoagulants or alpha-blockers, and patients in whom dose-constraint goals for organs at risk (OAR) could not be met. Toxicities were graded prospectively according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 3.0. This trial can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00693238).Results: Median follow-up was 5.2 years. Five-year rates of freedom from biochemical and clinical disease progression were 95.9%, 98.3%, and 92.7% in the overall group and the low- and int...