cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shuffling cards, adding numbers, and symmetric functions

Problems of riffle shuffling cards don't seem to have much to do with problems of analyzing "carries" when adding two integers base 10. Both subjects seem remote from modern algebraic combinatorics, where things like quasi-symmetric functions are all the rage. In this talk, I will review these three subjects and show that they are intimately related. For shuffling, I will review the "seven shuffles" theorem (with David Bayer) and extensions to modern casino shelf-shufflers (work with Susan Holmes and Jason Fulman). For carries, I will review the work of Knuth and Holte on the process of carries when m integers are added base 6. For symmetric functions, I will explain how much of combinatorics has been unified---theories of permutation enumeration, portions, and partially ordered sets are included.
Influence of body temperature on the evoked activity in mouse visual cortex

Optical imaging of intrinsic signals and conventional electrophysiological methods were used to investigate the correlation between the evoked activity in mouse visual cortex and core body temperature. The results show that hypothermia (25–36 °C) decreases the intensity of optical imaging in the visual cortex and the imaging signal reversibly disappears at 25 °C. Hyperthermia (39–41 °C) increases the intensity but decreases the quality of cortical imaging when body temperature is above 40 °C. The change of optical imaging was in line with that of neuronal activities and local field potentials (LFPs) directly recorded from the visual cortex at 25–39 °C. Hypothermia decreases neuron firing rate and LFPs amplitude. Most of the recorded neurons ceased firing to visual stimulation at 25 °C. Hyperthermia increases neuronal firing rate and LFPs amplitude. Both are reduced when body temperature is above 40 °C, though neither change was statistically significant. These results suggest: (1) Body temperature has an important impact on the visual cortical evoked activities and optical imaging generally reflects these effects when body temperature is between 25 and 39 °C; (2) Optical imaging may not properly reflect the neuronal activity when body temperature is over 40 °C. It is important to maintain core body temperature within 3 °C of the normal body temperature to obtain verifiable results.
Chemical thermodynamic representation of very nonstoichiometric phases: 〈Ceo2−x〉☆☆☆

The entire 〈CeO2−x〉† data base for the dependence of the nonstoichiometry, x, on temperature and chemical potential of oxygen (oxygen potential) was retrieved from the literature and represented by a thermodynamic method. The method resulted in partial molal Gibbs free energy quantities that are useful for any thermodynamic calculation involving 〈CeO2−x〉. It also accurately represents, for the first time, the complex behavior of the experimental data, including the low-temperature miscibility gap. The method appears to be generally applicable to many very nonstoichiometric phases.
A Statistical Framework for Post-Fabrication Oxide Breakdown Reliability Prediction and Management

Oxide breakdown has become an increasingly pressing reliability issue in modern very large scale integration design with ultrathin oxides. The conventional guard-band methodology assumes uniformly thin oxide thickness, resulting in overly pessimistic reliability estimation that severely degrades system performance. In this paper, we present the use of limited post-fabrication measurements of oxide thicknesses from on-chip sensors to aid in the chip-level oxide breakdown reliability management. A key challenge, which is the focus of this paper, is precisely predicting and managing the reliability condition of each chip with a limited number of measurements and quantifying the tradeoff between reliability margin and system performance. Given the post-fabrication measurements, chip oxide breakdown reliability can be formulated as a conditional distribution that allows one to achieve a significantly more accurate chip lifetime estimation. The estimation is then used to individually tune the supply voltage of each chip for performance maximization while maintaining or improving the reliability. Experimental results show that, by using 25 measurements, the proposed method can achieve an average of 19% performance improvement, and a 27% maximum for a design with up to 50 million devices, with an average operation time of approximately 0.4 s per chip.
A comparison of venation pattern development in wild type and a homeotic sepaloid petal mutant of Clarkia tembloriensis (Onagraceae)

Vascular system development in sepals, petals, and sepaloid petals was compared in wild-type and crinkled petal mutant plants of Clarkia tembloriensis. Patterns of vascularization in cleared whole mounts were visualized and traced under both brightfield and polarizing illumination. Wild-type sepals exhibited a basipetal pattern of maturation, with tracheary elements maturing relatively rapidly. Mature sepals had three primary veins with numerous secondary veins. In contrast, wild-type petals exhibited an acropetal pattern of maturation, with tracheary elements maturing relatively slowly. The mature petals had only one primary vein with numerous secondary veins. Sepaloid (crinkled) petals combined characteristics of both wildtype sepals and wild-type petals. They exhibited a basipetal pattern of development and a relatively rapid maturation of the tracheary elements characteristic of wild-type sepals. Venation architecture in crinkled petal mutants showed a single primary vein with numerous secondary veins, similar to wild-type petals. The crinkled petal mutant fits the definition of a homeotic mutant in that the petal has assumed characteristics of the sepal. However, homeotic transformation from petal to sepal is incomplete since the crinkled petal still retains many of the characteristics of wild-type petals
A cooperative study of cerebrovascular disease; methodology and a preliminary report on the use of anticoagulants.

Great interest continues in the treatment of cerebrovascular vascular accidents with anticoagulant agents. This paper presents a preliminary report of a cooperative study of this subject and indicates the methodology and protocol of the study, problems inherent in it, and preliminary findings of the first two years, without drawing definite conclusions.
Studies of sub-cellular distribution of γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamic decarboxylase in mouse brain

Abstract A study has been made of the γaminobutyric acid (γABA) content and l -glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) activity of various subcellular fractions prepared from homogenates of mouse brain in a sucrose density gradient. Portions of the fractions studied chemically also were examined morphologically by electron microscopy. The largest proportions of the sedimentable γABA and GAD were found to be associated with fractions consisting predominantly of nerve-ending fragments. The distribution of γABA and GAD did not coincide among these fractions, which were shown by electron microscopy to be morphologically heterogeneous.
Exhaled Pentane Levels in Acute Asthma

Background Exhaled pentane, a product of lipid peroxidation, has been proposed as an objective, nonspecific, and noninvasive marker of active inflammation. Reactive oxygen species, which elicit lipid peroxidation, are increased in asthma and contribute to airway dysfunction. Objective To determine whether exhaled pentane levels are increased in acute asthma, and whether they decrease once acute asthma subsides. Methods Expired air was collected through a mouthpiece into a pentane-impermeable collection bag from 12 patients (40±5 years; mean±SEM) presenting to the emergency department of the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago with acute asthma. Exhaled air was also collected after discharge from the hospital once acute asthma subsided. Eleven patients with stable asthma (40±5 years) and 17 healthy volunteers (31±5 years) served as control subjects. Exhaled air and ambient room air were analyzed for pentane content by gas chromatography. Peak expiratory flow rates were determined in each subject. Results Peak expiratory flow rates were 202±29 L/min during acute asthma and 327±26 L/min once acute asthma subsided (p 0.05). No pentane was detected in ambient air. Conclusion Exhaled pentane levels are increased in patients with acute asthma and decrease significantly once acute asthma subsides.
On-line error compensation of coordinate measuring machines

Abstract An on-line error compensation system for coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) is described, which is based on three laser optical Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Measurement Systems (MDFM systems), each for one axis of CMMs. Twelve of the twenty-one error components associated with a CMM are measured on-line by these MDFM systems. The remaining error components are measured by off-line methods which use commercially available measurement systems, such as a laser interferometer. Two mathematical error models have been developed to synthesize the error components and to predict the errors at the probe stylus tip. One model corresponds to the conventional off-line error compensation and the other to the on-line error compensation. The errors predicted by these models are then subtracted from the nominal coordinates of the CMM, thus improving its measurement accuracy. Diagonal tests using a laser interferometer system were designed to check the error compensation effect. Test results showed that the use of the on-line compensation system can further improve the compensation effect as compared with the conventional off-line compensation system.
EMP2 regulates angiogenesis in endometrial cancer cells through induction of VEGF

Understanding tumor-induced angiogenesis is a challenging problem with important consequences for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In this study, we define a novel function for epithelial membrane protein-2 (EMP2) in the control of angiogenesis. EMP2 functions as an oncogene in endometrial cancer, and its expression has been linked to decreased survival. Using endometrial cancer xenografts, modulation of EMP2 expression resulted in profound changes to the tumor microvasculature. Under hypoxic conditions, upregulation of EMP2 promoted vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) expression through a HIF-1α-dependent pathway and resulted in successful capillary-like tube formation. In contrast, reduction of EMP2 correlated with reduced HIF-1α and VEGF expression with the net consequence of poorly vascularized tumors in vivo. We have previously shown that targeting of EMP2 using diabodies in endometrial cancer resulted in a reduction of tumor load, and since then we have constructed a fully human EMP2 IgG1. Treatment of endometrial cancer cells with EMP2-IgG1 reduced tumor load with a significant improvement in survival. These results support the role of EMP2 in the control of the tumor microenvironment and confirm the cytotoxic effects observed by EMP2 treatment in vivo.
Pyruvate carboxylase from rat liver: catalytic properties in the absence, and at low concentrations, of acetyl-CoA.

Abstract Initial velocity studies of the reaction catalyzed by pyruvate carboxylase from rat liver have defined the properties of oxalacetate synthesis in the absence of acetyl-CoA. The maximal rate of oxalacetate synthesis under these conditions is 21% of that observed in the presence of saturating concentrations of this activator. The studies have also indicated that marked changes are observed in the apparent KM (HCO3−), or velocity/concentration profile (MgATP2−), for the substrates of the carboxylation partial reaction as a function of [acetyl-CoA] over the range 0 – 10μM with little change in the apparent VMAX.
Life-History and Habits in Newfoundland of Swammerdamia lutarea (Haw.) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae), a Pest New to North America

In June, 1954, hawthorn trees and shrubs in St. John's, Newfoundland, were severely attacked by small leaf-eating caterpillars. Larvae were talzen from a hawthorn tree, Cratageus sp., at Bowring Park, St. John's West, during the first week of July, 1954, and reared in the laboratory. Moths that emerged were identified as of Swammerdamia lutarea (Haw.) by Dr. T. N. Freeman, Entomology Research Institute, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, who also noted (in litt.) that this was apparently the first record of the species in North America. Dr. L. G. Davis (in litt.), Economic Insect Survey Section, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., later confirmed this observation. Swammerdamia lutarea is now common throughout St. John's and has also been found at Brigus, approximately 50 miles to the west.
Iron contents of muscle meat and liver in alpine and Nubian goats

Abstract Concentrations of nonheme, heme and total iron in livers and longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles of meat from 13 Alpine and 12 Nubian goats were evaluated by chemical analysis and atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and differences in levels of the three forms of iron between breeds, sexes and types of muscle were investigated. The respective mean contents (μg/g wet weight) of nonheme, heme and total iron for the pooled data of Alpine and Nubian goats were 12.9 and 12.4; 30.7 and 24.1; and 45.8 and 37.4, indicating that Alpines had slightly higher levels of iron which were statistically not different from Nubians. Likewise, differences in iron levels between sexes were not significant, although doelings had slightly higher iron contents than bucks. Levels of the three forms of iron in livers, regardless of breeds or sexes, were significantly ( P
A new plasminogen receptor.

Efficient activation of the fibrinolytic pathway occurs when plasminogen and its activators are sequestered on the cell surface. Identification of receptors responsible for localizing plasminogen to the cell surface has been elusive. Using a proteomics approach, Andronicos and colleagues have identified a novel 17-kDa transmembrane receptor, termed Plg-RKT, that binds plasminogen with high affinity and promotes its activation.1
Growth of vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays using bilayered metal catalysts

Vertically aligned, high-density ZnO nanowires (NWs) were grown for the first time on c-plane sapphire using binary alloys of Ni/Au or Cu/Au as the catalyst. The growth was performed under argon gas flow and involved the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth process. We have investigated various ratios of catalyst components for the NWs growth and results indicate that very thin adhesion layers of Ni or Cu deposited prior to the Au layer are not deleterious to the ZnO NW array growth. Significant improvement of the Au adhesion on the substrate was noted, opening the potential for direct catalyst patterning of Au and subsequent NW array growth. Additionally, we found that an increase of in thickness of the Cu adhesion layer results in the simultaneous growth of NWs and nanoplates (NPs), indicating that in this case the growth involves both the VLS and vapor-solid (VS) growth mechanisms. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies were also performed to characterize the resulting ZnO NW arrays, indicating that the NWs grown using a thin adhesion layer of Ni or Cu under the Au show comparable SERS enhancement to those of the pure Au-catalyzed NWs.
Voters' reasoning processes and media influences during the Persian Gulf War

Voters engage in complex reasoning processes in deriving their policy preferences. Such reasoning processes take place in the environment of media helping to construct the discourse of an issue. To demonstrate the reasoning processes and media influences on the processes, this study analyzes the panel data gathered from a national probability sample before and after the Persian Gulf War. The results show a process of forming one's support of the Bush administration's Gulf War policies that involved feelings toward Bush, patriotic feelings, and acceptance of the official statements of U.S. foreign policy goals. These positive contributors are all related to heavier exposure to television news. Respondents' level of public affairs information and exposure to newspaper public affairs functioned as a contingent factor in the reasoning processes: Those at the upper half of the scale showed a greater emphasis on ideology and negative emotional reactions to the destruction of the war in forming their support of the Bush administration's Gulf War policies. The importance of the homogeneity in the discourse of the issue is further demonstrated by the effects of the news media exposure on higher likelihood of dissent concerning the end of the war.
High-Involvement Work Practices, Turnover, and Productivity: Evidence from New Zealand

Study results indicate a positive association between use of high-involvement work practices and employee retention and firm productivity. A disordinal interaction was indicated: employee turnover was associated with decreased productivity when use of high-involvement work practices was high and with increased productivity when use of these practices was low.
ANGIOTENSIN ALTERATIONS INDUCED BY ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

. Angiotensin is readily inactivated by ultraviolet light presumably due to the photosensitivity of its tyrosyl and phenylalanyl residues. Alkalinity promotes and acidity delays the biological decomposition. Under conditions of oxygen exclusion (i.e. under N2 or H2) the rate of decomposition is further depressed and when irradiation is carried out under hydrogen a biologically active product is formed. This altered angiotensin, judging from its chromatographic migration and dialysis rate, represents a polymerized form of angiotensin. Under identical irradiation conditions, angiotensin was coupled with C14 labelled pheny-lalanine which indicates that this residue might be the photoreactive species. The production of altered forms of angiotensin by ultraviolet irradiation was discussed with respect to possible utility in anti-metabolite, antigen or tracer work.
Stent graft migration after endovascular aneurysm repair: importance of proximal fixation.

Abstract Objective We reviewed the incidence of stent-graft migration after endovascular aneurysm repair in a prospective multicenter trial and identified factors that may predispose to such migration. Methods All patients who received treatment during the course of the multicenter AneuRx clinical trial were reviewed for evidence of stent-graft migration over 5 years, from 1996 to 2001. Post-deployment distance from the renal arteries to the proximal end of the stent graft and the proximal fixation length (length of the infrarenal neck covered by the stent graft) were determined in patients for whom pre-procedure and post-procedure computed tomography scans were measured in an independent core laboratory. Results Stent-graft migration was reported in 94 of 1119 patients, with mean time after device implantation of 30 ± 11 months. Freedom from migration was 98.6% at 1 year, 93.4% at 2 years, and 81.2% at 3 years (Kaplan-Meier method). Subset (n = 387) analysis revealed that initial device deployment was lower in 47 patients with migration, as evidenced by a greater renal artery to stent-graft distance (1.1 ± 0.7 cm), compared with 340 patients without migration (0.8 ± 0.6 cm; P = .006) on post-implantation computed tomography scan. Proximal fixation length was shorter in patients with migration (1.6 ± 1.4 cm) compared with patients without migration (2.3 ± 1.4 cm; P = .005). There was significant variation in migration rate among clinical sites ( P P = .001) and proximal fixation length ( P = .005) were significant predictors of migration, and that each millimeter increase in distance below the renal arteries increased risk for subsequent migration by 5.8% and each millimeter increase in proximal fixation length decreased risk for migration by 2.5%. Pre-implantation aortic neck length, neck diameter, degree of device oversizing, correct versus incorrect oversizing, device type (stiff vs flexible), placement of proximal extender cuffs at the original procedure, and post-procedure endoleak were not significant predictors of migration. Migration was treated with placement of extender modules in 23 patients and surgical conversion in 7 patients; 64 patients (68%) with migration have required no treatment. Conclusions Stent-graft migration among patients treated in the AneuRx clinical trial appears to be largely related to low initial deployment of the device, below the renal arteries, and short proximal fixation length. Significant variation in migration rate among clinical sites highlights the importance of the technical aspects of stent-graft deployment. Advances in intraoperative imaging and deployment techniques that have been made since completion of the clinical trial facilitate precision of device placement below the renal arteries and should increase proximal fixation length. Whether this, together with increased iliac fixation length, will result in lower risk for migration remains to be determined in long-term follow-up studies.
The Anatomy of Industrial Decline: Productivity, Investment, and Location in U.S. Manufacturing

The article reviews the book “The Anatomy of Industrial Decline: Productivity, Investment, and Location in U.S. Manufacturing,” by John E. Ullmann.
Information exchanges associated with Internet travel marketplaces

The traditional means of procuring airline tickets and associate travel arrangements are rapidly changing. The advent and proliferation of computers, coupled with the increasingly acceptable leveraging of the Internet has caused some major changes in the travel industry. These changes are primarily being facilitated by Internet travel marketplaces (such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelvelocity) that claim to provide an easier, less expensive alternative to traditional methods of ticket procurement without sacrificing service quality. If travel marketplaces are to be successful then they need to understand their customers and what the motivations behind their actions when it comes to shopping for discount travel. However, there are required information exchanges on the part of both the service provider and the consumer that are not without perceived risks and required a sense of mutual trust. This paper looked at online consumer behavior as it pertains to e‐travel through the theoretical perspectives of expectancy theory and the technical acceptance model by inspecting selected motives and experiences of the consumer and specifically what these Web sites offer.
In‐room display of day and time patient is anticipated to leave hospital: A “discharge appointment”

BACKGROUND: We learned from a focus group that many patients find discharge to be one of the least satisfying elements of the hospital experience. Patients cited insufficient communication about the day and time of the impending discharge as a cause of dissatisfaction. OBJECTIVE: In partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Improvement Action Network collaborative, we tested the practicality of an in-room “discharge appointment” (DA) display. SETTING AND PATIENTS: Eight inpatient care units in 2 hospitals at an academic medical center (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN). INTERVENTION: DA displayed on a specially designed bedside dry-erase board. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was the proportion of discharged patients who had been given a DA, including same-day DAs. Secondary outcomes were (1) the proportion of DAs scheduled before the actual dismissal day and (2) the timeliness of the actual departure compared with the DA. RESULTS: During the 4-month period, 2046 patients were discharged. Of those, 1256 patients (61%) were given a posted DA, of which 576 (46%) were scheduled at least a day in advance and 752 (60%) departed from the care unit within 30 minutes of the appointed time. CONCLUSIONS: With a program for in-room display of a DA in various hospital units, more than half the patients had a DA set, and most of the DA patients departed on time. Further investigation is needed to determine the effect of DAs on patient and provider satisfaction. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2007;2:13–16. © 2007 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Mechanical Behavior of Ti-6Al-4V Manufactured by Electron Beam Additive Fabrication

Additive Layer Fabrication, in particular Electron Beam Additive Fabrication (EBAF), has recently drawn much attention for its special usability to fabricate intricately designed parts as a whole. It not only increases the production rate which reduces the production lead time but also reduces the cost by minimizing the amount of waste material to a great extent. Ti6Al4V is the most common type of material that is currently being fabricated using EBAF technique. This material has been used in aerospace industry for several reasons such as excellent mechanical properties, low density, great resistance to corrosion, and non-magnetism. The effects of build direction of layers (namely, addition of layers along one of the x, y & z directions with respect to the build table) and the anisotropy effect caused by it has not been explored vigorously. This anisotropy effect has been investigated in this work. Different mechanical properties such as Yield Strength (YS), Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS), and Modulus of Elasticity (E) of these three types of Ti6Al4V are determined using tensile tests and are compared with literature. The tensile test results show that YS and UTS for flat-build samples have distinguishably higher values than those of the side-build and top-build samples.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
SIR epidemics on random graphs with a fixed degree sequence

Let Δ > 1 be a fixed positive integer. For \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}{\textbf{ {z}}} \in \mathbb{R}_+^\Delta\end{align*} \end{document} **image** let Gz be chosen uniformly at random from the collection of graphs on ∥z∥1n vertices that have zin vertices of degree i for i = 1,…,Δ. We determine the likely evolution in continuous time of the SIR model for the spread of an infectious disease on Gz, starting from a single infected node. Either the disease halts after infecting only a small number of nodes, or an epidemic spreads to infect a linear number of nodes. Conditioning on the event that more than a small number of nodes are infected, the epidemic is likely to follow a trajectory given by the solution of an associated system of ordinary differential equations. These results also give the likely number of nodes infected during the course of the epidemic and the likely length in time of the epidemic. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2012 © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
How to be effective in a process safety role

Many factors contribute to being capable and effective in process safety roles. Certainly, understanding of engineering and process safety is desirable to establish basic technical competence. Ultimately, true capability and career success also requires the ability to work within an organization to help achieve superior and effective performance. This article discusses how to be effective in a process safety role by developing a strong foundation of technical knowledge and capability, by learning to influence the organization, and by thinking and communicating independently. The result should be career success as well as improved process safety performance, helping to prevent serious injuries and incidents. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf, 2012.
Boron- and phosphorus-doped silicon germanium alloy nanocrystals—Nonthermal plasma synthesis and gas-phase thin film deposition

Alloyed silicon-germanium (SiGe) nanostructures are the topic of renewed research due to applications in modern optoelectronics and high-temperature thermoelectric materials. However, common techniques for producing nanostructured SiGe focus on bulk processing; therefore little is known of the physical properties of SiGe nanocrystals (NCs) synthesized from molecular precursors. In this letter, we synthesize and deposit thin films of doped SiGe NCs using a single, flow-through nonthermal plasma reactor and inertial impaction. Using x-ray and vibrational analysis, we show that the SiGe NC structure appears truly alloyed for Si1−xGex for 0.16 < x < 0.24, and quantify the atomic dopant incorporation within the SiGe NC films.
Not all sudden death is the same.

Sudden death as a result of cardiac arrhythmia is probably the most common symptom associated with cardiac disease. It occurs not only in people with known cardiac disease, most notably congestive heart failure, but also in young, apparently healthy individuals who have no apparent structural heart disease. Frequently, in this latter group, these fatal arrhythmias are associated with exercise and increased β-adrenergic stimulation. One possible mechanism for how these arrhythmias could occur in otherwise “normal” individuals is an aberrant release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), which in turn could cause delayed afterdepolarizations1 that can trigger potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmias. Unlike skeletal muscle, where excitation-contraction coupling (EC coupling) is intermittent and mediated through a mechanical coupling between the slow voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (dihydropyridine receptor, DHPR) in the sarcolemma and the skeletal isoform of the large-conductance calcium release channel in the SR (ryanodine receptor, RyR), RyR1 in cardiac muscle EC coupling is rhythmic and the cardiac isoform of RyR (RyR2) is activated by the inward Ca2+ influx through the cardiac DHPR via Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR).2 In the heart, RyR2 does not act in a vacuum but rather is part of a macromolecular complex containing the immunophilin FKBP12.6, phosphorylases, and phosphatases,3 in addition to the DHPR and several other proteins including calsequestrin, triadin, junctin, and junctophilin, to name only a few, that make up the calcium release unit (CRU).4 Heart failure has been associated with disruption of this macromolecular complex secondary to hyperphosphorylation of RyR2 and the associated dissociation of FKBP12.6.5 Interestingly, mice that carry two null alleles for FKBP12.6 have been shown to have exercise- and catecholamine-induced fatal ventricular arrhythmias suggesting that this is a crucial subunit …
Parallel simulation of timed Petri-nets

The authors consider the problem of using a parallel computer to execute discrete-event simulation of timed Petri-nets. They first develop synchronization and simulation algorithms for this task, and discuss a parallelized Petri-net simulator which has been implemented on an Intel iPSC/2 distributed memory multiprocessor. A graphics-based front-end for the simulator, used to build timed Petri-net models, is described. Empirical studies of the simulator's performance on a variety of timed Petri-net models are described. >
Phonon Dispersions of a Single-Wall (8,0) Carbon Nanotube: Effects of the Rotational Acoustic Sum Rule and of Surface Attachment

The lattice dynamics of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) is studied from first- principles using density-functional perturbation theory (DFPT) at the GGA-PBE level. The phonon dispersions of a pristine, infinite zigzag (8,0) SWCNT are obtained and the effect of applying the rotational acoustic sum rule on vibrational properties is discussed. Finally we study the effects of covalent functionalizations on the SWCNT phonon frequencies by selectively increasing the effective mass of the carbon atoms that would link to the functional groups.
RF MEMS switches and switch circuits

MEMS switches are devices that use mechanical movement to achieve a short circuit or an open circuit in the RF transmission line. RF MEMS switches are the specific micromechanical switches that are designed to operate at RF-to-millimeter-wave frequencies (0.1 to 100 GHz). The forces required for the mechanical movement can be obtained using electrostatic, magnetostatic, piezoelectric, or thermal designs. To date, only electrostatic-type switches have been demonstrated at 0.1-100 GHz with high reliability (100 million to 10 billion cycles) and wafer-scale manufacturing techniques. It is for this reason that this article will concentrate on electrostatic switches.
Osseous Metaplasia in an Inflammatory Polyp of the Rectum: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Osseous metaplasia is a rare finding in colonic neoplasms. We report a case osseous metaplasia in a 74 year-old male who underwent surveillance colonoscopy and found to have a 7 mm rectal polyp. Histopathologic examination revealed an inflammatory polyp with osseous metaplasia.
Dispersal potential and population genetic structure in the marine intertidal of the eastern North Pacific

Population genetic theory and empirical comparisons of sister and sympatric marine species show that life history traits related to dispersal, such as pelagic duration (PD), should affect the frequency and spatial scale of migration, and thus influence population genetic structure. However, recent global analyses have concluded that PD is poorly correlated with marine population genetic structure. Here, we identify and compare genetic structure between four pairs of synchronously diverging co-distributed (SDC) species, drawn from standardized analyses of eight eastern North Pacific rocky intertidal invertebrates and one macrophyte. We test two hypotheses: H0, that species with similar dispersal potential have similar population genetic structure, and H1, that species with higher dispersal potential have lower population genetic differentiation. We find that differences in census population size (Nc), fecundity (F), and PD are sufficient to explain measured differences in population genetic structure (ϕST,...
Hormonal responses to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) are undiminished by acute m-CPP pretreatment.

Two challenges with meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP, 0.5 mg/kg, p.o.) were performed in healthy volunteers to test the short-term stability of hormonal responses. Challenges were performed in an identical fashion and were conducted on sequential days. Circulating m-CPP plasma levels, as well as prolactin and cortisol responses to m-CPP, were correspondingly similar in magnitude on the 2 days. These data suggest that both prolactin and cortisol responses to single oral administrations of m-CPP are stable over at least a 24-h period.
An approach to ground moving target indication (GMTI) using multiple resolutions of the clutter covariance matrix

This paper presents an approach to simultaneous ground moving target indication (GMTI) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging that promises to outperform current space-time adaptive processing (STAP) GMTI techniques when jamming is not present. An inherent weakness in STAP is its inability to directly estimate the scattering statistics from nonmoving objects in the region under test. A SAR image is a measure of the scattering intensity from an illuminated area on Earth assuming everything in the scene is stationary; therefore, it provides the estimate of scattering from nonmoving targets required for GMTI. Since the homogeneity of the scattering statistics over the scene are unknown, using multiple spatial resolutions of the SAR image to estimate the scattering statistics results in more confidence in the final detection decision.
Non-negative cd-coefficients of Gorenstein* posets

We give a convolution formula for cd-index coefficients. The convolution formula, together with the proof by Davis and Okun of the Charney-Davis Conjecture in dimension 3, imply that certain cd-coefficients are non-negative for all Gorenstein^* posets. Additional coefficients are shown to be non-negative by interpreting them in terms of the top homology of certain Cohen-Macaulay complexes. In particular we verify, up to rank 6, Stanley's conjecture that the coefficients in the cd-index of a Gorenstein^* ranked poset are non-negative.
STATES, MODELS AND INFORMATION: A RECONSIDERATION OF ELLSBERG'S PARADOX

We show that a general process of decision making involves un- certainty about two dierent sets: the domain of the acts and another set, which we call the set of models for the decision maker. We study the eect of dierent information structures on the set of models, and prove the existence of a dichotomy: either the decision maker's ranking of the acts obeys Subjec- tive Expected Utility theory or there are many events to which probabilities cannot be assigned. We use this result to formalize the idea of Knightian Uncertainty. The relevance of information structures associated to Knightian Uncertainty is shown by means of examples, one of which is a version of Ells- berg's experiments. Our …ndings show that a decision maker faces, generally speaking, uncertainties of two dierent types -"uncertainty about which state obtains" and "uncertainty about how the world works" - and that Savage's theory considers only uncertainty of the …rst type. Finally, in situations of Knightian Uncertainty, we identify the class of events to which probabilities can be assigned, and study the relation with the class of unambiguous events in the sense of (13) and (25).
Effect of Fast Shearing on the Residual Shear Strengths Measured Along Pre-Existing Shear Surfaces in Kaolinite

Several studies have been performed to evaluate the shear-rate dependency of the residual shear strength for clayey soils. From these studies, two general hypotheses have been proposed to explain the changes in shear strength that are observed at varying shear displacement rates: (1) changes in shear strength can be attributed to changes in the effective normal stress that are caused by development of shear-induced pore water pressures, and (2) changes in shear strength can be attributed to changes in the "mode of shearing". In order to illustrate the effect of the shear displacement rate on measured shear strengths, slow and fast ring shear tests were performed using the Bromhead ring shear device, on pre-sheared discontinuities in kaolinite. In the Bromhead ring shear device, it is difficult to measure the induced pore water pressure directly; consequently, this paper focuses on the effect of changes in the "mode of shearing". A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) imaging technique was used in this study, with magnifications in the range of 25X to more than 100000X. Comparisons between the image results and measured shear strengths are performed, and the relative contribution of the shear mode to the measured shear strengths is discussed.
Comparison of [18F]altanserin and [18F]deuteroaltanserin for PET imaging of serotonin2A receptors in baboon brain: pharmacological studies

The regional distribution in brain, distribution volumes, and pharmacological specificity of the PET 5-HT2A receptor radiotracer [18F]deuteroaltanserin were evaluated and compared to those of its non-deuterated derivative [18F]altanserin. Both radiotracers were administered to baboons by bolus plus constant infusion and PET images were acquired up to 8 h. The time-activity curves for both tracers stabilized between 4 and 6 h. The ratio of total and free parent to metabolites was not significantly different between radiotracers; nevertheless, total cortical RT (equilibrium ratio of specific to nondisplaceable brain uptake) was significantly higher (34–78%) for [18F]deuteroaltanserin than for [18F]altanserin. In contrast, the binding potential (Bmax/KD) was similar between radiotracers. [18F]Deuteroaltanserin cortical activity was displaced by the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist SR 46349B but was not altered by changes in endogenous 5-HT induced by fenfluramine. These findings suggest that [18F]deuteroaltanserin is essentially equivalent to [18F]altanserin for 5-HT2A receptor imaging in the baboon.
Features of Rhodobacter sphaeroides CcmFH

In this study, the in vivo function and properties of two cytochrome c maturation proteins, CcmF and CcmH from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, were analyzed. Strains lacking CcmH or both CcmF and CcmH are unable to grow under anaerobic conditions where c-type cytochromes are required, demonstrating their critical role in the assembly of these electron carriers. Consistent with this observation, strains lacking both CcmF and CcmH are deficient in c-type cytochromes when assayed under permissive growth conditions. In contrast, under permissive growth conditions, strains lacking only CcmH contain several soluble and membrane-bound c-type cytochromes, albeit at reduced levels, suggesting that this bacterium has a CcmH-independent route for their maturation. In addition, the function of CcmH that is needed to support anaerobic growth can be replaced by adding cysteine or cystine to growth media. The ability of exogenous thiol compounds to replace CcmH provides the first physiological evidence for a role of this protein in thiol chemistry during c-type cytochrome maturation. The properties of R. sphaeroides cells containing translational fusions between CcmF and CcmH and either Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase or β-galactosidase suggest that they are each integral cytoplasmic membrane proteins with their presumed catalytic domains facing the periplasm. Analysis of CcmH shows that it is synthesized as a higher-molecular-weight precursor protein with an N-terminal signal sequence.
An Evaluation of a Community Oriented Primary Care Programme for Medical Students

Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) has been demonstated to be a worthwhile approach to health care. Medical educators, however, have been slow to respond with curriculum changes that will facilitate the entry of medical school graduates into COPC. This paper describes a programme at the University of Washington that has a COPC focus with emphasis on care to the medically unders-erved. Analysis of this study's evaluation strategy suggests improvements to be incorporated into future research.1
All of the World Is a Laboratory

Most scientists understand that distilling a meaningful message to fit a very short time at the podium is a greater challenge than preparing or delivering hours of discourse on a topic. A similar challenge is trying to write an introduction for a volume dealing with topics as important to science as the discussions that appear in this issue of ILAR Journal. In the very brief descriptions below, I have tried to select words that are meaningful and will inspire everyone who picks up this issue to read it carefully, to use the information it contains, and to keep it in their thoughts as they go about their daily efforts to advance science. The articles herein take readers back to an arena of science that perhaps has been neglected in recent years. The topic was inspired in many ways by the development of the preceding issue conceived by philosopher Lilly-Marlene Russow and titled Behavioral Research Outside the Laboratory. Both issues have similar goals—to encourage scientists to think “outside the box” (i.e., beyond the confines of the commonly accepted definition of the traditional laboratory). My eagerness to assemble an issue devoted to addressing questions faced by field scientists and the members of institutional animal care and use committees (IACUCs 1 ) who attempt to evaluate these types of studies is undoubtedly based on a number of philosophical ponderings and observations. Tantamount, of course, is the scalar concept of “the world as a laboratory.” To ponder this concept, it is logical first to define “science.” I recently began to notice that an increasing number of my colleagues have become intrigued with the definition of science and its often narrow focus, compared with the pedagogical “Five Steps.” It appears that the first three steps I learned as a middle school science student (Observe, Identify a Problem, and Gather Data) have nearly disappeared from the accepted scientific process. Only the last two steps (Form a Hypothesis, and Test the Hypothesis) seem to be recognized as scientific activities that are worthy of funding. One colleague whom I personally admire even goes so far as to accept as science only the testing of a null hypothesis. I tend to fall in with the camp that believes this narrowing
Sure, but Who has the Energy? The Importance of Location for Knowledge Transfer in the Energy Sector

Using over 250,000 U.S. patent citations, we test whether knowledge transfers in the energy sector are sensitive to distance, and whether that sensitivity has changed over time. Controlling for self-citation by inventor, assignee and examiner, multivariate regression analysis shows that physical distance is becoming less important for spillovers with time.
Preparturient behavior of confined ewes: time budgets, frequencies, spatial distribution and sequential analysis

The objective of this study was to determine and quantify the pattern of behavioral changes which occur prior to parturition in sheep. A total of 15 ewes were observed continually for 12 h prior to lambing using time-lapse video recordings. During observations, ewes were housed in a group of eight in a 2.7 m×8.8 m pen. All observable behaviors were recorded with an electronic event recorder. Time budgets and frequencies of behaviors were determined for each 2 h period. Two event sequences for 20 different behaviors were tallied and pooled across ewes for each period. Spatial distributions of the focal ewe and the group were recorded at 5 min intervals for the 12 h prepartum. Ewes spent more time standing during the final 2 h (78% of total time) than 12-10 h before lambing (48%; P<0.01). Time spent sniffing the ground increased during the final 2 h (30.8%) compared with periods of up to 4 h before lambing (11.8%; P<0.01). The frequencies of several behaviors were greater (P<0.01) during the final 2 h period than 12-10 h before lambing: active social interactions, passive interactions, standing up, steps taken, ground sniffing, pawing the ground, circling and flanking. The first period in which a significant difference in activity was observed, compared with 12-10 h prepartum was 8-6 h for time spent standing, 6-4 h for steps taken, 4-2 h for time spent ground sniffing, frequency of standing up, pawing, circling and flanking, and 2-0 h for active and passive social interactions. The observed frequencies of a large number of two-event behavior sequences were found to deviate from their expected values during periods 4-2 and 2-0 h prepartum P<0.05). Most of the sequences occurring more frequently than expected involved either sniffing of other animals or restlessness in the preparturient ewe, but not both. Restlessness in the preparturient ewe involved either ground-directed investigation or self-directed behaviors and posture changes. Ground sniffing and circling frequently occurred in sequences with any of these general groupings of behavior. Lambing ewes were associated with significantly fewer penmates than expected during the final 2 h before parturition (P<0.05). During the 12 h prepartum, there was a significant overall pattern for ewes and the group to move away from each other as lambing became imminent (P<0.05).
Differential Sensitivity to Mutations in a Single Peptide by Two TCRs Having Identical β-Chains and Closely Related α-Chains

The TCR on CD4 T cells binds to and recognizes MHC class II:antigenic peptide complexes through molecular contacts with the peptide amino acid residues that face up and out of the peptide-binding groove. This interaction primarily involves the complementarity-determining regions (CDR) of the TCR α- and β-chains contacting up to five residues of the peptide. We have used two TCRs that recognize the same antigenic peptide and have identical Vβ8.2 chains, but differ in all three CDR of their related Vα2 chains, to examine the fine specificity of the TCR:peptide contacts that lead to activation. By generating a peptide library containing all 20 aa residues in the five potential TCR contact sites, we were able to demonstrate that the two similar TCRs responded differentially when agonist, nonagonist, and antagonist peptide functions were examined. Dual substituted peptides containing an agonist residue at the N terminus, which interacts with CDR2α, and an antagonist residue at the C terminus, which interacts with the CDR3β, were used to show that the nature of the overall signal through the TCR is determined by a combination of the type of signal received through both the TCR α- and β-chains.