cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brain mineralocorticoid receptors: orchestrators of hypertension and end-organ disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: 'New' tasks have been discovered for aldosterone and its receptor, the mineralocorticoid receptor, within both epithelial tissues of vectorial ion and water transport, such as the kidney, and non-epithelial organs, including the brain, heart and vessels. Promising results of clinical trials using low doses of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists to forestall end-organ disease is resulting in an increase in their use, yet the biology of the mineralocorticoid receptor is far from clear. RECENT FINDINGS: Mineralocorticoid receptors within the kidney, heart and blood vessels mediate direct effects of aldosterone, including tissue inflammation, hypertrophy and fibrosis, that are independent of blood pressure. Activation, by aldosterone, of mineralocorticoid receptors in the brain increases central sympathetic nervous system drive to the periphery, thereby producing hypertension through multiple mechanisms, and increases levels of proinflammatory cytokines in both the circulation and peripheral tissues. Blocking of the mineralocorticoid receptor of the forebrain lowers the levels of peripheral tissue cytokines, including those induced by ischemic injury in the heart. Aldosterone is produced within the heart, blood vessels and brain, potentially liberating regulation of local concentrations of the steroid from peripheral mechanisms of control. A conundrum yet to be explained is the ligand-dependent functional specificity of the mineralocorticoid receptor in some non-epithelial tissues, which may be crucial to our understanding the end-organ pathophysiology of hypertension. SUMMARY: New technology is rapidly adding layers of complexity to, rather than simplifying, our understanding of the facile terms 'hemodynamic homeostasis' and 'end-organ' disease, but within this new knowledge lies the promise of better, more precise treatment of hypertension and its sequelae.
The Probability of Record Daily Low Temperatures in Winter

Abstract Probabilities of setting record daily low temperatures during the winter half-year were determined empirically for selected stations in the upper Midwest. The probability of a new record low depends upon the length of station observational record, decreasing as record length increases. Thus, the probability of five or more record low daily temperatures during the winter period is about 0.5 for stations with 35 years of observations, and 0.1 at stations with 100 years of data. Frequency of occurrence of new record low daily temperatures is, therefore, an appropriate measure of the severity of a winter only if those frequencies are related to the length of the observational record at a particular station.
The inhibition of graphite oxidation by phosphorus additives

Abstract Impregnation of graphite with organic phosphate and phosphite esters has been found to result in increased resistance to air oxidation at elevated temperatures. Thermal decomposition of the phosphorus compounds at 200–600°C leaves a hydrophilic residue strongly adsorbed on the graphite surface at active sites where oxidation normally occurs.
Using Remote Sensing to Assess the In-Season Nitrogen Status of Perennial Ryegrass for Seed Production

Currently, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) growers in western Oregon rely on yield goal estimates and experience to formulate N rates. This practice may result in insufficient or excessive N fertilizer rates in any given year. Plant tissue testing to determine the in-season plant N status may improve N management. However, tissue testing can be costly, time consuming, and difficult for growers to adopt. A possible solution to these problems is remote sensing. The objectives of this studywere to determine (i) the critical whole-plant N concentration and N uptake values for perennial ryegrass, (ii) and if remote sensing in the form of aerial images could be used to assess the in-season plant N status of perennial ryegrass. Research was conducted at four sites in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Analysis found a critical whole-plant N concentration value of 28.0 g kg ―1 and a critical N uptake value of 157.9 kg N ha ―1 . A significant and strong linear plateau relationship was found between relative near infrared (NIR) and both whole-plant N concentration (r 2 = 0.46) across site-years. Additionally, a significant and strong linear plateau relationship was found between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and N uptake (r 2 = 0.61) across site-years. Critical values obtained from these linear plateau relationships were similar to those found through tissue testing, indicating that relative NIR or NDVI may be used as an indirect measurement of whole-plant N concentration or N uptake in perennial ryegrass grown for seed.
Oscillating flow in channels with a sudden change in cross section

Abstract In this paper, we have computationally examined oscillating flow (zero mean between) two parallel plates with a sudden change in cross section. The flow was assumed to be laminar incompressible with the inflow velocity uniform over the channel cross section but varying sinusoidally with time. The cases studied cover wide ranges of Re max (from 187.5 to 2000), Va (from 1 to 10.66), the expansion ratio (1:2 and 1:4) and A r (2 and 4). Also, three different geometric cases were discussed: (a) asymmetric expansion/contraction; (b) symmetric expansion/contraction; and (c) symmetric blunt body. For these oscillating flow conditions, the fluid undergoes sudden expansion in one-half of the cycle and sudden contraction in the other. The instantaneous friction factor, for some ranges of Re max and Va, deviated substantially from the steady-state friction factor for the same flow parameters. A region has been identified (see Fig. 3) below which the flow is laminar quasi-steady. A videotape showing computer simulations of the oscillating flow demonstrates the usefulness of the current analyses in providing information on the transient hydraulic phenomena.
The endoscopic approach to pancreatic duct stones

Pancreatic duct stones may complicate the course of chronic pancreatitis and be responsible for recurrent episodes of pancreatitis and/or exacerbations of abdominal pain. Endoscopic management of pancreatic duct stones with or without extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a relatively safe and effective method to treat main pancreatic duct stones in symptomatic patients. Selection of candidates most likely to respond to endoscopic therapy needs further evaluation. Studies comparing medical, surgical, and endoscopic treatment of pancreatic duct stones are still awaited.
The Input Hypothesis: An Inside Look

ABSTRACT The article briefly summarizes and then discusses Krashen's Input Hypothesis as presented in his Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. The Input Hypothesis is considered both as a psycholinguistic and as a pedagogical model. I suggest that as a psycho-linguistic model the Input Hypothesis fails to account convincingly for the widely accepted fact of fossilization (arrested L2 acquisition) in an acquisition-rich environment. As a pedagogical model the Input Hypothesis may not be directly applicable to the reality of the U.S. high school or university foreign language classes, since these are so far removed from the immersion/second language environments on which much of the theory underlying the model is based.
Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance Measurements in the Rare-Earth Group-VAIntermetallic Compounds

The temperature dependences, signs, and magnitudes of the phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) Knight shifts in the NaCl-type rare-earth group-$\mathrm{V}A$ intermetallic compounds have been studied in detail for the temperature range of 1.5-600\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The Knight shifts in the nonmagnetic compounds, such as LaP, were found to be temperature-independent. For most of the magnetic compounds, such as GdP, the temperature-dependent part of the Knight shift was found to obey a Curie-Weiss law. However, for the praseodymium, samarium, and thulium compounds, the effect of the sixfold cubic crystal-field interaction on the rare-earth ion could not be neglected. An analysis, showing the relationship between the Knight shift and the rare-earth $4f$ paramagnetic susceptibility ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{f}(T)$, is presented. In this manner, it is shown that detailed information about ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{f}(T)$ can be derived from an analysis of the NMR data. Furthermore, it is shown that the hyperfine field at the nonmagnetic site in these compounds arises from the spin component S of the total angular momentum J of the rare-earth ion, and not from the magnetization at the rare-earth site. The $s\ensuremath{-}f$ exchange energies $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ for these compounds were calculated using the uniform conduction-electron spin-polarization model for the Knight shift. For the rare-earth Group-$\mathrm{V}A$ intermetallic compounds, $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ was found to be negative (antiferromagnetic) and relatively constant (\ensuremath{\simeq} -0.3 eV) for all of these compounds. Comparisons are made for the $s\ensuremath{-}f$ exchange energies for all of the various rare-earth intermetallic compounds for which NMR measurements are available. It is again found that $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ is negative and relatively constant in magnitude. For all of these compounds, the total hyperfine field per unit spin $S$ is found to be of the order of -50 kOe. No explanation for this phenomenon is advanced. It is shown that a consistent analysis of the Knight-shift data in terms of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida theory is probably impossible. The NMR linewidths $\ensuremath{\delta}H$ in the nonmagnetic compounds were found to be in agreement with the calculated dipolar contribution, while for the magnetic compounds, the NMR linewidth $\ensuremath{\delta}H$ was found to be due to the presence of demagnetization fields arising from the nonspherical shape of the particles in the powdered samples.
Mechanisms of Enhanced Heat Transfer for Oscillating Circular Cylinders

Experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between wake structure and heat transfer for an oscillating circular cylinder in cross-flow. An internally heated cylinder was suspended in a water tunnel and oscillated transverse to the freestream. The cylinder’s heat transfer coefficient was measured over a wide range of oscillation amplitudes and frequencies. By comparing these results to the known wake mode regions in the amplitude-frequency plane, relationships between wake mode and heat transfer were identified. Representative cases were investigated further by using digital particle image thermometry/velocimetry (DPIT/V) to simultaneously measure the temperature and velocity fields in the near-wake. This revealed more detail about the mechanisms of heat transfer enhancement. The dynamics of the vortex formation process, including the trajectories of the vortices during roll-up, are the primary cause of the heat transfer enhancement.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Aerial photographic analysis of channel narrowing and vegetation expansion in Canyon De Chelly National Monument, Arizona, USA, 1935–2004

Aerial photographs from the past 70 years show narrowing of channels in Canyon de Chelly National Monument, which coincided with the establishment and expansion of woody riparian vegetation, primarily non-native tamarisk (Tamarix ssp.) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and native cottonwood (Populus spp.). Rectified air photo sets were used to map the extent of woody riparian vegetation cover in the canyon bottom as well as the channel planform geometry for 6 years: 1935, 1964, 1975, 1981, 1989 and 2004. In 1935, vegetation covered less than 1 per cent of the canyon bottom and the channel was braided and 91 m wide on average. By 2004, the channel in the upper 75% of the canyon had narrowed to a single thread an average of 6.5 m wide and was lined by riparian vegetation, with vegetation covering up to 45% of the canyon bottom in some reaches. A relative timing index was developed that incorporates information from both channel and vegetation area expansion or contraction into a single variable. Vegetation establishment lagged channel narrowing in the upper reaches of the canyons, but narrowing and vegetation establishment occurred simultaneously in the middle and lower reaches. Narrowing progressed downstream through time, and the lowermost reaches remained braided and unincised in 2006. We interpret these patterns to suggest that riparian vegetation is responding to and interacting with changes in the channel morphology of Canyon de Chelly rather than driving channel change. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The use of drug formularies in managed care.

Abstract As a way of controlling the rising costs of health care, most managed care companies have implemented drug formularies. A drug formulary is generally defined as a listing of medications the health plan will cover for reimbursement. Some medications may need authorization from the health plan before they will be dispensed. This paper argues that drug formularies contain cost while causing no physical harm to the patient. The method of research used is descriptive. The paper will examine the issue from the side of the physician, the health plan and the patient. The research includes personal interviews, anecdotal records and reviews of available literature. The findings will show that patients still have access to a wide range of therapeutic medications and do not suffer physical harm as a result of a drug formulary.
Family structure parental perceptions and child labor in Kenya: what factors determine who is enrolled in school?

This article combines status attainment research with research on values and beliefs to understand educational stratification in Kenya. With household survey data the author examines the impact of family background and structure division of household labor and parental perceptions on childrens educational participation. Parents expectations for future financial help from children and perceptions of labor-market discrimination against women are significant determinants of childrens enrollment. Patriarchal norms and child labor have no effect. Educational inequalities are better understood as due to the evaluation of returns to education and household resource constraints than as due to gender stereotypes or reliance on child labor. The results challenge traditional explanations of educational inequality in less industrialized societies and suggest that policies to spark school demand in developing countries may be misguided. (authors)
Fundamentals of extracting species from soils by electrokinetics

Abstract Bench-scale and pilot-scale studies demonstrate that ionic contaminant species, some organic contaminants, and certain radionuclides can be removed efficiently from fine-grained deposits by application of electrical currents across a soil mass, through electrodes that allow gress and ingress of a pore fluid. This technique (electrokinetic remediation or electrochemical soil processing) results in soil acidification, contaminant desorption, transport, accumulation, and removal. A review of the fundamentals of the process and the theoretical development, together with a review of considerations and limitations for full-scale application of the technique for site remediation, are presented.
Phylogenetics, Taxonomy, and Historical Biogeography of Alligatoroidea

ABSTRACT Alligatoroidea, a stem-based group including living alligators and caimans and all taxa closer to them than to Crocodylus or Gavialis, includes seven living species and a large diversity of extinct taxa extending back to the Campanian (Late Cretaceous). Parsimony analysis of 164 discrete morphological characters supports several previous hypotheses based on morphology and molecules: Diplocynodon, from the European Tertiary, is a monophyletic alligatoroid lineage; Brachychampsa and Stangerochampsa are derived alligatoroid taxa but not demonstrably within the crown-group Alligatoridae; and, within the crown-group, caimans form a robust clade. However, this study indicates the paraphyly of “Allognathosuchus;” the alligatoroid affinities of Leidyosuchus canadensL but not of most other “Leidyosuchus;” the very distant relationship between Hylaeochampsa and any extant crocodylian lineage, including Alligatoroidea; and the fact that Diplocynodon must extend at least as far as the Campanian, even though ...
Mechanism of the light state transition in photosynthesis. I. Analysis of the kinetics of cytochrome f oxidation in State 1 and State 2 in the red alga, Porphyridium cruentum

Abstract The kinetics of photooxidation and reduction of cytochrome f were examined spectrophotometrically in the red alga Porphyridium cruentum in light State 1 and light State 2. Experiments were performed on intact cells that had been chemically fixed and stabilized in the light states. The cytochrome f turnover was measured during conditions of linear electron transport driven by both photosystems and during several cyclic reactions mediated by the long-wavelength Photosystem (PS) I. The data show that the rate of photooxidation of cytochrome f increased in State 2 when the cells were activated by subsaturating intensities of green light absorbed primarily by the phycobilisome. No differences in kinetics were found between algae in State 1 or State 2 when they were activated by light absorbed primarily by the chlorophyll of PS I. The results confirm that changes in energy distribution between the two photosystems occur as a result of the light state transition and verify that the redistribution of excitation results in the predicted changes in electron transport.
Anisotropic grain growth in seeded and B2O3-doped diphasic mullite gels

Abstract Anisotropic grain growth in mullite was investigated in B 2 O 3 -doped diphasic gels seeded with either mullite particles or whiskers. Anisotropic grain growth was observed in all systems. The largest anisotropic grains were obtained with a system seeded with 2 wt% mullite whiskers and doped with 2 wt% B 2 O 3 . The mullite whiskers act as sites for multiple nucleation and subsequently as templates for mullite overgrowth. Boria lowered the mullite formation temperature by 150 °C and it significantly enhanced anisotropic grain growth independent of the presence of seed particles. This enhancement was attributed to increased dissolution of alumina.
A spatial keyword evaluation framework for network-based spatial queries

An increasing number of spatial keyword query techniques that return qualified objects based on a comprehensive consideration of spatial and keyword constraints have been presented in the literature. Due to the complexity of the solutions to spatial keyword queries, systems that can effectively demonstrate the mechanisms will attract interest from the spatial database research community. However, very limited visualization systems have been developed for illustrating spatial keyword query evaluation. In this demonstration, we present a system that visualizes advanced solutions to efficiently answer the Spatial Keyword k Nearest Neighbor (SKkNN) query. With the two-level data management method and the friendly user interface implemented by the Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) and Open Graphics Library (OpenGL), our system is able to not only interact with users in diverse manners, visualize datasets, and display the SKkNN query evaluation process, but it also helps users better understand the solutions in a more intuitive way.
Fitness consequence of pupation site for bagworms (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) on arborvitae.

The present study investigated the fitness consequence of pupation site of bagworms, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis, on arborvitae. The abundance and survival of pupae were higher on trees with a southern exposure than on those with a northern exposure. Neither sex-ratio nor female mating success was influenced by the exposure of trees. The ratio of females per male, survival of pupae, and mating success of females all increased from the bottom to the top of arborvitae. Our results suggest that bagworm larvae may enhance their fitness by pupating in locations most suitable for pupal survival and female mating success. Because adult female bagworms can not disperse, pupation by female larvae may further influence the performance of their larval progeny, either by favouring the long-range dispersal of ballooning larvae or by providing neonates with suitable foliage nearby their site of emergence.
The effects of depression and age on the Horne-Ostberg morningness-eveningness score

Effects of depression and age on the Horne-Ostberg morningness-eveningness scale in human volunteers were assessed. Thirty-nine healthy outpatients with current DSM-IIIR depression, free of recent substance abuse or confounding medications, were compared to 39 age- and sex-matched controls. Patients reported greater 'eveningness' than controls (P = 0.014, Wilcoxon signed-ranks test). There was multimodality in the distribution of Horne-Ostberg scale scores in the depressed group, but a normal distribution in controls. Pearson's correlation of age vs. Horne-Ostberg score was positive (r = 0.42-0.55). Depression and age influence the Horne-Ostberg score. Potential multimodality of circadian phase in the depressed group deserves further study.
Shear-Viscosity to Entropy-Density Ratio of a Relativistic Hadron Gas

Ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) are thought to have produced a state of matter called the quark-gluon plasma, characterized by a very small shear-viscosity to entropy-density ratio eta/s, near the lower bound predicted for that quantity by anti-de Sitter space/conformal field theory methods. As the produced matter expands and cools, it evolves through a phase described by a hadron gas with rapidly increasing eta/s. We calculate eta/s as a function of temperature in this phase both in and out of chemical equilibrium and find that its value poses a challenge for viscous relativistic hydrodynamics, which requires small values of eta/s in order to successfully describe the collective flow observables at the RHIC. We therefore conclude that the origin of the low viscosity matter at the RHIC must be in the partonic phase of the reaction.
Absorption Changes in Blue-green Algae at the Temperature of Liquid Nitrogen

THE light-induced bleaching of a pigment at 700 nm in blue-green algae has been observed by many investigators, beginning with Kok1. It has been suggested that this absorption change is a manifestation of a primary photochemical event: the oxidation of a specialized chlorophyll component, perhaps the ‘sink’ of the long wavelength pigment system. In this connexion the behaviour of this change at low temperatures is important. Rumberg, Muller and Witt2 and also Chance and Bonner3 have reported the occurrence of an irreversible photo-induced decrease in absorption at 700 nm in chloroplasts maintained at the temperature of liquid nitrogen. On the other hand, Kok and Hoch4 alluded to a reversible change at liquid nitrogen temperature. Data that show clearly the partial reversibility of the 700 nm change at low temperatures have not heretofore been published.
Strategic alliances in technological innovation: cooperation in biotechnology

Abstract This is a report on an empirical investigation of the determinants of change in strategic alliances in technological innovation. Changes in strategic alliances are categorized either as redefinitions of original purpose (either in area of application or in scope) or dissolution. Based on a study of 558 strategic alliances in the biotechnology field formed between the inception of the field and December 1988, we find that the alliance's original purpose influences the likelihood of its change in state through redefinition or dissolution.
Review of Computational Anthropomorphic Anatomical and Physiological Models

The widespread availability of high-performance computing and accurate and realistic computer simulation techniques has stimulated the development of computational anthropomorphic models of both the anatomy and physiological functions of humans and laboratory animals. These simulation tools have been applied to different medical imaging modalities including ultrasound, single photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography, X-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, optical imaging, and multimodality imaging with various combinations of the above. This paper reviews the fundamental and technical challenges and future directions of developing computational models of normal and abnormal human anatomy and physiological functions, with a particular focus on their applications to biomedical imaging and radiation dosimetry calculations. The combination of accurate and realistic computer generated models of human and laboratory animals, radiation sources and distributions, transport of radiation through biological tissues, characteristics of the imaging system, and physics of the image formation process allows accurate and realistic simulation of biomedical imaging data and radiation dose distributions that are ever closer to those obtained from clinical and experimental laboratory animal studies. These simulation tools and techniques will provide an increasingly important contribution and impact in the future of biomedical imaging and dosimetry calculations.
Relativistic ab initio treatment of the second-order spin-orbit splitting of the a 3 Σ u + potential of rubidium and cesium dimers

We have calculated the splitting between the ${0}_{u}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${1}_{u}$ components of the $a{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$ state of ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}$ using a relativistic ab initio configuration-interaction valence bond method. This so-called second-order spin-orbit splitting is entirely due to relativistic correlations within the molecule. Our ab initio nonperturbative splitting is 5 and 2 times larger than perturbative splittings at the inner turning point of the $a{}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$ potential for ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2},$ respectively. In addition, close-coupled nuclear dynamics calculations that estimate the effect of this splitting on experimentally accessible quantities are presented. The splitting affects the collisional loss rate of magnetically trapped ultracold Rb and Cs atoms and the spectroscopic determination of the vibrational structure of ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}$ dimers. Agreement with the experimental collisional loss rates of Cs is found.
The mechanism of the S1 ⇝ Tx intersystem crossing process in aromatic hydrocarbons from PMDR

Abstract Using symmetry selection rules, it is shown that the S1 ⇝ Tx intersystem crossing (ISC) process in (non-rotating) planar condensed aromatic compounds with lowest states of the π,π* type leads to triplet states with the two unpaired electrons spinning in the molecular plane. Out-of-plane distortion is required to produce spin alignment in the two magnetic planes perpendicular to the molecular plane. The results of the pulsed excitation PMDR method show that out-of-plane distortion enhances the S1 ⇝ Tx ISC process in benzene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, triphenylene and coronene by a factor larger than five.
Network design and optimisation based on cost and algebraic connectivity

Network design and optimisation has been one of the major focuses of the research community over the past decades. Connectivity of topologies can be improved by simply adding links; however, this incurs cost for addition of links for increased resilience. Therefore, topological design and optimisation requires developing algorithms so that a designer can select optimum parameters to achieve resilience in the least costly manner. In this paper, we develop a heuristic algorithm that optimises a topology based on algebraic connectivity metric that is defined as the second smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix. Furthermore, the connectivity of a topology is improved based on the available budget, for which we capture network cost in terms of euclidian distance between two connected nodes. We apply our algorithm on three realistic sets of backbone service provider graphs and compare the utility of our algorithm. The heuristic algorithm we introduce in this paper optimises topologies and is computationally less costly than an exhaustive optimisation.
Marking Time, Figuring Space: Gesture and the Embodied Moment

This article addresses the role played by gesture in theorizing embodiment in drawing practice. The gesture here is cast simultaneously as the material trace left on the drawing surface as well as an intentional act geared toward enabling participatory spectatorship. Both forms of the gesture are enacted through attention to embodiment in drawing as performed through the organs of artist and audience. The surface of a drawing affords openings for gesture's potential to convey meaning beyond the semiotic and as a site for ongoing physical and aesthetic intervention on the part of the spectator. Drawing's capacity for enabling multiple forms of embodiment positions it uniquely in the landscape of contemporary art as a site of vision, touch, and experience.
Fluorocarbon-modified organic semiconductors: molecular architecture, electronic, and crystal structure tuning of arene- versus fluoroarene-thiophene oligomer thin-film properties

We present here the systematic synthesis and comparative physicochemical characterization of a series of regiochemically varied and core size extension-modulated arene(perfluoroarene)-thiophene oligomers. The molecules investigated are: 5,5''-diphenyl-2,2':5',2'':5'',2'''-quaterthiophene (1), 5,5'-bis[1-[4-(thien-2-yl)phenyl]]-2,2'-dithiophene (2), 4,4'-bis[5-(2,2'-dithiophenyl)]-biphenyl (3), 5,5''-diperfluorophenyl-2,2':5',2'':5'',2'''-quaterthiophene (4), 5,5'-bis[1-[4-(thien-2-yl)perfluorophenyl]]-2,2'-dithiophene (5), 4,4'-bis[5-(2,2'-dithiophenyl)]-perfluorobiphenyl (6), 5,5''-diperfluorophenyl-2,2':5',2''-tertthiophene (7), 5,5'-diperfluorophenyl-2,2'-dihiophene (8), and 5,5-diperfluorophenylthiophene (9). Trends in optical absorption and emission parameters, molecular structures as defined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, as well as electrochemical redox processes are described. The morphologies and microstructures of the vapor-deposited films grown over a range of growth temperatures have also been characterized. Field-effect transistor (FET) measurements demonstrate that all of these materials are FET-active and, depending on the molecular architecture, exhibit comparably good p- or n-type mobility when optimum film microstructural order is achieved. A very large n-channel mobility of approximately 0.5 cm2/Vs with I(on)/I(off) ratios > 10(8) is achieved for films of 4.
Implications of a fossil stickleback assemblage for Darwinian gradualism

Darwin postulated that a complete fossil record would contain numerous gradual transitions between ancestral and descendant species, but 150 years after publication of The Origin of Species, few such transitions have materialized. The fossil stickleback Gasterosteus doryssus and the deposit in which it occurs provide excellent conditions to detect such transitions. Abundant, well-preserved fossils occur in a stratigraphic setting with fine temporal resolution. The paleoecology of G. doryssus resembles the ecology of modern lakes that harbour the phenotypically similar three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus. Gasterosteus aculeatus are primitively highly armoured, but G. doryssus comprised two contemporaneous biological species with relatively weak armour, including a near-shore, benthic feeder (benthic) and an offshore planktivore (limnetic). The benthic species expanded its range into the limnetic zone of the lake, where it apparently switched to planktivory and evolved reduced armour within c. 5000 years in response to directional selection. Although gradual evolution of mean phenotypes occurred, a single major gene caused much of evolutionary change of the pelvic skeleton. Thus, Darwin's expectation that transitions between species in the fossil record would be gradual was met at a fine time scale, but for pelvic structure, a well-studied trait, his expectation that gradual change would depend entirely on numerous, small, heritable differences among individuals was incorrect.
On the assignments of carbon‐13 NMR spectra of cyclic nucleotides

Two conflicting assignments have been proposed for the 13C NMR signals of 3′,5′-cyclic nucleotides. This communication describes selective decoupling experiments for several cyclic nucleotides which provide the correct assignment based on unambiguous experimental evidence.
The immunogenetic relationship between anti-Ro(SS-A)/La(SS-B) antibody positive sjögren's/ lupus erythematosus overlap syndrome and the neonatal lupus syndrome

We have described previously the clinical features of a unique group of anti-Ro(SS-A) antibody positive Sjogren's patients who have cutaneous features of lupus erythematosus, most commonly subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, defined as the Sjogren's/lupus erythematosus overlap syndrome. Three of these patients are also mothers of infants with the neonatal lupus erythematosus syndrome, characterized by cutaneous lesions resembling subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus or congenital heart block. Patients with Sjogren's/lupus erythematosus overlap syndrome, subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and mothers of infants with the neonatal lupus syndrome characteristically have autoantibodies to Ro(SS-A), and in many cases, La(SS-B) antigens. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that anti-Ro(SS-A)/La(SS-B) positive Sjogren's/lupus overlap patients and mothers of infants with neonatal lupus erythematosus syndrome are immunogenetically homogenous and closely related. We report a strong association with HLA-B8, DR3, DQw2, and DRw52 phenotypes and the HLA-B8, DR3, DQw2, DRw52 extended haplotype in both patient cohorts. Furthermore, we described disease associations with HLA-DR3/DRw6 heterozygotes in both patient groups. These data demonstrate that anti-Ro(SS-A)/La(SS-B) positive Sjogren's/lupus overlap patients and neonatal lupus syndrome mothers are immunogenetically closely related to each other and appear to be more closely related to both primary Sjogren's syndrome and subacute lupus erythematosus, than to classical systemic lupus erythematosus.
The hindgut muscularis of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans: Some of its structural, motile and pharmacological properties

Abstract The muscles of the hindgut of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans L., are arranged in a fine regular lattice of longitudinal and circular fibres with diameters that range between 7 and 16 μm. The hindgut is innervated by a proctodeal nerve that branches and projects along the rectum and colon. Four distinct patterns of motile activity were evident in the hindgut; compression, peristalsis, reverse peristalsis and segmentation. Compressions that were recorded myographically showed distinctive activity patterns. When the proctodeal nerve was stimulated by a single electrical pulse, the longitudinal muscles of the hindgut responded with a single monophasic contraction that lasted 800 ms. If the frequency of the stimulating pulse was increased, individual responses could be distinguished until the stimulus reached 10 pulses/s. At this point, a complete fusion of contractile events occurred and the amplitude doubled. The hindgut showed a sensitivity to l -glutamate in micromolar amounts with a threshold for increasing the frequency of phasic contractions at a concentration of 10−5 M. At 10−4 M, glutamate and above tonic changes were evident. The threshold concentration for hindgut excitation with proctolin fell between 10−15 and 10−10 M. At these levels, increases in the amplitude and frequency of phasic contractions were generally evident. At a proctolin concentration of 10−9 M and above, tonic changes were observed. Evidence for proctolin desensitization of the stable fly hindgut is discussed. Although 80% of the stable fly preparations tested were unresponsive to leucomyosuppressin, 20% did whow a weak inhibitory reaction.
Normal moveout from dipping reflectors in anisotropic media

Description of reflection moveout from dipping interfaces is important in developing seismic processing methods for anisotropic media, as well as in the inversion of reflection data. Here, I present a concise analytic expression for normal‐moveout (NMO) velocities valid for a wide range of homogeneous anisotropic models including transverse isotropy with a tilted in‐plane symmetry axis and symmetry planes in orthorhombic media. In transversely isotropic media, NMO velocity for quasi‐P‐waves may deviate substantially from the isotropic cosine‐of‐dip dependence used in conventional constant‐velocity dip‐moveout (DMO) algorithms. However, numerical studies of NMO velocities have revealed no apparent correlation between the conventional measures of anisotropy and errors in the cosine‐of‐dip DMO correction (“DMO errors”). The analytic treatment developed here shows that for transverse isotropy with a vertical symmetry axis, the magnitude of DMO errors is dependent primarily on the difference between Thomsen pa...
Aerosol and cloud measurements at 532 and 1064 nm by the GLAS polar orbiting lidar instrument

The first polar orbiting satellite lidar instrument, the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), was launched in 2003 and is approaching six months of data operations. As part of the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) project, the GLAS instrument is intended as a laser sensor fulfilling complementary requirements for several Earth science disciplines including atmospheric and surface applications on the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite. In this paper we present examples of atmospheric measurement results and explain data products now accessible for the science community
A Soft-Landing Waveform for Actuation of a Single-Pole Single-Throw Ohmic RF MEMS Switch

A soft-landing actuation waveform was designed to reduce the bounce of a single-pole single-throw (SPST) ohmic radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch during actuation. The waveform consisted of an actuation voltage pulse, a coast time, and a hold voltage. The actuation voltage pulse had a short duration relative to the transition time of the switch and imparted the kinetic energy necessary to close the switch. After the actuation pulse was stopped, damping and restoring forces slowed the switch to near-zero velocity as it approached the closed position. This is referred to as the coast time. The hold voltage was applied upon reaching closure to keep the switch from opening. An ideal waveform would close the switch with near zero impact velocity. The switch dynamics resulting from an ideal waveform were modeled using finite element methods and measured using laser Doppler vibrometry. The ideal waveform closed the switch with an impact velocity of less than 3 cm/s without rebound. Variations in the soft-landing waveform closed the switch with impact velocities of 12.5 cm/s with rebound amplitudes ranging from 75 to 150 nm compared to impact velocities of 22.5 cm/s and rebound amplitudes of 150 to 200 nm for a step waveform. The ideal waveform closed the switch faster than a simple step voltage actuation because there was no rebound and it reduced the impact force imparted on the contacting surfaces upon closure
Generalized cystic resolution: a metric for assessing the fundamental limits on beamformer performance

Existing methods for characterizing the imaging performance of ultrasound systems do not clearly quantify the impact of contrast, spatial resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Although the beamplot, contrast resolution metrics, SNR measurements, ideal observer methods, and contrast-detail analysis provide useful information, it remains difficult to discern how changes in system parameters affect these metrics and clinical imaging performance. In this paper, we present a rigorous methodology for characterizing the pulse-echo imaging performance of arbitrary ultrasound systems. Our metric incorporates the 4-D spatio-temporal system response, which is defined as a function of the individual beamformer channel weights. The metric also incorporates the individual beamformer channel electronic SNR. Whereas earlier performance measures dealt solely with contrast resolution or echo signal-to-noise ratio, our metric combines them so that tradeoffs between these parameters are easily distinguishable. The new metric quantifies an arbitrary system's contrast resolution and SNR performance as a function of cyst size, beamformer channel weights, and beamformer channel SNR. We present a theoretical derivation of the unified performance metric and provide simulation and experimental results highlighting the metric's utility. We compare the fundamental performance limits of 2 beamforming strategies: the dynamic focus finite impulse response (FIR) filter beamformer and the spatial matched filter (SMF) beamformer to the performance of the conventional delay-and-sum (DAS) beamformer. Results from this study show that the SMF beamformer and the FIR beamformer offer significant gains in beamformer SNR and contrast resolution compared with the DAS beamformer, respectively. The metric clearly distinguishes the performance of the SMF beamformer, which enhances system sensitivity, from the FIR beamformer, which optimizes system contrast resolution. Finally, the metric provides one quantitative goal for optimizing a broadband beamformer's contrast resolution performance.
Effect of Handling and Transport on Cortisol Response and Nutrient Mobilization of Golden Shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas

As the most popular baitfish in the USA, the golden shiner is subjected to frequent handling and transportation episodes prior to retail marketing and recreational use. Considerable mortality and economic loss can occur during handling and transportation. Limited information is available concerning stress responses, such as cortisol secretion, and mobilization of nutrients, such as zinc and ascorbic acid, during handling and transportation of this fish species. Therefore, two concurrent experiments were performed to characterize cortisol responses, as well as changes in whole-body zinc and visceral ascorbic acid concentrations, after harvesting, grading, and transporting by ground or air. During ground transportation, fish were sampled immediately after being subjected to the following conditions: seined from a commercial pond in Lonoke, Arkansas (I), released into vats from the loading truck (II), graded by bar grader (III), loaded onto a hauling truck (IV) and after transport for 10 h to Brenham, Texas (V). Fish were also sampled before and after air freight shipment. Whole-body cortisol appeared to be a reliable endocrine marker for stress response of golden shiner subjected to handling and transportation. Grading by bar grader was the most stressful event in the process of handling and transporting golden shiners, resulting in a significantly elevated whole-body cortisol concentration of 107 ng/g tissue, compared to concentrations of 6.3, 32.3, 15.7, and 30.4 ng/g tissue, for stages I, II, IV, and V, respectively. A significant increase in whole-body cortisol concentration was also observed after air transportation of 22 h duration. No significant reductions in whole-body zinc or visceral ascorbic acid concentrations were observed.
Mutations that disable the DNA repair gene XPG in a xeroderma pigmentosum group G patient

The human XPG (ERCC5) gene encodes a large acidic protein that corrects the ultraviolet light sensitivity of cells from both xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group G and rodent ERCC group 5. Here we characterize five XPG sequence alterations and a minor splicing defect in XP-G patient XP125LO. Three of these changes are polymorphic variants whereas the remaining two, one in each XPG allele, inactivate complementation in vivo. These single point mutations provide formal proof that defects in XPG give rise to the group G form of xeroderma pigmentosum, and their locations suggest ways in which this may occur.
Adaptive IIR filter design for single sensor applications

The goal of this research was to investigate the theoretical design and physical implementation of a digital adaptive IIR filter to serve as an enhancement to the traditional active RC or passive RLC anti-aliasing filter. This all-digital filter will reside directly on the DSP engine. As explained in the paper, the adaptive IIR filter is designed to process an oversampled signal coming from a single sensor to reject noise in an acquisition system. Differentiation between the noise and the signal is obtained by exploiting the different auto-correlation functions of the two signals. In contrast to oversampling techniques employed in sampled data systems that are designed to relax the requirements of an analog anti-aliasing filter, this filter will track a signal in the frequency domain. Several power spectral density plots are given to illustrate the performance of the new filter. The results also indicate that the new filter performs well as compared to the Wiener filter in the stationary case.
Assignment Of Grades And Student Performance In A Hybrid Operations Management Course: What Works And Ideas For Improvements

The production and operations management class offered at California State University, Fresno underwent a transformation from being a four-unit, face-to-face course to a hybrid course. This hybrid course, which is required for all students in the Craig School of Business, includes two units of face-to-face instruction each week, with some coverage of conceptual material as well as review and practice of the mathematical material presented online. There are also two units of online streaming lecture instruction created and delivered by the course coordinator covering primarily quantitative material with some coverage of conceptual material for some chapters. This second component translates into about ten hours of online related activities during the week for the students, requiring a large amount of self-discipline as they study and learn complex mathematical concepts applied to production management. Students are expected to work through this material and complete corresponding quantitative worksheets prior to coming to class. This paper compares the proportions of assigned grades of 116 students in four sections of the hybrid production and operations management class in the fall of 2006 to the proportions of assigned grades of 76 students in three sections of the course conducted in the spring of 2001, one of the last semesters that it was taught entirely in the classroom. Changes that have taken place in the delivery of the course will be described, as well as suggestions for making the instructor’s delivery of the course more effective in the future. Fisher’s exact test and chi-square analysis will be performed to determine if there was a significant change in the proportions of assigned grades between the face-to-face format and the hybrid course. One item of particular interest is the proportion of assigned grades on the comprehensive, final exam, the content of which was virtually the same in 2001 as in 2006. Thus, it provides a consistent measure of the students’ overall understanding of both conceptual and mathematical material at the end of the semester.