cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bounds on performance of hybrid WiFi-UWB cooperative RF localization for robotic applications

Precise localization has attracted considerable traction in the area of cooperative assignments for robots in indoor applications. When dealing with indoor applications we are limited to the type of signals that can be used for precise localization which is our prime goal. There are limitations to the well known GPS and also vision-based modality where the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions can significantly degrade the results. Hence there is a need for alternative approaches for more precise indoor localization. Precise localization information is an enabler for better coordinated tasks where multiple robots are at play. In this paper, the hybrid cooperative localization accuracy for a multi-robot operation is examined. We use a mix of empirical and theoretical models for ranging estimates in a typical indoor environment on the third floor of the Atwater Kent Laboratory (AKL) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The two widely used ranging techniques are Time Of Arrival (TOA) using Ultra-wideband (UWB) and Received Signal Strength (RSS) using WiFi signals. The Cramer-Rao-Lower-Bound (CRLB) on the performance of hybrid localization techniques are determined in our multi-robot operation scenarios based on empirical data for UWB TOA-based and the theoretical WiFi RSS-based ranging. The performance of the hybrid localization of robots are examined when the robots are equipped with UWB radios and operate in cooperative mode using known WiFi Anchors.
Judgment beyond Jurisdiction: Spinoza’s “Freedom to philosophize” and the Politics of Immunity

This article turns to Spinoza to shed new light on what Roberto Esposito, among others, has diagnosed as modernity’s “immunitary dialectic,” whereby juridical-political measures taken to safeguard or immunize individual and collective life threaten to debase and even destroy the life in question. I argue that Spinoza’s treatment of the “freedom to philosophize” offers a window onto the plural politics of immunity – that is, the institutions and practices that convert the power to preserve life into tendentially dominative and emancipatory forms.
A Research Note Regarding the Development of the Consensus on Appropriation Scale

Measurement is perhaps the most difficult aspect of behavioral research. In a recent edition ofISR, a scale for consensus on appropriation was developed. Consensus on appropriation is one of three global constructs incorporated in adaptive structuration theory (Poole and DeSanctis 1990). The principal components analysis on the initial questionnaire revealed two factors with eigenvalues greater than one. While the methods used to develop the scale were thorough, the weaker factor was excluded from the rest of the analysis with little justification. We suggest that this finding has two possible explanations, multidimensionality or response bias. This research note suggests that in addition to the convergent and discriminant validity that Salisbury et al. (2002) provided for the consensus on appropriation scale, we may have an opportunity to further refine the measurement of this construct. By further exploring this principal component finding, consensus on appropriation may be better understood and measured.
CT diagnosis of gastric rupture following blunt abdominal trauma in a child.

Traumatic gastric perforations are uncommon, especially in children. CT may be helpful in establishing an early diagnosis thereby decreasing the period of peritoneal contamination, sepsis and shock. This may also lessen intraperitoneal abscess formation. This case is probably the first which illustrates the CT criteria of gastric perforation.
Measurement errors in survey forecasts of expected inflation and the rationality of inflation expectations

Studies that use survey data to test the rationality of inflationary expectations usually test for unbiasedness by regressing actual inflation on expected inflation and testing the joint hypothesis that the intercept is zero and the slope coefficient is one. Such studies are fatally flawed because they incorrectly assume that expected inflation is measured without error. A procedure that allows for the influence of observation errors in expected inflation is developed and applied to the University of Michigan Survey Research Center data. Contrary to some recent studies, unbiasedness is rejected.
Two‐tone suppression of inner hair cell and basilar membrane responses in the guinea pig

Recordings of receptor potentials from inner hair cells (IHCs) and the basilar membrane (BM) motion were made in pigmented guinea pigs. The acoustic stimuli were single tones near best frequency (BF) and two‐tone complexes. Single tone input/output (I/O) functions had a saturating growth for the magnitude and their phase shifts were strongly dependent on the tone frequency relative to BF. For IHCs, a BF tone stimulus produced no phase shift in the ac receptor potential response. Phase lag or lead occurred for tones below or above BF, respectively. BM velocity I/O functions were not as compressively saturating as IHC ac I/O curves. BM phase shifts (in relation to BF) were similar to those of the IHCs. Two‐tone suppression was observed in both IHC and BM response measures. Suppressor tones on the low‐frequency side of BF produced complex suppression results, which were inconsistent with a simple attenuation model for suppression. The growth of suppression was faster than the attenuation from equivalent leve...
Deep Brain Stimulation as a Probative Biology: Scientific Inquiry and the Mosaic Device

Building upon an earlier critique of the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) granting of a humanitarian device exemption for deep brain stimulation in treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder, this article considers how we regulate and finance DBS. It suggests that these devices are mosaic in nature: both potentially therapeutic and probative and that their dual roles need to be appreciated to maximize their therapeutic and investigational potential.
Nanochemistry: Iron cluster reactions with methyl iodide

Previous experiments have shown that the ionization/dissociation of iron pentacarbonyl clusters can lead to the formation of iron ions and iron cluster ions and that these species can further react with dopant molecules to yield chemically rearranged products. The present experiments characterize similar reactions with methyl iodide molecules and clusters. Heteroclusters of the form [Fe(CO)5]m(CH3I)nArp are created in an expanding supersonic jet of the component molecules. Following ionization by a 30 ps, 266 nm laser pulse, extensive dissociation, aggregation, and chemical rearrangement occur leading to ionic products which are characterized by mass spectrometry. Cluster ions of the type FemIn+, Fe(CH3I)n+, and FeIm(CH3I)n+ are observed as products. The stability of the binary parent ion Fe(CH3I)+ is demonstrated for the first time.
Neural responses in songbird forebrain reflect learning rates, acquired salience, and stimulus novelty after auditory discrimination training

How do social interactions form and modulate the neural representations of specific complex signals? This question can be addressed in the songbird auditory system. Like humans, songbirds learn to vocalize by imitating tutors heard during development. These learned vocalizations are important in reproductive and social interactions and in individual recognition. As a model for the social reinforcement of particular songs, male zebra finches were trained to peck for a food reward in response to one song stimulus (GO) and to withhold responding for another (NoGO). After performance reached criterion, single and multiunit neural responses to both trained and novel stimuli were obtained from multiple electrodes inserted bilaterally into two songbird auditory processing areas [caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) and caudomedial nidopallium (NCM)] of awake, restrained birds. Neurons in these areas undergo stimulus-specific adaptation to repeated song stimuli, and responses to familiar stimuli adapt more slowly than to novel stimuli. The results show that auditory responses differed in NCM and CMM for trained (GO and NoGO) stimuli vs. novel song stimuli. When subjects were grouped by the number of training days required to reach criterion, fast learners showed larger neural responses and faster stimulus-specific adaptation to all stimuli than slow learners in both areas. Furthermore, responses in NCM of fast learners were more strongly left-lateralized than in slow learners. Thus auditory responses in these sensory areas not only encode stimulus familiarity, but also reflect behavioral reinforcement in our paradigm, and can potentially be modulated by social interactions.
Acousto-optic tunable filter using phased-array transducer with linearized RF to optical frequency mapping

We present an optimized design of an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) using a phased-array transducer for a spectrally-multiplexed ultrafast pulse-shaping RF beamformer application. The momentum-space interaction geometry is used to optimize an AOTF using acoustic beam-steering techniques in combination with acoustic anisotropy in order to linearly map the applied RF frequency to the filtered output optical frequency. The appropriate crystal orientation and phased-array transducer design are determined to linearize the RF to optical frequency mapping even in the presence of optical dispersion of the birefringence. After optimizing the phased-array transducer, acoustic anisotropy, and optical anisotropic diffraction geometry, the designed AOTF will compensate for the birefringent dispersion of TeO 2 to give a linear modulation of RF frequencies onto the corresponding optical frequencies. This linearized frequency mapped AOTF is required for a squint-compensated, wavelength-multiplexed, optically processed RF imager.
"Won't you be my neighbor?": deciphering the mechanisms of neuroprotection induced by social interaction.

See related article, pages 3606–3611. Accumulating evidence from numerous epidemiological and preclinical studies has suggested that social factors can have a profound influence on physical and mental health.1–7 People with high levels of social support or large social networks exhibit lower all-cause mortality and more rapid and extensive functional and cognitive recovery after a wide variety of pathological insults, including stroke.1–6 In contrast, social isolation is associated with increased mortality and morbidity in patients with established vascular disease.2,4 Individuals who report lack of social support or isolation have an increased incidence of recurrent stroke, poorer recovery, and greater functional decline over the 5 years following a stroke compared with individuals with social support.3 Low social support is associated with increased vascular risk even after controlling for common risk factors such as age, education, obesity, exercise, smoking, and drinking.2,3 Attesting to the importance of behavioral factors in stroke outcome is that these same effects can be modeled in animals.5 Social interaction improves behavioral deficits and reduces histological damage after experimental stroke, whereas isolation, even for as little as a week, enhances ischemic damage.1,5 The work by Karelina et al in this issue of Stroke moves us closer to understanding the basic mechanisms involved in the protective effects of social interaction. Social isolation has been defined in a myriad of ways in the literature. In general, in population-based studies, social isolation represents people who had poor (less than 3 people well enough to visit home) or limited primary informal social networks that include friend, family, or friend-neighbors.2–4,6 In animal studies, pair-housing …
Cyanide-sensitive fluorescent probes

We characterize the response of several boronic acid containing fluorophores, which are widely used for sugar determination, towards aqueous cyanide. In two recent reports we have shown that boronic acid containing fluorophores can be used to sense aqueous cyanide through physiological safeguard levels. In this report we show that our new sensing mechanism is not just specific to our recently reported probes, but is indeed generic to the boronic acid moiety itself. Subsequently a wide range of cyanide-sensitive probes can now be realized, offering several modalities for fluorescence based cyanide sensing such as: intensity, lifetime, ratiometric, polarization and modulation fluorescence sensing.
Genetic variants in the CPNE5 gene are associated with alcohol dependence and obesity in Caucasian populations

Alcohol addiction may increase the risk of obesity due to shared genetic components. The Copine V (CPNE5) gene is involved in Ca(2+) binding and may play an important role in the development of the central nervous system. This study tested the genetic associations of 77 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the CPNE5 gene with alcohol dependence (AD) and obesity using a Caucasian sample - The Study of Addiction - Genetics and Environment (SAGE) sample (1066 AD cases and 1278 non-AD controls, 422 obese cases and 1395 non-obese controls). The Marshfield sample (1442 obese cases and 2122 non-obese controls) was used for replication of obesity. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed using the PLINK software. In the SAGE sample, we identified 10 SNPs associated with AD and 17 SNPs associated with obesity (p < 0.05). Interestingly, 6 SNPs (rs9986517, rs9470387, rs3213534, rs10456444, rs3752482, and rs9470386) were associated with both AD (OR = 0.77, 0.77, 0.83, 0.84, 0.79 and 1.14, respectively; p = 9.72 × 10(-5), 1.1 × 10(-4), 4.09 × 10(-3), 5.26 × 10(-3), 1.59 × 10(-2), and 3.81 × 10(-2), respectively) and obesity (OR = 0.77, 0.77, 0.78, 0.77, 0.68 and 1.18, respectively; p = 2.74 × 10(-3), 2.69 × 10(-3), 2.45 × 10(-3), 1.01 × 10(-3), 5.18 × 10(-3) and 3.85 × 10(-2), respectively). In the Marshfield sample, rs3752480 was associated with obesity (p = 0.0379). In addition, four SNPs (rs9986517, rs10456444, rs7763347 and rs4714010) showed associations with obesity in the meta-analysis using both samples (p = 0.00493, 0.0274, 0.00346, and 0.0141, respectively). These findings provide the first evidence of common genetic variants in the CPNE5 gene influencing both the AD and obesity; and will serve as a resource for replication in other populations.
The Dilemma of the Prisoners' Dilemmas

This paper distinguishes four types of 'Prisoners' Dilemma games - provision, the commons, selfishness, and altruism - based on the public character of benefits and costs. Although each of these four games has the same 2 x 2 ordinal game form, each differs in terms of strategic, dynamic, and policy implications. Similar differences characterize the n-person representations of the four games. When paired in 3 x 3 representations, the least-desirable Nash equilibrium of the two embedded 2 x 2 games results. The four types of PD games also have different evolutionary and informational requirements for cooperation. Applications include the environment, biology, counterterrorism, and international relations.
Regional patterns of left ventricular systolic dysfunction after subarachnoid hemorrhage: evidence for neurally mediated cardiac injury

Although left ventricular (LV) dysfunction has been described after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), its pathophysiology, regional distribution, and reversibility remain uncertain. To test the hypothesis that regional wall motion patterns in SAH patients do not match the typical patterns observed in coronary artery disease, a segmental wall motion analysis was performed in 30 SAH patients with LV dysfunction. Both regional (n = 21) and global (n = 9) wall motion patterns were observed. Preservation of apical function relative to the base was observed in 17 (57%) of the 30 patients. Many of the wall motion patterns were atypical of coronary artery disease but correlated with the distribution of the myocardial sympathetic nerve terminals. Five subjects had follow-up echocardiograms with resolution of LV dysfunction in all cases. In conclusion, a previously unreported, apex-sparing pattern of LV dysfunction is described, providing indirect evidence for a neurally mediated mechanism of cardiac injury. Limited data indicate that LV dysfunction in SAH patients is potentially reversible.
Mutual impedance of stacked rhombic antennas

A report to the Navy Department Bureau of ships upon an investigation conducted under buships project order No. 10731/52
Objective measurement of physical activity and sedentary behavior among US adults aged 60 years or older.

Introduction Estimates of objectively measured physical activity among older adults differ depending on the cut points used to define intensity. Our objective was to assess 1) moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), exploring differences in prevalence depending on the cut point used, and 2) sedentary behavior, among US adults aged 60 years or older.
Decentralized Detection With Censoring Sensors

In the censoring approach to decentralized detection, sensors transmit real-valued functions of their observations when "informative" and save energy by not transmitting otherwise. We address several practical issues in the design of censoring sensor networks including the joint dependence of sensor decision rules, randomization of decision strategies, and partially known distributions. In canonical decentralized detection problems involving quantization of sensor observations, joint optimization of the sensor quantizers is necessary. We show that under a send/no-send constraint on each sensor and when the fusion center has its own observations, the sensor decision rules can be determined independently. In terms of design, and particularly for adaptive systems, the independence of sensor decision rules implies that minimal communication is required. We address the uncertainty in the distribution of the observations typically encountered in practice by determining the optimal sensor decision rules and fusion rule for three formulations: a robust formulation, generalized likelihood ratio tests, and a locally optimum formulation. Examples are provided to illustrate the independence of sensor decision rules, and to evaluate the partially known formulations.
Temperature Dependent Dielectric Relaxation in Solvent Mixtures at Microwave Frequencies

By the use of time domain reflectometry method, dielectric measurements were carried out on dimethylformamide-2-nitrotoluene solvent mixtures in the frequency range 10 MHz-20 GHz, at various temperatures from 15 °C to 45 °C. These solvent mixtures as well as pure solvents display a Debye type dispersion. Their frequency dependent dielectric properties can be summarized by the three parameters in the Debye equation: a static permittivity, permittivity at high frequency and a dielectric relaxation time constant. The free energy of activation for dipolar relaxation process and the Kirkwood correlation factor were determined using these fitting parameters for these solvent mixtures at various concentrations and temperatures. By using these dielectric parameters, the excess permittivity and excess inverse relaxation time is obtained. The excess permittivity is found to be positive for all concentrations and temperatures whereas the excess inverse relaxation time is negative.
Comparing the Fundamental Physics and Device Performance of Transparent, Conductive Nanostructured Networks with Conventional Transparent Conducting Oxides

Networks made of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and metallic nanowire networks, graphene, and ultra-thin metal films have all been proposed as replacements for transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) in photovoltaic and other applications. However, only limited comparisons of nanostructured networks and TCOs are available. Several common figures of merit that are often used to compare the electrical and optical performance of the transparent contacts are evaluated here, and the merits of each method of comparison are discussed. Calculating the current loss due to absorption in the TCO is the most useful metric for evaluating new materials for use in solar cells with well-defined sheet resistance requirements and known quantum efficiencies. The ‘Haacke’ figure of merit, ΦH, correlates fairly well with current loss and is a good metric for evaluating electro-optical performance for more general applications. The analyses presented here demonstrate that silver nanowire networks are much closer to achieving optimal electrical and optical properties than carbon-based networks.
A model of work-family dynamics of hotel managers.

The tourism industry is well known as one where operating managers have had to make sacrifices in their family and personal lives. This article reviews what is known about the work-family interface in relation to hotel managers in an effort to identify ways to gain a stra- tegic advantage in this competitive sector. By integrating research from several disciplines, this article presents a heuristic framework delineating organizational level inputs to work- family relationships for tourism managers. It examines organizational-, individual-, and fam- ily-level outcomes of the interface, as well as the processes linking these components and moderators thought to impact these relationships. Conclusions focus on innovative practices implemented to address work-family concerns. Keywords: work-family linkages, policies, hotel
Inequality of Opportunity: The New Motherhood and Apple Pie?

The recent paper by Garcia-Gomez et al. (2014) in this journal is part of a rapidly growing industry aiming to quantify, and hence give some policy teeth to, the concept of inequality of opportunity. The idea behind the concept is simple yet powerful. Not all inequality is bad. The bad bit of inequality (‘inequality of opportunity’) is the part that emerges because of factors over which we have no control (our ‘circumstances’). By contrast inequality that emerges because of our different choices and efforts (holding constant our circumstances) is fine, and to be encouraged. On the face of it, questioning the usefulness of inequality of opportunity seems about as wrongheaded as questioning the merits of family vacations, Thanksgiving or dessert trolleys. What’s not to like about it? We argue below, as we have argued at greater length elsewhere (Kanbur and Wagstaff 2015), that the idea is not quite as useful as it might at first glance appear, and is in fact rather dangerous. But turned upside down, it might yet be useful.
Optical Properties of Zinc Aluminate, Zinc Gallate, and Zinc Aluminogallate Spinels

The optical spectra of zinc aluminate (ZnAl2O4), zinc gallate (ZnGa2O4), and zinc aluminogallate (ZnAlGaO4) spinel powders were studied at wavelengths in the range of 250-900 nm using reflectance spectroscopy. The ZnAl2O4 and ZnGa2O4 powders were synthesized by using conventional ceramic processing techniques and had systematic variations in the molar ratio of ZnO to M2O3 (M = Al or Ga). The cubic spinel crystal structure of each composition was confirmed via powder X-ray diffractometry. The ZnAl2O4 powders showed optical properties in the ultraviolet wavelength region and had combined characteristics that were similar to that of ZnO (wurtzite structure) and Al2O3 (corundum structure), which result from the similar local environments of the zinc and aluminum cations within the cubic spinel crystal structure. A mechanically induced optical absorption (optomechanical effect) in the ultraviolet wavelength region was also observed in ZnAl2O4. The ZnGa2O4 powder followed a similar behavior, with the exception that the optomechanical effect did not occur in the gallate. The ZnAlGaO4 showed optical spectra that were intermediate to that of the endpoint compositions.
The Effects of Spatial Density on the Social Behavior of Children1

The behavioral effects of high and low spatial density on normal children of ages 4 and 5 were examined. Sixty Ss were observed in groups of six in a free-play situation under both density conditions. Results showed that there was significantly less aggression and less social interaction in the high-density condition than in the low-dcnsity condition. Thcrc was a significant Density X Sex effect o n aggression and signficant main effects of sex on aggression, nurturance, number of interruptions, and number of children interacted with. Several complexities in researching and explaining the effects of density on behaviors are discussed.
Capsid protein VP1 deletions in JC virus from two AIDS patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

PCR on 52 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens and 33 brain biopsies obtained born HIV-1 positive patients utilized pairs of primers from both the early region (JTP) and late region (JLP). In these patients, in whom progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) was suspected on the basis of clinical symptons and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, eight CSFs (15%) and 14 brain biopsy specimens (42%) contained JCV DNA sequences. In two patients' samples, the CSFs were positive for JCV DNA in the VP1 region using the primer pair for the VP1 region (JLP), but the fragment amplified migrated more rapidly than the 129-bp product obtained from prototype JCV(Mad-1) or the fragment amplified from the antigenic variant of JCV known as Mad-11. These patients died 3-4 months after onset of progressive neurological symptoms. Cycle sequencing of the fragments revealed overlapping deletions of 24 and 27 nucleotides. These strains were of different genotypes, designated strain 107 and strain 206. Computer analys...
Cytoplasmic Trafficking, Endosomal Escape, and Perinuclear Accumulation of Adeno-Associated Virus Type 2 Particles Are Facilitated by Microtubule Network

Understanding adeno-associated virus (AAV) trafficking is critical to advance our knowledge of AAV biology and exploit novel aspects of vector development. Similar to the case for most DNA viruses, after receptor binding and entry, AAV traverses the cytoplasm and deposits the viral genome in the cell nucleus. In this study, we examined the role of the microtubule (MT) network in productive AAV infection. Using pharmacological reagents (e.g., nocodazole), live-cell imaging, and flow cytometry analysis, we demonstrated that AAV type 2 (AAV2) transduction was reduced by at least 2-fold in the absence of the MT network. Cell surface attachment and viral internalization were not dependent on an intact MT network. In treated cells at 2 h postinfection, quantitative three-dimensional (3D) microscopy determined a reproducible difference in number of intracellular particles associated with the nuclear membrane or the nucleus compared to that for controls (6 to 7% versus 26 to 30%, respectively). Confocal microscopy analysis demonstrated a direct association of virions with MTs, further supporting a critical role in AAV infection. To investigate the underling mechanisms, we employed single-particle tracking (SPT) to monitor the viral movement in real time. Surprisingly, unlike other DNA viruses (e.g., adenovirus [Ad] and herpes simplex virus [HSV]) that display bidirectional motion on MTs, AAV2 displays only unidirectional movement on MTs toward the nuclei, with peak instantaneous velocities at 1.5 to 3.5 μm/s. This rapid and unidirectional motion on MTs lasts for about 5 to 10 s and results in AAV particles migrating more than 10 μm in the cytoplasm reaching the nucleus very efficiently. Furthermore, electron microscopy analysis determined that, unlike Ad and HSV, AAV2 particles were transported on MTs within membranous compartments, and surprisingly, the acidification of AAV2-containing endosomes was delayed by the disruption of MTs. These findings together suggest an as-yet-undescribed model in which after internalization, AAV2 exploits MTs for rapid cytoplasmic trafficking in endosomal compartments unidirectionally toward the perinuclear region, where most acidification events for viral escape take place.
The cooperative dual-arm cam-lock manipulators

Recent developments in the area of smart structures indicate that variable geometry/stiffness truss network is of fundamental importance in designing smart transformable structures and systems. This paper presents the conceptual designs and dynamics modeling of a cooperative dual-arm robotics structure, called the dual-arm cam-lock manipulator. The manipulator is capable of performing a wide variety of tasks by automatically re-configuring itself to form a variable geometry, stiffness, and workspace robotics structure. Hence, it may also be referred to as a variable geometry robot manipulator. >
Effect of Feedback Errors on Quantized Equal Gain Transmission

In this paper, we consider multiple-input, single-output (MISO) systems with per-antenna constrained beamforming at the transmitter, also known as equal gain transmission (EGT). The i.i.d. Rayleigh flat fading channel is assumed known to the receiver, and is quantized and sent to the transmitter through through a noisy finite-rate feedback channel. We model the noisy feedback channel as a symmetric error channel (i.e.,a channel where all index errors are equally likely), and analyze the effect of feedback channel errors on the performance of quantized EGT systems. It is found that the asymptotic performance (as the number of quantized codepoints gets large) of EGT with quantized feedback via a noisy channel depends on the channel behavior as the number of quantized points increase. It turns out that the binary symmetric channel (BSC) with random index assignment is a special case of the analysis, and the asymptotic performance approaches that of random beamforming. The accuracy of the expressions obtained are further verified through Monte Carlo simulations.
Rarefied Gas Model of Io's Sublimation-Driven Atmosphere

Abstract The circumplanetary flow of Io's SO 2 atmosphere is modeled using the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. This flow develops as gas sublimates from SO 2 frost in the warm subsolar region and flows toward the colder night-side, where it condenses. The axisymmetric model presented extends from the subsolar point past the terminator into the night-side. The remaining portion of the night-side atmosphere is assumed to be static. The DSMC method solves the fully viscous and compressible, non-local thermal equilibrium (non-LTE), rarefied flow problem by statistically extrapolating from the motions and collisions of representative molecules. Heating due to neutral plasma bombardment and cooling by non-LTE radiation are modeled. Quantities of a second, non-condensible gas are also added to simulate the possible effects of H 2 S or O 2 in the atmosphere. It is found that, except in the subsolar region, the flows are predominately rarefied. For high subsolar temperatures, the atmospheric flow may become supersonic and then decelerate through a diffuse, oblique shock upstream of the terminator. Appreciable local condensation occurs below the shock while the atmosphere above the shock is significantly inflated. These hydrodynamic features, among others, have implications for the observations of frost cover, atmospheric flow, and the ionosphere.
On instabilities arising during sedimentation of two-component mixtures of solids

Experimental evidence is presented which shows that both uniform and differential sedimentation are unstable flows for relatively concentrated fluid suspensions containing particles of two different densities or sizes. The instability takes the form of a new type of fingering phenomenon which develops as a result of the two kinds of particles segregating laterally from each other.
Unique role for ATG5 in neutrophil-mediated immunopathology during M. tuberculosis infection

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a major global health threat, replicates in macrophages in part by inhibiting phagosome-lysosome fusion, until interferon-γ (IFNγ) activates the macrophage to traffic M. tuberculosis to the lysosome. How IFNγ elicits this effect is unknown, but many studies suggest a role for macroautophagy (herein termed autophagy), a process by which cytoplasmic contents are targeted for lysosomal degradation. The involvement of autophagy has been defined based on studies in cultured cells where M. tuberculosis co-localizes with autophagy factors ATG5, ATG12, ATG16L1, p62, NDP52, BECN1 and LC3 (refs 2-6), stimulation of autophagy increases bacterial killing, and inhibition of autophagy increases bacterial survival. Notably, these studies reveal modest (~1.5-3-fold change) effects on M. tuberculosis replication. By contrast, mice lacking ATG5 in monocyte-derived cells and neutrophils (polymorponuclear cells, PMNs) succumb to M. tuberculosis within 30 days, an extremely severe phenotype similar to mice lacking IFNγ signalling. Importantly, ATG5 is the only autophagy factor that has been studied during M. tuberculosis infection in vivo and autophagy-independent functions of ATG5 have been described. For this reason, we used a genetic approach to elucidate the role for multiple autophagy-related genes and the requirement for autophagy in resistance to M. tuberculosis infection in vivo. Here we show that, contrary to expectation, autophagic capacity does not correlate with the outcome of M. tuberculosis infection. Instead, ATG5 plays a unique role in protection against M. tuberculosis by preventing PMN-mediated immunopathology. Furthermore, while Atg5 is dispensable in alveolar macrophages during M. tuberculosis infection, loss of Atg5 in PMNs can sensitize mice to M. tuberculosis. These findings shift our understanding of the role of ATG5 during M. tuberculosis infection, reveal new outcomes of ATG5 activity, and shed light on early events in innate immunity that are required to regulate disease pathology and bacterial replication.
Bloody diarrhoea in a patient with HIV infection

A man in his mid-40s with HIV infection—not taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and not being monitored—with a 3-day history of profuse bloody diarrhoea and abdominal pain, presented to the emergency department. The patient believed this started after eating a take-away fish pie 2 days earlier. He was found to have an elevated C reactive protein of 281 mg/L. An abdominal X-ray was obtained in the emergency department (figure 1). This showed thumb printing, which represents thickening of the colonic haustral folds, and is a sign of severe …
Patterns of Sedentary Behavior in US Middle-Age and Older Adults: The REGARDS Study

ABSTRACTPurposeThe purposes of this study were to examine patterns of objectively measured sedentary behavior in a national cohort of US middle-age and older adults and to determine factors that influence prolonged sedentary behavior.MethodsWe studied 8096 participants from the REasons for Geographi
Solvent-Directed Sol-Gel Assembly of 3-Dimensional Graphene-Tented Metal Oxides and Strong Synergistic Disparities in Lithium Storage

Graphene/metal oxide (GMO) nanocomposites promise a broad range of utilities for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), pseudocapacitors, catalysts, and sensors. When applied as anodes for LIBs, GMOs often exhibit high capacity, improved rate capability and cycling performance. Numerous studies have attributed these favorable properties to a passive role played by the exceptional electronic and mechanical properties of graphene in enabling metal oxides (MOs) to achieve near-theoretical capacities. In contrast, the effects of MOs on the active lithium storage mechanisms of graphene remain enigmatic. Via a unique two-step solvent-directed sol-gel process, we have synthesized and directly compared the electrochemical performance of several representative GMOs, namely Fe2O3/graphene, SnO2/graphene, and TiO2/graphene. We observe that MOs can play an equally important role in empowering graphene to achieve large reversible lithium storage capacity. The magnitude of capacity improvement is found to scale roughly with the surface coverage of MOs, and depend sensitively on the type of MOs. We define a synergistic factor based on the capacity contributions. Our quantitative assessments indicate that the synergistic effect is most achievable in conversion-reaction GMOs (Fe2O3/graphene and SnO2/graphene) but not in intercalation-based TiO2/graphene. However, a long cycle stability up to 2000 cycles was observed in TiO2/graphene nanocomposites. We propose a surface coverage model to qualitatively rationalize the beneficial roles of MOs to graphene. Our first-principles calculations further suggest that the extra lithium storage sites could result from the formation of Li2O at the interface with graphene during the conversion-reaction. These results suggest an effective pathway for reversible lithium storage in graphene and shift design paradigms for graphene-based electrodes.
Expert Cognition and Sensemaking in the Global Organization Leadership Context: A Case Study

Globalization and global problems, such as the financial meltdown, global warming, and the threat of pandemics, have created an increasing need for global leadership (GL). However, a review of the limited empirical research on this relatively new field indicates that more foundational research is required. This case study represents a departure from the typical competency approach to study expert cognition in global leaders. It illustrates the process used by a global leader in the high tech industry to influence how a network of global teams thought and worked collaboratively to resolve a critical, complex technological problem. Cognitive task analysis was utilized to unpack the global leader’s thinking about his work context, work approach, and sense-making. The chapter concludes with implications for global leadership research.
A 'Model Tropical Town' Unveiled?: Administrative Improvisation and the Making of Takoradi’s African Township, 1928-1932

This paper examines how a small group of British colonial bureaucrats, the members of Takoradi's Town Committee, attempted to construct, populate, and administer the city's African Township. Focusing its attention on a brief 4 year window crucial to the city's emergence, 1928-1932, it demonstrates how the Committee elected to shun Accra's directives and to pursue an aggressive, and entirely improvised, plan for implementing their lofty aims. In the process, it endeavors to unveil that they, in spite of their overwhelming confidence their ability to implement firm “order” over its emerging confines, created a city which failed to live up to some of their fundamental expectations.
Economic risk capital allocation from top down

To protect product categories in planning units of an insurance risk business against random fluctuations in the risk process, we propose a practical top down allocation of the economic risk capital (ERC). This method is justified using a simple homogeneity assumption on the claim sizes of the product categories. ERC is evaluated with a gamma approximation to the aggregate claims distribution. This approximation is justified for sufficiently large portfolios applying known properties of the gamma process. Moreover, for compound Poisson aggregate claims models with gamma claim size densities, it is shown that our ERC approximations yield ERC upper bounds, at least for sufficiently high confidence levels and sufficiently large expected number of claims.
The role of inorganic metals and metalloporphyrins in the induction of haem oxygenase and heat-shock protein 70 in human hepatoma cells.

The role of inorganic metals and metalloporphyrins in the induction of mRNAs for haem oxygenase and heat-shock protein 70 (hsp70), the two heat-shock proteins, was examined in human HepG2 and Hep3B hepatoma cells. SnCl2, but not Sn-protoporphyrin, was found to be a potent inducer of both haem oxygenase and hsp70 mRNAs. In contrast, CoCl2, ZnCl2 and FeCl2 caused little induction of haem oxygenase and hsp70 mRNAs, whereas the porphyrin complexes of these metals strongly induced haem oxygenase mRNA, without influencing the level of hsp70 mRNA. The induction process was largely transcriptional, as judged by the inhibition of induction by actinomycin D, but not by cycloheximide, and by increased transcription demonstrated by nuclear run-off analysis. Since CoCl2 is a potent inducer of haem oxygenase in vivo in animals, the possibility of the biosynthesis of Co-protoporphyrin was examined in human hepatoma cells by incubating them with CoCl2 and protoporphyrin, or delta-aminolaevulinate (ALA), the precursor of protoporphyrin. Both types of treatment led to a potent induction of haem oxygenase mRNA. Co-protoporphyrin formation was also spectrally demonstrated in cells incubated with the metal and ALA. The results of this study indicate that certain metals, e.g. SnCl2, may directly induce haem oxygenase mRNA, whereas with other elements, incorporation of the metal into the porphyrin macrocycle is necessary for induction. Therefore CoCl2, like haemin, may activate the haem oxygenase gene via a haem-responsive transcription factor, whereas SnCl2 may exert its effect via a metal-responsive transcription factor.
Volatile Heterometallic Precursors for the Low-Temperature Synthesis of Prospective Sodium Ion Battery Cathode Materials

Heterometallic single-source precursors with a proper sodium:transition-metal ratio for nonoxide sodium ion battery cathode materials are reported. Heterometallic fluorinated β-diketonates NaM(hfac)3 (M = Mn (1), Fe (2), Co (3), and Ni (4); hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate) have been obtained on a large scale, in high yield using a one-step reaction that employs commercially available reagents. The complexes are stable in open air and highly volatile. The mass spectrometric investigation indicates the existence of heterometallic molecules in the gas phase. The presence of heterometallic species in solutions of several solvents has been unambiguously confirmed. Heterometallic precursors were shown to exhibit clean, low-temperature decomposition in argon atmosphere that results in phase-pure perovskite fluorides NaMF3, the prospective cathode materials for sodium ion batteries.
Low-Temperature Spectroscopic Properties of the Peridinin-Chlorophyll a―Protein (PCP) Complex from the Coral Symbiotic Dinoflagellate Symbiodinium

The spectroscopic properties of the peridinin–chlorophyll a–protein (PCP) from the coral symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium have been characterized by application of various ultrafast optical spectroscopies including femto- and nanosecond time-resolved absorption and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) at 77 K. Excited state properties of peridinin and Chl a and their intramolecular interaction characteristics have been obtained from global fitting analysis and directed kinetic modeling of the data sets and compared to their counterparts known for the PCP from Amphidinium carterae. The lifetimes of the excited state of peridinin show close agreement with those known for the counterpart PCP, demonstrating that molecular interactions have the same characteristics in both complexes. More variances have been recorded for the excited state properties of Chl a including elongation of both the intramolecular energy transfer time between Chl’s within the pair in the protein monomer and the excited stat...
Environment and cancer risk

Several environmental factors, defined as pollutants present in air, water or other media, have been shown to be carcinogenic, including residential exposure to asbestos and radon, second-hand tobacco smoke, diesel engine emissions, and arsenic contamination of drinking water. Other factors, such as outdoor air pollution and water chlorination byproducts, are suspected carcinogens. In the case of pesticides and electromagnetic fields, including the use of cell phones, the available evidence does not suggest an increased risk of cancer. Overall, environmental causes of cancer are responsible for a limited proportion of the total burden of cancer in France and other high-income countries. Because of the involuntary nature of the exposure and the possibility to implement preventive measures, research into environmental cancer remains an important priority.
Cerebellopontine Angle Tumors

Acoustic neuromas account for approximately 80 to 90 per cent of cerebellopontine angle tumors. Useful imaging studies include (1) high-resolution CT of the internal auditory canals using extended scale and 4’bone algori thm” techniques, (2) infusion study of the cerebellopontine cisterns, (3) gaseous or opaque CT cisternography, and (4) MRI.
Towards Single-Step Biofabrication of Organs on a Chip via 3D Printing

Organ-on-a-chip engineering employs microfabrication of living tissues within microscale fluid channels to create constructs that closely mimic human organs. With the advent of 3D printing, we predict that single-step fabrication of these devices will enable rapid design and cost-effective iterations in the development stage, facilitating rapid innovation in this field.
Transverse Resistivities of Cu-Matrix and CuMn-Matrix Multifilamentary Strands as Functions of Magnetic Field and Temperature

The transverse resistivities, ρ ┴, of 2 μm filamentary diameter NbTi multifilamentary composites with Cu and CuMn matrices have been measured as functions of magnetic field strength and temperature. From magnetometry data, ρ ┴ was extracted from both: (i) the per-cycle eddy-current loss, Qe, and (ii) its associated field-dependent M-H loop height, ΔMe(H). For both types of matrix, ρ ┴ was found to vary significantly with field strength and temperature. We attribute this variation to proximity effect, the existence of which in these strands has been previously verified by means of very low ramp rate M-H measurements. The temperature- and field dependences of ρ ┴ in the Cu- and CuMn-matrix strands are quite different in character, in keeping with the strands’ differences in PE strength. With the aid of longitudinal resistivity data various contributions to the resistivity, such as size effect and current-path effect, have been identified.
Drivers of the Variation in Prosthetic Implant Purchase Prices for Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasties.

Abstract Background Previous studies have documented wide variation in health care spending and prices; however, the causes for the variation in supply purchase prices across providers are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the drivers of variation in prosthetic implant purchase prices for primary total knee and hip arthroplasties (TKA and THA, respectively) across providers. Methods We obtained retrospective data from 27 hospitals on the average prosthetic implant purchase prices for primary TKAs and THAs over the 12 months ending September 30, 2013, as well as data on a range of independent potential explanatory variables. Each hospital performed at least 200 primary total joint arthroplasties per year. The multivariate seemingly unrelated regression approach was used to evaluate the impact of the variables on purchase price for each type of implant. Results The average purchase price at the hospital at the 90th percentile was 2.1 times higher for TKAs and 1.7 times higher for THAs than that at the hospital at the 10th percentile. The use of a hospital–physician committee for implant vendor selection and negotiation was associated with 17% and 23% lower implant purchase prices ( P Conclusion The use of a joint hospital–physician committee is a potential strategy for achieving lower average purchase prices for prosthetic implants. Policies to increase hospital–physician collaboration may lead to lower average purchase prices in this market.