cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anxiety and learning in rats under stress-avoidance-discrimination conditions as influenced by chlorpromazine, reserpine, and glutamate.

Ein neuer Apparat wird beschrieben, in welchem die Wirkungen von Chlorpromazin, Reserpin und Natriumglutamat auf Furcht und Lernen in Ratten untersucht wurden.
Birth of a new therapeutic platform: 47 years of adeno-associated virus biology from virus discovery to licensed gene therapy.

Within American biomedical research, as supported primarily by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since the post–World War II era, it has been considered axiomatic that investments in discovery research will ultimately lead to the development of novel approaches to diagnostics and therapeutics that will improve the health and well-being of citizens of the United States and the broader world. I reflect here in a historical context on how one such series of investments in discovery has resulted in the emergence of the first licensed human gene therapy product in Europe, namely Glybera.1,2,3 Glybera (alipogene tiparvovec) is a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector with AAV2 inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) encapsidated into AAV1 capsids (so-called rAAV2/1, or, for this purpose, rAAV1), which, when administered intramuscularly, can result in expression of sufficient levels of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) to be considered a safe and effective treatment of LPL deficiency. It was licensed in the European Union in November 2012, 47 years after the near simultaneous discovery of AAV in laboratories at the NIH Bethesda campus and at the University of Pittsburgh.4,5,6,7,8 I trace key milestones in the progress from the discovery of the virus, to its use as a platform for an approved therapeutic product (Figure 1).
Early growth response gene 1 stimulates development of hematopoietic progenitor cells along the macrophage lineage at the expense of the granulocyte and erythroid lineages

Using a variety of differentiation-inducible myeloid cell lines, we previously showed that the zinc-finger transcription factor early growth response gene 1 (Egr-1) is a positive modulator of macrophage differentiation and negatively regulates granulocytic differentiation. In this study, high-efficiency retroviral transduction was used to ectopically express Egr-1 in myeloid-enriched or stem cell–enriched bone marrow cultures to explore its effect on the development of hematopoietic progenitors in vitro and in lethally irradiated mice. It was found that ectopic Egr-1 expression in normal hematopoietic progenitors stimulates development along the macrophage lineage at the expense of development along the granulocyte or erythroid lineages, regardless of the cytokine used. Moreover, Egr-1 accelerated macrophage development by suppressing the proliferative phase of the growth-to-macrophage developmental program. The remarkable ability of Egr-1 to dictate macrophage development at the expense of development along other lineages resulted in failure of Egr-1–infected hematopoietic progenitors to repopulate the bone marrow and spleen, and thereby prevent death, in lethally irradiated mice. These observations further highlight the role Egr-1 plays in monocytic differentiation and growth suppression.
Finite element analysis of multiple asperity-to-asperity contacts

Multiple asperity-to-asperity contacts on wavy surfaces (contact, with friction, at midway of the sinusoidal wave) were analysed with finite element method (FEM). A parametric study was carried out for wave ratios (wavelength to amplitude) of 5, 10 and 20 and tension-to-pressure ratios of 0.1 and 1. It has been found that (i) each individual contact is typically Herzian; (ii) strong asperity interactions exist in the trough region, as the wave ratio decreases; (iii) on rough surfaces with low wave ratio, the maximum shear stresses tend to lie in parallel with or perpendicular to the axis of the main surface, thus having the tendency to produce parallel fretting scars and perpendicular cracks. These results qualitatively agree with the phenomena observed under wear/fretting fatigue conditions and shed light into fretting fatigue analysis.
A type declaration and inference system for smalltalk

An experimental system for declaring and inferring type in Smalltalk is described. (In the current Smalltalk language, the programmer supplies no type declarations.) The system provides the benefits of type declaration in regard to compile-time checking and documentation, while still retaining Smalltalk's flexibility. A type hierarchy, which is integrated with the existing Smalltalk class hierarchy, allows one type to inherit the traits of another type. A type may also have parameters, which are in turn other types.
Genetic and environmental determinants of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels in Hispanic and African Americans.

Context: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with many adverse health outcomes, yet little is known about the genetic epidemiology of vitamin D or its metabolites. Objective: Our objective was to examine the relationship among three vitamin D-related genes and levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] in Hispanics (HAs) and African Americans (AAs). Design and Setting: The cross-sectional Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Family Study recruited and examined subjects in: Los Angeles, California (AAs; 513 individuals from 42 families); San Luis Valley (SLV), Colorado (HAs; 513 individuals from 30 families); and San Antonio (SA), Texas (HAs; 504 individuals from 58 families). Main Outcome Measures: Plasma levels of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D were measured. Results: Levels of 25(OH)D were highest in SLV-HAs [18.3 ± 7.7 ng/ml (45.7 ± 19.2 nmol/liter)], lower in SA-HAs [14.6 ± 6.4 ng/ml (36.4 ± 16.0 nmol/liter)], and lowest in AAs [11.0 ± 5.4 ng/ml (27.5 ± 13.5 nmol/liter)]. Le...
VLSI Yield Prediction and Estimation: A Unified Framework

In this paper we present a unified framework for prediction and estimation of the manufacturing yield of VLSI circuits. We formally introduce a number of yield measures that are useful both during the design process and during the manufacturing process. This framework is general enough to bridge the gap between the traditional concepts of parametric and catastrophic yield. We provide a classification of causes of yield loss which is essential for efficient yield estimation. Finally, we relate yield to manufacturing costs which provides a common denominator for the discussion of the manufacturing process efficiency.
Monitoring for compartmental syndrome using near-infrared spectroscopy: a noninvasive, continuous, transcutaneous monitoring technique.

Background: The diagnosis of compartmental syndrome (CS) may be delayed because current monitoring techniques are invasive and intermittent and the compartment pressure (CP) that predicts ischemia is variable. Fiber-optic devices using near-infrared (NIR) wavelength reflection can determine the redox state of light-absorbing molecules and have been used to monitor venous hemoglobin saturation to detect ischemia during low-flow states. The purpose of this study was to determine if NIR spectroscopy can provide continuous, transcutaneous, noninvasive monitoring for muscle ischemia in an animal model of CS. Methods: Nine swine were anesthetized and a 20-mm NIR probe was placed over the anterolateral compartment of the hind leg to provide continuous determination of muscle oxyhemoglobin level. Needles were inserted into the compartment to measure CP. A nerve stimulator was placed over the peroneal nerve to induce dorsiflexion twitch. Albumin was infused into the muscle to incrementally increase CP until there was complete loss of dorsiflexion, then after 20 minutes fasciotomy was performed. Results: All animals lost dorsiflexion at CP of 43 ± 14 mm Hg. There was a significant inverse correlation between CP and oxyhemoglobin level (r = -0.78; p < 0.001) and a correlation between oxyhemoglobin and perfusion pressure (mean arterial pressure minus CP) (r = 0.66; p < 0.001). Redox state was a more consistent predictor of twitch loss than perfusion pressure. Conclusion: Muscle oxyhemoglobin level measured by NIR spectroscopy strongly reflected CP, perfusion pressure, and loss of dorsiflexion twitch. Currently available portable NIR devices may provide the benefit of continuous, noninvasive monitoring for CS. Further studies to determine the role of this technology in the detection of compartmental syndrome are warranted.
A Special-purpose Analogue Computer and its use in Reactor Engineering

This paper deals with the description and application of a reactor analogue computer. Reactor operational and training problems suitable for analogue computer solution are dealt with and present trends in design and application indicated.
Knowledge-based flash evoked potential recognition system

A knowledge-based evoked potential monitoring and recognition system has been developed to automatically monitor patients' flash evoked potentials and recognize the signals. It also automatically labels the peaks and troughs of the evoked potentials, and calculates the latencies and amplitudes of the evoked potentials. This knowledge-based system was implemented using object-oriented programming. Due to the variability of flash evoked potentials, the system uses temporal and spatial contexts to achieve reliability. The overall accuracy (3 correct of 3 waves, plus 2 correct of three in the presence of noise or low amplitude) is around 95%.
Voxel magnetic field disturbance from remote vasculature in BOLD fMRI

The mechanism of blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) lies in the detection of blood-induced magnetic field disturbance during brain activity. A magnetic dipole induces a magnetic field in 3D space, which is represented by a 3D kernel that shows orientation-dependent decay in space (with a radial distant decay factor of 1/r 3 ), bipolar values, and revolution symmetry. By representing the intravascular blood space with a pack of magnetic dipoles, we can use the 3D kernel to calculate the BOLD fieldmap by a 3D convolution. In our implementation, a vasculature-laden voxel of interest (VOI) is represented by a matrix at a grid resolution(~1micron), and the intravascular space is filled with macroscopic blood magnetic dipoles (each is defined for a matrix element sitting in the blood space). Based on the magnetic dipole model of blood magnetization and the convolution algorithm, we calculate the effect of exterior vasculature (from nearest neighborhood as well as from farther or remote surrounding) on the BOLD fieldmap at the VOI. Our results show that only vessels at the VOI boundary region impose a noticeable influence, and this effect increases slightly with vessel size. The effect of remote vasculature (sitting in voxels outside the nearest neighborhood) is ignorable. We also discuss the case of asymmetrical surroundings.
An estimation of the social costs of landfill siting using a choice experiment.

Abstract The paper by Sasao on using a choice experiment (CE) to incorporate social costs in siting a landfill is a good step forward in siting landfills and other waste handling facilities in a more socially responsible manner. However, Sasao’s method, which is well-established in the economics literature, has a number of underlying assumptions that practioners must be careful to consider in applying the approach. The focus of this discussion is on three issues: (1) the form of utility function used, (2) the perceptions of the survey questions by the respondents versus the intended perception, and (3) the application of the results to situations beyond the assessed situations. This discussion article urges practitioners to carefully check their implementation of a choice experiment method to make sure the elicited values correctly represent those of the community. This discussion should not be construed as suggesting that the approach or results of Sasao (2004) are incorrect. Instead this discussion is meant to elaborate on the ideas and approach presented by Sasao with the hope that the approach will be applied more widely.
Preparation, structure evolution and dielectric properties of BaTiO3 thin films and powders by an aqueous sol–gel process

Abstract A highly stable, water-based BaTiO 3 sol system was developed by a chelate acetate sol–gel process. The BaTiO 3 thin films and powders were prepared by a spin coating and drying-firing method, respectively, from the aqueous BaTiO 3 sol. Structural evolution of the BaTiO 3 gel was investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis. Scanning electron microscopy microstructure results showed that the BaTiO 3 thin films consisted of nano polycrystallites with a grain size of 30–60 nm, possessing a cubic perovskite structure. With ultraviolet light (UV) irradiation, the BaTiO 3 films could be crystallized to a cubic phase at 550°C. The dielectric measurement indicated no phase transition at the Curie temperature (125°C). It is believed that the small crystallites having a cubic perovskite structure are responsible for the low dielectric constant and the flat temperature coefficient of capacitance behavior is due to the lack of the phase transition from the tetragonal to cubic phase.
Robust uniform persistence and competitive exclusion in a nonautonomous multi-strain SIR epidemic model with disease-induced mortality.

A nonautonomous version of the SIR epidemic model in Ackleh and Allen (2003) is considered, for competition of $$n$$ infection strains in a host population. The model assumes total cross immunity, mass action incidence, density-dependent host mortality and disease-induced mortality. Sufficient conditions for the robust uniform persistence of the total population, as well as of the susceptible and infected subpopulations, are given. The first two forms of persistence depend entirely on the rate at which the population grows from the extinction state, respectively the rate at which the disease is vertically transmitted to offspring. We also discuss the competitive exclusion among the $$n$$ infection strains, namely when a single infection strain survives and all the others go extinct. Numerical simulations are also presented, to account for the situations not covered by the analytical results. These simulations suggest that the nonautonomous nature of the model combined with the disease induced mortality allow for many strains to coexist. The theoretical approach developed here is general enough to apply to other nonautonomous epidemic models.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of radiation inhibition of restenosis. Part I: role of the macrophage and platelet-derived growth factor.

Purpose: The major radiobiological issue in determining the rationale for the use of radiation to inhibit vascular restenosis is the identification of the target cell(s) and/or cytokine(s) responsible for neointimal hyperplasia and vascular remodeling. The central hypothesis of this report is that the macrophage/monocyte and PDGF are key elements in the process of neointimal hyperplasia seen following angioplasty, similar to their role in lesion formation and progression found in atherosclerotic thickening. Specific immunohistochemical and cytochemical stains were applied to a rat carotid model in a temporal series after balloon angioplasty to determine macrophage activity vs. smooth muscle cell proliferation, the latter being classically thought to be the cell responsible for restenosis. Methods and Materials: Neointimal hyperplasia was created in an established rat carotid artery model by a balloon catheter technique. Immediately following injury, treatment groups received irradiation via high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, the 192Ir source being placed externally to the vessel. Radiation was delivered to a length of 2 cm of the injured vessel at doses of 5, 10, and 15 Gy, and the animals were sacrificed at various time points following treatment (24 h to 6 months). Serial sections of tissue were stained immunohistochemically with the primary antibodies CD11b, mac-1, anti-PDGF, and α-smooth muscle actin. Results: Immediately (24 h) postinjury, there is an apparent migration of macrophages seen in the adventitia; after 1 week, proliferation and migration of macrophages could be seen clearly within all the vessel layers, especially in the intima; by 3 weeks, when there was evidence of neointimal hyperplasia, macrophages could still be seen, mainly in the intima scattered among the smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts, and to a lesser degree at 6 months. There was corresponding expression of PDGF, whenever and wherever there were zones of activation/neointimal hyperplasia. α-Smooth muscle actin staining identified the smooth muscle cells distinct from the macrophages, and these SMCs exhibited activation in the neointimal hyperplasia zones at all later time points. Furthermore, we showed that radiation significantly reduced the macrophage population, while the onset of neointimal hyperplasia was accompanied by a return of the macrophage population. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the activated adventitial macrophage/monocyte are the key cells responsible for initiating the arterial neointimal hyperplasia and vascular remodeling developing postangioplasty as they are in the initiation and perpetuation of atheromatous thickening. Irradiation delivered immediately postinjury is, therefore, highly effective, because the macrophage population is exquisitely radiosensitive.
Structural predictions of the channel-forming region of botulinum neurotoxin heavy chain

A novel combination of theoretical approaches was exploited to predict which amino acid residues of various botulinum neurotoxin serotypes participate in forming ion channels. Estimates of sequence hydrophobic moments were used initially to identify residues within amphipathic regions in the N-terminal half of the heavy chain. A neural network algorithm was then used to make additional secondary structural predictions for these regions. Together, these approaches predicted a complimentary pattern of four, adjacent amphipathic, possibly transmembrane, regions that may be separated by solvent-exposed loops. Both the hydrophobic moment and the neural net analyses predicted that at least one of these amphipathic segments may be in an extended conformation. These theoretical results are discussed in view of our current knowledge of other transmembrane structures.
Municipal solid waste landfill daily cover alternatives

Abstract Alternative daily cover materials for use at municipal solid waste landfills is gaining popularity among landfill operators. There is a wide variety of products available. This paper discusses the regulations, operational requirements and brief descriptions of many of the products available today. This paper focuses on foams and sprays, not on geotextile-based daily cover materials.
Climate change and the adequacy of food and timber in the 21st century

One of the great challenges of the 21st century will be to increase the global food and timber supply to accommodate a world growing to 10 billion or more people while undergoing climate change. Success in meeting this challenge will require a steady stream of technical and institutional innovations to increase food and timber production while simultaneously adapting to changing climatic conditions. Every five years since 1990, under the auspices of the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assembles teams of highly respected researchers from an international pool of scientists to undertake … *E-mail: billeasterling{at}psu.edu
Conceptual foundations for representing robotics history in a non‐linear digital archive

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the conceptual foundations and motivation for creating a digital archive to display the developments in the field of robotics over the past 50 years.Design/methodology/approach – The paper proposes that the archive should be based on the conceptualization of science as an “ecology of knowledge”, composed of diverse sets of human and nonhuman actors evolving through associations across multiple social, epistemic, and temporal units of organization. The paper also discusses the roles of different data sources as memory practices primarily used in situated and systemic studies of science.Findings – The paper shows the value of using full capabilities of the current technology to allow for non‐linear representations of the material within a digital archive.Originality/value – The paper contributes to the discussion of the implications of new information technologies such as digital archives for memory practices in science studies and the sciences.
Situation-dependent intensity skill metric and intensity spread guidance for western North Pacific tropical cyclones

A situation-dependent intensity prediction (SDIP) technique is developed for western North Pacific tropical cyclones that is based on the average of the intensity changes from the 10 best historical track analogs to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center best-tracks. The selection of the 10 best track analogs is also conditioned on the current intensity, and it is demonstrated that for a subsample of current intensities less than or equal to 35 kt the intensity mean absolute errors (MAEs) and biases are smaller than for the greater than 35 kt intensity subsample. The SDIP is demonstrated to have advantages as an intensity skill measure at forecast intervals beyond 36 h compared to the current climatology and persistence technique that uses only variables available at the initial time. The SDIP has significantly smaller intensity MAEs beyond 36 h with an almost 20% reduction at 120 h, has significantly smaller intensity biases than the present skill metric beyond 12 h, and explains 36% of the intensity variability at 120 h compared to 20% explained variance for the current technique. The probability distributions of intensities at 72 h and 120 h predicted by the SDIP are also a better match of the distribution of the verifying observations. Intensity spread guidance each 12 h to 120 h is developed from the intensity spread among the 10 best historical track analogs. The intensity spread is calibrated to ensure that the SDIP forecasts will have a probability of detection (PoD) of at least 68.26%. While this calibrated intensity spread is specifically for the SDIP technique, it would provide a first-order spread guidance for the PoD for the official intensity forecast, which would be useful intensity uncertainty information for forecasters and decision-makers.
Chemical Composition of Distillers Grains, a Review

In recent years, increasing demand for ethanol as a fuel additive and decreasing dependency on fossil fuels have resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of grains used for ethanol production. Dry-grind is the major process, resulting in distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as a major coproduct. Like fuel ethanol, DDGS has quickly become a global commodity. However, high compositional variation has been the main problem hindering its use as a feed ingredient. This review provides updated information on the chemical composition of distillers grains in terms of nutrient levels, changes during dry-grind processing, and causes for large variation. The occurrence in grain feedstock and the fate of mycotoxins during processing are also covered. During processing, starch is converted to glucose and then to ethanol and carbon dioxide. Most other components are relatively unchanged but concentrated in DDGS about 3-fold over the original feedstock. Mycotoxins, if present in the original feedstock, are also concentrated. Higher fold of increases in S, Na, and Ca are mostly due to exogenous addition during processing, whereas unusual changes in inorganic phosphorus (P) and phytate P indicate phytate hydrolysis by yeast phytase. Fermentation causes major changes, but other processing steps are also responsible. The causes for varying DDGS composition are multiple, including differences in feedstock species and composition, process methods and parameters, the amount of condensed solubles added to distiller wet grains, the effect of fermentation yeast, and analytical methodology. Most of them can be attributed to the complexity of the dry-grind process itself. It is hoped that information provided in this review will improve the understanding of the dry-grind process and aid in the development of strategies to control the compositional variation in DDGS.
Robust packet scheduling in wireless cellular networks

This paper addresses the following robust scheduling problem: Given that only coarse-grained channel state information (i.e., bounds on channel errors, but not the fine-grained error pattern) is available, how to design a robust scheduler that ensures worst-case optimal performance? To solve this problem, we consider two coarse-grained channel error models and take a zero-sum game theoretic approach, in which the scheduler and the channel error act as non-cooperative adversaries in the scheduling process. Our results show that in the heavy channel error case, the optimal scheduler adopts a threshold form. It does not schedule a flow if the price (the flow is willing to pay) is too small, in order to maximize the system revenue. Among the scheduled flows, the scheduler schedules a flow with a probability inversely proportional to the flow price such that the risk of being caught by the channel error adversary is minimized. We also show that in the mild channel error model, the robust scheduling policy exhibits a balanced trade-off between a greedy decision and a conservative policy. The scheduler is likely to take a greedy decision if it evaluates the risk of encountering the channel error adversary now to be small. Therefore, robust scheduling does not always imply conservative decision. The scheduler is willing to take "risks" to expect higher gain in some scenarios. Our solution also shows that probabilistic scheduling may lead to higher worst-case performance compared to traditional deterministic policies. Finally, the current efforts show the feasibility to explore a probabilistic approach to cope with dynamic channel error conditions.
Geodynamics: Active passive margins

Passive margins were thought to be tectonically inactive. Documentation of a volcanic dyke intrusion along the eastern flank of the Red Sea rift proves this plate tectonic tenet wrong, however, with implications for hazard assessments in these regions.
Life expectancy in ancient Palestine

Abstract The first part of the paper surveys the terminology used to indicate life stages in Israel and the Near East, ages attributed to different individuals and categories, occupational age limits, and ideas about maximum life expectancy. Such data can be accepted with confidence only when supported by results obtained by physical anthropology, unfortunately underdeveloped for that time and place. The second part of the paper provides a summary of the methods followed, the problems affecting this kind of work, including opposition based on religious premisses, and the rather disappointing results obtained to date.
Lack of involvement of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferents in nerve-ligation injury induced tactile allodynia in rats.

Tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, two robust signs of neuropathic pain associated with experimental nerve injury, have been hypothesized to be mechanistically distinguished based on (a) fiber types which may be involved in the afferent input, (b) participation of spinal and supraspinal circuitry in these responses, and (c) sensitivity of these endpoints to pharmacological agents. Here, the possibility that nerve-injury induced tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia may be mediated via different afferent fiber input was tested by evaluating these responses in sham-operated or nerve-injured (L5/L6) rats before or after a single systemic injection of resiniferatoxin (RTX), an ultrapotent analogue of the C-fiber specific neurotoxin, capsaicin. Tactile allodynia, and three measures of thermal nociception, tail-flick, paw-flick and hot-plate responses, were determined before and at various intervals for at least 40 days after RTX injection. Nerve-injured, but not sham-operated, rats showed a long-lasting tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia (paw-flick) within 2-3 days after surgery; responses to other noxious thermal stimuli (i.e., tail-flick and hot-plate tests) did not distinguish the two groups at the stimulus intensities employed. RTX treatment resulted in a significant and long-lasting (i.e. essentially irreversible) decrease in sensitivity to thermal noxious stimuli in both sham-operated and nerve-injured rats; thermal hyperalgesia was abolished and antinociception produced by RTX. In contrast, RTX treatment did not affect the tactile allodynia seen in the same nerve-injured rats. These data support the concept that thermal hyperalgesia seen after nerve ligation, as well as noxious thermal stimuli, are likely to be mediated by capsaicin-sensitive C-fiber afferents. In contrast, nerve-injury related tactile allodynia is insensitive to RTX treatment which clearly desensitizes C-fibers and, therefore such responses are not likely to be mediated through C-fiber afferents. The hypothesis that tactile allodynia may be due to inputs from large (i.e. A beta) afferents offers a mechanistic basis for the observed insensitivity of this endpoint to intrathecal morphine in this nerve-injury model. Further, these data suggest that clinical treatment of neuropathic pains with C-fiber specific agents such as capsaicin are unlikely to offer significant therapeutic benefit against mechanical allodynia.
Quantum-critical pairing in electron-doped cuprates

We revisit the problem of spin-mediated superconducting pairing at the antiferromagnetic quantum-critical point with the ordering momentum $(\ensuremath{\pi},\ensuremath{\pi})=2{\mathbf{k}}_{F}$. The problem has been previously considered by one of the authors [P. Krotkov and A. V. Chubukov, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 107002 (2006); Phys. Rev. B 74, 014509 (2006)]. However, it was later pointed out [D. Bergeron et al., Phys. Rev. B 86, 155123 (2012)] that the analysis neglected umklapp processes for the spin polarization operator. We incorporate umklapp terms and reevaluate the normal state self-energy and the critical temperature of the pairing instability. We show that the self-energy has a Fermi-liquid form and obtain the renormalization of the quasiparticle residue $Z$, the Fermi velocity, and the curvature of the Fermi surface. We argue that the pairing is a BCS-type problem, but go one step beyond the BCS theory and calculate the critical temperature ${T}_{c}$ with the prefactor. We apply the results to electron-doped cuprates near optimal doping and obtain ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\ge}10\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, which matches the experimental results quite well.
The Decay Scheme and Angular Correlation of Pr 144

The decay scheme and angular correlation of ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{144}$ have been studied with lens spectrometer and scintillation counter techniques. The beta-ray spectrum shows three groups with end points at 2.965\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015, 2.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1, and 0.86\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 Mev, the first having a relative intensity of 90 percent, the others each about 5 percent. Gamma-rays were observed by photoelectric conversion and have energies of 0.695\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005, 1.48\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01, and 2.185\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015 Mev and relative intensities of 1:0.4:1.1, respectively. The data indicate that beta-emission takes place to states in ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{144}$ at zero, 0.695, and 2.185 Mev. The absorption of beta-rays in coincidence with gamma-rays shows two components with ranges of 0.34 and 1.0 g/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ aluminum. The corresponding energies and intensities of these beta-groups confirm the above decay scheme. Gamma-gamma coincidences are also present and their angular correlation has the form 1-0.33 ${cos}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta}$, characteristic of either a 1-2-0 or a 1-1-0 cascade. It is suggested that the first excited state of ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{144}$ has spin 2 and even parity and the second level spin 1. Some of the features of ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{144}$ decay are described and the usefulness of this fission-product isotope as a source of homogeneous photoneutrons is discussed.
Anisoplanatism in adaptive optics systems due to pupil aberrations

Adaptive optics systems typically include an optical relay that simultaneously images the science field to be corrected and also a set of pupil planes conjugate to the deformable mirror of the system. Often, in the optical spaces where DM's are placed, the pupils are aberrated, leading to a displacement and/or distortion of the pupil that varies according to field position--producing a type of anisoplanatism, i.e., a degradation of the AO correction with field angle. The pupil aberration phenomenon is described and expressed in terms of Seidel aberrations. An expression for anisoplanatism as a function of pupil distortion is derived, an example of an off-axis parabola is given, and a convenient method for controlling pupil-aberration-generated anisoplanatism is proposed.
Effect of cocaine and pentylenetetrazol on cortical kindling.

Abstract The effect of drug-induced convulsions on subsequent cortical kindling was studied in male Long-Evans rats. Animals experienced three intravenous infusions of physiological saline at 3 day intervals, or three convulsions induced by the infusion of cocaine or pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). Beginning eight days after the last infusion, all animals were kindled by stimulation of the anterior neocortex (area 6). PTZ-induced convulsions facilitated the development of both the behavioral convulsion and the electrographic seizure during cortical kindling, while concaine-induced convulsions facilitated only the development of the electrographic seizure. Comparison of these results with previous research indicates that convulsions induced by these two drugs have long-lasting effects on brain function which differ both in their anatomical distribution and in the nature of the effects produced. These drugs also differed in their acute effects at subconvulsant doses on the expression of cortically kindled seizures. Cocaine (and lidocaine, another local anesthetic) substantially elevated afterdischarge (AD) threshold and inhibited the focal component of the cortically kindled seizure. PTZ had no significant effect on either of these variables but significantly increased AD duration. In addition to these drug effects, a substantial inhibitory effect on seizure expression was observed, both during kindling and afterwards, when ADs were elicited daily but not when they were separated by 3 days or more. This finding suggests that the large number of ADs typically required for cortical kindling may be due in part to daily stimulation.
Quantum Effects in the Amplification of Sound in the Presence of a Magnetic Field

A quantum-mechanical treatment is used to calculate the magnetic-field dependence of sound, which is amplified by interaction with conduction electrons in the presence of crossed dc electric and magnetic fields. It is shown that oscillatory behavior as a function of the strength of the applied magnetic field occurs under conditions of amplification. The oscillations which occur in the amplification have an amplitude equal to the nonoscillatory part of the amplification for nontransverse orientations of sound-wave vector q and magnetic field H, as long as there are electrons that have a component of drift velocity in the direction of q which is equal to the sound velocity ${V}_{s}$. The amplification occurs when the drift velocity in the crossed fields, ${\mathrm{V}}_{H}$, has a component in the direction of q which exceeds ${V}_{s}$.
One Pot Phase Transfer Synthesis of O-Alkyl, S-Methyl Dithiocarbonates (Xanthates)

Abstract O-Alkyl, S-methyl dithiocarbonates of phenol, benzyl, primary and secondary alcohols were prepared in a one pot procedure under phase transfer catalysis conditions.
The discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol are mediated by NMDA and GABA(A) receptors in specific limbic brain regions.

This study was conducted to assess the involvement of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor systems, located in specific limbic brain regions, in the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol. Male Long-Evans rats were trained to discriminate between intraperitoneal (IP) injections of ethanol (1 g/kg) and saline on a two-lever drug discrimination task. The rats were then implanted with bilateral injector guides aimed at the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC), prelimbic cortex (PrLC), hippocampus area CA1 (CA1), or extended amygdala (i.e., at the border of the central and basolateral nuclei). Infusions of the non-competitive NMDA antagonist MK 801 in the AcbC or CA1 resulted in dose-dependent full substitution for IP ethanol. MK 801 infusion in the PrLC or amygdala failed to substitute for ethanol. Injection of the competitive NMDA antagonist CPP in the AcbC also failed to substitute for ethanol. Co-infusion of MK 801 in the hippocampus potentiated the effects of MK 801 in the AcbC, whereas NMDA infusion in the hippocampus attenuated the ability of MK 801 in the AcbC to substitute for ethanol. The direct GABAA agonist muscimol resulted in dose-dependent full substitution for IP ethanol when it was injected into the AcbC or amygdala, but failed to substitute when administered in the PrLC. Co-infusion of MK 801, but not CPP, potentiated the effects of muscimol in the AcbC. These results demonstrate that ethanol’s discriminative stimulus function is mediated centrally by NMDA and GABAA receptors located in specific limbic brain regions. The data also suggest that the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol are mediated by interactions between ionotropic GABAA and NMDA receptors in the nucleus accumbens, and by interactions among brain regions.
Simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiological recording

The purpose of this study was to develop a method for obtaining simultaneous electrophysiological and functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Using phantom experiments and tests on several of the investigators, a method for obtaining simultaneous electrophysiological and fMRI data was developed and then tested in three volunteers including two task activation experiments. It was then applied in a sleep experiment (n = 12). Current limiting resistance and low-pass filtering were added to the electrophysiological circuit. Potential high frequency current loops were avoided in the electrical layout near the subject. MRI was performed at 1.5 T using conventional and echo planar imaging sequences. There was no evidence of subject injury. Expected correlations were observed between the electrophysiological and fMRI data in the task activation experiments. The fMRI data were not significantly degraded by the electrophysiological apparatus. Alpha waves were detected from within the magnet in seven of the 15 experimental sessions. There was degradation of the electrophysiological data due to ballistocardiographic artifacts (pulsatile whole body motion time-locked to cardiac activity) which varied between subjects from being minimal to becoming large enough to make detection of alpha waves difficult. We concluded that simultaneous fMRI and electrophysiological recording is possible with minor modifications of standard electrophysiological equipment. Our initial results suggest this can be done safely and without compromise of the fMRI data. The usefulness of this technique for studies of such things as sleep and epilepsy is promising. Applications requiring higher precision electrophysiological data, such as evoked response measurements, may require modifications based on ballistocardiographic effects. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Total Known Weight of the Cape York, Greenland, Sideritic Fall (ECN =+0650,760:)*

The total known weight of the Cape York, Greenland, sideritic fall, which includes 4 recovered individuals—“Ahnighito,” the Savik iron, “the Woman,” and “the Dog”—appears, in the light of the best available information, to be approximately 66 metric tons. The Savik iron (weight = 3402 kg.) and the Furnas County member (weight = 1073 kg.) of the Norton County, Kansas-Furnas County, Nebraska; achondritic shower of 1948 February 18 raise to 68 the total number of known individual meteorites weighing 400 kg. or more. The largest recovered member of the Canyon Diablo, Arizona, sideritic fall (weight = 639 kg.) has recently been placed on permanent display in the new museum building on the north rim of the Barringer Meteorite Crater.
The Five-String Banjo in the Music Classroom:

The banjo is an instrument of unique image and sound. It has a long history in North America from its arrival on slave ships from North Africa to its contemporary use in jazz and popular music. Add...
RF Field Visualization of RF Ablation at the Larmor Frequency

Radio-frequency ablation (RFA) is an effective minimally invasive treatment for tumors. One primary source of difficulty is monitoring and controlling the ablation region. Currently, RFA is performed at 460 kHz, for which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could play a role given its capability for temperature monitoring and tumor visualization. If instead the ablation were to be performed at the MRI Larmor frequency, then the MR capability for B1 field mapping could be used to directly visualize the radio-frequency (RF) fields created by the ablation currents. Visualizing the RF fields may enable better control of the ablation currents, enabling better control of lesion shape and size and improving repeatability. We demonstrate the feasibility of performing RFAs at 64 MHz and show preliminary results from imaging the RF fields from the ablation. The post-ablation RF fields show an increase in current density in the ablated region, consistent with an increase in conductivity of the ablated tissue.
Antipredictable Sequences: Harder to Predict Than Random Sequences

For any discrete-state sequence prediction algorithm A, it is always possible, using an algorithm B no more complicated than A, to generate a sequence for which A's prediction is always wrong. For any prediction algorithm A and sequence x, there exists a sequence y no more complicated than x, such that if A performs better than random on x, then it will perform worse than random on y by the same margin. An example of a simple neural network predicting a bit sequence is used to illustrate this very general but not widely recognized phenomenon. This implies that any predictor with good performance must rely on some (usually implicitly) assumed prior distributions of the problem.
Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and its association with comorbidities of childhood obesity.

Purpose: Our study sought to further delineate the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and its relationship to comorbidities of childhood obesity. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review from 155 obese children aged 5 to 19 years who attended the Penn State Children’s Hospital Pediatric Multidisciplinary Weight Loss Program from November 2009 through November 2010. We determined the incidence of hypovitaminosis D and examined its association with comorbidities including elevated blood pressure, diabetes, acanthosis nigricans, depression, hyperlipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and abnormal liver function test results, as well as age, sex, and geographic location. Results: Under the latest Institute of Medicine definitions, vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/mL) and insufficiency (20-29 ng/mL) was present in 40% and 38% of children, respectively. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 27.8% in children aged 5 to 9 years, 35.4% in children aged 10 to 14 years, and 50.9% of children aged 15 years or older. Older age, African-American race, winter/spring season, higher insulin level, total number of comorbidities, and polycystic ovary syndrome (in girls) were significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency. African-American race, winter/spring season, hyperinsulinemia, elevated systolic blood pressure, urban location, and total numbers of comorbidities were significantly associated with hypovitaminosis D (< 30 ng/mL). Conclusions: Hypovitaminosis D is associated with several medical comorbidities in obese children. Given the large percentage of children, even in our youngest age group, who are vitamin D deficient, obese children should be considered for routine vitamin D screening.
Effects of Anti-inflammatory Agents on Hydrochloric Acid-Induced Pulmonary Injury

To determine the effects of anti-inflammatory agents on hydrochloric acid lung injury, the heart and lungs were harvested from rats, placed in a lung chamber, constant flow perfused with whole blood, and ventilated. The following experiments were conducted: observation alone; intratracheal injection of normal saline; intratracheal hydrochloric acid; and intravenous meclofenamate or indomethacin before intratracheal hydrochloric acid. Wet-to-dry lung weights were measured. Peak airway pressures increased immediately (p < .001 vs. baseline; ANOVA) in all intratracheal groups, hydrochloric acid producing even greater (p < .05) increases than saline-effects unaltered by meclofenamate or indomethacin. The increased (p < .001 vs. baseline) 2-h pulmonary artery pressures in hydrochloric acid-treated groups were unaltered by meclofenamate or indomethacin. All hydrochloric acid-treated groups demonstrated increases (p < .05) in weight that were unchanged by meclofenamate or indomethacin. These data suggest that the beneficial effects of these medications described elsewhere, using a variety of in vivo lung injury experimental models, may be attributed to their experimental design, or to contributions from organs/systems outside the pulmonary circuit.
Improving treatments and outcomes: an emerging role for zinc in traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury is associated with a wide variety of behavioral deficits, including memory loss, depression, and anxiety. While treatments for these outcomes are currently limited, human clinical data suggest that supplemental zinc can be used during recovery to improve cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with brain injury. Additionally, pre-clinical models suggest that zinc may increase resilience to traumatic brain injury, making it potentially useful in populations at risk for injury.
A translinear RMS detector for embedded test of RF ICs

This paper presents a wide-bandwidth, high dynamic range, BiCMOS RF rms detector based on the dynamic translinear principle. A current-domain circuit carries out the main computation, and a circuit compensates for errors due to finite transistor gain. Wide-bandwidth input and output circuits allow connecting voltage-mode signals to the internal current-mode circuitry. Measurements on a prototype chip demonstrate that the circuit is suitable for embedded on-chip testing, particularly for "alternative test" of RF circuits.