cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY VERSUS TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY FOR ASSESSMENT OF LEFT VENTRICULAR MASS AND MASS INDEX

Increased left ventricular mass (LVM) and index (LVMI) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the standard method for assessment of LVM and LVMI. Despite the increased clinical use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) there is limited data
Cybersecurity Dynamics: A Foundation for the Science of Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Dynamics is new concept that aims to achieve the modeling, analysis, quantification, and management of cybersecurity from a holistic perspective, rather than from a building-blocks perspective. It is centered at modeling and analyzing the attack-defense interactions in cyberspace, which cause a “natural” phenomenon—the evolution of the global cybersecurity state. In this chapter, we systematically introduce and review the Cybersecurity Dynamics foundation for the Science of Cybersecurity. We review the core concepts, technical approaches, research axes, and results that have been obtained in this endeavor. We outline a research roadmap towards the ultimate research goal, and identified technical barriers that poses challenges to reach the goal.
Argument: Public and Private, Social and Cognitive.

This essay is concerned about the different kinds of argument we study, and whether they are essentially similar or different. To explore this topic, I undertake the exercise of considering the hyp...
Hydration Control of Gel-Adhesion and Muco-Adhesion

Protective mucin gel layers established by epithelial cell surfaces in biology have water contents above 90% and provide a low-shear stress nonadhesive interfacial boundary on epithelial surfaces throughout the body. Adhesion between gels and mucin layers, muco-adhesion, is an important aspect of drug delivery, biocompatibility, and the prevention of damage during insertion, use, and removal of medical devices in contact with moist epithelial surfaces. This manuscript develops a simple mathematical model to suggest that gel-adhesion and muco-adhesion are controlled by dehydration. For a fully swollen gel, the osmotic pressure is balanced by the elastic stress in the polymer gel, and differences in the elastic modulus are used to calculate dehydration stresses. A model based on Winkler contact mechanics gives a closed form expression for the force of adhesion that is dependent on the contact radius and gel thickness, inversely proportional to the mucin layer stiffness, and proportional to the square of the differences in elastic modulus. Submerged contact experiments conducted on Gemini gel interfaces of polyacrylamide aqueous gels showed increasing adhesion with increasing dehydration of the probe. Additionally, experiments conducted against mucinated epithelial cell monolayers found mucin transfer onto the most dehydrated gels and no transfer on swollen gels. The model and experiments reveal that high water content fully swollen gels are not intrinsically muco-adhesive, which is consistent with previous tribological experience showing increased lubricity with increasing water content and mesh size.
Measuring Glaucomatous Focal Perfusion Loss in the Peripapillary Retina Using OCT Angiography.

Purpose To measure low perfusion areas (LPAs) and focal perfusion loss (FPL) in the peripapillary retina using OCT angiography (OCTA) in glaucoma. Design Prospective, observational study. Participants A total of 47 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and 36 normal participants were analyzed. Methods One eye of each subject was scanned using an AngioVue (Optovue, Fremont, CA) 4.5-mm OCTA scan centered on the disc. En face nerve fiber layer (NFL) plexus angiogram was generated. With the use of custom software, a capillary density map was obtained by computing the fraction of area occupied by flow pixels after low-pass filtering by local averaging 21×21 pixels. The low-perfusion map is defined by local capillary density below 0.5 percentile over a contiguous area above 98.5 percentile of the normal reference population. The LPA parameter is the cumulative area, and the FPL is the percent capillary density loss (relative to normal mean) integrated over the LPA. Main Outcome Measures Peripapillary retinal LPA and FPL. Results Among patients with POAG, 3 had preperimetric glaucoma and 44 had perimetric glaucoma, with visual field (VF) mean deviation (MD) of −5.14±4.25 decibels (dB). The LPA was 3.40±2.29 mm2 in those with POAG and 0.11±0.18 mm2 in normal subjects (P Conclusions The low-perfusion map and LPA and FPL parameters are able to assess the location and severity of focal glaucoma damage with good agreement with VF.
Words Matter: A Content Analysis of the Definitions and Usage of the Terms for Apparel Marketed to People Living With Disabilities:

The purpose of this study was to gain a baseline understanding of the terms currently used to define apparel for people living with disability (PLWD) and to encourage discussion for satisfying the ...
Disentanglement in nested-parallel programs

Nested parallelism has proved to be a popular approach for programming the rapidly expanding range of multicore computers. It allows programmers to express parallelism at a high level and relies on a run-time system and a scheduler to deliver efficiency and scalability. As a result, many programming languages and extensions that support nested parallelism have been developed, including in C/C++, Java, Haskell, and ML. Yet, writing efficient and scalable nested parallel programs remains challenging, primarily due to difficult concurrency bugs arising from destructive updates or effects. For decades, researchers have argued that functional programming can simplify writing parallel programs by allowing more control over effects but functional programs continue to underperform in comparison to parallel programs written in lower-level languages. The fundamental difficulty with functional languages is that they have high demand for memory, and this demand only grows with parallelism. In this paper, we identify a memory property, called disentanglement, of nested-parallel programs, and propose memory management techniques for improved efficiency and scalability. Disentanglement allows for (destructive) effects as long as concurrently executing threads do not gain knowledge of the memory objects allocated by each other. We formally define disentanglement by considering an ML-like higher-order language with mutable references and presenting a dynamic semantics for it that enables reasoning about computation graphs of nested parallel programs. Based on this graph semantics, we formalize a classic correctness property---determinacy race freedom---and prove that it implies disentanglement. This establishes that disentanglement applies to a relatively broad class of parallel programs. We then propose memory management techniques for nested-parallel programs that take advantage of disentanglement for improved efficiency and scalability. We show that these techniques are practical by extending the MLton compiler for Standard ML to support this form of nested parallelism. Our empirical evaluation shows that our techniques are efficient and scale well.
Saying ‘Thank You’ and Meaning It

Searle held that ‘thank you’ is an expressive illocutionary act that expresses the gratitude of the speaker. Although this view has been very influential, I argue that it must be rejected because i...
Revitalizing Tradition and Instigating Change: Foodways at the Ransom and Sarah Williams Farmstead, c. 1871–1905

Following emancipation, relatively few African Americans held the status of landowning farmers. Within the context of racial and economic subjugation, these individuals struggled to maintain their ...
Laser-induced fluorescence measurements of ion fluctuations in electron and ion presheaths

Electrostatic flow-driven instabilities have been predicted in the presheath region of low-temperature plasmas for both ion and electron rich sheaths. The ion-acoustic fluctuations that arise from these instabilities can influence transport through an enhanced collision rate. In this work, ion fluctuation spectra were measured using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) in the presheath region for both sheath polarities. The non-invasive nature of LIF compared to that of probes is particularly valuable for these measurements because the sheath and presheath around a probe may generate their own flow-driven instabilities, which obscure the measurement. Measurements were made using a recently implemented field programmable gate array-based system able to measure ion fluctuation spectra up to 1 MHz using a two-point correlation function technique. Narrow bandwidth ion fluctuations were observed near 0.46 f pi (460 kHz) for both sheath polarities, where f pi is the ion plasma frequency. The observed fluctuations were significantly stronger in the electron sheath case and were observed over a larger volume of plasma. Fluctuations were measured in the ion sheath case at locations far enough from the sheath that linear theory predicts stability, suggesting that ion-acoustic instabilities generated in the relatively small unstable region near the boundary reflect from the sheath and perturb a much larger volume of the plasma. This is expected to affect probes with both ion and electron rich sheaths, meaning any dc biased probe may effectively act as an ion-acoustic wave antenna. These measurements are consistent with the recent theory and particle-in-cell results.
Co-opting the rural: Regionalization as narrative in international populist authoritarian movement organizing in the United States and France

Abstract With the increasing emergence of populist, authoritarian actors, from sub-national groups such as the Alt-Right in the US, to the rise (and fall) of the far-right National Front party in France, is the international system becoming more antagonistically regionalized by invocations of particular ‘rural’ imaginaries? This paper examines ways in which groups on the far-right of the political spectrum are fundamentally challenging perceptions of liberal globalization through co-opted narratives of nation-as-homogeneous-rural. In attempts to gain power, authoritarian populist leaders bargain for increased personal legitimacy at the expense of state sovereignty. National authority, regulations, and norms are weakened as right-authoritarian rural imaginaries are heightened. Yet simultaneously, this opens space for wider contestations and practices of rural identity, resulting in emergent challenges and movements (such as the Gilet Jaunes and rural progressive organizing in the US). As struggles to define ‘rural’ manifest through, by, and against populist authoritarian movements, the regionalization of state identity has a potentially defining impact on new forms of globalization and international norm construction. These contestations vis-a-vis banal rurality (everyday performance of the rural) offers critical insights into the ways in which state power can be deployed through appropriation of identity to serve the needs of nationalist, right-wing groups internationally. Specifically, by examining the successful rise of the Alt-Right in the US and the rise but ultimate defeat of the National Front in France, our research analyzes the contemporary critical juncture of the mobilization of ‘the rural’ in efforts of populist authoritarians to reframe national identities and weaken state sovereignty in order to gain individual political power.
Successfully Treating Hypercalcemia Secondary to Subcutaneous Fat Necrosis With Pamidronate: A Case Series

Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SCFN) is an unusual source of hypercalcemia in neonates. This condition is self-limiting; however, hypercalcemia can occur as a sequela. Severe hypercalcemia can result in increased morbidity and mortality. Several modalities of treatment for hypercalcemia subsequent to SCFN have been explored, including the use of bisphosphonates, particularly pamidronate. We briefly review SCFN, recognition of this uncommon dermatological phenomenon, as well as hypercalcemia resultant from SCFN and its current management strategy. Furthermore, we report a case series of two patients treated successfully with intravenous pamidronate in conjunction with other treatment modalities. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2021;10(1):6-9 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/ijcp420
The Double Consciousness Body Image Scale: A body image assessment centering the experiences of Black women

OBJECTIVE Body image among Black women is poorly understood; emerging research suggests that Black women experience pressures to adhere to a body type not currently captured in commonly used body image measures. This study assessed the psychometric properties and validity of the Double Consciousness Body Image Scale (DCBIS), a new culturally relevant body image assessment for Black women. METHOD Black women living in the United States (n = 198; 73.4% identified as African American; the remainder identified as African, Afro-Latina, Caribbean, Caribbean American, Black descent, or multiple racial identities) completed online surveys assessing behaviors used to modify physical features, pressures to adhere to certain physical features, and eating disorder symptomatology. RESULTS Exploratory factor analysis identified a unitary factor structure focused on pressures to adhere to physical characteristics, as well as behavior manifestation of those pressures. The DCBIS demonstrated good internal consistency (α = .96). The DCBIS demonstrated convergent validity with measures of body image and disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. DISCUSSION The DCBIS is a culturally relevant assessment of body image centering the experiences of Black women living in the context of U.S. culture. Future research is needed to confirm the factor structure of the DCBIS and evaluate its psychometric properties among a broader representation of Black women, globally.
Keeping patients safe in healthcare organizations: a structuration theory of safety culture

groves p.s., meisenbach r.j. & scott-cawiezell j. (2011) Keeping patients safe in healthcare organizations: a structuration theory of safety culture. Journal of Advanced Nursing 67(8), 1846–1855. Abstract Aim. This paper presents a discussion of the use of structuration theory to facilitate understanding and improvement of safety culture in healthcare organizations. Background. Patient safety in healthcare organizations is an important problem worldwide. Safety culture has been proposed as a means to keep patients safe. However, lack of appropriate theory limits understanding and improvement of safety culture. Data sources. The proposed structuration theory of safety culture was based on a critique of available English-language literature, resulting in literature published from 1983 to mid-2009. CINAHL, Communication and Mass Media Complete, ABI/Inform and Google Scholar databases were searched using the following terms: nursing, safety, organizational culture and safety culture. Discussion. When viewed through the lens of structuration theory, safety culture is a system involving both individual actions and organizational structures. Healthcare organization members, particularly nurses, share these values through communication and enact them in practice, (re)producing an organizational safety culture system that reciprocally constrains and enables the actions of the members in terms of patient safety. This structurational viewpoint illuminates multiple opportunities for safety culture improvement. Implications for nursing. Nurse leaders should be cognizant of competing value-based culture systems in the organization and attend to nursing agency and all forms of communication when attempting to create or strengthen a safety culture. Conclusion. Applying structuration theory to the concept of safety culture reveals a dynamic system of individual action and organizational structure constraining and enabling safety practice. Nurses are central to the (re)production of this safety culture system.
Dynamic Effects of Communication in Software Development Teams: A Comparison of Three Models

Communication is essential to the performance of software development teams. But assuming the effect of communication on team performance to be linearly positive has been questioned in the literature. Based on team development theory and team cognition theory, this study contends that the effect of communication is dynamic and contingent on team progress. To assess the dynamic effects of communication, a longitudinal study was conducted of 73 student software development teams. Three models of communication were tested: linear model, time model, and team cognition model. The results revealed that different communication methods (emails, calls, and meetings) presented systematically changing effects on team performance as team progressed. The frequencies of emails and meetings presented increasing effects, while the frequency of telephone calls presented a decreasing effect, on team performance with time passage and the development of team cognition. An optimal model emerged from the testing results. Implications for systems development researchers and practitioners are also discussed.
Halomethylmetal compounds : LXIX. Preparation of some functional halomethylmercury compounds☆

Abstract The organomercury reagents PhHgCCl 2 SO 2 Ph, PhHgCBr 2 SO 2 Ph, PhHgCClICO 2 Me, cyclo-C 6 H 11 HgCCl 2 CO 2 Me, PhCH 2 CH 2 HgCCl 2 CO 2 Me, PhHgCHClCO 2 -Et and PhHgCCl 2 CONMe 2 have been prepared and their application as divalent carbon transfer reagents has been examined.
Time course and distribution of inflammatory and neurodegenerative events suggest structural bases for the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Murine models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) are important vehicles for studying the effects of genetic manipulation on disease processes related to multiple sclerosis (MS). Currently, a comprehensive assessment of EAE pathogenesis with respect to inflammatory and degenerating neuronal elements is lacking. By using Fluoro-jade histochemistry to mark neurodegeneration and dual immunostaining to follow T-cell, microglial, and vascular responses, the time course and distribution of pathological events in EAE was surveyed. C57BL/6J mice were killed at 7, 10, 14, 21 or 35 days after vaccination with the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide MOG(35-55). Disease onset occurred at day 14 and peaked at day 21. Early T-cell infiltration and microglial activation in periventricular and superficial white matter structures adjacent to meninges suggested initial recruitment of effector T cells via the cerebrospinal fluid and choroid plexus. This was associated with microglial activation at distal sites along the same white matter tracts, with subsequent vascular recruitment of T cells associated with further injury. Systematic examination of the entire CNS supported this two-step model of EAE pathogenesis, with inflammation and neurodegeneration commencing at similar times and affecting multiple levels of predominantly sensory central pathways, including their terminal fields. This included aspects of the visual, auditory/vestibular, somatosensory (lemniscal), and proprioceptive (spinocerebellar) systems. The early targeting of visual and periventricular structures followed by more widespread CNS involvement is consistent with common presenting signs in human MS patients and suggestive of a similar basis in neuropathology.
SU‐FF‐I‐70: An Efficient Deformable Volume Rendering On Modern PC Graphics Hardware

Purpose: Direct volume rendering (DVR) is a common medical image visualization technique that provides better anatomy or object perception in three dimensional space than typical three orthogonal sectional images. In this study we present a fast and efficient deformable DVR method, implemented on modern consumer grade PC graphics hardware, which will be useful for intensity‐based deformable 3D/2D registrations as well as for deforming volume visualization during 3D/3D registrations. Method and Materials: The method consists of three steps: (1) a cubical grid is defined on the input volume; (2) the grid is deformed using global or local radial basis functions such as thin plate splines; and then (3) the volume is texture‐mapped to the deformed grid and projected to a predefined 2D pixel buffer. During projection, pixel intensities are scaled and accumulated using either attenuate or over blending operation. To minimize the intensity depth loss during the accumulation process, the pixel intensities are accumulated in a hidden pixel buffer, known as pbuffer in OpenGL. In our implementation we used 16 bit floating pbuffer instead of the standard 32 bit floating format because most graphics hardware did not support direct accumulation onto 32 bit floating buffers at the time of experiment. The accumulated intensity values are scaled to the valid display range [0,1]. Results: We were able to render a 256×256×256 anthropomorphic chest phantom CTimage onto 512×512 render buffer with 20×20×20 grid at the speed of about 3 frames per second. The computer was equipped with a 1.8 GHz CPU, 512MB memory, 4× AGP, and an NVidia GeForce 6800 graphics adaptor. Conclusion: Deformable DVR on modern PC graphics hardware is efficient in terms of speed and quality. This method may be useful for deformable 3D/2D image registrations and visualization for 3D/3D image registrations.
DNA Polymerase β-mediated Long Patch Base Excision Repair POLY(ADP-RIBOSE) POLYMERASE-1 STIMULATES STRAND DISPLACEMENT DNA SYNTHESIS

Recently, photoaffinity labeling experiments with mouse cell extracts suggested that PARP-1 functions as a surveillance protein for a stalled BER intermediate. To further understand the role of PARP-1 in BER, we examined the DNA synthesis and flap excision steps in long patch BER using a reconstituted system containing a 34-base pair BER substrate and five purified human enzymes: uracil-DNA glycosylase, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease, DNA polymerase beta, flap endonuclease-1 (FEN-1), and PARP-1. PARP-1 stimulates strand displacement DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase beta in this system; this stimulation is dependent on the presence of FEN-1. PARP-1 and FEN-1, therefore, cooperate to activate long patch BER. The results are discussed in the context of a model for BER sub-pathway choice, illustrating a dual role for PARP-1 as a surveillance protein for a stalled BER intermediate and an activating factor for long patch BER DNA synthesis.
Marketing Feud: An Active Learning Game of (Mis)Perception

This paper presents the results of implementing an active learning activity in the principles of marketing course adapted from the television show Family Feud. The objectives of the Marketing Feud game include increasing awareness of marketing misperceptions, clarifying marketing misunderstandings, encouraging class participation, and building enthusiasm for the course. The results indicated that students were satisfied with how the activity met its stated objectives. Student learning also increased as demonstrated by more accurate perspectives on marketing concepts that were previously misunderstood.
An empirical examination of the implications of arbitrage pricing theory

Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive set of tests of the implications of the Arbitrage Pricing Theory. We find, unlike previously reported results, a very limited relationship between the expected returns and the covariance (factor loadings) measures of risk. Furthermore, unique variance measures of risk, while generally making only small contributions to the explanation of asset returns, turn out to be significant about as frequently as the coveriance measures of risk — which is inconsistent with the Arbitrage Pricing Theory model. The intercept tests are more mixed but provide only limited support to the model.
Diagnosis of Vertical Motion from VAS Retrievals

Satellite-derived temperature profiles are used to determine if reliable estimates of synoptic-scale vertical motion can be obtained from the adiabatic, vorticity, and omega equation techniques. The period of study contains a short-wave trough over the Midwest and a convective outbreak over the middle Mississippi River Valley. Satellite soundings are available at 1-3 h intervals at five times. The emphasis is on assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the three vertical motion procedures, and determining the effects of short-interval observations on the calculations. Results show that the quasi-geostrophic omega equation provided patterns and magnitudes most consistent with observed weather events and 12 h radiosonde-derived motions. The vorticity method produced less satisfactory results, while adiabatic motions were unacceptable. The time derivative term dominated adiabatic motions and was a major influence in the vorticity method. Unrealistic temperature tendencies resulted from the retrieval algorithm; i.e., a diurnal temperature bias extended upwards to 500 mb, and there was a compensating effect at higher levels.
Gas, liquid and enantiomeric separations using polyaniline

Abstract Conjugated polymers are excellent candidates for membrane separations since their porosity on the molecular level can be controlled through chemical doping. Polyaniline is especially attractive since its simple acid/base doping/dedoping chemistry enables a controllable level of doping to be readily achieved using dopants of different size, shape or even chirality. Adding dopants to polyaniline leads to a decrease in permeability to gases, while removing these dopants leads to enhanced permeability. By partially redoping polyaniline, a membrane with one of the highest selectivities for the permeation of oxygen over nitrogen has been created. Liquids can be selectively permeated in a process known as pervaporation. As-cast polyaniline shows little selectivity for water over the organic acids formic, acetic and propionic. This is due to the hydrophobic nature of the emeraldine base form of polyaniline leading to a solubility selectivity that favors organic acids over water, while diffusivity selectivity favors the smaller water molecules over the larger organic molecules. High selectivities for water over organic acids can be achieved by using fully hydrochloric acid-doped polyaniline membranes which become hydrophilic and thus favor water over the organic acids due to both solubility and diffusivity. Chiral polyaniline films can be created by doping with a strong chiral acid such as S (+)-camphorsulfonic acid during film formation. Removal of the dopants with base creates a new form of chiral polyaniline that can distinguish between the amino acids l -phenylalanine and its enantiomer d -phenylalanine.
Sacrifices, Aspirations and Morality: Williams Reconsidered

When a person gives up an end of crucial importance to her in order to promote a moral aim, we regard her as having made a moral sacrifice. The paper analyzes these sacrifices in light of some of Bernard Williams’ objections to Kantian and Utilitarian accounts of them. Williams argues that an implausible consequence of these theories is that that we are expected to sacrifice projects that make our lives worth living and contribute to our integrity. Williams’ arguments about integrity and meaning are shown to be unconvincing when the content of projects is left open. However, a look at his later arguments suggests a reason to be concerned about defensible ethical projects as understood through what he refers to as “the morality system”. The problem for theories of this type turns out to be not merely conflicts between ethical projects and moral demands but making sense of some of the ethically relevant features of these projects. Accommodations to moral theories that leave room for ethical projects may be insufficient to explain such features, for example in cases where agents demand more of themselves than the theories require. Making the theories more demanding is also problematic. Williams’ view about the role ethics plays in our conception of the life we want to lead provides a better account of these cases.
Fiber optic photoacoustic ultrasound generator based on gold nanocomposite

Recently, many advanced ultrasound applications require wide bandwidth and compact ultrasound generators to achieve better resolution as well as the capability of being operated in a compact space. Generating ultrasound signals through photoacoustic principle is a promising way to generate wide bandwidth ultrasound signals by the optical approach. Meanwhile, optical fibers are ideal candidates for applications where compact size is required. Therefore, fiber optic photoacoustic generators, which put advantages of the photoacoustic principle and optical fibers together, lead to novel ultrasound generation devices which can meet the most advanced ultrasound applications requirements. This paper firstly reports using the gold nanocomposite to achieve the fiber optic photoacoustic ultrasound generator. The gold nanocomposite was synthesized by directly mixing the gold salt in polydimethylsiloxane. The gold nanocomposite showed high optical energy absorption capability and the high coefficient of thermal expansion. The photoacoustic generation efficiency was increased by applying such material. The synthesis protocol of the gold nanocomposite was presented in this paper. The optical fiber was coated with the gold nanocomposite to generate ultrasound signals. Experimental results have demonstrated that ultrasound signals can be generated by this approach and the fiber optic ultrasound generator can be used in ultrasound applications.
A New Method for Determining Small Earthquake Source Parameters Using Short-Period P Waves

We developed a new technique of inverting short-period (0.5–2 Hz) P waveforms for determining small earthquake (M <3.5) focal mechanisms and moments, where magnitude ~4 events with known source mechanisms are used to calibrate the "unmodeled" structural effect. The calibration is based on a waveform cluster analysis, where we show that clustered events of different sizes, for example, M ~4 versus M ~2, display similar signals in the short-period (SP, 0.5–2 Hz) frequency band, implying propagational stability. Since both M ~4 and M ~2 events have corner frequencies higher than 2 Hz, they can be treated as point sources, and the "unmodeled" structural effect on the SP P waves can be derived from the magnitude 4 events with known source mechanisms. Similarly, well-determined magnitude 2’s can provide calibration for studying even smaller events at higher frequencies, for example, 2–8 Hz. In particular, we find that the "unmodeled" structural effect on SP P waves is mainly an amplitude discrepancy between data and 1D synthetics. The simple function of "amplitude amplification factor" (AAF) defined as the amplitude ratio between data and synthetics provides useful calibration, in that the AAFs derived from different clustered events appear consistent, hence stable and mechanism independent. We take a grid-search approach to determine source mechanisms by minimizing the misfit error between corrected data and synthetics of SP P waves. The validation tests with calibration events demonstrate the importance and usefulness of the AAF corrections in recovering reliable results. We introduce the method with the 2003 Big Bear sequence. However, it applies equally well to other source regions in southern California, because we have shown that the mechanism independence and stability of the AAFs for source regions of 10 km by 10 km are typical. By definition, the AAFs contain the effects from the station site, the path, and crustal scattering. Although isolating their contributions proves difficult, the mechanism independence and stability of the AAFs suggest that they are mainly controlled by the near-receiver structure. Moreover, the ratios between the AAFs for the vertical and radial components from various events at different locations appear consistent, suggesting that these AAF(v)/AAF(r) ratios might be simple functions of site conditions. In this study, we obtained the focal mechanisms and moments for 92 Big Bear events with M_L down to 2.0. The focal planes correlate well with the seismicity patterns, while containing abundant finer-scale fault complexity. We find a linear relationship between log(M_0) and M_L, that is, log(M_0) = 1.12M_L + 17.29, which explains all the data points spanning three orders of magnitude (2.0 < M_L < 5.5).
Chlamydia trachomatis Infection Leads to Defined Alterations to the Lipid Droplet Proteome in Epithelial Cells

The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is a major human pathogen and a main cause of genital and ocular diseases. During its intracellular cycle, C. trachomatis replicates inside a membrane-bound vacuole termed an “inclusion”. Acquisition of lipids (and other nutrients) from the host cell is a critical step in chlamydial replication. Lipid droplets (LD) are ubiquitous, ER-derived neutral lipid-rich storage organelles surrounded by a phospholipids monolayer and associated proteins. Previous studies have shown that LDs accumulate at the periphery of, and eventually translocate into, the chlamydial inclusion. These observations point out to Chlamydia-mediated manipulation of LDs in infected cells, which may impact the function and thereby the protein composition of these organelles. By means of a label-free quantitative mass spectrometry approach we found that the LD proteome is modified in the context of C. trachomatis infection. We determined that LDs isolated from C. trachomatis-infected cells were enriched in proteins related to lipid metabolism, biosynthesis and LD-specific functions. Interestingly, consistent with the observation that LDs intimately associate with the inclusion, a subset of inclusion membrane proteins co-purified with LD protein extracts. Finally, genetic ablation of LDs negatively affected generation of C. trachomatis infectious progeny, consistent with a role for LD biogenesis in optimal chlamydial growth.
Hepatic conversion of thyroxine to triodothyronine in obese and lean zucker rats

The in vitro conversion of thyroxine (T4) to triidothyronine (T3) was studied in liver homogenates from fed and fasted lean and obese Zucker rats. T3 generation was decreased in fed young (2 month) obese rats as compared to values in fed lean controls. This was not corrected by the addition of dithiothreitol (DTT), suggesting a deficiency in 5'-deiodinase activity in y oung obese rats. Both lean and obese 2 month old rats responded to a 2 day fast by decreasing hepatic T3 generation as is always observed in other strains of rats. The hepatic conversion rate was not decreased in older (5 month) fed obese rats when compared to age-matched lean controls. Hepatic conversion of T4 to T3 was markedly decreased in 5 month old lean Zucker rats fasted for 4 days. In contrast, a 4 day fast had no effect on the hepatic conversion rate in the 5 month old obese rats. The hepatic conversion rate was assessed in 5 month old obese rats fasted for up to 28 days and hepatic conversion still did not decrease. This paradoxical response of the 5 month old obese rat may provide a new model to further evaluate the control of hepatic T3 generation from T4.
Use of bacterial DHFR-II fusion proteins to elicit specific antibodies.

Abstract Plasmids containing the coding region of the type II dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) specified by R388 have been used to alter the amino acid (aa) sequence at the C-terminus of this protein. These plasmids have a unique cloning site in the C-terminal portion of the 78-aa coding region. Insertions of DNA fragments into this site produced plasmids that code for proteins with 6- to 80-aa extensions. The vectors were constructed to terminate translation in all three phases beyond the position of insertion of foreign DNA. Random DNA fragments from the major sperm protein (MSP) gene of Caenorhabditis elegans produced by DNase I cleavage were inserted into these vectors. Cell extracts from colonies containing MSP sequences were examined by gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. One of the hybrid DHFR-MSP proteins was isolated and antibody was prepared to it. This antibody preparation reacted with MSP in immunoblots of purified MSP and whole cell extracts of the worm. A rapid purification procedure for the DHFR is presented.
Improvement of insulin secretion but not insulin resistance after short term control of plasma glucose in obese type II diabetics.

Insulin secretion and insulin resistance were examined in seven obese type II diabetics before and after control of plasma glucose levels without weight loss. Control was achieved by regular insulin injection (60–205 U/day in four doses). After 10 days of therapy, plasma insulin and C-peptide responses to oral glucose were significantly improved. Insulininduced glucose disposal rates, estimated by the glucose clamp technique, averaged 1.08 ± 0.30 mg/kg-min (mean ± SEM; n = 7) before treatment and were unchanged (1.08 ± 0.25) after treatment. These results indicate that short term control of plasma glucose improved insulin secretion but not insulin sensitivity. The impaired insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity in type II diabetics appears to be, in part, secondary to metabolic abnormalities associated with hyperglycemia. (J Clin EndocrinolMetab 54: 217, 1982)
The hemispheric lateralization of speech processing depends on what "speech" is: a hierarchical perspective.

A recurring question in neuroimaging studies of spoken language is whether speech is processed largely bilaterally, or whether the left hemisphere plays a more dominant role (cf., Hickok and Poeppel, 2007; Rauschecker and Scott, 2009). Although questions regarding underlying mechanisms are certainly of interest, the discussion unfortunately gets sidetracked due to the imprecise use of the word “speech”: by being more explicit about the type of cognitive and linguistic processing to which we are referring it may be possible to reconcile many of the disagreements present in the literature.
expert systems and the representation of knowledge

Reflexions sur les methodes adoptees dans differents ouvrages pour resoudre le probleme de l'acquisition et de la representation des connaissances dans les systemes experts
Visualizing localized dynamic changes during epileptic seizure onset in vivo with diffuse optical tomography.

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a promising functional imaging modality due to its ability to provide quantitative and dynamic tomographic imaging of brain functions. This pilot study was conducted to demonstrate that DOT can be used to visualize the changes in local hemodynamics during seizures. The focal seizure was induced by microinjection of 10 μ l of 1.9 mM GABA A antagonist bicuculline methiodide (BMI) into the left parietal neocortex of male Harlen Sprague–Dawley rats, which was imaged by a multispectral continuous-wave DOT system. Functional images were obtained by our finite element based image reconstruction algorithm. A series of dynamic 2D images were obtained to delineate the time course of concentration changes of oxyhaemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin, and total hemoglobin in the rat brain during seizure onset. The BMI induced epileptic foci were localized and observed over time from the images obtained. Our results suggest that diffuse optical tomography may be a promising modality for epilepsyimaging due to its ability to localize epileptic foci as well as its potential to map the functional activity in the area of human cerebral cortex in planning of epilepsy surgery.
On steady one-dimensional diffusion in binary ideal gas mixtures

Abstract Steady, one-dimensional, diffusion in binary ideal gas mixtures is analyzed for both a zero mass average velocity and a zero molar average velocity, to give solutions for equimass and equimolar counterdiffusion. It is shown that the prescription of constant pressure results in equimass counterdiffusion rather than the commonly assumed equimolar counterdiffusion, and that these two situations are fundamentally different. Application to the analysis of venting processes is discussed.
Frequency synthesizer testing under vibration and temperature

Particular problems can occur for frequency synthesizers under vibration and temperature. These effects will be outlined for providing margin to prevent failures. Phase noise, noise figure, and spectrum analysis tools are applied with vibration tables and thermal chambers. Particular focus is given to frequency synthesizers whose oscillators are most susceptible to environmental effects.
Changes in native alcohol dehydrogenase activity of Drosophila upon treatment with guanidine hydrochloride, urea and heat*

Fifty-two isochromosomal lines of Drosophila melanogaster were examined for the existence of additional genetic variations in ADH activity subsequent to treatment With guanidine hydrochloride, urea and heat. A wealth of hidden variation was discovered among and within the Mexican populations of the insect after treatment with the denaturants.
The interrelation of price volatility and trading volume of currency options

This article examines the interrelations between future volatility of the U.S. dollar/British pound exchange rate and trading volume of currency options for the British pound. The future volatility of the exchange rate is approximated alternatively by implied volatility and by IGARCH volatility. The results suggest the presence of strong contemporaneous positive feedbacks between the exchange rate volatility and the trading volume of call and put options. Previous option volumes have significant predictive power with respect to the expected future volatility of the dollar/pound exchange rate. Similarly, lagged volatilities jointly have significant predictive power for option volume. Although option volume (volatility) responds somewhat differently to individual volatility (volume) terms under the two volatility measures, the overall volume-volatility relations are broadly similar between the implied and IGARCH volatilities. The results generally support the hypothesis that the information-based trading explains more of the trading volume in currency options on the U.S. dollar/British pound exchange rate than hedging. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 23:681–700, 2003
Azimuthal velocity in supercritical circular Couette flow

Although the stability of supercritical circular Couette flow has been studied extensively, results for the velocity field of the flow are limited. The azimuthal velocity profiles for the Taylor vortex, wavy vortex, and turbulent Taylor vortex flow in the annulus between a rotating inner cylinder and a fixed outer cylinder with fixed end conditions were measured using laser Doppler velocimetry. The azimuthal velocity was measured at about 300 points per vortex pair, distributed in both the radial and axial directions. This measurement procedure was repeated for several Reynolds numbers within each flow regime to study both the spatial dependence and the Reynolds number dependence of the azimuthal velocity. The experimental results for the Taylor vortex flow regime compare well with the Davey perturbation expansion of the Navier-Stokes equations about the circular Couette flow solution [J. Fluid Mech. 14, 336 (1962)]. The measured azimuthal velocity fields also indicate two predominant effects with increasing Reynolds number: the magnitude of the radial gradient of azimuthal velocity near both cylinders increases and the radial outflow region between pairs of vortices becomes increasingly jet-like.
Changes in cell-cycle kinetics responsible for limiting somatic growth in mice.

In mammals, the rate of somatic growth is rapid in early postnatal life but then slows with age, approaching zero as the animal approaches adult body size. To investigate the underlying changes in cell-cycle kinetics, [methyl-3H]thymidine and 5’-bromo-2’deoxyuridine were used to double-label proliferating cells in 1-, 2-, and 3-week-old mice for four weeks. Proliferation of renal tubular epithelial cells and hepatocytes decreased with age. The average cell-cycle time did not increase in liver and increased only 1.7 fold in kidney. The fraction of cells in S-phase that will divide again declined approximately 10 fold with age. Concurrently, average cell area increased approximately 2 fold. The findings suggest that somatic growth deceleration primarily results not from an increase in cell-cycle time but from a decrease in growth fraction (fraction of cells that continue to proliferate). During the deceleration phase, cells appear to reach a proliferative limit and undergo their final cell divisions, staggered over time. Concomitantly, cells enlarge to a greater volume, perhaps because they are relieved of the size constraint imposed by cell division. In conclusion, a decline in growth fraction with age causes somatic growth deceleration and thus sets a fundamental limit on adult body size.
An Application of the Product Solution Principle for Instantaneous Source and Green's Functions

Basic building blocks to apply the product-solution method in the Laplace domain are derived. Example applications illustrate the utility of these building blocks. These solutions should be useful in applying computer algebra to develop pressure distribution in reservoirs.
Vibrational predissociation and intramolecular vibrational relaxation in electronically excited s‐tetrazine–argon van der Waals complex

The van der Waals complex tetrazine–argon formed in a supersonic expansion has been investigated by means of laser‐induced excitation and fluorescence spectroscopy. Excitation spectra reveal the band shift D′′0−D′0=−23 cm−1, the tetrazine–argon stretch frequency νw=44 cm−1, and a lower limit to the dissociation energy D′′0≳254 cm−1. The band shift is vibrationally dependent in the case of two low frequency out‐of‐plane modes of tetrazine. The absence of additional broadening of the excitation linewidths due to the presence of argon shows that the dynamical processes in the complex are slower than the photodissociation of tetrazine itself (0.5–1.4 ns) which serves as an internal timing mechanism. At five single vibronic levels of tetrazine–argon above the S1 zero‐point level, the rates of vibrational predissociation and intramolecular vibrational relaxation are ∼108 s−1. The V→V propensities in dissociation and relaxation are selective and different from collision‐induced propensities. Among the V→V channels in dissociation, we find the lowest upper limit to D′0 is 381 cm−1. Considerable rotational excitation of the tetrazine fragment is observed following dissociation which may reduce the estimate of D′0 to as low as 306 cm−1. Although redistribution of vibrational energy during dissociation is selective, no mode selective effects could be attributed to the initial level of excitation, despite variations in the energy gap, number of quanta, total energy, or the dynamics of the vibrational motion. The van der Waals potential is virtually identical in the two electronic states.