cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proto-Planetary Nebulae as Explosions: Bullets versus Jets and Nebular Shaping

Many proto-planetary nebulae (PPNs) appear as narrow collimated structures sometimes showing multiple, roughly aligned lobes. In addition, many PPN flows have been shown to have short acceleration times. In this paper we explore whether jet or bullet (a massive clump) models fit the observations of individual collimated lobes adequately by comparing simulations of both radiatively cooled (stable) jets and bullets. We find that the clump model is favored over jets because (1) it leads to greater collimation of outflows, (2) it accounts better and more naturally for ringlike structures observed in the PPN CRL 618, and (3) it is more successful in reproducing the Hubble-flow character of observed kinematics in some PPNs. In addition, bullets naturally account for observed multipolar flows, since the likely MHD launch mechanisms required to drive outflows make multiple nonaligned jets unlikely. We also find that the bow shock heads of bullets take on a $t{V}$ -->-shaped configuration, whereas bow shock heads of jets are more $t{U}$ -->-shaped. The differences in these configurations occur on a linear scale corresponding to an angular size of the order of ~3 -->''—sufficiently large to suggest a viable means of distinguishing bullets from jets in observations. We argue that PPN outflows may be driven by explosive MHD launch mechanisms such as those discussed in the context of supernovae (SNe) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).
A Practical Synthesis and X-ray Crystallographic Analysis of Dithymoquinone, a Photodimer of Thymoquinone

An updated and practical approach to the synthesis of dithymoquinone via one-step photoirradiation of thymoquinone (2-methyl-5-isopropyl-1,4-benzoquinone) is described. Synthesis resulted in a 55% yield of one structural isomer (trans-anti derivative), as confirmed by HPLC, NMR spectroscopy and first ever single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.
Multinational corporations and East European Socialist economies

The controversial Western business organizations are the new trading partners of the Eastern European socialist economies.
Observations on the Stereochemical Outcome of the UGI Four-Component Condensation

Abstract Investigations were carried out to explain the unexpected distribution of cis and trans products from the Ugi four-component condensation involving a cyclic imine. The nature of the transition state complex was deemed to be a determining factor. The influence of solvent polarity on the isomeric ratio of the products was also examined.
Early Adult Characteristics and Mortality Among Inner-City African American Women

Objectives. This study examined predictors of longevity in a cohort of inner-city African American women.Methods. Data were derived from a cohort study of inner-city African American mothers whose median age in 1966 was 31 years. Analyses involved single-decrement life tables and pooled logistic regression.Results. Giving birth for the first time before age 25 and having at least a high school education predicted longevity in this sample. Effects of later age at first delivery in terms of mortality risk were stronger after 55 years and, especially, after 70 years.Conclusions. The findings offer support for Geronimus's weathering hypothesis. Predictors of longevity among African Americans may be distinct from predictors for the population as a whole.
Theories of Peasant Revolution: A Critique and Contribution from the Philippines

This article examines three models—moral economy, rational choice, and class structure—that have been applied to rebellions and revolutionary movements in Southeast Asia. All three are found lacking in various ways and unable to provide convincing explanations for the growth and continuing strength of the contemporary revolutionary movement in the Philippines. The Aquino government is challenged by a movement that has a mass base of roughly ten million and fields a fighting force of twenty thousand to twenty-five thousand men and women. It is active in virtually every province and city of the nation. Based on the present case study, suggestions are made both for ways in which the insights of extant theories can be synthesized and ways in which these theories must be revised if they are to be made more generally applicable to today's revolutions.
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor (PPAR)α Agonists Inhibit Hypertrophy of Neonatal Rat Cardiac Myocytes

The peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) appear to have beneficial effects in the cardiovascular system. PPAR gamma has been shown previously to exert an inhibitory effect on cardiac myocyte hypertrophy in vivo and in vitro. Using endothelin to activate the hypertrophic program in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, we demonstrate that PPAR alpha ligands (fenofibrate and WY14,643) suppress hypertrophy-dependent increases in protein synthesis, cell surface area, and sarcomeric organization in vitro. This was accompanied by a decrease in brain natriuretic peptide gene expression, a marker of transcriptional activation in hypertrophy. These effects were equivalent to or greater than those seen with the PPAR gamma agonist rosiglitazone. Fenofibrate and rosiglitazone suppressed endothelin stimulation of human brain natriuretic peptide gene promoter activity, and this effect was amplified by cotransfection of PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma expression vectors, respectively. The fenofibrate-dependent suppression of endothelin's stimulatory activity was dependent upon promoter sequence positioned between -904 and -40 relative to the transcription start site and did not appear to involve a number of positive and negative regulatory elements that are known to govern transcription of this gene. These findings suggest that PPAR alpha ligands could prove to be useful in the management of disorders associated with hypertrophy and remodeling of the myocardium.
Political Articulation and Accountability in Decentralisation: Theory and Evidence from India

New institutions created through decentralisation policies around the world, notwithstanding the rhetoric, are often lacking in substantive democratic content. New policies for decentralised natural resource management have transferred powers to a range of local authorities, including private associations, customary authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Scholars see such transfers as detrimental to the legitimacy of local democratic institutions, leading to a fragmentation of local authority and dampening prospects for democratic consolidation. In much of this critique, however, there is limited attention to the wider democratic context (or lack thereof) and its effect on local governments. This article develops the concept of political articulation to characterise the relationship between citizens and elected representatives, and argues that accountability in decentralisation cannot be conceptualised or analysed separately from the accountability of higher institutions of representation and governance. The empirical analysis of the article uses the experience of a World Bank-funded Ecodevelopment Project in Himachal Pradesh, India, to generate insights into the role of political articulation in analysing decentralisation reforms.
Quality of Life Outcomes after Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

Most patients with chronic rhinosinusitis seek medical treatment when the burden of symptoms negatively impacts their quality of life. The degree to which quality of life improves after sinus surgery is a critical indicator of surgical success. This article reviews quality of life outcomes after functional endoscopic sinus surgery, including relevant clinical factors, weaknesses in the current literature, and future research directions.
Strong scaling analysis of a parallel, unstructured, implicit solver and the influence of the operating system interference

PHASTA falls under the category of high-performance scientific computation codes designed for solving partial differential equations (PDEs). Its a massively parallel unstructured, implicit solver with particular emphasis on fluid dynamics (CFD) applications. More specifically, PHASTA is a parallel, hierarchic, adaptive, stabilized, transient analysis code that effectively employs advanced anisotropic adaptive algorithms and numerical models of flow physics. In this paper, we first describe the parallelization of PHASTA's core algorithms for an implicit solve, where one of our key assumptions is that on a properly balanced supercomputer with appropriate attributes, PHASTA should continue to strongly scale on high core counts until the computational workload per core becomes insufficient and inter-processor communications start to dominate. We then present and analyze PHASTA's parallel performance across a variety of current near petascale systems, including IBM BG/L, IBM BG/P, Cray XT3, and custom Opteron based supercluster; this selection of systems with inherently different attributes covers a majority of potential candidates for upcoming petascale systems. On one hand, we achieve near perfect (linear) strong scaling out to 32,768 cores of IBM BG/L; showing that a system with desirable attributes will allow implicit solvers to strongly scale on high core counts (including petascale systems). On the contrary, we find that the relative tipping point for strong scaling fundamentally differs among current supercomputer systems. To understand the loss of scaling observed on a particular system (Opteron based supercluster) we analyze the performance and demonstrate that such a loss can be associated to an unbalance in a system attribute; specifically compute-node operating system (OS). In particular, PHASTA scales well to high core counts (up to 32,768 cores) during an implicit solve on systems with compute nodes using lightweight kernels (for example, IBM BG/L); however, we show that on a system where the compute node OS is more heavy weight (e.g., one with background processes) a loss in strong scaling is observed relatively at much fewer number of cores (4,096 cores).
Octreotide LAR as adjuvant treatment for pancreatic ascites

The treatment of pancreatic ascites has been controversial. The surgical treatment with internal drainage of pseudocyst or pancreatic resection has been associated with a mortality rate as high as 20%. Effective medical treatment has therefore been sought. Octreotide decreases splanchnic blood flow and the volume of pancreatic secretions and has been shown to be beneficial in conditions related to disruption of the pancreatic duct and for pancreatic ascites. Octreotide long acting release (LAR) (Sandostatin LAR) is a new formulation designed for once a month intra-muscular administration. We present a patient with pancreatic ascites, successfully treated with octreotide and octreotide LAR.
CATECHOLAMINERGIC SYSTEMS IN THE ZEBRAFISH. III. ORGANIZATION AND PROJECTION PATTERN OF MEDULLARY DOPAMINERGIC AND NORADRENERGIC NEURONS

To characterize the catecholaminergic systems in the zebrafish medulla, immunocytological studies were performed by using antibodies directed against tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. Catecholaminergic neurons could be categorized into three populations based on location, dendritic morphology, axonal projection pattern, and targets: an interfascicular group, a vagal area group, and an area postrema group. All groups contained both dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons. Interfascicular neurons formed a loose longitudinal column of approximately 16-20 multipolar neurons on each side of the medulla, whose rostrocaudal extension coincided roughly with the vagal lobe. These neurons were relatively large and had dendrites that arborized throughout the reticular formation and in the vagal lobe. They also contributed axonal processes to the longitudinal catecholamine bundle. Neurons associated with structures in the vagal area were mostly dopaminergic. Some cells had a short, thin apical process that arborized into a dense plexus near the ventricular surface, and all cells had a basal dendrite that divided into two main branches: one extended caudally to terminate in the commissural nucleus of Cajal and among the postobecular catecholaminergic cell group; the other extended laterally and joined the longitudinal catecholamine bundle. The caudal extent of this cell group reached the medullospinal junction. The area postrema cell group consisted of densely packed, bipolar neurons. One process of these neurons contacted the ventricular surface in the area postrema, and one terminated in the commissural nucleus of Cajal. Collaterals from the latter innervated the superficial laminae of the vagal lobe and joined the longitudinal catecholamine bundle. The longitudinal catecholamine bundle ascended through the medulla ventral to the secondary gustatory tract. Whether some fibers extended more rostrally is not known. The majority of the terminal fields of medullary catecholaminergic neurons appeared to be restricted to the medulla and were strongly associated with sensory systems. With the exception of some cells in the vagal area, catecholamine-containing neurons in the zebrafish medulla were not obviously homologous to those in the mammalian brainstem.
Adhering to Organizational Culture: What Does It Mean? Why Does It Matter?

As a result of pervasive interest in communication and culture, increasing efforts are being focused on understanding communication/culture relationships and relating them to important organizational processes and outcomes. In an effort to contribute to our understanding, the present study was designed to determine whether thematic rules can be identified as direct reflections of culture and to relate thematic organizational rules to employee values, perceptions of actual and desired message sending and receiving activities, and organizational outcomes, such as perceptions of organizational success and satisfaction with organizational relationships and rewards. The results indicated that rule-value discrepancies, message sending differences, message receiving uncertainty, work satisfaction, and estimations of organizational quality and survival are interrelated and supportive of previously postulated theoretical relationships among values, culture, behaviors, and outcomes.
Joint isotopic mass balance: a novel approach to quantifying channel bed to channel margins sediment transfer during storm events

The important role of floodplains and the broader riparian zone in providing temporary storage for a large fraction of the annual sediment load of rivers is well established, but this understanding is largely based on observations of the long-term average behavior of the catchment. Here we combine measurements of the fallout radionuclides 7Be and 210Pb and the stable isotopes of hydrogen in water to quantify fine sediment mobilization and storage in a stream and its channel margins during individual intermediate-sized storm events with recurrence intervals of a few months or less. We demonstrate this method using five storm events in a small (~15 km2), undeveloped, gravel-bedded tributary of the Connecticut River (USA). We estimate that in each storm, the mass of sediment deposited onto the margins accounts for almost 90% of the sediment mobilized from the bed, with the remainder of the mobilized bed sediment transported downstream as suspended load. The result that the bed is a net source of sediment to the stream and the margins a net sink is robust, but estimates of the mass of material eroded from the bed and deposited on the margins are less certain. The source of sediment to the bed remains unclear as, consistent with earlier studies, we observe only limited deposition of sediment to the bed during the storm events. The suspended sediment is organic-rich and thus its source may be associated with in-channel organic decay between storm events. Understanding the coupled interactions between discharge magnitude and frequency and sediment resupply at the event time scale has important implications for stream restoration efforts seeking to connect the channel and the broader riparian zone, and for the development of accurate sediment budgets and predictions of sediment flux from a watershed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards a Caring Economy

The predominant economic theory in the United States and most of the developed world emphasizes competitive relations among individuals or institutions. These relations are often justified by traditional moral concepts such as justice, equality, rights, etc. The ethics of care, on the other hand, emphasizes personal relationships among individuals in their communities and takes interdependence as a necessary condition for achieving individual interests. Prima facie, the ethics of care seems to be, at best, irrelevant and, at worse, inconsistent with this economic theory. I argue that the claim that the ethics of care is irrelevant is misguided. The claim that it is inconsistent with the predominant economic theory, on the other hand, seems correct. This, however, need not be viewed as a flaw of the ethics of care since, I contend, it is more plausibly construed as a flaw of the predominant economic system. The ethics of care is relevant to economic theory in two ways. Firstly, it is relevant in settling disputes within the preferred economic theory. The ethics of care places primary importance on the interests of the individuals who are affected the most by such arrangements. Secondly, it is relevant in evaluating competing economic theories. The ethics of care can ensure that an economic theory creates a system that will positively affect the individuals and their societies by assigning primary roles to them. The relevancy of the ethics of care further suggests that any inconsistency between it and an economic system should count against the economic system. An economic theory, if it is to be justified, must be conducive to the welfare of the individuals in their communities. The ethics of care can help us determine whether an economic theory can be justified.
SELF-ADAPTIVE HIERARCHIC FINITE ELEMENT SOLUTION OF THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL UNSATURATED FLOW EQUATION

SUMMARY The advantages associated with the use of self-adaptive methods for the solution of problems which require the prediction of a frontal position in time are well known. In this paper a self-adaptive finite element solution for the non-linear unsaturated flow equation is developed using hierarchic p-version enrichment of the interpolating space. Additional computational advantages are demonstrated for an iteration scheme in which iterations after enrichment are performed only over a subdomain. Numerical solutions are presented for a one-dimensional infiltration scenario. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Many problems of environmental significance require the prediction of the displacement of a front with time. When solving such problems numerically, methods which provide greater resolution at the front where the state variable is changing most rapidly are computationally desirable. These models are commonly described as 'self-adaptive' in the literature. By enriching the approximation, based on feedback from previous solutions, self-adaptive methods can produce improved solutions, both in terms of efficiency and reliability.' In this paper a self-adaptive finite element method is presented for the numerical solution of the non-linear Fokker-Planck equation for the transient isothermal flow of water into a non-swelling unsaturated soil2 The solution is obtained in one-dimension, with initial and boundary condi- tions and functional forms for the non-linear terms after Haverkamp et aL3 In the presented application the saturation front is moving vertically with time, making a self- adaptive method advantageous computationally by allowing greater resolution at the front for a given number of degrees of freedom. Many numerical models have been developed for the solution of problems in unsaturated flow. A number are reviewed by van Gen~chten.~ These models include solutions based on a dynamic simulation language,' finite difference^^'^-^ (including a two-phase numerical model which allows the air pressure to vary"), finite element approximation^"-'^ and a multigrid finite difference s~lution'~ for the steady state problem. None of the numerical models mentioned above is self-adaptive. An adaptive model developed for unsaturated flow using a Eulerian-Langrangian finite element approach is discussed by Sorek and Brae~ter,'~ although no numerical results are presented. 027 1-209 1/90/030227-20$10.OO 0 1990 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Activity of two novel insecticides against permethrin‐resistant Pseudoplusia includens

Two experimental insecticides, AC 303,630 and MK 244, were tested against a laboratory colony and three field strains of Pseudoplusia includens (Walker). Topical application bioassays indicated that permethrin resistance in the field strains ranged from 3.9 to 489.0-fold. In leaf dip bioassays, LC50 and LC90 values for AC 303,630 ranged from 6.7 to 15.1 mg litre −1 and 8.7 to 28.2 mg litre −1, respectively, for third-instar larvae. The Louisiana 1991 field strain was significantly more susceptible to AC 303,630 than the laboratory and other field strains. The LC50 (but not LC90) for the Louisiana 1992 field strain was significantly higher than that of the laboratory strain. However, there was no difference in toxicity of AC 303,630 between the field strain with the highest level of permethrin resistance and the laboratory strain. LC50 and LC90 values for MK 244 in leaf dip bioassays ranged from 0.014 to 0.023 mg litre −1 and 0.079 to 0.174 mg litre −1, respectively. There were no significant differences in LC 50 or LC 90 among any of the strains for MK 244. Field trials in soybean were also conducted in 1991 and 1992 in an area of Louisiana where permethrin efficacy against P. includens has declined. In both years, AC 303,630 at 0.11–0.22 kg ha −1, and MK 244 at 0.0042–0.0084 kg ha −1, provided significantly better control than permethrin at 0.11 kg ha −1, and control equal to the recommended standard, thiodicarb. These studies indicate no cross-resistance exists between the experimental insecticides and permethrin.
Sulfolobus islandicus: a model system for evolutionary genomics.

Sulfolobus islandicus has been developed as a model system for combining approaches of evolutionary and molecular biology in Archaea. We describe how the application of this interdisciplinary approach can lead to novel hypotheses derived from patterns of natural variation that can be tested in the laboratory when combined with a diversity of natural variants and versatile genetic markers. We review how this approach has highlighted the importance of recombination as an evolutionary parameter and provided insight into a molecular mechanism of recombination that may be unique in the archaeal domain. We review the development and improvement of the model system S. islandicus that will enable us to study the mechanism and genomic architecture of recombination guided by evolutionary genomic analysis of Nature's ongoing experiments in wild populations. Abbreviations: 5-FOA, 5-fluoro-orotic acid; X-gal, 5-bromo-4-chloroindol-3-yl β-D-galactopyranoside
Growth bounds for iterated integrals of L 2 -Itô random processes

Fliess operators with deterministic inputs have been studied since the late 1970's and are well understood. When the inputs are stochastic processes the theory is less developed. There have been several interesting approaches for Wiener process inputs. But applications such as the interconnection of systems is not well-posed in this context. This paper has two specific goals. The first goal is to show that a certain sum of iterated stochastic integrals of general L 2 -Ito random processes can be represented in a compact form, which amounts to a variation of the well-known Hu-Meyer formula. This latter formula allows one to write an iterated Stratonovich integral in terms of a finite sum of iterated Ito integrals. The second goal is to derive an L 2 upper bound for these iterated integrals.
Argument Structure: Relationships Between Theory and Acquisition

This chapter brings together perspectives from theoretical linguistics and from language acquisition research to ask how these mutually inform each other with respect to the question of how argument structure knowledge is represented in the mind. Three theories of argument structure representation are considered: Lexical Projectionism, Compositional Non-projectionism, and Construction Grammar, and their relationships to our understanding of child language development are explored. Though several apparent points of contact between these literatures are considered, I conclude that, largely, the acquisition data do not clearly support any one of the argument structure architectures. Nevertheless, I point out some promising directions for future experimental research with children.
Patients' outcomes: intrahospital transportation and monitoring of critically ill patients by a specially trained ICU nursing staff

BACKGROUND Intrahospital transportation of critically ill patients can contribute to patients' morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE To determine adverse outcomes associated with intrahospital transportation of critically ill patients by a specially trained nursing transport team. METHODS Monitoring and intervention data were collected for 237 instances of transportation of patients between a hospital's ICUs and radiology suites. These results were compared with the results of national studies on complication rates associated with intrahospital transportation of patients. RESULTS The patients moved by the specially trained transport team has a 15.5% overall complication rate, with 10.2% minor, 2.5% moderate (compensated for with medications), and 2.8% severe complications that did not respond to intervention. No medications of therapies were delayed, and only 2 patients (0.8%) had decompensation that required the examinations to be aborted. Reported national complication rates for intrahospital transportation of patients are as high as 75%; the complications include adverse events such as delayed administration of medications, significant changes in vital signs, dislodgment of artificial airways and i.v. catheters, and cardiopulmonary arrest. CONCLUSION Use of a specially trained ICU transport team can substantially reduce the rate of adverse outcomes generated by the transportation of critically ill patients for specialized radiological procedures.
MATERNAL CONDITION AND NESTLING SEX RATIO IN HOUSE WRENS

Abstract Parents are expected to vary the sex ratio of their offspring in relation to the sex-specific fitness benefits. However, benefits of producing sex-biased broods may be dependent on condition of the female. For example, mothers in good condition could achieve greater fitness if they produced high-quality sons, whereas, mothers in poor condition would gain more by producing daughters rather than poor-quality sons. As a consequence, we would expect to see a relationship between female condition and sex ratio of offspring. We examined effect of maternal condition on nestling condition and sex ratio in the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). Overall sex ratio of nestlings in the population was not biased, but females in better condition produced relatively more sons. Overall positive relationship between female condition and proportion of male offspring was due to second broods, which were significantly male-biased and more likely to be produced by females in good condition. Females in better condition al...
Home Practice Theta

Although a great deal of the EEG biofeedback research has focused on alpha activity, there has been exploration of other EEG patterns, such as sensorimotor rhythm feedback for the treatment of epilepsy,2 18 Hz activity associated with healing meditation,3 and theta activity associated with enhancement of creativity4 and “twilight learning.”5
Douglass Seaton: An Appreciation

This issue of the Journal of Music History Pedagogy honors Douglass Seaton, Warren D. Allen Professor of Music at The Florida State University (FSU), for his long service to musicology and to the pedagogy of music history. In these articles, we propose creative solutions to pedagogical issues, recognizing in the process that the skills needed to arrive at these solutions were nurtured by Douglass during our time at FSU. This issue also marks Douglass Seaton’s first as Reviews Editor for this journal.
Democracy, Elite-Bias and Redistribution in LATAM

Do the poor soak the rich under democracy? Although social conflict theory predicts that democracies should be more redistributive than autocracies, a burgeoning literature challenges this contention. This paper draws on these dueling approaches to investigate the relationship between regime type and redistribution. It does so by focusing attention on Latin America, a highly unequal region of the world where we should not only expect redistribution after a democratic transition, but expect a lot of it. I construct a theory that outlines the conditions under which democracies redistribute. I corroborate this theory empirically in Latin America. Elite biased democracies are those in which constitutional engineering by the rich before a transition dampens redistribution. Conversely, democracies that appeal to the median voter, after they adopt their own constitution, tax more, indulge in spending on education, health, housing, welfare, and social insurance, have greater public employment, and are more likely to expropriate fixed assets.
Study on High Yield and Good Quality Cultivation Technology of a New Rice Variety Wuyunjing No. 30 under Mechanical Transplanting

The aim was to discuss the high yield and good quality cultivation technology of a new rice variety Wuyunjing No. 30 under mechanical transplanting,and provide a scientific basis for its promotion and use in a large scale. [Method] Based on to sum up the tests of 2012 and 2013,the high yield cultivation technology of Wuyunjing No. 30 under mechanical transplanting were put forward from making high yield technological indices,carrying out the specific cultivation practics and test results. [Result]Wuyunjing No. 30 was a new early mature and late japonica rice,which was newly approved by Jiangsu Province in 2014,with the characteristics of big spike size and good quality. In the middle and upper soil fertilizer of wheat stubble or rapeseed stubble,to cultivate the strong rice seedlings,and to transplant by high quality; to apply pure nitrogen about 292. 5 kg /hm2,and the ratio of base fertilizer to spike fertilizer was5∶5; confirm on the enough seedlings one leaf positon before effective tillers critical leaf age,remove water timely when the tillers number accounted for 70%- 80% of spikes number,control the peak seedlings number at jointing stage 345 × 104- 375 × 104 plants /hm2,then make the earbearing tiller percentage obtain over 75%. [Conclusion]Wuyunjing No. 30 is a new early mature and late japonica rice variety with big spike size and great yield potential,suitable for planting in the middle and upper soil fertilizer of along the Yangtze river of Jiangsu Province and southern Jiangsu Province,and suitable for planting in the south of Anhui Province and along the Yangtze river of Anhui Province at the same time from its growth period.
Coseismic Deformation of the M_S 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake and Its Relationship with Geological Hazards

Based on post-earthquake field investigation, we summarized the distribution, occurrence, inherited reactivation and deformation features of the co-seismic surface ruptures developed on the Longmenshan fault system, together with the relationship between coseismic deformation and earthquake geological hazards. Systematic research indicates that the surface rupture occurred simultaneously along the Beichuan-Yingxiu fault and the Anxian-Guanxian fault; the former is 275 km long and characterized by high angle thrust and dextral strike-slip, while the latter is 80km long and characterized by flat thrust. Further analysis also reveals the inner relations between segmentation of coseismic surface rupture and zonation of surface damage associated with the Wenchuan earthquake. Surface damages and earthquake geological disasters are affected directly by the occurrence of coseismic surface rupture zone, for example, damages and hazards developed along the high angle Beichuan-Yingxiu thrust fault are much more serious than that along the flat Anxian-Guanxian thrust fault. As for various seismic faults, the degree of surface deconstruction and geological disaster produced by thrust-type seismic fault with vertical motion is higher than that by strike-slip-type seismic fault with horizontal motion. Therefore, the relation between the earthquake geological disasters and the rupture process of the Wenchuan earthquake together with the associated coseismic surface deformation need further study.
Cyclosporin A and vehicle toxicity in primary cultures of rabbit renal proximal tubule cells

The capability of cyclosporin to produce direct injury to primary proximal tubular renal cells was studied. These cells, when grown on Millicell inserts, retain the functional polarity of the proximal tubule, i.e., generate a transepithelial pH gradient (apical compartment acidic) that is reversibly blocked by amiloride addition only if it is added to the apical compartment. Administration of ouabain to the basal compartment also blocks the generation of the transepithelial pH gradient. Additionally, the cells were more responsive to parathyroid hormone (PTH), a proximal tubule characteristic, than to arginine vasopressin (AVP), a distal tubule characteristic. The following substances were tested for their effect on the capacity of these cells to generate a pH gradient: Sandimmune, the commercial form of cyclosporin A; the free form of the drug; Cremophor EL, the vehicle used in the commercial preparation; and ethanol, the vehicle used to dissolve the free form. Sandimmune, at 25-50 microM, inhibited the generation of the pH gradient within 24 h. Surprisingly, Cremophor also blocked the development of a pH gradient, although somewhat less effectively. In contrast, 10 microM cyclosporin, regardless of the form tested, had no effect for up to 96 h. These findings show that cyclosporin, in the form of Sandimmune, has a direct toxic effect on these cells; they also suggest that the vehicle, Cremophor, may contribute to the well-established nephrotoxicity of cyclosporin A.
Molecular Recognition in Plants: Identification of a Specific Binding Site for Oligoglucoside Elicitors of Phytoalexin Accumulation

A brief overview of previous studies on the molecular mechanisms by which plant cells perceive and respond to extracellular signals is presented. A relatively small number of signal molecules, including plant hormones and oligosaccharins, have been characterized in plants. Binding sites (putative receptors) for several of these signals have been identified, though proof of their function as receptors is still required. Some progress has also been made in identifying the cellular mechanisms (e.g., second messengers, protein phosphorylation, ion flux) by which signal perception in plants is translated into changes in metabolism and gene expression.
The Role of Conjugate Convection in Magmatic Heat and Mass Transfer

The crystallization history of magma chambers is intimately coupled to the heat transfer systematics of the surrounding wall rock. In this paper we investigate the thermal interaction between magmatic and hydrothermal convection. Two models of magmatic convection are addressed: compositionally and thermally dominated flow both driven by heat loss to a hydrotherm7al system. For compositionally driven flow in a porous medium the temperature along the wall rock-magma interface is found to be a weighted constant. For thermally driven flow temperatures are found to increase upward along the intrusive contact The steady state thickness of the solid grown into the magma chamber was found to be O(10m) for siliceous melts and O(.01m) for basic melts, the difference in these values being a direct result of their differing viscosities. These models suggest that hydrothermal circulation can effectively quench the interface at the intrusive contact, particularily for siliceous magmas. The high temperatures recorded in the hydrothermally altered country rock near intrusions either record a short lived transient condition or the passage of fluids which have been in intimate contact with the magma.
Snubber circuit design considerations for medium-voltage solid-state switches for high-power inverter-based testing applications: A case study

This paper investigates a common problem in the snubber circuits of medium-voltage solid-state AC switches in industrial environments where PWM voltage-source converters are prevalent. The switches considered here were designed to evaluate fault ride-through capabilities for megawatt scale wind turbine generators and other generators with grid-connected stators. It is shown in the paper that, if left unchecked, high-frequency harmonics inherent in the output of inverter-based voltage sources can produce failures in the snubber circuits of AC switches. A case study is presented to analyze this issue, and different solutions are analyzed and implemented to tackle the problem. The experimental results validate the proposed solutions.
Introduction: What’s at Stake in Taste

This opening chapter examines the consequences of the aestheticization of everyday life, by historicizing the role taste plays in the social mediation of value. It engages the literature on the social impact of the aesthetic dimension by placing counterpositions from Kantian aesthetics, the sociology of culture, critical theory, postmodern theory, and cultural studies in relation to changes in the political economy. Across this discourse, it focuses on a central line of concern emanating from a dialectic between beauty and alienation, one that raises the importance of aesthetic judgment in the determination of social forms, just as taste is enlisted to resolve an economy in crisis.
Birthing Salvation: Gender and Class in Early Christian Childbearing Discourse

This monograph is a revision of the author's dissertation thesis (xi). When such an observation is made in book reviews it is, in many cases, often tinged with a subtle (or not so subtle) hint of n...
Utility-Oriented Simpson-Type Indexes and Inequality Measures

Measures of economic inequality and poverty indexea are generally baaed on the Gini coefficient and some other measures of income inequality. In a broader context of diversity or distributional inequality, there may be a relatively more prominent qualitative flavour, and in view of that, the Gini-Simpaon index may be appropriate. To blend qualitative and quantitative variations together, some utility-oriented generalizations of the Gini-Simpson index are considered and their general properties are studied. Decomposability properties of such measures are also discussed.
Low-latitude gravity wave variances in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere derived from SABER temperature observation and compared with model simulation of waves generated by deep tropical convection

A portion of waves generated by deep convection have scales and amplitudes large enough to be detected by space borne instruments. We have analyzed temperature data from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics Dynamics (TIMED) satellite for sub-tidal scale fluctuations. Filtering was applied both vertically and horizontally to extract wave variances. We have analyzed the altitude region between 70 and 130 km and focus on the variances at equatorial latitudes for the altitude region between 70 and 120 km as a function of season, local time intervals, geographical location and altitude. We find significant variances where convection is particularly prolific (Intertropical Convergence Zone) and at altitudes where wave trapping is known to be favored (e.g., the lower thermospheric duct). The locations of significant variances persist from year to year. Standard deviations of a few of tens of kelvins are found. We have also performed simulations of the response to deep tropical convection with a time dependent, high-resolution fully compressible dynamical model. Our simulations give wave amplitudes that agree reasonably well with the observed amplitudes and show layering that is consistent with the observations. Our main finding is that significant variations seen in TIMED/SABER temperature data have a convective wave source and are concentrated in layers where thermal ducts occur.
Neonatal CSF Creatine Kinase and CP Risk

Creatine kinase brain isoenzyme (CK-BB) was examined in the cerebrospinal fluid of 150 neonates at the Departments of Pediatrics and Neonatal Medicine and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cell anemia is one of the first diseases understood at the molecular level. Valine substituted for glutamic acid in the beta globin subunit leads to decreased solubility in the de-oxygenated state. It may partially protect infants from cerebral falciparum malaria in the heterozygous state (sickle trait), and geographic distribution of the disease parallels the incidence of malaria.
Online algorithms for network formation

We introduce an online network formation game: starting with a base graph and a set of candidate edges, at each round, player one picks an edge and reveals it to player two, then player two decides whether to accept it; player two can accept a limited number of edges and makes online decisions aiming to achieve optimal properties (e.g., the number of spanning trees, algebraic connectivity, and total effective resistance) in the synthesized network. Online network formation arises in cooperative multiagent systems, such as robots establishing a secure network in a changing uncertain environment, or individuals forming teams in social networks. We propose a primal-dual algorithm framework for this problem. At each round the algorithm updates the dual solution using all information from previous rounds, and decides the weight on the new edge based on the complementary slackness conditions. We give interpretations of the algorithm for different graph objectives, and derive a bound on the competitive ratio of the algorithm for the log-determinant problem.
Information Theory and Systems Neuroscience

Information theory reveals the performance limits of communication and signal processing systems, the brain being an interesting example. However, applying this powerful theory to neural signals has many pitfalls. The problem areas are discussed and we describe how to resolve the issues. In addition, we describe modern information theoretic results pertinent to neuroscience.
A distribution-based functional linear model for reliability analysis of advanced high-strength dual-phase steels by utilizing material microstructure images

ABSTRACTThe microstructure of a material is known to strongly influence its macroscopic properties, such as strength, hardness, toughness, and wear resistance, which in turn affect material service lifetime. In the reliability literature, most existing research conducts reliability analysis based on either lifetime data or degradation data. However, none of these studies take the information contained in an image of the microstructure of the material into account when conducting reliability analysis. In this article, considering the strong effect on a material's reliability created by its microstructure, we conduct a reliability analysis of an advanced high-strength dual-phase steel by utilizing information about its microstructure. Specifically, the lifetime distribution of the steel, which is assumed to belong to a log-location-scale family, is predicted by utilizing the information contained in images of its microstructure. For the prediction, we propose a novel statistical model called the distributio...
Problems of Croppers on Cotton Farms

The typical cropper is a farmer who provides the man labor, as a minimum contribution to farm operations, and shares in common with the landlord the proceeds of production. The cropper may provide, or share with the landlord, certain operating costs, such as fertilizer, seed, and ginning. The division of the proceeds of production between landlord and cropper varies from equal shares to a smaller fractional part for the cropper, the respective proportions depending upon their relative contributions and bargaining strength. On cotton farms, particularly in the more western part of the cotton belt, the proceeds of production are commonly divided equally between landlord and cropper, and the costs of fertilizer, if used, seed, and ginning are likewise shared equally. In the more eastern states, however, especially on farms using relatively large amounts of fertilizer, the landlord may furnish all of the fertilizer but take two-thirds of the crop. Such expenses are the elastic element in the landlord-cropper contract, and the extent to which they are borne, by the landlord or the cropper, tends to determine the percentage division of the crop. Other adjustments in respect to expenses or conventional shares may be made as a result of either superior or inferior productivity of the land. The share tenant, by contrast, is a farmer who provides the work stock and farm implements, as well as all labor, and shares with the landlord such expenses of production as fertilizer, seed, and ginning in the same ratio as the division of the crop. The legal status of the cropper, without modification by individual state law, according to the American and English Encyclopedia of Law,' is the same as that of a wage hand; that is, he works for a share of the crop as wages. In some states, however, the cropper is put in the same classification as a share tenant. In other states the cropper contract may be either that of a wage laborer or that of a share tenant, the classification depending upon the intention of the contracting parties. In most states the cropper is given the status of a tenant in common with the landlord of the crop and thereby shares title in the crop with the landlord. This statutory distinction is a matter of some importance because the ownership, or lack of ownership, of the crop affects in some measure the degree of independence of the cropper. While the cropper
Evaluation of recycled asphalt pavement using economic, environmental, and energy metrics based on long-term pavement performance sections

Recycled materials have been used in roadway construction for years. Recently, with the advancement of material processing equipment and mix design technologies involving Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP), RAP’s use in pavement construction is increasing. RAP’s various desirable properties spur its use in sustainable development. These merits include energy conservation in mix production, cost savings in material consumption, and environmental protection. Although asphalt mix is considered to be recyclable – meaning RAP could be a sustainable material – in-depth studies verifying and quantifying its effectiveness are limited in the literature. Based on real-world data from pavements constructed with 35% RAP and virgin mixes, this study comprehensively evaluates the sustainability of RAP from three different aspects including cost, energy, and environment. The life cycle cost analysis based on RealCost and life cycle assessment based on PaLATE is used to compare RAP and virgin alternatives. The results sugge...
Radioisotope Measurement Applications in Engineering

(1968). Radioisotope Measurement Applications in Engineering. Nuclear Science and Engineering: Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 559-560.