cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interneuron Migration from Basal Forebrain to Neocortex: Dependence on Dlx Genes

Although previous analyses indicate that neocortical neurons originate from the cortical proliferative zone, evidence suggests that a subpopulation of neocortical interneurons originates within the subcortical telencephalon. For example, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-expressing cells migrate in vitro from the subcortical telencephalon into the neocortex. The number of GABA-expressing cells in neocortical slices is reduced by separating the neocortex from the subcortical telencephalon. Finally, mice lacking the homeodomain proteins DLX-1 and DLX-2 show no detectable cell migration from the subcortical telencephalon to the neocortex and also have few GABA-expressing cells in the neocortex.
Psychophysical functions for perceived and remembered distance

Two separate groups of subjects made magnitude estimations of the distances to fifteen objects (from 20 ft to 14.28 miles away) situated in a landscape. On day 1 of the experiment both groups learned the names and locations of the objects while viewing them from the top of a small mountain. On day 2 the perception group (N = 19) judged the distances to the objects while viewing them from the top of the mountain, whereas the memory group (N = 18) judged the distances while visualizing the landscape from memory. The data for both groups were well fit by power functions; the exponent was reliably smaller for the memory group (0.596) than for the perception group (0.811). Both groups drew maps of the landscape (reproduction task) from memory and the exponents were 0.483 and 0.514 for the memory and perception groups, respectively. The results are discussed in light of possible transformations performed on the original stimulus inputs by the sensory/perceptual and the memorial systems.
Nuclear energy: Splitting the atom

Hundreds of reactors around the world splitting heavy atoms in the process called fission – providing about 13.5 per cent of the world's electrical energy
Evidence for the bacterial origin of Acholeplasma laidlawii A.

Abstract L-forms from a Corynebacterium were induced in hyperosmolar media and gradually adapted to normal osmolarity over a period of two years. During this adaptation several morphologic L-form variants derived from the L-form cultures and were serologically identified as Acholeplasmalaidlawii A. The possibility that the bacterial and L-form cultures were contaminated with acholeplasmas was carefully investigated; this was determined not to be the case. Membrane protein gel electrophoresis patterns of these L-form variants were identical to the ATCC A.laidlawii strain PG-8. Acholeplasma phage MVL-1 displayed no affinity for these L-form variants. Phage MVL-2 showed low affinity, but after virus enhancement in the specific host, high plaquing efficiency ensued. DNA hybridization experiments showed a high level of nucleotide sequence homology (〉90%) between the L-form-derived variants and PG-8. The homology between the diphtheroid L-forms and the PG-8 strain was 16.4% with t e 50 values of 86%; this indicates strong base pairing homology. These findings suggest that the L-form variants are acholeplasmas and that they are biologically and genetically related to the Corynebacterium L-forms.
Effect of storage in aqueous environments on polymer–metal interfacial fracture

The effect of environmental exposure on the fracture characteristics of two polymer–metal interfaces was measured using a four-point bend delamination test. Films of high-molecular-weight polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin were spin-cast on metal-coated silicon wafer substrates, for which the metal was either titanium or aluminum. Sandwich beam specimens were fabricated and stored in one of the following conditions prior to the bending tests: vacuum desiccator at 25 °C, vacuum desiccator at 65 °C, distilled water at 25 °C, or distilled water at 65 °C. Load–displacement behavior measured during bending revealed significant differences between the delamination characteristics of the two PMMA–metal interfaces after vacuum exposure which were eliminated after the degrading effects of water exposure. Three distinctive load–displacement behaviors were observed: plateau, fracture at a single load; R-curve, fracture at increasing load with crack extension; and stick-slip, cycles of gradual load increase and sudden load drop with crack extension. PMMA–Al samples stored in vacuum desiccator at 25 °C exhibited R-curve fracture and the largest average crack driving force, GC, 12.2 (±0.5) J/m2, of all samples tested. After storage in 25 °C water, these PMMA–Al samples exhibited stick-slip fracture and GC decreased to 7.1 (±2.6) J/m2; storage in 65 °C water further decreased GC to 2.1 (±0.7) J/m2. PMMA–Ti samples exhibited stick-slip fracture after storage in vacuum desiccator at 25 °C, with an average GC of 8.0 (±2.6) J/m2; storage in 65 °C water resulted in a transition to plateau fracture and a decrease in GC to 1.6 (±0.3) J/m2. The initial difference and subsequent similarity are interpreted in terms of surface roughness and hydrolysis, respectively.
Dynamic behavior of concrete at high strain rates and pressures: II. numerical simulation

Abstract The response of concrete and mortar under high-strain-rate impact loading are analyzed using fully dynamic finite element simulations. The analyses concern the load-carrying capacity, energy absorbency and the effect of the microstructure. The simulations focus on the plate impact configuration used in the experimental part of this research, allowing for direct comparison of model predictions with experimental measurements. A micromechanical model is formulated and used, accounting for the two-phase composite microstructure of concrete. Arbitrary microstructural phase morphologies of actual concrete used in impact experiments are digitized and explicitly considered in the numerical models. The behavior of the two constituent phases in the concrete are characterized by an extended Drucker–Prager model that accounts for pressure-dependence, rate-sensitivity, and strain hardening/softening. Model parameters are determined by independent impact experiments on mortar and through a parametric study in which the prediction of numerical simulations is matched with measurements from experiments on concrete and mortar. Calculations show that significant inelastic deformations occur in the mortar matrix under the impact conditions analyzed and relatively smaller inelastic strains are seen in the aggregates. The influence of aggregate volume fraction on the dynamic load-carrying capacity of concrete is explored. The strength increases with aggregate volume fraction and an enhancement of approximately 30% over that of mortar is found for an aggregate volume fraction of 42%. Numerical simulations also show increasing energy absorbency with increasing aggregate volume fraction and provide a time-resolved characterization for the history of work dissipation as the deformation progresses.
VI—Kant on the Identity of Persons

According to Kant, the rationalist notion of a person as a thinking substance, conscious of its own identity through time, trades on an ambiguity concerning the meaning of ‘being conscious of the numerical identity of oneself at different times’. I argue that against the rationalist notion, Kant endorses the notion of a person as a spatio-temporal entity endowed with unity of apperception and capable of knowing its own identity through time according to empirical criteria of identification and re-identification. Nevertheless, Kant maintains that the rationalist notion is both ‘necessary and sufficient for practical use’. I argue that in fact, Kant's empirical notion of a person was sufficient even for the purposes of his moral philosophy. I conclude by comparing my analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of Kant's view with Peter Strawson's analysis of Kant's argument in the Paralogisms of Pure Reason.
Intravenous injection of mesenteric lymph produced during hemorrhagic shock decreases RBC deformability in the rat.

Increasing evidence from both preclinical and clinical studies-indicate that red blood cells (RBC) alterations or dysfunction plays a role in the pathogenesis of the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in patients sustaining major trauma, especially when associated with significant hemorrhage.1–7 This notion is supported by clinical studies showing that large-volume transfusions of stored blood (>6 U) is a major risk factor for the development of MODS1 as well as by preclinical and clinical studies showing that stored blood impairs microvascular blood flow and thereby potentiates organ injury.2,3,7 This concept that RBC abnormalities may contribute to MODS is also supported by clinical and laboratory observations, showing that RBC deformability is impaired after trauma-hemorrhage4,5 and that these changes in RBC deformability are in turn associated with impaired microvascular and nutrient blood flow.6,7 Specifically, using the current rat model of trauma-hemorrhagic shock (T/HS), we documented that the exchange transfusion of T/HS RBC into naive rats resulted in decreased organ blood flow.7 The mechanism by which decreased RBC deformability leads to impaired microcirculatory blood flow is related in part to the mechanical need of the 7-μm RBC to deform and change its shape from a biconcave disc to an elongated structure to successfully pass through 4-μm capillaries.8 Failure of RBC to deform as it passes through capillaries would lead to microvascular stasis and blockade with resultant decreases in cellular oxygen delivery.9 This phenomenon is recognized in primary RBC disease states, such as sickle cell anemia, where stress-induced changes in RBC deformability leads to decreased microcirculatory blood flow and clinically significant vasoactive crises.10 Because of the potential clinical importance of loss of RBC deformability (i.e., increased rigidification of the RBC membrane), we have carried out a series of studies investigating the pathogenesis of trauma-shock–induced loss of RBC deformability. These studies suggest that trauma-hemorrhagic shock (T/HS)–induced alterations in RBC deformability and shape are mediated to a significant degree by gut-derived humoral factors carried in the mesenteric lymph,11 because ligation of the mesenteric lymph duct largely abrogates T/HS-induced RBC rigidification. In addition, we have recently shown that the loss of RBC deformability is associated with decreased alpha-spectrin ubiquitination of the RBC membrane.12 Although preventing mesenteric lymph from reaching the systemic circulation by ligating the mesenteric lymph duct prevents T/HS-induced RBC deformability and shape changes, it remains unclear whether T/HS lymph itself is sufficient to induce RBC injury or requires the activation of other factors during the T/HS period to exert its effect. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that whether gut-derived factors carried in T/HS lymph is sufficient to induce RBC injury by infusing T/HS lymph into normal rats and measuring RBC deformability.
Physical impairment index: reliability, validity, and responsiveness in patients with acute low back pain.

Study Design. Cohort study of patients with acute low back pain undergoing physical therapy. Objectives. Examine the reliability and validity of the Physical Impairment Index in a group of patients with acute low back pain and determine the responsiveness and minimum detectable change of the index and its component tests. Summary of the Background Data. The Physical Impairment Index was originally described as a reliable and valid means of assessing physical impairment in patients with low back pain. The psychometric properties of the index have not been reported in patients with acute low back paint nor has its responslveness been examined. Methods. Seventy-eight patients with acute (<3 weeks duration) low back pain participating in a clinical trial were assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks. Interrater reliability of the index was examined in a subgroup of 20 patients. Validity was examined through correlations with concurrent measures of pain, disability, and psychosocial variables. Changes in the index over 4 weeks were used to assess responsiveness and minimum detectable change. Results. Interrater reliability of the index was high (intraciass correlation coefficient = 0.89), and its validity was generally supported by the pattern of correlations. The index was more responsive to change than any of its component tests but was less responsive than the Oswestry disability score. The minimum detectable change on the index was approximately 1 point. Conclusions. The Physical Impairment index appears to be a reliable and valid measure of physical impairment for patients with acute low back pain and may be useful as an adjunct outcome measure for studies involving these patients. Further research on patients with chronic pain is needed before it can be advocated for outcomes research with this population.
Direct coronal computed tomography of the orbits employing a dedicated head scanner

A number of articles have been written on the topic of orbital computed tomography (CT), most of which have emphasized transaxial sections. Recently, especially since whole body scanners have become widely distributed, numerous articles have been written on coronal sections of the orbits. This article discusses the method of obtaining coronal CT sections of the orbits employing a dedicated head scanner and demonstrates the results that can be obtained employing this technique.
Management of a vaginal foreign body

A case is presented of a vaginal foreign body. A drinking glass was inserted in the vagina of an intoxicated patient by her irate lover. Infection followed. The emergency care is described, including the method of extraction of the object, along with discussion of the principles involved and associated complications.
Being Controlled by Normative Influences: Self-Determination as a Moderator of a Normative Feedback Alcohol Intervention

The objectives of this research were to evaluate the efficacy of computer-delivered personalized normative feedback among heavy drinking college students and to evaluate controlled orientation as a moderator of intervention efficacy. Participants (N = 217) included primarily freshman and sophomore, heavy drinking students who were randomly assigned to receive or not to receive personalized normative feedback immediately following baseline assessment. Perceived norms, number of drinks per week, and alcohol-related problems were the main outcome measures. Controlled orientation was specified as a moderator. At 2-month follow-up, students who received normative feedback reported drinking fewer drinks per week than did students who did not receive feedback, and this reduction was mediated by changes in perceived norms. The intervention also reduced alcohol-related negative consequences among students who were higher in controlled orientation. These results provide further support for computer-delivered personalized normative feedback as an empirically supported brief intervention for heavy drinking college students, and they enhance the understanding of why and for whom normative feedback is effective.
Examining Constructs in Reading Comprehension Using Two Presentation Modes: Paper vs. Computer

This study examined the processes of reading comprehension using paper presentation compared to computer presentation. Computers are increasingly being used more as a mode for instruction in school...
Managing aging in nuclear power plants

Abstract Aging degradation in nuclear power plants must be controlled to prevent safety margins from declining below limits provided in plant design bases. The NPAR Program and other aging-related programs conducted under the auspices of the NRC Office of Research are developing needed technical guidance for control of aging. Results from these programs, together with relevant information developed by industry and elsewhere, are implemented through various ongoing NRC and industry programs and initiatives as well as by means of conventional regulatory instruments. The aging control process central to these efforts consists of three key elements: (1) selection of components, systems, and structures (CSS) in which aging must be controlled, (2) understanding of the mechanisms and rates of degradation in these CSS, and (3) managing degradation through effective surveillance and maintenance. These elements are addressed in Recommended Practices Guidance that integrates information developed under NPAR and other studies of aging into a systems-oriented format that tracks directly with the Safety Analysis Reports and with the NRC Standard Review Plan (NUREG-0800).
Telenovelas: A Latin American Success Story

The success of Spanish-language telenovelas a type of soap opera illustrates major changes that have occurred in recent years in television systems in Latin America. There has been a trend toward decreased reliance on programming imported from the US and a flow of telenovelas from country to country within Latin America. This article based on interviews with 65 television personnel and communications experts in Mexico Peru Argentina Brazil and Venezuela in 1982 focuses on the development of the telenovela as the paramount form of popular culture. Latin American audiences consistently prefer locally produced television programs followed by programs imported by other Latin American countries and finally programs imported from the US. Even telenovelas with an educational slant (e.g. promotion of adult literacy training or family planning) earn both high audience ratings and substantial advertising income. In 1977 the year in which a telenovela promoting positive role models for Mexicos family planning program was broadcast the number of family planning acceptors increased by 560000. Mexico and Brazil are the main producing nations. This phenomenon is an example of how Third World nations can create their own products to compete successfully with products from developed countries. Inspired by the Latin American experience other developing countries such as India plan to broadcast educational soap operas to promote national development goals such as family planning and the equality of women.
Influence of follicular size on the response of mares to allyl trenbolone given before the onset of the ovulatory season

The progestin, allyl trenbolone, was given orally to mares for 15 days before the beginning of the ovulatory season. At the onset of treatment, the largest follicle was 30 mm. The progestin did not hasten the onset of the ovulatory season, regardless of the diameter of largest follicle at the onset of treatment. The progestin did not alter the numbers or diameters of follicles when treatment was initiated when the largest follicle was 30 mm resulted in suppressed follicular growth. Concentrations of FSH were elevated in all three progestin-treated groups, although the increase was not significant in the group with a large follicle at the onset of treatment. The compound reduced the protracted period of estrus and follicular development which commonly precedes the first ovulation of the breeding season. The number of estrous determinations and inseminations was reduced without an apparent reduction in conception rate.
Eosinophil Activation of Fibroblasts from Chronic Allergen-Induced Disease Utilizes Stem Cell Factor for Phenotypic Changes

In the present studies the role of stem cell factor (SCF) in mediating eosinophil and fibroblast activation during their interaction was investigated. SCF was significantly higher in fibroblasts grown from lungs of chronic allergen-challenged mice compared to fibroblasts grown from normal mice. When eosinophils were layered onto fibroblasts from allergic mice, a significant increase in SCF was detected compared to fibroblasts from nonallergic mice. The interaction of fibroblasts with eosinophils also increased the production of asthma-associated chemokines, CCL5 and CCL6, was dependent on cell-to-cell interaction, and was observed only with fibroblasts derived from lungs of chronic allergen-challenged mice and not from those derived from unchallenged normal mice. Chemokine production was significantly decreased when anti-SCF antibodies were added during eosinophil-fibroblast interaction. The interaction of fibroblasts from chronic allergen-challenged mice with eosinophils also increased α-smooth muscle cell actin and procollagen I expression as well as induced transforming growth factor-β. The changes in myofibroblast activation were dependent on SCF-mediated pathways because anti-SCF antibody treatment reduced the expression of all three of these latter fibrosis-associated markers. Thus, our data suggest that SCF mediates an important activation pathway for fibroblasts during chronic allergic responses on interaction with recruited eosinophils and suggest a potential mechanism of airway remodeling during chronic disease.
Microstructure and properties of TiB2 implanted with 1 MeV nickel

Abstract Polycrystalline samples of TiB2 were implanted at ambient temperatures with 1 MeV Ni+ ions of a fluence of 1 × 1017 ions cm 2 . This fluence corresponds to a calculated nickel-to-titanium ratio, within the half width of the ion distribution, of approximately 0.12. Analytical electron microscopy was used to study the resultant microstructure. The starting microstructure was modified to a depth of approximately 750 nm, significantly deeper than the calculated peak in the deposited nickel profile of 389 nm. The results also show a change in the character of the microstructure, from one exhibiting a moderate density of tangled dislocations to a high density of small defects, as well as a change in the concentration of nickel as a function of depth from the implanted surface. There was no evidence of nickel precipitation. Surface mechanical properties such as hardness and wear resistance were significantly increased.
A Rectangular-Waveguide Contacting Sliding Short for Terahertz Frequency Applications

This paper presents and refines a rectangular-waveguide sliding-short design that is resistant to mechanical disturbances and yields excellent voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR). The design relies on a contacting design in which the sliding short is allowed to contact the waveguide broadwall while preventing contact with the sidewalls. Using an $E$ -plane high- $Z$ /low- $Z$ design that is amenable to microfabrication techniques, prototypes are fabricated and measured at $X$ -band, WR-10, and WR-3.4 (10, 100, and 300 GHz) with measured VSWR of over 160:1 for $X$ -band and WR-10 and 60:1 for WR-3.4.
Rotating unbalanced-mass devices for scanning - Proof-of-concept test results

OME space-based and balloon-borne gimbaled scientific instruments and astronomical telescopes require line-of-sight scanning to meet their science objectives. These same instruments and telescopes can also be flown on free-flying spacecraft and require line-of-sight scanning there. Typically, the scan patterns required are either linear, circular, or raster. See Refs. 1 and 2 for examples. With some of these, the line of sight can conveniently be scanned by moving a small mirror or lens that lies in the optical train of the instrument or telescope. With others, the line of sight may be scanned electronically with the instrument's detector. However, some are not amenable to either approach and must be scanned by moving the entire instrument or telescope. X-ray and gamma-ray instruments and telescopes fit in this category. Consider the gamma-ray imaging device (GRID), developed by the California Institute of Technology and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.2 This is a balloon-borne solar-pointing instrument that weighs 1500 Ib and is shaped like a 4 x 20 ft cylinder. Its line of sight must continuously scan in a circle centered on the sun. The scan radius is 3 arcmin, and the scan period can be as small as 1 s. Unfortunately, optical or electronic line-of-sight scanning is impossible with this device, and so the entire instrument must be physically scanned. Using reaction wheels, control moment gyros, or gimbal torque motors to generate the scan requires a great deal of power, especially at the 1-s scan period. With gimbal torque motors, torquing at a 1-Hz frequency against a 500-lb gondola hung from a balloon can excite some undesirable modes of vibration, which in turn can affect system stability and scan accuracy. References 3 and 4 describe a new approach to physically scanning the GRID, and other cylindrically shaped bodies, using rotating unbalanced-mass (RUM) devices. A RUM device is simply a mass on a lever arm that rotates at a constant angular velocity. Mounting one on each end of the GRID and maintaining them 180 deg out of phase with respect to each other as they rotate generates the basic scan motion. An auxiliary control system is required to keep the center of scan on target, but without fighting the scan motion generated by the RUM devices. With the balloon-borne GRID,
Dynamics of Encoding in a Population of Neurons

A simple encoder model, which is a reasonable idealization from known electrophysiological properties, yields a population in which the variation of the firing rate with time is a perfect replica of the shape of the input stimulus. A population of noise-free encoders which depart even slightly from the simple model yield a very much degraded copy of the input stimulus. The presence of noise improves the performance of such a population. The firing rate of a population of neurons is related to the firing rate of a single member in a subtle way.
Mycobacterium mucogenicum infection following dacryocystorhinostomy and Crawford tube placement.

Importance Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections of the skin can be seen in cases of immunosuppression and/or traumatic implantation of contaminated objects. Surgical settings with appropriate sterilization techniques have been immune to these types of infections. We report a case of nosocomially derived infection from a sterile procedure. Observations A woman in her 70s presented with a facial lesion after an ophthalmologic procedure that was discovered to be a nontuberculous mycobacterial infection. It was successfully treated with oral antibiotics. Conclusions and Relevance Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections should be considered in the differential diagnosis of new lesions arising after invasive procedures, even in immunocompetent patients in seemingly sterile settings.
Anthropomorphism and Spinoza's Innovations

Abstract The first and most rigorous early modern discussion of anthropomorphism in religion was produced by Benedict Spinoza. The intellectual context for his consideration was the problem posed by biblical anthropomorphism for the philosophical reader. This problem had been treated by Muslim and Jewish philosophers and was the central issue for Maimonides in his Guide of the Perplexed. Spinoza's major contributions in two areas—biblical interpretation and the study of religion—can be understood from the starting-point of his critical reconsideration of anthropomorphism. By showing that the Bible's anthropomorphism is irreducible and therefore cannot be philosophically ‘demythologized’ without distorting the text's historical meanings, Spinoza established the presuppositions for both historical and literary interpretation. Further, by applying his general analysis of religion itself as intrinsically anthropomorphic to analysis of biblical religion, Spinoza brought the study of the Bible into the orbit of the modern study of religion as inherently comparative, historical and critical.
The influence of substrate curvature on neurite outgrowth is cell type dependent

Damage to axonal tracts of the central nervous system results in costly and permanent disability. The observations of aborted neurite outgrowth and disorganized scarring in injured central nervous system tissue have motivated the hypothesis that engineered bridging devices might facilitate regeneration. It is thought that both the shape and surface chemistry are important design parameters, however, their relative importance is poorly understood. Previously, we utilized smooth cylindrical surfaces to demonstrate that surfaces designed with directionally varying curvature bias in a stereotyped way postnatal dorsal root ganglion axonal regeneration in the direction of minimum curvature independent of surface chemistry. In the present study, we extend this analysis to include adult dorsal root ganglion neurons and cerebellar granule cells, cell types more representative of the challenge faced clinically. We found that axonal outgrowth of both the adult neuron and the central neuron was less sensitive to substrate curvature than the outgrowth of the postnatal neurons. These differences were quantified by constructing distributions describing the probability of outgrowth for a defined range of surface curvatures. Both the adult neuron and the central neuron exhibited a higher probability of extension in high-curvature directions compared to the postnatal neuron implying that surface geometry may not be as potent a cue in directing the regeneration of these neurons. A microtubule-stabilizing agent enhanced the sensitivity to curvature of the adult neuron, partially reversing the increased probability of growing in a high-curvature direction. The results suggest novel methods to enhance directed neuron regeneration using bridging substrates.
Dendrodendritic synapses of cells that have axons: the fine structure of the Golgi type II cell in the medial geniculate body of the cat.

This study provides a combined analysis with the Golgi method and electron microscopy of the Golgi type II cells of the thalamus in the cat. In the ventral nucleus of the medial geniculate body these cells constitute a large, morphologically homogeneous population of neurons. They are clearly distinguished from the thalamo-cortical neurons by their size, shape, kinds of dendritic appendages, and cytoplasmic structure. The axon of the Golgi type II cell is exceptionally short and forms a small number of lumpy endings in the vicinity of its origin. The dendrites are often longer and much more elaborately branched than the axon. The shafts of these dendrites bear spiculated appendages, while the distal ends of the dendrites form clusters of very large endings. The appendages and terminal clusters participate in the nests of axonal endings formed by the afferent auditory axons and the dendritic branches of thalamo-cortical neurons. These axonal nests are the synaptic nests observed in electron micrographs. Within the synaptic nests the endings of Golgi type II neurons form dendrodendritic synapses on the dendrites of the thalamocortical neurons. The dendritic endings of Golgi type II neurons also receive synapses from the afferent axons. The dendrodendritic synapses may involve the Golgi type II neurons in an inhibitory role in the thalamo-cortical transformation of auditory signals. The dendrodendritic endings of the Golgi type II neurons continue to grow in the adult cat. Possibly these cells are involved in the evolution of cortical functions and in the plastic changes of neural activities that modify behavior.
Instabilities in numerical inversion of Laplace transforms using Taylor series approach

Recently Chung and Sun reported a technique for the numerical inversion of Laplace transforms using Taylor series. In the letter we point out that the implementation of this method involves the inversion of an n × n Hilbert matrix. This results in numerical instability and makes the algorithm unreliable. Alternative approaches which give a least-square fit for the solution are also identified.
LONG TERM STORAGE STABILITY OF MIDDLE DISTILLATE FUELS FROM A CHEMICAL MECHANISTIC POINT OF VIEW. PART 2.

ABSTRACT The objective of this review is to (i) articulate the current level of understanding of the types of “reactive molecules” intimately involved in the long term oxidative storage instability of middle distillates, (ii) review the types of chemical reaction mechanisms most likely involved in the “oxidative phase” of insoluble formation, (iii) review the postulated chemical mechanisms of stabilizer (additive) operation, and (iv) discuss future research areas that must be explored if a greater understanding and control of middle distillate instability is to be realized.
Infrared detector arrays with integrating cryogenic read-out electronics

Depending on the application different types of integrating cryogenic read out electronics are used for extrinsic photoconductive detectors and detector arrays. They integrate the current flowing through the detector during a given integration time by charging a capacity. To test the different detector units with respect to their sensitivity different evaluation methods are used for the determination of the noise produced by the whole assembly. To evaluate its amount different methods of signal processing as non destructive read out (NDR), correlated double sampling (CDS) and data averaging are implemented. The different methods of signal and data processing used for the tests of the detector units as well as results obtained at selected detector assemblies are presented and discussed.
High-Fidelity Gravity Offloading System for Free-Free Vibration Testing

Proposed for the high performance vibration testing of free-flying systems is the Marionette paradigm, a mechanically simple passive gravity compensation scheme characterized by low mass, little interference with specimen response, high imperfection tolerance, and compatibility with up tomedium scale specimen kinematics. An introduction to this concept, theory, features, and some practicalities, is offered. The need for and the potential of system optimization are discussed and illustrated. Possible means to generalize the basic concept to adaptive specimen geometries or to the simulation of nonuniform inertial conditions are also discussed. Hardware and numerical illustrations are presented.
Probing the Rate of Hole Transfer in Oxidized Porphyrin Dyads Using Thallium Hyperfine Clocks

Understanding hole/electron-transfer processes among interacting constituents of multicomponent molecular architectures is central to the fields of artificial photosynthesis and molecular electronics. One strategy for examining ground-state hole/electron transfer in oxidized tetrapyrrolic arrays entails analysis of the hyperfine interactions observed in the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum of the π-cation radical. Herein, it is demonstrated that 203Tl/205Tl hyperfine “clocks” are greatly superior to those provided by 1H, 14N, or 13C owing to the fact that the 203Tl/205Tl hyperfine couplings are much larger (15−25 G) than those of the 1H, 14N, or 13C nuclei (1−6 G). The large 203Tl/205Tl hyperfine interactions permit accurate simulations of the EPR spectra and the extraction of specific rates of hole/electron transfer. The 203Tl/205Tl hyperfine clock strategy is applied to a series of seven porphyrin dyads. All of the dyads are joined at a meso position of the porphyrin macrocycle via linkers...
High intensity activities in young women: site specific bone mass effects among female figure skaters

We compared young female figure skaters, aged 10-23, with non-athletic control subjects to ascertain whether there were differences in skeletal densities at various sites. We also compared other characteristics of body size, including height, weight and percent body fat. Although the skaters were thinner and significantly more likely to have oligo- or amenorrhea, they had similar skeletal densities at upper body sites (spine, arms, ribs) and significantly greater densities in the pelvis and legs. These differences were not evident until the mid-teens, however, suggesting that there is little likelihood of selection bias as the cause of the observed differences.
Interaction between hypothalamic peptides in a superfused pituitary cell system

Abstract Recently two hypothalamic releasing factors have been isolated, sequenced and synthesized: corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) from sheep and rat hypothalami; and growth hormone-releasing factor (GH-RF) from tumors in human pancreas (hpGH-RF) and from rat hypothalami (rhGH-RF). Their biological potencies were tested by various laboratories in vivo and in vitro using rat pituitary cell cultures and the pituitary quarters method. In the present study, we investigated the dynamics of the release of pituitary hormones and the interaction between CRF and hGH-RF and several brain peptides in a pituitary cell-superfusion system. A dose-related ACTH release was found when the cells were superfused with different doses of synthetic CRF. Synthetic hGH-RF 44 , hGH-RF 40 , hGH-RF 1–29 and purified porcine hypothalamic GH-RF caused similar dose-related releases of GH. In this system, we demonstrated interactions between CRF and vasopressin, CRF and SP, hGH-RF and vasopressin and hGH-RF and PHI-27. We conclude that the control of pituitary hormone secretion is a complex process; several factors may interact with each releasing or inhibiting factor to modulate their effects.
Perspectives of Young Adults With Disabilities on Leadership

Increasingly, researchers have linked greater self-determination capacities to improved postsecondary outcomes for youth with disabilities. Although leadership is one component of self-determination, little is known about how youth and young adults with disabilities define, develop, and demonstrate leadership. In this qualitative interview study, the authors examined the perspectives on youth leadership development of 34 young adults with disabilities. Participants identified key attitudes and skills possessed by leaders and addressed the influence these qualities have on others. They also communicated their own experiences of developing their capacities as leaders, emphasizing the importance of early involvement in school and community activities and their relationships with family members, teachers, mentors, and friends. The authors offer recommendations for fostering youth leadership during the transition period.
Long‐Term Stability of Child Behavior Checklist Profile Types in a Child Psychiatric Clinic Population

ABSTRACT Objective To study the long-term stability of Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) profile types, which represent children's overall patterns of single and comorbid scale elevations. Method Profile types were determined for 623 outpatient children at referral and then at mean follow-up 4.8 years later, and their continuity was determined. Results At baseline 37.5% of the children were classified by a profile type, and 41.9% of these originally classified children continued to be classified at follow-up. The average odds ratio for a child continuing as a specific CBCL profile type from baseline to follow-up was 8.2. When children changed from one specific profile type to another, they usually continued in the same broad externalizing or internalizing category. Children who were not classified by a profile type at baseline generally remained unclassified. Conclusions Stability findings for CBCL profile types appeared good and were similar to past longitudinal results for CBCL scales and DSM diagnoses. These profile types may prove an important empirical method for addressing the problem of comorbid clinical pictures.
ASIS&T 2011 plenary session: How to identify ducks in flight: A crowdsourcing approach to biodiversity research and conservation

Editor's Summary Volunteers engaged in crowdsourcing are providing valuable information to help understand bird biodiversity and migration. Attendees at the 2011 Annual Meeting heard Steve Kelling, director of information science at Cornell University's Ornithology Lab, explain how humans play a critical role by providing knowledge used to identify, differentiate and track birds around the world. Kelling's eBird project is a global citizen science project involving birders who report bird sighting locations, numbers, dates and time. The My eBird web pages engage birders, supporting collection and sharing of personal experiences. Smartphone apps and data-backed dot indicators on Google Maps provide extra technology support for participants. The end goal is broad scale analysis with fine resolution about species occurrence and biodiversity, applying the kind of information that only humans can provide.
Numerical Simulation of Tip Leakage Flows in Axial Flow Turbines, With Emphasis on Flow Physics: Part I — Effect of Tip Clearance Height

A pressure-correction based, 3D Navier-Stokes CFD code was used to simulate the effects of turbine parameters on the tip leakage flow and vortex in a linear turbine cascade to understand the detailed flow physics. A baseline case simulation of a cascade was first conducted in order to validate the numerical procedure with experimental measurements. The effects of realistic tip clearance spacing, inlet conditions, and relative endwall motion were then sequentially simulated, while maintaining previously modified parameters. With each additional simulation, a detailed comparison of the leakage flow's direction, pressure gradient, and mass flow, as well as the leakage vortex and its roll-up, size, losses, location, and interaction with other flow features, was conducted. Part I of this two-part paper focuses on the effect of reduced tip clearance height on the leakage flow and vortex. Reduced tip clearance results in less mass flow through the gap, a smaller leakage vortex, and less aerothermal losses in both the gap and the vortex. The shearing of the leakage jet and passage flow to which leakage vortex roll-up is usually attributed to is not observed in any of the simulations. Alternative explanations of the leakage vortex's roll-up are presented. Additional secondary flows that are seen near the casing are also discussed.
Age-by-disease biological interactions: implications for late-life depression.

Onset of depressive symptoms after the age of 65, or late-life depression (LLD), is common and poses a significant burden on affected individuals, caretakers and society. Evidence suggests a unique biological basis for LLD, but current hypotheses do not account for its pathophysiological complexity. Here we propose a novel etiological framework for LLD, the age-by-disease biological interaction hypothesis, based on the observations that the subset of genes that undergoes lifelong progressive changes in expression is restricted to a specific set of biological processes, and that a disproportionate number of these age-dependent genes have been previously and similarly implicated in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression. The age-by-disease biological interaction hypothesis posits that age-dependent biological processes (i) are “pushed” in LLD-promoting directions by changes in gene expression naturally occurring during brain aging, which (ii) directly contribute to pathophysiological mechanisms of LLD, and (iii) that individual variability in rates of age-dependent changes determines risk or resiliency to develop age-related disorders, including LLD. We review observations supporting this hypothesis, including consistent and specific age-dependent changes in brain gene expression, and their overlap with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disease pathways. We then review preliminary reports supporting the genetic component of this hypothesis. Other potential biological mediators of age-dependent gene changes are proposed. We speculate that studies examining the relative contribution of these mechanisms to age-dependent changes and related disease mechanisms will not only provide critical information on the biology of normal aging of the human brain, but will inform our understanding our age-dependent diseases, in time fostering the development of new interventions for prevention and treatment of age-dependent diseases, including LLD.
Analysis of Form and Function in Fossils

SYNOPSIS. Paleontology and the fossil record contribute an historical perspective on the form-function relationship that is essential to an understanding of the particular range of biological forms and functions that exist in the living world. The record contains rich evidence of forms and functions that do not exist in the modern world and provides a context for exploring arenas of theoretical possibility and impossibility for organisms. Although the basic data of the fossil record are static forms and patterns in the rocks, paleontologists have developed methods of inferring function. Analogy is the most important source of hypotheses for the function of extinct organisms and enigmatic structures. Paleontological analogy frequently extends beyond biological form and structure to engineering solutions in familiar simple machines and a variety of other human artifacts. Three tools have proved especially useful in the analysis and interpretation of form in fossils. The paradigm method is a useful procedure for rigorous evaluation of alternative functional possibilities for enigmatic structures in a predominantly adaptive context. Constructional morphology reaches beyond the adaptive context to provide a conceptual framework for understanding the full range of factors that contribute to organic form. Theoretical morphology provides the basis for examining the range of forms and functions that have actually evolved against possible morphological and functional space. This essay is structured to provide applications of these paleontological tools and to encourage incorporation of paleontological data and perspective into instruction in introductory biology courses.
Numerical solutions for functional integral equations with state-dependent delay

Abstract Existence and uniqueness theorems are given for a family of functional integral equations with a state-dependent delay. Convergence criteria for a family of numerical methods for these equations are also given. Numerical results are included.
Monitoring and Assessing a Japanese FLES Program: Ambiance and Achievement

This article reports on the third year of an ongoing research project to document and evaluate an innovative foreign language in elementary schools (FLES) program in Japanese for Grades K–5 (N=195). We report 2 strands of research. First, concerned with school and community ambiance, we attempted to describe systematically the attitudes and perceptions of various constituents of this curricular innovation. Second, we investigated the language achievement of children in Grades K–5 for oral proficiency, vocabulary development, and social uses of language. During a 3-year period, the children, regardless of age, made considerable progress in foreign language proficiency and developed positive attitudes toward language learning. Innovative language programs in the elementary school can move beyond their often marginalized status to become regularized features of the overall school curriculum.
The Spectral Radius of Graphs on Surfaces

This paper provides new upper bounds on the spectral radius ? (largest eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix) of graphs embeddable on a given compact surface. Our method is to bound the maximum rowsum in a polynomial of the adjacency matrix, using simple consequences of Euler's formula. Let ? denote the Euler genus (the number of crosscaps plus twice the number of handles) of a fixed surface ?. Then (i) for n?3, every n-vertex graph embeddable on ? has ??2+2n+8??6, and (ii) a 4-connected graph with a spherical or 4-representative embedding on ? has ??1+2n+2??3. Result (i) is not sharp, as Guiduli and Hayes have recently proved that the maximum value of ? is 3/2+2n+o(1) as n?∞ for graphs embeddable on a fixed surface. However, (i) is the only known bound that is computable, valid for all n?3, and asymptotic to 2n like the actual maximum value of ?. Result (ii) is sharp for the sphere or plane (?=0), with equality holding if and only if the graph is a “double wheel” 2K1+Cn?2 (+denotes join). For other surfaces we show that (ii) is within O(1/n1/2) of sharpness. We also show that a recent bound on ? by Hong can be deduced by our method.