cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stoichiometric and catalytic secondary O-atom transfer by Fe(III)-NO2 complexes derived from a planar tetradentate non-heme ligand: reminiscence of heme chemistry.

An Fe(III) nitro complex [(bpb)Fe(NO2)(py)] (2) of the tetradentate ligand 1,2-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)benzene (H2bpb, H is the dissociable amide proton) has been synthesized via addition of NaNO2 to [(bpb)Fe(py)2](ClO4) (1) in MeCN or DMF. This structurally characterized Fe(III) nitro complex exhibits its νNO2 at 1384 cm-1. The reaction of 1 with 2 equiv of Et4NX (X = Cl-, Br-) affords the high-spin complexes (Et4N)[(bpb)Fe(Cl2)] (3) and (Et4N)[(bpb)Fe(Br)2] (4), respectively. The structure of 4 has been determined. The addition of an equimolar amount of Et4NCl, Et4NBr, or Et4NCN to a solution of 2 affords the mixed-ligand complexes (Et4N)[(bpb)Fe(NO2)(Cl)] (5), (Et4N)[(bpb)Fe(NO2)(Br)] (6), and (Et4N)[(bpb)Fe(NO2)(CN)] (7), respectively. These complexes are all low spin with isotropic g values of 2.15. Under anaerobic conditions, the reactions of 5−7 with Ph3P in MeCN afford the five-coordinate {Fe−NO}7 nitrosyl [(bpb)Fe(NO)] (and Ph3PO) via secondary oxygen-atom (O-atom) transfer. The O-atom transfe...
Dvr1 transfers left-right asymmetric signals from Kupffer's vesicle to lateral plate mesoderm in zebrafish

Abstract An early step in establishing left–right (LR) symmetry in zebrafish is the generation of asymmetric fluid flow by Kupffer's vesicle (KV). As a result of fluid flow, a signal is generated and propagated from the KV to the left lateral plate mesoderm, activating a transcriptional response of Nodal expression in the left lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). The mechanisms and molecules that aid in this transfer of information from the KV to the left LPM are still not clear. Here we provide several lines of evidence demonstrating a role for a member of the TGFβ family member, Dvr1, a zebrafish Vg1 ortholog. Dvr1 is expressed bilaterally between the KV and the LPM. Knockdown of Dvr1 by morpholino causes dramatically reduced or absent expression of southpaw (spaw, a Nodal homolog), in LPM, and corresponding loss of downstream Lefty (lft1 and lft) expression, and aberrant brain and heart LR patterning. Dvr1 morphant embryos have normal KV morphology and function, normal expression of southpaw (spaw) and charon (cha) in the peri-KV region and normal expression of a variety of LPM markers in LPM. Additionally, Dvr1 knockdown does not alter the capability of LPM to respond to signals that initiate and propagate spaw expression. Co-injection experiments in Xenopus and zebrafish indicate that Dvr1 and Spaw can enhance each other's ability to activate the Nodal response pathway and co-immunoprecipitation experiments reveal differential relationships among activators and inhibitors in this pathway. These results indicate that Dvr1 is responsible for enabling the transfer of a left–right signal from KV to the LPM.
Debating Reality and Relevance

Anthropologists, historians, geneticists, philosophers, and bioethicists explore what recent and current research on human genetics implies about the concepts of race and racial difference.
Toward closed‐system culture of blood origin endothelial cells

BACKGROUND: Blood outgrowth endothelial cells (BOECs) are thought to arise from very rare progenitors that are present in the mononuclear fraction of marrow or peripheral blood. Recently, BOECs have been expanded from progenitors present in buffy coat into confluent monolayers on fibronectin- or collagen-coated polystyrene surfaces. A method for sterile closed-system culture of these cells has not been described, however. Here, efforts are described toward developing closed-system culture of BOECs derived from progenitors present in a mononuclear apheresis unit by use of a cord blood filter, a sterile connection device, and a fibronectin-coated polycarbonate cassette. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Strongly adherent cells from a mononuclear apheresis unit were eluted from a cord blood filter and resuspended in EGM-2 with 10 percent serum. Approximately 2 × 108 eluted cells were introduced into human fibronectin-coated polycarbonate cassettes. Medium was introduced and removed from cassettes with a sterile connection device and changed every 2 days. After expansion, cells were either cryopreserved or characterized by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis and ability to take up Dil-Ac-LDL. RESULTS: After 2 to 3 weeks of culture, 3 to 28 colonies with cobblestone morphology were observed in cassettes and passed to new cassettes within 3 to 4 weeks. By approximately 5 weeks of culture, 2 × 106 cells were typically obtained. BOECs uniformly took up Dil-Ac-LDL and were CD31+, CD105+, CD146+, CD45–, and CD14–. A population of BOECs was HLA-ABC+ or CD34+. CONCLUSION: BOEC progenitors can be isolated from mononuclear apheresis units with cord blood filters, expanded with fibronectin-coated polycarbonate cassettes, and cryopreserved.
Anomalous electrical and magnetic properties of vanadium diselenide

Abstract Powder samples of VSe2 have been made by direct synthesis from the elements. Single-crystal specimens have been made by vapor phase transport in the presence of iodine. X-Ray characterization indicated only the 1T polytype. Behavior was metallic over the range 1.5 to 300°K, but there were discontinuities at about 100°K in resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and Hall voltage. These are apparently due to the onset of charge density waves. Below 50°K, there was a clear quadratic dependence of resistivity on temperature which combined with relatively high Pauli paramagnetism to indicate Baber-type electron-electron scattering. No superconductivity was observed down to 1.5°K.
Isolation of the mRNA encoding rat liver catechol-O-methyltransferase

A highly specific, well characterized rabbit antiserum to purified rat liver catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT; EC 2.1.1.6) and the procedure of polysome immunoadsorption have been used to isolate a messenger RNA which encodes a single polypeptide when translated in vitro. Western blotting and immune fixation have shown multiple active forms of the enzyme to exist; a major, soluble one with MW of 23,000 and pI of 5.2 and another, membrane-bound one with MW of 26,000 and a pI of 6.2 (1). When translated in vitro, the purified message synthesizes a protein of molecular weight (MW) 23,000 and pI 5.2, values in agreement with those for purified enzyme reported by other investigators (2,3). Only the soluble form is seen after in vitro translation; the other immunoreactive proteins possibly arise due to post-translational modifications which do not occur in the lysate; or perhaps another mRNA exists. Cloning of the COMT cDNA will resolve this issue and should be feasible in light of our data indicating that the mRNA isolated here represents 0.46% of total rat liver polyadenylated message.
Microscopy refocusing and dark-field imaging by using a simple LED array

The condenser is one of the main components in most transmitted light compound microscopes. In this Letter, we show that such a condenser can be replaced by a programmable LED array to achieve greater imaging flexibility and functionality. Without mechanically scanning the sample or changing the microscope setup, the proposed approach can be used for dark-field imaging, bright-field imaging, microscopy sectioning, and digital refocusing. Images of a starfish embryo were acquired by using such an approach for demonstration.
Strong CO2 binding in a water-stable, triazolate-bridged metal-organic framework functionalized with ethylenediamine

Reaction of CuCl2·2H2O with 1,3,5-tris(1H-1,2,3-triazol-5-yl)benzene (H3BTTri) in DMF at 100 °C generates the metal−organic framework H3[(Cu4Cl)3(BTTri)8(DMF)12]·7DMF·76H2O (1-DMF). The sodalite-type structure of the framework consists of BTTri3−-linked [Cu4Cl]7+ square clusters in which each CuII center has a terminal DMF ligand directed toward the interior of a large pore. The framework exhibits a high thermal stability of up to 270 °C, as well as exceptional chemical stability in air, boiling water, and acidic media. Following exchange of the guest solvent and bound DMF molecules for methanol to give 1-MeOH, complete desolvation of the framework at 180 °C generated H3[(Cu4Cl)3(BTTri)8] (1) with exposed CuII sites on its surface. Following a previously reported protocol, ethylenediamine molecules were grafted onto these sites to afford 1-en, featuring terminal alkylamine groups. The N2 adsorption isotherms indicate a reduction in the BET surface area from 1770 to 345 m2/g following grafting. The H2 adso...
Axial buckling of an orthotropic circular cylinder: Application to orthogrid concept

A novel re-defining of the orthotropic material properties in terms of a so-called associated geometric mean isotropic (GMI) material is used to develop a thorough buckling analysis of an axially-loaded orthotropic circular cylinder. A membrane prebuckling condition is assumed and an expression for the buckling stress is derived in terms of cylinder geometry, orthotropic material properties, and the number of waves in the buckling deformation pattern in the axial and circumferential directions. By assuming the number of waves in each direction are real-valued variables, as opposed to integers, conditions which result in stationary values of the buckling stress are sought, and once found, examined for their character as regards representing minima, maxima, or saddle points. Three quite different buckling characteristics are predicted, the particulars depending on the shear modulus of the orthotropic material relative to that of the associated GMI material. It is shown that if the shear modulus of the orthotropic material is greater than the shear modulus of the associated GMI material, the cylinder buckles into a unique axisymmetric deformation pattern. If the shear modulus of the orthotropic material is less than the shear modulus of the associated GMI material, the cylinder buckles into a unique nonaxisymmetric deformation pattern. If the shear modulus of the orthotropic material is exactly equal to the shear modulus of the associated GMI material (this is the situation for an isotropic cylinder), the cylinder can buckle into either axisymmetric or nonaxisymmetric deformation patterns. Moreover it is shown that, in this case, there exists a number of deformation patterns, all at essentially the same stress level. Closed-form lower-bound expressions for the buckling stress are developed using the adopted notation, the value of the shear modulus relative to the shear modulus of the GMI material determining which expression is applicable. The results of this analysis are applied to a circular cylinder constructed of a lattice structure consisting of helical and circumferential ribs, a so-called orthogrid lattice cylinder, where it is assumed that the ribs of the lattice structure are dense enough to be able to represent the elastic properties of the lattice with an equivalent homogenized orthotropic material. An isogrid cylinder, where the helical rib angle is 30° relative to the axial direction, is a special case. The orthotropic cylinder analysis is reformulated in terms of the material properties of the ribs and the angle of the helical ribs. For this situation the isogrid case is the GMI material, and the rib angle determines whether the shear modulus of the equivalent orthotropic material is greater than or less than the GMI material. This translates into the character of the buckling deformations depending directly on the rib angle.
Graphical representation of nutrient removal in constructed wetlands

A simple steady state model that is conceptually similar to those of Vollenweider and Dillon was developed to predict phosphorus retention in a wetland treatment system. The proposed model calculates wetland TP outflow concentration (TPout) as a function of TP mass loading rate (L), hydraulic loading rate (qs), and phosphorus settling velocity (νs). A phosphorus-removal diagram was developed, based on this simple model, and plots L, qs, νs against TPout on a three-axis graph. Comparisons between predicted and observed TPout in operating wetlands were in good agreement and indicated that a simple relationship governing phosphorus retention in wetlands exists and this relationship can be used to predict and evaluate wetland treatment performance. The proposed diagram can also be used to answer management questions by manipulating design parameters, such as mass loading and hydraulic loading rate, to evaluate economic impacts due to alternatives such as increasing the size of a wetland surface area, changing water depth, or reducing mass loading rates with pre-treatment options.
Vehicle flight scaling with aerodynamic flow hysteresis

Missile oscillations in plane during pitching moment hysteresis, discussing test coefficients suitability for predicting motion
Lack of polarity of DNA injection by Escherichia coli phage lambda.

Abstract The DNA fragments injected by X-irradiated phage λ have been isolated from bacteria and analyzed for buoyant density by isopycnic centrifugation in Cs2SO4 density gradients containing Hg2+. The density distribution shows that the amount of material contributed by each of the ends is not significantly different from that obtained for DNA isolated directly from unirradiated phages. Since X-irradiated phage inject only a single fragment—from the end normally injected first up to the first double-strand break—it can be concluded that the phage population is divided equally between those phages that inject the right end first and those that inject the left end first. Complementation studies with X-irradiated phage showed activity of genes from both the right and left arms of the genetic map, but with different efficiencies. The pattern of these efficiencies suggests, in agreement with the work of others, that the right arm contains the principal promoter for genes R, A, and the rest of the left arm. This pattern also suggests the existence of additional weak promoters between genes A and B, and between H and K.
The clinical behavior of mixed ductal/lobular carcinoma of the breast: a clinicopathologic analysis

To date, the clinical presentation and prognosis of mixed ductal/lobular mammary carcinomas has not been well studied, and little is known about the outcome of this entity. Thus, best management practices remain undetermined due to a dearth of knowledge on this topic. In this paper, we present a clinicopathologic analysis of patients at our institution with this entity and compare them to age-matched controls with purely invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and historical data from patients with purely lobular carcinoma and also stain-available tumor specimens for E-cadherin. We have obtained 100 cases of ductal and 50 cases of mixed ductal/lobular breast carcinoma. Clinically, the behavior of mixed ductal/lobular tumors seemed to demonstrate some important differences from their ductal counterparts, particularly a lower rate of metastatic spread but with a much higher rate of second primary breast cancers. Our data suggests that mixed ductal/lobular carcinomas are a distinct clinicopathologic entity incorporating some features of both lobular and ductal carcinomas and representing a pleomorphic variant of IDC.
The Simes Method for Multiple Hypothesis Testing with Positively Dependent Test Statistics

Abstract The Simes method for testing intersection of more than two hypotheses is known to control the probability of type I error only when the underlying test statistics are independent. Although this method is more powerful than the classical Bonferroni method, it is not known whether it is conservative when the test statistics are dependent. This article proves that for multivariate distributions exhibiting a type of positive dependence that arise in many multiple-hypothesis testing situations, the Simes method indeed controls the probability of type I error. This extends some results established very recently in the special case of two hypotheses.
Long--term Visual Outcomes in Patients with Successful Macular Hole Surgery

Objective: The purpose of the study is to determine the long-term visual outcomes in patients undergoing successful macular hole surgery. Design: A consecutive series of eyes with an anatomically successful macular hole surgical result and at least 1 year postoperative follow-up information was identified and studied. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuities were measured in accordance with the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study protocol. Main Outcome Measures: Visual acuity, improvement of visual acuity, and rate of final visual greater than or equal to 20/40 were measured. Results: The median visual acuity increased from 20/125 before surgery to 20/50 1 year after surgery (93 eyes) and to 20/30 at 36 months after surgery (68 eyes). The trend for improvement in visual acuity after 1 year after surgery was statistically significant. The postoperative visual acuity was greater than or equal to 20/40 in 15 (17%) eyes at 3 months and 53 (78%) at 36 months. Before surgery, 12 (13%) eyes were pseudophakic, and 77 (83%) were pseudophakic at 36 months. Median visual acuity in the fellow eye was 20/32 at baseline and 20/32 at 36 months. The visual acuity in the study eye was better than in the fellow eye in 36 (39%) patients at 36 months after surgery. Conclusions: Visual acuity in patients after anatomically successful macular hole surgery continues to improve even beyond 1 year after surgery. Although substantial improvement occurs soon after cataract extraction, further improvement in visual acuity continues for 2 years thereafter.
Pineal circadian clocks gate arylalkylamine N‐acetyltransferase gene expression in the mouse pineal gland

In mammals it has been thought that the circadian clock localizes only in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. Recent studies have revealed that certain brain regions and peripheral tissues may also have intrinsic circadian clocks. However, the roles played by 'peripheral circadian clocks' have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated their function using mouse pineal glands, and found that expression of the arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (Aa-Nat, EC 2.3.1.87, the rate-limiting enzyme of melatonin synthesis) gene after adrenergic receptor stimulation depended on the time of day even in vitro (gating). Phase-dependent Aa-Nat responses were observed in both melatonin-proficient and melatonin-deficient mouse pineal glands. Phosphodiesterases are unlikely to suppress Aa-Nat induction because a phosphodiesterase inhibitor itself had no effect on the mRNA levels. Puromycin was ineffective in inducing Aa-Nat mRNA levels in either the presence or absence of isoproterenol, suggesting that newly synthesized proteins may not be necessary to gate the Aa-Nat responses. We also discovered circadian dependence of the expression of Period1-luminescence in Period1-luciferase transgenic mouse pineal glands: circadian clocks may be functional in culture. Aa-Nat mRNA levels showed no significant circadian rhythms in the absence of isoproterenol, thus suggesting that Aa-Nat mRNA levels are induced by adrenergic mechanisms, not by a pineal circadian clock. Our results suggest that the pineal circadian clock may determine timing when Aa-Nat gene expression can respond to inputs from the master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, e.g. adrenergic stimulation.
Glycosyl transferase activity in homogenates of adult Dirofilaria immitis.

Abstract Homogenates of adult Dirofilaria immitis possess a microsomal enzyme system able to transfer mannose from GDP-mannose to endogenous lipid intermediate(s) and exogenous dolichol monophosphate. A divalent metal was required with Mn2+ being the most effective; other requirements for optimal activity included Triton X-100, EDTA and either ATP or NaF. The maximal rate of mannose transfer to the lipid acceptor by the filarial system, 1.6 pmol · min−1 · mg−1 protein, occurred at 37°C and pH 7.0, and this was inhibited 50% by 8 μM diumycin and not at all by 100 μM tunicamycin. D. immitis microsomes also were shown to promote the transfer of mannose to derivatives of α-lactalbumin, resulting in the synthesis of a mannose-labeled glycoprotein.
Changes in peripheral vascular and cardiac sympathetic activity before and after coronary artery bypass surgery: Interrelationships with hemodynamic alterations

The plasma catecholamine levels obtained simultaneously from radial artery (A), pulmonary artery (MV), brachial vein (PV), and coronary sinus (CS) were measured concurrent with hemodynamic determinations during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) operations. Arterial catecholamine levels decreased after induction of anesthesia and increased after sternotomy; changes in veno-arterial norepinephrine (NE) differences ([PV-A] NE , [MV-A] NE , and [CS-A] NE ) were of the same magnitude and direction, suggesting that NE release from various organs was of the same extent. After operation, arterial NE increased further, but the veno-arterial NE differences were in striking contrast; [PV-A] NE became markedly positive, whereas [CS-A] NE became markedly negative, indicating that NE release from extremtly peripheral vasculature increased mardedly while cardiac NE release decreased. These differential changes in regional sympathetic activity appear to be related to postoperative hypertension (HT) and low cardiac output (CO). There were close relationships of changes in [MV-A] NE to mean arterial pressure ( r = 0.78, p r = 0.62, p
Efficient motion weighted spatio-temporal video SSIM index

Recently, Seshadrinathan and Bovik proposed the Motion-based Video Integrity Evaluation (MOVIE) index for VQA. 1, 2 MOVIE utilized a multi-scale spatio-temporal Gabor filter bank to decompose the videos and to compute motion vectors. Apart from its psychovisual inspiration, MOVIE is an interesting option for VQA owing to its performance. However, the use of MOVIE in a practical setting may prove to be difficult owing to the presence of the multi-scale optical flow computation. In order to bridge the gap between the conceptual elegance of MOVIE and a practical VQA algorithm, we propose a new VQA algorithm - the spatio-temporal video SSIM based on the essence of MOVIE. Spatio-temporal video SSIM utilizes motion information computed from a block-based motion-estimation algorithm and quality measures using a localized set of oriented spatio-temporal filters. In this paper we explain the algorithm and demonstrate its conceptual similarity to MOVIE; we explore its computational complexity and evaluate its performance on the popular VQEG dataset. We show that the proposed algorithm allows for efficient FR VQA without compromising on the performance while retaining the conceptual elegance of MOVIE.
A British PR Election: Testing STV With London’s Voters

’When voters are given greater electoral choice, by and large they use it.‘ That is the message from an exit poll at the European Parliament elections conducted by MORI for the Electoral Reform Society. London's Euro‐constituencies were grouped together and voters were asked to vote using the single transferable vote (STV) PR system — the same system as used to elect MEPs in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. The authors of the following article were invited to analyse the results of the poll. The experiment was made possible by a generous grant from the Andrew Wainwright Trust. A summary of authors’ preliminary findings is set out below.
Hydrogen bonding Part 31. IR and thermodynamic evidence for unusual hydrogen bonding in the higher alkali metal hydroxide monohydrates

There is a significant and progressive change in the IR spectra associated with H2O hydrogen bonding in alkali metal hydroxide monohydrates as cation size increases from Li+ to Cs+. Lithium and sodium hydroxide monohydrates show IR bands typical of normal electrostatic hydrogen bonds; in contrast, the IR spectra of cesium and rubidium hydroxide monohydrates resemble that of potassium dihydrogen trifluoride, and suggest that covalent three-center hydrogen bonds might be present. The spectrum of potassium hydroxide monohydrate shows both types of absorptions. The IR spectra are not in accord with diffraction studies, which support the presence of electrostatic hydrogen bonds in all of these hydrates. Equilibrium dissociation vapor pressure measurements show that the hydrogen bonds in sodium hydroxide monohydrate have a minimum strength of ∼ 15 kcal mol−1, twice as great as those in lithium hydroxide monohydrate. The physical properties of the higher alkali metal monohydrates demonstrate that water is extraordinarily tightly bound in these compounds.
Inferring Ecological Processes from Taxonomic, Phylogenetic and Functional Trait β-Diversity

Understanding the influences of dispersal limitation and environmental filtering on the structure of ecological communities is a major challenge in ecology. Insight may be gained by combining phylogenetic, functional and taxonomic data to characterize spatial turnover in community structure (β-diversity). We develop a framework that allows rigorous inference of the strengths of dispersal limitation and environmental filtering by combining these three types of β-diversity. Our framework provides model-generated expectations for patterns of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional β-diversity across biologically relevant combinations of dispersal limitation and environmental filtering. After developing the framework we compared the model-generated expectations to the commonly used “intuitive” expectation that the variance explained by the environment or by space will, respectively, increase monotonically with the strength of environmental filtering or dispersal limitation. The model-generated expectations strongly departed from these intuitive expectations: the variance explained by the environment or by space was often a unimodal function of the strength of environmental filtering or dispersal limitation, respectively. Therefore, although it is commonly done in the literature, one cannot assume that the strength of an underlying process is a monotonic function of explained variance. To infer the strength of underlying processes, one must instead compare explained variances to model-generated expectations. Our framework provides these expectations. We show that by combining the three types of β-diversity with model-generated expectations our framework is able to provide rigorous inferences of the relative and absolute strengths of dispersal limitation and environmental filtering. Phylogenetic, functional and taxonomic β-diversity can therefore be used simultaneously to infer processes by comparing their empirical patterns to the expectations generated by frameworks similar to the one developed here.
Synthesis of Low-Polydispersity Miktoarm Star Copolymers via a Simple “Arm-First” Method: Macromonomers as Arm Precursors

Miktoarm star copolymers with variable arm compositions, high star yield (>85%), and low polydispersity (Mw/Mn < 1.2) were successfully synthesized by a simple “arm-first” method, one-pot cross-linking a mixture of linear macromonomers (MMs) and/or macroinitiators (MIs), via the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique. Characterization of the star product by liquid adsorption chromatography proved that the star polymers obtained by cross-linking different MMs and MIs were miktoarm stars containing two arm species in one molecule. The incorporation of MM into miktoarm star molecule increased the star molecular weight and the average number of arms but did not change the number of initiating sites in the star core because the initiating sites independently originated from the incorporated MIs or low molar mass ATRP initiators. By using lower amount of initiator, the molar ratio of initiating sites to incorporated arms in the miktoarm star was decreased, which effectively reduced the extent of ...
Adaptive vector quantization of video signals with motion compensation and spatial masking

An efficient adaptive scheme is proposed for low-bit-rate video sequence coding. The redundancy within adjacent video frames is exploited by motion-compensated interframe prediction, and the motion-compensated frame difference (MCFD) signal is vector quantized adaptively. The MCFD and the motion information are transmitted to the receiver to reconstruct the frames. It is noted that the dependence of the vector codebooks on the set of training signals is much less for the MCFD signals than the original video frames. The MCFD signals are classified into the five groups according to the local variances. A multicodebook vector quantizer is designed that is based on all groups. Some simple masking properties are also used in the design of the vector quantizer. An average signal-to-noise ratio of 37.85 dB is obtained for their highly active CINDY video sequence with an average bit rate of 0.47 b/pixel over 40 frames. >
Status of Neutrion Factory Design and RaD

Neutrino physics has become increasingly interesting to the high-energy physics community, as it may provide clues to new physics beyond the standard model. The physics potential of a Neutrino Factory— a facility to produce high-energy, high-intensity, high-brightness neutrino beams from decays of muons stored in a muon storage ring— is thus very high. There has been a global R&D effort aimed at a Neutrino Factory design that meets the physics requirements and addresses the key technologies, such as targetry, muon ionization cooling and acceleration. Tremendous progress has been made in the past few years in many aspects of accelerator technology. In this paper, we will review recent worldwide progress toward a cost-effective Neutrino Factory design, with emphasis on the associated R&D programs under the auspices of the U.S. Neutrino Factory and Muon Collider Collaboration [1].
Interpersonal aspects of psychiatric consultations in a general hospital.

Interactions between referring physicians and psychiatric consultants are crucial issues in the overall care of the patient in the general hospital. This presentation concerns itself with these issues, in particular the types of referrers and consultants involved in the consultation process. Psychiatrists are often ineffective as consultants if they are unable to communicate with referring physicians because of inflexibility and are unable to explain the patient's behavior in terms meaningful to the physician. Likewise the referrals are ineffective if the physician calls in the consultant only after all other diagnoses are considered and if emotional illness is presented in a disparaging manner. Because of the patient's unconscious use of somatic defenses and denial of emotional conflict, care must be taken not to reinforce resistances toward a psychosocial approach to his illness.
Alternate Source Term Models for Yucca Mountain Performance Assessment Based on Natural Analog Data and Secondary Mineral Solubility

Performance assessment calculations for the proposed high level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were conducted using the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Total-System Performance Assessment (TPA 3.2) code to test conceptual models and parameter values for the source term based on data from the Pena Blanca, Mexico, natural analog site and based on a model for coprecipitation and solubility of secondary schoepite. In previous studies the value for the maximum constant oxidative alteration rate of uraninite at the Nopal I uranium body at Pena Blanca was estimated. Scaling this rate to the mass of uranium for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository yields an oxidative alteration rate of 22 kg/y, which was assumed to be an upper limit on the release rate from the proposed repository. A second model was developed assuming releases of radionuclides are based on the solubility of secondary schoepite as a function of temperature and solution chemistry. Releases of uranium are given by the product of uranium concentrations at equilibrium with schoepite and the flow of water through the waste packages. For both models, radionuclides other than uranium and those in the cladding and gap fraction were modeled to be released at a rate proportional to themore » uranium release rate, with additional elemental solubility limits applied. Performance assessment results using the Pena Blanca oxidation rate and schoepite solubility models for Yucca Mountain were compared to the TPA 3.2 base case model, in which release was based on laboratory studies of spent fuel dissolution, cladding and gap release, and solubility limits. Doses calculated using the release rate based on natural analog data and the schoepite solubility models were smaller than doses generated using the base case model. These results provide a degree of confidence in safety predictions using the base case model and an indication of how conservatism in the base case model may be reduced in future analyses.« less
Automatic fiber tractography from DTI and its validation

To understand evolving pathology in the central nervous system (CNS) and develop effective treatments, it is essential to correlate the nerve fiber connectivity with the visualization of function. Such information is fundamental in CNS processes since anatomical connections determine where information is passed and processed Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can provide the fundamental information required for viewing structural connectivity. However robust and accurate acquisition and processing algorithms are needed to accurately map the nerve connectivity. In this paper we present a novel, algorithm for automatic fiber tract mapping in the CNS specifically, a rat spinal cord as well as validate the mapped fibers using ex-vivo fluoro images of the excised rat. The novelty of our work lies in the fiber tract mapping as well as the validation experiment. The automatic fiber tract mapping problem will be solved in two phases, namely a data smoothing phase and a fiber tract mapping phase. In the former smoothing is achieved via a new weighted TV-norm minimization which strives to smooth while retaining all relevant detail. For the fiber tract mapping, a smooth 3D vector field indicating the dominant anisotropic direction at each spatial location is computed from the smoothed data. Fiber tracts are then determined as the smooth integral curves of this vector field in a variational framework Examples are presented for DTI data sets from a normal and injured rat spinal cords respectively.
A novel GSSA method for modeling of controllers in the multi-converter system of an Advanced Aircraft Electric Power System (AAEPS)

This article presents a comprehensive set of Generalized State Space Averaging (GSSA) models for the generation of non-linear control signals in the multi-converter system of an Advanced Aircraft Electric Power System (AAEPS). Due to the switching nature and variation in loading configuration in the aircraft system under study, the pulse-width modulation (PWM) control signals demonstrate inherent time-varying behaviors to keep the system's operation within IEEE/military standard limits. Therefore, the proposed technique can be employed to derive the key features of the non-linear switching signals under investigation, hence, can be treated as an effective method of the feedback control signals approximation. Finally, the GSSA approximated signals corresponding to the PWM switching function of the constant power (CP), constant voltage (CV) and constant current (CC) buck-converters in the DC power electronics system of Boeing 767 aircraft are derived, and the simulation results are obtained from a study model developed in PSIM9 environment. Also, the accuracy of obtained results from GSSA model is verified by developing a study model in PSIM9 environment.
Faunal composition and species richness differences of bees (Hymenoptera: Apiformes) from two north American regions*

Host breadth and global bee species diversity are thought to be linked. Areas where bee species richness is greatest have a greater proportion of oligolectic species and fewer social species. I compared the bee faunas of two North American regions (one mesic, one xeric) and two nearby habitats (riparian and desert scrub). Species richness is greater in the xeric than in the mesic North American region. Despite strongly bimodal bloom in the xeric region and continuous bloom in the mesic region, their bee faunas were similar in the proportion of solitary oligolectic and polylectic bees. Oligolectic species of both areas have short lifespans. Social and cleptoparasitic species made up a greater percentage of the fauna in the mesic North American region. Nearby mesic and xeric habitat both had social species but xeric habitats were richer in oligolectic species. Phylogeny and historical biogeography in combination with ecology of bees and plants will be needed to understand differences of bee faunas.
Developing a Citywide Youth Violence Prevention Plan Perceptions of Various Stakeholders

Researchers suggest that violence prevention requires community-wide efforts and partnerships that demonstrate commitment to youth development. Missing from this research, however, are studies considering how these partnerships are formed and how members of various groups involved in these partnerships perceive youth violence prevention. This study sought to fill this void. A series of seven focus group interviews were conducted with 85 stakeholders involved in developing a youth violence prevention plan in one community. Results suggest that the stakeholders were optimistic about developing violence prevention strategies and forging partnerships between various groups. Participants pointed to specific themes that provide a framework for understanding youth violence prevention planning efforts. Implications are provided.
Power reduction of multiple disks using dynamic cache resizing and speed control

This paper presents an energy-conservation method for multiple disks and their cache memory. Our method periodically resizes the cache memory and controls the rotation speeds under performance constraints. The cache memory stores the data from the disks for reuse. Enlarging the cache memory reduces disk accesses and disk utilization. This allows the disks to reduce their speeds and conserve energy because the disks' power consumption is quadratic to their speeds. However, the cache memory itself consumes power to retain data. Shrinking cache memory can save memory power while increasing disk accesses and degrading performance. Choosing proper cache sizes and rotation speeds can reduce the energy consumption of both memory and disks with satisfactory performance. We model cache resizing and speed setting as an optimization problem with minimizing the power consumption as objective and limiting disk utilization as constraints. We compare our method with the methods resizing cache based on request rates. The simulation results show that our method achieves better energy savings while limiting disk access latency.
Statistical methods in the theory of spinodal decomposition

Abstract This report summari′es, ′ithout detailed derivations, some recent developments in the theory of spinodal decomposition. The ne′ theory takes into account both thermal fluctuations and non-linear effects in computing the X-ray scattering from solid solutions undergoing phase separation. The theory is ′orked out in detail using parameters appropriate for an Al-′n alloy containing 22% ′n and aged at 150°C. Although the theory is in excellent ′uantitative agreement ′ith experiment, there arise some interesting ′uestions of interpretation.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH–EJACULATORY DISORDERS: Tramadol HCL has Promise in On-Demand Use to Treat Premature Ejaculation

Introduction. Premature ejaculation (PE) is a worldwide problem without an approved treatment. Selective sero- tonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used "off label" as pharmacotherapeutic agents in the treatment of PE. Aim. This study investigates Tramadol efficacy for on-demand treatment of PE. Main Outcomes Measures. Intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) was used as an objective tool to assess the efficacy of the investigated treatments. Materials and Methods. Single-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, stopwatch monitored two-period study was conducted, on 60 patients with lifelong PE. PE was defined as IELT of < 2 minutes in 80% of intercourse episodes. A total of 25 mg of Tramadol hydrochloride was given to one group (30) prior to intercourse and placebo was supplied for the other group (30) for 8 weeks. Drugs were taken 1-2 hours before sexual activity and sexual intercourse was required at least once per week. After the initial treatment period, the two groups took the alternate medication for another 2 months. The two 8-week treatment periods were separated by 1 week washout period. IELT was timed by a stopwatch at each intercourse and was reported by patients or partners. Results. The baseline (mean ± SD) IELT for patients before treatment was 1.17 ± 0.39 minutes. At the end of the treatment period utilizing the active drug, the mean IELT was increased significantly in patients on Tramadol treatment to 7.37 ± 2.53 minutes. The same patients on placebo medication had mean IELT of only 2.01 ± 0.71 minutes. Patients uniformly reported satisfaction with their resulting control over ejaculation. Conclusions. Tramadol, a drug with a proven safety record as an anti-inflammatory agent, shows promise as a drug for treating rapid ejaculation. Salem EA, Wilson SK, Bissada NK, Delk JR II, Hellstrom WJ, and Cleves MA. Tramadol HCL has promise in on-demand use to treat premature ejaculation. J Sex Med 2008;5:188-193.
A Numerical Study of the Performance of an Aerosol Sampler with a Curved, Blunt, Multi-Orificed Inlet

The purpose of this study was to numerically simulate the performance of an aerosol sampler with a curved, blunt, multi-orificed inlet in order to understand the sampling characteristics of the first prototype of the button personal inhalable aerosol sampler ("button sampler"). Because the button sampler inlet design is too complicated to apply a three-dimensional model, an axisymmetric two-dimensional model was created to be similar in geometry and to simulate the major features of the airflow through the sampler when facing the wind. Particle trajectories were calculated in a variety of wind velocities and were categorized into 5 groups based on their interactions with the curved surface of the sampling plane. Empirical sampling efficiencies of the button sampler for 3 particle sizes were used to adjust the calculated sampling efficiencies in an attempt to improve the accuracy of the two-dimensional axisymmetric model in accounting for interactions between particles and the surface of the inlet of the b...
Stochastic neural networks for solving job-shop scheduling. II. architecture and simulations

For Part I, see ibid., p.275-82. The authors introduce a neural computation architecture based on a stochastic Hopfield neural network model for solving job-shop scheduling. A computation circuit computes the total completion times (costs) of all jobs, and the cost difference is added to the energy function of the stochastic neural network. Using a simulated annealing algorithm, the temperature of the system is slowly decreased according to an annealing schedule until the energy of the system is at a local or global minimum. By choosing an appropriate annealing schedule, near-optimal and optimal solutions to job-shop problems can be found. The architecture of the system is presented at both the functional and circuit levels. Simulation results are presented. >
Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycan fine structure in the mouse tail tendon fascicle

The isolated mouse tail tendon fascicle, a functional and homogenous volume of tendon extracellular matrix, was utilized as an experimental system to examine the structure- function relationships in tendon. Our previous work using this model system dem- onstrated relationships between mean collagen fibril diameter and fascicle mechanical properties in isolated tail tendon fascicles from three different groups of mice (3-week and 8-week control and 8-week Movl3 transgenic) K.A. Derwin, L.J. Soslowsky, J. Biomech. Eng. 121 (1999) 598-604. These groups of mice were chosen to obtain tendon tissues with varying collagen fibril structure and/or biochemistry, such that relationships with material properties could be investigated. To further investigate the molecular details of matrix composition and organization underlying tendon function, we report now on the preparation, char- acterization, and quantitation of fascicle PGs (proteoglycans) from these three groups. The chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS)-substituted PGs, biglycan and decorin, which are the abundant proteoglycans of whole tendons, were also shown to be the predominant PGs in isolated fascicles. Furthermore, similar to the postnatal maturation changes in matrix composition previously reported for whole tendons, isolated fascicles from 8-week mice had lower CS/DS PG contents (both decorin and biglycan) and a higher collagen content than 3-week mice. In addition, CSlDS chains substituted on PGs from 8-week fascicles were shorter (based on a number average) and richer in disulfated disaccharide residues than chains from 3-week mice. Fascicles from 8-week Movl3 transgenic mice were found to contain similar amounts of total collagen and total CUDS PG as age-matched controls, and CS/DS chain lengths and sulfation also appeared normal. However, both decorin and biglycan in Movl3 tissue migrated slightly faster on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electorphoresis (SDS-PAGE) than the corresponding species from %week control, and biglycan from the 8-week Movl3 fascicles appeared to migrate as a more polydisperse band, suggesting the presence of a unique PG population in the transgenic tissue. These observations, together with our biomechanical data (Derwin and Soslowsky, I9991 suggest that compensatory pathways of extracellular matrix assembly and maturation may exist, and that tissue mechanical properties may not be simply determined by the contents of individual matrix components or collagen fibril size. 0 3001 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
People and Things: Power in Early English Development

Debate over the rise of agrarian capitalism in Europe has established the historiographic chronology, locus, and conceptualization of European development. Proponents of contending schools (the “commercial” or the “political”) have focused on the late medieval through early modern period in England as the crucial time and place of the transformation but argue whether agrarian capitalism derived from economic or political structures (Ashton and Philpin 1985).' Neither school has questioned the common methodology of mapping social and cultural transformation onto a structural matrix. Steps taken by historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists to decenter the European narrative of development have faltered at this same structuralist dilemma.