cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repeated bursts from relativistic scattering of compact objects in galactic nuclei

Galactic nuclei are densely populated by stellar mass compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars. Bound, highly eccentric binaries form as a result of gravitational wave (GW) losses during close flybys between these objects. We study the evolution of these systems using 2.5 and 3.5 order post-Newtonian (PN) equations of motion. The GW signal consists of many thousand repeated bursts (RB) for minutes to days (depending on the impact parameter and masses), followed by a powerful GW chirp and an eccentric merger. We show that a significant signal-to-noise ratio accumulates already in the RB phase, corresponding to a detection limit around 200--300 Mpc and 300--600 Mpc for advanced LIGO for an average orientation black hole/neutron star or black hole/black hole binary, respectively. The theoretical errors introduced by the inaccuracy of the PN templates are typically much less severe for the RB phase than in the following eccentric merger. The GW signal in the RB phase is broadband; we show that encounters involving intermediate mass black holes are detectable in multiple frequency bands coincidentally using LIGO and LISA.
The slow mode of the CERES scanning radiometers

Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument uses scanning radiometers on board the Terra and Aqua satellites use thermistor bolometers as detectors, with a sampling rate of 0.01s. During calibration testing a slow mode of detectors was found which had a magnitude of about three percent of the signal, and a characteristic time of 0.3 sec. To reduce the effect of this mode, a numerical filter was introduced. However, an analysis of the data from the CERES instruments aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites shows a difference of radiances in the forward scan compared to radiances from the backward scan. This difference is due to the slow mode not being characterized correctly. A focus of this work is to show results of setting slow mode filter parameters based on in-flight data. A gradient-based minimization strategy is employed to effectively find the filter parameters for each instrument to meet the performance goal of 0.15%. The newly designed numerical filters are to be used in processing the Edition 3 of CERES ERBE-like data products.
High titer antibody to mammalian neuronal sodium channels produces sustained channel block

Abstract Antibodies specific for neuronal sodium channels recognized the α and β subunits of the voltage-gated sodium channel on immunoblots of crude rat and cat brain membranes and purified rat brain sodium channels. These antibodies did not recognize channels from rat cardiac or rabbit skeletal muscle. Antibody binding to blots of crude rat brain membranes was blocked by preabsorption of the antibody with purified rat brain sodium channels. Staining of the sodium channel α subunit on immunoblots of crude rat brain membranes was easily visualized at antibody dilutions of up to 1:150,000, which is at least 15-fold higher than that reported in previous studies. Addition of antibody produced in one chicken to the extracellular face of batrachotoxin-activated rat brain sodium channels in planar lipid bilayers produced a sustained block of the channel at either hyperpolarized (−65 to −45 mV) or depolarized potentials (+45 to +75 mV). This block was not produced when the antibody was added to the cytoplasmic face of the channel, or if preimmune antibody was added to the extracellular face of rat brain sodium channels.
Pulmonary scar carcinoma. A case with two primaries

The presence of scar tissue associated with peripheral pulmonary carcinomas has always evoked considerable interest. This report concerns a unique case of a 55-year-old white oil-field worker whose right pneumonectomy specimen disclosed two primary pulmonary scar cancers, involving both upper and lower lobes. Both carcinomas arose at the margins of pleural-based scars. The malignancy in the right upper lobe was a 2.5-cm large cell carcinoma, while that in the right lower lobe was a 2.0-cm adenocarcinoma. The bronchial and hilar lymph nodes were free of metastases. One month following pneumonectomy the patient suffered a cardiac arrest, and necropscopic examination failed to reveal evidence of metastases. Controversy continues concerning whether the scar precedes or follows the development of peripheral pulmonary carcinomas. Several recent studies favoring the latter theory have suggested that the scar is immunologically related to the carcinoma. In the current case, the pleural-based upper lobe scar was associated with an old, inactive granuloma, while the lower lobe pleural-based scar disclosed no clue as to its origin. The adenocarcinoma in the lower lobe might possibly be immunologically related to its associated scar; however, it would appear difficult to account for the scar of the upper lobe large cell carcinoma by a similar mechanism.
Chlamydiosis: a newly reported serious disease of larval and postmetamorphic bay scallops, Argopecten irradians (Lamarck)

. Diseases of bivalve molluscs characterized by the presence of prokaryotic intra-cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in epithelial cells are reviewed. The paper reports the history, clinical and pathological findings during hatchery epizootics of chlamydiosis in larval and postmetamorphic bay scallops, Argopecten irradians (Lamarck), and enzootic infection in wild, captive and cultured adult and juvenile bay scallops during a 15-year period (1972–1987) of surveillance for scallop diseases in the northeastern Atlantic coastal region of the United States. The disease was found in 44·4% of adult bay scallop laboratory accessions as an endemic disease without overt clinical signs or mortalities, and as a highly fatal epizootic disease with a rapid course in 20% of hatchery-reared larval and postmetamorphic bay scallop accessions. The pathogenesis and development of the chlamydial agent during hatchery epizootics are described. The importance of the congenital ‘childhood’ diseases of larval bay scallops and other species of bivalve molluscs is discussed.
Downregulation of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase and Interleukin-1β Mediates Angiotensin II-Dependent Stimulation of Sympathetic Nerve Activity

There is substantial evidence that angiotensin II (Ang II) enhances sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. We recently observed that nitric oxide and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) exert a tonic inhibitory action on central SNS activity. Moreover, in 2 rat models of neurogenic hypertension, one caused by intrarenal injection of phenol and the other by 5/6 nephrectomy, we observed that losartan, an Ang II type 1 receptor blocker, inhibits SNS activity and increases the abundance of IL-1beta and the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the posterior hypothalamic nuclei (PH), paraventricular nuclei (PVN), and locus ceruleus (LC). This raises the possibility that the stimulatory effects of Ang II on central SNS activity may be mediated by inhibition of nNOS and IL-1beta. To test this hypothesis, we studied the effect of an intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of Ang II on blood pressure (BP), norepinephrine (NE) secretion from the PH, renal SNS activity (RSNA), and abundance of IL-1beta and nNOS mRNA in the PH, PVN, and LC of normal Sprague-Dawley rats. Finally, we measured the concentration of nitrite/nitrate in the dialysate collected from the PH after Ang II or vehicle. ICV infusion of Ang II (100 ng/kg body wt dissolved in 10 microL of artificial cerebrospinal fluid) raised BP, RSNA, and NE secretion from the PH compared with control rats. Ang II reduced the abundance of IL-1beta and nNOS mRNA in the PH, PVN, and LC. Pretreatment with losartan (10 microg/kg body wt dissolved in 10 microL of aCSF) given ICV 20 minutes before Ang II abolished the effects of Ang II on BP, RSNA, and NE secretion from the PH and IL-1beta and nNOS mRNA. Ang II also decreased the secretion of NO from the PH. In conclusion, these studies suggest that Ang II inhibits the expression of IL-1beta and nNOS in the brain. Because locally produced NO exerts a tonic inhibitory action on SNS activity, the decrease in NO expression caused by Ang II results in greater SNS activity.
Scratch: A Sneak Preview

Scratch is a networked, media-rich programmingenvironment designed to enhance the development oftechnological fluency at after-school centers ineconomically-disadvantaged communities. Just as theLEGO MindStorms robotics kit added programmabilityto an activity deeply rooted in youth culture (buildingwith LEGO bricks), Scratch adds programmability tothe media-rich and network-based activities that aremost popular among youth at after-school computercenters. Taking advantage of the extraordinaryprocessing power of current computers, Scratchsupports new programming paradigms and activitiesthat were previously infeasible, making it betterpositioned to succeed than previous attempts tointroduce programming to youth.Our working hypothesis is that, as kids work onpersonally meaningful Scratch projects such asanimated stories, games, and interactive art, they willdevelop technological fluency, mathematical andproblem solving skills, and a justifiable self-confidencethat will serve them well in the wider spheres of theirlives.
The role of higher-multipolar and repulsive forces in the calculation of collision-broadened line-widths of linear molecules

Collision-broadened line widths in CO-CO2 and CO-O2 collisions have been calculated by incorporating interactions due to octopoles and hexadecapoles and short-range repulsive interactions into Anderson's (1949) theory. It is shown how these higher-order interactions can be manipulated to yield good agreement with experimental data. A critical evaluation of this totally empirical manipulation suggests that a thorough revision of the theory is required for all but simple dipole-dipole interactions. In the process of the evaluation, the values of the multipole moments are discussed.
Gene expression profile analysis of Porphyromonas gingivalis during invasion of human coronary artery endothelial cells

Microarrays were used to identify genes of Porphyromonas gingivalis W83 differentially expressed during invasion of primary human coronary artery endothelial cells. Analyses of microarray images indicated that 62 genes were differentially regulated. Of these, 11 genes were up-regulated and 51 were down-regulated. The differential expression of 16 selected genes was confirmed by real-time PCR.
A rare disease process with deadly consequences and a therapeutic dilemma - spontaneous coronary artery dissection: A literature review

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare but deadly disease process that continues to have an elusive pathophysiology and treatment strategy. We present a 32 year old patient who suffered from a spontaneous dissection of the left anterior descending artery. Multiple case reviews in the literature were reviewed, but no randomized controlled trials are available to help guide our therapy. A conservative strategy was chosen until her pain recurred and a second-look angiogram was performed. Coronary dissection progressed to the circumflex system and severe ventricular dysfunction was noted. The patient recovered well from coronary artery bypass grafting and was discharged in stable condition. This report reviews the proposed pathophysiology and summarizes the literature in terms of appropriate management of these patients. Key words: Spontaneous coronary artery, patient, dissection.
Conformational Dynamics of hSGLT1 during Na+/Glucose Cotransport

This study examines the conformations of the Na+/glucose cotransporter (SGLT1) during sugar transport using charge and fluorescence measurements on the human SGLT1 mutant G507C expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The mutant exhibited similar steady-state and presteady-state kinetics as wild-type SGLT1, and labeling of Cys507 by tetramethylrhodamine-6-maleimide had no effect on kinetics. Our strategy was to record changes in charge and fluorescence in response to rapid jumps in membrane potential in the presence and absence of sugar or the competitive inhibitor phlorizin. In Na+ buffer, step jumps in membrane voltage elicited presteady-state currents (charge movements) that decay to the steady state with time constants τmed (3–20 ms, medium) and τslow (15–70 ms, slow). Concurrently, SGLT1 rhodamine fluorescence intensity increased with depolarizing and decreased with hyperpolarizing voltages (ΔF). The charge vs. voltage (Q-V) and fluorescence vs. voltage (ΔF-V) relations (for medium and slow components) obeyed Boltzmann relations with similar parameters: zδ (apparent valence of voltage sensor) ≈ 1; and V0.5 (midpoint voltage) between −15 and −40 mV. Sugar induced an inward current (Na+/glucose cotransport), and reduced maximal charge (Qmax) and fluorescence (ΔFmax) with half-maximal concentrations (K0.5) of 1 mM. Increasing [αMDG]o also shifted the V0.5 for Q and ΔF to more positive values, with K0.5's ≈ 1 mM. The major difference between Q and ΔF was that at saturating [αMDG]o, the presteady-state current (and Qmax) was totally abolished, whereas ΔFmax was only reduced 50%. Phlorizin reduced both Qmax and ΔFmax (Ki ≈ 0.4 μM), with no changes in V0.5's or relaxation time constants. Simulations using an eight-state kinetic model indicate that external sugar increases the occupancy probability of inward-facing conformations at the expense of outward-facing conformations. The simulations predict, and we have observed experimentally, that presteady-state currents are blocked by saturating sugar, but not the changes in fluorescence. Thus we have isolated an electroneutral conformational change that has not been previously described. This rate-limiting step at maximal inward Na+/sugar cotransport (saturating voltage and external Na+ and sugar concentrations) is the slow release of Na+ from the internal surface of SGLT1. The high affinity blocker phlorizin locks the cotransporter in an inactive conformation.
Using a gaming site to teach campaign strategies in the 2012 US presidential election

During the six weeks before the 2012 elections, we conducted a contest for the 54 students enrolled in an upper-division political science course on campaigns and elections. We modified and improved on a similar contest conducted by the first-named author (Abramson 2010) during the 2008 election campaign. Using contract prices posted by Intrade.com, an electronic gaming market in Dublin, we asked students to choose among 10 political outcomes. The contest was designed to help students learn about campaign strategies, understand how electoral rules affect political outcomes, and encourage them to talk about the campaign. We discuss ways we improved on Abramson’s 2008 contest and show that student participation increased substantially.
Identifying and managing performance risks in SOA based systems: A full life-cycle approach

We developed a novel approach for predictive system performance analysis during different stages of the system development life-cycle, beginning from the pre-design phase to the post production phase. By making use of innovative techniques and tools our approach predicts system performance based on available information. Thus, architectural changes and design tradeoffs can be made accordingly to ensure the system will satisfy functional and non-functional requirements of the target business scenario. The early identification and mitigation of performance pain-points ensures much more efficient utilization of available resources (time, man-hours, cost).
Ultra-thin, flexible electronics

Thinned die can be used to realize ultra-thin flexible electronics for applications such as conformal and wearable electronics. Three techniques have been developed to achieve this goal using thinned die: die flip chip bonded onto flexible substrates, die laminated onto LCP films, and die embedded in polyimide. A key to achieving each of these techniques is the thinning of die to a thickness of 50 mum or thinner. Conventional CMP processing can be used to thin to 50 mum. At 50 mum, the active die become flexible and must be handled by temporarily bonding them to a holder die, for further processing. Once bonded face down to the holder die, the active die can be further thinned by DRIE etching the exposed backside. The thinned die can then been packaged in or on the flexible substrate.
Bio-based materials for high-end electronics applications

During the past decade, a shift of focus onto greener alternatives to petroleum-based plastics has spurred the development of bio-based resins for plastic development. This has led to a positive marketing image for companies making the switch to resins from renewable resources. This shift of focus is further reinforced by corporations, which are committed to a reduction in their greenhouse gas emissions and product environmental footprints. Here, we present a perspective on the use of renewable materials in durable goods applications and the challenges and advantages associated with the use of renewable materials. Replacement of petroleum-based acoustic foam with that derived from sustainable resources and qualification of thermoplastic polylactic acid blends for enclosure covers has been demonstrated. The technical details of the materials development required for use in durable goods, and their characterization is also discussed.
Lubricin Protects the Temporomandibular Joint Surfaces from Degeneration

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a specialized synovial joint essential for the mobility and function of the mammalian jaw. The TMJ is composed of the mandibular condyle, the glenoid fossa of the temporal bone, and a fibrocartilagenous disc interposed between these bones. A fibrous capsule, lined on the luminal surface by the synovial membrane, links these bones and retains synovial fluid within the cavity. The major component of synovial fluid is lubricin, a glycoprotein encoded by the gene proteoglycan 4 (Prg4), which is synthesized by chondrocytes at the surface of the articular cartilage and by synovial lining cells. We previously showed that in the knee joint, Prg4 is crucial for maintenance of cartilage surfaces and for regulating proliferation of the intimal cells in the synovium. Consequently, the objective of this study was to determine the role of lubricin in the maintenance of the TMJ. We found that mice lacking lubricin have a normal TMJ at birth, but develop degeneration resembling TMJ osteoarthritis by 2 months, increasing in severity over time. Disease progression in Prg4−/− mice results in synovial hyperplasia, deterioration of cartilage in the condyle, disc and fossa with an increase in chondrocyte number and their redistribution in clusters with loss of superficial zone chondrocytes. All articular surfaces of the joint had a prominent layer of protein deposition. Compared to the knee joint, the osteoarthritis-like phenotype was more severe and manifested earlier in the TMJ. Taken together, the lack of lubricin in the TMJ causes osteoarthritis-like degeneration that affects the articular cartilage as well as the integrity of multiple joint tissues. Our results provide the first molecular evidence of the role of lubricin in the TMJ and suggest that Prg4−/− mice might provide a valuable new animal model for the study of the early events of TMJ osteoarthritis.
Refugee Flows as Grounds for International Action

The end of the Cold communal, and religious clashes; the phenomenon of "failed states"; and reporting of humanitarian catastrophes as never before in world media have led many to claim a broader mandate for outside intervention in a state's internal conflicts. Traditional notions of security and sovereignty are being challenged, placing refugee issues much higher on the international agenda and creating new opportunities for international action. While international responses to humanitarian crises are still more often than not reactive and based on ad hoc initiatives, there is growing international awareness of the linkage between human rights abuses, forcible displacement of civilian populations, and local, regional, and international security. The sobering experiences with interventions in protracted crises in Iraqi Kurdistan, Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda underscore the fact that humanitarian measms alone are seldom enough to deal with refugee problems. A wide range of actions, most of them far short of military action, can be taken to avert large-scale refugee crises. International humanitarian agencies, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), currently promote the concept of "soft intervention"' to prevent situations from degenerating into violent conflicts. Sustained political and diplomatic initiatives, development assistance, human rights monitoring, and the strengthening of civil societies through the building of democratic institutions are all measures that would
Action recognition in video by sparse representation on covariance manifolds of silhouette tunnels

A novel framework for action recognition in video using empirical covariance matrices of bags of low-dimensional feature vectors is developed. The feature vectors are extracted from segments of silhouette tunnels of moving objects and coarsely capture their shapes. The matrix logarithm is used to map the segment covariance matrices, which live in a nonlinear Riemannian manifold, to the vector space of symmetric matrices. A recently developed sparse linear representation framework for dictionary-based classification is then applied to the log-covariance matrices. The log-covariance matrix of a query segment is approximated by a sparse linear combination of the log-covariance matrices of training segments and the sparse coefficients are used to determine the action label of the query segment. This approach is tested on the Weizmann and the UT-Tower human action datasets. The new approach attains a segment-level classification rate of 96.74% for the Weizmann dataset and 96.15% for the UT-Tower dataset. Additionally, the proposed method is computationally and memory efficient and easy to implement.
Concepts of programming languages

From the Publisher: This best-selling book, now in its fourth edition, provides a wide-ranging and in-depth discussion of programming language concepts. As in previous editions, the author describes fundamental concepts of programming languages by presenting design issues of the various language constructs, examining the design choices for these constructs in a few common languages, and critically comparing the design alternatives. The book covers the most widely used methods of syntax description and introduces the most common approaches to describing the semantics of programming languages. Discussions of implementation methods and issues are integrated throughout the book.
Rejecting The Publicity Condition: The Inevitability of Esoteric Morality

It is often thought that some version of what is generally called the publicity condition is a reasonable requirement to impose on moral theories. In this article, after formulating and distinguishing three versions of the publicity condition, I argue that the arguments typically used to defend them are unsuccessful and, moreover, that even in its most plausible version, the publicity condition ought to be rejected as both question-begging and unreasonably demanding.
Intelligent Agent Software Development Using AUML and the Descartes Specification Language

Developing software systems that are complicated and critical gives challenges to software engineers and the software industry. Intelligent software agent design is one such application domain that imposes challenges. The application of formal methods in software engineering, specifically with executable software specification languages, can involve much learning among the users of the system. Although executable software specifications tend to be advantageous over the traditional software specification process, the passive growth inside industry remains open for research efforts to come up with the hidden myths. The application of formal methods during system development of intelligent software agents makes the design of the product reliable. This paper describes an approach that combines an extension to the widely used Unified Modeling Language (UML) for design with an executable specification language. Also, the paper describes an approach that transforms agent oriented specifications written using the extended Descartes specification language into a high level design representation using Agent UML (AUML).
Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells induce Th2-polarized immune response and promote endogenous repair in animal models of multiple sclerosis.

Cell based therapies are attractive approaches to promote myelin repair. Recent studies demonstrated a reduction in disease burden in mice with EAE treated with mouse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Here we demonstrated human bone marrow derived MSCs (BM-hMSCs) promote functional recovery in both chronic and relapsing-remitting models of mouse EAE, traced their migration into the injured CNS and assayed their ability to modulate disease progression and the host immune response. Injected BM-hMSCs accumulated in the CNS, reduced the extent of damage and increased oligodendrocyte lineage cells in lesion areas. The increase in oligodendrocytes in lesions may reflect BM-hMSC induced changes in neural fate determination since neurospheres from treated animals gave rise to more oligodendrocytes and less astrocytes than non-treated neurospheres. Host immune responses were also influenced by BM-hMSCs. Inflammatory T-cells including interferon gamma (IFN-γ) producing Th1 cells and IL-17 producing Th17 inflammatory cells and their associated cytokines were reduced along with concomitant increases in IL-4 producing Th2 cells and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Together these data suggest the BM-hMSCs represent a viable option for therapeutic approaches.
Disulfide bridges and configuration of human serum albumin. Relationships between viscosity, optical rotatory dispersion and configuration

The effect of oxidative and reductive cleavage of the disulfide brides of serun albumin on the viscosity, specific rotation, and rotatory dispersion was investigated. Human serum albumin was oxidized with performic acid at low temperature. Our data show that oxidized human serum albumin (OHA) prepared in this manner represents an unfolded polyelectrolyte. It could be shown that no peptide bonds were hydrolyzed during the oxidation, and that approximately 90 % of all SS-bonds were oxidized to SO3H. From viscosity data (in 4M guanidine thiocyanate) it can be concluded that the SS bonds are important for partial folding, and that some of the SS-bridges are linking distant parts of the polypeptide chain. This was ascertained also by cleaving the SS bridges by reduction and carboxymethylation. The reduced and carboxymethylated albumin exhibited similar optical rotation and viscosity behavior as the OHA. It was also established that the levorotation does not depend solely on the folding but also on the presence or absence of the SS bonds, i.e. cystine content. Finally, it was concluded that in the instance of human serum albumin the dispersion constant λo is a safer criterion for the estimation of configurational changes than the specific rotation.
Differential Effects of Drosophila Mastermind on Asymmetric Cell Fate Specification and Neuroblast Formation

During neurogenesis in the ventral nerve cord of the Drosophila embryo, Notch signaling participates in the pathway that mediates asymmetric fate specification to daughters of secondary neuronal precursor cells. In the NB4-2 --> GMC-1 --> RP2/sib lineage, a well-studied neuronal lineage in the ventral nerve cord, Notch signaling specifies sib fate to one of the daughter cells of GMC-1. Notch mediates this process via Mastermind (Mam). Loss of function for mam, similar to loss of function for Notch, results in GMC-1 symmetrically dividing to generate two RP2 neurons. Loss of function for mam also results in a severe neurogenic phenotype. In this study, we have undertaken a functional analysis of the Mam protein. We show that while ectopic expression of a truncated Mam protein induces a dominant-negative neurogenic phenotype, it has no effect on asymmetric fate specification. This truncated Mam protein rescues the loss of asymmetric specification phenotype in mam in an allele-specific manner. We also show an interallelic complementation of loss-of-asymmetry defect. Our results suggest that Mam proteins might associate during the asymmetric specification of cell fates and that the N-terminal region of the protein plays a role in this process.
Online learning in monkeys

We examine online learning in the context of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), a task for which the concept acquisition strategies for human and other primates are well documented. We describe a new WCST experiment in rhesus monkeys, comparing the monkeys' behaviors to that of online learning algorithms. Our expectation is that insights gained from this work and future research can lead to improved artificial learning systems.
How parasitoids deal with the immune system of their host: An overview

Insects have evolved many mechanisms that reduce their potential for serving as hosts for entomophagous species. Some of these mechanisms involve escape, mimicry, and repellancy, which are effective defense mechanisms against both predators and parasitoids. But, insects have a second line of defense against parasitoids and parasites. These may include repellancy and a cuticular barrier to invasion but they include several internal defenses that are collectively referred to as immune mechanisms. The current understanding of insect immunity is reviewed as background to examining the ways in which insect parasitoids have evolved to successfully handle the immune system of the host. The various means that parasitoids utilize to handle the insect immune systems have been divided into five approaches. These five approaches are described and current knowledge of the mechanisms used by parasitoids to deal with the immune system of their host is explored.
Shock Compression of Metal Crystals: A Comparison of Eulerian and Lagrangian Elastic-Plastic Theories

An unconventional nonlinear elastic theory is advocated for solids undergoing large compression as may occur in shock loading. This theory incorporates an Eulerian strain measure, in locally unstressed material coordinates. Analytical predictions of this theory and conventional Lagrangian theory for elastic shock stress in anisotropic single crystals of aluminum, copper and magnesium are compared. Eulerian solutions demonstrate greater accuracy compared to atomic simulation (aluminum) and faster convergence with increasing order of elastic constants entering the internal energy. A thermomechanical framework incorporating this Eulerian strain and accounting for elastic and plastic deformations is outlined in parallel with equations for Lagrangian finite strain crystal plasticity. For several symmetric crystal orientations, predicted values of volumetric compression at the Hugoniot elastic limit of the two theories begin to differ substantially when octahedral or prismatic slip system strengths exceed about 1% of the shear modulus. Predicted pressures differ substantially for volumetric compression in excess of 5%. Predictions of Eulerian theory are closer to experimental shock data for aluminum, copper, and magnesium polycrystals.
Stable isotope variations in modern tropical speleothems: Evaluating equilibrium vs. kinetic isotope effects

Applications of speleothem calcite geochemistry in climate change studies require the evaluation of the accuracy and sensitivity of speleothem proxies to correctly infer paleoclimatic information. The present study of Harrison's Cave, Barbados, uses the analysis of the modern climatology and groundwater system to evaluate controls on the C and O isotopic composition of modern speleothems. This new approach directly compares the 18 O and 13 C values of modern speleothems with the values for their corresponding drip waters in order to assess the degree to which isotopic equilibrium is achieved during calcite precipitation. If modern speleothems can be demonstrated to precipitate in isotopic equilibrium, then ancient speleothems, suitable for paleoclimatic studies, from the same cave environment may also have been precipitated in isotopic equilib- rium. If modern speleothems are precipitated out of isotopic equilibrium, then the magnitude and direction of the C and O isotopic offsets may allow specific kinetic and/or equilibrium isotopic fractionation mechanisms to be identified. Carbon isotope values for the majority of modern speleothem samples from Harrison's Cave fall within the range of equilibrium values predicted from the combined use of (1) calcite-water fractionation factors from the literature, (2) measured temperatures, and (3) measured 13 C values of the dissolved inorganic carbon of drip waters. Calcite samples range from 0.8‰ higher to 1.1‰ lower than predicted values. The 13 C depletions are likely caused by kinetically driven departures in the fractionation between HCO3 (aq) and CaCO3 from equilibrium conditions, caused by rapid calcite growth. 13 C enrichments can be accounted for by Rayleigh distillation of the HCO3 (aq) reservoir during degassing of 13 C-depleted CO2. Modern speleothems from Harrison's Cave are not in O isotopic equilibrium with their corresponding drip waters and are 0.2‰ to 2.3‰ enriched in 18 O relative to equilibrium values. 18 O variations in modern calcite are likely controlled by kinetically driven changes in the fractionation between HCO3 (aq) and CaCO3 from equilibrium conditions to nonequilibrium conditions, consistent with rapid calcite growth. In contrast to 13 C, 18 O values of modern calcite may not be affected by Rayleigh distillation during degassing because CO2 hydration and hydroxylation reactions will buffer the O isotopic composition of the HCO3 (aq) reservoir. If the effects of Rayleigh distillation manifest themselves in the O isotopic system, they will result in 18 O enrichment in the HCO3
Norms, XOR Lemmas, and Lower Bounds for GF(2) Polynomials and Multiparty Protocols

This paper presents a unified and simple treatment of basic questions concerning two computational models: multiparty communication complexity and GF(2) polynomials. The key is the use of (known) norms on Boolean functions, which capture their approximability in each of these models. The main contributions are new XOR lemmas. We show that if a Boolean function has correlation at most epsi les 1/2 with any of these models, then the correlation of the parity of its values on m independent instances drops exponentially with m. More specifically: For GF(2) polynomials of degree d, the correlation drops to exp (-m/4d). No XOR lemma was known even for d = 2. For c-bit k-party protocols, the correlation drops to 2c ldrepsim/2 k . No XOR lemma was known for k ges 3 parties. Another contribution in this paper is a general derivation of direct product lemmas from XOR lemmas. In particular, assuming that f has correlation at most epsi les 1/2 with any of the above models, we obtain the following bounds on the probability of computing m independent instances of f correctly: For GF(2) polynomials of degree d we again obtain a bound of exp(-m/4d). For c-bit k-party protocols we obtain a bound of 2-Omega(m) in the special case when epsi les exp (-c ldr 2k). In this range of epsi, our bound improves on a direct product lemma for two-parties by Parnafes, Raz, and Wigderson (STOC '97). We also use the norms to give improved (or just simplified) lower bounds in these models. In particular we give a new proof that the Modm function on n bits, for odd m, has correlation at most exp(-n/4d) with degree-d GF(2) polynomials.
Contraceptive Comstockery: Reasoning from Immorality to Illness in the Twenty-First Century

This Article interrogates two critiques of hormonal contraceptives to reveal that both critiques are animated by moral arguments against all non-procreative sex dressed up in faulty scientific reasoning. The two arguments are: (1) that contraceptives are bad for women’s health, and (2) that many hormonal contraceptives are actually abortifacients that terminate pregnancy because, it is argued, they could prevent a fertilized egg from implanting into a woman’s uterine lining. These claims circulated in anticipation of challenges to the contraceptive coverage requirement in the Affordable Care Act and were submitted before the Supreme Court in the Hobby Lobby litigation in the form of an amicus brief filed on behalf of a group called “Women Speak for Themselves.” Although these claims garnered significant attention recently during the Hobby Lobby litigation, in fact, the claims that contraceptives are bad for health and are morally equivalent to abortion have a long pedigree. In fact, the modern claims that “contraception harms women” and “contraception is abortion” are modes of reasoning consciously modeled on the claims of nineteenth century anti-contraception crusaders. These Comstock crusaders believed that illicit sexual acts, including non-procreative sex facilitated by contraception, were immoral and this immorality was the cause of illness and harm to women. These beliefs undergirded the federal Comstock Act, which banned the distribution of contraception and information regarding contraception, as well as state-level mini-Comstock laws in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today, however, considerable social acceptance of sex for pleasure (at least for some people in some circumstances) means that straightforward arguments against contraception based on its immorality do not resonate as successfully as they once did. Anti-contraceptive advocates can no longer rely on the tacit agreement that contraception leads to illicit sex, loose women, and over-stimulated young men. Social conservatives have publicly acknowledged as much, expressing an anxiety about the position of religion as “belief” rather than “truth,” and about a rise in what they call “sexualityism.” As a result, in reviving the message of their nineteenth century counterparts, modern opponents of contraception consciously chose to deemphasize moral arguments in favor of claims that contraception is bad for women’s health, relying on scientific claims that fall apart upon examination.
Energy Management Control of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle by Incorporating Powertrain Dynamics

Energy management strategies in parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) usually ignore effects of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) dynamics and rely on static maps for required engine torque-fuel efficiency data. It is uncertain how neglecting these dynamics can affect fuel economy of a parallel HEV. This paper addresses this shortcoming by investigating effects of some major Spark Ignition (SI) engine dynamics and clutch dynamics on torque split management in a parallel HEV. The control strategy is implemented on a HEV model with an experimentally validated, dynamic ICE model. Simulation results show that the ICE and clutch dynamics can degrade performance of the HEV control strategy during the transient periods of the vehicle operation by 8.7% for city and highway driving conditions in a combined common North American drive cycle. This fuel penalty is often overlooked in conventional HEV energy management strategies. A Model Predictive Control (MPC) of torque split is developed by incorporating effects of the studied influencing dynamics. Results show that the integrated energy management strategy can improve the total energy consumption of HEV by more than 6% for combined Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) and Highway Fuel Economy Driving Schedule (HWFET)drive cycles.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Sweep-Net Sampling for Western Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Snap Beans: Spatial Distribution, Economic Injury Level, and Sequential Sampling Plans

Sweep-net and absolute density samples for adult western spotted cucumber beetle (WSCB), Diabrotica undecimpunctata undecimpunctata Mannerheim (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), in snap beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L., were analyzed using Iwao’s patchiness regression and Taylor’s power law. Iwao’s patchiness regression described sweep-net and absolute density samples better than Taylor’s power law. The equation that described the patchiness regression of sweep sampling data was m * = 0.10 + 1.07m. Linear regression analysis of the relationship between WSCB relative density and snap bean pod damage provided the basis for estimating the economic injury level for WSCB in snap beans at a daily average of 4.1 beetles per 10 sweeps (corrected) during the 14 d preceding harvest. An average of 3.0 beetles per 10 sweeps (corrected) was proposed as the economic threshold. Thresholds adjusted to compensate for circadian variation in sweep sampling efficiency ranged from 1.2 to 3.3 beetles per 10 sweeps (uncorrected). Adjusted thresholds were used with α and β values from the sweep-net patchiness regression to construct critical-density sequential sampling plans modified for specific sampling times. Sequential sampling plans for fixed-precision population density estimates also were constructed.
What is the Basic Assumption for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment

The goal of probabilistic seismic‐hazard analysis (PSHA) is to summarize the rates of seismic ground‐motion hazards at a site. The basic assumption is that true hazard curves exist to express the exceedance rates of any ground‐motion amplitude at a site. Procedurally, PSHA depends on a complete and accurate description of seismicity combined with a model for ground motions using standard probabilistic methods to estimate the hazard curve. The hazard curve can be improved by improving inputs and by identifying and then resolving inconsistencies between observations and estimated hazard. However, these inconsistencies do not invalidate the existence of the hazard curve or the probability theory used to estimate it.
Failure of Castanospermine to Reduce Spleen or Serum Virus Titres in Rauscher Murine Leukaemia Virus-Infected Mice:

The effects of orally administered castanospermine (CS) and azidothymidine (AZT) on spleen and serum virus titres and on spleen weights of mice inoculated with Rauscher murine leukaemia virus (R MuLV) were evaluated. Virus titres of samples from CS-treated mice did not differ appreciably from saline-treated mice, despite a significant inhibition of splenomegaly. In contrast, AZT treatment resulted in significant inhibition of splenomegaly and a reduction of virus titres.
0016 Birthing hospitals’ policies and practices related to infant safe sleep: a statewide survey in massachusetts

Statement of purpose Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is the leading cause of post-neonatal infant death in Massachusetts. Multidisciplinary reviews have found that many are associated with unsafe infant sleep positions and environments. The hospital nursery is a place where infant care is modelled and parents receive education. Knowing the prevalence of hospital policies, practices and trainings related to safe sleep is valuable for informing SUID prevention. Methods/Approach An on-line survey of maternity department managers was sent to all 49 birthing hospitals/centres in Massachusetts. Questions included staff training on infant safe sleep, infant side sleeping practices, presence of a written policy, parent education, perceived barriers to promoting safe sleep and needed areas of support. The survey was administered from April through September 2013 with 100% response rate. Results Forty-six percent of birthing hospitals had a written infant “safe sleep” policy. Of these, “back only” sleep was the most common component (95%), followed by exclusion of soft crib items (82%), and avoidance of general co-bedding (82%), co-bedding multiples (68%), encouraging co-rooming (68%), and avoidance of overheating (77%). Twenty-six percent had a written policy with all six components. Nearly all (94%) trained staff. Only 27% reported side sleeping of “spitty” infants was “never done”. Nearly all indicated safe sleep was part of educational materials. Leading barriers to promoting safe sleep were family beliefs (81%) and language (33%). Conclusions Birthing hospitals and centres in Massachusetts have different policies and practices on infant safe sleep and most do not incorporate several select prevention measures recommended in the 2011 AAP guidelines. Most of the respondents felt that a model policy, provided by the state, would be useful. Significance and contribution to the field This is a universal survey of reported policies and practices related to infant safe sleep in birthing hospitals/centres in Massachusetts. The findings provide valuable information for prevention efforts in other states.
Permanent pervenous atrial sensing and pacing with a new J-shaped lead

We have developed a new J-shaped lead for atrial pacing. The lead has silicone rubber tines which become entangled in the trabeculae and thereby anchor the lead firmly in the left atrial appendage. Later, scar tissue forms around the tines, rather than around the electrode, so that there is no problem with either lead displacement or loss of sensing.
Alliance strengthens care.

When hospital administrators want to fortify the care and programs they provide, what creative vehicles can they initiate? Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC), a 1,000-bed tertiary care center in Orlando, Fla., and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, a 518-bed research facility in Houston, Texas, are establishing a joint alliance that will strengthen the oncology care in central Florida. John Hillenmeyer, chief operating officer and senior vice president of ORMC, describes the structure of the joint venture.
6-Hydroxydopamine mediated cardiotoxicity in rabbits.

Weekly injections of the catecholamine depleting agent 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) were used to denervate rabbit hearts chemically. Analyses of morphology and beta-adrenergic receptor density were made at 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Changes resulting from subacute and chronic inflammatory processes were evident by light microscopy after 1 week. At that time, electron microscopy revealed marked increases in collagen, large myocytic vacuolizations in myocytes, widened gap junctions, and myofibrillar degeneration and dropout. Receptor density was marginally increased at 2 weeks but was decreased (p less than .05) at 4 weeks (maximal [3H]dihydroalprenolol (DHA) binding in fmol/mg: 69.6 +/- 5.4 in controls vs 49.2 +/- 5.1 in 6-OHDA-treated animals). Basal, isoproterenol-stimulated and F- -stimulated adenylate cyclase activities were decreased in the 6-OHDA-treated group at 4 weeks. We conclude that administration of 6-OHDA may cause severe myocardial damage, and that this process may involve loss of some functional components of the cell membrane.
Radiology of blunt abdominal trauma.

The condition of the patient and the clinical findings take precedence in the handling of the injured patient. No diagnostic test is superior to a good history and careful examination. Radiologic studies should be done to confirm a clinical suspicion, not just for the sake of “completeness.”