cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An improved renormalization group transformation in four dimensions

Abstract A new transformation for Monte Carlo renormalization group analysis of four-dimensional gauge theories is developed. This RG transformation has a scale factor of √3. In addition no gauge fixing is required in the construction of the link variables on the renormalized lattice. The Z(2) theory is analyzed as a test case.
Logic Networks Based on Immunorecognition Processes

The biochemical system logically processing biochemical signals using immune-specific and biocatalytic reactions was designed, and the generated output signals were analyzed by AFM and optical means. Different patterns of immune signals resulted in the formation of various interfacial structures followed by biocatalytic reactions activated by the next set of biochemical inputs. The developed approach to multisignal biosensing allows qualitative evaluation of the biochemical information in terms of YES−NO, providing the base for novel molecular-level logic analysis of complex patterns of biochemical signals. Application of AFM to read out the structures generated on the interface could potentially lead to substantial miniaturization of the immune logic systems.
BLADDER CALCULI AFTER AUGMENTATION CYSTOPLASTY: RISK FACTORS AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES

ABSTRACTPurpose: Lower urinary tract reconstruction is an essential tool in the management of severely dysfunctional bladders in children. The incidence of calculi in augmented bladders has been re...
Effect of baclofen and dantrolene on bladder stimulator-induced detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia in dogs

The effect of baclofen (Lioresal) and dantrolene (Dantrium) on bladder stimulation-induced detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia was studied in normal and chronic T-10 paraplegic dogs. Dantrolene, which depresses skeletal muscle contractility, had little effect on electrically evoked contractions of the urethral sphincter in dogs. Baclofen, which acts centrally by potentiating presynaptic inhibition, depressed the pudendal to pudendal nerve reflex and decreased urethral resistance during bladder stimulation.
Changes in a motor pattern following cerebellar and olivary lesions in the squirrel monkey

Squirrel monkeys were trained to perform ballistically initiated flexion movements of the forearm. It is shown that the motor output to agonist and antagonist subsequent to the onset of the movement depends continuously on the movement's parameters, primarily the velocity, as in man. The contribution of cerebellar activities to maintain this relationship was investigated by means of discrete lesions of the cerebellum and inferior olive. After lesions of the cerebellar nuclei, EMG activity of agonist and antagonist is no longer precisely structured. This result implies that activity of the cerebellar nuclei is necessary to maintain the gain and timing of the relationship between sensory inputs and motor outputs. Participation of the inferior olive is also required, since lesions of this structure mimic the effect of destruction of the cerebellar nuclei. Lesions of the cerebellar cortex, instead, affect mainly the timing of the motor output.
Time-axis decomposition of large-scale optimal control problems

Continuous-time optimal control problems can rarely be solved directly but have to be approximated with discrete analogues. Shorter time steps lead to more accurate approximations, but result in formulations that are often too big for computer memory. This paper presents a technique for decomposing the problem along the time axis and iterating toward a solution in a leader-follower framework.
The Alignment of Measures and Constructs in Organizational Research: The Case of Testing Measurement Models of Creativity

Organizational creativity research has a curious misalignment between construct definitions and measurement model specifications—definitions embrace multiple facets, but empirical measures do not. The purpose of this study was to examine potential measurement model misspecification in organizational creativity research. We compare whether creativity is best assessed as a unidimensional common latent construct model with reflective indicators or as a multi-dimensional composite latent construct model with formative indicators. To assess potential measurement model misspecification, two studies were conducted in organizational and professional settings. For Study One, MBA students (n = 152) evaluated stimuli from entrepreneurship and advertising. For study, two professional artists (n = 167) evaluated art domain stimuli. CFA results suggest composite latent construct models with two factors (novelty and usefulness) represent creativity assessments in entrepreneurship, advertising, and art better than one- and three-factor models. Results suggest that failure to acknowledge inconsistencies between construct definitions and measurement models may put researchers at risk of reporting findings with limited statistical conclusion validity. Further, improved theories and empirical models should include facets of creativity. Broader implications of measurement model misspecification for organizational science research are also discussed. This is one of the first studies to examine the potential measurement model misspecification in organizational creativity research. We examined this potential using data from three domains and across two domain-specific samples. The results were robust across all samples and settings and suggest concern with respect to current methods used for measuring organizational creativity.
The functional fidelity of individual differences research: the case for context-matching

Applying basic research on individual differences in performance requires a kind of ‘functional fidelity’. That is, the laboratory environment must elicit individual differences in cognition and emotion similar to those seen in the operational setting. Studies of conventional personality traits and performance often lack this functional fidelity. Four research directions for enhancing functional fidelity are proposed. First, a greater focus on simulated operational tasks that require cognitive skills is requisite. Second, contexts relevant to specific personality traits, such as social demands, may be simulated in the laboratory. Third, traits linked to a specific performance context, such as vehicle driving, may be developed and validated. Fourth, psychophysiological responses to tasks that reproduce operational cognitive demands may be used as predictors, as exemplified in recent studies of vigilance. Enhancements to functional fidelity will assist human factors practitioners in accommodating the role o...
Child care services in the JOBS program

Abstract The JOBS legislation reflected the expectations that mothers, even those with young children, should participate in the labor force to increase their levels of economic self-sufficiency. This change in expectations was accompanied by the recognition that, to fulfill these expectations, mothers needed access to child care services. In implementing the JOBS program and the associated child care provisions, states fulfilled their obligations to assure that child care was available and provided to at least enough JOBS participants to meet the federally mandated requirements for participation. However, such child care issues as funding, access, quality, and transportation emerged under the implementation of the JOBS program and can be anticipated to be significant concerns under the new welfare program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Additionally, under TANF work expectations have been expanded but without a commitment to insuring child care services for those required to participate.
Optical communication link with an adaptive transmitter based on interference metric optimization

Adaptive optical systems used to date for laser communication applications have been based on adaptive optics technology specifically developed for astronomical imaging, where intensity fluctuations are considerably smaller than those encountered by ground-to-ground (or ground-to-space) lasercom systems. These adaptive optical systems are based on direct wavefront measurements (Hartmann-Shack sensor, shearing interferometers, etc.) and the wavefront conjugation principle. In the presence of strong intensity fluctuations these types of systems perform poorly. Here we propose an optical communication link with an adaptive transmitter based on optimization of a beam quality metric that can be measured using a corner-cube interferometer. This beam quality metric is examined to determine its suitability for use in an adaptive laser communication system.
Glycemic Variability in Hospitalized Patients: Choosing Metrics While Awaiting the Evidence

Hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, preexisting diabetes, and glycemic variability each may affect hospital outcomes. Observational findings derived from randomized trials or retrospective studies suggest that independent of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, a relationship exists between variability and hospital outcomes. A review of studies conducted in diverse hospital populations is reported here, showing a relationship between measures of variability and nonglycemic outcomes, including ICU and hospital mortality and length of stay. “Glycemic variability” has an intuitive meaning, understood as a propensity of a single patient to develop repeated episodes of excursions of BG over a relatively short period of time that exceed the amplitude expected in normal physiology. It is proposed that each of 3 dimensions of variability should be separately studied: (1) magnitude of glycemic excursions during intervals of relative stability of the moving average of BG, (2) frequency with which a critical magnitude of excursion is exceeded, and (3) presence or absence of fine tuning. Multiple hospital studies have found that the standard deviation (SD) of the data set of blood glucose values (BG) of individual patients predicts outcomes. An appropriate refinement would be to report the “Reverse-transformed group mean of the SD of the logarithmically transformed BG data set of each patient,” with confidence intervals. In logarithmic space, group means of the SD of BGs of each patient may be compared, using an appropriate parametric test. Upon reverse transformation, the upper and lower bounds of the confidence intervals become asymmetric about the reverse-transformed group mean of the SD. There is a need to understand what patterns of dispersion of BG over time are captured by SD as a predictor of outcomes. Among the causes of high SD, a subgroup may consist of patients having frequent oscillations of BG. Another subgroup may consist of patients experiencing a major change of overall glycemia during the timeframe of data collection. Appropriate metrics should be developed to recognize both variability in the sense of recurrent large oscillations of BG, and separately to recognize any time-dependent change of overall glycemia during hospitalization. Especially in relation to uncontrolled diabetes, there is a need to know whether rapid correction of chronic hyperglycemia adversely affects hospital outcomes. We have some understanding of how to control or prevent change of overall glycemia, and less understanding of how to control variability. Each may be associated with outcomes, and each may be detected by a high SD, but it remains uncertain whether intervention to prevent either pattern of changing glycemia would affect outcomes.
Aintegumenta and Aintegumenta-Like6 regulate auxin-mediated flower development in Arabidopsis

Two related genes encoding AP2/ERF-type transcription factors, AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) and AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE6 (AIL6), are important regulators of floral growth and patterning in Arabidopsis. Evidence suggests that these genes promote several aspects of flower development in response to auxin. To investigate the interplay of ANT, AIL6 and auxin during floral development, I have examined the phenotypic consequences of disrupting polar auxin transport in ant, ail6 and ant ail6 mutants by either genetic or chemical means. Plants containing mutations in ANT or AIL6 alone or in both genes together exhibit increased sensitivity to disruptions in polar auxin transport. Both genes promote shoot growth, floral meristem initiation and floral meristem patterning in combination with auxin transport. However, differences in the responses of ant and ail6 single mutants to perturbations in auxin transport suggest that these two genes also have non-overlapping activities in each of these developmental processes. The enhanced sensitivity of ant and ail6 mutants to alterations in polar auxin transport suggests that these mutants have defects in some aspect of auxin physiology. The inability of ant ail6 double mutants to initiate flowers in backgrounds disrupted for auxin transport confirm the proposed roles for these two genes in floral meristem initiation.
Privacy-preserving data publishing for horizontally partitioned databases

There is an increasing need for sharing data repositories containing personal information across multiple distributed, possibly untrusted, and private databases. Such data sharing is subject to constraints imposed by privacy of data subjects as well as data confidentiality of institutions or data providers. We developed a set of decentralized protocols that enable data sharing for horizontally partitioned databases given these constraints. Our approach includes a distributed anonymization protocol that allows independent data providers to build a virtual anonymized database, and a distributed querying protocol that allows clients to query the virtual database.
Calculation of Phase Coexistence Properties and Surface Tensions of n-Alkanes with Grand-Canonical Transition-Matrix Monte Carlo Simulation and Finite-Size Scaling

Grand-canonical transition-matrix Monte Carlo is combined with configurational-bias and expanded ensemble Monte Carlo techniques to obtain saturated densities and vapor pressures of select n-alkanes. Surface tension values for butane, hexane, and octane are also computed via the finite-size scaling method of Binder. The exponential-6 model of Errington and Panagiotopoulos is used to describe the molecular interactions. The effect of the number of configurational-bias trial conformations on the efficiency of phase equilibra calculations is studied. We find that a broad range of trial conformation numbers give reasonable performance, with the optimal value increasing with decreasing temperature for a fixed chain length. Phase coexistence properties are in good agreement with literature values and are obtained with very reasonable computing resources. Similar to other recently developed n-alkane force fields, the exponential-6 model overestimates the surface tension relative to experimental values. Statistical uncertainties for coexistence properties obtained with the current approach are relatively small compared to existing methods.
Expression and functional analysis of Apaf-1 isoforms. Extra Wd-40 repeat is required for cytochrome c binding and regulated activation of procaspase-9.

Apaf-1 is an important apoptotic signaling molecule that can activate procaspase-9 in a cytochromec/dATP-dependent fashion. Alternative splicing can create an NH2-terminal 11-amino acid insert between the caspase recruitment domain and ATPase domains or an additional COOH-terminal WD-40 repeat. Recently, several Apaf-1 isoforms have been identified in tumor cell lines, but their expression in tissues and ability to activate procaspase-9 remain poorly characterized. We performed analysis of normal tissue mRNAs to examine the relative expression of the Apaf-1 forms and identified Apaf-1XL, containing both the NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal inserts, as the major RNA form expressed in all tissues tested. We also identified another expressed isoform, Apaf-1LN, containing the NH2-terminal insert, but lacking the additional WD-40 repeat. Functional analysis of all identified Apaf-1 isoforms demonstrated that only those with the additional WD-40 repeat activated procaspase 9 in vitro in response to cytochrome c and dATP, while the NH2-terminal insert was not required for this activity. Consistent with this result, in vitro binding assays demonstrated that the additional WD-40 repeat was also required for binding of cytochrome c, subsequent Apaf-1 self-association, binding to procaspase-9, and formation of active Apaf-1 oligomers. These experiments demonstrate the expression of multiple Apaf-1 isoforms and show that only those containing the additional WD-40 repeat bind and activate procaspase-9 in response to cytochrome c and dATP.
Behavioral correlates of chemical stimulation in the cat thalamus

The effects of adrenergic and cholinergic stimulation and blockage in the cat thalamus on food and water intake and operant responding were investigated. A facilitatory effect on responding with adrenergic stimulation and cholinergic blockage was observed. Cholinergic stimulation and adrenergic blockage lead to a deficit in response rate. Food intake increased with injections of nonadrenaline, and water consumption decreased with carbachol applications. Additionally, central applications of atropine sulfate reduced food in take.
Comparison of Information-Theoretic Objective Functions for Decision Support in Sensor Systems

Information-driven sensor management aims at making optimal decisions regarding the sensor type, mode and configuration in view of the sensing objectives. In this paper, an approach is developed for computing two information-theoretic functions, expected discrimination gain and expected entropy reduction, to optimize target classification accuracy based on multiple and heterogeneous sensors fusion. The measurement process is modeled by means of Bayesian networks (BNs). The two objective functions utilize the BN models to represent the expected effectiveness of the sensors search sequence. New theoretic solutions are presented and implemented for computing the objective functions efficiently, based on the BN factorization of the underlying joint probability distributions. Dempster-Shafer fusion rule is embedded in the computations in order to account for the complementarity of multiple, heterogeneous sensor measurements. The efficiency of the two objective functions is demonstrated and compared using a landmine detection and classification application.
Barotropic instability in the tropical cyclone outer region

The growth of asymmetric perturbations and their interactions with the symmetric flow are investigated for wind profiles in a tropical cyclone with instability in its outer region. Three tangential wind profiles are examined: TC1, a strong barotropic instability profile in the outer region; TC2, a stable wind profile; and TC3, a weaker instability profile comparing to TC1 with a larger distance between the inner negative and the outer positive vorticity gradient centres. An eigenvalue analysis indicates that azimuthal wave-number two is the most unstable mode in both TC1 and TC3, with an e-folding time-scale of about 1 and 9 days, respectively. Numerical simulations using a linear barotropic model, with an initial asymmetry specified in the outer region, confirm the eigenvalue analysis. A mechanism is provided to explain the difference between simulations in TC1 and TC2. In both the stable and unstable case, an inner asymmetry is induced by the initial outer asymmetry acting on the symmetric vorticity gradient. Subsequently, the newly generated inner asymmetry feeds back positively to the outer asymmetry with the unstable profile. Because of this positive feedback, the inner and the outer asymmetries maintain an up-shear phase tilting, leading to a continuous energy transfer from the symmetric flow to the asymmetric perturbation. In the stable TC2, the inner asymmetry could not amplify the outer initial asymmetry as there is no basic-state radial vorticity gradient there. Also due to this feedback process, disturbances grow faster where the (absolute) basic-state vorticity gradients are large. Therefore, the position of an initial disturbance plays a minor role in determining the outcome of the system. Simulations with a nonlinear barotropic model and a primitive equation model further confirm the significant weakening of the maximum tangential wind due to the positive feedback process in TC1. Simulations for TC3 show a smaller change of the symmetric tangential wind, as expected. Copyright c � 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Accounting for the Gap: A Firm Study Manipulating Organizational Accountability and Transparency in Pay Decisions

Great progress has been made in documenting how employer practices may shape workplace inequality. Less research attention, however, has been given to investigating which organizational strategies are effective at addressing gender and racial inequality in labor markets. Using a unique field study design, this article identifies and tests, for the first time, whether accountability and transparency in pay decisions-two popular organizational initiatives discussed among scholars and practitioners-may reduce the pay gap by employee gender, race, and foreign nationality. Through a longitudinal analysis of a large private company, I study the performance-based reward decisions concerning almost 9,000 employees before and after high-level management adopted a set of organizational procedures, introducing accountability and transparency into the company's performance-reward system. Before such procedures were introduced, there was an observed gap in the distribution of performance-based rewards where women, ethnic minorities, and non-U.S.-born employees received lower monetary rewards compared with U.S.-born white men having the same performance evaluation scores and working in the same job and work unit with the same manager and the same human capital characteristics. Analyses of the company's employee performance-reward data after the adoption of accountability and transparency procedures show a reduction in this pay gap. I conclude by discussing the implications of this study for future research about employer strategies targeting workplace inequality and diversity.
Changes in natural head position observed immediately and one year after rapid maxillary expansion.

SUMMARY Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) has been shown to increase nasal permeability and reduce nasal airway resistance. A number of studies have examined the relationship between RME and the change in airway resistance, or the relationship between airway resistance and natural head position (NHP). Few studies, to date, have examined the relationship between RME and the change in NHP resulting from the consequent change in airway resistance. A sample of 43 adolescent patients with uni- or bilateral crossbite in the permanent dentition underwent RME as part of normal orthodontic treatment. Cephalograms in NHP were taken before, immediately after expansion, and one year after RME. No signifi cant changes in the craniofacial angles were observed immediately after expansion. One year post-expansion, however, NSL/VER had reduced by 3.14 degrees (P < 0.01), OPT/HOR by 2.13 degrees (P < 0.05), and CVT/HOR by 2.55 degrees (P < 0.05). The results of this study suggest an ongoing change in head posture possibly due to a change in the mode of breathing from oral to nasal as a result of RME, thereby contributing to a change in craniofacial development, supporting and adding to the soft tissue stretching hypothesis.
SPATIAL VARIATION IN ABUNDANCE CREATED BY STOCHASTIC TEMPORAL VARIATION

A central question in ecology is explaining spatial variation in the abundance of species. Patterns of spatial variation in abundance can often be explained by spatial variation in the environment, including resource availability, climatic variables, and other factors that influence a species’ reproduction and survival. We show that spatial patterns in abundance may also be driven by temporal environmental variation, in the absence of any fixed spatial environmental variation. To illustrate this, we build on work by J. H. Brown, D. W. Mehlman, and G. C. Stevens, who demonstrated spatial patterns in bird abundances that can be explained by fixed spatial variation in the environment. Using a pair of simple stochastic models of bird population dynamics, we show that similar patterns can be generated through temporal environmental variation that has no fixed spatial component. This occurs when population dynamics are characterized by very weak density dependence, so that population densities exhibit near-random-walk behavior. Because similar patterns of spatial variation in species’ abundances can be produced by either fixed spatial environmental variation or spatiotemporal environmental variation, we argue that interpreting spatial variation in abundance may sometimes require understanding temporal variation in abundance.
Seismic Reflection Imaging of a Geothermal Aquifer in an Urban Setting

A seismic reflection survey that was conducted in downtown Boise, Idaho, to help city planners site a new well for injection of spent geothermal water illustrates some methods to safely and successfully employ a seismic reflection survey in an urban setting. The objective of the seismic survey was to estimate the depth and continuity of a basalt and rhyolite volcanic sequence. Well siting was based on geothermal aquifer depth, location of interpreted faults, projected thermal impact of injection on existing wells, surface pipe extension costs, and public land availability. Seismic acquisition tests and careful processing were used to ensure high‐quality data while minimizing the potential for damage along city streets. A video camera placed in a sewer and a blast vibration monitor were used to confirm that energy from the seismic source (a 75-in3 land air gun) did not damage nearby buildings, street surfaces, or buried utilities along the survey lines. Walkaway seismic tests were also used to compare sign...
Hydropericardium and Ascites in Chicks Fed a Chlorinated Hydrocarbon

Abstract AN epoxy-resin paint † has been used in our laboratory to coat galvanized batteries employed for trace mineral studies. This paint was supplied as two separate fractions which were mixed just prior to use. One portion contained the epoxy monomer and the other the amine hardener which catalyzed polymerization. On one occasion the paint did not harden before chicks were placed in the battery and within 3 weeks the chicks showed symptoms closely resembling those of the “chick edema” or “toxic fat” syndrome described by Schmittle et al. (1958) and Sanger et al. (1958). Because of the interest in the chemical nature of the toxic factor (Brew et al., 1959; Friedman et al., 1959; Wooton and Alexander, 1959; Harman et al., 1960) that has been observed in feed-grade fats and the lipid origin of certain components of the paint, it seemed worthwhile to investigate further the causative agent in the …
Comments on, "A note on the computational complexity of the arithmetic Fourier transform" by N. Tepedelenlioglu

The commenter states that, because of the use of Farey sequences the result stated by N. Tepedelenlioglu (ibid., vol.37, no.7, p.1146-7, 1989) becomes a statement about D/sub N/, the number of elements in a Farey sequence of order N. Tepedelenlioglu's formula is then equivalent to a formula about Farey sequences given by M.R. Schroder (1986) C.M. Rader (1977). Thus, for example, while a standard FTT algorithm requires 1024 samples to yield 1024 spectral components, AFT would take more than 300000 samples to do the same job. >
Effect of preparation methods on the performance of Co/Al2O3 catalysts for dry reforming of methane

Two methods, dry impregnation (DI) and controlled adsorption (CA), are used for the preparation of Co/Al2O3 catalysts for methane dry reforming reactions. Point of zero charge (PZC) measurements, pH-precipitation studies, and adsorption isotherms are used to develop a synthesis procedure in which deposition of Co2+ takes place in a more controlled manner than metal deposition during drying in synthesis by dry impregnation. The possible adsorption phenomena that occur during preparation of Co/Al2O3 catalysts by controlled adsorption are discussed. H2 chemisorption and TEM show that catalysts prepared by CA have smaller average particle sizes and higher dispersions. TPR studies show that for the sample prepared by CA a higher amount of cobalt is reduced to its metallic state and that more CoAl2O4 spinel species are present relative to DI samples. The catalyst prepared by CA shows higher activity and slower deactivation for methane dry reforming than the catalyst prepared by DI. XPS and C, H, N analysis on spent catalysts confirm two types of carbonaceous deposits are formed depending on the preparation method.
HRAS and the Costello syndrome

Costello syndrome (CS) is a complex developmental disorder involving characteristic craniofacial features, failure to thrive, developmental delay, cardiac and skeletal anomalies and a predisposition to develop neoplasia, both benign and malignant. CS is caused by activating germline mutations in HRAS and belongs to an exciting class of genetic syndromes that are caused by perturbation of function through the Ras pathway. Some of these other syndromes include Noonan syndrome, LEOPARD syndrome, neurofibromatosis 1 and cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome. Ras is a critical signaling hub in the cell and is activated by receptor tyrosine kinases, G-protein-coupled receptors, cytokine receptors and extracellular matrix receptors. The downstream effectors of Ras are many and control vital cellular functions including cell cycle progression, cell survival, motility, transcription, translation and membrane trafficking. Understanding the genetic etiology of CS is the first step in gaining insight to the role Ras plays in human development, cellular signaling and cancer pathogenesis.
Empiric immunization versus serologic screening: developing a cost-effective strategy for the use of hepatitis A immunization in travelers.

Background: Older individuals and those born overseas are thought at increased risk of prior exposure and thus have naturally acquired immunity to hepatitis A. Whether these individuals or other groups of international travelers should be screened for acquired immunity or empirically immunized is not clear. Hepatitis A serology and risk factor data was obtained prospectively in patients presenting for hepatitis A immunization and used to develop a cost-effective strategy for the use of serologic screening and empiric immunization in our traveler population. Method: Candidates for hepatitis A immunization were routinely screened for total hepatitis A serum antibody. Risk factor data including country of birth, travel history, and history of jaundice was collected. Cost-effectiveness was assessed by comparing the cost of serology to screen all patients plus cost to immunize those found to be seronegative with, the cost of empirically immunizing all patients. Results: Analyses were conducted comparing age, travel history, country of birth, and history of jaundice for significance in predicting seropositivity in a group of 115 subjects. Country of birth was statistically a significant predictor of positive results with 80.0% of foreign-born patients positive for total antibody against hepatitis A compared with 35.6% of patients born in the United States. Living outside of the United States (defined as greater than 30 days) was also correlated with a higher prevalence of hepatitis A positive serology. Age was not predictive for the group as a whole. A lower prevalence (24.3%) was noted in the group of US born individuals aged 30 to 60. Travel and prior history of jaundice failed to demonstrate significance. Conclusions: Employing a simple cost-effectiveness equation using cost of serological testing, cost of vaccine, and prevalence of acquired immunity in the community, a strategy was developed. In our population it was cost-effective to screen all foreign-born individuals and those who had lived outside the United States.
Confirmation of the Hybrid Origin of Eupatorium ×truncatum (Asteraceae) Using Nuclear and Plastid Markers

Abstract Eupatorium ×truncatum (Asteraceae) is distributed throughout the eastern United States and is thought to have originated from interspecific hybridization between E. perfoliatum and E. serotinum. This study confirms the hybrid origin of one E. ×truncatum population in central Indiana through analysis of DNA sequence data from nuclear ITS and corroborates the morphology-based hypothesis that E. perfoliatum and E. serotinum are its progenitors. Moreover, two single-copy nuclear loci showing fixed differences between the parents were in the heterozygous form in all hybrids analyzed, suggesting that these are all F1 hybrids. Plastid psbA-trnH intergenic spacer sequences identify E. serotinum as the maternal progenitor of all sampled hybrids.
A triple-mode X-band microstrip ring resonator filter

This paper presents the design, fabrication and measurements of a low-loss and compact triple-mode ring resonator filter operating at X-band. This filter is fabricated on a 635-µm thick duroid substrate (e r = 10.2, tan δ = 0.0023). A classical ring resonator topology with a perturbation allows the first mode to split into two degenerate modes while an additional serpentine line in the middle of the ring which also includes a perturbation and a coupling line creates a third mode whose resonance frequency can be tuned towards the two first mode resonances. Therefore, a third-order response filter is achieved. This filter exhibits insertion loss of 1.67–2.07 dB in the [9.5–10.5] GHz frequency range while return loss is better than 14.7 dB. The 1-dB fractional bandwidth is 13.2%. The presented topology allows a footprint size reduction compared to standard filter topologies.
High-throughput lensfree imaging and characterization of a heterogeneous cell solution on a chip.

A high-throughput on-chip imaging platform that can rapidly monitor and characterize various cell types within a heterogeneous solution over a depth-of-field of ∼4 mm and a field-of-view of ∼10 cm2 is introduced. This powerful system can rapidly image/monitor multiple layers of cells, within a volume of ∼4 mL all in parallel without the need for any lenses, microscope-objectives or any mechanical scanning. In this high-throughput lensless imaging scheme, the classical diffraction pattern (i.e., the shadow) of each micro-particle within the entire sample volume is detected in less than a second using an opto-electronic sensor chip. The acquired shadow image is then digitally processed using a custom developed “decision algorithm” to enable both the identification of the particle location in 3D and the characterization of each micro-particle type within the sample volume. Through experimental results, we show that different cell types (e.g., red blood cells, fibroblasts, etc.) or other micro-particles all exhibit uniquely different shadow patterns and therefore can be rapidly identified without any ambiguity using the developed decision algorithm, enabling high-throughput characterization of a heterogeneous solution. This lensfree on chip cell imaging platform shows a significant promise especially for medical diagnostic applications relevant to global health problems, where compact and cost-effective diagnostic tools are urgently needed in resource limited settings. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 102: 856–868. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Titanium-Tethered Vancomycin Prevents Resistance to Rifampicin in Staphylococcus aureus in vitro

Rifampicin is currently recognized as the most potent drug against Gram positive implant related infections. The use of rifampicin is limited by the emergence of bacterial resistance, which is often managed by coadministration of a second antibiotic. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of soluble rifampicin in combination with vancomycin tethered to titanium metal as a means to control bacterial growth and resistance in vitro. Bacterial growth was inhibited when the vancomycin-tethered titanium discs were treated with Staphylococcus aureus inocula of ≤2×106 CFU, however inocula greater than 2×106 CFU/disc adhered and survived. The combination of surface-tethered vancomycin with soluble rifampicin enhanced the inhibitory effect of rifampicin for an inoculum of 106 CFU/cm2 by one dilution (combination MIC of 0.008 mg/L versus 0.015 mg/L for rifampicin alone). Moreover, surface tethered vancomycin prevented the emergence of a rifampicin resistant population in an inoculum of 2×108 CFU.
Level of β-Adrenergic Receptor Kinase 1 Inhibition Determines Degree of Cardiac Dysfunction After Chronic Pressure Overload-Induced Heart Failure

Background— Heart failure is characterized by abnormalities in β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) signaling, including increased level of myocardial βAR kinase 1 (βARK1). Our previous studies have shown that inhibition of βARK1 with the use of the Gβγ sequestering peptide of βARK1 (βARKct) can prevent cardiac dysfunction in models of heart failure. Because inhibition of βARK activity is pivotal for amelioration of cardiac dysfunction, we investigated whether the level of βARK1 inhibition correlates with the degree of heart failure. Methods and Results— Transgenic (TG) mice with varying degrees of cardiac-specific expression of βARKct peptide underwent transverse aortic constriction (TAC) for 12 weeks. Cardiac function was assessed by serial echocardiography in conscious mice, and the level of myocardial βARKct protein was quantified at termination of the study. TG mice showed a positive linear relationship between the level of βARKct protein expression and fractional shortening at 12 weeks after TAC. TG mice wit...
Maturation of EEG oscillations in children with sodium channel mutations

Abstract Dravet syndrome (DS) is a severe epileptic encephalopathy beginning in infancy in which children have difficult to control seizures and cognitive impairment. The majority of children with DS carry mutations of the gene Scn1a , which codes for the alpha subunit of the type 1 voltage-gated sodium channel and is important for the function of interneurons. Interneurons have a critical role in the generation of brain rhythms involved in cognitive processing. We hypothesized that children with DS with Scn1a mutations would have abnormal oscillatory activity. To address this hypothesis, we used EEG power spectral analysis during the wakening to determine if frequency and power are altered in 23 EEGs from 12 children with DS compared to 18 age-matched controls. While there were few differences between the EEG power spectra in DS and controls in children under 2years, in older children group differences were apparent. In DS children between 3 and 5years there were significant decreases in percentage of alpha power compared to controls and in DS children over age 6years there was a marked increase of theta and decrease of alpha compared to controls. Developmental status paralleled the power spectral analysis with an increasing likelihood of having severe cognitive problems with increasing age. These results demonstrate that Scn1a mutations result in an age-dependent alteration in oscillatory process. Such abnormalities in developmental progression of oscillations may play an important role in poor cognitive development in children with DS.
Fault tolerance of programmable switch blocks

This paper presents a new approach for the evaluation of FPGA routing resources in the presence of faulty switches. This is considered under the worst case scenario of open faults. Signal routing in the presence of faulty switches is analyzed at switch block level; probabilistic routing (routability) is used as figure of merit for evaluating the interconnect resources of FP-GAs. The presented approach utilizes a path-based technique to find the probability of establishing a path between pairs of input and output endpoints in a switch block. The results are reported for various commercial and academic FPGAs.
The Phenomenology of Intimacy

Intimacy is a topic of importance with respect to many aspects of relationship theory and a variety of academic disciplines. A consideration of the literature reveals much research but little consensus on even such basic issues as a definition of intimacy. Given that, a phenomenological study was done to determine what ordinary people meant by, and experienced as, intimacy. Results of that study revealed seven major components to intimate experiences. These included: non-verbal communication, presence, time, boundary, body, destiny/surprise and transformation. The relationship between these results and previous research is discussed.
Low-frequency noise in heterojunction FETs with low-temperature buffer

Low-frequency noise was measured on heterojunction FETs grown on low-temperature buffer and superlattice buffer layers. A distinct generation-recombination noise source with an activation energy of 0.70 eV was observed in devices built on a low-temperature buffer. Both structures showed a trap with an activation energy ( approximately 0.50 eV) that has a gate-to-source voltage dependence and is believed to be due to interactions between electrons in the channel and traps in the AlGaAs supply layer. Computer simulations of the position of the energy levels as a function of the gate voltage support this idea. A trap due to DX centers with an activation energy of approximately 0.30 eV in AlGaAs was also observed in both devices. >
Testimony of Peter D. Enrich on Cuno and Competitiveness: Where to Draw the Line Before the Subcommittee on International Trade of the Committee on Finance United States Senate

In response to legal challenges to the constitutionality of many state tax incentives designed to influence business location decisions, federal legislation has been proposed that is designed to shelter a wide range of such incentives from Commerce Clause scrutiny. In this testimony, offered before the Senate Finance Committee's Subcommittee on International Trade, I present two reasons why Congress should approach the proposed legislation with great caution: First, the accelerating proliferation of state and local business tax incentives that are conditioned on business location and that discriminate in favor of in-state activity is contrary to the national interest and should not be encouraged by federal legislation. Second, the approach taken by the proposed legislation - which seeks to authorize certain location-based incentives, such as investment tax credits, while not authorizing other similar incentives of kinds previously invalidated by the courts - is doomed to failure, because the line it attempts to draw is arbitrary and insubstantial.
Effect of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil, on in vivo binding of nicotinic α4β2 receptor agonist [18F]nifene in the rat brain

1891 Objectives The acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) are used in management of Alzheimer9s disease in humans. Previous in vitro studies found a decrease in binding of α4β2 receptor agonist [18F]nifene in the presence of combined ACh and AChEIs but no effects of AChEIs alone (Easwaramoorthy et al, 2007). Our goal for this study was to evaluate the effects of AChEIs on in vivo binding of 18F]nifene in the rat brain using PET/CT imaging. Methods Two male Sprague-Dawley rats (148 ± 2 g) were injected iv with [18F]nifene (13.8 ± 4.3 MBq) and received 90 min dynamic PET scans on two different days. The first day scan was a baseline scan; the second day scan was preceded by iv administration of Donepezil (1.0 mg/Kg), a potent AChEI, at 15 min before [18F]nifene. All PET images were co-registered to a rat MR template spatially normalized to Paxinos-Watson space. Volumes of interest (VOIs) from regions with high density of α4β2 receptors were drawn on the template and transferred to the PET images. Three VOIs were considered: thalamus (TH), frontal cortex (FC), and subiculum (SUB). Graphical analysis was used to compute the binding potentials (BPND) of [18F]nifene. Cerebellum was used as a reference region. Results The baseline BPNDs of [18F]nifene were 1.51 ± 0.05 (TH), 1.09 ± 0.04 (FC), and 0.76 ± 0.06 (SUB). The drug condition BPNDs were 1.79 ± 0.21 (TH), 1.16 ± 0.01 (FC), and 0.83 ± 0.04 (SUB). As a result the average increases in BPND in the presence of Donepezil were (18.33 ± 17.94) % (TH), 6.10 ± 4.31 % (FC), and 9.28 ± 3.72 % (SUB). Conclusions Donepezil at 1.0 mg/kg did not cause a decrease in binding of [18F]nifene in response to an expected increase in ACh levels. Effects of dose and timing of AChEI administration before [18F]nifene, as well as those of anesthesia are being considered as variables. Other AChEIs are also being tested. Research Support NIH AG02947
The Cold War battle over global news in East Africa: Decolonization, the free flow of information, and the media business, 1960-1980

This article examines the news business in Africa during decolonization. While UNESCO stimulated enormous discussion about creating independent ‘third world’ alternatives for news exchange, African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania sought to secure informational sovereignty by placing international news agencies within their control. Reuters and other international news agencies, in turn, adapted to decolonization by reinventing themselves as companies working to assist new nation-states. In the subsequent contest over news distribution, the Cold War, and inter-agency competition, Africa became a battleground for disputes between Reuters’ capitalist vision of news as a commercial product and UNESCO's political conception of news. Ironically, decolonization enabled Reuters to gain greater control over information supply across Africa, because African leaders viewed the capitalist model of news as better suited to their diplomatic goals and political views.
Application of Whole-Genome Sequencing to an Unusual Outbreak of Invasive Group A Streptococcal Disease

Whole-genome analysis was applied to investigate atypical point-source transmission of 2 invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infections. Isolates were serotype M4, ST39, and genetically indistinguishable. Comparison with MGAS10750 revealed nonsynonymous polymorphisms in ropB and increased speB transcription. This study demonstrates the usefulness of whole-genome analyses for GAS outbreaks.
Overlay optimization for 1x node technology and beyond via rule based sparse sampling

We demonstrate a cost-effective automated rule based sparse sampling method that can detect the spatial variation of overlay errors as well as the overlay signature of the fields. Our technique satisfies the following three rules: (i) homogeneous distribution of ~200 samples across the wafer, (ii) equal number of samples in scan up and scan down condition and (iii) equal number of sampling on each overlay marks per field. When rule based samplings are implemented on the two products, the differences between the full wafer map sampling and the rule based sampling are within 3.5 nm overlay spec with residuals M+3σ of 2.4 nm (x) and 2.43 nm (y) for Product A and 2.98 nm (x) and 3.32 nm (y) for Product B.
Life-Saving Incompatible Blood Transfusion

In a rare emergency situation, incompatible blood must be intentionally administered as a life-saving measure. This case report describes a 28-yearold woman with multiple significant red blood cell ailoantibodies (anti-K, −Fya, −Jkb, −e , −C, −S) and severe obstetric hemorrhage who, in the opinion of the attending surgeon, required six units of incompatible blood as a life-saving measure. Although a significant transient hyperbilirubinemia developed following the incompatible transfusions, no other obvious untoward problems developed. Renal function as measured by urine output, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine remained within normal limits. No coagulopathy was detected. This case demonstrates that the morbidity associated with incompatible blood transfusions may be minimized by a knowledge of the hemolytic potential of red cell ailoantibodies. Such knowledge may also help avoid delaying needed transfusions to patients for whom only incompatible blood is immediately available.