cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Humoral response of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata to trematode infection: observations on a circulating hemagglutinin.

The hemolymph of invertebrates often contains molecules that agglutinate vertebrate erythrocytes and that may function as humoral mediators of “non-self” recognition. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine if exposure of M line or 10-R2 strain Biomphalaria glabrata snails to infection with the trematodes Echinostoma paraensei and Schistosoma mansoni could increase agglutinating activity in snail hemolymph, and 2) identify particular hemolymph molecules with such activity. In some host-parasite combinations, such as juvenile M line snails and E. paraensei, infection provoked significant elevations in titer from as early as 2 days post-infection (dpi) through 15 dpi. In other combinations, as with 10-R2 snails and E. paraensei or S. mansoni, host responses were comparatively modest, yet still measurable. In general, E. paraensei and S. mansoni elicited different responses from the same host strain, and M line and 10-R2 snails responded differently to the same parasite. Further study of the response of juvenile M line snails to E. paraensei indicated that hemolymph agglutinating activity could be inhibited by several monosaccharides (including L-fucose) and by EDTA and EGTA. An affinity column containing L-fucose agarose beads was used to purify molecules with agglutinating activity from the hemolymph of such snails. The fraction eluted from the column by 0.2 M L-fucose was shown by SDS-PAGE to contain a broad band of 80–120 kD and, less consistently, a 200 kD band. Following extensive dialysis to remove L-fucose, this fraction had agglutinating activity. As a previous study has shown that the hemolymph of E. paraensei–infected snails contains significantly increased quantities of 80–120 kD polypeptides, it is concluded that polypeptides in this size range are responsible, at least in part, for the increased hemolymph agglutination activity in such snails.
Oat, Wheat, and Barley Resistance to White Grubs of Phyllophaga congrua (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Field and greenhouse tests of selected small grain cultivars disclosed large differences in their resistance to Phyllophaga congrua (LeConte) white grubs. Resistance was evidenced first in a field plot test of four cultivars each of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), oats ( Avena sativa L.), and barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) (Poaceae). P. congrua white grubs that were present at planting caused high rates of seedling mortality and reduced the yields of some varieties. The most resistant cultivars of each species (‘Nora’ oats, ‘Adder’ wheat, and ‘Tambar 401’ barley [1, 10, and 43% seedling mortality, respectively]) and the least resistant ones (‘Florida 501’ oats, ‘Wysor’ barley, and ‘Collin’ wheat [10, 65, and 68% seedling mortality, respectively]) were tested further in the greenhouse. When the six cultivars were planted intermingled in the greenhouse, 22.8 times as many ‘Collin’ seedlings and 19.4 times as many ‘Tambar 401’ seedlings were destroyed by P. congrua third instars as were seedlings of ‘Florida 501’. Two no-choice feeding experiments (each greenhouse plot contained only one cultivar) confirmed the trends for resistance shown in the choice experiments. Overall rates of grub-induced seedling mortality in the three greenhouse experiments were 8.5% (‘Florida 501’), 10.9% (‘Nora’), 25.8% (‘Adder’), 35.7% (℈Wysor’), 41.4% (‘Collin’), and 42.3% (‘Tambar 401’). The resistance apparently is due to the nonpreference.
Social roles in captive vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus).

Behavior clusters were identified through factor analysis of individual behavior profiles over time and across groups of different composition in a captive vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus) colony. The six resulting factors were assessed through examination of (1) the behaviors contributing to each factor, (2) the properties of the factors across groups, and (3) the distribution of individuals along the factor dimensions. Three of the clusters were judged to represent the social roles of Control Male, Control Female, and Subordinate and the other three described the behaviors associated with the developmental stages of yearling (Playful-Protected), juvenile female (Infant focus) and juvenile male (Sex-Play).
Italian Silent Cinema. A Reader

Italian Silent Cinema. A Reader is an incredibly rich text, a must-read for anybody interested in studying the beginnings of cinema in Italy and its multifaceted, interdisciplinary and complex hist...
Moral hazard and contractibility in investment decisions

Abstract This paper uses a principal-agent framework to study the incentive effects of contractibility and moral hazard at the first stage of a two-stage investment decision. We show that when the intermediate signal is publicly observable and contractible, there is overinvestment (relative to the first-best) in second-stage production, purely for incentive reasons. However, if the intermediate signal cannot be contracted on and, in addition, the agent and the principal are permitted to act opportunistically, the optimal delegated investment decision is to underinvest. We discuss the implications of our analysis for the literature on costly monitoring.
Reduction of Denervation Supersensitivity of Muscle by Submechanical Threshold Stimulation

IN normally innervated adult muscle, membrane sensitivity to acetylcholine (ACh) is localised to the endplate and tendon regions1,2. After surgical denervation, this sensitivity spreads over the entire membrane surface reaching a peak within 5 to 7 d (ref. 3). Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain the restriction of ACh sensitivity in normally innervated muscle. The first suggests that a trophic substance is released from the motoneurone, restricting transmitter sensitivity to the end-plate region4,5. The second hypothesis suggests that muscle ‘activity’ generates a self-feedback loop from the muscle onto the sarcolemma thus limiting ACh sensitivity to the neuro-muscular junction3,6. Upon denervation, muscle ‘activity’ ceases and therefore the feedback loop is broken with the consequent loss of activity-mediated transmitter sensitivity restriction. Drachman and Witzke7 showed that direct electrical stimulation of the denervated rat diaphragm, resulting in contraction, suppressed the spread of ACh supersensitivity. Jones and Vrbova6 reported that chronic electrical stimulation of the extensor digitorum of rat, resulting in contractions, reduced supersensitivity to ACh subsequent to denervation.
Acute Effects of TiO2 Nanomaterials on the Viability and Taxonomic Composition of Aquatic Bacterial Communities Assessed via High-Throughput Screening and Next Generation Sequencing

The nanotechnology industry is growing rapidly, leading to concerns about the potential ecological consequences of the release of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to the environment. One challenge of assessing the ecological risks of ENMs is the incredible diversity of ENMs currently available and the rapid pace at which new ENMs are being developed. High-throughput screening (HTS) is a popular approach to assessing ENM cytotoxicity that offers the opportunity to rapidly test in parallel a wide range of ENMs at multiple concentrations. However, current HTS approaches generally test one cell type at a time, which limits their ability to predict responses of complex microbial communities. In this study toxicity screening via a HTS platform was used in combination with next generation sequencing (NGS) to assess responses of bacterial communities from two aquatic habitats, Lake Michigan (LM) and the Chicago River (CR), to short-term exposure in their native waters to several commercial TiO2 nanomaterials under simulated solar irradiation. Results demonstrate that bacterial communities from LM and CR differed in their sensitivity to nano-TiO2, with the community from CR being more resistant. NGS analysis revealed that the composition of the bacterial communities from LM and CR were significantly altered by exposure to nano-TiO2, including decreases in overall bacterial diversity, decreases in the relative abundance of Actinomycetales, Sphingobacteriales, Limnohabitans, and Flavobacterium, and a significant increase in Limnobacter. These results suggest that the release of nano-TiO2 to the environment has the potential to alter the composition of aquatic bacterial communities, which could have implications for the stability and function of aquatic ecosystems. The novel combination of HTS and NGS described in this study represents a major advance over current methods for assessing ENM ecotoxicity because the relative toxicities of multiple ENMs to thousands of naturally occurring bacterial species can be assessed simultaneously under environmentally relevant conditions.
Complexity theory, spatial simulation models, and land use dynamics in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon

Abstract Our research questions and analytical approaches are used to examine coupled human–natural systems in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon. They are based on complexity theory and extend from our earlier work in Cellular Automata (CA) in which land use/land cover (LULC) change patterns were spatially simulated to examine deforestation and agricultural extensification on household farms. The basic intent is to understand linkages between people and the environment by explicitly considering pattern–process relationships and the nature of feedback mechanisms among social, biophysical, and geographical factors that influence LULC dynamics within the study area. In this research, we describe how our CA modeling approach emphasizes the human dimensions of LULC change by including socio-economic and demographic characteristics at the household-level along with biophysical data that describe the resource endowments of farms, geographic accessibility of farms to roads and communities, and the evolving nature of human–environment interactions over time and space in response to exogenous and endogenous factors. A LULC change scenario is examined by comparing model outcomes generated for a base CA model and an alternative CA model to explore the effects of increases in household income on land use change patterns at the farm level, achieved as a consequence of improved geographic accessibility to roads and communities and increased off-farm employment as a household livelihood strategy. Growth or transitions rules in our CA model, as well as neighborhood associations are sensitive to socio-economic and demographic factors of households, resource endowments of farms, geographic accessibility, and the uncertainty associated with peasant farming in a frontier setting. Model outcomes indicate that increases in household income are associated with more land in pasture and more land being cultivated for crops as a result of greater access to agricultural markets. In addition, more land in secondary forest succession occurs as a consequence of greater access to roads and communities, thereby, affording a better opportunity for off-farm employment and greater levels of household income.
MicroRNAs Differentially Regulate Carbonyl Reductase 1 (CBR1) Gene Expression Dependent on the Allele Status of the Common Polymorphic Variant rs9024

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs responsible for the post-transcriptional regulation of a variety of human genes. To date, their involvement in the regulation of CBR1 is unknown. This study reports for the first time the identification of microRNA-574-5p (hsa-miR-574-5p) and microRNA-921 (hsa-miR-921) as two miRNAs capable of interacting with the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of the CBR1 gene and downregulating CBR1 expression. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a common single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the CBR1 3′-UTR (rs9024, CBR1 1096G>A) differentially impacts the regulation of CBR1 by hsa-miR-574-5p and hsa-miR-921 dependent on genotype. First, four candidate miRNAs were selected based on bioinformatic analyses, and were tested in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with CBR1 3′-UTR constructs harboring either the G or A allele for rs9024. We found that hsa-miR-574-5p and hsa-miR-921 significantly decreased luciferase activity in CHO cells transfected with the CBR1 3′-UTR construct carrying the major rs9024 G allele by 35% and 46%, respectively. The influence of these miRNAs was different in cells transfected with a CBR1 3′-UTR construct containing the minor rs9024 A allele in that only hsa-miR-574-5p had a demonstrable effect (i.e., 52% decrease in lucifersase activity). To further determine the functional effects of miRNA-mediated regulation of polymorphic CBR1, we assessed CBR1 protein expression and CBR1 enzymatic activity for the prototypical substrate menadione in human lymphoblastoid cell lines with distinct rs9024 genotypes. We found that hsa-miR-574-5p and hsa-miR-921 significantly decreased CBR1 protein (48% and 40%, respectively) and CBR1 menadione activity (54% and 18%, respectively) in lymphoblastoid cells homozygous for the major rs9024 G allele. In contrast, only hsa-miR-574-5p decreased CBR1 protein and CBR1 activity in cells homozygous for the minor rs9024 A allele, and did so by 49% and 56%, respectively. These results suggest that regulation of human CBR1 expression by hsa-miR-574-5p and hsa-miR-921 depends upon rs9024 genotype status.
Pilgrimage's last mile: Late Maya monument veneration at La Milpa, Belize

Abstract Pilgrimage over short distances and as the result of social stress is a well‐documented phenomenon. The movement of Classic Maya (AD 250–900) stone monuments at the site of La Milpa, in Belize, includes the resetting of fragments no longer carrying a coherent message, suggesting that this occurred during the Postclassic period after the abandonment of La Milpa, and that it was carried out by pilgrims who also deposited incense‐burners in front of some monuments. The dating of these to c. AD 1500–1650 suggests a response to the Spanish conquest of the Maya lowlands, perhaps in the form of a revitalization movement appealing to ancestral forces for aid.
Key Resources for Qualitative Congregational Research.

Congregational research using qualitative procedures is an important aspect of effective Religious Education, and appears to be growing in importance. One difficulty in surveying qualitative congre...
Pilot study to determine the effectiveness of a new neck brace design for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background/Objective: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. People with ALS who exhibit neck extensor weakness stop ambulating because they no longer can hold their head erect. Neck braces currently available resist or restrict lung expansion and are not an option for this population. This was a study of the impact a prototype neck brace had on quality of life, mobility, and breathing capacity of people with ALS. Methods: Five subjects were recruited and fitted for the prototype brace. Subjects completed a demographic form, ALS-Specific Quality of Life (ALSSQOL) survey, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) test with and without the brace. Subjects wore the brace 1 to 3 months and then repeated the measurements. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and summarize the data. Results: The initial average ALSSQOL score was 6.0. After 1 to 3 months of wearing the brace, the ALSSQOL score was 4.8. The initial FVC average showed 34.6% predicted without the brace and 37.4% predicted with the brace. After 1 to 3 months, the FVC average was 32.85% without the brace and 36% with the brace. Conclusion: The prototype neck brace allows ALS patients with neck weakness to remain ambulatory while improving or maintaining their respiratory status. Although this pilot study had a small number of subjects, the brace was shown to be beneficial in terms of quality of life and improved respirations. Even small improvements have a large impact clinically in this patient population. Normal 0 7.8 磅 0 2 false false false EN-US ZH-CN X-NONE
Use of drug-eluting stent for aggressive in-stent restenosis in a fractured renal artery stent caused by a mobile kidney

804 Use of drug-eluting stent for aggressive in-stent restenosis in a fractured renal artery stent caused by a mobile kidney S Khawaja, H Ahmed, N Husain Division of Cardiology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
DIFFERENTIAL INFLUENCE OF EGF, TGFβ1, DHT, AND CORTISOL ON EGF-RECEPTOR(EGF-R) BINDING ACTIVITY IN LATE GESTATION FETAL RAT LUNG FIBROBLASTS. † 335

Lung cell differentiation is predominantly regulated by Fibroblast-Type II cell communication. We have shown that EGF is important in controlling the timing of this process and that EGF-R binding activity peaks on day 18-19 of gestation in fetal rat lung fibroblasts and declines thereafter, in agreement with regulation of this cell-cell communication. Hormones and growth factors exert positive and negative influences on lung cell differentiation, but whether they regulate EGF-R binding is unknown. We hypothesize that positive[EGF, Cortisol] and negative [TGFβ1, dihydrotestosterone (DHT)] regulators of lung cell differentiation affect EGF-R binding activity. We studied this in differentiated fetal lung fibroblasts at the time in late gestation when EGF-R activity is declining. Sex-specific fetal rat lung fibroblasts of day 21 (term=22) were cultured in DMEM + 10% fetal calf serum as control or with either: 1) EGF (10ng/ml); 2) Cortisol (10-8M); 3) TGFβ1 (2ng/ml); 4) DHT (10-8M). At confluence specific EGF binding was measured as the difference between total binding (measured using 0.4 ng/ml125 I-EGF) and nonspecific binding (measured in the presence of a 500-fold excess of unlabelled EGF). Specific EGF-binding was elevated in fibroblasts grown in TGFβ1 (245±212 cpm/nmol DNA) and in DHT(280±81) as compared to controls (153±91) or to cells grown in EGF (192±55) or in Cortisol (153±55) [Mean±SD; N=4-9/condition]. This difference was present in both sexes, for example in female fibroblasts: TGFβ1 (270±87), DHT (265±91) vs. Control (127±18), EGF (165±10) and Cortisol (135±46). These data are consistent with postive factors advancing terminal differentiation (i.e. further decreasing EGF-R binding) while negative factors mimic an earlier stage of differentiation (i.e. increasing EGF-R binding). We conclude that factors that promote or inhibit the initiation of developmental differentiation regulate EGF-R activity even after cell-cell communication is established. This indicates that such factors continue to regulate the progression of lung cellular developmental differentiation. (HL 37930 and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
Perturbations of open sets of attainability

We show that the set of pointsG on then-dimensional manifold, for which the set of attainability is open, is open itself and that ifx andy are points in the same connected component ofG then their sets of attainability,A(x) andA(y) are equal.
A study of the NOAA‐15 AMSU‐A brightness temperatures from 1998 through 2007

[1] Global mean brightness temperatures from the NOAA-15 Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) over the period from May 1998 through December 2007 are studied. A time series of global daily mean brightness temperatures are constructed. These time series show a clear pattern of annual variation of the measurements which can be modeled with a Fourier series. After the annual variation as represented by the Fourier series is removed from the time series, extraannual variations of the measurements are obtained for examination of information about climate trends. Linear regressions of the extraannual variations at individual channels are performed, and the results demonstrate that the slopes for channels below the tropopause are positive whereas those above it are negative. This is strong evidence that the troposphere is warming and that the stratosphere is cooling. It is interesting to note that channel 5 has a slope of 0.0092 Kelvin per annum (K/a; or 0.092 K/decade) which agrees well with some of currently known climate trends of the middle troposphere. Diurnal variations of the monthly mean brightness temperatures measured over the globe with three AMSU-A radiometers onboard NOAA-15, -16, and -17, respectively, are also studied to provide a simple approach for correction of the effect of drifts of local equator crossing time on the data. A sensitivity test of the climate trend detection demonstrates that the method developed in this study can accurately detect an arbitrary climate trend which is introduced into the time series.
The Case for Less, Not More, US FDA Regulation

The article byNeumann et al. in this issue is an important contribution to the literature; one that shedsmuch light on a heretofore largely overlooked aspect of Section 114 of the 1997 Food and Drug Modernization Act (FDMA). The article describes how Section 114 has been interpreted and used by major US pharmaceutical firms with respect to the dissemination and communication of a pharmaceutical product’s economic value to health plans, formulary decision makers and similar organizations. The authors’ argument for greater clarity on the topic by the US FDA deserves to be echoed loudly, as does their appeal for flexibility with respect to its interpretation. The article, which fills a long-standing lacuna in the literature, is particularly timely, as the authors of the article emphasize, because new and evolving comparative effectiveness research (CER) legislation will potentially affect many Section 114 claims. The purpose of this commentary is to offer a larger context within which the findings and arguments of Neumann et al. might be considered: a free-market context. When new pharmaceutical regulations and policies are proposed, it is always in society’s best interest to consider the cost-benefit calculus of the proposed government intervention, and to ask the question ‘Will the new regulation lead to net social benefits relative to the benefits in the absence of the regulation?’ Alternatively, and more generally, the following question might be considered: ‘Will the regulation facilitate or impede free market forces and outcomes?’ To be certain, there are numerous circumstances, or market failures, that do indeed justify government intervention to improve upon unregulated market outcomes. Intellectual property rights established via government-enforced limited-term patents is one example; one that is a defining feature of pharmaceutical markets, and that significantly affects the industry’s structure, conduct and performance. Information, for example, themolecular structure of a new pharmaceutical or biologic, is a public good once the product is brought to market (and often much sooner). As such, in the absence of patents, this new information is non-rival and non-excludable; consumption/acquisition of this information, by any individual or organization, does not reduce its availability for consumption by anyone else. And once the information is public (published), without patents, no-one can be excluded from consuming the information. Without limited-term patents, there would be virtually no economic incentive to invest in R&D, and there would be no pharmaceutical innovation, ceteris paribus. Of course,
MAGNETIC PHASE DIAGRAM OF THE HUBBARD MODEL IN THREE DIMENSIONS : THE SECOND-ORDER LOCAL APPROXIMATION

A local, second-order (truncated) approximation is applied to the Hubbard model in three dimensions. Lowering the temperature, at half-filling, the paramagnetic ground state becomes unstable towards the formation of a commensurate spin-density-wave (SDW) state (antiferromagnetism) and sufficiently far away from half-filling towards the formation of incommensurate SDW states. The incommensurate-ordering wave vector does not deviate much from the commensurate one, which is in accordance with the experimental data for the SDW in chromium alloys. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
The modern distribution of chironomid sub-fossils (Insecta: Diptera) in Costa Rica and the development of a regional chironomid-based temperature inference model

Chironomids have been shown to provide robust reconstructions of past temperature change and variability. This is the first study to assess the contemporaneous relationship between the distribution of sub-fossil chironomids and limnological and climatic parameters in Central America. Here, we describe the distribution of chironomids in a suite of 51 lakes in Costa Rica. We identify environmental variables that account for a statistically significant amount of variance in midge distribution, and develop a quantitative chironomid-based inference model for mean annual air temperature (MAT). Psectrocladius, which is documented for the first time in Costa Rica, dominate high-elevation lakes characterized by low MAT and relatively dilute water. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that MAT and conductivity account for large, statistically significant amounts of variance in the distribution of chironomids. A chironomid-based inference model for MAT, developed using a partial least squares approach, provided robust performance statistics with a high coefficient of determination and a relatively low root-mean square error. Application of the chironomid-based inference model for MAT to chironomid stratigraphies spanning the Holocene, together with the ecological information provided by this study, will enable us to address many outstanding questions relating to long-term climate and environmental change in the region.
Influence of Irrigation on Mineral Concentrations in Three Old World Bluestem Species

Old world bluestems (Bothriochloa spp.) are grown widely in the Texas High Plains under both irrigated and dryland conditions, but little is known regarding their mineral characteristics. Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz), B. ischaemum (L.) Keng. var. ischaemum (Hack.), and B. caucasica (Trin.) were dryland managed and surface drip-irrigated with low, medium, and high irrigation levels from 2001 to 2003. Water applied in the high treatment was 100% replacement of grass reference evapotranspiration minus precipitation. Medium and low treatments were 66 and 33% of the high treatment. Concentrations of P, Al, Fe, S, Cu, Zn, and Mn in plants were greater under dryland than with irrigation. Magnesium and Zn concentration increased while Fe decreased with increasing irrigation. Concentrations of P, Cu, and K were lower at medium irrigation than either high or low irrigation. Overall, effects of irrigation on most minerals were minor. Bothriochloa bladhii was higher in Mg (2.6 g kg -1 ), K (14.6 g kg -1 ), Ca (10.0 g kg -1 ), Al (649 mg kg -1 ), and Cu (5.2 mg kg -1 ) concentrations than the other two spedes. Manganese concentrations increased with increasing irrigation in B. caucasica (44-61 mg kg -1 ) and ischaemum (57-83 mg kg -1 ), but not in B. bladhii (average 71 mg kg -1 ). In general, B. bladhii would provide greater mineral concentrations to grazing animals than either B. caucasica or B. ischaemum, but P, S, Cu, Na, and Zn supplements are likely needed.
Moduli of finite flat group schemes, and modularity

We prove that, under some mild conditions, a two dimensional p-adic Galois representation which is residually modular and potentially Barsotti-Tate at p is modular. This provides a more conceptual way of establishing the Shimura-Taniyama-Weil conjecture, especially for elliptic curves which acquire good reduction over a wildly ramified extension of ℚ 3 . The main ingredient is a new technique for analyzing flat deformation rings. It involves resolving them by spaces which parametrize finite flat group scheme models of Galois representations. Introduction.
EQUILIBRIUM PROPERTIES OF ZINC

Total-energy and electronic-structure calculations have been performed for elemental zinc in the fcc, bcc, and hcp structures, using the general-potential linearized-augmented-plane-wave method within the local-density approximation. Calculated static structural properties for the hcp structure in good agreement with experimental data as well as the correct ordering of phases are obtained. In order to assess the importance of non-muffin-tin contributions to the potential, calculations have also been performed using a muffin-tin-approximation augmented-plane-wave code. It is found that, while the close-packed fcc phase can be rather well described using a muffin-tin potential, the bcc phase is not as well described in this approximation.
Miniature all-silica optical fiber pressure sensor with an ultrathin uniform diaphragm

This paper presents an all-silica miniature optical fiber pressure/acoustic sensor based on the Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometric principle. The endface of the etched optical fiber tip and silica thin diaphragm on it form the FP structure. The uniform and thin silica diaphragm was fabricated by etching away the silicon substrate from a commercial silicon wafer that has a thermal oxide layer. The thin film was directly thermally bonded to the endface of the optical fiber thus creating the Fabry-Perot cavity. Thin films with a thickness from 1microm to 3microm have been bonded successfully. The sensor shows good linearity and hysteresis during measurement. A sensor with 0.75 microm-thick diaphragm thinned by post silica etching was demonstrated to have a sensitivity of 11 nm/kPa. The new sensor has great potential to be used as a non-intrusive pressure sensor in a variety of sensing applications.
An extension of the theory of intermediate structure.

Abstract An extension of the intermediate-model formalism is discussed, which applies to any scattering problem in which the entrance channel couples directly, not only to the doorway states but also to “compound-nucleus” states. A detailed expression for the average scattering amplitude is obtained, and the consistency of the formalism is shown by proving that the condition |〈S〉|2 ⩽ 1 is always satisfied.
Constrained near-minimax rational approximations to Dawson's integral

This paper develops a family of rational functions for computing Dawson's integral F(x). The near-minimax rational approximation formulas we derive have positive coefficients and provide a simple, uniform method for calculating F(x). Unlike some frequently used methods, our approach does not involve segmented approximation to cover the whole approximation interval |x| < ~. The rational approximation formulas we present are particularly useful in applications where modest accuracy is sufficient and computational efficiency and convenience are paramount.
Magnetic separation of submicron particles

The application of high gradient magnetic separation to the capture of submicron-sized particles is studied. The steady state solution of the diffusion equation applicable to diffusion processes taking place under the influence of external forces is obtained. The relevance of the critical particle size to the phenomena of dynamic and static capture is discussed for various materials ranging from ferromagnetic to diamagnetic. The experimental results obtained are shown to be in satisfactory agreement with the theoretical predictions.
The tenacious past: Theories of personal and collective conservatism

Abstract A number of theories have been developed to explain why societies do not always adapt to changing conditions. These are critiqued here, with an emphasis on their substantive and methodological differences. Some theories ascribe lack of adaptation to personal conservatism, attachment to the past by the individual members of society. Others invoke collective conservatism, the attachment of society as a whole to collective past choices. Methodologically, the theories differ in the extent to which they resort to optimistic functionalism. A limitation common to most is that they overlook the feedback from actual choices to individuals' beliefs and preferences.
A Numerical Model to Simulate Diffuse Effects in Microfluidic Fuel Cells

A 2D numerical model is developed for a laminar flow fuel cell considering ion transport and the electric double layer around the electrodes. The Frumkin-Butler-Volmer equation is used for the fuel cell kinetics. The finite volume method is used to form algebraic equations from governing partial differential equations. The numerical solution was obtained using Newton’s method and a block TDMA solver. The model accounts for the coupling of charged ion transport with the electric field and is able to fully resolve the diffuse regions of the electric double layer in both the stream-wise and cross-channel directions. Different operating phenomena, such as laminar flow separation and the development of the depletion boundary layers and electric double layers are obtained. These numerical results demonstrate the model’s ability to capture the complex behavior of a microfluidic fuel cell which has been ignored in previous 1D models.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
MULTIPLE EFFECTS OF UV RADIATION (265–330 NM) ON FUNGAL SPORE EMERGENCE

— We have investigated the influence of narrow-band UV radiation, 265–330 nm. on germination of spores of the fungus Cladosporium cucumerinum Ellis and Arth., using a Xe arc lamp and filters. Reciprocity of time and dose rate was demonstrated when fungal spores were subjected to UV radiation at 325 nm but failed to hold at 265 nm. Based on these findings, data on fluence response, and partial action spectra, we propose that there are two biologically active sites in this organism that are affected by radiation between 265 and 330 nm and that might be influenced by changes in the stratospheric ozone layer: a short-wave-sensitive site (265–295 nm) and a long-wave-sensitive site (300–330 nm). Data obtained with narrow-band interference filters confirmed previous reports of damage to nucleic acid from UV at 265–295 nm and in addition demonstrated significant inhibition by UV at 300–320 nm. Further studies of the 300 330 nm portion of the spectrum, using combinations of plastic and glass filters, showed that the influence of UV radiation in this region was primarily to produce a non-photoreactivable delay in germ-tube emergence.
Diaphragm pacing for respiratory insufficiency

Diaphragm pacing (DP) by electrical stimulation of the phrenic nerve offers important advantages to a highly select group of patients with respiratory paralysis. The patient wears an external radiofrequency (RF) transmitter over an implanted receiver, and a stimulating current is induced without the need for any transcutaneous wires. We review the conditions and requirements of patients who may benefit most from DP. We outline the preoperative evaluation and procedures for surgical implantation. We discuss the risk of diaphragmatic fatigue posed by initiation of DP and the use of gradual conditioning to limit this problem. Other problems encountered by patients in the course of DP can be minimized by well-instructed home caregivers and by systematic medical follow-up. Although a few patients derive considerable benefit from DP, many patients with respiratory paralysis are better treated by less invasive means such as nasal bilevel positive airway pressure or intermittent positive pressure ventilation, which we also review.
Genome-Wide Insertional Mutagenesis of Arabidopsis thaliana

Over 225,000 independent Agrobacterium transferred DNA (T-DNA) insertion events in the genome of the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana have been created that represent near saturation of the gene space. The precise locations were determined for more than 88,000 T-DNA insertions, which resulted in the identification of mutations in more than 21,700 of the approximately 29,454 predicted Arabidopsis genes. Genome-wide analysis of the distribution of integration events revealed the existence of a large integration site bias at both the chromosome and gene levels. Insertion mutations were identified in genes that are regulated in response to the plant hormone ethylene.
Indexical and Social Boundary Communication

In the first chapter, I discussed two theories of variation pertaining tothe external decoration of the house. The first, termed indexical communication, relates to how the residents of households use decorative elaboration to communicate about wealth status to other households. The other, which I termed social boundary communication, stems from the argument that members of strongly integrated social entities will demarcate boundaries between themselves and other social entities using material communication in the form of decorative elaboration. This hypothesis was proposed by Hodder (1982: 185–191), based on comments in Douglas (1970; cf. Wobst 1977). Social boundary communication might include house facade decoration and other aspects of house decoration in the context of strongly integrated households, as is hinted at by Waterson (1990: 139) in her discussion of “house societies” in Southeast Asia (following the suggestions of Levi-Strauss 1982: Chapter 13; cf. Marshall 1989: 20). Although it is not necessarily the case that indexical and social boundary communication represent antithetical theories of external decoration, I evaluate them comparatively below.
Bringing Good Food In A History of New York City’s Greenmarket Program

This paper examines the history of New York City’s Greenmarket program, a municipal farmers market program designed to bring fresh local food to New Yorkers as well as to prevent the loss of region...
Cross Layer Ad hoc Multiple channel Multicasting Protocol

Capacity improvement is one of the major challenges in the design of mobile ad hoc networks. Use of multiple channels is a useful technique in order to achieve capacity improvement by allowing nodes that need to exchange data to operate on the same channel and nodes that do not need to exchange data to operate on different channels. In the recent past some research has been done in the area of improving channel capacity using multiple channels for unicast flows. However we are not aware of any prior work for improving the channel capacity for multicast flows. We present the Cross Layer Ad hoc Multiple channel Multicasting Protocol (CLAMMP) for mobile ad hoc networks (MANET's). CLAMMP is the first protocol for MANET's which uses multiple channels to increase capacity for multicasting flows. CLAMMP is a cross-layered protocol in the sense that it traverses both the routing as well as the MAC layers. Using simulations in Qualnet 3.5, we compare CLAMMP with PUMA (tree-mode) and ODMRP, which are representatives of mesh-based and tree-based multicast routing in ad hoc networks. The results from a wide range of scenarios show that CLAMMP improves network capacity by an order of magnitude compared to the other two protocols.
A biomechanical comparison of the FasT-Fix meniscal repair suture system and the RapidLoc device in cadaver meniscus.

Purpose: This biomechanical study compared the fixation characteristics of horizontally or vertically implanted FasT-Fix devices (Smith & Nephew, Endoscopy Division, Andover, MA) consisting of two 5-mm PLLA suture T-bar anchors with a pretied self-sliding knot (No. 0 nonabsorbable, USP, braided polyester suture material) and the RapidLoc device (Mitek Surgical Products, Westwood, MA) consisting of a PLLA T-bar anchor or "backstop," a connecting suture (No. 2 nonbiodegradable Ethibond; Ethicon, Somerville, NJ), and a PLLA grommet, for repairing posterior third lesions in human menisci. Type of Study: Controlled laboratory biomechanical study. Methods: After repair of a vertical longitudinal meniscus lesion with either vertically or horizontally implanted FasT-Fix devices or RapidLoc devices, 3 groups of 6 specimens underwent cyclic loading (5 mm/minute, cycling between 5 and 50 N at 1 Hz for 500 cycles) before load to failure testing on a servo hydraulic device. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD post hoc tests were used to evaluate group differences ( P Results: The vertical FasT-Fix device group (3.2 ± 0.49 mm) had less displacement after cyclic testing than either the horizontal FasT-Fix (4.4 ± 0.73 mm, P = .003) or the RapidLoc (4.6 ± 0.22 mm, P = .002) device groups. The vertical FasT-Fix device group had greater stiffness during cyclic testing (14.4 ± 2.1 N/mm) than the horizontal FasT-Fix (10.4 ± 1.6 N/mm, P = .0001) or the RapidLoc (9.7 ± 0.44 N/mm, P = .0001) device groups. During load to failure testing, the vertical FasT-Fix group (125.3 ± 39 N) had 28% greater strength than the horizontal FasT-Fix device group (89.7 ± 14 N, P = .02) and 30% greater strength than the RapidLoc device group (87.1 ± 13 N, P = .028), whereas displacement and stiffness did not show statistically significant group differences. Conclusions: The vertical FasT-Fix group had superior biomechanical characteristics for meniscal fixation during cyclic and load to failure testing compared with horizontal FasT-Fix or RapidLoc devices. Clinical Relevance: Although the RapidLoc devices provided fixation characteristics comparable to horizontally implanted FasT-Fix devices, vertically implanted FasT-Fix devices may provide superior all-inside fixation.
Frequent ice cream consumption is associated with reduced striatal response to receipt of an ice cream-based milkshake.

Background: Weight gain leads to reduced reward-region responsivity to energy-dense food receipt, and consumption of an energydense diet compared with an isocaloric, low-energy-density diet leads to reduced dopamine receptors. Furthermore, phasic dopamine signaling to palatable food receipt decreases after repeated intake of that food, which collectively suggests that frequent intake of an energy-dense food may reduce striatal response to receipt of that food. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that frequent ice cream consumption would be associated with reduced activation in rewardrelated brain regions (eg, striatum) in response to receipt of an ice cream–based milkshake and examined the influence of adipose tissue and the specificity of this relation. Design: Healthy-weight adolescents (n = 151) underwent fMRI during receipt of a milkshake and during receipt of a tasteless solution. Percentage body fat, reported food intake, and food craving and liking were assessed. Results: Milkshake receipt robustly activated the striatal regions, yet frequent ice cream consumption was associated with a reduced response to milkshake receipt in these reward-related brain regions. Percentage body fat, total energy intake, percentage of energy from fat and sugar, and intake of other energy-dense foods were not related to the neural response to milkshake receipt. Conclusions: Our results provide novel evidence that frequent consumption of ice cream, independent of body fat, is related to a reduction in reward-region responsivity in humans, paralleling the tolerance observed in drug addiction. Data also imply that intake of a particular energy-dense food results in attenuated reward-region responsivity specifically to that food, which suggests that sensory aspects of eating and reward learning may drive the specificity. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;95:810–7.
The persistence of memory: a unique niche for IgG memory B cells.

The concept of immunologic memory has been documented since ancient times. Indeed, in 450 BC, the Greek historian Thuydices observed that those who had survived a disease were most apt to visit the newly stricken, because “[they] knew it was from experience, and had now no fear for themselves, for the same man was never attacked twice.” Despite this long-standing appreciation, the mechanisms responsible for immunologic memory have proven elusive. This is particularly true for the mediators of humoral immunity, B lymphocytes.
Timecard: controlling user-perceived delays in server-based mobile applications

Providing consistent response times to users of mobile applications is challenging because there are several variable delays between the start of a user's request and the completion of the response. These delays include location lookup, sensor data acquisition, radio wake-up, network transmissions, and processing on both the client and server. To allow applications to achieve consistent response times in the face of these variable delays, this paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of the Timecard system. Timecard provides two abstractions: the first returns the time elapsed since the user started the request, and the second returns an estimate of the time it would take to transmit the response from the server to the client and process the response at the client. With these abstractions, the server can adapt its processing time to control the end-to-end delay for the request. Implementing these abstractions requires Timecard to track delays across multiple asynchronous activities, handle time skew between client and server, and estimate network transfer times. Experiments with Timecard incorporated into two mobile applications show that the end-to-end delay is within 50 ms of the target delay of 1200 ms over 90% of the time.
Clock regenerating effect for NRZ data due to higher-order polarization mode dispersion

Summary form only given. We verify that the extracted clock power from the received non-return-to-zero (NRZ) data is correlated with higher-order PMD. After first-order compensation, higher clock power corresponds to a higher power penalty. Therefore, the clock power may be used for a multi-section PMD compensator as an auxiliary feedback signal. It is important to note that, when considering only first-order PMD, the clock component would not be extracted at the receiver. In contrast, the clock can be used as first-order PMD monitor for return-to-zero (RZ) data.
A classroom demonstration of hypothesis testing

Summary This article describes a classroom demonstration that may be used to encourage students’ development and understanding of the idea of hypothesis testing.
High-power Gaussian-beam reflector waveguide for use with a gyrotron quasi-optical mode converter

Analytic expressions for the reflector curvatures along with measured radiation patterns are given for a high-power Gaussian-beam reflector waveguide. The transverse phase structure of the beams considered are not accurately described by the simple Gaussian-beam relations so that the usual ABCD-matrix formulation is not appropriate to the type of beams and beam-forming networks considered.