cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Butt-coupled laser diode: wavelength tuning and optical noise

Coherent optical feedback into a continuously operating AlGaAs laser diode (LD) causes optical power fluctuation as well as a spectrum shift. Even extremely weak levels of external feedback were shown to influence LD spectral properties. We analyzed the dependence on external cavity length of the output wavelength, modal structure and optical noise of a high-power LD (HPLD) used in an extremely short external cavity configuration, that is realized via butt-coupling into an optical fiber.
Spatiotemporal Periodicity During Atrial Fibrillation in the Isolated Sheep Heart

Background —The activation patterns that underlie the irregular electrical activity during atrial fibrillation (AF) have traditionally been described as disorganized or random. Recent studies, based predominantly on statistical methods, have provided evidence that AF is spatially organized. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the presence of spatial and temporal periodicity during AF. Methods and Results —We used a combination of high-resolution video imaging, ECG recordings, and spectral analysis to identify sequential wave fronts with temporal periodicity and similar spatial patterns of propagation during 20 episodes of AF in 6 Langendorff-perfused sheep hearts. Spectral analysis of AF demonstrated multiple narrow-band peaks with a single dominant peak in all cases (mean, 9.4±2.6 Hz; cycle length, 112±26 ms). Evidence of spatiotemporal periodicity was found in 12 of 20 optical recordings of the right atrium (RA) and in all (n=19) recordings of the left atrium (LA). The cycle length of spatiotemporal periodic waves correlated with the dominant frequency of their respective optical pseudo-ECGs (LA: R 2 =0.99, slope=0.94 [95% CI, 0.88 to 0.99]; RA: R 2 =0.97, slope=0.92 [95% CI, 0.80 to 1.03]). The dominant frequency of the LA pseudo-ECG alone correlated with the global bipolar atrial EG ( R 2 =0.76, slope=0.75 [95% CI, 0.52 to 0.99]). In specific examples, sources of periodic activity were seen as rotors in the epicardial sheet or as periodic breakthroughs that most likely represented transmural pectinate muscle reentry. However, in the majority of cases, periodic waves were seen to enter the mapping area from the edge of the field of view. Conclusions —Reentry in anatomically or functionally determined circuits forms the basis of spatiotemporal periodic activity during AF. The cycle length of sources in the LA determines the dominant peak in the frequency spectra in this experimental model of AF.
Glucose Tolerance, Insulin Release, and Insulin Binding to Monocytes in Kidney Transplant Recipients

In order to evaluate glucose tolerance following renal transplantation, intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT), with evaluation of hormonal responses to the intravenous glucose load and percent specific 125 I-insulin binding to peripheral blood monocytes, were studied in eight clinically stable kidney transplant recipients. For comparison purposes, identical studies were done in eight control subjects and seven clinically stable hemodialysis patients. One transplant recipient was glucose intolerant, with fasting hyperglycemia, elevated HbA 1c , and abnormal glucose decay constant. Impaired pancreatic insulin release appeared to be the major factor accounting for his glucose intolerance. The seven glucose-tolerant transplant recipients had significantly increased insulin release during IVGTT compared to control subjects, and significant correlations were found among insulin release, glucose decay constant, and fasting blood sugar in those patients. Insulin binding to monocytes was significantly greater in transplant recipients than control subjects due to an increase in insulin binding capacity per cell. A significant correlation was found between percent specific 125 I-insulin binding and steroid dose, expressed as mg/kg body weight/day, in those patients. Thus, chronic steroid administration does not cause glucose intolerance in transplant recipients who manifest steroid-associated increases in pancreatic insulin release and cellular insulin binding capacity.
An estimate for the lifetimes of the collective modes in simple classical liquids

Abstract Lifetimes of the high-frequency collective modes in simple argon-like classical liquids are estimated using a variational technique due to Zwanzig. It is assumed that the decay of these modes is due to the inhomogeneities in the system, giving rise to the mode-mode interactions. An expression for the lifetimes of both the longitudinal and the transverse components of the collective modes is written in terms of a cutoff parameter q 0 ; this corresponds to the correlation length or the first peak in the structure factor S ( k ). From our estimates, these collective excitations have lifetimes of about 1.4 × 10 -13 s , which is consistent with recent analysis of the molecular-dynamics experiments.
Investigations on the expansion dynamics of Ge atoms produced from laser-ablated GeO 2

Time-resolved optical emission measurements have been made in laser-generated plumes following ArF-laser irradiation of GeO2 targets. The temporal behavior of Ge atoms is reported as a function of distance from the target surface and ambient pressure from vacuum to 200 m Torr of O2. An analysis of the expansion characteristics using a drag model provides good agreement with the experimental data and the dependence of the breaking of the plume expansion with oxygen pressure is established. The drag model analysis coupled with spectroscopic observations demonstrate a plume expansion process that is dominated by non-reactive collisional interactions between the background gas and the ejected species. The results of this study are also discussed with respect to thin-film deposition by laser ablation.
Expression of sulfated gangliosides in the central nervous system

Several sulfated lipids were detected in the ganglioside fraction isolated from a cell line of oligodendrocyte progenitors that had been metabolically labeled with [35S] sulfate. Separation of the ganglioside fraction by two-dimensional TLC showed that, except for galactosylceramide-sulfate, none of the sulfate-labeled lipids comigrated with those glycosphingolipids visualized by orcinol staining, indicating that these sulfolipids were quantitatively minor components. At least eight sulfate-labeled lipid bands were susceptible to desialylation by Arthrobacter ureafaciens neuraminidase, which resulted in the formation of three new bands that retained the labeled sulfate. Six of the sulfate-labeled lipid bands containing sialic acid were also susceptible to Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase, which generated two labeled bands that appeared identical to the two major products formed after treatment with A. ureafaciens neuraminidase. In vivo labeling of lipids from 14-day-old rat brain with [35S]-sulfate demonstrated that the synthesis of sulfated lipids containing sialic acid also occurred in intact brain tissue. These results show that sulfated gangliosides are synthesized in the CNS and that oligodendrocytes are one cell type that contributes to this synthesis.
Phase II study of medroxyprogesterone acetate plus tamoxifen in advanced endometrial carcinoma: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study.

Abstract Objectives . The objectives of this study were to estimate the clinical response rate and toxicity of daily tamoxifen combined with intermittent weekly medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). Methods . This study reports the results of 61 patients with measurable advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma enrolled on this study to be treated with tamoxifen 40 mg p.o. daily plus alternating weekly cycles of MPA 200 mg p.o. daily. Results . One patient was excluded and two patients did not receive study treatment. The percent of patients responding (6 complete and 13 partial) was 33% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21–46%) among 58 eligible patients who received therapy. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3 months and median overall survival (OS) was 13 months. Conclusion . The combination of daily tamoxifen and intermittent weekly medroxyprogesterone acetate is an active treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma. Further investigation of this combination is appropriate.
Chronic Electroconvulsive Seizures Increase the Expression of Serotonin2 Receptor mRNA in Rat Frontal Cortex

: The present study examines the influence of electroconvulsive seizure (ECS), as well as antidepressant drugs, on levels of serotonin2 (5-HT2) receptor mRNA in rat frontal cortex. Using a sensitive RNase protective assay, preliminary studies demonstrated the predicted regional distribution for the 5-HT2 receptor mRNA: levels of 5-HT2 mRNA were highest in frontal cortex (2.58 amol/μg of total RNA), intermediate in neostriatum, thalamus, and midbrain, and lowest in hippocampus, cerebellum, and choroid plexus. Chronic (10 or 14 days), but not acute (1 or 3 days), ECS treatment significantly increased levels of 5-HT2 receptor mRNA. ECS treatment resulted in a similar time-dependent up-regulation of 5-HT2 receptor ligand binding; chronic, but not acute, ECS treatment significantly increased levels of [3H]ketanserin ligand binding, confirming previous reports. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that 5-HT2 receptor mRNA occurs as two bands (∼5 and 6 kb in size), both of which were increased by chronic ECS treatment. The influence of antidepressant drug treatments on 5-HT2 receptor mRNA was also examined. Chronic fluoxetine treatment increased levels of 5-HT2 receptor mRNA, although levels of [3H]ketanserin ligand binding were not altered. In contrast, chronic administration of imipramine, mianserin, and tranylcypromine, treatments that decreased ligand binding, did not decrease levels of 5-HT2 receptor mRNA. In fact, mianserin treatment caused a small, but significant, increase in levels of receptor mRNA. The results suggest that ECS up-regulation of 5-HT2 receptor mRNA could underlie the increased density of 5-HT2 receptor binding sites in response to this treatment, but that other mechanisms likely operate in the down-regulation of 5-HT2 receptor ligand binding by antidepressant drug treatments.
Physiological host range of two highly specialised mutualistic symbiotes: the fly Fergusonina turneri and its obligate nematode Fergusobia quinquenerviae, potential biocontrol agents of Melaleuca quinquenervia.

Abstract In Australia, galls develop on Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake (Myrtaceae) as a result of the mutualistic association between the fly Fergusonina turneri Taylor (Diptera: Fergusoninidae) and its obligate nematode Fergusobia quinquenerviae Davies & Giblin-Davis (Tylenchida: Sphaerulariidae). The nematode induces gall formation, whereas the fly promotes gall maturation. Together they exploit M. quinquenervia buds and may inhibit stem elongation and flower formation. We delimited the physiological host range of this pair to determine their suitability as biological control agents of invasive M. quinquenervia populations in Florida, USA. Host use was assessed for eight species of Myrtaceae native to Florida, eight phylogenetically related ornamental species and oviposition alone on five non-myrtaceous species. Although oviposition was less specific, galls developed and matured only on M. quinquenervia. After establishment, galls are predicted to prevent flower and seed production, thereby r...
Warehousing and mining Web logs

Analyzing Web Logs for usage and access trends can not only provide important information to web site developers and administrators, but also help in creating adaptive web sites. While there are many existing tools that generate fixed reports from web logs, they typically do not allow ad-hoc analysis queries. Moreover, such tools cannot discover hidden patterns of access embedded in the access logs. We describe a relational OLAP (ROLAP) approach for creating a web-log warehouse. This is populated both from web logs, as well as the results of mining web logs. We also present a web based ad-hoc tool for analytic queries on the warehouse. We discuss the design criteria that influenced our choice of dimensions, facts and data granularity, and present the results from analyzing and mining the logs.
Hot Forging of Spherical Particles with Nanocrystalline Microstructures

An alternate method for fabricating ceramics with fine- or nano- scale microstructures is presented. Powder consisting of 2–25 μm diameter spherical particles (average 16 μm) obtained by plasma melting of spray-dried powder and quenching into water, were hot pressed and hot forged. Three different compositions were studied: eutectic alumina-zirconia, the eutectic composition with 1%Y2O3, and the eutectic composition with borosilicate glass. As-quenched particles (Al2O3–(1%Y2O3)ZrO2) contained both amorphous material and 50–80 nm crystallites. Microstructural development of the Al2O3–(1%Y2O3) ZrO2 was followed from room temperature up to hot pressing/hot forging temperatures. When fully dense after forging at 1350°C, the microstructure contained ZrO2 phases <100 nm in diameter embedded in the Al2O3 matrix. Al2O3 grains had an irregular morphology and were on the scale of ~1 μm diameter. A higher order structure designated as cells, containing a few of these grains, were enclosed by boundaries decorated with ZrO2 particles.
Strongly Coupled Porphyrin Arrays Featuring Both π-Cofacial and Linear-π-Conjugative Interactions

A combination of metal-catalyzed cross-coupling and metal-templated cycloaddition reactions have been utilized to establish multiporphyrin compounds 5-(5‘-[15‘,15‘ ‘-bis(10‘ ‘,20‘ ‘-di[4-(3-methoxy-3-methylbutoxy)phenyl]porphinato)zinc(II)]ethyne)-6-[(5‘ ‘‘-10‘ ‘‘,20‘ ‘‘-di[4-(3-methoxy-3-methylbutoxy)phenyl]porphinato)zinc(II)]indane (1) and 5,6-bis(5‘-15‘,15‘ ‘-bis[(10‘,20‘-di[4-(3-methoxy-3-methylbutoxy)phenyl]porphinato)zinc(II)]ethyne)indane (2). Compounds 1 and 2 feature a covalently bridged cofacial bis(porphinato)metal core; ethyne bridging moieties conjugate directly one and two respective peripheral (porphinato)zinc(II) substituents to the macrocyclic framework of their corresponding face-to-face porphyrin units. Optical spectroscopy and electrochemical studies demonstrate substantive electronic interactions between the porphyrin subunits of these compounds. Notably, structural and 1H NMR analyses verify that 1 and 2 possess open conformations necessary for binding small molecules within their r...
Two main problems in the sociology of morality

Sociologists often ask why particular groups of people have the moral views that they do. I argue that sociology’s empirical research on morality relies, implicitly or explicitly, on unsophisticated and even obsolete ethical theories, and thus is based on inadequate conceptions of the ontology, epistemology, and semantics of morality. In this article I address the two main problems in the sociology of morality: (1) the problem of moral truth, and (2) the problem of value freedom. I identify two ideal–typical approaches. While the Weberian paradigm rejects the concept of moral truth, the Durkheimian paradigm accepts it. By contrast, I argue that sociology should be metaphysically agnostic, yet in practice it should proceed as though there were no moral truths. The Weberians claim that the sociology of morality can and should be value free; the Durkheimians claim that it cannot and it should not. My argument is that, while it is true that factual statements presuppose value judgments, it does not follow that sociologists are moral philosophers in disguise. Finally, I contend that in order for sociology to improve its understanding of morality, better conceptual, epistemological, and methodological foundations are needed.
SKIN ANTIGENS IN THE CHICK EMBRYO IN RELATION TO OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL EVENTS.

Abstract Two skin-specific antigens were shown to appear during the course of skin and feather development. One was detected for the first time at 6 days in the skin and the other at 13 days in the feather. Two stage-specific antigens not present at 3, 4, or 5 days are shown to appear at 6 days of incubation. Another stage-specific antigen is shown to arise at 11 or 12 days. The appearance of three new antigens at 6 days is correlated with feather induction, which occurs between 5 1 2 and 6 days. The relation of a specific antigen, seen for the first time at 13 days, to protein made on a stable polysomal complex which is present early in development but activated at 13 days is pointed out.
THE INFLUENCE OF LIGHT AND CARBON DIOXIDE ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS

1. An optical system is described which furnishes an intensity of 282,000 meter candles at the bottom of a Warburg manometric vessel. With such a high intensity available it was possible to measure the rate of photosynthesis of single fronds of Cabomba caroliniana over a large range of intensities and CO(2) concentrations. 2. The data obtained are described with high precision by the equation KI = p/(p(2) (max.) - p(2))((1/2)) where p is the rate of photosynthesis at light intensity I, K is a constant which locates the curve on the I axis, and p(max.) is the asymptotic maximum rate of photosynthesis. With CO(2) concentration substituted for I, this equation describes the data of photosynthesis for Cabomba, as a function of CO(2) concentration. 3. The above equation also describes the data obtained by other investigators for photosynthesis as a function of intensity, and of CO(2) concentration where external diffusion rate is not the limiting factor. This shows that for different species of green plants there is a fundamental similarity in kinetic properties and therefore probably in chemical mechanism. 4. A derivation of the above equation can be made in terms of half-order photochemical and Blackman reactions, with intensity and CO(2) concentration entering as the first power, or if both sides of the equation are squared, the photochemical and Blackman reactions are first order and intensity and CO(2) enter as the square. The presence of fractional exponents or intensity as the square suggests a complex reaction mechanism involving more than one photochemical reaction. This is consistent with the requirement of 4 quanta for the reduction of a CO(2) molecule.
The Pol II initiation complex: finding a place to start.

Yeast RNA polymerase II has been proposed to 'scan' template DNA for transcription start sites. A new study mapping promoter DNA trajectory through the preinitiation complex suggests a mechanism for how this occurs.
Behavior of trifluralin in aquatic model ecosystems

These data illustrate the variation that can be obtained when using different model ecosystem designs in studying the behavior of pesticides in the aquatic ecosystem. These differences were probably related to the rapid metabolism and degradation of soil-incorporated trifluralin in the first experiment and to the continuous input of trifluralin in the second experiment. A very important difference between the two ecosystems was the toxic effect of trifluralin on the algae and fish during the second experiment. We believe that the risks of trifluralin in the aquatic ecosystem are greatest when there is a continuous input of tribluralin. With an occasional soil-incorporated input, the degradation processes would minimize this risk.
Accretion of Interplanetary Dust Particles by the Earth

Abstract Analyses of hypervelocity micrometeoroid impact craters preserved in lunar material and on the panels of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) indicate that each year Earth accretes about 3 × 10 7 kg of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) from the zodiacal cloud (E. Grun et al. 1985, Astron. Astrophys. 286, 915–924; S. G. Love and D. E. Brownlee, 1993, Science 262, 550–553). The size distributions of these lunar and LDEF craters indicate that the mass distribution of IDPs encountering Earth peaks at about 200 μm diameter. This particle-size cutoff may be indicative of collisionally evolved asteroidal dust, where the collisional lifetime of dust particles larger than ∼100 μm is shorter than the time required for their orbits to decay under Poynting–Robertson light drag from the asteroid belt to Earth (B. A. S. Gustafson, 1994, Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 22, 553–595). Additionally, analyses of IDPs collected from the stratosphere by high-flying aircraft reveal a diversity in chemical composition which is even narrower than that of the meteorites (G. J. Flynn, 1995, Nature 376, 114). Together these findings suggest that IDPs present in the atmosphere and our collections may originate from very limited sources in the asteroid belt. The most abundant sources of dust to be unambiguously linked to the zodiacal cloud are the three asteroid families Eos, Themis, and Koronis—the progenitors of the ten-degree and low-latitude dust bands discovered by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite in 1984. We use direct numerical integration of the full equations of motion to model the orbital evolution of dust particles from these three families as well as from other nonfamily asteroids and from the population of known short period comets. Our simulations include gravitational perturbations from the planets, radiation pressure, and solar wind drag. We find that a large, and perhaps the dominant, fraction of the IDPs accreted by Earth comes from the asteroid families Eos, Themis, and Koronis and that probably fewer than 25% of accreted IDPs come from comets. We also find a seasonal variation in the distribution of ascending nodes of the Themis and Koronis dust particle orbits near Earth. Earth-orbiting instruments utilizing aero-gels could exploit these seasonal variations to collect and return intact samples of these two asteroid families. Finally, we demonstrate how the long-term accretion rate of asteroidal dust from all sources should be anti-correlated with Earth's changing orbital eccentricity.
Sex Segregation and Women at Work: A Selective Review

Le theme des femmes et du travail est apparu recemment pour attirer l'attention sur la part importante de la main-d'oeuvre que constituent les femmes et pour explorer leurs experiences et leurs problemes. Un bilan D.C. la litterature montre que l'etude des femmes au travail differe de facon significative de l'etude generate du comportement (masculin) au travail. Ce bilan recouvre quatre themes: les changements demographiques des statuts des femmes au travail, leur place dans l'organisation, leurs problemes professionnels et les rapports du travail et de la famille. La premiere de ces questions, les changements demographiques des statuts des femmes au travail, englobe quelques recherches en provenance de l'Europe de l'Ouest et de l'U.R.S.S., tandis que les trois autres ne font guere appel qu'a des travaux realises aux U.S.A. La differenciation du travail selon le sexe est une donnee commune a ces quatre themes. La segregation sexuelle est une notion theorique riche qui se retrouve dans tous les domaines de recherche concernant les femmes au travail. The topic of women and work has emerged in recent years to call attention to the large portion of the labour force made up of women and their experiences and problems. A review of the literature shows that the study of women at work differs from the general study of (male) work behaviour in significant ways. The present review covers four topics: demographic changes in the status of women at work, placement in the workplace, work and family interdependence, and problems in the workplace. The first topic, demographic changes in the status of women at work, includes some findings from Western Europe and the Soviet Union whereas the other three areas rely almost exclusively on research done in the U.S.A. A common theme that permeates all four topics is the sex-segregated nature of work. A theoretically powerful concept, sex segregation has implications for all areas of research on women at work.
The effects of pyridostigmine bromide, permethrin, and DEET alone, or in combination, on fixed-ratio and fixed-interval behavior in male and female rats

Concurrent exposure to pyridostigmine bromide (PB), permethrin (PERM) and/or N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) may have contributed to the development of a syndrome that appears to have afflicted military personnel who served during the Gulf War. The present experiment sought to evaluate the behavioral effects of these compounds alone, or in various combinations, in male and female rats. Subjects were exposed to a multiple fixed-ratio (FR) 50, fixed-interval (FI) 2-min schedule of reinforcement. PB dose-dependently decreased FR and FI response rates. FR responding was disrupted by lower doses and there were no differences between the sexes. PERM vehicle administration decreased response rates maintained by both schedules of reinforcement; this was offset by an increase in response rate after the administration of the intermediate dose of PERM. The highest dose of PERM decreased both FR and FI response rates. FR rates in male rats were more disrupted than those in female rats. Only the highest dose of DEET decreased FR and FI response rates in male and female rats. FR rates were more disrupted in female rats than in male rats. Synergistic effects were only observed when FI response rates decreased in male rats upon exposure to half the low dose of PB with half the low dose of PERM or half the low dose of PB with half the low dose of DEET. The results of this experiment thus show that small doses of PB, PERM and DEET disrupt well-established, schedule-controlled behavior in male and female rats in a schedule- and gender-dependent manner; schedule-dependent and gender-dependent synergistic effects were also observed. The mechanism by which the compounds exert these behavioral effects remains to be determined.
Air Monitoring at the Drum Bulking Process of a Hazardous Waste Remedial Action Site

Air monitoring was performed at a hazardous waste remedial action site to measure inhalation exposure at the drum bulking unit processes and ambient emissions downwind from that process. Contaminant concentrations were all well below permissible exposure limits. This study suggests that when workers remain in fixed job locations at hazardous waste sites, occupational inhalation exposure monitoring must consider contaminants generated upwind of the job location as well as contaminants generated at the specific job site. Air sampling must also consider both the particulate and vapor phases of the site contaminants.
The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory: An Evaluation of Its Reliability and Validity for Children With Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract McCarthy ML, MacKenzie EJ, Durbin DR, Aitken ME, Jaffe KM, Paidas CN, Slomine BS, Dorsch AM, Berk RA, Christensen JR, Ding R, and the CHAT Study Group. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory: an evaluation of its reliability and validity for children with traumatic brain injury. Objectives To assess the reliability and validity of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, version 4.0 (PedsQL), and to compare it with that of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) among children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design Prospective cohort study that documented the health-related quality of life of 391 children at 3 and 12 months postinjury. Setting Four level I pediatric trauma centers. Participants Children (age range, 5–15y) hospitalized with a TBI or an extremity fracture. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Parent-reported PedsQL and BRIEF scale scores. Results Both the PedsQL and BRIEF scales showed good internal consistency (PedsQL α range, .74–.93; BRIEF α range, .82–.98) and test-retest reliability (PedsQL r range, .75–.90; BRIEF r range, .82–.92), respectively. Factor analysis revealed that most PedsQL items loaded most highly on their conceptually derived scale. The PedsQL cognitive function scale detected the largest differences among groups of children with varying severities of TBI as well as parents' assessment of change in cognition postinjury. Conclusions Although the reliability of the 2 instruments is comparable, the PedsQL discriminates better among children with TBI. The PedsQL is a promising instrument for measuring the health of children after TBI.
Hepatitis B immunology for clinicians.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a hepatotrophic DNA virus that causes acute and chronic hepatitis. Despite an effective vaccine, more than 350 million people are chronically infected with HBV worldwide and are at risk for progressive liver disease. There are marked geographic variations in HBV prevalence (ranging from 0.1 % to 2% in low prevalence areas and 10% to 20% in high prevalence areas) related to the timing and mode of HBV exposure. In many developed countries, HBV exposure typically occurs in adults via sexual transmission with a low chronicity rate (5%). In regions with high HBV prevalence (eg, Asia, sub-Saharan Africa), HBV exposure tends to occur in the perinatal period (eg, vertical transmission from mother to infant) with a high rate of persistence in the absence of timely vaccination. The course of viral infection is defined by the interplay between the virus and host immune defense. This article introduces the innate and adaptive immune defense mechanisms in general and as related to HBV. In particular, the current concepts regarding the innate and adaptive immune components contributing to the clinical, virologic and therapeutic outcome in acute and chronic hepatitis B are examined.
Spatial economic impacts of new town development in Hong Kong: A GIS-based shift-share analysis

Abstract This paper models the impacts of public decision making through a new analytic framework based on the integration of geographic information systems (GIS) and an extended shift-share analysis. The research is set within the context of Erickson's new model on the suburban economy, allowing study of the spatial economic impacts of new town development in Hong Kong for the period 1966–1986. Development patterns for the period 1986–2006 are analyzed using the same approach with three different development scenarios. It was found that Hong Kong's public housing-led new town development strategy has stimulated occurrence of the first spillover/specialization stage in the Erickson model, although the second dispersal/diversification stage has yet to be achieved. In the absence of a concomitant policy to disperse employment, new town development in Hong Kong has resulted in a mismatch between place of residence and place of work, leading to a polarization between white-collar jobs concentrated in the older urban areas and blue-collar jobs in the newer towns. Results indicate that the second stage of Erickson's model may be achieved if Hong Kong maintains its current growth momentum. However, the current concentrated development strategy of the Hong Kong government may jeopardize the development of self-contained/self-balanced new towns, possibly leading to further overcrowding in central urban areas. Such a concentrated strategy may also deter the further integration of Hong Kong with the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in China.
Thyrocalcitonin and Age

The effect of increasing age in rats on the recovery from CaCl2-induced hypercalcemia, the hypocalcemic response to thyrocalcitonin (TC) released by cautery, and the response to increasing exogenous doses of TC were examined. The recovery from hypercalcemia was markedly retarded with advancing age. The maximum hypocalcemic response after cautery and after sc TC was largest, 3–5 mg/100 ml, in 38–39-day-old rats, smaller, 1.5–2.0 mg/100 ml, in 97–115-day-old rats, and smallest, about 1 mg/100 ml, in discarded breeders about 1 yr old. While the maximum response in discarded breeders could be increased from 1 to 1.5 mg/100 ml by repeated administration of TC, the maximum fall in serum calcium was still smaller than in younger rats. It is concluded that the delayed recovery from hypercalcemia and the smaller response to TC in old rats is due to a reduced rate of bone metabolism with advancing age. Evidence is also presented showing that in response to hypercalcemia TC is released in large amounts from the thyr...
Bone health screening, education, and referral project in northwest Iowa: Creating a model for community pharmacies

Abstract Objective To identify women 60 years of age or older at risk for osteoporosis, provide education, and refer at-risk women to physicians through a community pharmacy screening program and to develop a model in community pharmacies for this service. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Northwest Iowa between August 2005 and October 2005. Participants 159 women 60 years of age or older screened at five pharmacies. Interventions Five pharmacies completed education on osteoporosis, received training on use of the Achilles InSight by GE Lunar, and screened women 60 years of age or older for osteoporosis. Patients received education on osteoporosis and risk factors during the screening and were stratified as low, moderate, or high risk based on a T-score. Patients at risk were referred to their physician for further evaluation. Pharmacists telephoned patients at 3 and 6 months after screening to determine self-initiated or provider-initiated changes in their treatment plan. Main outcome measures Descriptive population characteristics, proportion of participants with medical risk factors for osteoporosis, proportion of patients screened at risk, and proportion of physician or patient self-initiated changes instituted as a result of the screening. Results Of the 159 women screened, 53% were rated as moderate or severe risk and referred to their physicians. Three- and 6-month follow-up results revealed a high proportion of self-initiated lifestyle or medication changes and a small proportion of physician-initiated changes. Conclusion The majority of women 60 years of age or older who attended a community pharmacy osteoporosis screening were at moderate or high risk for osteoporosis. A fee-for-service model was created for community pharmacists to improve recognition and treatment of patients at risk. A toolkit will be created for pharmacists to promote their role in improving the bone health of older patients.
The Mobilization of U.S. State Electorates in the 1988 and 1990 Elections

Considering a range of political mobilization questions, this study examines the turnout of U S state electorates in the 1988 and 1990 elections High stimulus presidential, gubernatorial, and senatorial campaigns encourage participation, controlling for the structuring influence of state sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., levels of education, age, and urbanization). Relying on an analytic framework that conceptualizes state electorates within a stream of differentiated electoral information, the analyses also reveal the importance of distinguishing among campaigns and across electoral settings In an on-year, an overriding stimulus from the presidential contest markedly attenuates the role of lower-level contests in mobilizing a state's citizenry. In an off-year, similar to their relative influence on electoral outcomes, high-profile campaigns on the part of gubernatorial and senatorial challengers appear to be more important than the campaigns of incumbents in getting voters to the polls.
Tracking the killers: how should we measure CD8 T cells in HIV infection?

Most immunologists agree that CD8 T cells are important in controlling viruses, at least after the first week of infection – the time it takes for naive CD8 T cells to expand and differentiate into antiviral cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Nonetheless, CD8 T-cell measurements in HIV clinical studies show little relation to disease prognosis. There are two possible interpretations – either CD8 T cells are not important in established HIV infection or we are not measuring the right things.
Transfer of Load From an Edge-Stiffener to a Sheet—A Reconsideration of Melan’s Problem

Abstract : The problem posed by the diffusion of load from an infinite edge-stiffener into a semi-infinite elastic sheet is reconsidered under two alternative refinements of the underlying stiffener model. First, the stiffener is regarded as an elastic strip of finite width and the theory of generalized plane stress is applied rigorously to the sheet and stiffener alike. Next, Melan's one-dimensional treatment of the stiffener is amended to account for its bending rigidity. The 'exact' and the intermediate approximate solution thus obtained are compared to Melan's results with particular attention to the relevant asymptotic behavior in the vicinity of the applied load and at large distances from the load. Comparative numerical results, showing the variation of the sheet stresses at the interface and the distribution of the axial stiffener force, are included. (Author)
In vivo evaluation of gadolinium hydroxypyridonate chelates: initial experience as contrast media in magnetic resonance imaging.

The effect of ligand structure on the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and biodistribution of six gadolinium (Gd) chelates based on a hydroxypyridonate−terephthalimide (HOPO−TAM) ligand design was i...
Broadening our concepts of universal access

The universal accessibility movement has focused on solutions for people with physical limitations. While this work has helped bring about positive initiatives for this population, physical disabilities are just one of the many life situations that can complicate people's ability to fully participate in an information economy and society. Other factors affecting accessibility include poverty, illiteracy, and social isolation. This paper explores how the universal accessibility movement can expand its efforts to reach other diverse populations. Four sets of resources are discussed--physical, digital, human, and social--that are critical for enabling people to use information and communication technology. Examples of how these resources can help people access, adapt, and create knowledge are provided.
Cloud auto-scaling with deadline and budget constraints

Clouds have become an attractive computing platform which offers on-demand computing power and storage capacity. Its dynamic scalability enables users to quickly scale up and scale down underlying infrastructure in response to business volume, performance desire and other dynamic behaviors. However, challenges arise when considering computing instance non-deterministic acquisition time, multiple VM instance types, unique cloud billing models and user budget constraints. Planning enough computing resources for user desired performance with less cost, which can also automatically adapt to workload changes, is not a trivial problem. In this paper, we present a cloud auto-scaling mechanism to automatically scale computing instances based on workload information and performance desire. Our mechanism schedules VM instance startup and shut-down activities. It enables cloud applications to finish submitted jobs within the deadline by controlling underlying instance numbers and reduces user cost by choosing appropriate instance types. We have implemented our mechanism in Windows Azure platform, and evaluated it using both simulations and a real scientific cloud application. Results show that our cloud auto-scaling mechanism can meet user specified performance goal with less cost.
The Status of Women as a Standard of ‘Civilization’:

This article focuses on the status of women as a standard of civilization by examining its emergence in the 19th-century European ‘society of civilized states.’ More specifically, the article centers on expectations about the proper political role of women and how these operated as a standard to distinguish ‘civilized’ states from other societies. The article shows that the political exclusion of women — not their inclusion — became expected behavior for ‘advanced’ societies at this time. To statesmen and social scientists alike, evidence from ‘savage’ society and an uncivilized European past demonstrated that women could not contribute to human advancement if given a political role. To arrive at this claim, the article examines the understandings that had come into place to make the political exclusion of women possible and reasonable for European and European settler states.
New Evidence on an Old Question: Does Lowballing Undermine Auditors' Independence or their Clients' Investment Decisions?

SUMMARY: This paper summarizes Fatemi (2012), which reports the results of an experiment exploring the influence of audit fees on auditor and client decisions. The results indicate that clients are more likely to make choices that maximize a firm's value to shareholders when evidence of audit fee lowballing exists. When clients exhibit a past history of misstatements, auditors exhibit higher levels of skepticism as evidenced by an increased frequency of testing. Auditors' interpretations of test results reveal that they are subject to the psychological effect of motivated reasoning in the presence of lowballing when they are hired by their clients (but not when hired by investors), in that they place more confidence in the quality of tests that support their clients than in equivalent tests that are unsupportive. This article explains these findings and discusses their implications.
Novel online RF technique for detection of water trees in underground powered distribution cables

In this paper we investigate the use of RF signals to measure dielectric loss and the change of permittivity of an energized cable's insulation. One common degradation mechanism is growth of water trees in the presence of water. We present theoretical analysis of a novel on-line water tree detection technique based on using RF TEM wave propagation via test points on an elbow. Our method is based on injecting a high frequency RF signal into an energized cable at different points of the line voltage values and measure the nonlinearity of permittivity and dielectric loss.
Increased metabolic rate in rats after X-irradiation.

Summary1. Rats which died 3 to 5 days after total-body irradiation of 809–972 r showed an elevation of oxygen consumption of about 35% occurring within 24 hours.2. Rats which died 9 to 10 days after doses of 648 to 972 r showed an increase in metabolism of about 58% and a decline prior to death.3. Rats which survived doses of 648 r showed an average increase in, oxygen consumption of 32% during the first week, and less pronounced increase extending over a period of at least 16 days after irradiation.4. At doses from 54 to 432 r there was an increase in metabolism by about 8 1/2%. The maximum oxygen consumption, was reached later at sublethal rather than at lethal doses.5. Increased metabolism did not coincide with weight loss either in time course or in dose dependence.
Comparative Performance Analysis of CAC Reward Optimization Algorithms in Wireless Networks

In this paper, we perform a comparative analysis of a set of call admission control (CAC) algorithms designed for servicing multiple priority classes in wireless networks with quality of service (QoS) guarantees. We evaluate the performance of partitioning, threshold-based, spillover, and elastic-threshold CAC algorithms in terms of the maximum number of mobile users the system is able to support with QoS satisfaction while maximizing the "reward" obtainable from servicing multiple priority classes with distinct QoS requirements. We compare these algorithms thoroughly with test cases generated through a combination of user workload, mobility, location, and population. We verify analytical results via simulation validation using real mobility trace data to model user mobility. We also analyze the tradeoff between solution optimality vs. solution efficiency in designing CAC algorithms for reward optimization and QoS satisfaction when servicing multiple service classes with distinct QoS requirements in wirelessnetworks.
‘Betwixt and between’: literacy, liminality, and the celling of Black girls

In this article the author examines the lives of formerly incarcerated African American girls of ages 14–17 who participate in a playwriting and performance program in an urban southeastern American city and who consequently find themselves ‘betwixt and between’ incarcerated and liberated lives. Through interviews with formerly incarcerated girls in this program, participant observation, and student writing, this article contextualizes these girls' experiences in a larger discourse of African American women writers and speakers being ‘celled’ throughout the history of the United States. Interviews with girls revealed narratives that challenge education research to examine these lives on the periphery with urgency.
A Profile of Auditory Forebrain Connections and Circuits

Establishing rules for auditory information processing requires knowledge of the physiology of the neurons, their connections, and of how local circuits shape signals. When available, as in the cochlear nucleus (Cant and Benson 2003), such profiles underlie plausible models of receptive field (RF) genesis (Davis and Young 2000), serial information transfer (Smith et al. 1993), and feature detection (Nelken 2002). Progress in this endeavor in the medial geniculate body (MGB) and auditory cortex (AC) since 1990 is the subject of this review, and it is prerequisite to understanding how auditory thalamic (Senatorov and Hu 2002), cortical (de Ribaupierre 1997; Rouiller and Welker 2000), and subcortical sites (Winer 2006) interact. A second theme is the function of massive, focal, and precise corticocortical (Lee and Winer 2005) and corticofugal (Winer 2006) projections. The emerging picture of multiple ascending and descending pathways with intricate convergence and divergence patterns (Smith and Spirou 2002) and robust interneuronal substrates for modulation (Huang et al. 1999) is at odds with more serial models of information flow (Brandner and Redies 1990). Each section summarizes views prevailing circa 1990, then assesses subsequent studies in cat, rodents, bats, and primates.
Wet Oxidation of High-Al-Content III-V Semiconductors: Important Materials Considerations for Device Applications

Wet oxidation of high-Al-content AIGaAs semiconductor layers in vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELS) has produced devices with record low threshold currents and voltages and with wall-plug efficiencies greater than 50%. Wet oxidation of buried AlGaAs layers has been employed to reduce the problems associated with substrate current leakage in GaAs-on- insulator (GOI) MESFETS. Wet oxidation of high-Al-content AlGaAs semiconductor layers in vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELS) has produced devices with record low threshold currents and voltages and with wall-plug efficiencies greater than 50%. Wet oxidation of buried AlGaAs layers has been employed to reduce the problems associated with substrate current leakage in GaAs-on- insulator (GOI) MESFETS. Wet oxidation has also been considered as a route to the long-sought goal of a IH-V MIS technology. To continue improving device designs for even higher performance and to establish a truly manufacturable technology based on wet oxidation, the effect of oxidation of a given layer on the properties of the entire device structure must be understood. The oxidation of a given layer can strongly affect the electrical and chemical properties of adjacent layers. Many of these effects are derived from the production of large amounts of elemental As during the oxidationmore » reaction, the resultant generation of point defects, and the diffusion of these defects into adjacent regions. This can modify the chemical and electrical properties of these regions in ways that can impact device design, fabrication, and performance. Current understanding of the problem is discussed here.« less