cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microwave Materials Dielectric Measurements

Texas Instruments Defense Systems and Electronics Group develops radars, missile systems, infra-red systems and electronic systems for the Defense Department. Materials having special microwave properties are needed for radar systems, missile systems that home on microwave emissions, microwave emitter locator systems, and jamming systems. The microwave materials appear in the form of antennas, lenses, radomes, windows, dielectric loading materials, potting materials, dielectric transmission lines, microwave absorbing materials, adhesives, sealants, coatings, and foams. Naturally, the complex permittivity and permeability of these materials need to be known to enhance their application and control their properties in manufacturing. Texas Instruments has a microwave materials test laboratory that includes permittivity and permeability measurements as well as physical and thermal properties. The samples come in many different forms, measurement at different frequencies are needed and the electrical properties cover a wide span (conductors to dielectrics and foams to ferrites). For this reason, many different methods of dielectric and magnetic measurement are used. These various methods will be discussed below.
Sulfur and phosphorus segregation to creep cavities and grain boundaries in 304 SS

Swindeman, Farrell, and Yoo recently reported on a particular heat of type 304 stainless steel in which failure by microcavity coalescence occurred in unusually short times with low creep ductility. Both optical and scanning electron microscopy indicated that failure occurred via growth and linkage of microcavities on grain boundaries oriented normal to the applied tensile stress. Nothing in the chemical composition or processing history of this material seemed to explain this behavior. In particular, the bulk sulfur and phosphorus levels in this alloy are typical of 304 stainless steel. Transmission electron microscopy of ''as received'' stock did, however, reveal the presence of small (5-50 nm diameter) cavities attached to grain boundary precipitates. The existence of pre-existing cavities would, of course, obviate cavity nucleation during creep and presumably shorten creep life.
Conductivity of Room Temperature Ionic Liquids in Single Nanopores

Drawing inspiration from ionic selectivity of biological channels, we have explored the nature of the transport of ions through single nanopores of diameters comparable to the transported ions. As a test system, we used single nanopores and ions of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). RTILs are liquids composed entirely of charged species and contain no solvent. Their constituent ions can be very bulky with diameters ranging from tenths of an angstrom to greater than 10 A. In recent years, RTILs have garnered a wealth of attention, especially in regard to their physical and chemical properties; however, most, if not all, studies thus far have focused on bulk characteristics, leaving their properties on the nanoscale ripe for investigation.Our study focused on a select few RTILs, and on how the size of their cations and anions affects the conductivity of the liquid through our pores. Single nanopores of controlled geometry and of various diameters, ranging from a few nanometers to a few hundred nanometers, were prepared in polyethylene terephthalate foils. High voltages (-5V to + 5V) were applied across the membrane and the resulting ionic currents were recorded, allowing us to calculate the conductivity of the RTILs. Conductivity of the liquids in sub-10 nm pores was found several times smaller compared to the bulk values. Our results indicate that steric effects outweigh the contributions of electrostatic interactions of the ions with the pore walls in determining the conductivity of an RTIL in nanopores. While our experiments were motivated by biological channels whose openings are comparable in size to that of the ions in the system, they have allowed us to examine physical properties, primarily the conductivity, of certain RTILs. These studies represent important steps in the characterization of RTILs on the nanoscale.
Oxidation of dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by a flavin derivative of polyethylenimine

A modified Polyethylenimine has been prepared that has riboflavin attached to it, as well as hydrophobic groups. The catalytic efficiency toward oxidation of6 dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by this flavopolymer is more than 100-fold greater than observed with small-molecular riboflavin. The products of the reaction in aerobic solution have been established to be the oxidized nicotinamide NAD+ and hydrogen peroxide. The kinetics fit a Michaelis-Menten mechanism. Thus, the versatility of modified polyethylenimines as catalysts has been extended from hydrolyses and decarboxylations to oxidation-reduction reactions also.
SU-GG-T-53: Dosimetric Comparison of Iridium-192, Ytterbium-169, and Thulium-170 Sources for HDR Prostate Brachytherapy

Purpose: Recent studies have identified that among different available radioactive isotopes, the dose characteristics and shielding properties of Ytterbium‐169 and Thulium‐170 sources can very well suit HDR brachytherapy needs. Based on the available studies of these new sources, the purpose of this work is to compare the dose distributions obtained with the specially designed Yb‐169 and Tm‐170 brachytherapy sources with standard Ir‐192 clinical dose distribution. Materials and methods: Ten patients having prostate volumes ranging from 17 to 92 cm3 were studied retrospectively. Original treatment of these patients involved 16 catheters and an Ir‐192 source. Dose distributions for all ten plans with each new source are optimized with an objective to achieve the best distribution, but with also an emphasis on ensuring that coverage is equivalent to the original Ir‐192 source plan. Results: The descriptive statistical analysis showed that the mean differences for average prostate V100 with Yb‐169 and Tm‐170 are significantly higher compared with Ir‐192. There are no statistical differences in D90 values for any of the paired three sources. The mean differences for Urethra V120, Rectum V75, and Bladder V75 values with Ir‐192 are significantly higher than Yb‐169 and Tm‐170. The overall patterns of dosimetric results are similar for nine out of the ten patients. Also, the Bladder V75, and Rectum V75 values for each patient are similar with all three sources but there is a wide range among the patients. Conclusion: All the three sources satisfied the clinical standard RTOG criteria to provide good PTV coverage for the prescription dose as well as maintaining the same dose to the target volume (D90). This study shows the possibility that the Tm‐170 and Yb‐169 sources can be used as a replacement for Ir‐192 source in HDR units. Research supported in part by Nucletron
Experiences with Misgendering: Identity Misclassification of Transgender Spectrum Individuals

Relatively little is known about identity misclassification from the perspective of low-status, stigmatized groups. However, there are compelling reasons to examine misclassification from this perspective. This article reports data from two online studies that explore the affective and psychological correlates associated with gender misclassification of transgender spectrum individuals, referred to as misgendering. Study 1 (N = 115) demonstrates that misgendering is associated with more negative affect, less authenticity, lower appearance, but higher social self-esteem, less identity strength and coherence, but more identity importance and more transgender felt stigma. Study 2 (N = 134) largely replicated these results, while also demonstrating that misgendering is associated with verification and enhancement striving, and self- and other evaluations.
The relationship between obsessive-compulsive and posttraumatic stress symptoms in clinical and non-clinical samples.

Abstract Although case reports suggest the existence of a unique relationship between obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), results from large-scale epidemiological and clinical studies have been more equivocal. Furthermore, symptom overlap may artificially inflate the significance of the relationship between OCD and PTSD. Utilizing the Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory [OCI; Psychol. Assess. 10 (1998) 206] and the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale [PDS; Psychol. Assess. 9 (1997) 445], this study examined the relationship between OCD and PTSD symptoms in 128 patients diagnosed with OCD, 109 patients diagnosed with PTSD, 63 patients diagnosed with another anxiety disorder, and 40 college students. Experts in OCD and PTSD independently rated items on the OCI and PDS for the degree of overlap across the disorders. On the basis of these ratings, we created a scale from each measure that included only non-overlapping items. Results revealed that overall symptoms of OCD and PTSD were related in all samples. However, after controlling for depression and overlapping symptoms simultaneously, this relationship was no longer significant in the OCD and PTSD samples, although it remained significant in the anxious and college student comparison groups. These results support the presence of a relationship between symptoms of OCD and PTSD that may be largely accounted for by a combination of symptom overlap and depression.
Radiotherapy of Follicular Lymphoma: Updated Role and New Rules

Radiation is established as one of the most powerful, highly effective treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Unfortunately, in recent years the medical oncology community has improperly underutilized radiotherapy (RT) in the management of NHL. Replacing RT with longer chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy may not necessarily be a good alternative approach and may lead to suboptimal outcome and more toxicity, particularly in patients with localized disease. Some misconceptions regarding the use of RT emanated from the ways RT has been utilized in the past—as a single therapy and in high doses and large fields. Major developments in imaging technology, radiation planning concepts, and RT precision and delivery have been revolutionized RT for NHL over the past two decades. Modern proper administration should result with very minimal acute or late side effects. Some of the controversial issues of the use of RT borrowed from Hodgkin lymphoma, such as risk of secondary tumors, are irrelevant to patients with NHL but cause unnecessary patient and physician scare. Many lymphoma types are notoriously sensitive to RT, especially the indolent types. When localized, like in most marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) and almost a third of follicular lymphomas (FL), RT is potentially curative, even with low dose and small volumes. In more aggressive lymphomas, RT often is an effective consolidation after chemotherapy in complete or even incomplete responders. It also is an important component of salvage and palliation. In older patients, RT is particularly valuable, because chemotherapy tolerance and salvage options may be limited. The International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG) developed and published modern guidelines for using RT in NHL, including FL. The guidelines emphasize the new concept of RT field: involved site radiotherapy (ISRT). These modern ILROG principles and several relevant studies that looked into the proper integration of RT in the management of NHL patients are the focus of this manuscript.
Miocene lacustrine algal reefs southwestern Snake River Plain, Idaho

Straccia, F.G., Wilkinson, B.H. and Smith, G.R., 1990. Miocene lacustrine algal reefs--southwestern Snake River Plain, Idaho. Sediment. Geol., 67: 7-23. The Hot Spring limestone is a shallow-water algal carbonate within a late Tertiary transgressive lacustrine sequence exposed in the southwestern Snake River Plain. This 5 m thick lensoid sequence crops out over an 80 km 2 area that closely approximates original areal extent of nearshore carbonate accumulation. Reefal bodies consist of closely packed algal cylinders, several decimeters in height, each of which includes a dense laminated carbonate wall surrounding porous digitate carbonate that radiates outward and upward from one or more hollow tubes. These coalesce upsection into separate vertical columns several meters in diameter. Moderately well-sorted terrigenous and molluscan debris deposited between columns during growth indicates these structures were resistant to wave erosion and, therefore, were true reefs. Thick rings of littoral carbonate surrounding the upper walls of each column record the final stages of reef development. Structural attributes exhibited by these Miocene carbonate bodies are also common to a number of Tertiary and Quaternary algal buildups reported from other lacustrine settings. Although features within the Hot Spring limestone are complex in gross morphology and structural detail, both columnar reefs and algal cylinders display little variation in size, shape, or internal structure between areas of varying water depth and wave energy, thus reflecting the importance of biological processes as well as physical processes during reef development.
Qualitative analysis by piecewise linear approximation

Abstract This paper describes a computer program called PLR that derives the qualitative behavior of ordinary differential equations. Current qualitative reasoning programs derive the abstract behaviour of a system by simulating hand-crafted ‘qualitative’ versions of the differential equations that characterize the system and summarizing the results. PLR infers more detailed information by constructing and analysing piecewise linear approximations of the original equations. The analysis employs the phase space representation of dynamic systems theory. PLR constructs a phase diagram for a system of piecewise linear equations by partitioning phase space into regions in which the system is linear, analysing the linear systems, and combining the results. It pastes together the local analyses into a global phase diagram by determining which sequences of regions the trajectories can traverse. The current implementation of PLR only handles second-order systems, but the method extends to higher-order systems. As an example of PLR's performance, I present its analyses of the Lienard and van der Pol equations.
Bone morphogenetic protein 7 polarizes THP-1 cells into M2 macrophages

It was hypothesized that monocyte treatment with bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) would significantly enhance monocyte polarization into M2 macrophages as well as increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. In a cell culture system using monocytes (human acute monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1), we studied the effects of BMP7 on monocytes polarizing into M2 macrophages. The data demonstrate that THP-1 cells contain a BMP type II receptor (BMPR2), and that its activation is significantly (p < 0.05) increased following treatment with BMP7. Furthermore, there was an increase of M2 macrophages, BMPR2, and anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-1ra compared with the respective controls. Moreover, treatment with BMP7 caused a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), compared with the controls. In conclusion, we suggest for the first time that BMP7 has a unique potential to polarize monocytes into M2 macrophages, required for tissue repair, which will have significant applications for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Effect of 4-Pentenoate on Rat Liver Ornithine Transcarbamylase

Summary: The effect of 4-pentenoate on rat liver ornithine transcarbamylase was studied. No effect was found. It is concluded that the effect of 4-pentenoic acid on ornithine transcarbamylase reported by others was probably due to technical errors. Available evidence indicates that 4-pentenoate inhibits ureagenesis by interfering with mitochondrial energy metabolism, which in turn impairs mitochondrial ornithine transport or depletes mitochondrial ATP, impairing carbamyl phosphate synthesis, or both. Speculation: Reported kinetic abnormalities of ornithine transcarbamylase in Reye's syndrome may be due to technical error.
Resistance, essentialism, and empowerment in black nationalist discourse in the African Diaspora: A comparison of the back to Africa, black power, and rastafari movements

The mobilization of ethnicity entails the production of culture—a process involving the interweaving of culture, history and identity, and the manipulation of cultural symbols to reconstruct and reshape conceptions of self and community. The shifting character and salience of ethnicity as demonstrated in the Back to Africa, Black Power, and Rastafari movements point to the flexibility of culture and identity. In demonstrating the interrelationships among activism, identity and culture and their impact on the creation of new and revitalized ethno-racial identities in the African-Caribbean Diaspora, all three movements allowed their socially dispossessed and culturally displaced adherents to be active social actors and knowledgeable agents capable of making their own history. This paper takes issue with the black cultural nationalists’ deployment of a “race-culture” essentialist discourse to: (i) frame notions of difference vis-a-vis the Other; and (ii) “imagine” and homogenize blackness so as to produce ethno-racial solidarity in the minds of the disenfranchised.
Entropy Production Gives Rise to Upper- and Lower-Bounds to Efficiency and COP of Cycles

From thermodynamics point of view, in this era of aiming at energy conservation and sustainability, we need to develop more accurate ways to design thermal power, cooling and heat pump cycles. It has been the general practice in thermodynamic analysis of cycles to use the Carnot efficiency and Carnot coefficient of performance (COP) which are the highest upper bound to efficiency and COP of cycles. In the present report through the application of the 2nd law of thermodynamics for irreversible processes, which results in the general inequality relation for the entropy production, we have introduce new upper- and lower-bounds to the efficiency of thermal power cycles and COP of cooling and heat pump cycles. The resulting upper- and lower-bounds are closer to the actual efficiency and COP of cycles. That allows us a more precise design of cycles and the choice of cycles’ working fluids.
A Low-Power CMOS Circuit Which Emulates Temporal Electrical Properties of Neurons

This paper describes a CMOS artificial neuron. The circuit is directly derived from the voltage-gated channel model of neural membrane, has low power dissipation, and small layout geometry. The principal motivations behind this work include a desire for high performance, more accurate neuron emulation, and the need for higher density in practical neural network implementations.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SURVEY OF GEMSBOK IN NEW MEXICO

Exotic wildlife can introduce new diseases or act as reservoirs of endemic diseases. On White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico (USA), significant declines in populations of native ungulates generally correspond to increases in range and population density of the exotic gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella), introduced beginning in 1969. We surveyed gemsbok in 2001 for exposure to a variety of diseases potentially important for native ungulates. High seroprevalence was found for malignant catarrhal fever virus (49 [98%] of 50 sera; 43 [96%] of 45 plasma samples), bluetongue virus (48 [96%] of 50), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (33 [66%] of 50), and parainfluenza-3 virus (10 [20%] of 50). Low numbers of Nematodirus spp. eggs in a few individuals were the only parasites detected in gemsbok. Exposure to the above diseases in gemsbok is of interest to managers because of potential implications for recovery of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) and desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus crooki) in the ...
TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in breast cancer cells cultured as 3D spheroids.

TNF-alpha-related-apoptosis-inducing-ligand (TRAIL) has been explored as a therapeutic drug to kill cancer cells. Cancer cells in the circulation are subjected to apoptosis-inducing factors. Despite the presence of these factors, cells are able to extravasate and metastasize. The homotypic and heterotypic cell-cell interactions in a tumor are known to play a crucial role in bestowing important characteristics to cancer cells that leave the primary site. Spheroid cell culture has been extensively used to mimic these physiologically relevant interactions. In this work, we show that the breast cancer cell lines BT20 and MCF7, cultured as 3D tumor spheroids, are more resistant to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis by downregulating the expression of death receptors (DR4 and DR5) that initiate TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. For comparison, we also investigated the effect of TRAIL on cells cultured as a 2D monolayer. Our results indicate that tumor spheroids are enriched for CD44hiCD24loALDH1hi cells, a phenotype that is predominantly known to be a marker for breast cancer stem cells. Furthermore, we attribute the TRAIL-resistance and cancer stem cell phenotype observed in tumor spheroids to the upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) pathway. We show that inhibition of the COX-2/PGE2 pathway by treating tumor spheroids with NS-398, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, reverses the TRAIL-resistance and decreases the incidence of a CD44hiCD24lo population. Additionally, we show that siRNA mediated knockdown of COX-2 expression in MCF7 cells render them sensitive to TRAIL by increasing the expression of DR4 and DR5. Collectively, our results show the effect of the third-dimension on the response of breast cancer cells to TRAIL and suggest a therapeutic target to overcome TRAIL-resistance.
Construction of Optimal Norms for Semi-Groups of Matrices

The notion of spectral radius of a set of matrices is a natural extension of spectral radius of a single matrix. The Finiteness Conjecture (FC) claims that among the infinite products made from the elements of a given finite set of matrices, there is a certain periodic product, made from the repetition of a finite product (the optimal product), whose rate of growth is maximal. FC has been disproved. In this paper it is conjectured that FC is almost always true, and an algorithm is presented to verify the optimality of a given product. The algorithm uses optimal norms, as a special subset of extremal extremal norms. The algorithm has successfully calculated the spectral radius of the pair of matrices associated with compactly supported multi-resolution analyses and wavelets.
Interval training with Astrojumper

The prevalence of obesity among adolescents and adults in the U.S. is a matter of concern. Exercise video games reach a wide audience and can be used to motivate increased physical activity. We have previously developed Astrojumper, an exergame exploring game mechanics that provide a fun experience and effective exercise, and have now developed a new version of Astrojumper that supports interval training through additional mechanics. We believe the new version will improve upon the first in player motivation, enjoyment and replayability, and also in the level of physical challenge the game affords its players.
Correlation between sequence divergence and polymorphism reveals similar evolutionary mechanisms acting across multiple timescales in a rapidly evolving plastid genome

Although the plastid genome is highly conserved across most angiosperms, multiple lineages have increased rates of structural rearrangement and nucleotide substitution. These lineages exhibit an excess of nonsynonymous substitutions (i.e., elevated dN/dS ratios) in similar subsets of plastid genes, suggesting that similar mechanisms may be leading to relaxed and/or positive selection on these genes. However, little is known regarding whether these mechanisms continue to shape sequence diversity at the intraspecific level. We examined patterns of interspecific divergence and intraspecific polymorphism in the plastid genome of Campanulastrum americanum, and across plastid genes found a significant correlation between dN/dS and pN/pS (i.e., the within-species equivalent of dN/dS). A number of genes including ycf1, ycf2, clpP, and ribosomal protein genes exhibited high dN/dS ratios. McDonald-Kreitman tests detected little evidence for positive selection acting on these genes, likely due to the presence of substantial intraspecific divergence. These results suggest that mechanisms leading to increased nucleotide substitution rates in the plastid genome are continuing to act at the intraspecific level. Accelerated plastid genome evolution may increase the likelihood of intraspecific cytonuclear genetic incompatibilities, and thereby contribute to the early stages of the speciation process.
Herbarium specimens demonstrate earlier flowering times in response to warming in Boston

Museum specimens collected in the past may be a valuable source of information on the response of species to climate change. This idea was tested by comparing the flowering times during the year 2003 of 229 living plants growing at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, with 372 records of flowering times from 1885 to 2002 using herbarium specimens of the same individual plants. During this period, Boston experienced a 1.5°C increase in mean annual temperature. Flowering times became progressively earlier; plants flowered 8 d earlier from 1980 to 2002 than they did from 1900 to 1920. Most of this shift toward earlier flowering times is explained by the influence of temperature, especially temperatures in the months of February, March, April, and May, on flowering time. Plants with a long flowering duration appear to be as useful for detecting responses to changing temperatures as plants with a short flowering duration. Additional studies using herbarium specimens to detect responses to climate change could examine specimens from specific, intensively collected localities, such as mountain peaks, islands, and unique habitats.
A Novel Slots-and-Monopole Antenna with a Steerable Cardioid Pattern

The outputs of a vertical monopole and two mutually perpendicular slots in a horizontal plane can be properly combined to yield a steerable cardioid-shaped pattern for vertically polarized waves. The required weighting factors for placing the pattern null in any desired direction are presented in graphical form. The shape and the half-power beamwidth of the steerable pattern are examined. This combination antenna unit offers important advantages in direction finding and other applications, especially at microwave frequencies.
Tissue Doppler imaging of the right and left ventricle in severe obesity (body mass index >35 kg/m2)

We investigated right and left heart function in 51 patients with a body mass index of >35 kg/m 2 who undewent evaluation for gastric bypass surgery using standard Doppler echocardiography and color tissue Doppler imaging. Left atrial diameter (3.7 ± 0.5 vs 3.3 ± 0.4 cm, p
An efficient fully implicit spectral scheme for DNS of turbulent viscoelastic channel flow

In this work, we present a significantly improved numerical algorithm that has been developed in order to perform direct numerical simulations (DNS) of viscoelastic turbulent channel flow. As in previous work [Housiadas and Beris, Phys. Fluids, 15 (2003) 2369], a spectral approximation is used for every dependent variable that involves Fourier modes along the streamwise and spanwise periodic directions, and Chebyshev orthogonal polynomials along the shear direction. However, we introduced several improvements, the most important of which are: (a) a fully implicit second order time integration scheme, implemented using two nested iteration loops, applied to the constitutive and the momentum equation, respectively, (b) dealiasing along the periodic directions for all the non-linear terms and (c) machine accurate satisfaction of the divergence-free velocity incompressibility condition. The new code, described in this work, is much more stable than the previous one and it has been validated in simulations performed with the FENE-P constitutive equation against results obtained with the previous code. In addition, the new code allowed us to perform successful simulations with the Giesekus and the Oldroyd-B models at simulation conditions that were previously unattainable. A comparison between the results of the Oldroyd-B, Giesekus (α = 1/900) and the FENE-P (L = 30) constitutive models offered here shows, for the same Weissenberg number, significant increases to the drag reduction as we move from FENE-P to Giesekus and to Oldroyd-B. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Channel-Assignment and Scheduling in Wireless Mesh Networks Considering Switching Overhead

This paper considers the channel-assignment and scheduling in wireless mesh networks that employ multiple radios and multiple channels. In contrast to the various algorithms available in the literature, we explicitly model the delay overhead that is incurred during channel switching, and use that delay in the design of algorithms. We prove that the well known Greedy Maximal Scheduling (GMS) algorithm does not have any provable efficiency ratio when the switching overhead is considered. We present a centralized algorithm (CGSSO), and a dynamic algorithm (DMSSO), both of which consider switching overhead. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms significantly outperform other algorithms in packet throughput and average packet delay metrics. Results also show that the improvements in performance become more pronounced as the switching delay increases.
Linear time construction of redundant trees for recovery schemes enhancing QoP and QoS

Medard, Finn, Barry and Gallager proposed an elegant recovery scheme (known as the MFBG scheme) using redundant trees. Xue, Chen and Thulasiraman extended the MFBG scheme and introduced the concept of quality of protection (QoP) as a metric of multifailure recovery capabilities for single failure recovery schemes. In this paper, we present three linear time algorithms for constructing redundant trees for single link failure recovery in 2-edge connected graphs and for single node failure recovery in 2-connected graphs. Our first algorithm aims at high QoP for single link recovery schemes in 2-edge connected graphs. The previous best algorithm has a running time of O(n/sup 2/(m+n)), where n and m are the number of nodes and links in the network. Our algorithm has a running time of O(m+n), with comparable performance. Our second algorithm aims at high QoS for single link recovery schemes in 2-edge connected graphs. Our algorithm improves the previous best algorithm with O(n/sup 2/(m+n)) time complexity to O(m+n) time complexity with comparable performance. Our third algorithm aims at high QoS for single node recovery schemes in 2-connected graphs. Again, our algorithm improves the previous best algorithm with O(n/sup 2/(m+n)) time complexity to O(m+n) time complexity with comparable performance. Simulation results show that our new algorithms outperform previously known linear time algorithms significantly in terms of QoP or QoS, and outperform other known algorithms in terms of running time, with comparable QoP of QoS performance.
Future role of MR elastography in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Tissue engineering (TE) has been introduced for more than 25 years without a boom in clinical trials. More than 70 TE-related start-up companies spent more than $600 million/year, with only two FDA-approved tissue-engineered products. Given the modest performance in clinically approved organs, TE is a tenaciously promising field. The TE community is advocating the application of clinically driven methodologies in large animal models enabling clinical translation. This challenge is hindered by the scarcity of tissue biopsies and the absence of standardized evaluation tools, but can be negated through non-invasive assessment of growth and integration, with reduced sample size and low cost. Solving this issue will speed the transition to cost-efficient clinical studies. In this paper we: (a) introduce magnetic resonance elastography to the tissue-engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) community; (b) review recent MRE applications in TERM; and (c) discuss future directions of MRE in TERM. We have used MRE to study engineered tissues both in vitro and in vivo, where the mechanical properties of mesenchymally derived constructs were progressively monitored before and after tissues were implanted in mouse models. This study represents a stepping stone toward the applications of MRE in directing clinical trials with low cost and likely expediting the translation to more relevantly large animal models and clinical trials.
Metal molecule GaAs devices using redox-active organic self-assembled monolayers

In the current study, we have developed and characterized metal-molecule-semiconductor devices using redox-active molecules, in which one or more molecular levels lies at an energy level near the contact Fermi level, and compared the performance of these devices to those of device structures with other molecular species. Au-molecule-GaAs heterostructures were fabricated to investigate the modulating effects of various self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the GaAs surface.
In Vivo Characterization of Escherichia coli ftsZ Mutants: Effects on Z-Ring Structure and Function

We have characterized the in vivo phenotypes of 17 mutations of Escherichia coli ftsZ. In particular, we determined whether these mutations can complement a null ftsZ phenotype, and we demonstrated that two noncomplementing mutations show partial dominant-negative behavior. We performed immunofluorescence microscopy to determine whether these mutants could assemble into normal or abnormal structures in vivo. The mutants separated into four classes-those that complemented the null and formed normal FtsZ rings, those that complemented the null but formed aberrant FtsZ structures, those that formed aberrant FtsZ structures and did not complement, and those that were unable to form any FtsZ structures. We did not find any mutations that produced nonfunctional Z rings of normal appearance. Surprisingly, some mutants that produced extensively spiraled Z-ring structures divided and grew with a normal doubling time. The analysis was carried out using a complementation system based on an ftsZ deletion strain, a temperature-sensitive rescue plasmid, and a complementation vector that placed mutated ftsZ alleles under the control of the pBAD promoter, which offered several advantages over previous systems.
Digital compensation of RF nonlinearities in software-defined radios

The wideband RF receiver in a software-defined radio (SDR) system suffers from the nonlinear effects caused by the front-end analog processing. In the presence of strong blocker (interference) signals, nonlinearities introduce severe cross modulation over the desired signals. This paper investigates how the nonlinear distortions can be compensated for by using digital signal processing techniques. In the proposed solution, the SDR scans the wide spectrum and locates the desired signal and strong blocker signals. After down-converting these signals separately into the baseband, the baseband processor processes them jointly to mitigate the cross-modulation interferences. As a result, the sensitivity of the wideband RF receiver to the non-linearity impairment can be significantly lowered, simplifying the RF and analog circuitry design in terms of implementation cost and power consumption.
Recent advances in the role of StAR

It has been proposed that the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein is the protein responsible for the acute regulation of steroid hormone biosynthesis. Virtually all of the observations made to date are consistent with this proposal. In this short review, background information leading to the discovery and characterization of the StAR protein and several recent and interesting observations concerning this protein are summarized.
Prehistories of the Postcolonial: On Philosophy, Politics, and Polemic in Timothy Brennan's Borrowed Light

Timothy Brennan’s Borrowed Light is a wide-ranging critique of contemporary postcolonial theory by way of a return to intellectual history. Brennan counter-poses a tradition of institutional commitment, systemic thought, and polemic in Vico and Hegel to the interest in subjectivity, fragments, and language games found in Nietzsche and Bataille. He suggests that though the latter has been ascendant since the late 80s, the former school of thought in fact has been the key to overturning colonialism in the past and continues to be so today. This review critically appraises Brennan’s challenging work.
Towards energy efficiency in micro hovering air vehicles

Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) have gained a significant amount of research lately, with a number of universities and industry sponsors paving the way with micro flying robots to perform Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Missions. However, much of the work done in VTOL/Hover-Capable MAVs till date has not shown performance improvement in flight endurance and payload capacities. In this paper we introduce and detail the Energy Dynamics of a novel Quad-Wing MAV (QV) design and illustrate the improvement in-flight energy consumption, directed towards higher payload capacities and longer flight times. Additionally we show that independent wing control of the QV generates all 6 Degrees of Freedom (DoF) flight maneuvers. By the use of passive elastic elements, we can produce resonant flapping, generating lift and further improvements in energy savings.
Use of the isolated perfused rat lung in studies on lung lipid metabolism

A procedure for the use of the isolated perfused rat lung in studies on metabolic regulation has been developed. The procedure, reasonably uncomplicated, yet physiological, maintains the lung so that edema is not observed. The phospholipid content remains normal, and incorporation of [1-(14)C]-palmitate, [2-(14)C]acetate, and [U-(14)C]glucose is linear with time for a minimum of 2 hr. The incorporation of [1-(14)C]-palmitate and [2-(14)C]acetate into the total lung phospholipid fraction and into the phosphatidylcholine and phospatidylethanolamine fractions has been studied. Increasing the concentration of palmitate in the medium from 0.14 to 0.51 mm increased by 60% the incorporation of [1-(14)C]palmitate into the total lung phospholipid fraction at 2 hr. When the palmitate concentration of the medium was 0.14 mm, addition of 0.11 and 0.79 mm oleate to the medium decreased [1-(14)C]palmitate incorporation into the total lung phospholipid fraction at 2 hr by 37 and 49%, respectively. The results suggest that the incorporation of exogenous fatty acids, present in the medium perfusing the lung, into lung phospholipids may depend upon the fatty acid composition of the medium. Known specific acyltransferase activities may be responsible for the ordered incorporation of available fatty acids into lung phospholipids.
MBC Ventures, Inc.: An Employee Stock Ownership Plan With A Union Partner

MBC Ventures, Inc. is a 161 year-old company that is going through both product and organizational transitions. It has left one of its traditional product lines, paint brushes, behind and has developed a new one, solar panels. The organization has gone from being part of a large diversified conglomerate to a small employee-owned company with two distinct product lines. The second productline, solar panels, has been added only recently. The organization has gone from being a product unit within a hierarchically-oriented, large diversified conglomerate to an independent, team-oriented, egalitarian organization. The conglomerate was a publically traded organization; whereas, MBC Ventures is employee owned. The transition to employee ownership would not have been possible without the cooperation and financial assistance of the United Steelworkers union. These transitions that have occurred since 1990 have not been without problems including two major recessions. Currently, the company is doing quite well. This case discusses how the firm has implemented employee ownership and participatory management, and its decision to diversify into a new growth product line. Some financial results are provided.
Patterns of Judicial Review of Administrative Decisions

One of the central features of this century is the emergence of vast bureaucratic organizations that dwarf mere individual humans. Paralleling this development have been attempts to place restraints on these administrative Leviathans. While this concern has manifested itself in many ways, the focus has been on devising solutions to immediate, pressing abuses of organizational power rather than on developing a coherent “theory” of “administrative law.” Yet the need to systematize, to organize, to understand, to justify, and to evaluate has inevitably resulted in attempts to construct “theories.” However, these theories reflect the underlying orientation toward the solution of specific problems. With only a few exceptions, there have been no attempts to develop high-level generalizations concerning, for example, the relationship between the conditions of society and their impact on the content of “administrative law.” This Article begins such an integration by developing three very general propositions concerning the patterns of judicial review of administrative action that must be followed given the social framework. The Article evaluates the three propositions to determine whether they are consistent with present and past patterns of judicial review in the United States and in similar societies and whether they provide a useful theoretical framework for considering how courts in fact fulfill their reviewing function. A more normative perspective is adopted in Part III, which illustrates how an understanding of the basic propositions can help in considering how courts ought to rule in reviewing administration decisions.
Circulating tumor cells (CTC): Assessment of treatment efficacy in metastatic breast cancer (MBC)

10535 Background: Preliminary data in MBC suggest that ≥5 CTC/7.5 mL blood is associated with worse progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and that the persistence of ≥5 CTC/7.5...
Adolescent intake of animal fat and red meat in relation to premenopausal mammographic density

Adolescence is hypothesized to be a time period of particular susceptibility to breast cancer risk factors. Red meat and fat intake during high school was positively associated with risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII). High mammographic density is a strong predictor of breast cancer risk but there is limited research on dietary factors associated with breast density. To test the hypothesis that high intake of animal fat or red meat during adolescence is associated with mammographic density, we analyzed data from premenopausal women in the NHSII. Participants recalled adolescent diet on a high school food frequency questionnaire. We assessed absolute and percent mammographic density on digitized analog film mammograms for 687 premenopausal women with no history of cancer. We used generalized linear regression to quantify associations of adolescent animal fat and red meat intake with mammographic density, adjusting for age, body mass index, and other predictors of mammographic density. Adolescent animal fat intake was significantly positively associated with premenopausal mammographic density, with a mean percent density of 39.2 % in the lowest quartile of adolescent animal fat intake versus 43.1 % in the highest quartile (p trend: 0.03). A non-significant positive association was also observed for adolescent red meat intake (p trend: 0.14). These findings suggest that higher adolescent animal fat intake is weakly associated with percent mammographic density in premenopausal women.
The Homeownership Experience of Low-Income and Minority Households: A Review and Synthesis of the Literature

The purpose of this article is to review and synthesize literature about low-income and minority households' experience with homeownership and to assess the extent to which homeownership is likely to benefit these groups. We present this work in the interest of supporting the development of effective policies for promoting and supporting homeownership and of addressing the concerns raised by those who fear that too great an emphasis is placed on promoting homeownership. Although several recent reviews of the literature have assessed the empirical evidence on the benefits of homeownership, this study is unique in that it explicitly focuses on what is known about low-income and minority households' experience with homeownership.
Redefinition and revision of African Cosmetra Diakonoff, 1977 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with description of six new species.

The eight species of Cosmetra Diakonoff present in mainland Africa are described and illustrated. Six new species are described: Cosmetra larseni , new species; C. fibigeri , new species; C. truncana , new species; C. multidentana , new species; C. usambarensis , new species; and C. juu ; new species. Cosmetra neka Razowski & Brown is a junior synonym of Cosmetra tumulata (Meyrick), and C. mucronata Razowski & Wojtusiak is a junior synonym of C. spiculifera (Meyrick).
Photoluminescence Excitation Spectroscopy of Cd SxSe(1−x) Nanoparticles

We present photoluminescence excitation spectra for glasses doped with CdSxSe(1−x). The peak of the emission spectrum is blue shifted toward the bandgap as excitation energy flux is increased. Total photoluminescence emission intensity is observed to be significantly enhanced and blue shifted by exciting with photon energies greater than ~4 eV. A simple model of the nanoparticle band structure is presented to account for the observed spectra.
3,4 Diaminopyridine – A Promising Novel Treatment Approach to Orthostatic Hypotension (P05.204)

Objective: To prove the hypothesis that 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) effectively improves blood pressure (BP) and symptoms in orthostatic hypotension (OH) with predominant effects in the upright position. Background Treatment options for OH are limited and often associated with aggravation of supine hypertension. We could recently demonstrate that acetylcholinesterase inhibition is efficacious in OH without worsening of supine hypertension, but with modest efficacy. We now hypothesized that the potassium channel blocker 3,4-DAP has similar but greater beneficial effects in patients with OH, as it should not only enhance adrenergic ganglionic neurotransmission but also neurotransmission at the adrenergic endorgan synapse, resulting in serially linked and therefore potentiated effects. Design/Methods: We studied 11 patients with neurogenic OH in a placebo-controlled patient-blinded protocol. Following a 20 minute period of supine rest, BP and heart rate (HR) were continuously monitored for 10 minutes in the supine position, followed by 5 minutes of 70 degree head-up tilt, 1 hour following administration of placebo and 1 hour after 20mg of 3,4-DAP. Cardiovascular parameters, orthostatic symptoms, QTc interval, and side effects were compared between treatment status in this pilot trial. Results: Orthostatic BP was significantly improved after administration of 3,4-DAP compared to placebo (systolic BP 111.9±6.2 vs. 88.7±6.3mmHg, diastolic BP 77.9±3.8 vs. 63.3±3.8, both p Conclusions: 3,4-DAP is safe and well tolerated, and dramatically improves OH and orthostatic symptoms. The improvement is much more pronounced than that seen with pyridostigmine, consistent with the hypothesis of potentiated, serially linked effects. A large double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is now planned to further confirm these findings. Supported by: Ronald F. Kinney Executive Dean for Research Career Development Award, NIH (BIRCWH 5K12HD065987-02 and NS 44233), and Mayo CTSA (RR00585). Disclosure: Dr. Singer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gehrking has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gehrking has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sletten has nothing to disclose. Dr. Figueroa has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sandroni has nothing to disclose. Dr. Low has received personal compensation for activities with Chelsea, Pfizer, and WR Medical Inc. as a consultant.Dr. Low has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Autonomic Neuroscience.