cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image sensor requirements for 2D barcode scanning

Over the past few years imaging technology has advanced significantly to enable high performance, imaging-based barcode scanners. The improved performance and decreased cost of imaging technology has enabled the wide deployment of 2D barcodes for many applications across many vertical industries. Imaging-based barcode scanner products are now the most rapidly growing segment of the industry. Following a brief introduction to 2D barcodes and their applications, the imaging technology requirements unique to barcode scanning are presented. The camera designs are broken down into their significant components, such as the lens system, image sensor electronics, flash illumination and target aiming. The camera design is contrasted with the design of a common mobile phone camera.
Observation of nanopipes in α-GaN crystals

Long hollow pipes, a few nanometers in radius, have been observed for the first time in α-GaN films grown on sapphire substrates by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy. Transmission electron microscopy investigation shows that the nanopipes are oriented along the [0001] growth direction, and exhibit a funnel-like shape with its wider crater ended at the GaN crystal free surface. Both the crater and the pipe are generally hexagonal, although in some cases, the pipe is almost circular. These nanopipes are most likely the open-cores of screw dislocations formed under local thermodynamic equilibrium. The close similarity between the pipes in α-GaN and the micropipes (a few micrometers in diameter) observed in α-SiC crystals suggests that these hollow pipes are probably nucleated under the same mechanism.
Politics, power, and institution building: Bank crises and supervision in East Central Europe

ABSTRACT Over the past 10–15 years the debate about the creation of economic governance institutions has shifted from an emphasis on the state rapidly implanting optimal incentives to a state capable of acting strategically and regulating. But how a government with little prior relevant skills or resources actually achieves the latter is still unclear. This article examines how different political approaches to transformation shape the creation of new institutional capabilities by analyzing bank sector reforms in the 1990s in three leading postcommunist democracies—Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Politicians create different political strategies that shape the organization of policymaking power, which, in turn, can facilitate or hinder the ability of relevant public and private actors to experiment and learn their new roles. With its emphasis on insulating power and rapidly implementing self-enforcing economic incentives, the ‘depoliticization’ approach creates few changes in bank behavior and, i...
The effect of diencephalic lesions on food intake and motor activity

Abstract Twenty-nine female rats were utilized to study the effects of various diencephalic lesions on motor activity as well as recovery from aphagia. Animals were administered four separate tests to assess relative degrees of hypokinesis as compared to operated and non-operated controls: open field activity, step-down latencies, waxy flexibility, and stabilization in a horizontal plane. All lesioned rats displayed moderate to high degrees of aphagia and were distinctly inferior to controls on all tests of activity. Variations in behavior appeared as a function of antero-posterior and medio-lateral loci of the lesions in the diencephalon. The data were discussed with regard to previous results concerning the importance of motivational versus motor components in aphagia. A dissociation between food intake and hypokinesis was arrived at on the basis of behavioral and neuroanatomical findings.
A Nasal Critical-Size Defect: An Experimental Model for the Evaluation of Facial Osseous Repair Techniques

Objective To create a standardized nonhealing defect of craniofacial, minimal load–bearing, endochondral type bone with geometric properties that are amenable to quantitative and biomechanical testing that can be used to develop new osteoconductive and osteoinductive engineering repair techniques. Design Before-and-after randomized trial of an anatomical description. Subjects Twenty-four retired male breeder Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods A standardized osseous defect was created by removing the nasal bones with a cutting burr to the level of the nasal mucosal membranes. The defects were not repaired, and groups of 8 animals were examined using planimetry, computed tomographic scanning, and histological analysis at 1, 3, and 6 months following surgery to quantify defect repair. Results Mean repair rate by surface area measurements at 1, 3, and 6 months was 5.75%, 4.89%, and 7.09%, respectively. Results from histological analysis revealed that the defects were filled with fibrous tissue. Computed tomographic scans showed the bone defect without repair. Conclusion This nasal osseous defect fulfills criteria to be considered as a critical-size defect that can be used to investigate new techniques for bone reconstruction.
An electrical analog model of hydrogen trapping in iron alloys

Abstract A simple analogy has been developed to simulate bulk and surface trapping of hydrogen by titanium substitutional solute atoms in α-iron at room temperature. The analogy is based on the similarity between the ability of a capacitor to store electrons and of a trap to retain hydrogen. Simple formulae have been developed to analyze experimental data. Values are given for bulk and surface trap occupancy, as well as for the interaction energy TiH.
Wave Energy Extraction Maximization in Irregular Ocean Waves Using Pseudospectral Methods

Energy extraction from ocean waves and conversion to electrical energy is a promising form of renewable energy, yet achieving economic viability of wave energy converters (WECs) has proven challenging. In this article, the design of a heaving cylinder WEC will be explored. The optimal plant (i.e. draft and radius) design space with respect to the design’s optimal control (i.e. power take-off trajectory) for maximum energy production is characterized. Irregular waves based on the Bretschneider wave spectrum are considered. The optimization problem was solved using a pseudospectral method, a direct optimal control approach that can incorporate practical design constraints, such as power flow, actuation force, and slamming. The results provide early-stage guidelines for WEC design. Results show the resonance frequency required for optimal energy production with a regular wave is quite different than the resonance frequency found for irregular waves; specifically, it is much higher.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Dirichlet and Neumann spectrum

It is well known that the critical points of the Rayleigh quotient for the Dirichlet form relative to the square integral norm are eigenfunctions of the Laplace operator with Neumann boundary conditions and eigenvalue equal to the critical value. Clearly then, if we fix a critical point and consider the corresponding value and restrict the Rayleigh quotient to the space of eigenfunctions of the Laplace operator with that given eigenvalue, then the critical point remains a critical point of the restriction. In this paper we answer the converse question. We show that if a given number occurs as a critical value on the subspace of eigenfunctions with that same number as eigenvalue, then either it is a critical value for the quotient on the entire space or it is a critical value on the subspace of all functions satisfying Dirichlet boundary conditions. Moreover, a precise relation holds between the corresponding critical points. A similar relation holds for any elliptic operator in divergence form. The relation stems from a lattice identity induced by a certain indefinite quadratic form, involving certain subspaces. This theory has been successfully applied to calculating the cuspidal spectrum in a certain range for the Laplace-Beltrami operator for certain finite volume hyperbolic surfaces, addressing a conjecture of Roelcke and Selberg, and recent conjectures of Sarnak; see [1]. The numerical method used can be applied quite generally, typically to equations related to underlying symmetries where decompositions of the group give rise to lots of formal solutions.
Nonlinear response of dams founded on alluvial deposits in narrow canyons

This paper presents a simplified model for the response of earth dams founded on alluvial deposits at the base of canyons. The goal of the model is to capture the effect of the most important factors influencing the response and to provide a realistic and efficient tool for preliminary safety evaluations. The developed theoretical closed-form solution combines the effects on the response of: (a) the foundation layer, (b) the canyon narrowness, (c) the variation of soil stiffness within the dam versus depth, and (d) soil nonlinearity. The latter is incorporated in a simple piece-wise linear scheme, in which the soil shear moduli and damping ratios within the dam and the layer are continuously updated at small time intervals during the analysis. The presence of a soft foundation layer is found to have a dramatic effect on the natural periods of the dam. A series of parametric studies is undertaken to investigate the effect on the response of the fundamental geometric and material characteristics of the dam-layer-canyon system subjected to transient and harmonic motion. The results show that a foundation layer with an average S -wave velocity similar or less than that of the dam under moderate or strong base excitation may experience significant shear strains. Such strains are capable of inducing high excess pore water pressures and perhaps liquefaction within contractive saturated cohesionless soils in the foundation. The cost of the simplified analysis is about three orders of magnitude less than that of an elastoplastic FE analysis.
Spin Dimer Analysis of the Spin Exchange Interactions of the Vanadium Oxides AV4O9 (A=Ca, Sr, Cs2, NH2(CH2)4NH2)

Abstract The spin exchange interactions of the vanadium oxides A V 4 O 9 ( A =Ca, Sr, Cs 2 , and NH 2 (CH 2 ) 4 NH 2 ) were examined by calculating the spin orbital interaction energies of their spin dimers based on the extended Huckel method. The temperature T max at which the magnetic susceptibility maximum occurs in A V 4 O 9 ( A =Ca, Sr, Cs 2 , and NH 2 (CH 2 ) 4 NH 2 ) shows a wide variation (from 30 to 600 K) and increases in the order [NH 2 (CH 2 ) 4 NH 2 ]V 4 O 9 4 O 9 2 V 4 O 9 . The susceptibility at T max increases in the opposite order, and the room temperature susceptibility of [NH 2 (CH 2 ) 4 NH 2 ]V 4 O 9 is about twice as high as the maximum susceptibility of CaV 4 O 9 . These observations were examined by estimating the magnetic excitation energies of the strongly interacting spin units of A V 4 O 9 .
Equipment Replacement at Departments of Transportation: Prioritization Measures, Software Tools, and Supplementary Data

In the United States, individual state departments of transportation (DOTs) maintain large fleets of equipment. An important and difficult challenge of managing such a large amount of equipment is deciding when and what equipment to replace. For example, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Fleet Services manages a fleet that in 2008 included approximately 5,000 pieces of active equipment worth $340 to $390 million. Every two years, a fixed budget is available to replace a certain amount of this equipment. ODOT follows a decentralized approach for managing equipment in its fleet by assigning equipment to maintenance crews throughout the state. This project had three main objectives related to improving DOT equipment replacement decisions and processes. The first was to evaluate various measures (computed from available equipment data) that could be used to establish equipment replacement priorities. The second was to modernize and update a software tool used to compute equipment replacement prio...
Beyond “Post-Race Paralysis”: Creating Critical Dialogue on Race in the Obama Era

The challenges of facilitating conversations on racial inequality, whiteness, and privilege in classrooms include student disengagement and students’ accusations of prejudice among instructors, particularly instructors of color. Moreover, the election of President Barack Obama in 2008 has promoted the claim that we are now “post-race” and thus no longer need to talk about race. Both students and instructors who believe otherwise and are committed to bringing up these topics in class risk facing ridicule or hostility and for instructors, even threats to their job security or life. However, in a public university where, ideally, racial inequality and privilege intersect, the classroom can be a space for critical dialogue and coalition building around racial justice. I discuss two pedagogical strategies that build opportunities to help students and instructors overcome “post-race paralysis”—the difficulty talking about race in the post-Obama era—and instead practice conversations towards anti-racism.
Exploring the role of anti-angiogenic therapies in prostate cancer: results from the phase 3 trial of sunitinib

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in men. Despite recent advances in our understanding and treatment of advanced disease, no systemic therapy is curative and new therapies are needed. Targeting angiogenesis is an attractive therapeutic strategy, as angiogenic pathways are upregulated in prostate tumors similar to other malignancies due to imbalance of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors secreted by tumor, endothelial and stromal cells and increased neovasculature. [1] Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most well-characterized pro-angiogenenic factor, with several small molecule inhibitors (sunitinib, sorafenib, pazopanib, axitinib, others), antibodies (bevacizumab) and other drugs that target the VEGF pathway approved and/or in development for the treatment of a wide range of tumor types.
Analysis of ray-effect mitigation techniques

We analyze three ray-effect mitigation techniques in two-dimensional x-y geometry. In particular, two angular finite element methods, and the modulated P{sub 1}-equivalent S{sub 2} method, are analyzed. It is found that these techniques give varying levels of ray-effect mitigation on certain traditional test problems, but all of them yield discrete-ray solutions for a line source in a void. In general, it is shown that any transport angular discretization technique that results in a hyperbolic approximation for the directional gradient operator will yield a discrete-ray solution for a line source in a void. Since the directional gradient operator is in fact hyperbolic, it is not surprising that many discretizations of the operator retain this property. For instance, our results suggest that both continuous and discontinuous angular finite element methods produce hyperbolic approximations. Our main conclusion is that the effectiveness of any hyperbolic ray-effect mitigation technique will necessarily be highly problem dependent. In particular, such techniques must fail in problems that have the most severe ray effects, i.e., those that are 'similar' to a line source in a void.
Midterm Clinical Experience With Microwave Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Purpose Multiple energy sources and lesion sets have been described as an alternative to the conventional cut-and-sew Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation (AF). Described are midterm results with microwave (MW) energy and a single left-sided lesion set so that surgeons can evaluate whether this approach may be appropriate for their patients. Description Twenty-nine consecutive patients with chronic (86%) or paroxysmal (14%) AF, undergoing surgery for coexisting heart disease, also underwent MW AF ablation by the use of a single lesion set. A single preoperative and postoperative management regimen was used. Evaluation One hundred percent electrocardiogram follow-up was obtained. At minimum follow-up of 4 months (mean 315 days), 23 of 28 patients (86%) were in stable sinus rhythm. Conclusions The simplified lesion set performed with MW energy compares favorably with the cut-and-sew Maze procedure for patients presenting with AF and coexisting acquired cardiac disease. Connecting lesions to the mitral annulus and right-sided lesions may add potential morbidity without additional efficacy.
Agglutination of cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus by wheat germ agglutinin and concanavalin A.

Chick embryo fibroblasts transformed by Rous sarcoma virus are agglutinated by wheat germ agglutinin and by concanavalin A if the cells are pretreated with purified hyaluronidase. Cells infected by a temperature-sensitive mutant of this virus are agglutinable if grown at the permissive temperature but not if grown at the non-permissive temperature.
Effect of phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I on the fluorescence properties of its single tryptophan as determined by picosecond spectroscopy

Cardiac troponin I (CTnI) can be phosphorylated by a c-AMP dependent protein kinase. We have investigated the effect of the phosphorylation on the emission decay properties of its single tryptophan by using a cavity dumped and synchronously pumped dye laser system. At 20°C, τ1~0.60 ns, τ2~2.22 ns, and τ3~4.72 ns. The corresponding fluorescence contributions were 7%, 47%, and 46%, respectively. Upon phosphorylation four lifetimes were observed: τ1~0.11 ns, τ2~0.81 ns, τ3~1.95 ns, and τ4~6.63 ns, and fractional contributions of the four components were 2%, 16%, 52%, and 30%, respectively. This finding indicates that the environment of the tryptophan is modified by phosphorylation. In the absence of divalent metal ions, the observed three decay times of the CTnI complexed with cardiac troponin C (CTnC) remained unchanged, and addition of Ca2+ or Mg2+ resulted in only small changes in the lifetimes. When phosphorylated CTnI was complexed with CTnC, a large increase of the longest-lived component was observed: τ4 > 11 ns with its contribution shifted to 47%. Two rotational correlation times were observed for CTnI: φ1~0.9 ns and φ2~ 23.5 ns. These valves increased to t0~l.2 ns and ~30.1 ns, respectively, for the complex CtnI CTnC. Upon phosphorylation the two correlation times were significantly reduced regardless of whether CTnI was uncomplexed or complexed with CTnC. These results suggest that phosphorylation of CTnI resulted in a significantly more compact structure and enhanced motion of the tryptophan side chain. These structural changes may play a role in the transmission of Ca2+ signal in cardiac muscle. Thus, the effect of phosphorylation of CTnI becomes more pronounced when the protein is complexed with CTnC. These results suggest that there was likely a fluorophore heterogeneity which may arise from differences in conformation, environment, and/or different deactivation pathways for the excited state of the fluorophore.
UC-PHOTON: A novel hybrid photonic network-on-chip for multiple use-case applications

Multiple use-case chip multiprocessor (CMP) applications require adaptive on-chip communication fabrics to cope with changing use-case performance needs. Networks-on-chip (NoC) have recently gained popularity as scalable and adaptive on-chip communication fabrics, but suffer from prohibitive power dissipation. In this paper we propose UCPHOTON, a novel hybrid photonic NoC communication architecture optimized to cope with the variable bandwidth and latency constraints of multiple use-case applications implemented on CMPs. Our detailed experimental results indicate that UC-PHOTON can effectively adapt to meet diverse use-case traffic requirements and optimize energy-delay product and power dissipation, with scaling CMP core count and multiple use-case complexity. For the five multiple use-case applications explored in this work, UC-PHOTON shows up to 46× reduction in power dissipation and up to 170× reduction in energy-delay product compared to traditional electrical NoC fabrics, highlighting the benefits of using the novel communication fabric.
HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir induces endothelial dysfunction in porcine arteries

Introduction: Although HIV Protease inhibitors significantly reduce the viral load, they may be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir on endothelial cell function. Methods: Porcine carotid arteries were perfusion cultured for 24 hours without or with a clinically relevant dose of 15 μM of ritonavir. Subsequently, vessels were pre-contracted with norepinephrine followed by relaxation with graded doses of acetylcholine. Vessel diameters were determined with video imaging. Rings of vessels were cultured without or with ritonavir for 24 hours and subsequently basal and NADPH induced superoxide levels were determined using lucigenin enhanced chemiluminescence. Immunohistochemical staining for nitrotyrosine was also used to demonstrate oxidative stress. Results: Vessel contraction was reduced from 19 ± 3 % in control vessels (n = 12) to 9.9 ± 2.7% in ritonavir treated vessels (n = 11, P < 0.05). Endothelial dependent relaxation was also significantly reduced by 72%, 62%, and 65% in response to 10−9, 10−7, and 10−5 M concentrations of acetylcholine, respectively, in ritonavir treated vessels compared to controls (P < 0.005). There was a significant 56% increase in basal superoxide production (n = 7, P < 0.02) and a significant 40% increase in superoxide production (n = 8, P < 0.01) with addition of NADPH in vessel rings treated with ritonavir compared to control vessels. Diphenyleneiodonium Chloride (NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor) and Tiron (cell permeable superoxide scavenger) significantly reduced superoxide production in ritonavir treated vessels. Nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity was increased in ritonavir treated vessels compared to controls. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir causes a significant reduction in endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in cultured porcine carotid arteries. Ritonavir also significantly increases superoxide levels, which may be resulted from increased NAD(P)H oxidase activity.
Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum (OLF): An Increasing Cause of Cervical Myelopathy

he natural history of cervical myelopathy is also controversial. In he classic article published in 1963, Lees and Turner (3) sugested that the initial signs and symptoms of cervical myelopathy re followed by a period of neurological stability or even improveent. According to them, when the disease lasted more than 10 ears, some patients showed deterioration that led to neuroogical deficit. However, these further episodes tended to be ollowed by periods of stabilization and improvement. The paients rarely deteriorated in a steadily progressive fashion. In his lassic article, Rowland (4) criticized the lack of knowledge about he natural history of cervical myelopathy and favored nonsurgical reatment.
Pharmacologic Pain Management Before and After Total Joint Replacement of the Hip and Knee

There are many effective treatment measures for OA of the hip or knee, with varying degrees of effectiveness. Nonoperative measures include patient education, physical therapy, activity modification, weight loss, and medications. Pharmacologic strategies include acetaminophen, NSAIDs, injections of cortisone or viscosupplementation, and, less commonly, tramadol or other pain relievers. In patients who may be candidates for TJR, narcotic medications should be avoided to preserve their benefits for the postoperative period. Over the past 20 years, multimodal pain management has been beneficial to the patient undergoing TJR surgery. Studies have shown this form of pain management decreases postoperative opioid consumption and the related adverse effects. Research is warranted in the areas of postoperative pain scores and patient satisfaction as institutional multimodal protocols continue to evolve.
Synthesis of Limonoid Natural Products (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 1/2011)

The cover picture shows a photograph of orange blossoms inset amongst cross-sections of citrus slices. It is well established that citrus fruits are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that are essential for nutritional well being. Recent studies indicate that some of the health benefits of citrus consumption are derived from biologically active, non-nutrient compounds called limonoids that can also help to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. The structural complexity of many limonoid natural products has bestowed upon them a reputation as a “problem child” for synthetic organic chemists. However, a few brilliant scientific endeavors in this field have been described. Details are presented in the Microreview by B. Heasley on p. 19 ff. Mike Malaska and Holly Heasley are gratefully acknowledged for helping to design and produce this cover picture. Photography credits: USDA, Agricultural Research Service (citrus slices) and Vladimir Dostalek, Czech Republic (orange blossom).
Genetic polymorphisms linked to susceptibility to malaria

The influence of host genetics on susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum malaria has been extensively studied over the past twenty years. It is now clear that malaria parasites have imposed strong selective forces on the human genome in endemic regions. Different genes have been identified that are associated with different malaria related phenotypes. Factors that promote severity of malaria include parasitaemia, parasite induced inflammation, anaemia and sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes in brain microvasculature. Recent advances in human genome research technologies such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and fine genotyping tools have enabled the discovery of several genetic polymorphisms and biomarkers that warrant further study in host-parasite interactions. This review describes and discusses human gene polymorphisms identified thus far that have been shown to be associated with susceptibility or resistance to P. falciparum malaria. Although some polymorphisms play significant roles in susceptibility to malaria, several findings are inconclusive and contradictory and must be considered with caution. The discovery of genetic markers associated with different malaria phenotypes will help elucidate the pathophysiology of malaria and enable development of interventions or cures. Diversity in human populations as well as environmental effects can influence the clinical heterogeneity of malaria, thus warranting further investigations with a goal of developing new interventions, therapies and better management against malaria.
Assessing Cognitive Functioning in Cannabis Users: Cannabis Use History an Important Consideration

Assessing Cognitive Functioning in Cannabis Users: Cannabis Use History an Important Consideration
Stromatolites and associated facies in shallowing-upward cycles from the Middle Proterozoic Altyn Formation of Glacier National Park, Montana

Abstract The approximately 1450 Ma old Altyn Formation is the oldest stratigraphic unit exposed in Glacier National Park, Montana. The lower part of the formation, informally called member A, contains at least 17 shallowing-upward cycles, with an average cycle thickness of 4.2 m. Each cycle rests on an erosional surface and has subtidal quartz-microcline-dolarenites in the basal part. The subtidal rocks pass upward into stratiform stromatolites interbedded with dolarenites similar to those in the basal layers. The stromatolites formed on tidal flats during calm periods and the dolarenites were transported from subtidal areas to the tidal flats by storm-driven waves and currents. Domal and columnar stromatolites grew in relatively higher energy conditions, particularly in tidal channels in the lower tidal flats. The upper parts of some cycles have sparse dolarenites and are dominated by stratiform stromatolites. Desiccation features and complete dolomitization of subtidal and intertidal carbonate sediments occur in member A. Many cycles within this member contain evidence of the diagenetic formation of gypsum and anhydrite in sediments deposited in subtidal and intertidal zones. The carbonate sediments in each cycle accumulated up to sea level causing progradation of tidal flats into a shallow subtidal area. This led to the development of a supratidal zone analogous to a modern sabkha. Member A is overlain by quartz—microcline-dolarenites of informal member B, which were deposited in subtidal environments. Informal member C overlies member B and contains shallowing-upward cycles similar to those of member A, but with an average cycle thickness of 2.5 m. Member C cycles also differ in containing mud-cracked shales and terrigenous arenites. These terrigenous sediments were derived by mechanical weathering in the source area. They were transported into the supratidal and upper intertidal zones during flash flooding. The change from member A to member B represents an overall transgressive trend. This was followed by an overall regression giving the change from member B to member C. The repeated shallowing-upward cycles are due to smaller transgression—progradation events that were superimposed on these larger trends. The Altyn Formation was deposited in an epicontinental basin. Each shallowing-upward cycle was produced by sediment aggradation and progradation, following rapid subsidence resulting from vertical tectonic activity. The paleoclimate was arid, with occasional storms flooding the tidal flats with subtidal sediments and the upper tidal flats with terrestrial sediments. Such a paleoclimate is consistent with the subtropical to tropical paleolatitudes indicated by paleomagnetic data for the Altyn Formation depositional area.
Immunodiagnosis of Human Toxocariasis and Prospects for Improved Diagnostics

The clinical spectrum of human disease caused by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati ranges from visceral and ocular larva migrans to covert and common toxocariasis. Since the parasite is not typically recovered in affected tissues, detection of parasite-specific antibodies is an important and necessary step in establishing a diagnosis of toxocariasis. Most immunodiagnostic methods have historically used and continue to use the Toxocara excretory-secretory antigens (TES-Ag) in an ELISA format to detect Toxocara-specific antibodies. The TES-Ag ELISA has proven to be specific, robust, and reliable, although questions about specificity and reduced sensitivity leave ample room for improvement in laboratory diagnosis of toxocariasis. Recent advances have focused on development of recombinant protein targets to measure Toxocara-specific antibodies. The potential for development of new diagnostics using recombinant proteins is presented herein, as well as possible roles for antigen and molecular detection methods.
Temperature-dependent angle-resolved x-ray photoemission study of the valence bands of single-crystal tungsten: Evidence for direct transitions and phonon effects

High-resolution angle-resolved x-ray photoemission (XPS) valence-band spectra from a clean W (001) single crystal have been observed to show strong spectral variations both with electron-emission direction and temperature. The spectral changes with direction are in very good agreement with the predictions of a simple direct-transition model assuming free-electron final-state dispersion and constant matrix elements. The effect of photon wave-vector involvement in the wave-vector conservation has also been explicitly observed. The strong temperature dependence noted indicates the importance of phonon-assisted nondirect transitions for Brillouin-zone averaging and demonstrates conclusively the crucial role played by the Debye-Waller factor in the interpretation of photoemission spectra in the XPS regime. Valence-band spectra at various temperatures can, furthermore, be used for isolating the direct and nondirect components in spectra.
Kinetics of oil generation from oil shale from Liaoning province of China

The intrinsic kinetics of oil generation from 0.124 dm3 kg−1 Chinese oil shale were determined by a non-isothermal method. Overall first-order kinetics satisfactorily represented the mechanism of kerogen decomposition. The kinetic parameters were determined as 142.8 kJ mol−1 and 7.495 × 106 s−1 for activation energy and pre-exponential factor, respectively.
Does Budget Format Really Govern the Actions of Budgetmakers

For well over half a century students of budgeting have assumed that the format into which a budget is cast influences budget decisions. Yet as late as 1980 Haves stated that “there is little or no material on the factors affecting outcomes in the budget process and, indeed, little basis for any judgment as to whether the character of the process has any significant impact on the results obtained.... The fundamental need is for analyses of exerience.” Since that time, several studies have analyzed budget outcomes quantitatively and related them to the budget formats used. This article provides a framework for integrating the results of these studies with earlier case descriptions of budget reforms. It then identifies an area that still needs exploring and presents the results of one study that addresses this need.
Intraseasonal Variability in Coupled GCMs: The Roles of Ocean Feedbacks and Model Physics

AbstractThe interaction of ocean coupling and model physics in the simulation of the intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) is explored with three general circulation models: the Community Atmospheric Model, versions 3 and 4 (CAM3 and CAM4), and the superparameterized CAM3 (SPCAM3). Each is integrated coupled to an ocean model, and as an atmosphere-only model using sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from the coupled SPCAM3, which simulates a realistic ISO. For each model, the ISO is best simulated with coupling. For each SST boundary condition, the ISO is best simulated in SPCAM3.Near-surface vertical gradients of specific humidity, (temperature, ), explain ~20% (50%) of tropical Indian Ocean latent (sensible) heat flux variance, and somewhat less of west Pacific variance. In turn, local SST anomalies explain ~5% (25%) of variance in coupled simulations, and less in uncoupled simulations. Ergo, latent and sensible heat fluxes are strongly controlled by wind speed fluctuations, which are largest in the coupled simul...
Regulation of the renal circulation.

It is a great pleasure for me to participate in honoring my mentor, Dr. Donald W. Seldin. When I began my fellowship in Dailas in 1967, the field of renal physiology was booming. Laboratories all over the world were beginning to unravel the puzzle of sodium handling by the nephron and Seldin was one of the main catalysts. From this intellectual experience in Dallas, I spent the next decade or so studying the renal circulation, its effect on sodium transport, and various humoral factors that play a role in the regulation of renal resistance. It's incredible how much our knowledge has changed in these 23 years. I first heard of prostaglandins in 1968 at one of the weekly sessions in Dallas from a visiting professor. Renal autoregulation was poorly understood and few incisive experimental studies had been done. The kinin system was just beginning to emerge and obviously no one had heard of atrial natriuretic peptide or endothelin. In this brief article, I'd like to review two facets of the renal circulation: autoregulation and various humoral agents which regulate renal vasomotor tone. Because of space constraints, this will be quite brief and I would refer interested readers to a more extensive review of the subject by Dr. Claudia Hura and myself [1].
Reduced amino acid alphabet is sufficient to accurately recognize intrinsically disordered protein.

Abstract Intrinsically disordered proteins are an important class of proteins with unique functions and properties. Here, we have applied a support vector machine (SVM) trained on naturally occurring disordered and ordered proteins to examine the contribution of various parameters (vectors) to recognizing proteins that contain disordered regions. We find that a SVM that incorporates only amino acid composition has a recognition accuracy of 87 ± 2%. This result suggests that composition alone is sufficient to accurately recognize disorder. Interestingly, SVMs using reduced sets of amino acids based on chemical similarity preserve high recognition accuracy. A set as small as four retains an accuracy of 84 ± 2%; this suggests that general physicochemical properties rather than specific amino acids are important factors contributing to protein disorder.
Simultaneous Hydrodynamic and Thermal Development in Mixed Convection in a Vertical Annulus With Fluid Property Variations

This paper concerns a theoretical investigation of forced and mixed convection heat transfer in a vertical concentric annulus. An implicit finite difference technique is developed to study the effects of temperature-dependent fluid properties, which are represented by power law relations. The fluid under consideration in this study is air, which is an ideal gas with Pr = 0.72. Computations are made with a radius ratio of 0.25. The inner wall is heated at UHF, and the outer wall is heated at UHF or is insulated. The axial distribution of the wall-to-bulk temperature ratio is found to undergo a maximum or minimum, depending on whether the wall is heated or insulated. Fluid property variations enhance the local Nusselt numbers. It is shown that, depending on the length of the duct, heat transfer can be appreciably affected by fluid property variation. For the UHF cases studied here, free convection effects enhance the local Nusselt numbers at intermediate axial distances.
Should Firms Use Small Financial Benefits to Express Appreciation to Consumers? Understanding and Avoiding Trivialization Effects

Firms commonly add small financial benefits to communications designed to acknowledge consumers' loyalty or support. Yet is it always better to provide some financial benefit as opposed to simply saying “thank you”? Although this question has important implications for customer relationship management, research has not yet provided an answer. This article demonstrates that, indeed, a financial acknowledgment (defined as an acknowledgment with a monetary benefit) can lead to less positive outcomes than offering a verbal acknowledgment (defined as an acknowledgment without a monetary benefit), a phenomenon termed the “trivialization effect.” The results explain this effect in terms of shifting evaluation standards: whereas a verbal acknowledgement is evaluated relative to verbal gratitude expression norms, a financial acknowledgment is evaluated relative to both verbal norms and customers' monetary expectations. The authors also demonstrate two practical, theory-consistent ways firms can structure financial...
Distribution and Activation of Uterine Mononuclear Phagocytes in Peripartum Endometrium and Myometrium of the Mouse

The present study tested the hypothesis that macrophage distribution and activation are enhanced in the uterus before term. Mid-uterine horn tissue strips from mice on Days 15 and 18 of pregnancy, the day of birth (5 Day 19), and one day postpartum were paraffin-embedded and then sectioned, stained with a monoclonal pan-macrophage marker (BM8), and processed for visualization and quantification of resident macrophages per nuclear area. Macrophages were dispersed throughout the endometrium and subluminal epithelium; cell numbers declined on the day before term, then increased postpartum. Within myometrium, macrophages congregated in stroma surrounding muscle bundles, and staining was enhanced near term. Macrophage numbers were similar in pregnant and postpartum uteri, enhanced more than 2-fold over those in nonpregnant controls. Uterine sections were also analyzed by laser-scanning cytometry to enumerate activated macrophages (i.e., those that express the intercellular adhesion molecule marker CD541) and to determine cell cycle (propidium iodide fluorescence). Activated macrophages were directly proportional to cell numbers and, by cell cycle analysis, were not terminally differentiated. Highest cell numbers occurred on Day 15: 4-fold greater than those in nonpregnant controls and 2-fold higher than those at Day 18 or in postpartum groups. These findings indicate a decline in endometrial macrophage numbers at least one day before the onset of parturition and raise the possibility that trafficking of this immune cell may contribute to onset of labor.
Green Cell Phones and Mobile Skype Finally Arrive

This installment of New Products covers new green cell phones, a universal charger, cellular femtocells, Skype on mobile phones, a service that turns on street lights from your phone, and a de-identify caller ID.
Visual selective attention after severe closed head injury.

This study investigated the nature of selective attention deficits after severe closed head injury (CHI). Twenty participants with severe CHI (greater than 1 year postinjury) and 20 matched controls completed search and nonsearch visual selective attention tasks under conditions of low (Experiment 1) and high (Experiment 2) target–distractor similarity. In the search situations, participants searched visual displays that contained 1, 4, or 8 items for the targets. In the nonsearch situations, the location of the targets was visually cued with a peripheral arrow. The results revealed that in both the low and high target–distractor similarity search conditions, CHI participants required a longer time than controls to locate and identify the target. In contrast, in the nonsearch condition, CHI participants were able to successfully ignore irrelevant task information when target–distractor similarity was low. However, when target–distractor similarity was high, CHI participants had more difficulty than controls ignoring the irrelevant information. These results suggest that, in comparison to controls, CHI participants may be at a disadvantage in selective attention situations when visual search is required and when the discriminability between targets and distractors is difficult. ( JINS , 1998, 4 , 144–159.)
Visualizing quaternion rotation

Quaternions play a vital role in the representation of rotations in computer graphics, primarily for animation and user interfaces. Unfortunately, quaternion rotation is often left as an advanced topic in computer graphics education due to difficulties in portraying the four-dimensional space of the quaternions. One tool for overcoming these obstacles is the quaternion demonstrator, a physical visual aid consisting primarily of a belt. Every quaternion used to specify a rotation can be represented by fixing one end of the belt and rotating the other. Multiplication of quaternions is demonstrated by the composition of rotations, and the resulting twists in the belt depict visually how quaternions interpolate rotation.This article introduces to computer graphics the exponential notation that mathematicians have used to represent unit quaternions. Exponential notation combines the angle and axis of the rotation into concise quaternion expression. This notation allows the article to present more clearly a mechanical quaternion demonstrator consisting of a ribbon and a tag, and develop a computer simulation suitable for interactive educational packages. Local deformations and the belt trick are used to minimize the ribbon's twisting and simulate a natural-appearing interactive quaternion demonstrator.
The Political Resurrection of Russian Governors

Elections for all 83 Russian governors were reinstated in Russia in 2012, seven years after they had been suspended. The democratic reform coincided with renewed political activism in Russia since December 2011, but the reform was as much a belated recognition of the shortcomings and failures from appointing Russian governors. Pragmatic necessity and not democratic conversion was the determining factor. Based on the first elections in October 2012, the reform will have only a limited effect over the next few years on democratic change in Russia, at most placating liberal and regional demands while consolidating personal rule under Putin.
ON THE IMPACT OF COUPLING STRENGTH ON COMPLEX SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION FOR SINGLE-LEVEL FORMULATIONS

Design of modern engineering products requires complexity management. Several methodologies for complex system optimization have been developed in response. Single-level strategies centralize decision-making authority, while multi-level strategies distribute the decision-making process. This article studies the impact of coupling strength on single-level Multidisciplinary Design Optimization formulations, particularly the Multidisciplinary Feasible (MDF) and Individual Disciplinary Feasible (IDF) formulations. The Fixed Point Iteration solution strategy is used to motivate the analysis. A new example problem with variable coupling strength is introduced, involving the design of a turbine blade and a fully analytic mathematical model. The example facilitates a clear illustration of MDF and IDF and provides an insightful comparison between these two formulations. Specifically, it is shown that MDF is sensitive to variations in coupling strength, while IDF is not.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Fifth-derivative Gaussian pulse generator for UWB system

A noble pulse shaping method to generate an ultra wideband (UWB) pulse is designed and tested with the AMI 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS process. The output pulse width is 2.4 ns, and the average power consumption is 1.159 mW with pulse repletion frequency (PRF) of 20 MHz. Test results show the feasibility of all digital low power UWB pulse generator design which complies with FCC regulations.
AEXpulsing a retrograde signal

A variety of secreted components have been identified as retrograde signals mediating diverse aspects of synaptic development, maintenance, and plasticity; however, little is known about the mechanisms mediating the release of secreted retrograde signals. Doi and Iwasaki (this issue of Neuron) implicate AEX-1, a protein distantly related to the UNC-13/Munc13 family, as an attractive candidate regulator of the retrograde release machinery in muscle.
Nerve Conduction Studies: Basic Concepts and Patterns of Abnormalities

As a fundamental component of the electrodiagnostic evaluation, nerve conduction studies provide valuable quantitative and qualitative insights into neuromuscular function. Nerve conduction studies are useful in the identification and characterization of several neuromuscular disorders, particularly disorders of peripheral nerve. Abnormalities of nerve conduction studies may anticipate specific pathologic processes, such as demyelination or axonal loss, and may provide precise localization of focal nerve lesions. As with other elements of the electrodiagnostic evaluation, nerve conduction studies must be performed with careful attention to technique and must be interpreted in a clinical context.
Energy Transfer to Optical Microcavities With Waveguides

Micro/nanoscale radiation energy transfer is investigated in optical microcavity and waveguide coupling structures working on whispering-gallery mode optical resonances. The finite element method is employed for solving the Helmholtz equations that govern the energy transfer and time-harmonics electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation. The maximum element size concept is introduced for the numerically sensitive subdomains where local mesh refining is needed because of the presence of intensified EM fields. The results show that the energy storage capability of a resonant microcavity is predominantly determined by the cavity size. The stored energy in the 10 μm diameter microcavity considered is several orders of magnitude larger than that in the 2 μm diameter microcavity. The gap between a microcavity and its light-delivery waveguide has a substantial effect on the energy coupling from the waveguide to the microcavity and consequently influences significantly energy storage in the microcavity. An optimal gap is found for maximum energy storage and most efficient energy coupling. This optimal gap dimension depends not only on the configurations of the microcavity and waveguide, but also on the resonance wavelength. With increasing gap the quality factor increases exponentially and quickly saturates as the gap approaches to one wavelength involved. The submicron/nanoscale gap is crucial for generating quality resonances as well as for efficient energy transfer and coupling.