cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SPCp1-10: A High-Rate Differential UWB Radio

A differential ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver can mitigate the 50% loss in rate and power inherent to conventional transmitted reference (TR) systems, under the assumption that channel induced inter-pulse interference (IPI) is absent or negligible. Consequently, restrictions on minimum frame length and maximum achievable bit rate are imposed. Using orthogonal Walsh-Hadamard sequences to remove IPI at the receiver, we show that the no-IPI condition can be relaxed without penalty in error performance and a small increase in complexity, leading to higher data rates. Assuming that timing has been acquired, error performance of the novel UWB radio is evaluated analytically and via simulations. A multi-user version of the detector is also developed and its performance is compared with multi-user TR.
Unbalanced Ranked Set Sampling for Estimating A Population Proportion Under Imperfect Rankings

The application of unbalanced ranked set sampling (RSS) to estimation of a population proportion has been studied for the perfect ranking situation. When the rankings are not perfect, the probabilities of success ranks for the judgment order statistics incorporate information on ranking errors as well as ranks. The objective of this article is to investigate the ranking errors effect of imperfection in rankings on unbalanced RSS for binary variables and provide methods to obtain estimates for the probabilities of success for the judgment order statistics using training samples so that Neyman allocation can be implemented. We also use a substantial data set, the NHANES III data, to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of Neyman allocation in RSS for binary variables in the case of imperfect rankings.
Adsorption of on carbon nanotube bundles

Abstract We have measured adsorption isotherms of helium on bundles of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNs) in the temperature range from 2 to 14 K . The isotherms and resulting isosteric heat suggest the bundles have sites with differing binding energy for adsorption on the first layer. The results are consistent with the standard interpretation that the bundles have high binding energy sites in either the interstitial channels or the grooves where two tubes meet on the external surface, and a lower energy, graphene like binding to the rest of the external surface. We present a comparison with results of experimental and theoretical studies on the same system.
A double-antibody radioimmunoassay for serum progesterone using progesterone-3-(o-carboxymethyl)oximino-[125l]-iodo-histamine as radioligand

A reliable, convenient and economical radioimmunoassay (RIA) for serum progesterone has been established and tested. This procedure employs diethyl ether extraction followed by RIA utilizing rabbit anti-11 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone 11-hemisuccinyl-bovine serum albumin (progesterone-11 alpha-BSA) serum, progresterone-3-(O-carboxymethyl) oximino-[125I]-iodohistamine (progesterone-3-[125I]) as radioligand and goat anti-rabbit gamma globulin as second antibody. In conjunction with antiprogesterone-11 alpha-BSA serum, the overall assay specificity of the progesterone-3-[125I] RIA is similar to that of the [3H]-progesterone method using dextran-coated charcoal. The results of serum progesterone measurements during the menstrual cycle obtained by the progesterone-3-[125I] RIA appear comparable to those of [3H]-progesterone assays which employ similar anti-progesterone-11 alpha-BSA sera. The progesterone-3-[125I] double-antibody RIA, however, is more convenient and less expensive than the [3H]-progesterone RIA method.
A Priority Rule Based on the Ranking of the Service Times for the M/G/1 Queue

This paper studies the virtual waiting time for the M/G/1 queue under this priority rule: within each generation, customers are served in the order of shortest or longest service times. It also considers the limiting behavior of the virtual waiting time, and compares the asymptotic means with those of the first-come, first-served discipline.
Effect of root contact with short-chain aliphatic acids on later wheat growth

Studies were conducted to determine the effect of and duration of the effect of alliphatic acids on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedling root growth, shoot growth, and tillering. Winter wheat seedlings grown in contact with unbuffered solutions of 2 mM or greater acetic or 0.5 mM or greater propionic or butyric acid for 3 days showed decreased root and, in general, shoot growth. Buffering the medium partially alleviated the problem. Removing the seedling from the acid medium and growing it in a nutrient medium resulted in accelerated root growth, compared with the control, while shoot growth was permanently inhibited during this study. Seedling wheat, grown with one root in contact with concentrations of acetic acid ranging from 0–16 mM and the other roots in aliphatic acid-free medium, grew at the same rate as the control. Seedling wheat grown for 3 days in 2 and 4 mM acetic acid medium showed a more rapid formation of the first stem tiller (T1) than did the control. Concentrations of 6 and 8 mM acetic acid appeared to delay T1 tiller formation through the first 18 days after germination, while only 10 mM acetic acid reduced T1 tiller formation by 30% 20 days after germination. The second stem tiller (T2) was not affected by previous exposure to acetic acid. The results of these laboratory studies indicate that short-term exposure of seedling winter wheat to short-chain aliphatic acids can result in permanent shoot and tiller damage and not in permanent root damage as previously thought. These results could explain the poor performance of no-till seeded winter wheat when growing through heavy crop residues that are producing shortchain aliphatic acids during decomposition.
siRNA—Getting the message out

The recent observation that potent and sequence-specific gene silencing by injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) has sparked the phenomenon known as "RNA interference" (RNAi) and has enabled the gene-specific knockdown of drug transport proteins and metabolizing enzymes. The application of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) is broad and the potential for use as research tools is now well established in vitro. In vivo use is still a challenge that is primarily focused on the difficulty of delivering siRNAs to target cells. The potential use of siRNAs as therapeutic agents is also exciting and holds great promise for future. For the study of drug transporter function in absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) and in the treatment of diseases, siRNA offers a way to gather interpretable mechanistic data-a distinct advantage over the use of "specific" chemical inhibitors. This mini review provides background information on siRNA as well as examples of the use of siRNA as applied to drug transporters.
Vocal Cord Paralysis and Dysphagia after Aortic Arch Reconstruction and Norwood Procedure

ObjectivesTo determine the incidence of vocal cord (VC) paralysis and dysphagia after aortic arch reconstruction, including the Norwood procedure.SettingTertiary children’s hospital.Study DesignRetrospective cohort.MethodsDatabase/chart review of neonates requiring Norwood or arch surgery between January 2005 and December 2012. Demographics, postoperative VC function, dysphagia, need for gastrostomy tube and/or tracheotomy, and long-term follow-up were reviewed.ResultsOne hundred fifty-one consecutive subjects (96 Norwood, 55 aortic arch) were reviewed. Median age at repair was 9 days (interquartile range [IQR], 7-13) for Norwood and 24 days (IQR, 12-49) for arch reconstruction (P < .001). Documentation of VC motion abnormality was found in 60 of 104 (57.6%) subjects and unavailable in 47 (16 without documentation and 31 who died prior to extubation). There were no significant differences in proportions of documented VC motion (P = .337), dysphagia (P = .987), and VC paralysis (P = .706) between the arch ...
Infants' delayed recognition memory and forgetting.

Abstract Infants 21- to 25-weeks-old devoted more visual fixation to novel than to previously exposed stimuli on immediate and delayed tests of recognition. Abstract black and white patterns were recognized following a 48-hour delay and photos of faces after a 2-week delay. A decline in recognition over 3 hours for targets (face masks) most akin to objects (real faces) in S 's environment led to studies of the effect on delayed recognition of exposure to stimuli similar to those to be retained. One-minute delayed recognition for face photos was disrupted by intervening exposure to intermediate similarity stimuli (rotated photos) but was unaffected by exposure to either high (upright photos) or low (rotated line drawings) similarity stimuli. Differentiation among intervening stimuli occurred only for the upright photos used as high-similarity intervening material. In addition, immediate exposure to rotated photos also prevented 3-hour-delayed recognition of upright photos but had no such effect when delayed for 3 hours. The present experiments confirm the existence of long-term recognition memory for pictorial stimuli in the early months of life and show that one source of forgetting is due to a diversion of the infant's attention to material bearing some perceptual similarity to the material to be retained. This diversion of attention must occur soon after immediate recognition testing to produce a reduction of recognition and such deleterious effects last for an appreciable period of time.
Exact Bounds for orthogonal polynomials associated with exponential weights

Abstract Estimates for orthogonal polynomials associated with exp(− x m ), x real, m even, are dealt with.
The effects of extinction on two concurrent verbal responses

After reinforcing two verbal responses concurrently in a free responding situation, 40 college S s were informed of one response-reinforcement contingency, but not the other. The responses were then extinguished in two successive phases: (1) the informed response was extinguished while the uninformed was still reinforced, and (2) the uninformed response was extinguished as the informed response continued extinction. The major finding was the interaction between the two responses which occurred during the extinction periods. The decreasing frequency of one response resulting from extinction was accompanied by a rapid and marked increase in the other response. The present interaction appears to be similar to the phenomenon of behavioral contrast.
Broadband optical access: components for passive optical networks (overview)

The need for broadband access is well appreciated by the telecommunications industry, and many types of broadband-access networks have been built. It is widely accepted that wired optical networks is a most promising solution to the broadband-access problem. This paper focuses on passive optical networks (PONs) because PON is a major technology today. We concentrate on the components of PONs. After brief survey of the principle of PON operation, architectures, topologies, protocols and standards, we turn our attention to the PON physical layer. We analyze the structure and elements of PON components and discuss their technical characteristics.
Synthesis of 3D Printable Cu–Ag Core–Shell Materials: Kinetics of CuO Film Removal

In this research, Cu–Ag core–shell particles were synthesized as a functional and 3D printable material. Using the solid–liquid method, Cu–Ag core–shell particles were simply synthesized, and different particle sizes of 100 nm and 2 μm were used to confirm the size effect in the synthesis and reaction control of the Cu–Ag core–shell particles. In addition, highly viscous Cu–Ag core–shell particle paste was also prepared, and its electrical conductivity was measured. As a result, the reaction rate in the case of the 2 μm Cu particles was controlled by film diffusion, whereas for the 100 nm Cu particles, the reaction rate was controlled by CuO film produced before reacting with Ag ions in solution, and limited by chemical reaction control. Through the solid–liquid method, dendrite-shaped Cu–Ag core–shell particles were formed. Also, the electrical conductivity increased with increasing sintering temperature and core–shell particle concentration.
Quantum fluctuations in the new inflationary universe

Abstract The evolution of quantum fluctuations of a scalar field in de Sitter space is analyzed in the context of the new inflationary scenario. The duration of the inflationary phase is estimated and the problem of density perturbations resulting from quantum fluctuations of the Higgs field is discussed.
Unilateral erythromelanosis follicularis faciei et colli in a young girl

Erythromelanosis follicularis faciei et colli is uncommon. Fewer than 20 cases have been reported. Except for one case in a woman and one case of unilateral distribution, all, other reported cases have been bilateral in young male patients. We report the first case of unilateral distribution in a white girl.
Acquiring a nano-view of single molecules in actions.

In 1959, Nobel laureate Richard Feynman suggested that ‘there is plenty of room at the bottom,’ predicting the possibility of single-molecule detection and studies. Over the last 20 years, we have witnessed a rapid development in single-molecule spectroscopy. Singlemolecule spectroscopy and imaging have been demonstrated to be a powerful molecular analytical approach to studying the complex and inhomogeneous chemical, biological, and physical processes involved in protein dynamics, protein-protein interactions, protein-DNA interaction dynamics, biological and chemical catalyses, and interfacial dynamics. The discipline of singlemolecule spectroscopy has been expanded across a broad range, including optical imaging, optical spectroscopy of fluorescence and Raman, atomic force spectroscopy, and various forms of scanning probe microscopy. The significant character of this exciting development is that single-molecule spectroscopy is developing hand-in-hand with the recent advancements in nanotechnology, imaging technologies, ultrafast dynamics technologies, theoretical modeling and analyses, and computational technologies. (Published: 22 February 2010) Citation: Nano Reviews 2010, 1 : 5052 - DOI: 10.3402/nano.v1i0.5052
The effect of offender characteristics on offense specialization and escalation

The primary goal of this research is to investigate whether adolescent correlates of criminal behavior also serve as correlates of specialization and escalation in the criminal career. Prior research on offense sequences has focused on (1) establishing the existence of specialization and escalation and on (2) testing whether observed patterns of offense sequences differ across age and race of offender. We use data on 2,294 offenders from the Predicting Parole Performance in the Era of Crack Cocaine study (Haapanen & Skonovd, 1999). A series of multinomial logit models test for significant behavioral, social, and psychological correlates of the likelihood of offender specialization and escalation. The results show that without taking into account offender characteristics, there is evidence of specialization and escalation comparable to that found in prior research. Once offender background characteristics are controlled statistically, overall evidence of specialization and escalation is significantly reduc...
Real-time software synthesis on superscalar architectures

Advances in processor technology are making it possible to use general-purpose personal computers as real-time signal processors. This enables highly integrated "all-software" systems for real-time music processing. Much has been speculated about the behavior of software synthesizers, but there has been relatively little actual experimentation and measurement to verify or refute the "folklore" that has appeared. In the hopes of better understanding this important future technology, we have performed extensive measurements on several types of processors. We report our findings here and discuss the implications for software-synthesis systems.
AUXILIARY APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOCLAVE

REFERENCES 1. Mulcahy, John V. Experience with Canine AntiRabies Vaccine. Pub. Health News, XI, 1:7-19 (Dec.), 1925. 2. Ibid. 3. Umeno and Doi. A Study of the Antirabic Inoculation of Dogs and the Results of Its Practical Application. Kitasato Archives of Experimental Medicine, IV, a:89-108 (Mar.), 1921. 4. Hata, S. The Protection of Dogs Against Rabies by Umeno's Method of Preventive Inoculation. J. Immunol., IX, 3:89, 1924. 5. Eichhorn, A., and Lyon, B. M. Prophylactic Vac. cination of IYogs Against Rabies. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assn., N. S. 14, LXI:38, 1922. 6. Reichel, John. Rabies Vaccine Canine, Single Dose Treatment. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assn., N. S. 16, LXIII:83, 1923. 7. Schlingman, A. D. Prophylactic Immunization of Dogs Against Rabies by a Single Injection of a Dead Virus Vaccine. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assn., LXVIII. 3:299-305, 1925. 8. Schnurer, Joseph. Wutschutzimpfung bie Hunden (Prophylactic Vaccination in Dogs). Wien Tierarztliche Monatsschrift, 1925. 9. Schern, Kurt. Schutzimpfung gegen Wut (Immunization Against Rabies). Bert. Tierarztliche Wchnschr., XXXII, 1926. 10. Schoening, Harry W. Studies on the Single Injection Method of Vaccination as a Prophylactic Against Rabies in Dogs. J. Agri. Res., XXX, 5 (March 1), 1925.
Reaction mechanism of the 35Cl(d,2p)35S ground state reaction at Ed = 14.5 MeV

Abstract The 35 Cl(d, 2p) 35 S g.s. reaction was studied at 14.5 MeV bombarding energy. Coincident protons were detected using solid-state detectors, and their correlated energy spectra were analysed by a 64 × 64 channel pulse-height analyser. Measurements were carried out at various angular combinations ( θ 1 , θ 2 ). The angular dependence of the differential cross section and the shapes of the energy spectra were compared with the results of some simple model calculations. It was found that at forward angles the reaction proceeds mainly via a direct (d, p) reaction, followed by the evaporation of a proton from the intermediate nucleus, while double evaporation is the dominant process at backward angles.
History, memory, and utopia in the missionaries' creation of the indigenous movement in Brazil (1967–1988)

On April 17, 1974, and die two days following, a gathering of 16 indigenous participants from nine different indigenous societies was held in Diamantino, Mato Grosso, Brazil. During the three days, vernacular narratives, trivial announcements, and critiques of the government and local ranchers were presented—without any of the participants significantly engaging with one another. Only one primary source on this event, a short, typed document, is available today. The historicity of this “Assembly of Indigenous Chiefs” is granted by both the anthropological and the historical situations of the participating communities. For the first time, individuals from indigenous societies that did not share ethnic borders or history met to advance indigenous rights; for the first time also, these individuals were granted political representation (of their groups), a notion largely foreign to indigenous political traditions. There was a conscious effort to draw chiefs from as many communities as possible and to establish a large, pan-Indian movement.
Orotic acid improves left ventricular recovery four days after heterotopic transplantation

Orotic acid accelerates compensatory myocardial hypertrophy after regional ischemia and improves left ventricular function acutely after global ischemia. In this study, the effect of orotic acid on left ventricular function was investigated 4 days after global ischemia (75 minutes, 21 degrees C) using heterotopically transplanted rabbit hearts (n = 18). Experimental animals received daily 100-mg/kg doses of intraperitoneally administered orotic acid, starting 1 day before transplantation, and showed a threefold increase in the serum level of orotic acid by 4 days. After 1 hour of reperfusion, the developed pressure was equally depressed in both the control and experimental groups; however, 4 days later, the developed pressure in control animals was decreased by 3 +/- 3 mm Hg (versus the developed pressure measured at 1 hour) while the developed pressure in experimental animals was significantly increased by 25 +/- 8 mm Hg. Heterotopically transplanted hearts manifested diminished systolic function (stemming from ischemia and unloading) as well as decreased expression of adult myosin. Because orotic acid has been observed to produce an increase in protein synthesis in other models, we investigated whether this improvement in systolic function resulted from an orotic acid-mediated augmentation (or preservation) or normal adult myosin expression. Both orotic acid-treated and untreated hearts manifested decreased expression of the beta-myosin heavy chain protein and steady-state messenger RNA levels. Because function improved with decreased beta-myosin heavy chain expression, an alternate mechanism underlying orotic acid-mediated improvement in function is implicated. Nevertheless, orotic acid may be a therapeutic agent facilitating long-term recovery from global ischemia.
Selective entrainment of the Drosophila circadian clock to daily gradients in environmental temperature

Circadian clocks are internal daily time keeping mechanisms that allow organisms to anticipate daily changes in their environment and to organize their behavior and physiology in a coherent schedule. Although circadian clocks use temperature compensation mechanisms to maintain the same pace over a range of temperatures, they are also capable of synchronizing to daily temperature cycles. This study identifies key properties of this process. Gradually ramping daily temperature cycles are shown here to synchronize behavioral and molecular daily rhythms in Drosophila with a remarkable efficiency. Entrainment to daily temperature gradients of amplitudes as low as 4°C persisted even in the context of environmental profiles that also included continuous gradual increases or decreases in absolute temperature. To determine which elements of daily temperature gradients acted as the key determinants of circadian activity phase, comparative analyses of daily temperature gradients with different wave forms were performed. The phases of ascending and descending temperature acted together as key determinants of entrained circadian phase. In addition, circadian phase was found to be modulated by the relative temperature of release into free running conditions. Release at or close to the trough temperature of entrainment consistently resulted in phase advances. Re-entrainment to daily temperature gradients after large phase shifts occurred relatively slowly and required several cycles, allowing flies to selectively respond to periodic rather than anecdotal signals. The temperature-entrained phase relationship between clock gene expression rhythms and locomotor activity rhythms strongly resembled that previously observed for light entrainment. Moreover, daily temperature gradient and light/dark entrainment reinforced each other if the phases of ascending and descending temperature were in their natural alignment with the light and dark phases, respectively. The present study systematically examined the entrainment of clock-controlled behavior to daily environmental temperature gradients. As a result, a number of key properties of circadian temperature entrainment were identified. Collectively, these properties represent a circadian temperature entrainment mechanism that is optimized in its ability to detect the time-of-day information encoded in natural environmental temperature profiles. The molecular events synchronized to the daily phases of ascending and descending temperature are expected to play an important role in the mechanism of circadian entrainment to daily temperature cycles.
Coupled Input-Series and Output-Parallel Dual Interleaved Flyback Converter for High Input Voltage Application

This paper proposes an integrated magnetic dc-dc converter suitable for high input voltage application. The converter is based on a coupled input-series and output-parallel dual interleaved Flyback converter concept. All the center and outer legs are gapped, and the transformers are integrated into one magnetic core with not so tight coupling. The gap is beneficial for suppressing current spike caused by the voltage mismatch between the windings. The two transformers are inversely coupled, and current ripple reduction can be achieved with suitable coupling design. A prototype with 350-450-V input and 24-V/4-A output is built. Experimental results verify the performance of the new topology.
Examining the Impact of Cell Phone Conversations on Driving Using Meta-Analytic Techniques

Objective: The performance costs associated with cell phone use while driving were assessed meta-analytically using standardized measures of effect size along five dimensions. Background: There have been many studies on the impact of cell phone use on driving, showing some mixed findings. Methods: Twenty-three studies (contributing 47 analysis entries) met the appropriate conditions for the meta-analysis. The statistical results from each of these studies were converted into effect sizes and combined in the meta-analysis. Results: Overall, there were clear costs to driving performance when drivers were engaged in cell phone conversations. However, subsequent analyses indicated that these costs were borne primarily by reaction time tasks, with far smaller costs associated with tracking (lane-keeping) performance. Hands-free and handheld phones revealed similar patterns of results for both measures of performance. Conversation tasks tended to show greater costs than did information-processing tasks (e.g., w...
Pulse Propagation in a High-Gain Medium

It is found that ultrashort pulses in a high-gain 3.51-μm xenon laser propagate through the amplifying medium at a velocity less than the vacuum speed of light by as much as a factor of 2.5. The pulse velocity is a function of the gain and agrees with the group velocity.
Attending to Diversity in Group Psychotherapy: An Ethical Imperative

Ethical issues can arise in dealing with diversity when practicing group psychotherapy. In this paper, a case is presented of a therapist-in-training who is attempting to determine whether a particular psychotherapy group composed exclusively of heterosexual males would be an appropriate and effective treatment venue for a gay male; the clinical vignette is designed to illustrate a process of ethical and culturally competent decision making. The discussion of this vignette articulates the multiple steps through which the group psychotherapist must proceed to successfully resolve ethical dilemmas that are related to diversity.
Adverse effects of myasthenia gravis on rat phrenic diaphragm contractile performance

Myasthenia gravis has variable effects on the respiratory system, ranging from no abnormalities to life-threatening respiratory failure. Studies characterized diaphragm muscle contractile performan...
A Tale of Two Transfers: Disentangling Maximum and Typical Transfer and Their Respective Predictors

Research on transfer of training has been characterized by a lack of precision in distinguishing between the ability to transfer (i.e., “can do”), and the motivation to transfer (i.e., “will do”). Drawing from job performance research that has made this distinction, we argue that transfer of training can fall along a maximum/typical continuum, with one end reflecting how much trainees could potentially transfer (maximum) and the other capturing how much trainees will transfer (typical). A meta-analysis was conducted to identify relationships among four learning outcomes (declarative knowledge, skill acquisition, posttraining self-efficacy, and motivation to transfer), three stable antecedents (cognitive ability, conscientiousness, and workplace support), and transfer of training. 144 papers provided input for a meta-analytic correlation matrix, which formed the basis of regression analyses for hypothesis testing. Maximum and typical transfer were only weakly correlated and, as hypothesized, were predicted by different antecedents. Specifically, ability factors including declarative knowledge, skill acquisition, and cognitive ability were stronger predictors of maximum transfer, whereas motivation factors including posttraining self-efficacy, motivation to transfer, conscientiousness, and workplace support were stronger predictors of typical transfer. Additional mediation analyses revealed that learning outcomes mediated the effects of stable antecedents differently on maximum/typical transfer. These findings refine the understanding of the transfer construct space and suggest that future work on transfer should explicitly consider the maximum/typical continuum. This is the first paper to demonstrate the maximum/typical transfer distinction, thus offering potential explanation to inconsistent findings and highlighting the need for increased precision in transfer measurement.
Roleplaying Music History: Honing General Education Skills via "Reacting to the Past"

In the post recession climate music history teachers are faced with many institutional initiatives to bolster the impact of the general studies curriculum on undergraduate learning and development. A need for more rigorous expectations of reading, writing, public speaking, and collaborative group work runs parallel to the ever-growing amount of content and repertoire in the music history sequence. This article suggests teaching music history across the curriculum via the role-playing model Reacting to the Past . Reacting to the Past draws on the motivational tools of gamification and liminality to guide students to active learning experiences. By assuming character roles, students engage with primary source texts and historical repertoire in publishing position papers, collaborating with peers in strategic factions, delivering oral speeches, deliberating through parliamentary procedures, and enacting major events. This article shares examples from games tied to the Council of Trent, the Invention of Opera, the Querelle des Bouffons, and the War of the Romantics, and provides resources for developing and running Reacting to the Past games in the music history classroom. Furthermore, the article offers tools for assessment using rubrics tied to the general studies curriculum that are published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
The Cost of Collaboration Why Joint Decision Making Exacerbates Rejection of Outside Information

Prior investigators have asserted that certain group characteristics cause group members to disregard outside information and that this behavior leads to diminished performance. We demonstrate that the very process of making a judgment collaboratively rather than individually also contributes to such myopic underweighting of external viewpoints. Dyad members exposed to numerical judgments made by peers gave significantly less weight to those judgments than did individuals working alone. This difference in willingness to use peer input was mediated by the greater confidence that the dyad members reported in the accuracy of their own estimates. Furthermore, dyads were no better at judging the relative accuracy of their own estimates and the advisor’s estimates than individuals were. Our analyses demonstrate that, relative to individuals, dyads suffered an accuracy cost. Specifically, if dyad members had given as much weight to peer input as individuals working alone did, then their revised estimates would h...
Irreversible inhibition of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis β-lactamase by clavulanate

Members of the β-lactam class of antibiotics, which inhibit the bacterial d,d-transpeptidases involved in cell wall biosynthesis, have never been used systematically in the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections because of this organism's resistance to β-lactams. The critical resistance factor is the constitutive production of a chromosomally encoded, Ambler class A β-lactamase, BlaC in M. tuberculosis. We show that BlaC is an extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) with high levels of penicillinase and cephalosporinase activity as well as measurable activity with carbapenems, including imipenem and meropenem. We have characterized the enzyme's inhibition by three FDA-approved β-lactamase inhibitors: sulbactam, tazobactam, and clavulanate. Sulbactam inhibits the enzyme competitively and reversibly with respect to nitrocefin. Tazobactam inhibits the enzyme in a time-dependent manner, but the activity of the enzyme reappears due to the slow hydrolysis of the covalently acylated enzyme. In contrast...
Antibiotic Use in Cystic Fibrosis

Chronic pulmonary infections contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of patients with CF. The primary pathogens are Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Staphylococcus aureus. Hemophilus influenzae has been isolated from a significant number of patients also. A number of the β-lactam and aminoglycoside antibiotics reportedly have altered pharmacokinetic variables in CF. Therapy of acute pulmonary deterioration consists of intravenous antibiotics for two weeks. Antibiotic selection is based on culture and sensitivity results. Currently, the combination of a broad-spectrum penicillin and an aminoglycoside seems to provide the best results. Prophylactic antibiotics are effective if the primary isolates are sensitive to the agents used. Chronic PA infections are problematic because effective oral agents are not available. Aerosolized antibiotics do not improve results over adequate systemic therapy for acute exacerbations. Questions regarding optimal dosages, frequency, and duration of therapy remain.
Assumed-Modes Formulation of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters: Euler-Bernoulli, Rayleigh and Timoshenko Models With Axial Deformations

Harvesting of vibration energy has been investigated by numerous researchers over the last decade. The research motivation in this field is due to the reduced power requirement of small electronic components such as wireless sensor networks used in monitoring applications. The ultimate goal is to power such devices by using the waste vibration energy available in their environment so that the maintenance requirement for battery replacement is minimized. Among the basic transduction mechanisms that can be used for vibration-to-electricity conversion, piezoelectric transduction has received the most attention due to the large power densities and ease of application of piezoelectric materials. Typically, a piezoelectric energy harvester is a cantilevered beam with one or two piezoceramic layers and the source of excitation is the base motion in the transverse direction. This paper presents general formulations for electromechanical modeling of base-excited piezoelectric energy harvesters with symmetric and asymmetric laminates. The electromechanical derivations are given using the assumed-modes method under the Euler-Bernoulli, Rayleigh and Timoshenko beam assumptions in three sections. The formulations account for an independent axial displacement variable in all cases. Comparisons are provided against the analytical solution given by the authors for symmetric laminates and convergence of the assumed-modes solution to the analytical solution with the increasing number of modes is shown. Experimental validations are also presented by comparing the electromechanical frequency response functions derived here against the experimentally obtained ones. The electromechanical assumed-modes formulations given here can be used for modeling of piezoelectric energy harvesters with asymmetric laminates as well as those with moderate thickness and varying geometry in the axial direction.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Viral Antigen Induces Differentiation of Foxp3 + Natural Regulatory T Cells in Influenza Virus–Infected Mice

We examined the formation, participation, and functional specialization of virus-reactive Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) in a mouse model of influenza virus infection. "Natural" Tregs generated intrathymically, based on interactions with a self-peptide, proliferated in response to a homologous viral Ag in the lungs and, to a lesser extent, in the lung-draining mediastinal lymph nodes (medLNs) of virus-infected mice. In contrast, conventional CD4(+) T cells with identical TCR specificity underwent little or no conversion to become "adaptive" Tregs. The virus-reactive Tregs in the medLNs and the lungs of infected mice upregulated a variety of molecules associated with Treg activation, as well as acquired expression of molecules (T-bet, Blimp-1, and IL-10) that confer functional specialization to Tregs. Notably, however, the phenotypes of the T-bet(+) Tregs obtained from these sites were distinct, because Tregs isolated from the lungs expressed significantly higher levels of T-bet, Blimp-1, and IL-10 than did Tregs from the medLNs. Adoptive transfer of Ag-reactive Tregs led to decreased proliferation of antiviral CD4(+) and CD8(+) effector T cells in the lungs of infected hosts, whereas depletion of Tregs had a reciprocal effect. These studies demonstrate that thymically generated Tregs can become activated by a pathogen-derived peptide and acquire discrete T-bet(+) Treg phenotypes while participating in and modulating an antiviral immune response.
Screening for coronary heart disease in asymptomatic patients using multidetector computed tomography: calcium scoring and coronary computed tomography angiography.

Background and Relevance Atherosclerosis is an immune-inflammatory process with lipid andfibrous accumulationwithin the intimal layer of medium-sized and large arteries, resulting in plaque deposition. In the coronary arteries, most plaques remain silent; but some become obstructive, resulting in a coronary event. “Hard” coronary events include unstable angina, myocardial infarction (MI), and sudden death, which are also regarded as acute coronary syndrome (ACS). “Soft” coronary events are considered minor adverse events, such as stable angina, revascularization, or percutaneous catheter insertion. Atherosclerosis, seen inmost of the adult population all over the world, accounts for more than 19 million deaths every year. Despite the decrease in mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) in the United States, CHD still remains the leading cause of death in both men and women with approximately 600,000 people dying every year. Cardiovascular disease and stroke cumulatively cause more annual deaths than cancer, respiratory disease, accidents, and diabetes combined. The cost of the US health care system related to cardiovascular disease was estimated to be more than $400 billion in 2008. The reduction inCHD-relatedUS deaths from1980-2000 is attributed equally to improvedmajor risk factors and to the use of evidence-based medical therapies. The latter category, focused on secondary prevention, has been the most dramatic advance in reducing the likelihood of recurrentmajor coronary
Phylogenetic Systematics of the Genus Mertensia (Boraginaceae)

The diversity of Mertensia (Boraginaceae), a monophyletic group that is widely distributed in Asia, Beringia, North America, and circumboreal locales, has presented considerable taxonomic difficulties. Phylogeny reconstructions based on DNA sequence data from eleven chloroplast (cp) regions were used to infer evolutionary lineages, address problematic taxonomic circumscriptions, test hypotheses of relationships, and discuss variation of morphological characters in Mertensia (Boraginaceae). Phylogenetic analyses using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference consistently recovered three clades that largely correspond to geography. One clade consisted of a grade of Asian taxa, a Beringian subclade, and a circumboreal subclade. A second clade consisted of the Beringian M. rivularis and was weakly to moderately supported as sister to a third clade, which consisted only of North American taxa. Although we recovered weak support for many of the deeper nodes in the North American clade, our results provided moderate to strong support for 13 subclades. Hypothesis testing using the Shimodaira-Hasegawa (SH) and Approximately Unbiased (AU) tests rejected several earlier hypotheses of relationships except for three models of relationships suggested by Williams: (1) section Mertensia sensu Williams; (2) M. oreophila and M. oblongifolia var. nevadensis sensu Williams; and (3) M. arizonica var. arizonica, M. arizonica var. subnuda, M. grahamii, and M. toyabensis sensu Williams. In the latter three cases, alternative phylogenetic hypotheses were rejected by the AU test but not by the SH test. The North American clade includes M. ciliata, M. lanceolata, M. oblongifolia, and M. viridis, for which broad circumscriptions by some authors have been especially problematic. Our phylogenetic results recovered these taxa as polyphyletic and hypothesis tests rejected the monophyly of each of these species when treated broadly. We recommend narrow circumscriptions for each of these taxa and suggest further studies of the oblongifolia complex. Our results represent the first and most comprehensive molecular phylogeny to date for Mertensia. We propose to emend the section Stenhammaria to include Asian, Beringian, and circumboreal taxa. New combinations include: Mertensia grahamii, Mertensia longipedunculata, Mertensia ovata var. caelestina, and Mertensia parvifolia.
The cohesion protein ORD is required for homologue bias during meiotic recombination

During meiosis, sister chromatid cohesion is required for normal levels of homologous recombination, although how cohesion regulates exchange is not understood. Null mutations in orientation disruptor (ord) ablate arm and centromeric cohesion during Drosophila meiosis and severely reduce homologous crossovers in mutant oocytes. We show that ORD protein localizes along oocyte chromosomes during the stages in which recombination occurs. Although synaptonemal complex (SC) components initially associate with synapsed homologues in ord mutants, their localization is severely disrupted during pachytene progression, and normal tripartite SC is not visible by electron microscopy. In ord germaria, meiotic double strand breaks appear and disappear with frequency and timing indistinguishable from wild type. However, Ring chromosome recovery is dramatically reduced in ord oocytes compared with wild type, which is consistent with the model that defects in meiotic cohesion remove the constraints that normally limit recombination between sisters. We conclude that ORD activity suppresses sister chromatid exchange and stimulates inter-homologue crossovers, thereby promoting homologue bias during meiotic recombination in Drosophila.
50–100 MHz, 8x step-up DC-DC converters in 130nm 1.2V digital CMOS

This paper reports the implementation of high voltage step-up converters in standard 130nm 1.2V CMOS technology. Two hybrid boost converters have been fabricated and are compared, each of which are enabled by the development of enhanced high voltage devices for the standard process: Schottky diodes and stacked NMOS switches. Each device can sustain blocking voltages near 10V or greater in the 1.2V process. The two hybrid boost converters both operate at 50–100MHz switching frequency with 1.2 to 10V conversion. The switched inductor/capacitor hybrid converter delivers 26mW maximum power and achieves 42% peak efficiency at 7V output, while the switched inductor/flyback converter delivers 66mW maximum power and achieves 57% peak efficiency at 7V output.
Increased resistance to generalist herbivores in invasive populations of the california poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

Escape from enemies in the native range is often assumed to contribute to the successful invasion of exotic species. Following optimal defence theory, which assumes a trade-off between herbivore resistance and plant growth, some have predicted that the success of invasive species could be the result of the evolution of lower resistance to herbivores and increased allocation of resources to growth and reproduction. Lack of evidence for ubiquitous costs of producing plant toxins, and the recognition that invasive species may escape specialist, but not generalist enemies, has led to a new prediction: invasive species may escape ecological trade-offs associated with specialist herbivores, and evolve increased, rather than decreased, production of defensive compounds that are effective at deterring generalist herbivores in the introduced range. We tested the performance of two generalist lepidopteran herbivores, Trichoplusia ni and Orgyia vetusta , when raised on diets of native and invasive populations of the California poppy, Eschscholzia californica . Pupae of T. ni were significantly larger when reared on native populations. Similarly, caterpillars of O. vetusta performed significantly better when raised on native populations, indicating that invasive populations of the California poppy are more resistant to herbivores than native populations. The chance of successful establishment of some non-indigenous plant species may be increased by retaining resistance to generalist herbivores, and in some cases, invasive species may be able to escape ecological trade-offs in their new range and evolve, as we observed, even greater resistance to generalist herbivores than native plants.
A robust parallel programming model for dynamic non-uniform scientific computations

LPARX provides efficient run-time support for dynamic, non-uniform scientific calculations running on MIMD distributed memory architectures. It extends HPF's data decomposition model to provide support for dynamic, block irregular data structures. LPARX represents data decompositions as first-class objects and expresses data dependencies in a manner which is logically independent of data decomposition and problem dimension. LPARX applications are portable across a diversity of MIMD machines. We have implemented a number of applications in LPARX-including a 3D particle calculation and 2D and 3D adaptive multigrid solvers-which could not have been efficiently implemented in HPF. >
Separate effects of low carbon dioxide and low oxygen content on rat brain monoamine metabolism during hypoxemia

Abstract Awake, adult male rats (some with chronically indwelling femoral artery catheters) were exposed for up to 7 days to one of three environments: a) normoxia (P I O 2 = 155 Torr), b) hypoxic hypocapnia (P I O 2 =90 Torr), and c) hypoxic normocapnia (P I O 2 =73 Torr, P I CO 2 =32 Torr), and arterial blood gas and acid-base status were documented. After 1 hour to 7 days, rats were sacrificed, and the time courses of the brain levels and turnovers of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5HT) were determined in each condition. The transient decrease in monoamine levels seen on exposure to acute hypoxia was absent if normocapnia was maintained; 7 days hypoxia with or without hypocapnia resulted in increased monoamine levels. Normocapnia also prevented an immediate, sustained decrease in 5HT turnover and a delayed decrease in DA turnover which were observed in hypoxic hypocapnia. A delayed increase in 5HT turnover appeared to be due to hypoxia independent of PaCO 2 . Therefore, the initial, transient loss of mental acuity and some ventilatory adaptations observed during prolonged hypoxia may be a result of the decrease in PaCO 2 rather than the decreased oxygen concentration.
Nickel–alumina interfacial fracture toughness using the thick foil technique

Abstract The interfacial fracture toughness of the nickel–alumina bond and the influence of interfacial chemistry are studied experimentally. Nickel and alumina form a relatively strong bond, thus many of the well-known methods for experimental determination of toughness fail due to the crack deflecting into the ceramic rather than cracking along the interface. Thus a thick foil technique that forces the crack to run along the interface without kinking into the ceramic was developed. This new technique eliminates any chemical masking agents on the interface, greatly reducing surface contamination and increasing bond strength. By varying the oxygen partial pressure during hot press bonding we show that higher oxygen partial pressure, as long as it remains below the threshold for formation of nickel aluminate spinel, increases the toughness by forming a NiO layer. We also show that even when spinel is formed a strong interface can still be obtained as long as the spinel layer is thin, below approximately 3 μm.