cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bilateral nummular infiltrates: An uncommon presentation of Candida keratitis.

Abstract Purpose We present a case of misdiagnosed fungal keratitis due to a bilateral nummular presentation. Observations A 41-year-old female patient, contact lens wearer, presented initially at an optometrist with acute bilateral blurred vision and photophobia. She was found on exam to have multiple round stromal infiltrates bilaterally. She did not have significant ocular surface issues prior and had no history of topical steroid use. Adenovirus testing was negative, and she was started on a topical antibiotic-steroid combination. She did not improve and was referred for further evaluation. We initially suspected a herpetic infection and began treatment with oral antivirals. Cultures came back positive for Candida albicans in the right eye. She was very photophobic and cultures were unable to adequately be obtained from the left eye. She was switched to topical voriconazole drop in both eyes and gradually improved with excellent visual outcome. Urogenital cultures were negative. Contact lens use was discontinued through the course of treatment. Conclusions Bilateral Candida keratitis is rare and has not been reported in a nummular pattern and in a patient without significant ocular surface issues or chronic use of steroid drops. Differential diagnosis of nummular keratitis mostly includes viral and inflammatory conditions. This case highlights the need to stay alert to a possible fungal etiology and a potential risk of using topical steroids at initial presentation of nummular keratitis.
Resilience of oocyte germinal vesicles to microwave-assisted drying in the domestic cat model.

The ability to compact and inject the cat germinal vesicle (GV) into a recipient cytoplast allows exploration of a new fertility preservation strategy that avoids whole oocyte freezing. The objective of the present study was to understand the impact of water loss and storage time on GV DNA integrity. Immature cat oocytes were exposed to 1.5 M trehalose for 10 min before microwave-assisted dehydration for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or 40 min. Oocytes then were rehydrated to assess chromatin configuration and the incidence of DNA fragmentation (TUNEL assay). The moisture content progressively decreased (p 0.05) after 40 min. Chromatin configuration was unaffected (p>0.05) over time. The percentage of GVs with DNA fragmentation was unaltered (p>0.05) from 0 to 30 min of treatment (range, 6.1%–12%), but increased (p<0.05) to 32.5% after 40 min. Next, the influence of storage at two different supra-zero temperatures after 30 m...
Deafness: a MAC problem in ad hoc networks when using directional antennas

This work addresses deafness - a problem that appears when MAC protocols are designed using directional antennas. Briefly, deafness is caused when a transmitter fails to communicate to its intended receiver, because the receiver is beamformed towards a direction away from the transmitter. Existing CSMA/CA protocols rely on the assumption that congestion is the predominant cause of communication failure, and adopt backoff schemes to handle congestion. While this may be appropriate for omnidirectional antennas, for directional antennas, both deafness and congestion can be the reason for communication failures. An appropriate directional MAC protocol needs to classify the actual cause of failure, and react accordingly. This paper quantifies the impact of deafness on directional medium access control, and proposes a tone-based mechanism as one way of addressing deafness. The tone-based mechanism, ToneDMAC, assumes congestion as the default reason for communication failures, and applies a corrective measure whenever the cause is deafness. Simulation results indicate that ToneDMAC can alleviate deafness, and perform better than existing directional MAC protocols.
Transformation of radiation sensitive strains of Micrococcus lysodeikticus.

The isolation from strains of Micrococcuslysodeikticus of nucleases capable of removing thymine dimers from ultraviolet (UV) irradiated DNA (Carrier and Setlow, 1966; Takagi etal., 1968; Grossman etal., 1968) has prompted the isolation of UV sensitive mutants of M.lysodeikticus. This paper describes the properties of three selected mitomycin sensitive mutants, which are UV−. It also describes the transformation of these mutants with wild type DNA and the characteristics of the transformants obtained.
Consumer experience tourism: a powerful tool for food and beverage producers

Abstract This manuscript reviews the growing use of manufacturing plant tours, company museums, and company visitor centers in the food and beverage industries. Consumer Experience Tourism is a powerful tool used to strengthen the bond between consumers and brands. Consumers gain an experience with a brand, its production process, history, and historical significance. In an increasingly competitive environment, such relationships are vital to customer retention efforts and differentiating brands in the marketplace.
Synchrotron Stories from Stanford—From a Parking Lot to First Beam

Our journey in synchrotron radiation started in July 1972 when we joined a group at Stanford led by Seb Doniach and Bill Spicer to build a “Pilot Project” to test the feasibility of performing X-ray photoemission experiments on the newly commissioned SPEAR storage ring at SLAC. The SPEAR ring was expressly built for high-energy physics using colliding electron and positron beams (ultimately discovering the existence of quarks and garnering two Nobel prizes). As a result, anything we did could not interfere with the high-energy physics experiments.
Human subjects concerns in ground based ECLSS testing - Managing uncertainty in closely recycled systems

U.S. space missions have to this point used water either made on board or carried from earth and discarded after use. For Space Station Freedom, long duration life support will include air and water recycling using a series of physical-chemical subsystems. The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) designed for this application must be tested extensively at all stages of hardware maturity. Human test subjects are required to conduct some of these tests, and the risks associated with the use of development hardware must be addressed. Federal guidelines for protection of human subjects require careful consideration of risks and potential benefits by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before and during testing. This paper reviews the ethical principles guiding this consideration, details the problems and uncertainties inherent in current hardware testing, and presents an incremental approach to risk assessment for ECLSS testing.
A direct upper limit on the density of cosmological dust from the absence of an X-ray scattering halo around the z = 4.3 quasar QSO 1508+5714

We report on the results of a search for an intergalactic X-ray dust scattering halo in a deep observation of the bright, high-redshift quasar QSO 1508+5714 with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. We do not detect such a halo. Our result implies an upper limit on the density of diffuse, large-grained intergalactic dust of Ωd < 2 × 10-6, assuming a characteristic grain size of ~1 μm. The result demonstrates the sensitivity of this technique for detecting very small amounts of intergalactic dust, which are very hard to detect otherwise. This will allow us to put important constraints on systematic effects induced by extinction on the interpretation of the Hubble diagram for Type Ia supernovae, as well as on the amount and properties of cosmological dust being expelled into the intergalactic medium at early (z ≥ 2) times.
Progestational activity of Danazol in the human female subject

Abstract A progestational action of Danazol has not been reported in the human subject. Danazol administration for 1 month suppressed serum FSH and estradiol values, and the midcycle LH surge; ovulation promptly resumed after treatment. Administration to patients with polycystic ovarian disease resulted in increased LH values, elevated basal temperature, secretory findings in the endometrial biopsy, and menses. Ovarian biopsy did not document corpus luteum formation, and plasma progesterone did not rise. Administration of Danazol to an ovariectomized patient pretreated with estrogen resulted in an atypical endometrial secretory change. Clinical responses to Danazol may in part be explained by a progestational-like effect of the drug.
A model of transport of fuel gases in a charring solid and its application to opposed-flow flame spread

Abstract This paper outlines the development of a mathematical model for the transport of gases through the char matrix of a burning solid. Two basic assumptions are made. First, the gases evolved by the degradation of the virgin material are transported by pressure differences through a network of narrow passageways created in the char by the conversion of material from the solid to the gas phase. This process is treated as flow through a porous medium, with the mass flux related to the pressure gradient by Darcy’s law. Second, the gas temperature is the same as the local char temperature. This model is first used to study the time-dependent thermal degradation of a semi-infinite charring solid heated above the charring temperature. Then, the opposed flow flame spread treated by Atreya and Baum [Atreya, A., Baum, H.R., Proc. Combust. Inst. , 29 (2002) 227–236] is revisited. It was found that the solution to the condensed phase flame spread problem is identical to the initial transient problem. Weak dependence of the solution on the accumulation parameter ‘ β ’ validates the assumption made in [Atreya, A., Baum, H.R., Proc. Combust. Inst. , 29 (2002) 227–236] and completes the flame spread solution. Fuel mass flux follows the heat flux lines and is normal to the isobars. Calculations using representative values for wood show that the pressure generation at the char–virgin material interface is considerable and equal to 13.27 kPa. Finally, in view of the fact that the nonlinear pressure equation poses considerable numerical difficulties, this analytical solution may help in determining the stability and accuracy of the numerical scheme used for more complicated problems.
Compact multisector antenna employing microstrip Yagi‐Uda array antenna with common director elements

Multisector antennas are effective for high-speed wireless communications because they not only can provide a high gain with a simple configuration but also can reduce multipath fading and interference waves. However, multisector antenna have the problem that miniaturization is difficult because an antenna is needed in each sector. In this paper, a small dual-beam antenna configuration is proposed that shares director elements between two opposing microstrip Yagi-Uda arrays and a multisector configuration based on this antenna configuration. First, it is shown by analysis that an arbitrary conical beam width can be obtained with the microstrip Yagi-Uda array antenna with common director elements. It is also shown that undesired radiation can be reduced by terminating the nonactive feed elements in the microstrip Yagi-Uda array antenna with common director elements. Further, it is shown that planar six-sector antennas can be realized with a diameter of 2.27 wavelengths if three microstrip Yagi-Uda array antennas with common director elements are arranged in an equilateral triangle. The characteristics obtained are about 66° of conical beam width and less than −25 dB of adjacent sector coupling. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 1, 88(7): 1–10, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecja.20205
Dimensions of maltreated children's home behavior: A factor analytic approach

Abstract This study identified dimensions of home behavior of maltreating parents and their children through exploratory factor analysis. Five child factors were identified: self-directed behavior, affiliative behavior, negativity, positive social interaction, and questioning. Five parent factors were identified: positive social interaction, caretaking, discipline, refusal, and hostility. Multivariate analyses indicated that neglected children and abused children had less positive social interaction than adequately reared children. Children showed more questioning and less negativity at older ages. Abusing parents were most hostile, whereas neglecting parents showed the least positive social interaction. Abusing parents directed less hostility toward older children than the other child-rearing groups. Parents exhibited less caretaking behavior toward older children and directed more positive social interaction toward children with higher developmental quotients. The results suggest that factor analysis is a viable means of identifying dimensions of child and parent behavior which could facilitate comparison of effects across studies.
Perspectives from the Bench: Patent Law in Pittsburgh An Interview with the Honorable Joy Flowers Conti, District Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Judge Joy Flowers Conti has served as a district judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania since 2002, when she was nominated by President George W. Bush. Prior to her service as a district judge, Judge Conti served as a law clerk to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice, was a partner in private practice at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, LLP, and a shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll. She also served as a member of the faculty at Duquesne University School of Law. Judge Conti is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania, the Federal Bar Association and the American Inns of Court. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Duquesne University in 1970, and a JD degree summa cum laude from Duquesne University School of Law in 1973.
Optical Time Division Multiplexer on Silicon Chip

In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a novel broadband optical time division multiplexer (OTDM) on a silicon chip. The fabricated devices generate 20 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s signals starting from a 5 Gb/s input signal. The proposed design has a small footprint of 1mm x 1mm. The system is inherently broadband with a bandwidth of over 100nm making it suitable for high-speed optical networks on chip.
Propagation in pair-correlated distributions of small-spaced lossy scatterers

Earlier results for coherent attenuation of light by pair-correlated random distributions of dielectric particles of radius a (with separation of closest centers 2b≥2a small compared to wavelength) are generalized to absorbing scatterers with higher refractivity. To facilitate applications, we reduce the total attenuation coefficient (τ) to two terms, one proportional to the absorption cross section of an isolated particle, and one to the scattering cross section times the statistical-mechanics packing correlation function W discussed earlier; each term is also proportional to the same simple function of the first-order coherent phase change. For lossless scatterers, the dependence of W on the volume fraction (W) of particles of radius b accounts for the transparency of correlated distributions at relatively dense packing, as well as for the opacity that arises with looser packing. For lossy scatterers, W (W) determines the relative influence of absorption losses and scattering losses in τ. Even if the scattering losses are the more significant for small W, the absorption losses dominate as W increases; for such cases and moderate refractivity, we show that τ(W) may have a maximum, and determine its value and the corresponding value of W in terms of the cross sections and the form of W.
Alpha capture on 14C and its astrophysical implications

The reaction ^(14)C(α, γ)^(18)O has been measured in the alpha energy range of E_α = 1.14−2.33 MeV. The resonance strengths of the 4^+ resonance at E_α = 1.14 MeV and of the 1^− resonance at E_α = 1.79 MeV have been measured relative to the ^(14)C(p, γ)^(15)N resonance at E_p=0.528 MeV. Additionally, two nonresonant γ-transitions to the ground state and to the first excited state of ^(18)O were found. The energy dependence of their cross sections can be described by the direct capture process and its interference with the two 1^− resonances at E_α = 1.79 and 2.33 MeV.
The ethnographic spectacle of the ‘other’ Filipinos in early cinema

My paper aims to ask what space characterizes the various constructs of orientalism and othering in the early short films of Thomas Edison. Using Lefebvre’s concept that social space “subsumes things produced, and encompasses their interrelationships in their coexistence and simultaneity” in these early shorts, I will look at three Biograph actualities found at the Library of Congress-American Memory page to show how space is manifested and negotiated onscreen. I will examine Edison’s “Filipinos Retreat From Trenches”, “Capture of Trenches at Candaba” and “U.S. Troops and Red Cross in the Trenches Before Caloocan” which were all released in 1899. These reenacted short films were shot during the tumultuous years of the Spanish-American War. In the Biograph shorts, the privileged positions of both Spanish and American forces in relation to the annexation of a foreign land in world history books is indicative of the tendency to de-emphasize the contribution of the native population in the war. Manthia Diawara has said that “space is related to power and powerlessness, insofar as those who occupy the center of the screen are usually more powerful than those in the background or completely absent from the screen.” The spatial hierarchies and spatially situated images in Edison’s short films show how historically configured power relations encrypted oppression to its external “others” through the cinematic apparatus.
Effects of 5-fluorouracil, actinomycin D and mitomycin C on the induction of thymidine kinase by vaccinia-infected L-cells

The effects of actinomycin D, 5-fluorouracil, 5-fluorodeoxyuridine and mitomycin C on the induction of thymidine kinase in vaccinia-infected mouse fibroblasts were investigated. When cells were treated with high levels of actinomycin D 1 hr prior to the addition of vaccinia, thymidine kinase induction was prevented. However, when cells were pretreated for 8 hr with 1 μ g/ml. actinomycin D 24 hr before the inoculation of virus, thymidine kinase induction was reduced to only about half the control level, although the incorporation of [ 3 H]uridine into RNA was inhibited by about 95%. 5-Fluorouracil prevented the incorporation of [ 3 H]uridine into the DNA-thymine of both non-infected and vaccinia-infected cells. Either in the absence or in the presence of 5-fluorouracil or 5-fluorodeoxyuridine, there was no detectable incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine into the DNA of non-infected L-M (TK−) cells. Following infection of L-M (TK−) cells with vaccinia, however, 5-fluorouracil and 5-fluorodeoxyuridine enhanced the incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine into DNA. 5-Fluorouracil (100 to 300 μ g/ml.) caused only moderate reductions in the induction of thymidine kinase activity in vaccinia-infected cells. Antecedent treatment of non-infected L-cells for 1 hr with 50 μ g/ml. mitomycin C or for 17 hr with 15 μ g/ml. mitomycin C, respectively, reduced the incorporation for 1 hr of [ 3 H]thymidine into DNA by 95% and 99%. However, high levels of mitomycin C did not prevent thymidine kinase induction in vaccinia-infected cells. When L-M (TK−) cells were pretreated for 16 hr with 15 μ ,g/ml. mitomycin C, infected with vaccinia virus, and further treated with 48·5 μ g/ml. mitomycin C at 1 hr after inoculation, thymidine kinase induction was only reduced by about 46%. The results support the concept that vaccinia DNA-dependent RNA synthesis is needed for thymidine kinase induction, but that the suppression of DNA synthesis or host-cell DNA-dependent RNA synthesis does not prevent enzyme induction.
Further observations on the increases in inositide phospholipids after stimulation by ACTH, cAMP and insulin, and on discrepancies in phosphatidylinositol mass and 32PO4-labeling during inhibition of hormonal effects by cycloheximide

Abstract ACTH-induced increases in adrenal polyphosphoinositides were demonstrable after extraction by acid or non-acid methods, and after purification by unidimensional or two-dimensional thin layer chromatography. ACTH-induced increases in phosphatidylinositol mass were apparent, both as increases in measurable phosphorus and inositol. ACTH and insulin also increased 32PO4 incorporation into adrenal and adipose tissue polyphosphoinositides which were acid-extracted and purified by two-dimensional chromatography. Cyclic-AMP increased the mass of phosphatidylinositol, but decreased 32PO4 incorporation into this and other phospholipids; the cause for this decrease in specific activity was not evident. Increasing doses of cycloheximide progressively inhibited ACTH- or insulin-induced increases in the mass of phosphatidylinositol, but 32PO4 incorporation therein followed a bimodal curve, with inhibition at lower doses and stimulation at higher doses; these divergent changes in phosphatidylinositol mass and 32P-labeling at higher concentrations raise the possibility that cycloheximide may activate phospholipases in hormone-stimulated tissues. These results offer further support for our contention that ACTH and insulin increase inositide phospholipid concentrations in their target tissues by a cycloheximide-sensitive mechanism.
GENOME ANALYSIS IN NEUROSPORA CRASSA ; CLONING OF FOUR LOCI ARGININE-1 (ARG-1), METHIONINE-6 (MET-6), UNKNOWN-7 (UN-7), AND RIBOSOME PRODUCTION-1 (RIP -1) AND ASSOCIATED CHROMOSOME WALKING

Abstract We have cloned four Neurospora crassa genes by complementation analysis. Cloned genes include the arginine-1 ( arg-1 ), methionine-6 ( met-6 ), unknown-7 ( un-7 ), and ribosome production-1 ( rip-1 ) loci. Chromosome walks were initiated in ordered cosmid libraries from the cloned loci. A total of about 700 kb of the Neurospora genome is covered in these walks.
Concentrations fo Glucocorticoids, Bovine Serum Albumin, and Somatic Cells in Mastitic Milk

Abstract Milk glucocorticoids, bovine serum albumin, and somatic cells were measured during experimental mastitis. Six cows were allotted evenly into injected and control groups. Injected cows received a single intramammary infusion of .5mg sterile Escherichia coli endotoxin in a quarter chosen at random. Control cows were untreated. Milk quarter samples were taken from all cows at both milkings and 9h following midnight milking 1 day prior to and for 7 days following injection. Peak glucocorticoid concentrations occurred 9h postinjection and were 17.5ng/ml (± 10.2), and 4.4ng/ml (± 2.3) in injected and noninjected quarters of the same cows. In injected cows glucocorticoid concentrations returned to baseline within 36h. Glucocorticoids in control quarters were .4ng/ml (± .3). Peak bovine serum albumin was 27.8ng/ml (± 22.8) and .56ng/ml (± .09) in injected and noninjected quarters in the same cows as compared to a baseline of .2 mg/ml (± .04) in control cows. In injected quarters, bovine serum albumin remained elevated for 4 days, and somatic cells were elevated for 6 days after injection. Glucocorticoids, bovine serum albumin, and somatic cells were elevated markedly in injected quarters, and unlike concentrations of bovine serum albumin and somatic cells, elevated glucocorticoids in injected quarters were short lived.
Measurement of diffusion in 3He-4He solutions and determination of the 3He-roton cross section

Abstract The diffusion constant of very dilute 3 He- 4 He solutions has been measured directly using a new technique. The results show that the 3 He-roton cross section is energy dependent, increasing with temperature over the temperature range of the experiment.
Goldilocks and the three training models: A comparison of three models of low vision reading training on reading efficiency

The purpose of the study was to determine if there were performance differences for subjects with age-related maculopathy (ARM) reading with optical devices or closed circuit televisions (CCTVs) based upon amount of training. Performance was measured as reading speed and duration. METHODS In the first experiment ninety subjects participated in an experiment comparing two models of training: a traditional model (TM) consisting of 10 optical device training sessions and 15 CCTV training sessions was compared to a shorter training model termed the empirical model (EM) derived from a post hoc review of training records. The EM consisted of five optical device training sessions with five practice sessions and seven CCTV trainings sessions with eight practice sessions. In the second experiment the EM was compared to a training model used by many private agencies/clinics termed the private sector model (PS) that consisted of one optical device training session or two CCTV training sessions. RESULTS Reading speed...
Manganese dioxide causes spurious gold values in flame atomic-absorption readings from HBr-Br2 digestions

ABSTRACT Campbell, W.L., 1981. Manganese dioxide causes spurious gold values in flame atomic-absorption readings from HBr-Br2 digestions. In: A.W. Rose and H. Gundlach (Editors), Geochemical Exploration 1980. J. Geochem. Explor., 15: 613–616. False readings, apparently caused by the presence of high concentrations of manganese dioxide, have been observed in our current flame atomic-absorption procedure for the determination of gold. After a hydrobromic acid (HBr)-bromine (Br2) leach, simply heating the sample to boiling to remove excess Br2 prior to extraction with methyl-iso-butyl-ketone (MIBK) eliminates these false readings.
Chromatographic silanol activity test procedures: the quest for a universal test

Reversed-phase chromatography is the most used and the most studied method of modern liquid chromatography. There is yet no ideal support available for preparing reversed-phase stationary phases, but the vast majority have historically been and are still prepared on microparticulate silica. The silica surface has a number of properties which make it attractive for derivatization, including easily controlled particle size and porosity and mechanical stability. There are several types of surface silanols which have their own unique properties that affect both chemical derivatization reactions and adsorptive interactions with solutes. The relative distribution of these different types of silanols may affect the characteristics of silica-based stationary phases more than the absolute number of surface silanol groups. The relative importance of each of these different types of silanols has not yet been unambiguously established. Free or isolated silanols, internally hydrogen-bonded vicinal silanols, and geminal silanols all have been implicated as the primary reaction and adsorption sites. There are many different synthetic schemes that have been used to block the remaining silanols, and "deactivated" phases are very popular. Unfortunately, there is still no universally agreed upon method to measure the accessibility or interaction of these silanols with solute molecules. Many tests have been proposed, focusing mainly on chromatographic probe molecules, but different tests run on the same column will often show different interactions. We will briefly review the surface chemistry of silica and focus on the multitude of tests that have been proposed. Our focal point will be silanol activity test; other aspects of column performance will not be included. Where possible, comparisons among the methods will be made.
Crown Rot of Strawberry Caused by Macrophomina phaseolina in California

In 2006 and 2007, severely diseased strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) plants were observed in five commercial fields in southern California (Orange County). Disease generally occurred in discrete patches. Within such patches, disease incidence ranged from 10 to 75%. Symptoms consisted of wilting of foliage, drying and death of older leaves, plant stunting, and eventual collapse and death of plants. When plant crowns were dissected, internal vascular and cortex tissues were dark brown to orange brown. Fruiting bodies or other fungal structures were not observed. A fungus was consistently isolated from symptomatic crown tissue that had been surface sterilized and placed on acidified corn meal agar (LA-CMA). All isolates produced numerous, dark, irregularly shaped sclerotia that were 67 to 170 μm long and 44 to 133 μm wide. When isolates were grown on 1.5% water agar with dried and sterilized wheat straw, dark, ostiolate pycnidia and hyaline, single-celled, cylindrical conidia were produced. On the basis of these characters, all isolates were identified as Macrophomina phaseolina (1). The symptomatic plants tested negative for Colletotrichum spp., Phytophthora spp., Verticillium dahliae, and other pathogens. Inoculum for pathogenicity tests was produced by growing six isolates on CMA on which sterilized wood toothpicks were placed on the agar surface. After 1 week, toothpicks were removed and inserted 4 to 5 mm deep into the basal crown tissue of potted strawberry plants (cv. Camarosa) grown in soilless, peatmoss-based rooting medium. Ten plants were inoculated per isolate and one toothpick was inserted per plant. Ten control strawberry plants were treated by inserting one sterile toothpick into each crown. All plants were then grown in a shadehouse. After 2 weeks, all inoculated plants began to show wilting and decline of foliage. By 4 weeks, all inoculated plants had collapsed. Internal crown tissue was discolored and similar in appearance to the original field plants. M. phaseolina was isolated from all inoculated plants. Control plants did not exhibit any disease symptoms, and crown tissue was symptomless. The test was repeated and the results were similar. While M. phaseolina has been periodically associated with strawberry in California (3), to my knowledge, this is the first report of charcoal rot disease on commercial strawberry in California. Charcoal rot of strawberry has been reported in Egypt, France, India, Israel, and the United States (Florida and Illinois) (2,4). Similar to previous reports (2,4), many of the affected California fields were not preplant fumigated with methyl bromide + chloropicrin fumigants, and it is possible that under these changing production practices this pathogen may increase in importance in California. References: (1) P. Holliday and E. Punithalingam. No. 275 in: Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. CMI, Kew, Surrey, UK, 1970. (2) J. Mertely et al. Plant Dis.89:434, 2005. (3) S. Wilhelm. Plant Dis. Rep. 41:941, 1957. (4) A. Zveibil and S. Freeman. Plant Dis. 89:1014, 2005.
Melanoma thickness measurement in two-layer tissue phantoms using pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR)

Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin. Melanoma is one of the rarer types of skin cancer but causes the majority of skin cancer related deaths. The staging of malignant melanoma using Breslow thickness is important because of the relationship to survival rate after five years. Pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR) is based on the time-resolved acquisition of infrared (IR) emission from a sample after pulsed laser exposure. PPTR can be used to investigate the relationship between melanoma thickness and detected radiometric temperature using two-layer tissue phantoms. We used a Monte Carlo simulation to mimic light transport in melanoma and employed a three-dimensional heat transfer model to obtain simulated radiometric temperature increase and, in comparison, we also conducted PPTR experiments to confirm our simulation results. Simulation and experimental results show similar trends: thicker absorbing layers corresponding to deeper lesions produce slower radiometric temperature decays. A quantitative relationship exists between PPTR radiometric temperature decay time and thickness of the absorbing layer in tissue phantoms.
Algerian renewable energy assessment: The challenge of sustainability

Algeria plays a very important role in world energy markets, both as a significant hydrocarbon producer and as an exporter, as well as a key participant in the renewable energy market. Due to its geographical location, Algeria holds one of the highest solar potentials in the world. This paper presents a review of the present renewable energy situation and assesses present and future potential of renewable energy sources (RESs) in Algeria. This paper also discusses the trends and expectation in solar systems applications and the aspects of future implementation of renewable energies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region status. The problem related to the use of RES and polices to enhance the use of these sources are also analysed in this paper. In addition the available capacity building, the technical know-how for each RES technology and localizing manufacturing of renewable energy equipments are defined. The co-importance of both policy and technology investments for the future Algerian markets of RES and competitiveness of the solar/wind approach is emphasized. Some examples of policy significantly impacting Algerian markets are reviewed, and the intention of the new Algerian RES initiative is discussed.
Power reduction techniques for a spread spectrum based correlator

This paper presents the design of a low power spread spectrum correlator. We look at two major approaches and evaluate the best alternative for power reduction. We first consider a shift register FIFO implementation and look at reducing the switching activity for the arithmetic operations with a change in the addition algorithm. The correlation calculation can be modified to include storage of the previous result so that arithmetic circuits need only compute the difference between the present and next value. A binary adder tree with bypass can then reduce power by shutting off unnecessary computations. We then look at minimizing the power for sample storage by limiting the amount of data moved per cycle. This can be achieved by using a register file FIFO implementation. Interestingly the two power minimization techniques, bypass adder tree and register file FIFO implementation, were found to be strongly non-orthogonal, with the final effect that the register file changes the data statistics in such a way that it cancels the savings for the adder tree with bypass. The final solution of a register file with standard adder tree was found to have the lowest power dissipation. Using Bus-Invert for encoding the data as it enters the FIFO further reduces the power consumption due to the global bus of the register file.
Mergers and Sunk Costs: An Application to the Ready-Mix Concrete Industry

Horizontal mergers have a large impact by inducing a long-lasting change in market structure. Only in an industry with substantial entry barriers is a merger not immediately counteracted by postmerger entry. To evaluate the duration of the effects of a merger, I use the model of Abbring and Campbell (2010) to estimate demand thresholds for entry and for exit. These thresholds, along with the process for demand, are estimated using data from the ready-mix concrete industry. Simulations predict that a merger from duopoly to monopoly generates between nine and ten years of monopoly in the market. (JEL G34, K21, L12, L13, L41, L61) Antitrust is valuable because in some cases it can achieve results more rapidly than can market forces. We need not suffer loses while waiting for the market to erode cartels and monopolistic mergers. — Bork (1978, 311) The Antitrust Paradox
Estimation of Sodium Requirement of Growing Chukar Partridge (Alectoris graeca)

Two experiments were conducted with growing chukar partridges to estimate their sodium requirement for growth. Birds fed the basal diet (0.025% Na) had poor growth and high mortality. A total of about 0.095% dietary sodium was adequate for maximum growth and minimal mortality.
Smad4 loss promotes lung cancer formation but increases sensitivity to DNA topoisomerase inhibitors

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common malignancy with a poor prognosis. Despite progress targeting oncogenic drivers, there are no therapies targeting tumor-suppressor loss. Smad4 is an established tumor suppressor in pancreatic and colon cancer; however, the consequences of Smad4 loss in lung cancer are largely unknown. We evaluated Smad4 expression in human NSCLC samples and examined Smad4 alterations in large NSCLC data sets and found that reduced Smad4 expression is common in human NSCLC and occurs through a variety of mechanisms, including mutation, homozygous deletion and heterozygous loss. We modeled Smad4 loss in lung cancer by deleting Smad4 in airway epithelial cells and found that Smad4 deletion both initiates and promotes lung tumor development. Interestingly, both Smad4(-/-) mouse tumors and human NSCLC samples with reduced Smad4 expression demonstrated increased DNA damage, whereas Smad4 knockdown in lung cancer cells reduced DNA repair and increased apoptosis after DNA damage. In addition, Smad4-deficient NSCLC cells demonstrated increased sensitivity to both chemotherapeutics that inhibit DNA topoisomerase and drugs that block double-strand DNA break repair by non-homologous end joining. In sum, these studies establish Smad4 as a lung tumor suppressor and suggest that the defective DNA repair phenotype of Smad4-deficient tumors can be exploited by specific therapeutic strategies.
Quality of poultry litter-derived granular activated carbon.

Abstract Utilization of poultry litter as a source material for generating activated carbon is a value-added and environmentally beneficial approach to recycling organic waste. In this study, the overall quality of poultry litter-derived granular activated carbon was systematically evaluated based on its various physical and chemical properties. Granular activated carbon generated from pelletized poultry litter following a typical steam-activation procedure possessed numerous micropores in the matrix. The product exhibited a mean particle diameter of 2.59 mm, an apparent density of 0.45 g cm−3, a ball-pan hardness of 91.0, an iodine number of 454 mg g−1, and a BET surface area of 403 m2 g−1. It contained high ash, nitrogen, phosphorus contents and the trace elements Cu, Zn, and As. Most of the nutrients and toxic elements were solidified and solution-unextractable. In general, poultry litter-based activated carbon demonstrated overall quality comparable to that of low-grade commercial activated carbon derived from coconut shell and bituminous coal. It is promising to use poultry litter as a feedstock to manufacture activated carbon for wastewater treatment.
Cloning of the Mouse Class IV Alcohol Dehydrogenase (Retinol Dehydrogenase) cDNA and Tissue-specific Expression Patterns of the Murine ADH Gene Family

Humans possess five classes of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), including forms able to oxidize ethanol or formaldehyde as part of a defense mechanism, as well as forms acting as retinol dehydrogenases in the synthesis of the regulatory ligand retinoic acid. However, the mouse has previously been shown to possess only three forms of ADH. Hybridization analysis of mouse genomic DNA using cDNA probes specific for each of the five classes of human ADH has now indicated that mouse DNA cross-hybridizes to only classes I, III, and IV. With human class II or class V ADH cDNA probes, hybridization to mouse genomic DNA was very weak or undetectable, suggesting either a lack of these genes in the mouse or a high degree of mutational divergence relative to the human genes. cDNAs for murine ADH classes I and III have previously been cloned, and we now report the cloning of a full-length mouse class IV ADH cDNA. In Northern blot analyses, mouse class IV ADH mRNA was abundant in the stomach, eye, skin, and ovary, thus correlating with the expression pattern for the mouse Adh-3 gene previously determined by enzyme analysis. In situ hybridization studies on mouse stomach indicated that class IV ADH transcripts were abundant in the mucosal epithelium but absent from the muscular layer. Comparison of the expression patterns for all three mouse ADH genes indicated that class III was expressed ubiquitously, whereas classes I and IV were differentially expressed in an overlapping set of tissues that all contain a large component of epithelial cells. This expression pattern is consistent with the ability of classes I and IV to oxidize retinol for the synthesis of retinoic acid known to regulate epithelial cell differentiation. The results presented here indicate that the mouse has a simpler ADH gene family than the human but has conserved class IV ADH previously shown to be a very active retinol dehydrogenase in humans.
On Klee's measure problem for grounded boxes

A well-known problem in computational geometry is Klee's measure problem, which asks for the volume of a union of axis-aligned boxes in d-space. In this paper, we consider Klee's measure problem for the special case where a 2-dimensional orthogonal projection of all the boxes has a common corner. We call such a set of boxes 2-grounded and, more generally, a set of boxes is k-grounded if in a k-dimensional orthogonal projection they share a common corner. Our main result is an O(n(d-1)/2log2n) time algorithm for computing Klee's measure for a set of n 2-grounded boxes. This is an improvement of roughly O(√n) compared to the fastest solution of the general problem. The algorithm works for k-grounded boxes, for any k ≥ 2, and in the special case of k=d, also called the hypervolume indicator problem, the time bound can be improved further by a log n factor. The key idea of our technique is to reduce the d-dimensional problem to a semi-dynamic weighted volume problem in dimension d-2. The weighted volume problem requires solving a combinatorial problem of maintaining the sum of ordered products, which may be of independent interest.
Effect of acetaminophen and salicylate on aspir-ininduced indibition of human platelet cyclo-oxygenase

Recent studies have shown that salicylic acid, a metabolite of aspirin, effectively competes for the same site on the platelet cyclo-oxygenase enzyme. In the present investigation we have evaluated the effect of salicylate and acetaminophen on aspirin induced inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase and platelet function. Results of our studies show that both drugs at equimolar concentrations had no inhibitory effect on aspirin induced blockage of cyclo-oxygenase or platelet function. Even at higher concentrations acetaminophen failed to protect cyclo-oxygenase or prevent inhibition of platelet function by aspirin. Salicylate at concentrations above 5 mM effectively blocked the inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase activity and platelet aggregation in response to arachidonate.
Intrinsic optical fiber sensor for sensing organophosphate nerve agent using the modified cladding approach

The concept of modified cladding based sensors represents the largest class of intrinsic fiber optic chemical sensors. In this design, the passive cladding of the optical fiber is replaced by an active coating, called modified cladding. The analyte in this case diffuses into the coating and induces changes in the absorbance, fluorescence, or some other spectroscopic property of the modified cladding, the coating acts as a chemo-chromic transducer and sensing takes place by intensity modulation. This design i.e. of the coating based sensors, has found enormous applicability in the realm of chemical and biochemical sensing which also includes environmental monitoring and detection of chemical warfare agents. In this paper, the development of an intrinsic fiber optic sensor for detection of organophosphate dimethyl-methyl phoshopnate (DMMP) is presented. DMMP is a chemical precursor to the nerve agent sarin. The chemo-chromic transducer material used as a modified coating on the fiber core is NDSA (Naphthalene disulphonic acid) doped polypyrrole. This coating material shows conductivity and absorbance change when exposed to DMMP. The fabrication of the sensor device is a three step process which involves (a) etching a small section of the optical fiber to expose the core, (b) coating the etched section of the optical fiber with the polymer, (c) integration of sensor components and testing. Thin film characterization is done using the UV-Vis spectrophotometer on in-situ coated films of polypyrrole on a glass substrate to check for absorbance change upon exposure to DMMP. The development procedure is presented next and encouraging results are discussed.
Inducible nitric oxide synthase expression by peritoneal macrophages in endometriosis-associated infertility.

Abstract Objective: Determine whether peritoneal macrophages from women with endometriosis-associated infertility express more inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) and produce more NO than fertile controls. Design: Unblinded clinical study. Patient(s): Nine infertile women with endometriosis and nine normal fertile women undergoing laparoscopy. Intervention(s): Peritoneal fluid and macrophages were collected. Cells were also cultured with the NOS2 inducers interferon-α (IFN-α) or IFN-γ plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Main Outcome Measure(s): Peritoneal fluid NO levels, peritoneal macrophage NOS activity, and peritoneal macrophage NOS2 protein expression. Result(s): NOS enzyme activity was higher in peritoneal macrophages from endometriosis patients. Immunoblots demonstrated NOS2 protein only in peritoneal macrophages from women with endometriosis. Peritoneal fluid NO concentration was similar in the two groups, but total peritoneal fluid NO content was higher in endometriosis patients. After 3 days' culture, peritoneal macrophages from women with endometriosis produced more NO in response to IFN-α or IFN-γ plus LPS than controls. Conclusion(s): Peritoneal macrophages from women with endometriosis-associated infertility express higher levels of NOS2, have higher NOS enzyme activity, and produce more NO in response to immune stimulation in vitro. As high levels of NO adversely affect sperm, embryos, implantation, and oviductal function, reducing peritoneal fluid NO production or blocking NO effects may improve fertility in women with endometriosis.
Sudden and Unexpected Death in Infancy Associated with a Single Coronary Artery

Congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries, which are rare causes of sudden death in infancy and childhood, are becoming increasingly recognized. The majority of cases involve abnormal origins or courses of the coronary arteries, but some have absence of one of the major vessels. Sudden death occurring in a healthy-appearing 2-month-old boy is reported. An unexpected finding at autopsy was absence of the proximal right coronary artery, emphasizing the need for meticulous examination of the coronary artery system in all cases.
Experimental Air Leaks in Lung Sealed by Low-Energy Carbon Dioxide Laser Irradiation

When a focused carbon dioxide laser beam strikes a surface of tissue, the light energy is converted instantly into thermal energy, causing cells directly in the laser's path to vaporize. Because the carbon dioxide laser's energy is well absorbed by water, this thermal effect is attenuated at a distance of 100μ. If the laser beam is “defocused,” the same thermal energy is dissipated over a larger area, causing only desiccation and melting of tissue without vaporization; however, the depth of injury remains shallow. This modified technique has been used to seal artificially created air leaks in the canine lung. Twelve mongrel dogs were anesthetized, intubated, and ventilated. The lingula was exposed sterilely through a left thoracotomy. A 1 × 3-mm hole was made in the lung at 1 cm from the edge. The created air and blood leaks were sealed with a defocused carbon dioxide laser beam set at 8 W (32 W/sq cm). Each tissue “weld” withstood 4 cm H 2 O of peak ventilation pressure without leak. At the time of reoperation three weeks later, there was apparent complete healing of the pulmonary surface. No air leaks were present. Histologic examination showed a small zone of amorphous coagulated pleura and lung overlying a zone of minimal atelectasis. Normal lung was present within 150μ of the laser seal. This new technique was performed safely and easily with currently available carbon dioxide lasers in the laboratory. It is presently undergoing intraoperative trials in a controlled clinical setting.