cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solid state: I-squared L: A happy merger: Integrated injection logic is a fine example, if not the first, of how to gain high efficiency in semiconductor device design

Integrated injection logic is a fine example, if not the first, of how to gain high efficiency in semiconductor device design.
Parenteral Anticholinergics in Dogs With Normal and Elevated Intraocular Pressure

Dogs given parenteral anticholinergic drugs have been thought to be at risk for development or exacerbation of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). In a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study, we evaluated the effect of intramuscular glycopyrrolate (0.01 mg/kg) on pupil diameter and IOP in unanesthetized normal dogs. Treatment with glycopyrrolate did not change pupil diameter or IOP from baseline, nor were there differences between glycopyrrolate and saline-treated (control) dogs. In addition, the authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 2,828 dogs undergoing general anesthesia between April 1987 and September 1990 to determine if there was an association between parenteral anticholinergic medication and postanesthetic elevation in IOP. The authors also determined the frequency of bradycardia requiring anticholinergic therapy during anesthesia in dogs with glaucoma. Of the 2,828 cases reviewed, the records of 46 dogs coded for glaucoma were examined in detail. The 46 dogs underwent 62 episodes of anesthesia, with 23 episodes including exposure to an anticholinergic drug. An increase in IOP from preanesthetic to postanesthetic measurement occurred in three dogs. One of these dogs received anticholinergic medication for bradycardia during anesthesia. The postanesthetic elevation in IOP in this dog was probably not drug related. Preanesthetic anticholinergic administration did not affect the incidence of anticholinergic administration for bradycardia during the anesthetic episode. Anticholinergic therapy during anesthesia was more frequent when the preanesthetic medication included an opiate drug. These studies do not indicate an association between parenteral anticholinergic administration and elevations in IOP.
Feasibility of an Anxiety Preventive Intervention for Community Violence Exposed African-American Children

Investigated the feasibility of using an anxiety preventive intervention efficacious with Australian children with inner-city African-Americans (aged 10–11) who experienced moderate anxiety problems and community violence exposure. Of 91 fifth-grade students, ten participated in the school-based selective preventive intervention that targeted anxiety disorders. In this pilot study, qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed significant decreases in general anxiety and manifestations of anxiety that were contextually relevant to the community violence exposed youth (i.e., physiological symptoms, worry regarding environmental pressures, and concentration difficulties). The discussion focuses on the modifications necessary to make the prevention program culturally and contextually appropriate for anxious inner-city African-American children.
Guaianolides from Liatris squarrosa

Abstract The isolation of three new guaianolides related to spicatin from Liatris squarrosa is reported.
On Uniqueness in the General Inverse Transmisson Problem

In this paper we demonstrate uniqueness of a transparent obstacle, of coefficients of rather general boundary transmission condition, and of a potential coefficient inside obstacle from partial Dirichlet-to Neumann map or from complete scattering data at fixed frequency. The proposed transmission problem includes in particular the isotropic elliptic equation with discontinuous conductivity coefficient. Uniqueness results are shown to be optimal. Hence the considered form can be viewed as a canonical form of isotropic elliptic transmission problems. Proofs use singular solutions of elliptic equations and complex geometrical optics. Determining an obstacle and boundary conditions (i.e. reflecting and transmitting properties of its boundary and interior) is of interest for acoustical and electromagnetic inverse scattering, for modeling fluid/structure interaction, and for defects detection.
HIGH- AND LOW-TEMPERATURE UNFOLDING OF HUMAN HIGH-DENSITY APOLIPOPROTEIN A-2

Human plasma apolipoprotein A-2 (apoA-2) is the second major protein of the high-density lipoproteins that mediate the transport and metabolism of cholesterol. Using CD spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, we demonstrate that the structure of lipid-free apoA-2 in neutral low-salt solutions is most stable at approximately 25 degrees C and unfolds reversibly both upon heating and cooling from 25 degrees C. High-temperature unfolding of apoA-2, monitored by far-UV CD, extends from 25-85 degrees C with midpoint Th = 56 +/- 2 degrees C and vant Hoff's enthalpy delta H(Th) = 17 +/- 2 kcal/mol that is substantially lower than the expected enthalpy of melting of the alpha-helical structure. This suggests low-cooperativity apoA-2 unfolding. The apparent free energy of apoA-2 stabilization inferred from the CD analysis of the thermal unfolding, delta G(app)(25 degrees) = 0.82 +/- 0.15 kcal/mol, agrees with the value determined from chemical denaturation. Enhanced low-temperature stability of apoA-2 observed upon increase in Na2HPO4 concentration from 0.3 mM to 50 mM or addition of 10% glycerol may be linked to reduced water activity. The close proximity of the heat and cold unfolding transitions, that is consistent with low delta G(app)(25 degrees), indicates that lipid-free apoA-2 has a substantial hydrophobic core but is only marginally stable under near-physiological solvent conditions. This suggests that in vivo apoA-2 transfer is unlikely to proceed via the lipid-free state. Low delta H(Th) and low apparent delta Cp approximately 0.52 kcal/mol.K inferred from the far-UV CD analysis of apoA-2 unfolding, and absence of tertiary packing interactions involving Tyr groups suggested by near-UV CD, are consistent with a molten globular-like state of lipid-free apoA-2.
Fracture path emanating from a rapidly moving heat source—the effect of thermal shock waves under high rate response

Abstract Instantaneous fracture paths emanating from a moving heat source on the surface of an infinite solid medium are investigated. As a first order treatment, the fracture path is approximated by the spatial loci of the material continua subjected to a maximum tensile stress (stress criterion) or a minimum strain energy density (energy criterion). The crack initiation at these locations is assumed to occur simultaneously and no evolution in crack growth is accounted for. By characterizing the thermomechanical field in terms of a thermal Mach number M which weighs the relative speed of the moving heat source with respect to the heat propagation speed in the solid, the fracture paths are obtained in the full range of M . In the subsonic range with M , the emphasis is placed on the fracture paths in the transition of the thermal Mach number. The results predicted by the thermal wave and the classical diffusion models are compared. At the transonic and in the supersonic ranges with M ⩾ 1 , the formation of thermal shock waves in the physical domain is focused and the fracture paths as well as the damage pattern in the neighborhood of the rapidly moving heat source are obtained. It is found that the thermal shock effects cannot be neglected when the material continua experience high rate changes of temperature and the failure patterns predicted by the stress and the energy criteria present much larger deviations than those in the problems with crack singularities.
An Intact N Terminus Is Required for the Anabolic Action of Parathyroid Hormone on Adult Female Rats

Intermittent administration of parathyroid hormone (PTH) peptides increases bone density in animal and human models of osteoporosis. In vitro studies have demonstrated that PTH analogs lacking the first two amino acids can stimulate cell proliferation in certain cell systems, whereas fragments with an intact N terminus can be antimitogenic. We have tested whether the truncated PTH(3–38) fragment may be a better “anabolic analog” than PTH(1–38) by monitoring bone density and biomechanical properties of the femur in 6-month-old ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Either PTH fragment was administered subcutaneously (8 μg/100 g of body weight) 5 days/week, for 4 weeks, starting 1 week after surgery. During the entire study, untreated OVX rats lost 12.1 ± 4.4% of their initial bone density. PTH(1–38) reversed the initial bone loss, leading to complete restoration of presurgery values after 4 weeks of treatment. Conversely, administration of PTH(3–38) resulted in 13.2 ± 5.8% bone loss, while continuous estrogen infusion (10 μg/kg/day) prevented bone loss but did not reverse it. Sham-operated animals also experienced significant bone loss in the vehicle and PTH(3–38)–treated groups (−4.5 ± 6.7%, and −7.6 ± 2.8%, respectively), whereas a significant gain in bone density (+4.4 ± 5.6%) was observed in the rats treated with PTH(1–38). A bone quality factor (index of strain energy loss) and the impact strength (resistance to fracture) were 25% and 44% lower in femurs explanted from OVX a0nimals treated with either vehicle or PTH(3–38), compared with sham-operated animals. On the contrary, no difference was observed between OVX and control animals after treatment with PTH(1–38), indicating a preservation of the capacity to withstand mechanical stress. Thus, PTH(1–38) counteracts estrogen-dependent loss of mineral density and bone biomechanical properties and increases bone density in estrogen-replete animals. An intact N terminus sequence is necessary for this anabolic action of PTH.
A case study of critical point identification in the physical and communication layers of a small urban transportation system

Surface transportation is an important critical infrastructure as it provides the essential services that highly impact a nation's economy. It is important to identify and protect the essential components of the transportation system to ensure its survivability. This paper describes critical point identification of a small urban intelligent transportation network. The analysis was conducted for two layers: physical/control and communication layers. Microscopic simulation modelling was used to identify critical points in the physical/control layer. The critical point identification of the communication layer was done using graph metrics such as hop counts and dependencies. A final node ordering with regard to both layers is then obtained using the criticality values identified for each layer. The critical point identification approach presented in this paper provides transportation professionals with a tool to identify critical nodes that need to be strengthen and hardened to achieve a survivable transportation network.
CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY INDEX AND DEVELOPMENT OF A BRIEF SCI

The Sense of Community Index (SCI) is the most widely used measure of the construct, despite the lack of confirmation of its intended dimensions or subscales. Yet psychometric appraisals of the SCI have never used the proper tool for evaluating an established dimensional construct: confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The Block Booster Project data set (of residents of 47 street blocks in Brooklyn and Queens, New York) used in developing the original SCI in 1985 was used here in its reassessment, along with a 1-year follow-up survey expanded to 61 blocks. The Sense of Community Index reanalysis using CFA yielded poor model fit for McMillan and Chavis’ (1986) original theoretical formulation as well as for a single-factor index, prompting development of a Brief SCI. The eight-item, three-factor BSCI showed good model fit with CFA, reliable construct validity in multilevel correlational analyses, and it differentiated street block neighborhoods reliably based on intragroup agreement, while retaining the profile of a cognitive-perceptual construct, which does not crossover with other popular community psychology constructs such as place attachment and community satisfaction. The authors, however, recommend future uses of the BSCI employ a 5-point Likert-type response format to increase the measure’s variability, sensitivity, and internal reliability. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A level set based Eulerian method for paraxial multivalued traveltimes

We apply the level-set methodology to compute multivalued solutions of the paraxial eikonal equation in both isotropic and anisotropic metrics. This paraxial equation is obtained from 2D stationary eikonal equations by using one of the spatial directions as the artificial evolution direction. The advection velocity field used to move level sets is obtained by the method of characteristics; therefore, the motion of level sets is defined in a phase space, and the zero level set yields the location of bicharacteristic strips in the reduced phase space. The multivalued traveltime is obtained from solving another advection equation with a source term. The complexity of the algorithm is O(N3 logN) in the worst case and O(N3) in the average case, where N is the number of the sampling points along one of the spatial directions. Numerical experiments including the well-known Marmousi synthetic model illustrate the accuracy and the efficiency of the Eulerian method.
Diloxanide Furoate for Treating Asymptomatic Entamoeba histolytica Cyst Passers: 14 Years' Experience in the United States

Diloxanide furoate is used for treating asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic persons who are passing cysts of Entamoeba histolytica. The Centers for Disease Control (Atlanta) released this drug for 4,371 treatment courses from 1977 through 1990. Of the 2,815 report forms (64%) returned, 656 adverse effects were reported for 390 treatment courses (14%); they included flatulence (260), diarrhea or cramping (100), nausea (93), headache (17), disorientation or dizziness (9), and diplopia (4). During 1984-1990 uniform collection of data allowed more detailed analysis of toxicity and efficacy; fewer adverse effects were reported for persons aged 20 months to 10 years than for persons aged greater than 10 years (6 of 206 [3%] vs. 89 of 763 [12%], relative risk = 0.27, 95% confidence interval = 0.12 less than relative risk less than 0.61). Parasitological cures were achieved during 497 (86%) of the 575 treatment courses (52%) administered to asymptomatic persons who were passing cysts, who had received a full 10-day treatment course, and for whom results of a follow-up stool examination (greater than or equal to 14 days post-treatment) were available. Diloxanide furoate is safe and effective for treating asymptomatic persons who are passing E. histolytica cysts and may be particularly well tolerated in children.
The long-term effects of uranyl nitrate on the structure and function of the rat kidney

Studies were undertaken to determine the long-term effects of the nephrotoxin, uranyl nitrate, on the function and structure of the rat kidney. Animals were injected with 10 mg/kg B.Wt. of uranyl nitrate and renal function studies were performed one, two, four and eight weeks after drug administration. Light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the morphologic changes at each time interval. Glomerular filtration rate was significantly reduced (P less than 0.01) one week (0.18 +/- 0.06 ml/min/100 gm B.Wt.) and two weeks (0.54 +/- 0.09 ml/min/100 gm B.Wt.) after drug treatment compared to controls (1.01 +/- 0.4 ml/min/100 gm B.Wt.) and returned to normal values by four weeks. The fractional excretion of sodium was significantly increased (P less than 0.01) one week after uranyl nitrate treatment (2.45% +/- 0.82) compared to controls (0.29% +/- 0.11). No further differences in this parameter were noted after one week. At all time intervals studied the pars recta of the proximal tubule (S2 and S3 segments) was the most consistently damaged region of the nephron. Acute tubular necrosis and tubular regeneration of these segments were evident one and two weeks after drug administration. Many of the tubules were widely dilated and lined by low-lying squamous epithelial cells. By four weeks some of these pars recta segments could be classified as microcysts and this type of lesion persisted as long as eight weeks after treatment. Regeneration of most injured proximal tubules was complete by eight weeks. Atrophic proximal tubules, marked interstitial fibrosis and a mononuclear cell infiltration, consistent with a chronic type of injury, were noted at the later time intervals. These results suggest that uranyl nitrate induces a persistent injury to the kidneys of rats causing lesions as long as eight weeks after injection.
Systematics of eriogonoideae s.s. (Polygonaceae)

Abstract Eriogonoideae s. s. (buckwheats and spineflowers, Polygonaceae) comprises morphologically diverse plants (ca. 325 species, 20 genera) distributed amphitropically in the New World. The lineage is hypothesized to have recently diversified mostly in arid habitats of the western U. S. A., where species richness and endemism are highest. Generic classification of Eriogonoideae s. s. has been unstable, mostly due to different morphological interpretations of the involucre. In this study, phylogenetic relationships of Eriogonoideae s. s. were estimated using multiple genes (ITS, trnL—F and psbD—trnT), optimality criteria (Bayesian, Garli ML and RAxML), and a large taxonomic sample (n = 160). Tribes Pterostegieae and Eriogoneae are monophyletic and subtribes Chorizanthineae and Eriogoneae are paraphyletic. The largest genera (Eriogonum and Chorizanthe) and most subgenera are paraphyletic. Most taxonomic groups shown to be non-monophyletic in phylogenies are also rejected for monophyly using the Shimodair...
Just Going Along: Nonconscious Priming and Conformity to Social Pressure

This research investigates whether conformity can be elicited or suppressed by nonconscious priming. In Experiment 1, participants were primed for either conformity or nonconformity using a scrambled sentences task and later placed into a conformity situation. As predicted, participants primed with conformity expressed views that were more similar to those of experimental confederates than did participants primed with nonconformity. To investigate whether the influence of the primes was symmetric, Experiment 2 included a neutral prime condition. Participants primed with conformity again tended to conform more than those in the other two groups, but the nonconformity primes did not induce participants to rebel against the group norm. Discussion focuses on the asymmetry in the effectiveness of the conformity and nonconformity primes.
Systemic and splanchnic metabolic response to exogenous human growth hormone.

Abstract Background: Evidence exists indicating that growth hormone (GH) resistance in some disease states such as hypercatabolic conditions may limit the metabolic benefit associated with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) administration. It was the purpose of this study to compare the systemic and splanchnic effects of rhGH in patients with sepsis exhibiting systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) with the response observed in normal volunteers. Because insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is believed to be the dominant factor responsible for the anabolic effects of rhGH, particular attention was given to this secondary effector. Methods: The systemic and splanchnic effects of rhGH (0.15 mg/kg/day) were studied in normal volunteers (n = 5), critically ill patients with sepsis exhibiting SIRS (n = 6), and patients with sepsis exhibiting SIRS while receiving total parenteral nutrition (n = 6). Basal and end study IGF-I, urinary urea excretion, hepatic blood flow, hepatic venous oxygen content, and splanchnic oxygen exchange were measured after a 48-hour course of rhGH. Results: Fasting basal IGF-I concentrations were reduced by 75% to 83% in patients with sepsis/SIRS relative to normal control subjects. After 48 hours of rhGH, peak IGF-I concentrations were 74% and 76% lower in patients in the Sepsis/SIRS and Sepsis/SIRS + Nutrition groups, respectively, compared with normal control subjects. Despite the attenuated IGF-I rise in patients, urea excretion declined by a similar magnitude in all three groups. Hepatic blood flow remained unaffected, but rhGH administration increased splanchnic oxygen consumption in all groups (control, +57%*; Sepsis/SIRS, +13%; Sepsis/SIRS + Nutr, +42%*; *p
Homeostatic maintenance of ponderosa pine gas exchange in response to stand density changes.

Homeostatic maintenance of gas exchange optimizes carbon gain per water loss. Homeostasis is regulated by short-term physiological and long-term structural mechanisms, both of which may respond to changes in resource availability associated with competition. Therefore, stand density regulation via silvicultural manipulations may facilitate growth and survival through mechanisms operating at both short and long timescales. We investigated the responses of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) to stand basal area manipulations in Arizona, USA. Stand basal area was manipulated to seven replicated levels in 1962 and was maintained for four decades by decadal thinning. We measured basal area increment (BAI) to assess the response and sustainability of wood growth, carbon isotope discrimination (D) inferred from annual rings to assess the response of crown gas exchange, and ratios of leaf area to sapwood area (Al:As) to assess longer term structural acclimation. Basal area treatments increased soil water potential (r 2 ¼ 0.99) but did not affect photosynthetic capacity. BAI increased within two years of thinning, and the 40-year mean BAI was negatively correlated with stand basal area (r 2 ¼ 0.98). D was negatively correlated with stand basal area for years 5 through 12 after thinning (r 2 ¼ 0.90). However, D was relatively invariant with basal area for the period 13-40 years after initial thinning despite maintenance of treatment basal areas via repeated decadal thinnings. Independent gas exchange measurements verified that the ratio of photosynthesis to stomatal conductance was invariant with basal area, but absolute values of both were elevated at lower basal areas. Al:As was negatively correlated with basal area (r 2 ¼ 0.93). We hypothesize that increased Al:As is a homeostatic response to increased water availability that maximizes water-use efficiency and whole-tree carbon uptake. Elevated Al:As of trees at low basal areas was associated with greater resilience to climate, i.e., greater absolute BAI during drought; however, trees with high Al:As in low basal area stands also exhibited the greatest sensitivity to drought, i.e., greater relative decline in BAI.
S.A.R.A.: synesthetic augmented reality application

S.A.R.A. -- (synesthetic augmented reality application) is an App exploring the potential of using a mobile device as a unique and wearable musical interface.
Topical Review: Applying Positive Development Principles to Group Interventions for the Promotion of Family Resilience in Pediatric Psychology

As described in the call for this special issue, resilience is often defined as “achieving one or more positive outcomes despite exposure to significant risk or adversity” (Hilliard, Harris, & WeissbergBenchell, 2012, p. 739). Resilience is particularly relevant to pediatric psychology, as youth and their families are tasked with overcoming risk factors simply by the nature of a child’s diagnosis of a disease/chronic illness and subsequent medical management demands. In addition to identifying key resilience factors within this population, it is critical to develop empirically supported clinical interventions to promote healthy biological, psychological, and social development; reduce youth psychopathology; and enhance optimal health outcomes. Although conceptually similar to the classic resilience/risk models, the positive development approach offers a distinct theoretical framework that can be used successfully in intervention development. This article describes exemplars of both resilience and positive development interventions for youth with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their families.
Medial Collateral Ligament Reconstruction

In 1974, Frank Jobe first performed a medial collateral ligament (MCL) reconstruction on professional baseball pitcher Tommy John. Since that time, modifications to the surgical method have evolved to simplify the procedure, reduce complications, and improve results. The MCL is the primary restraint to valgus stress at the elbow. Biomechanically, the native MCL is underpowered to withstand the loads applied to it during high-level overhead athletic activities, such as pitching. The flexor carpi ulnaris muscle and the bony articulation of the elbow assist the MCL as secondary restraints. Nonetheless, injuries to the ligament are fairly frequent in elite as well as college level overhead athletes. Diagnosing MCL injuries depends on an adequate history, physical examination, and supplementary imaging modalities such as x-rays and magnetic resonance imaging. In athletes who wish to return to their previous level of competition, surgical reconstruction is indicated. Modifications to the original Jobe technique have been made that share 3 common tenets: a muscle splitting approach, careful handling of the ulnar nerve, and avoidance of posterior humeral bone tunnels. Three techniques that are described in this manuscript are the modified Jobe technique, the “docking” technique, and the hybrid or DANE TJ technique.
A dynamic gesture interface for virtual environments based on hidden Markov models

A dynamic gesture interface for virtual environments based on hidden Markov models (HMMs) is introduced in this paper. The HMMs are employed to represent the continuous dynamic gestures, and their parameters are learned from the training data collected from the CyberGlove. To avoid the gesture spotting problem, we employed the standard deviation of the angle variation for each finger joint to describe the dynamic characters of the gestures. A prototype which applies 3 different dynamic gestures to control the rotation directions of a 3D cube is implemented to test the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Specificity of Repetition Priming: The Role of Chemical Coding

We investigate stimulus specificity of repetition priming in a tractable model system; the feeding network of Aplysia. Previous studies primarily focused on an aspect of behavior that is altered during ingestive priming, radula opening. Priming of radula opening occurs when two modulatory peptides [feeding circuit activating peptide (FCAP) and cerebral peptide-2 (CP-2)] are released from the cholinergic command-like neuron cerebral buccal interneuron 2. Effects of FCAP/CP-2 on radula opening motor neurons are cAMP mediated. The present experiments sought to determine whether FCAP/CP-2 and cAMP are also involved in the priming of radula opening during an incompatible activity, i.e., during egestive motor programs. Egestive priming is induced when motor programs are triggered by afferents with processes in the esophageal nerve. We demonstrate that egestive priming is not FCAP/CP-2 mediated. Instead, it is induced by an unrelated peptide (small cardioactive peptide), which exerts PKC-mediated effects. Our data, therefore, suggest that different feeding motor programs are primed via actions of different sets of intercellular and intracellular substances. We suggest that this accounts for the stimulus specificity that can be characteristic of repetition priming. Different stimuli activate different central pattern generator inputs. These inputs release different modulators, which induce functionally distinct motor programs.
Cancer Communication and Partner Burden: An Exploratory Study

This exploratory article applies Communication Privacy Management theory to an examination of cancer-related open communication, topic avoidance, and partner burden from the perspectives of patients and their partners. 2 models were proposed: 1 model considered participants’ communication behaviors, and the other considered partners’ perspectives of the other’s topic avoidance. Participants include 95 dyads in which 1 partner had been diagnosed and/or treated for cancer. Variables of interest include: patient/partner open communication, patient/partner topic avoidance, patient/partner perceptions of other’s topic avoidance, and partner burden. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results support relationships between openness, topic avoidance, perceived topic avoidance, and partner burden. The manuscript discusses implications of perspective, open communication, and topic avoidance on partner burden.
Cancer Stem Cells: On the Verge of Clinical Translation

Researchers have long studied malignant tumors using experimental techniques that assume that cancers are composed of identical cells; however, growing evidence indicates that cancers are composed of functionally heterogeneous cells maintained by a stem celllike population. Identification of tumor-initiating, or cancer stem cells, has been largely guided by principles established for normal stem cells. Cancer stem cells must be capable of initiating tumors when transplanted into immunodeficient mice, and the resulting tumors must replicate the heterogeneity of the original tumor. Demonstration of the ability to self-renew, a key feature of stem cells, is achieved through serial passage of tumors in xenohosts. Given their potential roles in tumor initiation, maintenance, and metastasis, the impact of cancer stem cells on the practice of medicine is likely to be profound.
Performance analysis of hot-potato routing for multiclass traffic in multihop lightwave networks

The authors present an analytical approach to the performance analysis of multihop lightwave networks with hot-potato routing and multiclass traffic. Explicit closed-form expressions are derived for the hop distribution and the probability of 'don't care'. The computational complexity is thus reduced as compared to previous approaches, and priorities are readily handled. Results for two different classes of traffic are given. The probability of a packet belonging to a particular class of traffic existing on a preferred path is calculated by finding the fixed point of a scale function. The throughput and network delay as well as queuing delay of a particular class are then calculated using the expressions derived for them. >
Confidence Limits and Sample Size for Determining Nonhost Status of Fruits and Vegetables to Tephritid Fruit Flies as a Quarantine Measure

Quarantine measures including treatments are applied to exported fruit and vegetable commodities to control regulatory fruit fly pests and to reduce the likelihood of their introduction into new areas. Nonhost status can be an effective measure used to achieve quarantine security. As with quarantine treatments, nonhost status can stand alone as a measure if there is high efficacy and statistical confidence. The numbers of insects or fruit tested during investigation of nonhost status will determine the level of statistical confidence. If the level of confidence of nonhost status is not high, then additional measures may be required to achieve quarantine security as part of a systems approach. Certain countries require that either 99.99 or 99.9968% mortality, as a measure of efficacy, at the 95% confidence level, be achieved by a quarantine treatment to meet quarantine security. This article outlines how the level of confidence in nonhost status can be quantified so that its equivalency to traditional quarantine treatments may be demonstrated. Incorporating sample size and confidence levels into host status testing protocols along with efficacy will lead to greater consistency by regulatory decision-makers in interpreting results and, therefore, to more technically sound decisions on host status.
Structure of Spermatheca, Sperm Dynamics, and Associated Bacteria in Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract Primary reproductives of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), complete their first reproductive cycle in ≈60 d after nest formation. During this period, the pairs mate several times. The spherical, aflagellate sperm, after transfer by the male, are stored in the female’s spermatheca. Sperm numbers in the spermatheca increase significantly between day 20 and 40, and thereafter they show a steep decline, indicating that the pairs may not be mating after day 40. The spermatheca is bean shaped with an extremely narrow duct. The thick wall of the spermatheca consists mainly of type 3 cells made up of secretory and duct cells. Cuticle-lined ducts are interspersed throughout these cells. Finger-like extensions of the cuticle-lined interior wall project into the spermathecal lumen. The secretory cells presumably provide nutrition for the sperm during their long storage. Eleven anaerobic and six aerobic species of bacteria were cultured and identif...
The Rocky Relationship between the Federal Trade Commission and Administrative Law

In this contribution to a symposium in honor of the 100th anniversary of the FTC, Professor Pierce describes the problems that FTC has experienced as a result of conflicts between its practices and basic principles of administrative law. He traces those problems to the history of the FTC, including the language of the FTC Act of 1914 and FTC's attempt to implement that statute. He describes the ways in which the conflicts between FTC practices and administrative law handicap FTC's efforts to perform its antitrust mission. He then proposes a combination of changes in antitrust statutes that would allow FTC to perform its antitrust mission more effectively over the next century. Those changes include: (1) repeal sections 5 and 13(b) of the FTC Act; (2) confer on FTC power to issue legislative rules to implement the Sherman and Clayton Acts; (3) confer on FTC exclusive jurisdiction to resolve civil cases that arise under the Sherman and Clayton Acts; and, (4) replace oral evidentiary hearings with paper hearings.
Domain-Specific Image Captioning

We present a data-driven framework for image caption generation which incorporates visual and textual features with varying degrees of spatial structure. We propose the task of domain-specific image captioning, where many relevant visual details cannot be captured by off-the-shelf general-domain entity detectors. We extract previously-written descriptions from a database and adapt them to new query images, using a joint visual and textual bag-of-words model to determine the correctness of individual words. We implement our model using a large, unlabeled dataset of women’s shoes images and natural language descriptions (Berg et al., 2010). Using both automatic and human evaluations, we show that our captioning method effectively deletes inaccurate words from extracted captions while maintaining a high level of detail in the generated output.
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF MITOSIS IN THE ENDOPARASITE OLPIDIOPSIS VARIANS

Fine structural aspects of mitosis in the endoparasitic oomycete Olpidiopsis varians are described and compared with other oomycetous fungi. Mitotic nuclei within developing parasite thalli divide in synchrony so at any point during the duration of mitosis all the nuclei within a thallus exhibit the same mitotic features. Mitosis in O. varians is characterized by an intact nuclear envelope with polar fenestrae, persistent nucleolar material, and an intranuclear spindle. During metaphase the polar fenestrae are apparent and there is no alignment of chromatin at the equatorial plate. Anaphase is marked by the elongation of the spindle and an increase of endoplasmic reticulum at the interpolar regions. During telophase the spindle elongates further and the daughter nuclei are separated by an interzonal bridge. The interzonal bridge consists of a constricted portion ofthe nucleus surrounded by the nuclear envelope and contains microtubules and nuclear material. The pertinence of the mitotic characteristics of O. varians to fungal phylogeny is discussed.
Opportunismus in geschäftsbeziehungen -ursachen und gegenmaßnahmen

In diesem Beitrag wird die Problematik des opportunistischen Verhaltens von Geschaftspartnern in Geschaftsbeziehungen erlautert. Es wird dargelegt, dass hohe Investitionen eines Geschaftspartners und die daraus fsr ihn resultierenden Wechselkosten Anreiz fsr den anderen Partner sein konnten, sich in dieser Beziehung opportunistisch zu verhalten. Die Ansatzpunkte, die es ermoglichen konnen, sich in dieser Situation vor Opportunismus zu schstzen, werden anschliesend dargestellt. Abschliesend wird erortert, unter welchen Bedingungen vertragliche Absicherungen oder der Einsatz von Masnahmen aus dem Bereich des Beziehungsmanagement vorteilhaft sind. Die Aussagen werden anhand von Befunden aus einer empirischen Studie illustriert, die sber bereits veroffentlichte Befunde (Bohme 1999; Gierl 2000) hinausreichen.
Inward rectifier K+ currents in smooth muscle cells from rat coronary arteries: block by Mg2+, Ca2+, and Ba2+

Inward rectifier K+ channels have been implicated in the control of membrane potential and external K(+)-induced dilations of small coronary arteries. To identify and characterize inward rectifier K+ currents in coronary artery smooth muscle, whole cell K+ currents in smooth muscle cells enzymatically isolated from rat coronary (septal) arteries (diameters, 100-150 microns) were measured in the conventional and perforated configurations of the patch-clamp technique. Ba(2+)-sensitive, whole cell K+ current-voltage relationships exhibited inward rectification. Blockers of Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels (1 mM tetraethylammonium ion), ATP-sensitive K+ channels (10 microM glibenclamide), and voltage-dependent K+ channels (1 mM 4-aminopyridine) in smooth muscle did not affect inward rectifier K+ currents. The nonselective K+ channel inhibitor phencyclidine (100 microM) reduced inward rectifier K+ currents by approximately 50%. External Ba2+ reduced inward currents, with membrane potential hyperpolarization increasing inhibition. The half-inhibition constant for Ba2+ was 2.1 microM at -60 mV, decreasing e-fold for a 25-mV hyperpolarization. External Cs+ also blocked inward rectifier K+ currents, with the half-inhibition constant for Cs+ of 2.9 mM at -60 mV. External Ca2+ and Mg2+ reduced inward rectifier K+ currents. At -60 mV, Ca2+ and Mg2+ (1 mM) reduced inward currents by 33 and 21%, respectively. Inward rectification was not affected by dialysis of the cell's interior with a nominally Ca(2+)- and Mg(2+)-free solution. These findings indicate that inward rectifier K+ channels exist in coronary artery smooth muscle and that Ba2+ may be a useful probe for the functional role of inward rectifier K+ channels in coronary arteries.
434 THE PHOSPHOLIPASE C-γ DOMAIN OF THE PLATELET-DERIVED GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR β INHIBITS PLATELET-DERIVED GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR α-DEPENDENT AKT/PKB AND ERK1/2 PATHWAYS IN METANEPHRIC MESENCHYMAL CELLS

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulates proliferation and migration of metanephric mesenchymal cells (MMCs), a subpopulation of which are precursors of mesangial cells. Mice deficient in PDGF B chain or PDGF receptor (PDGFR) β (-/-) lack mesangial cells. Interestingly, the presence of PDGFRα does not compensate for the lack of PDGFRβ-dependent signaling. Binding of PDGF to PDGF receptors induces autophosphorylation at specific tyrosine residues, activating various effector proteins, including phosphatidyl inositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and phospholipase C-γ (PLCγ). Experiments were designed to investigate the cross talk between PDGFRβ and PDGFRα signaling, with attention to the role of PLCγ. Methods Cells were established from wild type (+/+) and -/- blastemas at 11.5 days post-conception. Lines of -/- cells expressing “add-back” mutant PDGFR β capable of binding phospholipase C-γ [(-/-)PLCγ] were established. Results As shown by immunoblotting, transducers of the Akt/PKB pathway (Akt/PKB, p70S6 kinase) and ERK1/2 were phosphorylated when cells were treated with PDGF BB in (+/+) and to a lesser degree in (-/-). This phosphorylation was inhibited in the (-/-)PLCγ. Conversely, Src was phosphorylated over the same time course in each cell lines (to varying degrees), with greater basal and PDGF-dependent phosphorylation in the (-/-) PLCγ. Conclusions In MMCs, these data demonstrate that 1) the PDGFRα mediates a component of Akt/PKB and ERK1/2 pathway activation in response to PDGF BB, 2) there are properties of the PLCγ add-back mutant PDGFRβ that inhibit these cell signaling cascades, and 3) the tyrosine kinase Src might be the mediator of this PLCγ-dependent effect. Coordinate signaling pathways through the β receptor are required for full expression of the mesangial cell phenotype.
What is palliative care

Palliative care is a core part of the role of a GP. It can and should begin as early as possible in a patient’s course of illness, but as GPs we may individually become involved at a variety of points without necessarily having had the opportunity to build a prior relationship with a patient. This can be challenging, particularly if seeing a patient for the first time when they are in the last days of life. This article aims to explore the different points at which palliative care may begin and summarise new guidance that may inform management.
Toward a Trinitarian Theology of Religions: A Pentecostal-Evangelical and Missiological Elaboration

One of the most substantive efforts in recent constructive Trinitarian theology of religions is by Gerald McDermott and Harold Netland. This article interacts with their proposal and expands their ...
“I Hate These Little Turds!”: Science, Entertainment, and the Enduring Popularity of Scared Straight Programs

ABSTRACTAmericans’ opinions about crime and justice are more often shaped by media coverage than by scientific evidence. A prime example of this phenomenon is Arts and Entertainment (A&E) Network’s Beyond Scared Straight program—a show that has achieved strong ratings despite the large body of empirical evidence demonstrating the ineffectiveness of inmate–juvenile confrontation tactics. To understand the complexity of American citizens’ opinions toward this program, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the online responses to the television series Beyond Scared Straight. The themes that emerged center around beliefs about the effectiveness of Scared Straight, the level of brutality displayed, its inspirational and emotional content, and its authenticity. We discuss these results in terms of the need for scholars to more effectively communicate social science information concerning what does—and does not—“work” to the public and to correctional policymakers.
Production and differentiation of NK linkage cells in bone marrow.

The production of natural killer (NK) cells from their bone marrow progenitors is a multistep developmental process requiring interaction of hemopoietic NK lineage cells, stromal cells and growth factors. In this review, recent studies on the generation of NK cells provide the basis for a model of NK cell production. The development of NK cells is suggested to be similar to that of B cells, the other major lymphocyte population produced in the bone marrow. This scheme, for which substantial data already exist and which is testable vis-a-vis other points, can be summarized as follows: large, proliferating progenitor NK cells (pro-NK) give rise, under the influence of stromal cells and/or growth factors to less rapidly proliferating NK precursor cells (pre-NK) which exhibit some but not all of the phenotypic and morphologic characteristics of NK cells. Pre-NK cells divided and differentiate into phenotypically recognizable primary NK cells in the bone marrow. Primary NK cells are not in cell cycle, have low but measurable lytic activity, and express the phenotype of resting NK cells. They exit the bone marrow to populate peripheral sites where they undergo further maturation, become activated by such agents as interferon and may undergo a new cycle of proliferation in response to viral infections or other stimuli.
The unrealized potential of the medication monitor

The medication monitor is a dispenser with a time recording system for determining when patients remove medication. It has demonstrated that nurses and physicians can estimate patient compliance with considerable accuracy. It could be used: (1) to assure that only patients actually ingesting medication are used to evaluate new drugs, (2) to study the factors that influence compliance and strategies to improve compliance, (3) to prevent escalation to more toxic drugs or expensive diagnostic procedures when failure to respond is due to poor compliance, (4) to supervise compliance when society has an overriding interest in therapeutic success, and (5) to monitor the effects of air pollution. Specially designed medication monitors could be used to provide the proper amount of compensatory medication when a patient forgets and to reduce the chance that a suicidal patient will impulsively take an overdose.
A “one-man relocation team”: Scott Henry Peters and American Indian Urban Migration in the 1930s

Federal urban relocation programs for American Indians, commonly believed to have been launched in the 1950s, were actually first initiated under the aegis of John Collier's office of Indian Affairs. As the case study of OIA Placement officer Scott Henry Peters shows, federal officials recognized by the early 1930s that significant numbers of American Indians were migrating off-reservation. As an American Indian working for the Indian office, Peters attempted to provide employment opportunities for young American Indian adults migrating to cities and help them adapt to modern urban life. This article extends the literature on urban American Indian history back in time and reveals some of the contradictions inherent in Collier's policy initiatives.
Molecular insight into the nanoconfined calcite-solution interface.

Little is known about the influence of nanoconfinement on calcium carbonate mineralization. Here, colloidal probe atomic force microscopy is used to confine the calcite–solution interface with a silica microsphere and to measure Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) and non-DLVO forces as a function of the calcium concentration, also after charge reversal of both surfaces occurs. Through the statistical analysis of the oscillatory component of a strong hydration force, the subnanometer interfacial structure of the confined atomically flat calcite is resolved in aqueous solution. By applying a mechanical work, both water and hydrated counterions are squeezed out from the nanoconfined solution, leaving the calcite surface more negatively charged than the analogous unconfined surfaces. Layer size and applied work allow a distinction between the hydration states of the counterions in the Stern layer; we propose counterions to be inner- and outer-sphere calcium ions, with a population of inner-sphere calcium ions larger than on unconfined calcite surfaces. It is also shown that the composition of the nanoconfined solution can be tuned by varying calcium concentration. This is a fundamental study of DLVO and hydration forces, and of their connection, on atomically flat calcite. More broadly, our work scrutinizes the greatly unexplored relation between surface science and confined mineralization, with implications for diverse areas of inquiry, such as nanoconfined biomineralization, CO2 sequestration in porous aquifers, and pressure solution and crystallization in confined hydrosystems.
Efficacious fluorescence turn-on probe for high-contrast imaging of human cells overexpressing quinone reductase activity

We report a new turn-on substrate probe whose intense fluorescent reporter signature is selectively provided upon probe activation by the cancer-associated oxidoreductase, hNQO1. The extremely high fluorescence turn-on of the probe was utilized to generate fluorescence microscope images of hNQO1-expressing, tumor-derived colorectal and ovarian cancer cells with unprecedented positive signal-to-negative background ratios (PNRs), a key step toward probe application in guided surgical removal of diseased tissues.