cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Architecture Models to Design Adaptive Socio-technical Systems

Abstract An architecture framework is used to capture the overall design and structure of a complex system. The Human Viewpoint was developed to augment existing architectural frameworks with additional information relevant to the human component in the system. The Human View models collect and organize social parameters in order to understand the way that humans interact with other elements of the system; the Human View models define the socio-technological boundaries of the system. Analyses performed with the architectural data provide information regarding the congruence, or fit of the human and the system. For example, different key thread analyses identify problematic paths involving human level activities and their intersection with technology. Additionally, node analyses are performed to ensure the flexibility of the human system by evaluating the alignment of roles, tasks, and the impact of constraints. This results in a transition graph for the human system providing paths for adaptation, i.e., the lattice can be used to re-align roles and tasks to maintain overall process performance due to changes in available technology or personnel. By leveraging the architectural models, the human system is designed to be adaptable to its anticipated operating environment.
Systemic toxicity of inhaled cadmium oxide

Abstract Rats exposed to an aerosol of cadmium oxide (60 μg/l for 30 min) were observed for up to 1 year postexposure. Lung cadmium level of rats that died within 3 days of exposure was 26.9 ± 8.3 μg (mean ± standard deviation). Exposed rats exhibited a statistically significant increase in blood pressure, blood glucose levels, urinary protein, and in the incidence of seminiferous tubule degeneration. Only one lung tumor was found among 34 exposed rats. These data suggest that chronic toxicity of inhaled cadmium oxide may be manifest in organ systems other than the lung.
Three-dimensional (3D) microstructural characterization and quantification of reflow porosity in Sn-rich alloy/copper joints by X-ray tomography

Abstract In this paper high resolution X-ray tomography was used to characterize reflow porosity in Sn–3.9Ag–0.7Cu/Cu solder joints. The combination of two segmentation techniques was applied for the three-dimensional (3D) visualization of pores in the joints and the quantification on the characteristics of reflow porosity, including pore size, volume fraction and morphology. The size, morphology and distribution of porosity were visualized in 3D for three different solder joints. Since the results are relatively similar for all three, only the results of one joint are presented. Solder reflow porosity was mostly spherical, segregated along the solder/Cu interface, and had an average pore size of 30 μm in diameter. A few large pores (larger than 100 μm in diameter) were present, some of which had lower sphericity, i.e., they were more irregular. The presence of these large pores may significantly influence the mechanical behavior of solder joints.
Culture wars: American moral divisions across the adult lifespan

Sociologists have argued that the public moral debate in contemporary America is characterized by a “culture war,” pitting “orthodox” and “progressivist” groups against one another (Hunter, 1991). This study addressed whether the culture war is evident in the moral thinking of ordinary Americans, and whether age-related patterns exist. Sixty fundamentalist Baptists (orthodox) and 60 mainline Baptists (progressivist) evaluated and reasoned about moral issues such as divorce and abortion. Each group was divided evenly into three age groups copsisting of young, midlife, and older adults. Moral reasoning was analyzed in terms of Shweder's (1990) ethics of autonomy, community, and divinity. Within all three age groups, progressivists used the ethic of, autonomy more than orthodox participants. Orthodox participants used the ethic of divinity more than progressivists. Orthodox and progressivist groups did not differ much in their use of the ethic, of community. Very few age group differences were found within the orthodox and progressivist groups. It is concluded that morality is conceived of in markedly different wasy by orthodox and progressivist groups, and that these conceptions are consistent across age groups.
Ultrastructural, cytochemical, and microgasometric studies of acetylcholinesterase in isolated neurons of the frog.

Summary Electron microscopic-cytochemical techniques have been combined with microgasometric analysis to study cholinesterase in the same isolated neurons. The cells having low or moderate chemical activity showed cytochemical end product intermittently at the surfaces of axons, synapses, perikarya, and sheath cells, but not in the endoplasmic reticulum. In most of these neurons the neural plasmalemma and satellite sheath were intact. The cells having higher chemical activity showed considerable damage to their surface, and cytochemical end product was present in the endoplasmic reticulum, as well as at surface structures. The results support the concept that the neural plasmalemma is the ultimate permeability barrier to the substrates used. The satellite sheath cytoplasm provides an additional cellular barrier where it is closely applied to the neural surface in a continuous uninterrupted sheet. The intercellular spaces between multiple layers of sheath cytoplasm, however, do permit a limited passage of the substrates to the neural surface, particularly where these anastomosing channels communicate closely with the extracellular space. The value of combining electron microscopic and cytochemical observations for the interpretation of biochemical data has been demonstrated.
Fibronectin fibrillogenesis on sulfonated polystyrene surfaces

Extracellular matrix (ECM) protein adsorption and organization serves as a critical first step in the devel- opment and organization of tissues. Advances in tissue en- gineering, therefore, will depend on the ability to control the rate and pattern of ECM formation. Fibronectin is a promi- nent component of the ECM, which undergoes fibrillogen- esis in the presence of cells. Using sulfonated polysyrene surfaces, we showed that fibronectin undergoes a transition from monolayer to multilayer adsorption at calculated sur- face charge densities above 0.03 Coulombs (C)/m 2 .A t charge densities above approximately 0.08 C/m 2 , distinct fibronectin fibrillar networks are observed to form with a fibril morphology similar to those observed to form in situ on cell surfaces. This self-organization process is time de- pendent, with the fibrils achieving dimensions of 30-40 m in length and 1 m in height after 72 h of incubation. We suggest that the polarization of charge domains on the poly- ampholytic fibronectin molecules near high charge density surfaces is sufficient to initiate the multilayer adsorption and the organization of these fibrillar structures. These results suggest that the nonlinear dependence of adsorption on sur- face charge density may play an important role in the self- organization of many matrix components. © 2003 Wiley Pe- riodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 64A: 684-692, 2003
Visualizing large data sets in the earth sciences

The authors describe the capabilities of McIDAS , an interactive visualization system that is vastly increasing the ability of earth scientists to manage and analyze data from remote sensing instruments and numerical simulation models. McIDAS provides animated three-dimensional images and highly interactive displays. The software can manage, analyze, and visualize large data sets that span many physical variables (such as temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed), as well as time and three spatial dimensions. The McIDAS system manages data from at least 100 different sources. The data management tools consist of data structures for storing different data types in files, libraries of routines for accessing these data structures, system commands for performing housekeeping functions on the data files, and reformatting programs for converting external data to the system's data structures. The McIDAS tools for three-dimensional visualization of meteorological data run on an IBM mainframe and can load up to 128-frame animation sequences into the workstations. A highly interactive version of the system can provide an interactive window into data sets containing tens of millions of points produced by numerical models and remote sensing instruments. The visualizations are being used for teaching as well as by scientists. >
The occurrence of D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase in animal tissues

Abstract 1. 1. d -3-Phosphoglycerate: NAD oxidoreductase ( d -3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase) has been partially purified from chicken liver. 2. 2. The distribution of this enzyme has been compared to that of d -glycerate dehydrogenase ( d -glycerate:NAD(P) oxidoreductase). A marked variation in the ratio of phosphoglycerate to glycerate activity was observed from one animal to another. The highest levels of d -3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase were found in birds. The absence of significant amounts of this enzyme in rat-liver preparations requires a reinterpretation of the results of Ichihara and Greenberg on the pathway of serine biosynthesis in this animal. 3. 3. The product of oxidation of d -3-phosphoglycerate was identified as phosphohydroxypyruvate by preparation and characterization of the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone of the enzymic product. 4. 4. The oxidation of NADH2 in the presence of phosphohydroxypyruvate and enzyme affords a convenient method of assay for this keto-acid. 5. 5. The product of enzymic reduction of phosphohydroxypyruvate and to be d -3-phosphoglycerate by chromatography on Dowex-1 chloride, followed by assay with colorimetric, enzymic, and polarimetric methods.
Oxidative metabolism and the physiological age of seed potatoes are affected by increased α‐linolenate content

The effects of high alpha-linolenate content on lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress and loss of plant growth potential during ageing of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) seed-tubers was examined. Endoplasmic reticulum (FAD3) and plastidal (FAD7) 18:2 fatty acid desaturases were upregulated in potato (cv. Desiree), resulting in a 2-fold average increase in mol percentage 18:3 in the total lipid fraction across all transgenic clones. In double-transformed (FAD3+7) tubers, high alpha-linolenate phenotype effected accelerated ageing, resulting in growth responses characteristic of older seed-tubers. Although respiration rates of wild-type (WT) and FAD3+7 tubers were equal at 7 months of storage, rates had increased by 23% and 50% in WT and FAD3+7 tubers, respectively, by 19 months of storage. Electrolyte leakage of tissue from 19-month-old FAD3+7 tubers was significantly greater than that from WT tubers of the same age, indicating that the high alpha-linolenate phenotype was detrimental to membrane integrity during long-term storage. On average, indices of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, ethane, C-6 aldehydes) were higher in older FAD3+7 tubers, relative to WT tubers. Activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, peroxidase, glutathione reductase, ascorbate peroxidase and monodehydroascorbate reductase increased in tubers with advancing age and were higher, on average, in FAD3+7 tubers. Dehydroascorbate reductase activity decreased with age, with no difference between transgenic and WT lines. Collectively, these results indicate that FAD3+7 tubers underwent a higher degree of oxidative stress during ageing. The age-induced increase in respiration of FAD3+7 tubers was at least partly a response to fuel increased free radical scavenging through the ascorbate-glutathione antioxidant pathway. By affecting the susceptibility of lipids to peroxidation, the degree of fatty acid unsaturation influenced the development of oxidative stress and the overall rate at which growth potential was lost from seed-tubers during ageing. Thus, oxidative stress plays an integral role in modulating the ageing process to affect growth potential from potato seed-tubers.
Acculturation stress, anxiety disorders, and alcohol dependence in a select population of young adult Mexican Americans.

Objectives: Mexican Americans comprise one of the most rapidly growing populations in the United States, and within this population, the process of acculturation has been suggested to be associated with some mental health problems. This study sought to ascertain quantitative information indexing acculturation stress and it's association with mental health disorders in a select community sample of Mexican Americans. Methods: Demographic information, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-III-R diagnoses, and information on cultural identity and acculturation stress were obtained from 240 Mexican American young adults that were recruited by fliers and were residing in selected areas of San Diego. Results: No associations were found between measures of cultural identification and lifetime diagnoses of drug or alcohol dependence, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, or antisocial personality disorder or conduct disorder in this sample of Mexican American young adults. However, lifetime diagnoses of alcohol dependence, substance dependence, and anxiety disorders were associated with elevations in acculturation stress. Conclusion: Quantitative measures of acculturation stress, but not cultural identity per se, were found to be associated significantly with substance dependence and anxiety disorders in this select population of Mexican American young adults. These data may be helpful in designing prevention and intervention programs for this high-risk population.
Post-translational Modifications Differentially Affect IgG1 Conformation and Receptor Binding

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) can have profound effects on protein structure and protein dynamics and thereby can influence protein function. To understand and connect PTM-induced functional differences with any resulting conformational changes, the conformational changes must be detected and localized to specific parts of the protein. We illustrate these principles here with a study of the functional and conformational changes that accompany modifications to a monoclonal immunoglobulin γ1 (IgG1) antibody. IgG1s are large and heterogeneous proteins capable of incorporating a multiplicity of PTMs both in vivo and in vitro. For many IgG1s, these PTMs can play a critical role in affecting conformation, biological function, and the ability of the antibody to initiate a potential adverse biological response. We investigated the impact of differential galactosylation, methionine oxidation, and fucosylation on solution conformation using hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and probed the effects of IgG1 binding to the FcγRIIIa receptor. The results showed that methionine oxidation and galactosylation both impact IgG1 conformation, whereas fucosylation appears to have little or no impact to the conformation. FcγRIIIa binding was strongly influenced by both the glycan structure/composition (namely galactose and fucose) and conformational changes that were induced by some of the modifications.
Probing brain connectivity by combined analysis of diffusion MRI tractography and electrocorticography

Electrocorticography (ECoG) allows for measurement of task-related local field potentials directly from cortex in neurosurgical patients. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography is an MRI technique that allows for reconstruction of brain white matter tracts, which can be used to infer structural connectivity. This paper reports a novel merger of these two modalities. A processing stream is described in which fiber tracts near intracranial macroelectrodes showing task-related functional responses are isolated to explore structural networks related to working memory maintenance. Results show that ECoG-constrained tractography is useful for revealing structural connectivity patterns related to spatially- and temporally-specific functional responses.
Some Factors Influencing Sodium Extrusion by Internally Dialyzed Squid Axons

Squid giant axons were internally dialyzed by a technique previously described. In an axon exposed to cyanide seawater for 1 hr and dialyzed with an ATP-free medium, the Na efflux had a mean value of 1.3 pmole/cm2sec when [Na]i was 88 mM, in quantitative agreement with flux ratio calculations for a purely passive Na movement. When ATP at a concentration of 5–10 mM was supplied to the axoplasm by dialysis, Na efflux rose almost 30-fold, while if phosphoarginine, 10 mM, was supplied instead of ATP, the Na efflux rose only about 15-fold. The substitution of Li for Na in the seawater outside did not affect the Na efflux from an axon supplied with ATP, while a change to K-free Na seawater reduced the Na efflux to about one-half. When special means were used to free an axon of virtually all ADP, the response of the Na efflux to dialysis with phosphoarginine (PA) at 10 mM was very small (an increment of ca. 3 pmole/cm2sec) and it can be concluded that more than 96% of the Na efflux from an axon is fueled by ATP rather than PA. Measurements of [ATP] in the fluid flowing out of the dialysis tube when the [ATP] supplied was 5 mM made it possible to have a continuous measurement of ATP consumption by the axon. This averaged 43 pmole/cm2sec. The ATP content of axons was also measured and averaged 4.4 mM. Estimates were made of the activities of the following enzymes in axoplasm: ATPase, adenylate kinase, and arginine phosphokinase. Values are scaled to 13°C.
Phosphatic concretions and nodules from the upper continental slope, northern New South Wales

Abstract Phosphatic concretions and nodules, some of which are coated with goethite, have been dredged at depths between 210 and 385 m from the upper continental slope off northern New South Wales. Some of these appear to have been concentrated on a low sea level terrace at a depth of about 210 m by wave action, while deeper‐water non‐abraded examples may have been winnowed from host sediments by relatively gentle current activity. Similarities in structure, mineralogy and age of contained fauna are noted between nodules described in this paper and phosphatic nodules from the California Continental Borderland, the Chatham Rise off New Zealand and Cainozoic sediments outcropping in Victoria. It is proposed that the Eastern Australian material formed as phosphatic concretions within phosphorus‐enriched slope sediments during diagenesis and that they have since been winnowed, exposed and in some cases re‐cemented into agglomerations on the sea floor in areas of low sedimentation rate.
On the mechanics of fracture in monoliths and multilayers from low-velocity impact by sharp or blunt-tip projectiles

The propagation of cracks in layered glass from low-velocity impact of sharp or spherical tip projectiles is observed using high-speed photography. Tests are also carried out to determine the threshold impact energy for chipping in glass blocks and subsurface crack instability in an edge-supported glass plates. The results identify the median and subsurface radial crack systems as the prime damage sources in such applications. A dynamic fracture analysis is developed assuming elastic contact and quasi-static load transfer between target and projectile. The equation of motion of the latter is solved analytically taking into consideration localized elastic contact and plastic penetration of the tool into the material as well as flexural deformations. The growth history of the median crack is then found using an appropriate relationship between crack length and contact load. The predicted crack propagation history of the median crack and the threshold impact energy for chipping or flexure-induced subsurface crack instability compare well with the tests. The analysis explicitly exposes the role of projectile mass, bluntness and velocity, the target's stiffness, toughness and hardness, and the interface critical stress on damage tolerance of well-bonded layered structures.
Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial and archaeal species in symptomatic and asymptomatic endodontic infections.

Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA was used to examine polymicrobial communities within infected root canals of 20 symptomatic and 14 asymptomatic patients. Nucleotide sequences from ∼750 clones amplified from each patient group with universal bacterial primers were matched to the Ribosomal Database Project II database. Phylotypes from 37 genera representing Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria and Proteobacteria were identified. Results were compared to those obtained with species-specific primers designed to detect Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Peptostreptococcus micros, Enterococcus sp., Streptococcus sp., Fusobacterium nucleatum, Tannerella forsythensis and Treponema denticola. Since members of the domain Archaea have been implicated in the severity of periodontal disease, and a recent report confirms that archaea are present in endodontic infections, 16S archaeal primers were also used to detect which patients carried these prokaryotes, to determine if their presence correlated with severity of the clinical symptoms. A Methanobrevibacter oralis-like species was detected in one asymptomatic and one symptomatic patient. DNA from root canals of these two patients was further analysed using species-specific primers to determine bacterial cohabitants. Trep. denticola was detected in the asymptomatic but not the symptomatic patient. Conversely, Porph. endodontalis was found in the symptomatic but not the asymptomatic patient. All other species except enterococci were detected with the species-specific primers in both patients. These results confirm the presence of archaea in root canals and provide additional insights into the polymicrobial communities in endodontic infections associated with clinical symptoms.
Effects of transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation on drug use and responses to cue-induced craving: a pilot study

Background: Transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation (TEAS) avoids the use of needles, and instead delivers a mild electric current at traditional acupoints. This technique has been used for treating heroin addiction, but has not been systematically tested for other drugs of abuse. This study aims to investigate the effects of TEAS on drug addiction. Methods: Volunteers who were either cocaine-dependent (n=9) or cannabis-dependent (n=11) but were not seeking treatment for their dependence participated in a within-subject, single-blind study. Treatment consisted of twice daily 30-minute sessions of TEAS or sham stimulation for 3.5 days. The active TEAS levels were individually adjusted to produce a distinct twitching response in the fingers, while the sham stimulation involved 2 minutes of stimulation at threshold levels followed by 28 minutes of stimulation below the detection levels. The participants recorded their drug use and drug cravings daily. At 1 hour after the last morning session of TEAS or sham stimulation, a cue-induced craving EEG evaluation was conducted. Event-related P300 potentials (ERPs) were recorded, sorted, and analyzed for specific image types (neutral objects, non-drug-related arousing images, or drugrelated images). Results: TEAS treatment did not significantly reduce the drug use or drug cravings, or significantly alter the ERP peak voltage or latency to peak response. However, the TEAS treatment did significantly modulate several selfreported measures of mood and anxiety. Conclusion: The results of this pilot study with a limited sample size suggest that the acupoint stimulation techniques and protocol used in this trial alone do not significantly reduce cravings for or use of cocaine or cannabis. The findings that TEAS modulates mood and anxiety suggest that TEAS could be used as an adjunct in a multimodal therapy program to treat cocaine and cannabis dependence if confirmed in a full randomized controlled clinical trial.
Descriptive epidemiology of ophthalmic and ocular adnexal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

In this article, we provide an update on incidence rates of ophthalmic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), in the context of other NHL, in the USA. We also provide population-based estimates of incidence and survival for ocular adnexal NHL, the most common form of ophthalmic NHL, for which descriptive patterns have not been previously reported. Ophthalmic and ocular adnexal NHL have unique incidence patterns, including equal rates among both genders, predominance among Asians/Pacific Islanders, and steady and rapid increases in the past few decades. Studies of international variations in the incidence of ocular adnexal NHL may provide clues as to the underlying mechanisms influencing its unique epidemiology.
High-titre retroviral vector system for efficient gene delivery into human and mouse cells of haematopoietic and lymphocytic lineages.

Genetically modified cells of haematopoietic and lymphocytic lineages could provide potentially curative treatments for a wide range of inherited and acquired diseases. However, this application is limited in mouse models by the low efficiency of lentiviral vectors. To facilitate the rapid production of high-titre helper-free retroviral vectors for enhanced gene delivery, multiple modifications to a prototype moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV)-derived vector system were made including adaptation of the vector system to simian virus 40 ori/T antigen-mediated episomal replication in packaging cells, replacement of the MoMLV 5′ U3 promoter with a series of stronger composite promoters and addition of an extra polyadenylation signal downstream of the 3′ long terminal repeat. These modifications enhanced vector production by 2–3 logs. High-titre vector stocks were tested for their ability to infect a variety of cells derived from humans and mice, including primary monocyte-derived macrophage cultures. Whilst the lentiviral vector was significantly restricted at the integration level, the MoMLV-based vector showed effective gene transduction of mouse cells. This high-titre retroviral vector system represents a useful tool for efficient gene delivery into human and mouse haematopoietic and lymphocytic cells, with particular application in mice as a small animal model for novel gene therapy tests.
Performance of constrained and unconstrained adaptive multiuser detectors for quasi-synchronous CDMA

It has previously been shown that multiuser interference in a quasi-synchronous code-division multiple-access (QS-CDMA) system can be effectively rejected using a nonadaptive decorrelator. However, the QS decorrelator is orthogonal to the inflated subspace spanned by the undesired users with arbitrary delays in the QS uncertainty interval and, hence, does not perform as well as a decorrelator with a priori knowledge of the delays. Here, we consider a constrained adaptive linear suppression filter which implicitly estimates the delays of the QS undesired signals, and thus approaches the ideal decorrelator of Lupas and Verdu (1990). For QS-CDMA, it is shown through analysis and simulations that the constrained recursive least-squares (C-RLS) algorithm converges faster than an unconstrained RLS adaptive filter, and generally outperforms the nonadaptive QS decorrelator. A cellular quasi-synchronous system is discussed in the present paper.
Massive genomic data processing and deep analysis

Today large sequencing centers are producing genomic data at the rate of 10 terabytes a day and require complicated processing to transform massive amounts of noisy raw data into biological information. To address these needs, we develop a system for end-to-end processing of genomic data, including alignment of short read sequences, variation discovery, and deep analysis. We also employ a range of quality control mechanisms to improve data quality and parallel processing techniques for performance. In the demo, we will use real genomic data to show details of data transformation through the workflow, the usefulness of end results (ready for use as testable hypotheses), the effects of our quality control mechanisms and improved algorithms, and finally performance improvement.
Automatic Relief Shading

Abstract The theoreticall law of shading is expressed by the formula D = log (1/cos i ), where D is the density of shade of a terrain element and i is the angle of incidence of the illumination on that element. The general theory of automatic shading is based on the consideration that within the vicinity of any terrain point, the terrain surface may be replaced with a geometrical surface and the angle i is then the angle between the incident ray of light and the normal to the geometrical surface. However, as proven both by theoretical analysis and by experiments, an adequately modified law of shading not only makes possible a simple instrument design for automatic shading, but also results in a three-dimensional impression which does not differ much from the one obtained when the theoretical law is applied. The N.R.C. shading device, working with the modified law of shading, coupled with an orthophoto plotter, is described.
Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Flows

Computational models of turbulence in incompressible Newtonian fluids governed by the Navier-Stokes equations are reviewed. The governing equations are presented, and both direct and large-eddy-simulations are examined. Resolution requirements and numerical techniques of spatial representation, definition of initial and boundary conditions, and time advancement are considered. Results of simulations of homogeneous turbulence in uniform shear, the evolution of a turbulent mixing layer, and turbulent channel flow are presented graphically and discussed.
THERMOGRAPHIC PATTERNS IN PULMONARY VASCULAR DISEASE

Abstract Encapsulated liquid crystals on black mylar sheets were used to map out thoracic thermographic patterns at the bedside. In two patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism, and in one with chronic pulmonary vascular disease, cool patches of skin were demonstrable over the affected pulmonary segments. The results of thermographic localisation correlated well with those of pulmonary angiography and radioisotope scanning.
VHF and UHF mechanically coupled aluminum nitride MEMS filters

This paper reports the development of narrow-bandwidth, post-CMOS compatible aluminum nitride (AlN) MEMS filters operating in the very (VHF) and ultra (UHF) high frequency bands. Percent bandwidths less than 0.1% are achieved utilizing a mechanically coupled filter architecture, where a quarter wavelength beam attached in low velocity coupling locations is used to connect two AlN ring resonators. The filter bandwidth has been successfully varied from 0.09% to 0.2% by moving the attachment of the coupling beam on the ring to locations with different velocity at resonance. Insertion losses of 11 dB are obtained for filters centered at 99.5 MHz with low termination impedances of 200 Omega. Utilizing a passive temperature compensation technique, the temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) for these filters has been reduced from -21 ppm/C to 2.5 ppm/C. The reduced TCF is critical for narrow bandwidth filters, requiring only 13% of the filter bandwidth to account for military range (-55 to 125 C) temperature variations compared to 100% for uncompensated filters. Filters operating at 557 MHz are realized using overtone operation of the ring resonators and coupling beam where higher insertion losses of 32 dB into 50 Omega are seen due to the finite resonator quality factor and narrow bandwidth design. Overtone operation allows for the implementation of fully differential and balun type filters where the stop-band rejection is as high as 38 dB despite the increased insertion loss.
Activation Pathways of Agonists, Partial Agonists and Inverse Agonist in Beta1 and Beta2 Adrenergic Receptors

Modulation of cell signaling by ligands of different efficacies via G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), depends intrinsically on the effect of the ligand on the dynamics between the multiple conformational states of these proteins. Ligands with different efficacies can remodel the energy landscape of the receptors, thereby perturbing this conformational equilibrium in many ways depending on the nature of the ligand, and the G-proteins that the receptor couples to, thereby conferring functional specificity. Understanding activation dynamics and pathways is vital in designing functionally specific drugs for GPCRs.Starting from the crystal structure of beta2-adrenergic receptor (B2AR), we have used LITiCon computational method to predict the ligand stabilized receptor state with full (epinephrine and norepinephrine), partial (salbutamol and dopamine), and inverse agonists (carazolol) bound. We have calculated the minimum energy pathway going from the inactive to the ligand stabilized state for each of the ligand/receptor complex. The activation pathways derived for all the agonists studied here are in agreement with fluorescence lifetime measurements1,2. We have also studied the norepinephrine activation pathway for the mutant m23 avian beta1-adrenergic receptor (B1AR) that has been crystallized, and the wild type B1AR. We show that the activation barrier for activation of the mutant m23B1AR by norepinephrine, is larger than for the wildtype B1AR, which is in agreement with the previous experimental finding that m23B1AR requires higher concentration of norepinephrine for activation3.Virtual ligand screening with the salbutamol-stabilized B2AR conformation shows enrichment of non-catechol agonists over norepinephrine-stabilized conformation. Our computational method provides an unprecedented opportunity to understand activation mechanisms in GPCRs.1. Swaminath G, et al. (2004), J. Biol. Chem. 279:686-691.2. Swaminath G, et al. (2005) , J. Biol. Chem. 280:22165-22171.3. Warne T., et. Al., (2008), Nature, 454, 486-491.
Ac Susceptibility Studies of New and Familiar Magnetic Molecular Solids

ac Susceptometry has been used to study a number of magnetic molecular solids including a new compound, Mn(II) octaethyltetraazaporphyrin, 6h-MnOETAP, and decamethylmanganocenium tetracyanoethenide, Mn(Cp*)2*TCNE, a previously reported molecule-based ferromagnet. Both of these compounds exhibit signatures of ferromagnetism including significant hysteresis below 2 K and rapidly increasing χT (where χ is the molar susceptibility) with decreasing temperature. However, their ac susceptibility data show relatively strong dependence of χs' and χ" on the frequency of the applied field, indicating a spinglass state. Other molecular ferromagnetic solids examined show much less sensitivity. These studies indicate that the standard practice of characterization by dc and ac susceptometry at a single frequency are clearly insufficient for identifying the magnetic state of a molecular solid.
Estimation of radar target reflectivity in ultrawideband regime - a group theoretic approach

The paper presents a fundamentally new mathematical framework based on group representation theory for the modeling and processing of signals in the ultrawideband (UWB) regime. A group theoretical approach is motivated by the fact that in the UWB regime, the underlying mathematical structure of the inverse scattering is governed by the affine group. In particular, a received echo can be viewed as the affine Fourier transform of the range-Doppler image evaluated at the transmitted waveform. Based on group representation theory and a novel Wiener filtering method over the affine group, we derive a regularized closed form analytical estimate of the range-Doppler target reflectivity density in the presence of nonstationary noise and clutter in the UWB regime. This estimate also leads to a method of data fusion to form synthetic UWB high resolution images from multiple radars with narrowband transmission.
A formal methods approach to medical device review

With software playing an increasingly important role in medical devices, regulatory agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration need effective means for assuring that this software is safe and reliable. The FDA has been striving for a more rigorous engineering-based review strategy to provide this assurance. The use of mathematics-based techniques in the development of software might help accomplish this. However, the lack of standard architectures for medical device software and integrated engineering-tool support for software analysis make a science-based software review process more difficult. The research presented here applies formal modeling methods and static analysis techniques to improve the review process. Regulation of medical device software encompasses reviews of device designs (premarket review) and device performance (postmarket surveillance). The FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health performs the premarket review on a device to evaluate its safety and effectiveness. As part of this process, the agency reviews software development life-cycle artifacts for appropriate quality-assurance attributes, which tend to reveal little about the device software integrity.
Members, isolates, and liaisons: Meta-analysis of adolescents' network positions and their smoking behavior

Existing research finds that peer networks play an important role in adolescents’ smoking behaviors. To evaluate this research, meta-analysis was utilized to investigate the relationship between social positions (e.g., group members vs. isolates vs. liaisons) in friendship networks and smoking behaviors. The results (N = 5,067, k = 8) showed that adolescents from multiple countries who are isolated in friendship networks are more likely to report smoking behaviors than those with friends (members or liaisons). The results also show that these differential odds of smoking based on network position has decreased over the past 15 years.
Layering As Optimization Decomposition: Current Status and Open Issues

Network protocols in layered architectures have historically been obtained on an ad-hoc basis, and much of the recent cross-layer designs are conducted through piecemeal approaches. Network protocols may instead be holistically analyzed and systematically designed as distributed solutions to some global optimization problems in the form of generalized network utility maximization (NUM), providing insight on what they optimize and structures of the network protocol stack. This paper presents a short survey of the recent efforts towards a systematic understanding of "layering" as "optimization decomposition", where the overall communication network is modeled by a generalized NUM problem, each layer corresponds to a decomposed subproblem, and the interfaces among layers are quantified as functions of the optimization variables coordinating the subproblems. Furthermore, there are many alternative decompositions, each leading to a different layering architecture. Industry adoption of this unifying framework has also started. Here we summarize the current status of horizontal decomposition into distributed computation and vertical decomposition into functional modules such as congestion control, routing, scheduling, random access, power control, and coding. Key messages and methodologies arising out of many recent work are listed. Then we present a list of challenging open issues in this area and the initial progress made on some of them.
An integrative approach to heterochrony: the distinction between interspecific and intraspecific phenomena

While a framework and terminology for heterochrony has been referenced widely in the literature and appears to be accepted by nearly all workers in the field we have found it to be a confusing and incomplete model that has led to varying degrees of misunderstanding about heterochrony among evolutionary biologists. Much of the confusion exists because the model is explicitly limited to phylogenetic patterns (interspecific comparisons), but has been used for intraspecific comparisons. Because heterochrony may underlie all morphological variation and possibly isthedevelopmental phenomenon producing all morphological change it is important that descriptions of heterochronic patterns and processes be clear and precise over all levels of analysis. To this end we discuss and clarify the previous model for heterochrony, reject some of the terminology and suggest alternatives, and then expand the model to include a new nomenclature for intraspecific heterochronic phenomena. Our modifications are essential to maintain the critical conceptual distinction between inter- vs. intraspecific heterochronic patterns and processes in evolutionary biology.
Estimating Efficiency In The Foreign Operations Of The USA Legal Services Industry

This study analyzes the efficiency, resulting from overseas expansion, of the USA legal services industry. Expansion of trade in services has resulted in an increasing number of: (i) lawyers employed abroad, and (ii) countries with foreign offices. The results, derived from a production function methodology with cross-sectional data on large law firms, indicate that: (i) the number of lawyers employed abroad is optimal in terms of generating positive contribution to the production of legal services, and (ii) the foreign countries targeted by law firms for operations also yield positive contribution to revenue. In response to globalization and competition, the industry, using the FDI mode of entry, has exploited location advantage abroad in allocating lawyers and offices efficiently to benefit from the global integration of the industry.
The Assessment of a Combined Methodology for Spot Weld Failure Modeling

Joint failure, e.g. resistance spot weld (RSW) joint failure, has been identified as one of the key failure modes when vehicle crash occurs. Currently, a beam element or a rigid link is commonly used to represent a RSW in a full vehicle analysis. Several failure criteria have been implemented in the math-based tools to model the spot weld failure, namely the failure strain and the resultant force based failure criterion. The former is not robust and the latter requires a lot of tests to be done for different designs of the resistance spot welded joints. In the case when the RSW joint has pullout failure, i.e. the failure occurs in the base metal, a material model is used in the present work to model the RSW joint pullout failure by modeling the failure of the base material. Only simple tensile tests are needed in order to use this method while the geometry effects of the joint design and the strain rate dependence of the base material are handled by the material model itself. In order to analyze the failure mode of the RSW joint, a combined methodology using thinning strain failure criterion for the base material failure and force-based criterion for interfacial failure is examined. Preliminary simulation results show good potential for utilizing this method to model RSW joint failure.
Is there a Cl- pump?

Three universally accepted mechanisms of Cl- transport across plasma membranes exist and they are 1) anion-coupled antiport, 2) cation-coupled symport, and 3) coupling to primary active ion transport through electrical and/or chemical processes. No unequivocal direct evidence has been provided for primary active Cl- transport (Cl- pump) despite numerous reports of cellular Cl- -stimulated adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPases) and of Cl- transport that cannot be accounted for by the three well-documented Cl- transport processes. It has been demonstrated that Cl- -stimulated ATPase activity is localized to both mitochondrial and microsomal aspects of the cellular apparatus. However, one group ascribes microsomal localization of Cl- -stimulated ATPase activity to mitochondrial contamination of that membrane fraction. Therefore, no Cl- pump could ever exist naturally in any plasma membrane. The other group simply states that there is plasma membrane localization of Cl- -stimulated ATPase activity that could function as a Cl- pump. Both arguments are logically advanced and their conclusions are consistent with their respective premises. Resolution to the question Is there a Cl- pump? rests with each reader's critique and objective evaluation.
The Apparent Yellows Disease of Dodonaea SPP. in Hawaii

The genus Dodonaea (Sapindaceae) is widely distributed throughout the islands of the Pacific and other warmer regions of the world. Dodonaea eriocarpa Sm. and D. sandwicensis Sherff, both commonly known as ’a’ali’i, are woody, highly variable evergreen species with several forms endemic to Hawaii. These plants occur as small to large shrubs or small trees up to 10 m tall. The plants are found throughout the Hawaiian Islands in mid to upper elevation open, dry forests. Dodonaea spp. are major floral components of extensive portions of Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala National Parks, where they often comprise the dominant woody species in drier habitats. Aside from their prominence in native ecosystems, Dodonaea spp. are valued for ornamental purposes in traditional Hawaiian cultural practices, such as of the colorful fruits in lei making.
Alcohol Upregulation of CYP2A5: Role of Reactive Oxygen Species

Hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2E1 and CYP2A5 activate many important drugs and hepatotoxins. CYP2E1 is induced by alcohol, but whether CYP2A5 is upregulated by alcohol is not known. This article reviews recent studies on the induction of CYP2A5 by alcohol and the mechanism and role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this upregulation. Chronic feeding of ethanol to wild type mice increased CYP2A5 catalytic activity and protein and mRNA levels. This induction was blunted in CYP2E1 knockout mice and by a CYP2E1 inhibitor, but was restored in CYP2E1 knockin mice, suggesting a role for CYP2E1 in the induction of CYP2A5 by alcohol. Since CYP2E1 actively generates ROS, the possible role of ROS in the induction of CYP2A5 by alcohol was determined. ROS production was elevated by ethanol treatment. The antioxidants N-acetyl cysteine and vitamin C lowered the alcohol-induced elevation of ROS and blunted the alcohol-mediated induction of CYP2A5. These results suggest that ROS play a novel role in the crosstalk between CYP2E1 and CYP2A5. Alcohol treatment activated nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NFE2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor which up-regulates expression of CYP2A5. The antioxidants blocked the activation of Nrf2. The alcohol-induced elevation of CYP2A5, but not CYP2E1, was lower in Nrf2 knockout mice. We propose that increased generation of ROS from the alcohol-induced CYP2E1 activates Nrf2, which subsequently up-regulates the expression of CYP2A5. Thus, a novel consequence of the alcohol-mediated induction of CYP2E1 and increase in ROS is the activation of redox-sensitive transcription factors, such as Nrf2, and expression of CYP2A5. Further perspectives on this alcohol-CYP2E1-ROS-Nrf2-CYP2A5 pathway are presented.
Rate of D isappearance and Metabolism of Hydrocortisone and Cortisone in the Synovial Cavity in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

SummaryQuantitative assays have been performed on extracts of synovial fluid aspirated from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, following intra-articular injection of cortisone, hydrocortisone, and their acetates. After one hour and 3 hours about 85% and 98% respectively had disappeared. There was no marked difference in rate of disappearance among the 4 compounds. Paper chromatographic analyses of post-injection extracts revealed well localized bands which were not seen in the control fluid from uninjected joints, indicating that metabolites were formed within the synovial cavity.
Computerized Diagnostic Setups and Simulations

Abstract No Abstract Available. Supported in part by P.H.S. Grants DE-02506-01, FR-15 and DE-0087-14 and the Elementary Particles Group of the Physics department at the University of Pennsylvania.
THE ROLE OF MODERN RADIOTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF BREAST CANCER.

Radiotherapy alone is vastly inferior to surgery as a means of treatment for primary operable breast cancer. Standard radical mastectomy is recommended, followed in all instances by irradiation therapy; simple mastectomy plus irradiation may be indicated if a highly qualified radiotherapist is available, but the majority of the patients should have the radical operation. Castration either by surgical means or by irradiation is also recommended for young patients and even for those up to three years past the menopause.