cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ethics of Credit Rating Agencies: What Happened and the Way Forward

During the short span of a few months in 2008, 14 trillion dollars of highly rated bonds fell into junk status, surprising the global financial system and accelerating an economic decline. The result was the worst fracture of the US financial system since the Great Depression. Credit rating agencies (CRAs) in particular have come under intense scrutiny as a result of this latest disaster, both domestically and internationally, including many congressional inquiries and government investigations. Most of the public and scholarly discussions about CRAs focus on reforming the financial system so that the crisis of the magnitude of the 2008 disaster will not happen again. An important overtone of industry criticisms includes a sense of ethical impropriety on the part of CRAs and ethical uncertainty about the institutional mechanisms that are currently in place. Rarely, however, are the ethics of the industry the explicit subject of analysis. In this article, we discuss the lessons from the policy debates and recent legislation to develop an account of the ethics of the CRA industry.
Activity restriction among women with a short cervix.

OBJECTIVE:To estimate determinants of and outcomes associated with activity restriction among women with a short cervix.METHODS:This was a secondary analysis of a randomized trial of 17-α hydroxyprogesterone caproate for prevention of preterm birth among nulliparous women with singleton gestations a
Derivatives of arylpolycarbamic acids of pharmacologic interest.

Abstract Urethanes and urea derivatives prepared by reaction of arylpolyisocyanates with various tertiary-amino alcohols and N,N-disubstituted-alkylenediamines, respectively, have been prepared for pharmacologic investigation.The polyquaternary salts are of particular interest in view of their structural relationship to such neuromuscular-blocking agents as succinylcholine and hexamethylene bis (carbamoyl-choline).
The force-temperature relationship in healthy and dystrophic mouse diaphragm; implications for translational study design.

In the field of muscular dystrophy, striated muscle function is often assessed in vitro in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice in order to test the impact of a potential treatment strategy. Although many past studies have assessed diaphragm contractile function at or near room temperature, the diaphragm performs in vivo at 37oC. To improve translation of bench-top results to possible clinical application, we studied temperature-dependence of contractile performance in wild-type (C57BL/10) and mdx muscle strips at temperatures from 25 to 37oC. Maximal tetanic force in wild-type muscles was higher at 37 oC (198±11 vs. 155±9 mN/mm2 at 25oC), while the difference between wild-type and mdx was extremely similar: wild-type muscles produced 45.9% and 45.1% more force at 25 and 37oC respectively. At 37oC twitch contraction kinetics and 50% rise time to tetanic plateau were slower in mdx diaphragm. A fatigue/injury protocol indicated two-fold fatigue/contraction induced force deficit in mdx muscles. We conclude that assessment of diaphragm muscle strips can be reliably and reproducibly performed at 37 oC.
Delphi-Process Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Selected In-Service Training Techniques to Improve Community/Junior College Instruction

Abstract Teaching modalities and in-service training activities that show promise of increasing student learning and teaching effectiveness are identified. The subjects were 25 community/junior college instructors with an average of 5.08 yr of college teaching experience and at least a master's degree, who participated in a 6-wk institute. Modern educational technology facilities, including fully equipped microteaching labs, were used to train the participants in Flanders Interaction Analysis and questioning strategies. The Delphi process, surveys involving the Likert scale, and follow-up visits to campuses were used to collect data. The participants identified several modalities and training techniques as effective.
Nosology of Parkinson’s Disease: Looking for the Way Out of a Quackmire

The discovery of SNCA mutations pathogenic for autosomal-dominant Lewy body Parkinson's disease (PD) in 1997 heralded a revolution in understanding the molecular and genetic basis of PD. Indeed, it now is clear that Lewy body PD is one of many neurodegenerative parkinsonian disorders that result from nigrostriatal degeneration caused by diverse mechanisms. However, to capitalize on these new insights and facilitate efforts to improve the diagnosis and therapy of neurodegenerative movement disorders, it is timely to define a nosology for these diseases that is based on their genetic and molecular underpinnings, as proposed here.
Identification of U.S. pharmacy school characteristics that correlate with pre-requisite rigor ☆

Abstract Background Specific pre-requisite course requirements vary widely in pharmacy education from direct-from-high-school admission to requirement for a bachelor’s degree. There is a lack of published studies that have attempted to determine school or university characteristics that may shape the selection of either basic or advanced pre-requisites. Methods Pharmacy schools were grouped by either requirement for at least one selected advanced scientific course or by pre-requisite hour requirements of ≤72h, >72h or a bachelor’s degree. Pre-requisite groupings were then compared to the school’s U.S. News ranking, tuition for the first professional year, incoming class size, public/private status, and university’s offering of at least one other professional doctoral degree program. Results Two characteristics associated with higher science course requirements were the school’s public/private status and in private schools, the presence/absence of another professional school. When grouped by categories of increasing hours, the existence of another professional school was positively associated with increased admission standards (both advanced science courses and hours) at private pharmacy programs. Conclusion This study indicates that PharmD programs with advanced pre-requisite science requirements tend to be public. In private programs, both lack of requirement for an advanced science course and lower pre-requisite hours were found in institutions lacking additional professional doctoral degree programs.
Using photovoice to explore the unique life perspectives of youth with sickle cell disease: a pilot study.

Objectives: Sickle cell disease (SCD) has been associated with multiple physical and psychosocial challenges but less is known about the experience of living with the disease, particularly from the perspective of children/adolescents. Photovoice uses photography to access the experiences of individuals living with a disease and provides them with a voice for expression. It provides a unique approach to exploring the perspective of children/adolescents with SCD. This pilot study examines the perspective of children/adolescents with SCD using photovoice, both to gain understanding of the perspective of these patients and the utility of the research method with this population. Method: Twelve participants with SCD between the ages of 6 and 14 years participated in this study. Participants took photographs during camp and completed qualitative interviews afterward to explore their perspective on life with SCD and experience with the photovoice method. Results: Main themes derived from content analysis of the ...
Fre1p Cu2+ Reduction and Fet3p Cu1+ Oxidation Modulate Copper Toxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Fre1p is a metalloreductase in the yeast plasma membrane that is essential to uptake of environmental Cu2+ and Fe3+. Fet3p is a multicopper oxidase in this membrane essential for high affinity iron uptake. In the uptake of Fe3+, Fre1p produces Fe2+ that is a substrate for Fet3p; the Fe3+ produced by Fet3p is a ligand for the iron permease, Ftr1p. Deletion of FET3 leads to iron deficiency; this deletion also causes a copper sensitivity not seen in wild type. Deletion of FTR1 leads to copper sensitivity also. Production in the ftr1Δ strain of an iron-uptake negative Ftr1p mutant, Ftr1p(RAGLA), suppressed this copper sensitivity. This Ftr1p mutant supported the plasma membrane targeting of active Fet3p that is blocked in the parental ftr1Δ strain. A ferroxidase-negative Fet3p did not suppress the copper sensitivity in a fet3Δ strain, although it supported the plasma membrane localization of the Fet3p·Ftr1p complex. Thus, loss of membrane-associated Fet3p oxidase activity correlated with copper sensitivity. Furthermore, in vitro Cu1+ was shown to be an excellent substrate for Fet3p. Last, the copper sensitivity of the fet3Δ strain was suppressed by co-deletion of FRE1, suggesting that the cytotoxic species was Cu1+. In contrast, deletion of CTR1 or of FET4 did not suppress the copper sensitivity in the fet3Δ strain; these genes encode the two major copper transporters in laboratory yeast strains. This result indicated that the apparent cuprous ion toxicity was not due to excess intracellular copper. These biochemical and physiologic results indicate that at least with respect to cuprous and ferrous ions, Fet3p can be considered a metallo-oxidase and appears to play an essential role in both iron and copper homeostasis in yeast. Its functional homologs, e.g. ceruloplasmin and hephaestin, could play a similar role in mammals.
Fault-Tolerant Asynchronous Networks Using Read-Only Memories

In this paper, we present techniques for the construction of certain redundant state assignments suitable for fault-tolerant asynchronous network design. These assignments have certain characteristics that make them well-suited for error-control in asynchronous networks, using read-only memories, and are as follows: only a small number of additional state variables are required for incorporating fault-tolerance properties; the assignments form the codewords of an error-correcting code; and are systematic. An example is also provided to clarify some misconceptions that have arisen over the fault-tolerant design proposed earlier by the authors
Czochralski growth of lithium metagallate

Abstract The use of argon or carbon dioxide at pressures above one atmosphere substantially reduced melt losses during the growth of lithium metagallate crystals by the Czochralski method. The resulting crystals contained fewer internal flaws and were less strained than those grown in air at one atmosphere. Crystallographic twinning, with twin planes parallel to the a - b lattice diagonals and perpendicular to (001), were revealed by chemical etching.
The Criminal History of Repeat DUI Offenders

This study tested whether repeat driving under the influence (DUI) offenders have more extensive criminal histories, exclusive of DUI and traffic offenses, than first-time offenders. Analysis of arrest and criminal history data from a random sample of 429 DUI arrestees found that being a repeat DUI offender increased the total number of convictions (regardless of severity), misdemeanor convictions, and petty misdemeanor/violation convictions. The results illustrate the challenges of rehabilitating and deterring DUI recidivists and the potential differences between first-time and repeat DUI offenders. Among DUI recidivists, impaired driving is best viewed as just one manifestation of a host of deviant behaviors.
DYNAMICS OF HYBRID INCOMPATIBILITY IN GENE NETWORKS IN A CONSTANT ENVIRONMENT

After an ancestral population splits into two allopatric populations, different mutations may fix in each. When pairs of mutations are brought together in a hybrid offspring, epistasis may cause reduced fitness. Such pairs are known as Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller (BDM) incompatibilities. A well-known model of BDM incompatibility due to Orr suggests that the fitness load on hybrids should initially accelerate, and continue to increase as the number of potentially incompatible substitutions increases (the "snowball effect"). In the gene networks model, which violates a key assumption of Orr's model (independence of fixation probabilities), the snowball effect often does not occur. Instead, we describe three possible dynamics in a constant environment: (1) Stabilizing selection can constrain two allopatric populations to remain near-perfectly compatible. (2) Despite constancy of environment, punctuated evolution may obtain; populations may experience rare adaptations asynchronously, permitting incompatibility. (3) Despite stabilizing selection, developmental system drift may permit genetic change, allowing two populations to drift in and out of compatibility. We reinterpret Orr's model in terms of genetic distance. We extend Orr's model to the finite loci case, which can limit incompatibility. Finally, we suggest that neutral evolution of gene regulation in nature, to the point of speciation, is a distinct possibility.
Experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of process parameters on the erosive wear of die casting dies

This study investigates the causes and the mechanism of erosive wear in die casting dies, which are commonly made of H-13 die steel, by controlled experiments and computer simulations. Experiments were carried out under actual production conditions for a range of process and geometrical conditions with the accelerated erosive wear of core pins being used as a surrogate measure of die erosive wear. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the effect of metal velocity, inlet melt temperature, and the angle of metal impact on erosive wear in die casting dies. The study shows that in die casting, the erosive wear profile exhibits a strong correlation with the impact velocity profile, the erosive wear rate increases with a decrease in the inlet melt temperature, and the maximum erosive wear takes place at a metal impact angle of 72°. This indicates that the primary driver of erosion in die casting is the impact of partially solidified metal or solid particles at high velocities, with diffusion effects not being as critical.
Interstitial deletion of distal chromosome 4p in a patient without classical Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome

We report on a patient with a de novo interstitial deletion of chromosome 4p; 46,XY,del(4) (p15.31p16.3). The cytogenetic diagnosis would predict a patient with the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) since deletions of 4p16 are associated with WHS [Wilson et al., 1981]. This patient lacks the facial characteristics of WHS, but has some anomalies of WHS that are also commonly seen in other syndromes, i.e., severe growth retardation, developmental delay, and hypospadias. His molecular distal breakpoint occurs in 4p16.3 as defined by fluorescence in situ hybridization and Southern blot analysis, and his deletion does not overlap with the currently proposed WHS critical region. This case gives further support to the distal position of the WHS critical region and demonstrates some of the WHS associated phenotypes that can be attributed to a deletion of the proximal third of 4p16.3. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An undulating surface model for the motility of bacteria gliding on a layer of non-Newtonian slime

Abstract Gliding bacteria are a taxonomically heterogeneous group of rod-shaped prokaryotes that adhere to and translocate (parallel to their longitudinal axis) on certain substrata by mechanism(s) that are unknown. Organelles of motility, such as flagella, have not been observed on these bacteria. Furthermore, their rigidified cell walls preclude amoeboid-type locomotion. Here, we examine a hydrodynamical model of motility involving an undulating cell surface which transmits stresses through a layer of exuded slime to the substratum. It is shown that this mechanism generates a force that can propel the glider at a realistic speed and which requires an output of power that is much less than the organism's metabolic rate of energy production. For the case of a slime that is Newtonian, we find that the lift force on the glider is zero. Therefore, there is one degree of freedom among the dimensionless variables formed from the quantities: speed of the glider; amplitude, wavelength and phase speed of the undulations, and the thickness and viscosity of the secreted slime. Optimization schemes obtain a relation among the dimensionless groups formed from these variables. However for non-Newtonian slime, represented by the model of the third-order approximation of a simple fluid, a lift force is generated due to the normal stresses. Also for this shear-thinning viscoelastic fluid, the power required for translation is reduced.
Paradoxical instruction in the elimination of avoidance behavior in an agoraphobic girl.

Abstract The case is described of a 16-yr-old girl whose agoraphobia was of recent onset. In the light of a rapidly increasing pattern of escape and avoidance behavior associated with several phobic situations, treatment consisted of a paradoxical instruction to embellish subjective anxiety and elicit anticipated negative consequences during prolonged in vivo exposure. Treatment was associated with the elimination of avoidance behavior and a dramatic reduction in self-reported anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive complaints, as well as anxiety ratings during exposure. These improvements were maintained and enhanced at both 3- and 9-month follow- up. The implications of this approach with severe fears and the need for additional empirical evaluations are discussed.
Programming cyber-physical systems with MacroLab

We demonstrate MacroLab, which is a macroprogramming framework that offers a vector programming abstraction similar to Matlab for cyber-physical systems (CPSs). The user writes a single program for an entire network using Matlab like operations such as addition, find, and max. The framework executes these operations across the network in a distributed fashion, a centralized fashion, or something between the two - whichever is most efficient for the target deployment. We call this approach deployment-specific code decomposition (DSCD). The MacroLab programming framework will facilitate the easy development of applications for CPSs by domain experts such as scientists and engineers with almost no additional overhead to the nodes in terms of message cost, power consumption, memory footprint, or CPU cycles over TinyOS programs.
PLINY ON ESSENES, PLINY ON JEWS

A key passage in the discussion of ancient tEssenest is Pliny the Elder's description in Natural History 5.73. Pliny claims that his subject matter is "sterile" - the nature of things, real life - compared to more entertaining works that aff ord opportunity for digressions (excessus) or orations and discourses or wondrous occurrences (casus mirabiles) or various events (eventus varios), agreeably spoken or pleasant to read. The more immediate context of the "Essene" passage is a survey of southern Palestine-Judea (apart from Galilee and Perea, and "supra" Idumea and Samaria), divided into ten districts (5.70) from Jericho (with its palm trees) to Emmaus, Lydda, Joppa, Acraba, Gophna, Timna, Betholeptephe, Orine (where Jerusalem had been located), and Herodium.Keywords: ancient Essenes; Palestine-Judea; Pliny
Effect of tobacco mosaic virus infection on glucose metabolism in Nicotiana tabacum var. Samsum I. Investigations with 14C-labeled sugars

Abstract Percent participation of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) glycolytic pathway and the hexose monophosphate (HMP) shunt in leaf tissues of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-infected Nicotiana tabacum L. var. Samsun was calculated by three techniques based on the recovery of 14 CO 2 from glucose-1- 14 C and glucose-6- 14 C substrates. Regardless of the method of calculation, there was no increase in the activity of the HMP shunt in TMV-infected tissue. Approximately 80% of the total respiration was mediated via the EMP glycolytic pathway, the remaining 20%, via the HMP shunt. No differences were detected in the ability of TMV-infected and healthy tissue to metabolize ribose-l- 14 C, xylose-1- 14 C, and gluconic acid-6- 14 C to 14 CO 2 .
Oxynitride glasses prepared from gels and melts

Abstract The structures of glasses prepared by melting mixtures of alkali borosilicate glass and silicon nitride powders and by ammonolysis of porous borosilicate gels were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and combustion analysis. Whereas there was little evidence of nitride bond formation in the melt prepared glasses, SiN and BN bonding were observed in the gel-derived glasses. It is proposed that these differences occur because Na2O and B2O3 are reduced by Si3N4 in the melt to form SiO2 + N2 + metal. In comparison, ammonolysis of gels is a low temperature process (
Observation Points: The Visual Poetics of National Parks

Observation Points is an edited volume of thirteen essays drawn from a variety of disciplines, all concerned with, as one contributor, Sabine Wilke, so succinctly states,the idea that the images of...
Historical perspective of cardiorenal integration.

SUMMARY 1. Early research on blood volume as an independent parameter affecting kidney function took the approach that the sensors must be located in the most compliant, that is the reservoir portion, of the cardiovascular system. This encompasses the great veins and the cardiac atria. 2. Small changes in volume were shown not to affect the compliance of this reservoir and messages from the atrial receptor network were shown to travel in the vagus nerve and to control urine volume by antidiuretic hormone. 3. Although greatly affected by the water immersion stimulus, sodium excretion was not as dependent on vagus integrity. The ensuing search for the natriuretic arm of the blood volume mechanism persisted for the next 20 years. 4. Finally, one aspect of the elusive natriuretic factor was found exactly where theory had suggested, namely the most distensible part of the system, in specialized granules in the cardiac atria.
Strategic Management of Operating Exposure

Abstract We identify operating exposure as the most important and difficult to manage component of exchange risk. Our model identifies three components of foreign exchange exposure: direct operating exposure, the market demand effect, and the competitive effect. The size and relative importance of these components depends critically upon international market structure and firm strategies. We derive implications for managing foreign exchange exposure.
ASYMPTOTICS OF IMPLIED VOLATILITY IN LOCAL VOLATILITY MODELS

Using an expansion of the transition density function of a one-dimensional time inhomogeneous diffusion, we obtain the first- and second-order terms in the short time asymptotics of European call option prices. The method described can be generalized to any order. We then use these option prices approximations to calculate the first- and second-order deviation of the implied volatility from its leading value and obtain approximations which we numerically demonstrate to be highly accurate.
Protein expression in the livers and urinary bladders of hamsters exposed to sodium arsenite.

Hamsters were exposed to sodium arsenite (173 mg As/L) in drinking water for 6 days and control hamsters were given tap water. Equal amounts of protein from the urinary bladder or liver extracts of control and arsenic-treated hamsters were labeled with Cy3 and Cy5 dyes, respectively. The labeled proteins were mixed and separated in the two-dimensional differential in gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). After DIGE and analysis by the DeCyder software, several protein spots were found to be overexpressed and several were underexpressed. Analysis of the DIGE gel images detected 75 protein spots in the livers and 52 protein spots in the urinary bladders of hamsters that were expressed (±1.2-fold). Of the detected protein spots, 34 spots were overexpressed (1.48 ± 0.05) and 41 spots were underexpressed (1.52 ± 0.06) in the liver. In the urinary bladder, 36 protein spots were overexpressed (1.52 ± 0.06) and 16 protein spots were underexpressed (1.39 ± 0.05). Three proteins (one was overexpressed and two were underexpressed) of each tissue (liver or bladder) were identified by mass spectrometry. DIGE in combination with mass spectrometry is a powerful tool that may be of help in understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer progression due to inorganic arsenic.
Regional sequence stratigraphic setting and reservoir geology of Morrow incised-valley sandstones (lower Pennsylvanian), eastern Colorado and western Kansas

Oil and gas exploration for the lower Pennsylvanian Morrow Formation of eastern Colorado, western Kansas, and northwestern Oklahoma provides a subsurface data set that transects the entire range of lowstand depositional systems from incised-valley-fill systems to deep-water basin-floor systems in one composite depositional sequence. One compound incised-valley fill that is a part of this system contains three facies tracts with unique reservoir characteristics: (1) the updip facies tract is dominated by amalgamated fluvial channel sandstones, (2) the transition facies tract consists of fluvial channel sandstones interbedded with finer grained estuarine sandstones, and (3) the downdip facies tract consists of ribbonlike fluvial channel sandstones isolated in estuarine shale.A 175-mi-long (283-km-long) longitudinal cross section through one trunk of the incised-valley-fill drainage shows that internal valley-fill strata change significantly as a function of the interplay of varying depositional systems down gradient in the valley. Key contrasts in reservoir performance are documented as a function of changes in reservoir characteristics, trap controls, and trap configurations from updip to downdip in this valley-fill drainage.The strata of the Morrow Formation were deposited in a cratonic basin during a period in the Earth's history when the climate was cooler than today. High-frequency changes of sea level across an extremely low-gradient depositional surface controlled erosion and deposition. These facies tracts reflect the response of valley-fill sedimentary processes to high-frequency relative sea level changes resulting from glacio-eustasy. The resultant valley-fill systems have many characteristics in common with published valley-fill models, but have significant differences as well.
Function and evolution of the serotonin-synthetic bas-1 gene and other aromatic amino acid decarboxylase genes in Caenorhabditis

Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) enzymes catalyze the synthesis of biogenic amines, including the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, throughout the animal kingdom. These neurotransmitters typically perform important functions in both the nervous system and other tissues, as illustrated by the debilitating conditions that arise from their deficiency. Studying the regulation and evolution of AADC genes is therefore desirable to further our understanding of how nervous systems function and evolve. In the nematode C. elegans, the bas-1 gene is required for both serotonin and dopamine synthesis, and maps genetically near two AADC-homologous sequences. We show by transformation rescue and sequencing of mutant alleles that bas-1 encodes an AADC enzyme. Expression of a reporter construct in transgenics suggests that the bas-1 gene is expressed, as expected, in identified serotonergic and dopaminergic neurons. The bas-1 gene is one of six AADC-like sequences in the C. elegans genome, including a duplicate that is immediately downstream of the bas-1 gene. Some of the six AADC genes are quite similar to known serotonin- and dopamine-synthetic AADC's from other organisms whereas others are divergent, suggesting previously unidentified functions. In comparing the AADC genes of C. elegans with those of the congeneric C. briggsae, we find only four orthologous AADC genes in C. briggsae. Two C. elegans AADC genes – those most similar to bas-1 – are missing from C. briggsae. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that one or both of these bas-1-like genes were present in the common ancestor of C. elegans and C. briggsae, and were retained in the C. elegans line, but lost in the C. briggsae line. Further analysis of the two bas-1-like genes in C. elegans suggests that they are unlikely to encode functional enzymes, and may be expressed pseudogenes. The bas-1 gene of C. elegans encodes a serotonin- and dopamine-synthetic AADC enzyme. Two C. elegans AADC-homologous genes that are closely related to bas-1 are missing from the congeneric C. briggsae; one or more these genes was present in the common ancestor of C. elegans and C. briggsae. Despite their persistence in C. elegans, evidence suggests the bas-1-like genes do not encode functional AADC proteins. The presence of the genes in C. elegans raises questions about how many 'predicted genes' in sequenced genomes are functional, and how duplicate genes are retained or lost during evolution. This is another example of unexpected retention of duplicate genes in eukaryotic genomes.
A computer implementation of frequency–temperature superposition for dynamic mechanical transformations

The usual procedure for shifting dynamic mechanical data, involving the construction of a master plot, was compared with a simpler, computer-implemented double shift procedure, which obviates the need for such a construction. Data reproducibility indicates that the double shift may successfully be shifted to frequencies greater than one decade to either side of the experimental range.
Simplified Z-propagating DC bias stable TE-TM mode convertor fabricated in Y-cut lithium niobate

A TE-TM mode converter, useful at either 0.632 or 0.840 mu m, has been fabricated on y-cut LiNbO/sub 3/ by Ti indiffusion with the channel waveguide placed parallel to the z-axis. For TE polarized input, the maximum TM modulation depth is 97 percent at 0.632 mu m with a 5-V (pp) drive and 99 percent at 0.840 mu m with a 12-V (pp) drive. A similar device operating at 1.3 mu m displays 98-percent TE-TM switching at 68 V. Operation involves only coplanar electrodes placed alongside the channel acting on the r/sub 61/ electrooptic coefficient. A separately deposited buffer layer is unnecessary. Testing indicates a substantially greater tolerance to electrode misalignment than afforded by similar structures formed in x-cut substrates. Data illustrating immunity to photorefractive drift in the presence of a DC bias voltage is presented for 0.840- mu m wavelength operation. >
Electron density enhancement in a quasi isochronous storage ring

Conditions are established for stable single particle motion in a storage ring with very small momentum compaction, and very short bunch length, the quasi isochronous ring. How this condition can be achieved is discussed. Applications of this condition to colliders and synchrotron radiation sources is examined. >
Emergent: A knowledge discovery tool for understanding emerging industry structure

This paper presents a visual analytics tool to understand the emergence and structure of the nanotechnology industry. According to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the global nanotechnology industry is expected to grow to $1 trillion in 2010 and drive dramatic innovation and wealth creation in industries as diverse as energy, computing and biotechnology. Nanotech entrepreneurs, analysts and investors alike need tools to understand the emerging structure of the industry because firm competitive positions in the industry impact ventures' survival, growth and profitability. Particularly, nanotech ventures compete from different initial “strategic footprints” in the industry which ease or complicate entry into new growth businesses. In fact, the emergence of the nanotechnology industry is the story of interweaving with—and penetration into—different adjoining industries. Exploiting the world's largest database on consumer-focused nanotechnology products, this paper demonstrates a visual analytics tool, Emergent, that can show the emerging structure of the industry and ventures' varying strategic footprints within this forming multi-industry terrain. The tool is interactive, scalable, and adaptable to relational data from other industries. Business applications of Emergent include industry analysis, strategic planning and entrepreneurial opportunity identification.
Soy food supplementation, dietary fat reduction and peripheral blood gene expression in postmenopausal women -A randomized, controlled trial

We evaluated the potential of gene expression profiling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected at baseline and at the completion of a 8-week controlled dietary intervention. Healthy postmenopausal women were randomized to a very-low-fat diet (VLFD; 11% of energy as fat) (n=21), a Step 1 diet (25% energy as fat) supplemented with soy food (SFD; 50 mg isoflavones/d) (n=20), or a control Step 1 diet (CD; 27% energy as fat) with no soy food (n=18). All diets were prepared at the General Clinical Research Center of the University of Southern California. We did not observe any gene that showed variable response across the three dietary interventions. However, there were notable changes in gene expression associated with the intervention in the VLFD and SFD groups. Our findings suggest that the expression of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) and genes related to Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis and cytokine interactions may be significantly altered in association with dietary fat reduction and soy supplementation. Gene expression changes in NAMPT were somewhat dampened with adjustment for weight but changes related to Fc gamma R-mediate phagocytosis and cytokine interactions remained largely unchanged. In summary, PBMCs can reveal novel gene expression changes in association with controlled dietary intervention.
Selection of the Dominant Follicle in Cattle: Role of Two-Way Functional Coupling Between Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and the Follicles

The functional coupling between the declining portion of the FSH surge and the growing follicles of a wave was studied by treating heifers with a minimal dose of estradiol to decrease FSH concentrations without an associated change in LH concentrations. Estradiol treatment when the largest follicle reached >/= 6.0 mm (Hour 0) resulted in depression of both FSH concentrations and diameter of the largest follicle by Hour 8. The smaller follicles were also inhibited. These results supported the hypothesis that FSH continues to be needed by the growing follicles even when the FSH concentrations are decreasing during the declining portion of the FSH surge. Estradiol treatment when the largest follicle was >/= 8.5 mm (expected time of follicular deviation) also resulted in a transient decrease in both FSH concentrations and diameter of the largest follicle, but the diameters of the smaller follicles were not affected. These results supported the hypothesis that the low concentrations of FSH at the expected time of deviation, although inadequate for the smaller follicles, were required for continued growth of the largest follicle. In another study, ablation (Hour 0) of the largest follicle was done at >/= 7.5 mm vs. >/= 8.5 mm. The mean FSH concentrations for the 8.5-mm groups were greater for the ablation group than for the control group at Hours 8 and 12, but there was no difference between the 7.5-mm groups at any hour. These results supported the hypothesis that by the time the largest follicle reaches the expected beginning of deviation it has developed a greater capacity for suppressing FSH. It is postulated that the essence of the selection of a dominant follicle is a close two-way functional coupling between changing FSH concentrations and follicular growth.
Recurrent Syncope Due to Refractory Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis and Transient Elevations of Intracranial Pressure

Chronic paroxysmal intracranial hypertension leading to syncope is a phenomenon not reported previously in patients with refractory cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. We report a case of paroxysmal intracranial hypertension leading to syncopal episodes in a patient with idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia and venous sinus thrombosis. This case demonstrates that intermittent elevations in intracranial pressure can lead to syncope in patients with venous sinus thrombosis and emphasizes the importance of considering this potentially treatable etiology of syncopal episodes.
Three studies on the factorial distinctiveness of binge eating and bulimic symptoms among nonclinical men and women.

Objective According to DSM-IV's proposed nosology, binge eating disorder is separable from bulimia nervosa. The basis for separation rests with compensatory behaviors (e.g., induced vomiting)—people with bulimia nervosa engage in compensatory behaviors, whereas those with binge eating disorder do not. We addressed the validity of this nosology. Methods In three studies on 2,015 young men and women, we used factor-analytic techniques to assess whether bulimic and binge eating symptoms are separable in men and women. Results and Discussion Results of the three studies converged: Although binge eating symptoms may be distinct from bulimic symptoms among young men, the two syndromes are factorially inseparable among young women. Nosologic and sociocultural implications are noted. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 27: 198–205, 2000.
Is it Appropriate for Nondermatologist Physicians to Perform Skin Biopsies

Physicians of various specialties submit cases for histopathological examination. Using the dermatopathology report as an objective verification tool of clinical diagnostic accuracy we assessed the diagnostic abilities of nondermatologist physicians, who performed various types of skin biopsies, and compared them with those of dermatologists. In total, 4,451 cases were analyzed. Dermatologists diagnosed twice the number of neoplastic and cystic skin lesions correctly (75%) than nondermatologists (40%). The clinical diagnosis rendered by family practitioners matched only in 26% the histopathological diagnosis. Plastic surgeons did better than family physicians but still had a diagnostic accuracy rate of only 45% for skin tumors. Inflammatory skin diseases were correctly diagnosed in 71% of the cases by dermatologists but in only 34% of the cases by nondermatologists. In our view, it is appropriate for nondermatologists to perform skin biopsies only, if they have required sufficient knowledge in basic dermatology and dermatopathology. A skin biopsy consists not only of the technical aspects of the actual procedure but necessitates an understanding of basic dermatology and dermatopathology to facilitate clinicopathological correlation.
Rebound from Nitric Oxide Inhibition Triggers Enhanced Monocyte Activation and Chemotaxis

Exposure of human peripheral blood monocytes to the NO donor S -nitroso- N -acetyl-dl-penicillamine (SNAP) resulted in a rapid shift in cellular conformation of spontaneously activated cells from ameboid to round. The population of activated cells, ∼7.1 ± 1.2%, was reduced 7-fold to 1.1 ± 0.4% following 0.5 h exposure to SNAP. Observation of monocytes for 6 h demonstrated a gradual release from NO inhibition initiating at 2.5 h following SNAP treatment and a period of hyperactivity that was maximal at ∼5 h following SNAP exposure. During the rebound from the NO inhibition phase, there was a significant increase in the population of activated monocytes and an increased responsiveness to chemotactic agents such as IL-1, IL-8, and fMLP relative to that of cells treated with the chemotactic agents alone. Conformational changes induced by SNAP were associated with a reduction in F-actin and loss of filopodial extension. The loss and recovery of F-actin staining paralleled changes in cell activity, suggesting that NO may alter cellular activity by modulation of cytoskeletal actin. These data taken together suggest that inhibition of monocyte activity by NO results in an excitatory phase observed subsequent to release from NO inhibition and increased sensitivity to chemotactic agents. We propose that this rebound from NO inhibition may provide increased immunosurveillance to rectify immunological problems that have been encountered during the period of inhibition.
Spitzer MIPS Limits on Asteroidal Dust in the Pulsar Planetary System PSR B1257+12

With the MIPS camera on Spitzer, we have searched for far-infrared emission from dust in the planetary system orbiting pulsar PSR B1257+12. With accuracies of 0.05 mJy at 24 microns and 1.5 mJy at 70 microns, photometric measurements find no evidence for emission at these wavelengths. These observations place new upper limits on the luminosity of dust with temperatures between 20 and 1000 K. They are particularly sensitive to dust temperatures of 100-200 K, for which they limit the dust luminosity to below 3 x 10(exp -5) of the pulsar's spin-down luminosity, 3 orders of magnitude better than previous limits. Despite these improved constraints on dust emission, an asteroid belt similar to the solar system's cannot be ruled out.
Folic acid knowledge and use among relatives in Irish families with neural tube defects: an intervention study.

Background Relatives in families where a child has a neural tube defect (NTD) may be at higher risk of having an affected child. Little is known of their level of knowledge and use of folic acid.
Sodium Currents in Neurons From the Rostroventrolateral Medulla of the Rat

Rapidly inactivating and persistent sodium currents have been characterized in acutely dissociated neurons from the area of rostroventrolateral medulla that included the pre-Botzinger Complex. As demonstrated in many studies in vitro, this area can generate endogenous rhythmic bursting activity. Experiments were performed on neonate and young rats (P1-15). Neurons were investigated using the whole cell voltage-clamp technique. Standard activation and inactivation protocols were used to characterize the steady-state and kinetic properties of the rapidly inactivating sodium current. Slow depolarizing ramp protocols were used to characterize the noninactivating sodium current. The "window" component of the rapidly inactivating sodium current was calculated using mathematical modeling. The persistent sodium current was revealed by subtraction of the window current from the total noninactivating sodium current. Our results provide evidence of the presence of persistent sodium currents in neurons of the rat rostroventrolateral medulla and determine voltage-gated characteristics of activation and inactivation of rapidly inactivating and persistent sodium channels in these neurons.
Does UV play a role in changes in predation and zooplankton community structure in acidified lakes

Changes in both zooplankton community structure and zooplanktivorous predators often accompany the anthropogenic acidification of lakes. While changes in pH can account for many of the observed changes, combined observations from laboratory bioassay and field experiments as well as surveys suggest that these patterns cannot be explained by changes in pH alone. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) also declines with lake acidification. Because DOC is the primary factor regulating variation in the depth of penetration of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in lakes, there is also likely to be an increase in UVR levels during acidification. This suggests that changes in UVR may play some role in changes in predator and prey communities during acidification. As a first step toward testing this hypothesis, we examined the UVR tolerance of larvae of two widespread and abundant zooplanktivorous predators. We performed a series of in situ incubation experiments with the sunfish Lepomis and the midge Chaoborus in a low DOC (high UVR) lake and in a moderate DOC (low UVR) lake. Substantial UVR-induced mortality of both predators was observed in the surface waters of the low DOC lake. The predators differed in their UVR tolerance levels: the sunfish survived for more than a day under high solar radiation conditions in the surface waters of a low DOC lake, while the midge perished in less than a day. These data and past literature are consistent with the hypothesis that UVR may play a role in changes in planktivorous predators and their prey during lake acidification and recovery.
Restriction of Big Hearts by a Small RNA

See related article, pages 305–313 Cardiac hypertrophy is a pathological manifestation in the chronically stressed heart and a significant factor in the pathogenesis of heart failure. In the past decade, numerous intracellular signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms have been discovered in pathological hypertrophy, from transcriptional regulation to signaling cascades and from epigenomic modulation to redox homeostasis. It is clear that the regulatory network contributing to cardiac hypertrophy involves complex interactions between positive and negative regulators with different molecular and mechanistic characteristics. Earlier studies, particularly Sadoshima and colleagues, have revealed the importance of thioredoxin (Trx)-mediated regulation of oxidative stress in cardiac hypertrophy, particularly through targeted modification of histone deacetylase (HDAC) class II and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase.1,–,7 These studies have contributed to the present understanding that oxidative injury is a major underlying mechanism and contributor of pathological hypertrophy in the diseased heart and established the mechanistic basis for antihypertrophic function of Trx-1. In this issue of Circulation Research , Yang et al from the Sadoshima group now report identification and functional characterization a microRNA, miR-98, as one potentially important downstream effector of Trx-1 in suppressing cardiac hypertrophy,8 representing another excellent showcase for intricate molecular networking in cardiac hypertrophy regulation that spans from redox regulation and epigenomic modulation to gene regulation. Since establishing regulation of genes by small noncoding RNAs (miRNAs), the impact on cardiac biology has been anything but small. An explosion of reports on the discovery and characterization of different miRNA species and their involvement …
Environmental tobacco smoke exposure does not prevent corticosteroids reducing inflammation, remodeling, and airway hyperreactivity in mice exposed to allergen.

The ability of corticosteroids to reduce airway inflammation and improve lung function is significantly reduced in asthmatics who are tobacco smokers compared with asthmatics who are nonsmokers. As...
Coupling between Optical Sources and Waveguides

There can be significant loss in optical connections due to misalignment or mismatch of the modes between the two devices. Misalignment between a source and a single mode waveguide by dimensions of less than 1 μm can cause coupling loss exceeding 1 dB. Coupling problems are exaggerated by the small dimensions of typical optical waveguides and sources, which makes alignment a critical and challenging task. In this chapter, we will establish the fundamental rules for coupling optical power between two waveguides and between a source and waveguide. The coupling techniques are based on the concepts developed in previous discussion on coupled mode theory.