cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Macromolecular structure and viscoelastic response of the organic framework of nacre in Haliotis rufescens: A perspective and overview

Nanoindentation probing on nacre obtained from Haliotis rufescens shells has demonstrated that nacre displays a combined viscoplastic-viscoelastic time dependent response. Additionally, it is found that the moisture/water content of nacre contributes to its time dependent behavior and overall mechanical properties. Detailed finite element simulations allow for the determination of constitutive parameters used to calibrate specific time dependent material models which are, in turn, compared to those found via independent measurement as reported in the literature. The results lead to a new paradigm for nacre’s attractive structural composite behavior and thereby to new potential pathways for biomimetics.
Neurocognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults with bipolar disorder: Comparison to schizophrenia and normal comparison subjects

Background The frequency, pattern, and correlates of neurocognitive impairment in older patients with bipolar disorder have received little study. We examined neurocognitive abilities in middle-aged and older adults with bipolar disorder to groups with schizophrenia or normal subjects, as well as the relation of neurocognition to clinical characteristics.
Designing Public Policies: Principles and Instruments

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis (2012) http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2012.663268 Designing Public Policies: Principles and Instruments Michael Howlett (Burnaby Mountain Professor, Depar...
Real Brothers, Real Sisters: Learning From the White Siblings of Transracial Adopees

AbstractThis article reports the findings of a qualitative study of twelve non-adopted White siblings of transracial adoptees. It discusses various responses among White siblings to the adoption of children of color by their White biological parents. Drawing on sociolinguistic understandings of social practices and identities as enacted through constitutive discourses, the study paid particular attention to the ways study participants engaged with the discourses of race and adoption. Using the narrative analysis methodology developed by Wortham (2000), various kinds of selves were analyzed in transcripts of interviews about the participants' experiences with transracial adoption. Of particular educational value are those selves described as transracialized, through which a few of the non-adopted White siblings demonstrated unpredictable and innovative ways of “doing” White identities, based largely on ongoing caring relationships with people of color outside the family. Whether transracialized or not tran...
Oxidative reactions of hydroxylated chlorpromazine metabolites.

The oxidation pathways of two hydroxylated chlorpromazine metabolites were investigated using modern electrochemical techniques. Upon oxidation, the 7-hydroxy derivative of chlorpromazine rapidly reacts to form the 7,8-dihydroxy derivative and a substituted quinone. The oxidation potentials for both compounds were determined in the pH 3–8 range. The importance of these redox reactions and potentials to the pharmacology of the materials is discussed.
Shays' Rebellion: An Episode in American State-Making:

American state-making is considered anomalous compared with that of Western Europe. Scholarly work underscores the unique features of the American case, emphasizing the role of groups or classes in drafting the Constitution. In contrast, Tilly's (1975, 1990) analysis of the rise of Western-European states explores war, taxation, and popular resistance—and their relationship to a state's ability to construct a centralized apparatus that can deliver resources. This paper considers some connections between this theory of European state-making and the establishment of a central authority in the United States. It examines connections between the cause of Shays' Rebellion, newspaper statements about the revolt and potential solutions which became part of public discourse, and the collective action's effect on the debates at the Constitutional Convention and specific Articles of the Constitution. The analysis shows that American state-making displayed some of the same processes as European state-making.
Bacterial endosymbiont infections in ‘living fossils’: a case study of North American vaejovid scorpions

Bacterial endosymbionts are common among arthropods, and maternally inherited forms can affect the reproductive and behavioural traits of their arthropod hosts. The prevalence of bacterial endosymbionts and their role in scorpion evolution have rarely been investigated. In this study, 61 samples from 40 species of scorpion in the family Vaejovidae were screened for the presence of the bacterial endosymbionts Cardinium, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma and Wolbachia. No samples were infected by these bacteria. However, one primer pair specifically designed to amplify Rickettsia amplified nontarget genes of other taxa. Similar off-target amplification using another endosymbiont-specific primer was also found during preliminary screenings. Results caution against the overreliance on previously published screening primers to detect bacterial endosymbionts in host taxa and suggest that primer specificity may be higher in primers targeting nuclear rather than mitochondrial genes.
Neurodevelopmental outcomes in congenital hypothyroidism: comparison of initial T4 dose and time to reach target T4 and TSH.

Objectives To compare neurodevelopmental outcomes in severe and moderate congenital hypothyroidism (CH) among 3 different initial L-thyroxine doses and to examine the effect of the time to thyroid function normalization on neurodevelopmental outcomes. Study design Neurodevelopmental assessments of 31 subjects included the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Wide-Range Achievement Test, and Child Behavioral Checklist. Results Subjects started on higher initial L-thyroxine doses (50 μg) had full-scale IQ scores 11 points higher than those started on lower (37.5 μg) initial doses. However, verbal IQ, performance IQ, and achievement scores did not differ among the 3 treatment cohorts. Subjects with moderate CH had higher full-scale IQ scores than subjects with severe CH, regardless of the initial treatment dose. Subjects who took longer than 2 weeks to normalize thyroid function had significantly lower cognitive, attention, and achievement scores than those who achieved normal thyroid function at 1 or 2 weeks of therapy. Conclusions Initial L-thyroxine dose and faster time to normalization of thyroid function are important to optimal neurodevelopmental outcome. In severe CH, it is important to choose an initial dose at the higher end of the recommended range to achieve these goals.
Pregnancy rates following timed embryo transfer with fresh or vitrified in vitro produced embryos in lactating dairy cows under heat stress conditions.

Abstract Timed embryo transfer (TET) using in vitro produced (IVP) embryos without estrus detection can be used to reduce adverse effects of heat stress on fertility. One limitation is the poor survival of IVP embryos after cryopreservation. Objectives of this study were to confirm beneficial effects of TET on pregnancy rate during heat stress as compared to timed artificial insemination (TAI), and to determine if cryopreservation by vitrification could improve survival of IVP embryos transferred to dairy cattle under heat stress conditions. For vitrified embryos (TET-V), a three-step pre-equilibration procedure was used to vitrify excellent and good quality Day 7 IVP Holstein blastocysts. For fresh IVP embryos (TET-F), Holstein oocytes were matured and fertilized; resultant embryos were cultured in modified KSOM for 7days using the same method as for production of vitrified embryos. Excellent and good quality blastocysts on Day 7 were transported to the cooperating dairy in a portable incubator. Nonpregnant, lactating Holsteins ( n =155) were treated with GnRH (100μg, i.m., Day 0), followed 7days later by prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α , 25mg, i.m.) and GnRH (100μg) on Day 9. Cows in the TAI treatment ( n =68) were inseminated the next day (Day 10) with semen from a single bull that also was used to produce embryos. Cows in the other treatments ( n =33 for TET-F; n =54 for TET-V) received an embryo on Day 17 (i.e. Day 7 after anticipated ovulation and Day 8 after second GnRH treatment). The proportion of cows that responded to synchronization based on plasma progesterone concentrations on Day 10 and Day 17 was 67.7%. Pregnancy rate for all cows on Day 45 was higher ( P P P
Chemotherapeutic and Targeted Strategies for Locally Advanced and Metastatic Esophageal Cancer

Introduction Esophageal cancer represents a major health care problem worldwide and its prevalence is rapidly increasing. A key challenge in the treatment of both locally advanced and metastatic disease is to improve our understanding of the underlying molecular biology. Herein we discuss the most active chemotherapies and targeted agents for esophageal cancer, and explore potential differences in the disease between Eastern and Western countries. Methods We reviewed the literature for trials involving chemotherapy and targeted agents in locally advanced and metastatic disease in the last 20 years. The search was supplemented by a review of the abstracts presented at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meetings from 1992 to 2012. Results Neoadjuvant chemo-radiation followed by surgery remains standard of care for operable disease. Definitive chemo-radiation can be considered for locally advanced squamous cell tumors. Platinum-based combination chemotherapy is preferable in the first-line metastatic setting. Recently, HER2 , EGFR , and VEGF –targeted agents have been extensively investigated as single agents or in combination with chemotherapy. Several new targets are being explored. Conclusions There have been incremental improvements in our understanding of the molecular biology of esophageal cancer, and ethnic differences between Asian and Western populations are becoming apparent. Next-generation sequencing has failed to demonstrate significant oncogenic drivers; however, the addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy for HER2-amplified tumors has been validated in the metastatic setting and is undergoing investigation in operable disease. Epigenetic therapeutics may provide additional benefit in future years for this difficult-to-treat disease.
The first viking mission to Mars.

The paper outlines the major goals and present achievements of the Viking 1 mission to Mars. The construction and instrumentation of the orbiter and lander are described. The criteria used to select the optimum landing site are discussed together with orbit adjustments and the landing process. Special attention is given to constraints on surface coverage and observation conditions.
Apples and Oranges: Divergent Meanings of Parents' and Adolescents' Perceptions of Parental Influence.

This study examines the hypothesis that effective parental influence stems from the qualities of the parent-adolescent relationship rather than from explicit efforts to alter adolescents' behaviors...
Free end points linear-quadratic problems of optimal control

The authors consider linear-quadratic optimal control problems with free end points, i.e., end points which are restricted to belong to a certain subset of the state space (in particular this set may be a linear manifold). Necessary and sufficient conditions are presented which enable an infinite-dimensional linear-quadratic optimal control problem to be reduced to a quadratic minimization problem in a finite-dimensional Euclidian space, and to present necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for the original infinite-dimensional optimization problem. >
Accretion by magnetic neutron stars. II - Plasma entry into the magnetosphere via diffusion, polar cusps, and magnetic field reconnection

A variety of entry modes were investigated to determine whether most of the accreting plasma enters the magnetosphere as a result of hydromagnetic instability or via other means. It is shown that diffusion is never important under the conditions of interest, nor is the loss-cone entry through the polar cusps when the plasma is collisionless. Although the loss-cone entry rate can be significantly increased if the plasma in the cusps cools and becomes collisional, this cannot stabilize the magnetosphere. The descent of the cusps cannot be the dominant entry process if the star has a persistent luminosity greater than about 10 to the 36th erg/s and a substantial fraction of the magnetosphere is illuminated. This, however, can be a significant entry process for much lower luminosities or strongly anisotropic illumination. The possibility that plasma entry via reconnection can stabilize the magnetosphere is also unlikely.
Nonlinear Attitude Filtering Methods

This paper provides a survey of modern nonlinear filtering methods for attitude estimation. Early applications relied mostly on the extended Kalman filter for attitude estimation. Since these applications, several new approaches have been developed that have proven to be superior to the extended Kalman filter. Several of these approaches maintain the basic structure of the extended Kalman filter, but employ various modifications in order to provide better convergence or improve other performance characteristics. Examples of such approaches include: filter QUEST, extended QUEST, the super-iterated extended Kalman filter, the interlaced extended Kalman filter, and the second-order Kalman filter. Filters that propagate and update a discrete set of sigma points rather than using linearized equations for the mean and covariance are also reviewed. A two-step approach is discussed with a first-step state that linearizes the measurement model and an iterative second step to recover the desired attitude states. These approaches are all based on the Gaussian assumption that the probability density function is adequately specified by its mean and covariance. Other approaches that do not require this assumption are reviewed, including particle filters and a Bayesian filter based on a non-Gaussian, finite-parameter probability density function on SO(3). Finally, the predictive filter, nonlinear observers and adaptive approaches are shown. The strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches are discussed.
Modeling solute transport and sulfate reduction in marsh sediments

Abstract The seasonal oscillation in sulfate and chloride concentration profiles in some salt marsh sediments is due to exchange of solutes with water on the surface of the marsh, and to the desiccation of the sediment in summer. Desiccation is manifested by disappearance of surface waters, fluctuations in the location of the water table, and by removal of water from the sediment above the water table. The loss of water from the pore space is commonly accompanied by entry of air into the soil, which oxidizes sulfide. The oxidation causes titratable alkalinity to decrease and results in CO2 degassing. Diffusion models of salinity can account for the observed profiles but only as long as the marsh is maintained inundated. The complexities introduced to the solute transport equations by sediment desiccation invalidate steady-state modeling of solute transport and diagenesis. The concentration profiles of dissolved products of sulfate reduction, such as bicarbonate, require months to reestablish a steady state after being disrupted. If the profiles of dissolved products of sulfate reduction are disrupted seasonally, such as by a seasonal fluctuation in the water table, they may remain transient throughout the year.
Interrelating Behavioral Measures of Distress Tolerance with Self-Reported Experiential Avoidance

Experiential avoidance and distress intolerance play a central role in novel behavior therapies, yet they appear to overlap considerably the REBT concept of low frustration tolerance. Using baseline data from 100 adult cigarette smokers enrolled in a clinical trial of smoking cessation therapies, the present study evaluated the convergent validity of common questionnaire measures of experiential avoidance (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire; AAQ; Hayes et al. 2004, and Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale: AIS; Gifford et al. 2004) and behavioral measures of distress tolerance (computerized Mirror Tracing Persistence Task: MTPT-C: Strong et al. 2003; computerized Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task; PASAT-C; Lejuez et al. 2003). The distress tolerance measures correlated significantly (r = .29) with one another. However, the questionnaire measures of experiential avoidance did not correlate with each other, nor with the behavioral measures. Further research is needed on the validity of measuring experiential avoidance by self-report and of the overlap versus distinctiveness of seemingly similar constructs such as experiential avoidance, distress tolerance, and frustration tolerance.
PSYCHOLOGY OF COMPUTER USE : XLI. UNDERGRADUATES' SELF-REPORTED USE OF COMPUTER VIRUS DETECTORS

This study examined the frequency of students' self-reported use of virus detectors on their personal computers at home, at work, and at school. Data were gathered in an anonymous in-class national survey of 3,323 seniors at 82 colleges and universities. It was hypothesized that both the students who self-reported being more computer literate and those who self-reported being more experienced users of computer software would more likely indicate that they regularly use a virus detector. A chi-square test of the data supported these hypotheses.
Reconstitution of electron transport in photosystem I with PsaC and PsaD proteins expressed in Escherichia coli

A fusion protein, denoted PsaC1, which contains an amino-terminal extension of five amino acids (MEHSM...) and is derived from an in vitro modified form of the psaC gene of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, has been over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The product of the psaD gene of Nostoc sp. PCC 8009 has similarly been over-expressed. The PsaC1 and PsaD proteins can be combined with the photosystem I core protein of Synechococcus sp. PCC 6301 to reconstitute electron transport from P700 to the terminal FA/FB acceptors. Reconstitution was found to be absolutely dependent on reinsertion of the iron-sulfur clusters in the PsaC1 apoprotein and on the presence of the PsaD protein. This implies that the PsaC1 holoprotein does not bind solely to the PsaA/PsaB heterodimer but rather that its interaction with these proteins is mediated through the PsaD protein.
Multiple interference cancellation performance for GPS receivers with dual-polarized antenna arrays

This paper examines the interference cancellation performance in global positioning system (GPS) receivers equipped with dual-polarized antenna arrays. In dense jamming environment, different types of interferers can be mitigated by the dual-polarized antennas, either acting individually or in conjunction with other receiver antennas. We apply minimum variance distorntionless response (MVDR) method to a uniform circular dual-polarized antenna array. The MVDR beamformer is constructed for each satellite. Analysis of the eigenstructures of the covariance matrix and the corresponding weight vector polarization characteristics are provided. Depending on the number of jammers and jammer polarizations, the array chooses to expend its degrees of freedom to counter the jammer polarization or/and use phase coherence to form jammer spatial nulls. Results of interference cancellations demonstrate that applying multiple MVDR beamformers, each for one satellite, has a superior cancellation performance compared to using only one MVDR beamformer for all satellites in the field of view.
Use of a Bronchoscopic Protected Catheter Brush for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Infections

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy using a protected brush catheter was done in 65 patients with suspected pulmonary infections to obtain uncontaminated specimens for culture. Quantitative aerobic and anaerobic cultures were done on each specimen. Forty-one patients had pneumonia. Ten bacteremic patients had the same organisms recovered from the catheter and blood cultures. Seven patients had received antibiotics before the procedure, and cultures grew no organisms in high concentration. In 23 of 24 remaining patients probable pathogens were recovered in high concentrations, and specific therapy resulted in clinical improvement in all of these patients. Five patients with lung abscesses and seven with necrotizing pneumonia had mixed aerobic and anaerobic organisms recovered. Twelve patients had final diagnoses of nonbacterial lung disease, and cultures were negative or revealed low concentrations of organisms. Quantitative cultures were necessary in distinguishing pathogens from nonpathogens. There were no complications. The results of this study indicate that fiberoptic bronchoscopy using a special protected catheter is an accurate and safe technique for identification of etiologic agents in lower respiratory tract infections.
CONTROLLED OXIDATIVE ADDITION OF AMINO ACID ESTERS TO RH(I)

The new sterically demanding phosphine 2-(di-o-tolylphosphino)phenol was prepared and used to create a series of esters with N-acylated amino acids. The phosphine-containing esters react within 30–60 min at room temperature with [(μ-Cl)Rh(cyclooctene)2]2 to give products of oxidative addition of the ester carbonyl–oxygen bond to the Rh center. The N-acyl carbonyl oxygen is bound to the Rh in these initial adducts, but is displaced upon addition of PMe3. Remarkably, both initial products and their PMe3 adducts are formed as single five-coordinate diastereomers in essentially quantitative yields.
Identification of HXT7 as a Suppressor of the snf3 Growth Defect in Wine and Wild-type Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In the YPH500 laboratory strain background of Saccharomyces cerevisiae , disruption of the SNF3 open reading frame results in the inability to grow at low glucose concentrations. Conversely, in haploid derivatives of wine strains and several other wild laboratory strains, deletion of SNF3 does not lead to a discernable phenotype. Complementation and subsequent tetrad analysis demonstrated that the snf3 suppressor found in wine strains is a dominant gene encoded by a single locus, not allelic to the known dominant suppressor, RGT2-1. HXT7 was identified independently from two low-copy number genomic libraries of strains carrying the novel dominant suppressor as capable of suppressing the snf3Δ phenotype in YPH500. Cloned HXT7 plus 1 kb of promoter was sufficient for suppression. Sequence comparison of HXT7 from the YPH500 background to that of the archetype lab strain, S288C, demonstrated that YPH500-derived strains contain a chimera of the HXT6 promoter and the HXT7 gene ( HXT6 P /7 ). Deletion of HXT7 in S288C results in expression of the snf3 phenotype in this genetic background, while deletion of HXT6 only slightly diminishes growth in the snf3 HXT7 strain. In contrast to cloned HXT7 , expression of HXT6 P /7 cloned in a centromere (CEN)-based plasmid is not sufficient for snf3 suppression. A construct placing HXT6 under the control of the HXT7 promoter also suppresses the snf3 growth defect. Suppression of snf3 in the wine and wild strains of Saccharomyces evaluated is therefore due to the pattern of expression of the Hxt7 protein rather than to differences in the HXT7 and HXT6 coding sequences.
Use of Capillary Pressure Curves for Analysis of Production Well Formation Damage

Capillary pressure phenomena in the vicinity of the wellbore govern the rates of production of oil and water because the relative fluid saturations are functions of the capillary pressure existing between the fluid phases. The pore size distribution of the rock governs the capillary pressure behavior. A decrease of the pore size distribution produces a higher residual oil saturation and results in a decrease of the oil production rate that may be as much as 2-5 times less. Factors adversely changing the pore size distribution, and hence the capillary pressure, at the production well are migration of fines, precipitation of crude oil components (paraffins and asphaltenes), and campaction of the sand due to pressure draw-down. These aspects of adverse capillary phenomena at the wellbore are analyzed by capillary pressure measurements of cores having large and small pore sizes and by comparison to results with cores which are partially plugged with fines, bacteria, etc. The pore size distributions and capillary pressure are measured before and after plugging.
Research In Infrared Hollow Waveguides

The status of hollow waveguides with metallic walls for guidance of infrared radiation is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on rectangular and circular cross-sections. It is shown that flexibility can be obtained with the rectangular cross-section, but not with the circular cross-section.
Increased superoxide generation and decreased stress protein Hsp90 expression in human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia.

Objective: Endothelial dysfunction is associated with increased oxidative stress in the vascular system in women with preeclampsia (PE), a hypertensive disorder occurring during human pregnancy. However, due to the nature of the disease, direct evidence of increased endothelial oxidative stress in the maternal vascular system at an in vivo situation is still lacking. We previously reported that primary cultured endothelial cells (ECs) from umbilical cords (HUVECs) from pregnancies complicated by PE exhibit phenotypic changes compared to those from normal pregnancies such as reduced eNOs expression associated with disorganized endothelial junction protein distribution and increased endothelial permeability. In this study, we sought to determine whether increased oxidative stress was also present in primary cultured HUVECs from women with PE. Methods: HUVECs were isolated from normal and PE pregnancies and EC oxidative stress was examined by superoxide generation using positive nuclear dihydroethidium (DHE)...
Scanning Near-Field Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Microscopy

A new microscopic technique is demonstrated that combines attributes from both near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The method relies on attaching the acceptor dye of a FRET pair to the end of a near-field fiber optic probe. Light exiting the NSOM probe, which is nonresonant with the acceptor dye, excites the donor dye introduced into a sample. As the tip approaches the sample containing the donor dye, energy transfer from the excited donor to the tip-bound acceptor produces a red-shifted fluorescence. By monitoring this red-shifted acceptor emission, a dramatic reduction in the sample volume probed by the uncoated NSOM tip is observed. This technique is demonstrated by imaging the fluorescence from a multilayer film created using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. The film consists of L-alpha-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monolayers containing the donor dye, fluorescein, separated by a spacer group of three arachidic acid layers. A DPPC monolayer containing the acceptor dye, rhodamine, was also transferred onto an NSOM tip using the LB technique. Using this modified probe, fluorescence images of the multilayer film reveal distinct differences between images collected monitoring either the donor or acceptor emission. The latter results from energy transfer from the sample to the NSOM probe. This method is shown to provide enhanced depth sensitivity in fluorescence measurements, which may be particularly informative in studies on thick specimens such as cells. The technique also provides a mechanism for obtaining high spatial resolution without the need for a metal coating around the NSOM probe and should work equally well with nonwaveguide probes such as atomic force microscopy tips. This may lead to dramatically improved spatial resolution in fluorescence imaging.
Skin Sensitization in Asthmatic Children Less than 36 Months of Age

Background Atopy is reported to play an insignificant role in wheezing during infancy in contrast to later childhood. For this reason skin testing may not be included in a workup of wheezing infants. Objective/method In order to evaluate the degree and evolution of skin sensitization to allergens in infants with asthma, we have retrospectively analyzed the skin test results from 40 referred asthmatic children less than 36 months of age, who had had more than three wheezing episodes and whose symptoms improved on treatment with beta-agonist and anti-inflammatory agents. Results Skin sensitization (epicutaneous) to common indoor and outdoor aeroallergens and foods were demonstrated in 23 (58%) of these patients. Asthmatic children with the onset before 12 months of age and duration of less than 12 months were sensitive predominantly to foods. Those with later onset asthma and longer duration developed sensitivity first to indoor and then to outdoor allergens. The most common food, indoor, and outdoor allergens were egg, dust mite, and pollens, respectively. Six of these patients had repeat skin tests later. Two demonstrated a decrease in skin sensitivities to foods, one gained a new sensitivity to grass, while three remained unsensitized. Conclusion Skin sensitization to allergens was common in selected asthmatic infants and evolves in the order of exposures: foods, indoor allergens, and outdoor allergens. Repeat skin tests showed changing skin test patterns in some patients.
Antifibrinolytics in women with menorrhagia

Heavy menstrual bleeding is associated with increased local fibrinolysis. Antifibrinolytic agents have been used in women with menorrhagia with and without bleeding disorders, and have been demonstrated to decrease menstrual blood flow approximately 50% and improve quality of life. Most studies have been done with the antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid, a synthetic lysine derivative. Studies have been performed comparing tranexamic acid with placebo, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and progesterone in women with menorrhagia and have predominantly demonstrated a greater reduction in menstrual blood flow with tranexamic acid. In women with menorrhagia and an underlying bleeding disorder, tranexamic acid was compared to intranasal desmopressin and also demonstrated a greater reduction in menstrual blood flow. In aggregate the studies demonstrate that antifibrinolytic agents are effective medical management for women with menorrhagia with or without bleeding disorders, reducing menstrual blood flow and improving quality of life.
Accurate I-V Characterization of GaAs Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors Using A Precision Pulsed I-V System

Accurate HBT I-V characterization using a precision VXI-based pulsed I-V system is presented. Narrow pulse (sub microsecond) characterization of HBTs minimizes the self-heating (thermal) effects, and trapping effects associated with I-V characterization. Long and short pulse width I-V measurements are compared, and observed thermal (conduction band and substrate) effects are discussed. This is the first accurate HBT pulsed (<1 microsecond) I-V characterization capability reported in the open literature.
The description of a new species of Agrilus Curtis, with distributional records, and taxonomic and biological notes for Agrilinae and Trachyinae (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) of Mexico and Central America

This paper treats 225 species of Buprestidae in the genera Agrilus, Brachys, Callimicra, Cyphothorax, Dismorpha, Hylaeogena, Leiopleura, Lius, Omochyseus, Pachyschelus, Paragrilus, Taphrocerus and Trypantius. New country records are recorded for Mexico and all Central American countries. Agrilus vandenberghei Westcott and Hespenheide, new species, from Central America and Mexico, and the male of Agrilus eyai Westcott and Noguera are described and figured. Rational is provided for changing Agrilus aurilatera Waterhouse to A. aurilaterus; A. catherinae Chevrolat is shown to be a justified emendation of A. catharinae; A. complexus (Waterhouse) is a new combination; and A. consobrinus Duges is synonymized with A. correctus Thompson.
Actors in Search of a Character: Student Social Workers' Quest for Professional Identity

This article presents a case study of the professional socialization of neophyte social workers. Drawing primarily upon interviews of the 14 members of a senior class in an accredited social work program, the article presents an analysis of student interns' attempts to dramatically realize the occupational identity of social worker. Contrasts between their experiences and the experiences of student doctors are stressed in order to illustrate the reflexive relationship between the historical and the biographical processes of professionalization.
Line bonding of wafers using transmission laser bonding technique for microsystem packaging

The transmission laser bonding (TLB) technique can not only satisfy wafer level bonding requirements but also be directly implemented into the existing semiconductor production line. Using a nanosecond pulsed Nd:YAG laser, Pyrex glass-to-silicon wafers were successfully bonded by uniformly spaced individually bonded spots. The bond strength resulting from use of the TLB technique is comparable to the strength of the bond produced by bonding techniques currently used in microsystem or micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) packaging. In addition to packaging, the TLB technique can also be used to conveniently assemble and encapsulate miniature devices with selective bonding areas. In this paper, the continuous line bonding produced by the TLB technique has been implemented and characterized using various sets of bonding conditions. In this paper, TLB is used to make continuous line bonding of Pyrex and silicon wafers. Continuous line bonds are typically generated by overlapping single bond spots, in which the overlapping is achieved by varying the laser scanning speed as it pastel across the wafers. This results in a wide range of laser energy density (absorbed laser fluence). The specific effects of laser energy are examined and evaluated in order to define the laser operation window which provides the optimal conditions for reliable line bonding. In addition to the bond strength evaluation, the bonded interface is analyzed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to quantify the drifting or diffusion of atoms that occurs between glass and silicon wafers during the bonding process
Effect of hypoglycemia on cerebral metabolism and carbon dioxide responsivity

This study examined the effects of hypoglycemia (HG) on cerebral metabolism and cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was determined using radiolabeled microspheres in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. Cerebral oxygen, glucose, lactate, pyruvate, acetoacetate, and beta-hydroxybutyrate uptakes were calculated using the respective concentrations measured in arterial and sagittal sinus blood samples. EEG was recorded throughout each experiment. HG was induced with insulin to obtain a blood glucose less than 30 mg/100 ml. Hypercapnia was studied in 10 animals (3 control, 7 HG) by increasing arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) from control (35 +/- 4; mean +/- SE) to 54 +/- 2 Torr during normoglycemia (NG) and HG. Hypocapnia was studied in 11 animals (3 control, 8 HG) by decreasing PaCO2 from control (39 +/- 1) to 14 +/- 1 Torr in NG and HG. Measurements were taken after reaching steady-state PaCO2 in both groups at each control and altered PaCO2 state. In the hypercapnic group, glucose decreased from 71 +/- 3 to 28 +/- 3 mg/100 ml. CBF increased with hypercapnia to 175% of control in both NG and HG. Cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen and electroencephalogram (EEG) did not change in the hypercapnic group. In the hypocapnic group glucose decreased from 71 +/- 3 to 19 +/- 2 mg/100 ml. CBF decreased with hypocapnia to 62 +/- 5% of control in NG but remained at control in HG. This was not accompanied by changes in cerebral oxygen consumption; however, a flat EEG occurred in all HG hypocapnic animals. No change occurred in uptake of the other cerebral metabolites measured in any group. This study shows that the CBF hypercapnic response remains intact during HG; however, hypocapnia causes severe EEG disturbances and impairs the cerebral vasoconstriction response.
Out of sight but not out of mind: Why failure to account for left truncation biases research on failure rates

We note at least three major issues in entrepreneurship theory that can be clarified by studying the survival chances of new ventures: the extent to which entrepreneurs are so constrained by initial founding conditions that they are unable to learn; the degree to which heterogeneity and innovative capabilities are lost due to the failure of new ventures; and the imprinting effects of new ventures' early days on their subsequent development. However, previous research on these issues has been inconclusive because of problems in research design and data analysis. In this paper, we shed light on new venture failure rates by assessing the validity and generalizability of previous findings. We argue that research using registration data to study new ventures is very likely to generate biased results and that research attempting to track new ventures from a very early stage can still suffer from selection bias due to left truncation. Using a sample of new ventures from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics II, we provide evidence for the extent of such biases. We offer a statistical solution to left truncation that can be easily applied in widely used statistical programs.
Gain margins of model reference adaptive control systems

This paper studies the gain margins of model reference adaptive control (MRAC)systems: the range of a control gain in a designed adaptive control system, which is sufficient for closed-loop signal boundedness and asymptotic tracking. Analytical results are obtained for four MRAC schemes: direct and indirect, continuous-time and discrete-time, applied to single-input single-output LTI systems. Simulation results are presented to illustrate some of the results.
The Management of Large Bilateral Internal Iliac Artery Aneurysms Using the T-Stat Colon Oximeter

Internal iliac artery (IIA) aneurysms are rare and the repair of these aneurysms is associated with high risk of morbidity and mortality. Bilateral IIA aneurysms add an increased concern for ischemic complications. A case is presented where the use of a Food and Drug Administration–approved device, the T-Stat Colon Oximeter, allowed additional information for the safe and successful hybrid exclusion of bilateral large IIA aneurysms. A staged approach with the use of Amplatzer plugs, Powerlink device, Zenith iliac plug, and a femoral-femoral bypass allowed successful exclusion of the IIA aneurysms. The immediate and 18-month follow-up of the IIA aneurysms are reported.
Structural characterization of acylimine-containing blue and red chromophores in mTagBFP and TagRFP fluorescent proteins

We determined the 2.2 A crystal structures of the red fluorescent protein TagRFP and its derivative, the blue fluorescent protein mTagBFP. The crystallographic analysis is consistent with a model in which TagRFP has the trans coplanar anionic chromophore with the conjugated pi-electron system, similar to that of DsRed-like chromophores. Refined conformation of mTagBFP suggests the presence of an N-acylimine functionality in its chromophore and single C(alpha)-C(beta) bond in the Tyr64 side chain. Mass spectrum of mTagBFP chromophore-bearing peptide indicates a loss of 20 Da upon maturation, whereas tandem mass spectrometry reveals that the C(alpha)-N bond in Leu63 is oxidized. These data indicate that mTagBFP has a new type of the chromophore, N-[(5-hydroxy-1H-imidazole-2-yl)methylidene]acetamide. We propose a chemical mechanism in which the DsRed-like chromophore is formed via the mTagBFP-like blue intermediate.
Functional and Phylogenetic Analysis of ureD in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a food-borne pathogen that can cause severe health complications and utilizes a much lower infectious dose than other E. coli pathotypes. Despite having an intact ure locus, ureDABCEFG, the majority of EHEC strains are phenotypically urease negative under tested conditions. Urease activity potentially assists with survival fitness by enhancing acid tolerance during passage through the stomach or by aiding with colonization in either human or animal reservoirs. Previously, in the EHEC O157:H7 Sakai strain, a point mutation in ureD, encoding a urease chaperone protein, was identified, resulting in a substitution of an amber stop codon for glutamine. This single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is observed in the majority of EHEC O157:H7 isolates and correlates with a negative urease phenotype in vitro. We demonstrate that the lack of urease activity in vitro is not solely due to the amber codon in ureD. Our analysis has identified two additional SNPs in ureD affecting amino acid positions 38 and 205, in both cases determining whether the encoded amino acid is leucine or proline. Phylogenetic analysis based on Ure protein sequences from a variety of urease-encoding bacteria demonstrates that the proline at position 38 is highly conserved among Gram-negative bacteria. Experiments reveal that the L38P substitution enhances urease enzyme activity; however, the L205P substitution does not. Multilocus sequence typing analysis for a variety of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli isolates combined with the ureD sequence reveals that except for a subset of the O157:H7 strains, neither the in vitro urease-positive phenotype nor the ureD sequence is phylogenetically restricted.
L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells and ET-1 biosynthesis.

We investigated the role of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in endothelin-1 (ET-1) production, the effects of potential vasospastic agents on [Ca2+]i, and the presence of L-type volta...
Reproducing kernel structure and sampling on time-warped Kramer spaces

Given a signal space of functions on the real line, a time-warped signal space consists of all signals that can be formed by composition of signals in the original space with an invertible real-valued function. Clark's (1985) theorem shows that signals formed by warping bandlimited signals admit formulae for reconstruction from samples. This paper considers time warping of more general signal spaces in which Kramer's (1959) generalized sampling theorem applies and observes that such spaces admit sampling and reconstruction formulae. This observation motivates the question of whether Kramer's theorem applies directly to the warped space, which is answered affirmatively by introduction of a suitable reproducing kernel Hilbert space structure. This result generalizes one of Zeevi (1993), who pointed out that Clark's theorem is a consequence of Kramer's.
Analysis of aerosol interactions with numerical techniques for solving coagulation, nucleation, condensation, dissolution, and reversible chemistry among multiple size distributions

[1] This paper describes new and modified numerical techniques for solving the size- and time-dependent aerosol processes of nucleation, coagulation, condensation, dissolution, and reversible chemistry among multiple aerosol particle size distributions and the gas phase and over the entire relative humidity (RH) range. The techniques treat particle number, mole, and volume concentrations, solution and nonsolution densities, and refractive index consistently. Some findings include the following: (1) Coagulation internally mixes particles of different original composition over the entire size distribution. (2) Coagulation internally mixes a greater fraction of larger than smaller particles. (3) Coagulation internally mixes larger particles with more other distributions than it does smaller particles. (4) Coagulation among multiple distributions produces the same summed size distribution as coagulation of a single distribution when the sum of initial distributions is the same in both cases. (5) In a competition for vapor between homogeneous nucleation and condensation, the relative importance of condensation increases with an increasing number of background particles. (6) In the absence of a continuous source of new particles, coagulation, condensation, dissolution, hydration, and chemical reaction internally mix most particles within half a day under moderately polluted conditions. (7) Condensation increases the fractional coating of small more than large particles. (8) The real refractive index of a particle containing electrolytes is higher at low RHs than at high RHs. (9) The difference between total particle and solution real refractive indices increases with decreasing RH. (10) A solution real refractive index generally increases with decreasing particle size.
Generalized Multiple Access Channels with Confidential Messages

A discrete memoryless generalized multiple access channel (GMAC) with confidential messages is studied, where two users attempt to transmit common information to a destination and each user also has private (confidential) information intended for the destination. This channel generalizes the multiple access channel (MAC) in that the two users also receive channel output. It is assumed that each user views the other user as a wiretapper, and wishes to keep its confidential information as secret as possible from the other user. The level of secrecy of the confidential information is measured by the equivocation rate. The performance measure of interest is the rate-equivocation tuple that includes the common rate, two private rates and two equivocation rates as components. The set that includes all achievable rate-equivocation tuples is referred to as the capacity-equivocation region. For the GMAC with one confidential message set, where only one user (user 1) has private (confidential) information for the destination, inner and outer bounds on the capacity-equivocation region are derived. The outer bound provides a tight converse to the secrecy capacity region, which is the set of all achievable rates with user 2 being perfectly ignorant of confidential messages of user 1, thus establishing the secrecy capacity region. Furthermore, the degraded GMAC with one confidential message set is further studied, and the capacity-equivocation region and the secrecy capacity region are established. For the GMAC with two confidential message sets, where both users have confidential messages for the destination, an inner bound on the capacity-equivocation region is obtained. The secrecy rate region is derived, where each user's confidential information is perfectly hidden from the other user