cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advantages of an indirect semiconductor quantum well system for infrared detection

The infrared intersubband absorption process in quantum well systems with anisotropic bulk effective masses, which usually occurs in indirect semiconductors was analyzed. It is found that the anisotropic effective mass can be utilized to provide allowed intersubband transitions at normal incidence to the quantum well growth direction. This transition is known to be forbidden for cases of isotropic effective mass. This property can be exploited for infrared sensor application of quantum well structures by allowing direct illumination of large surface areas without using special waveguide structures. The 10-micron intersubband absorption in quantum wells made of the silicon-based system Si/Si(1-x)Ge(x) was calculated. It is found that it is readily possible to achieve an absorption constant of the order of 10,000/cm in these Si quantum wells with current doping technology.
A Novel Neuron-specific Aminopeptidase in Rat Brain Synaptosomes ITS IDENTIFICATION, PURIFICATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION

A specific aminopeptidase localized exclusively in neurons of the central nervous system was identified with an automated continuous-flow aminopeptidase analyzer developed recently in this laboratory. The enzyme was purified from rat brain 4933-fold to homogeneity with 9.3% recovery by ammonium sulfate fractionation, followed by column chromatography successively on phenyl-Sepharose, Sephadex G-200, and twice on Mono Q FPLC. The purified single-chain enzyme was estimated to be 110 kDa in molecular mass. It has a pI of 5.25 and a pH optimum of 7.0. Only Mg(II) restores the activity of the apoenzyme. The neutral aminopeptidase hydrolyzes beta-naphthylamides of amino acids with aliphatic, polar uncharged, positively charged, or aromatic side chains. It has a Km of 95 microM and a kcat of 7.8 s-1 on methionine-enkephalin, releasing only the N-terminal tyrosine. The thiol-dependent metallo-enzyme is most sensitive to amastatin inhibition with a Ki of 0.04 microM, and is the aminopeptidase most sensitive to puromycin. Its properties are different from those of the ubiquitous puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase obtained from the same enzyme preparation. The blocked N terminus, substrate and inhibitor specificity, hydrolytic coefficiency, metal effects, pI, molecular weight, and catalytic site show that this enzyme is distinct from all other known aminopeptidases. Its enrichment in the synaptosomes suggests that this first reported neuron-specific peptidase plays a role in neurotransmission and synaptic differentiation.
Effects of advertising-evoked vicarious nostalgia on brand heritage

Brands with heritage have wonderful tales to tell. The important role that heritage has played in building corporate and product brands have been well documented (e.g., Aaker 1991; 2004). Advertising campaigns often build brand heritage by evoking days-gone-by or vicarious nostalgia – “nostalgia for a period outside of the individuals living memory” (Goulding 2002, ρ 542). Sears, for example, attempted to evoke such nostalgia in their 2002 advertising campaign, “Sears, Where else” (Elliott 2002) when they depicted now-and-then spots that recreated scenes of everyday life from the 20th century.
Effect of Carbohydrate and Noncarbohydrate Sources of Calories on Plasma 3,5,3′-Triiodothyronine Concentrations in Man*

ABSTRACT To evaluate the effect of changes in dietary carbohydrate (CHO) and excessive caloric consumption on circulating thyroid hormone levels, six normal weight subjects were fed five separate diets: three isocaloric diets with 20%, 40%, or 80% CHO and two hypercaloric (+2000 calories) diets with 20% or 40% CHO for 5 days each as outpatients. T4, T3, and rT3 concentrations were measured in plasma samples collected on the morning of the sixth day. At least 1 week of the subjects' usual diets intervened between each experimental diet. Mean T4 and rT3 levels were similar after all diets. Pair-wise comparisons among all five diets revealed significantly (P < 0.005) increased T3 concentrations after both hypercaloric diets compared to the iso-20 and iso-40 diets, and after the iso-80 compared to the iso-20 diet. A multiple regression analysis of the data revealed the highest correlation of T3 levels with total calories (r = 0.68; P < 0.001) rather than with the intake of CHO (r = 0.46; P < 0.025), fat (r = ...
Hematuria in sickle cell trait: the importance of ruling out occult cancer.

Dear Editor, Sickle cell trait is characterized by a heterozygous inheritance of the sickle hemoglobin gene. Unlike sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait is commonly viewed as a benign process in asymptomatic patients [1]. However, a growing number of case reports and observational studies reveal that complications do occur in these individuals [2]. Both microscopic and gross hematuria are the most common complication [3]. About 50% of these cases have been attributed to renal papillary necrosis [4]. Despite this association, the diagnostic workup for cases of hematuria should always include a urine analysis, urine culture, urine cytology, computed tomography (CT) with and without contrast, and cystoscopy with ureteroscopy if necessary. This report aims to highlight the importance of careful diagnostic workup in patients with sickle cell trait presenting with hematuria. A 49-year-old African–American male with sickle cell trait presented with a history of intermittent, sharp left flank pain, and gross hematuria throughout micturition. Aside from hematuria, all other studies including a noncontrast abdomen/pelvis CT scan were unremarkable. His condition was initially attributed to a kidney stone due to spontaneous resolution. However, these episodes recurred with passage of dark red tissue 3 weeks later. A repeat CT was ordered, this time with contrast, along with cystoscopy. Both studies were again negative despite persistence of his symptoms. Given his long history of sickle cell trait and a negative workup, his hematuria was attributed to papillary necrosis. However, his flank pain progressively worsened with continued passage of necrotic tissue, unrelieved by hydration and urine alkalization. He was referred to the hematology clinic where repeat studies were obtained given the severity and increased frequency of his symptoms. An abdomen/pelvis CT revealed a filling defect in the upper collecting system of the left kidney (Fig. 1), suspicious for malignancy, along with multiple subcentimeter periaortic lymph nodes. A retrograde pyelogram confirmed these findings. Ureteroscopy and biopsy demonstrated a high-grade, non-invasive papillary urothelial carcinoma involving the renal pelvis, extending into the left proximal ureter. A metastatic workup including cystoscopy was unremarkable aside from previously noted lymphadenopathy. Laparoscopic left nephroureterectomy was performed with no further evidence of cancer. Two months later, multiple bladder lesions, biopsy-proven as “drop metastases”, were found on cystoscopy and treated with fulguration. He was treated with intravesical mitomycin C and a 6-week course of Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Since that time, his adenopathy has been stable and he has had only one recurrence at the bladder dome that was treated with fulguration. Intravesical BCG will be continued for another 6 weeks with frequent monitoring for recurrence. B. S. Gill (*) School of Medicine, The George Washington University, 922 24th Street NW, Apt 421, Washington, DC 20037, USA e-mail: bsgill@gwmail.gwu.edu
Impedance spectroscopy studies of moisture uptake in low-k dielectrics and its relation to reliability

Display Omitted Water incursion into low-k BEOL capacitors was monitored via impedance spectroscopy.It is a non-destructive, zero DC field, low AC field probe (<0.5V).Samples are tested at device operation conditions and are re-testable.Thermal activation energies related to water bonding with dielectric are measured.The increase in AC loss is correlated with poorer reliability, i.e. early failure. Assessing the reliability of low dielectric constant materials is an important problem for the scalability of integrated circuits to reduced dimensions. Here we report results of a study of the influence of moisture incursion on dielectric relaxation and reliability in porous low-k (2.55) dielectric constant BEOL capacitors. We apply impedance spectroscopy to measure the dielectric loss tangent as a function of temperature and frequency. From the results, we identify two relaxation modes of water in the porous dielectric, exhibiting thermal activation energies of 0.32eV and 0.56eV. Study of the lifetime against time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) as a function of the dielectric loss tangent measured at AC voltages below 0.5V yields an inverse power-law relationship. The dielectric loss tangent thus has the potential to serve as a low-voltage test of the susceptibility to early failure and to provide a link between high voltage, accelerated TDDB testing and the underlying physical processes responsible for dielectric breakdown.
Excitatory amino acid receptor activation in the raphe pallidus area mediates prostaglandin-evoked thermogenesis.

Abstract To investigate the role of excitatory amino acid neurotransmission within the rostral raphe pallidus area (RPa) in thermogenic and cardiovascular responses, changes in sympathetic nerve activity to brown adipose tissue (BAT), BAT temperature, expired CO 2 , arterial pressure, and heart rate were recorded after microinjection of excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor agonists into the RPa in urethan-chloralose-anesthetized, ventilated rats. To determine whether EAA neurotransmission within the RPa is necessary for the responses evoked by disinhibition of the RPa or by prostaglandin E 2 acting within the medial preoptic area, BAT sympathetic nerve activity, BAT temperature, expired CO 2 , arterial pressure, and heart rate were measured during these treatments both before and after blockade of EAA receptors within the RPa. Microinjection of EAA receptor agonists into the RPa resulted in significant increases in all measured variables; these increases were attenuated by prior microinjection of the respective EAA receptor antagonists into the RPa. Microinjection of prostaglandin E 2 into the medial preoptic area or microinjection of bicuculline into the RPa resulted in respective significant increases in BAT sympathetic nerve activity (+approximately 190% and +approximately 235% of resting levels), in BAT temperature (approximately 1.8 °C and approximately 2 °C), in expired CO 2 (approximately 1.1% and approximately 1.1%), and in heart rate (approximately 97 beats per minute (bpm) and approximately 100 bpm). Blockade of ionotropic EAA receptors within the RPa by microinjection of kynurenate completely reversed the prostaglandin E 2 or bicuculline-evoked increases in all of the measured variables. Blockade of either N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors or non-NMDA receptors alone resulted in marked attenuations of the prostaglandin E 2 -evoked effects on all of the measured variables. These data demonstrate that activation of an EAA input to the RPa is necessary for the BAT thermogenic and the cardiovascular effects resulting from the actions of prostaglandin E 2 within the medial preoptic area or from the disinhibition of local neurons in the RPa.
The Design and Synthesis of Alanine-Rich α-Helical Peptides Constrained by an S,S-Tetrazine Photochemical Trigger: A Fragment Union Approach

The design and synthesis of alanine-rich α-helical peptides constrained in a partially unfolded state by incorporation of the S,S-tetrazine phototrigger has been achieved, permitting, upon photochemical release, observation by 2D-IR spectroscopy of the subnanosecond conformational dynamics that govern the early steps associated with α-helix formation. Solid-phase peptide synthesis was employed to elaborate the requisite fragments, with full peptide construction via solution-phase fragment condensation. The fragment union tactic was also employed to construct 13C═18O isotopically edited amides to permit direct observation of conformational motion at or near specific peptide bonds.
Rash in an immunocompromised patient.

A 48-YEAR-OLD MAN WITH LOW-RISK ACUTE PROMYELOCYTIC LEUKEMIA (APL) undergoes induction chemotherapy with daily all-trans retinoic acid (tretinoin), cytarabine (days 1-7), and daunorubicin (days 1-3). His clinical course is complicated by low-grade fever and a rash on day 15. The rash starts as tender purple papules on the extensor surface of his upper extremities (FIGURE, A) and quickly disseminates to his ears (Figure, B) and shoulders . His vital signs remain stable without hypoxia. Blood culture results are negative, and imaging does not show pulmonary or pericardial effusions. Tretinoin is held on day 21 due to worsening of skin lesions. Subsequently, the rash appears on his lower extremities as well. What Would You Do Next?
Renal neoplasm in acquired cystic kidney disease

The development of renal cell neoplasms ranging from adenoma to metastatic carcinoma is the most serious complication of acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD). A comprehensive review of the pertinent literature shows that there is up to 50-fold increased risk of renal cell carcinoma in ACKD compared to the general population. The ACKD-associated renal cell carcinoma is seen predominantly in males, occurs approximately 20 years earlier than in the general population, and is frequently bilateral (9%) and multicentric (50%). Acquired cystic kidney disease-associated renal cell carcinoma is frequently asymptomatic (86%), but may be associated with bleeding, abrupt changes in hematocrit, fever, and flank pain or rarely with hypoglycemia, hypercalcemia, or metastases at presentation. Computed tomography seems to provide a better diagnostic yield than sonography or magnetic resonance imaging; nevertheless, large (up to 8 cm) tumors not visualized by any imaging techniques have been reported. It is generally agreed that there is a need for regular screening of symptomatic ACKD patients for early detection of renal cell carcinoma; however, whether screening is needed for asymptomatic patients remains controversial. Nephrectomy is indicated for tumors larger than 3 cm. Management for tumors smaller than 3 cm with persistent symptoms, such as back pain or hematuria, remains controversial, but nephrectomy may be recommended since many of these tumors turn out to be unequivocal renal cell carcinoma. Asymptomatic tumors smaller than 3 cm should be serially screened, and tumor enlargement may be an indication for nephrectomy. Acquired cystic kidney disease-associated renal cell carcinoma accounts for approximately 2% of deaths in renal transplant patients. A median length of survival of approximately 14 months and a 5-year survival rate of 35% are comparable to the same data for renal cell carcinoma in the general population. Successful renal transplant probably decreases the risk of renal cell carcinoma in ACKD patients, but this preliminary observation needs confirmation. The development of ACKD-associated renal carcinoma is a continuous process with evolving phenotypic expression, including damaged renal tubule, simple cyst, cyst with atypical lining, adenoma, and, finally, carcinoma. The pathogenesis of this continuous process is not entirely known, but growth factor-induced compensatory growth of tubular epithelium initiated by the changes of end-stage kidney disease, and probably perpetuated by activation of proto-oncogenes, seems to be the most significant factor.
Effects of collective modes on pair tunneling into superconductors.

The effect of collective modes inside superconductors on N-S (normal-metal--superconductor) tunneling and S-S (superconductor-superconductor) tunneling is investigated. For the N-S case, we calculate the electron-pair tunneling current in the regime where the Andreev-scattering effect can be observed. The resulting current has a nonlinear contribution from the pair tunneling into collective modes inside the superconductor as well as the usual linear contribution due to the tunneling into the condensate (i.e., Andreev-scattering effect). We also consider S-S tunneling between a bulk superconductor and a superconducting thin film at zero and finite temperature. The electron-pair tunneling is found to be a sensitive probe to study the dynamical properties of the superconducting condensate, in particular in two dimensions and/or near the superconductor-insulator transition.
A factorization theorem for comaps of geometric lattices

Abstract A function γ: K → L between two geometric lattices K and L is a normalized comap if it preserves the relations: x covers or equals y , meets of modular pairs, and the minimum. The theorem, a normalized comap can be factored into an injection followed by a retraction onto a modular flat, is proved.
Imaging of the heart using metaiodobenzylguanidine.

Catecholamines have profound influences on cardiac function. Mechanisms relating abnormalities in sympathetic innervation to myocardial dysfunction are poorly understood, however. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of noninvasively imaging the sympathetic nerves of the heart using radiolabeled MIBG. This article examines some of the experimental evidence to support the neuronal localization of MIBG. In addition, the early clinical experience is reviewed.42 references.
Chemical constituents and inhibitory activities of essential oils from Cyperus brevifolius and C. kyllingia

Cyperus brevifolius andC. kyllingia are two common weeds in Hawaii. The underground parts, including the rhizomes and roots, contain allelopathic essential oils, which may contribute to the aggressive spread of these weeds in grasslands and lawns. Although morphologically similar,C. kyllingia contains more essential oils thanC. brevifolius. Also, the former is rich in terpenes, including α-cyperone, β-selinene, and α-humulene, while the latter is rich in C17 to C25 n-paraffins. These chemical differences agree with their inhibitory activities against indicator species and the general observation thatC. kyllingia is the more prevalent weed of the two.
Combination antiangiogenic therapy: increased efficacy in a murine model of Wilms tumor.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in experimental Wilms tumor. However, tumor growth accelerates if antibody is withdrawn. As recently shown, low-dose, frequently administered topotecan, a topoisomerase-1 inhibitor, has anti-angiogenic activity. The authors hypothesized that combined topotecan/anti-VEGF therapy would suppress tumor growth and metastasis more durably than either agent alone. Methods: Xenografts were induced by intrarenal injection of human Wilms tumor cells in athymic mice (n = 59). Mice were divided into control (n = 10), anti-VEGF (n = 16), topotecan (n = 17), and topotecan plus anti-VEGF (n = 16) groups. All control and half the treated mice were killed at week 6. Remaining ("rebound") mice were maintained without treatment until week 8. Tumor vasculature was mapped by fluorescein angiography/PECAM immunostaining. Endothelial apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL assay. Results: 6 weeks: Tumor weights were reduced significantly in treated mice ( P v control). Seven of ten control and 1 of 25 treated mice displayed lung metastases ( P Conclusion: Combination low-dose topotecan and anti-VEGF antibody therapy is antiangiogenic and suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in experimental Wilms tumor more durably than either agent alone. J Pediatr Surg 36:1177-1181. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Safety of reinforced concrete members designed following ACI 318 building code

The safety level of reinforced concrete members designed following the 1995 edition of ACI 318 building code using both Chapter 9 and Appendix C load combinations and strength reduction factors is investigated. Safety is evaluated in term of the reliability index, since load and resistance are random variables. The strength limit states considered in the study include flexure, shear, and combined axial compression plus flexure. The effect of low and high reinforcement ratios for beams in flexure is taken into account. Beams with minimum stirrups and with normal shear reinforcement are also considered. For the case of columns subjected to axial load plus flexure, both compression and tension failures are included. The load variables considered in the limit states are dead load, live load, and wind effect. The reliability of typical members is determined for a range of live-to-dead load ratios and for two extreme ratios of wind-to-dead load. The results of the study indicate that designs based on Appendix C can result in more uniform safety than current designs based on Chapter 9. Further, structural safety of designs based on Appendix C matches, and often slightly exceeds, the safety of designs based on Chapter 9.
Ionic liquid-assisted gelation of an organic solvent

Tetrafluoroborate-containing ionic liquids allow for a room temperature gelation of dimethylsulfoxide, which contains an organogelator at below the minimum gelation concentration. The gel formation has no effect on the mobility of ions, as the conductivity values of ionic liquid-DMSO gels are virtually identical to those of ionic liquid-DMSO solutions.
Genetic control of autoimmunity in Type I diabetes and associated disorders.

Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous disease with major subdivisions termed Type 1A (immune-mediated) and Type 1B. Immune-mediated diabetes is also heterogeneous with “monogenic”, oligogenic, and polygenic forms present in humans and in animal models. Single-gene mutations of two transcription factors have been recently identified in rare syndromes of autoimmunity with type 1A diabetes: autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) and X-linked polyendocrinopathy, immune dysfunction and diarrhoea (XPID). For more common forms of diabetes, susceptibility loci within the major histocompatibility complex and at the insulin locus have been identified. Both DQ* and DR* alleles provide susceptibility and certain alleles dominant protection. In the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study of the Young approximately 50 % of the siblings studied with the highest-risk HLA genotype develop anti-islet autoantibodies by age 3. Insulin could be a crucial autoantigen related to genetic susceptibility. The crystal structure of the high-risk allele, HLA-DQ8, complexed with an insulin peptide has just been reported. Insulin production by macrophage-dendritic cells within the thymus and lymphoid organs could underlie insulin gene polymorphisms influencing the risk of diabetes. Genome-wide scans for linkage in animal models and in humans have not conclusively identified other susceptibility genes though many loci have been implicated. We favour the hypothesis that HLA is a major determinant of susceptibility in animal models and in most families, and that the search for diabetogenes should concentrate on unique families to decrease heterogeneity and favour the eventual discovery of genes influencing risk. [Diabetologia (2002) 45: ▪–▪]
An Overview of the Medical Home Clinic for Special Needs Children at a Tertiary Care Center in Regard to the Role of the Registered Dietitian

Medically complex children are children with special needs with the most medically complex conditions. The Medical Home Clinic for Special Needs Children provides care for these children through an outpatient clinic using the premises of the medical home concept of care as defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Care is provided by a multidisciplinary team, which works together with the caregivers and patients and assists in care coordination and management. A registered dietitian is an essential member of the interdisciplinary team to help manage nutritional needs to promote proper growth and development and to help ensure patients and families have access to nutritional supplies to meet the child’s needs.
Arginine vasotocin relaxation of gar (Lepisosteous spp.) hepatic vein in vitro

Abstract The effects of arginine vasotocin (AVT) were examined in isolated gar arteries (afferent branchial, ABA; conus arteriosus, CA; ventral aorta, VA) and veins (hepatic, HV; intestinal; ovarian). AVT (10 −11 –10 −7 M ) had no effect in CA, produced contraction in ABA and VA and stimulated relaxation in veins. In precontracted HV, AVT relaxation was dose-dependent, long-lived (>30 min) and reduced total tension by 49.0 ± 10.7%. EC 50 s for AVT, arginine vasopressin, oxytocin, desmopressin, and isotocin in gar HV were 1.4 ± 0.3, 3.6 ± 0.2, 5.3 ± 1.7, 11.0 ± 6.5, and 19.0 ± 0.4 n M, respectively. AVT was more potent compared with isotocin. Strength of relaxation (percentage decrease in total tension) of AVT and structural analogs was similar (range = 32.5 to 55%). Endothelium removal did not alter percentage relaxation or sensitivity to AVT in HV. AVT relaxation was not inhibited by nitric oxide synthase inhibitors or propranolol or reversed by addition of methylene blue but it was significantly enhanced by indomethacin (10 −5 M ). Arginine vasopressin-receptor antagonists (V 1 - or V 2 -type selectivity; 10 −6 M ) were equally effective inhibitors, each blocked 99% of AVT relaxation. Forskolin (10 −6 M ) and papaverine (10 −4 M ) relaxed precontracted gar arteries and veins. The adenylyl cyclase inhibitors SQ 22536 and MDL 12,330A (10 −5 M ) produced transient contraction and stable relaxation, respectively, but did not inhibit AVT-induced relaxation in HV. Atrial natriuretic peptide (3 × 10 −8 M ) and sodium nitroprusside (10 −4 M ) had no effect in precontracted HV. AVT acts directly on gar venous smooth muscle cells via a nonclassical AVP receptor, possibly by increasing [cAMP]. AVT is a potent vasoconstrictor in vertebrate vasculature but produces a novel relaxation in gar veins.
Variational formulation and low-frequency approximation for Coulomb scattering in a laser field

The theory of scattering of a charged particle in the presence of a laser field is formulated variationally. If the field is slowly varying, its dominant effect over a wide range of field intensities will be to modify the asymptotic motion of the projectile. A trial function is chosen which correctly accounts for the projectile-field interaction in asymptotic states. It leads to a variational approximation for the transition amplitude which generalizes earlier versions of the low-frequency approximation in two respects. Firstly, the field is not restricted to be of the form of a monochromatic plane wave but, more realistically, is taken to be a pulse of finite length. Secondly, the target may carry a net charge. The dependence of the transition amplitude on the variable ..delta..E, which represents the energy transferred to the field, is modified by the presence of the long-range Coulomb interaction; additional terms which depend logarithmically on ..delta..E are found. The variational expression for the transition amplitude consists of two factors, one depending only on the external field and the other representing the amplitude for single-photon spontaneous bremsstrahlung. The present analysis of this bremsstrahlung amplitude is based on the assumption that ..delta..E is sufficiently small so thatmore » the dominant contribution to the spatial integration comes from the asymptotic domain. The low-energy approximation obtained in this way provides a generalization of Low's theorem on spontaneous bremsstrahlung to include the effect of the Coulomb tail.« less
l 1-Convolution algebras: Representation and factorization

Let * denote a convolution with respect to which l 1 becomes a Banach algebra. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for (l 1, *) to be represented by pointwise products of series of orthogonal polynomials. Properties of the polynomials are related to properties of the convolution; and, in the case of positive convolutions, an analogue of Hincin's factorization theorem is obtained through the use of Delphic semigroups.
Chemical Synthesis of a Circular Protein Domain: Evidence for Folding-Assisted Cyclization.

Extremely fast cyclization of the linear polypeptide precursor 1 takes place to form 2. The reaction appears to be assisted by the native fold of 1, which positions the reactive ends in close proximity. The circular topology has no influence on the folding or function of 2.
The effect of market orientation and its components on innovation consequences: a meta-analysis

While there is a rich body of research on market orientation’s effect on business performance, much little attention has been given to its effect on innovation consequences. This is the first meta-analytic effort to study the independent effects of market orientation components (customer orientation, competitor orientation, interfunctional coordination) on innovation consequences. Also, it is the first meta-analysis to study the impact of contextual characteristics on the way market orientation affects innovation consequences. The study finds that market orientation components positively affect innovation consequences but that competitor orientation’s effect depends on a minimum level of customer orientation. The study also suggests that the relationship between market orientation and innovation consequences is stronger in highly competitive environments but weaker in technology turbulent ones. Finally, findings suggest that the relationship is stronger in large firms, service companies, and in countries characterized by high individualism and high power distance national cultures.
An energy balance approach to solvent removal in polyamic acid coatings

Using an energy balance approach incorporating a Flory-Huggins expression for free energy and the strain energy of the material, the solvent removal process in liquid-based coatings was shown to depend on stress and temperature. An equilibrium is obtained between residual solvent content and stress in the coating at a given temperature. Such stress-dependent solvent removal behavior was observed with a polyamic acid coating solution-cast using N-methylpyrrolidinone.
Performance of high spatial frequency X-ray transmission gratings

The performance of high spatial frequency 'phased' X-ray transmission gratings developed for the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer on the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics FAcility (AXAF) is examined. The gratings tested here nominally consist of 1-micron-thick gold lines of 0.2 micron period covering approximately 5 sq cm of a polyimide membrane. A table-top setup at MIT employs the gratings in reflection to diffract UV (325 nm) laser light. It is used to measure grating periods and indicates that period variations within and between gratings are a few parts in 10,000. Tests performed at the Marshall Space Flight Center 304 m X-ray Facility using 1.5 keV X-rays in transmission corroborate the UV measurements and demonstrate geometrically-limited resolving powers of E/Delta E about 750. Finally, X-ray transmission tests performed in the MIT 25 m X-ray facility provide measurements of period, line thickness, space-to-period ratio, tilt of grating lines, and efficiency.
Mining Personally Important Places from GPS Tracks

The discovery of a person's personally important places involves obtaining the physical locations for a person's places that matter to his daily life and routines. This problem is driven by the requirements from emerging location-aware applications, which allow a user to pose queries awl obtain, information in reference, to places, e.g., ''home", ''work" or ''Northwest Health Club". It is a challenge to map from physical locations to jxtrsonally meaningful places because GPS tracks are continuous data both spatially and temporally, while most existing data mining techniques expect discrete data. Previous work has explored algorithms to discover personal places from location data. However, they all have limitations. Our work proposes a two-step approach that discretized continuous GPS data into places and learns important places from the place features. Our approach was validated using real user data and shown to have good accuracy when applied in predicting not only important and frequent places, but also important and not so frequent places.
Electrofluidic displays using Young-Laplace transposition of brilliant pigment dispersions

Conventional electrowetting displays reconfigure the contact angle of a coloured oil film on a planar hydrophobic surface. We report on electrofluidic displays, in particular a three-dimensional microfluidic display device that provides a direct view of brilliantly coloured pigment dispersions. Electromechanical pressure is used to pull the aqueous dispersion from a reservoir of small viewable area ( 90%). The hydrophobic channel and reservoir respectively impart a small or large radius of curvature on the dispersion. Therefore, with no voltage, Young–Laplace pressure forces the dispersion to retract into the reservoir. Preliminary prototypes exhibit ∼55% white reflectance, and future development points towards a reflectance of ∼85%. Uniquely, compared to electrowetting pixels, the electrofluidic pixels reduce the visible area of the coloured fluid by an additional two to three times (improving contrast), are potentially bistable, are as thin as ∼15 µm (giving potential for rollable displays), and can be miniaturized without increased operating voltage. An ambient light display based on electrofluidic control of coloured pigment fluids is reported. Electromechanical pressure is used to move the pigment from a reservoir to the entire surface of a pixel on a timescale of tens of milliseconds. The display has a white light reflectivity of 55%.
SOIL DAMPING FORMULATION IN NONLINEAR TIME DOMAIN SITE RESPONSE ANALYSIS

Nonlinear time domain site response analysis is used to capture the soil hysteretic response and nonlinearity due to medium and large ground motions. Soil damping is captured primarily through the ...
Shiga Toxin: Purification, Structure, and Function

Shiga toxin is a potent toxin produced by Shigella dysenteriae type 1 strains. The toxin has three biologic activities--cytotoxicity, enterotoxicity, and neurotoxicity--and one known biochemical effect: inhibition of protein synthesis. It consists of two polypeptide chains, an A chain (molecular weight, 32,225) and a B chain (molecular weight, 7,691). These two peptides associate with a stoichiometry of one A and five B subunits to form the holotoxin. The A chain is responsible for the biochemical effect of the holotoxin: cleavage of the N-glycosidic bond of adenine at nucleotide position 4324 in the 28S rRNA of the 60S ribosomal subunit. The B chain mediates binding of toxin to cell surface receptors. Shiga toxin is the prototype of a family of toxin molecules that have been termed Shiga-like in terms of both structural and functional analysis.
Starch digestibility of foods: A nutritional perspective

Dietary starch varies greatly in digestibility and its effects on the utilization of other nutrients. The variation appears to be due to differences in starch components and their crystallinity. Processing treatments, storage conditions, chemical modification, and genetic breeding influence the digestibility of starch. Cereal starches are generally more digestible than root/tuber and legume starches. Although cooking often significantly improves the digestibility of poor and intermediately digestible starches, some foods such as bananas with starches of these types are consumed uncooked. The efficient digestion of starch is especially important to specific groups of people such as infants under 6 months of age. Ruminants must also be provided with highly digestible starch to assure maximum production efficiency. Poor digestibility of starch may have negative effects on the utilization of protein and minerals but is likely to have positive effects on the availability of certain vitamins. Decreases in the rate of starch digestion may have therapeutic application. Most clinical studies have reported that starch blockers do not elicit a significant decrease in the digestion of starch in humans. Much remains to be learned, clarified, and understood about starch digestion and its effects on diabetes and weight control.
A constitutive equation for a viscoelastic interface

A constitutive equation has been developed to relate surface stresses to the deformational history of an interface. This equation is designed to provide a unified description of complex interfacial rheological phenomena. New and as yet unreported behavior such as surface normal stresses and viscoelastic contributions to the dynamic surface tension are predicted. A monolayer of poly(vinyl alcohol) adsorbed at an air/water interface has been studied using a deep channel surface rheometer and the observed viscoelastic behavior shown to be fitted by the model.
Effects of oral diazepam on intravenous access in same day surgery patients

Abstract Study Objective : To determine the effects of 5 mg oral diazepam on vein quality, patient anxiety, and intravenous (IV) access. Design : Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study. Setting : Preoperative holding area of a large university hospital. Patients : 202 adult ASA physical status I, II, and III patients scheduled for elective outpatient surgery. Interventions : Patients were randomized to receive either 5 mg oral diazepam or placebo, 30 minutes prior to IV access. Measurements and Main Results : Vein quality and patient anxiety were assessed prior to, and 30 minutes following, premedication (just prior to venipuncture) using a 5 point ordinal scale and 10 cm visual analog scale, respectively. The number of attempts at venous access and the gauge of the catheter used were also recorded. Baseline patient anxiety was similar between the two groups and both showed a significant improvement in patient anxiety at 30 minutes following drug administration. The diazepam group, however, had a significantly greater reduction in anxiety scores ( p Conclusions : The administration of 5 mg oral diazepam prior to the establishment of IV access improved vein quality and decreased patient anxiety. This technique may be a useful method for IV catheter placement, particularly when large gauge catheters are required, or when difficult IV access is anticipated.
An Efficient Electrochemical–Thermal Model for a Lithium-Ion Cell by Using the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Method

The proper orthogonal decomposition method was applied to develop an efficient, reduced order electrochemical‐thermal model for a lithium-ion cell. This model was validated for discharge simulations over a wide range of C rates and various cooling conditions of the cell. The reduced order model agrees well with the COMSOL model, a commercial finite element method solver, and requires 7 times less computation time than the COMSOL model. The model predictions indicate that the discharge time or percent of capacity removed from the cell at an end of discharge voltage of 3.0 V depends on the rate of the discharge and heat transfer rate away from the cell. Also, the heat transfer rate determines whether the capacity removed is limited by mass transfer in the solid phase or mass transfer in the electrolyte.
College Readiness for All: Assessing the Impact of English Professional Development on Teaching Practice and Student Learning.

This article examines the effects of a statewide effort to reduce college remediation rates by training high school teachers and providing them with an expository reading and writing curriculum. The authors rely on mixed methods, including observations, teacher and student surveys, and test data from urban high schools. Findings suggest that the program, now used in over 250 schools in California, improved student motivation and reading and writing skills and teacher confidence and skills. Findings suggest the benefits of a systematic K-16 partnership to empower urban high school literacy offerings to reduce college remediation rates.
An Energy-Efficient Equalized Transceiver for RC-Dominant Channels

This work describes the architecture and circuit implementation of a high-data-rate, energy-efficient equalized transceiver for high-loss dispersive channels, such as RC-limited on-chip interconnects or silicon-carrier packaging modules. The charge-injection transmitter directly conducts pre-emphasis current from the supply into the channel, eliminating the power overhead of analog current subtraction in conventional transmit pre-emphasis, while significantly relaxing the driver coefficient accuracy requirements. The transmitter utilizes a power efficient non-linear driver by compensating non-linearity with pre-distorted equalization coefficients. A trans-impedance amplifier at the receiver achieves low static power consumption, large signal amplitude, and high bandwidth by mitigating limitations of purely-resistive termination. A test chip is fabricated in 90-nm bulk CMOS technology and tested over a 10-mm, 2- μm pitched on-chip differential wire. The transceiver consumes 0.37-0.63 pJ/b with 4-6 Gb/s/ch.
Implementing the Team Approach in Higher Education: Important Questions and Advice for Administrators

Many companies have implemented the team approach as a way to empower their employees in an effort to enhance productivity, quality and overall profitability. While application of the concept to hi...
Effects of simulated trawling on sablefish and walleye pollock: the role of light intensity, net velocity and towing duration

Laboratory apparatus which simulated capture of fish in the cod-end of a towed trawl was used to induce post-capture stress as measured by alterations in behavioural, physiological and mortality indices in juvenile walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma and juvenile and adult sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria. Differences in resistance to net entrainment varied between species with the severity of stress and the potential for recovery depending on light intensity, net velocity and towing duration. At a light intensity which simulated daylight at depth in clear ocean water (0.5 μmol photons m−2 s−1), walleye pollock juveniles were able to maintain swimming in nets towed at 0.65 m s−1 for 3h with no discernible effects on behaviour or mortality. However, when net velocity was increased to >0.75m s−1 or light intensity was decreased to 0.92m s−1) or lower light intensities (<0.0004 μmol photons m−2 s−1) and were much more resistant to post-capture stress. Towing of net-entrained fish for 15 min caused no detectable changes in feeding and cortisol and for 2 h, no changes in feeding although mortality increased from 0% for 15-min tows to 19% for 2-h tows. Towing for 4 h caused significant alterations in feeding and cortisol with feeding recovering to control levels by 6 days and cortisol by 3 days; mortality was 25%. When adult sablefish were towed for 4 h followed by 15-min exposure to air, feeding was inhibited 6 days after towing, but recovered within 30 days with no mortality observed after 30 days. The results demonstrate the value of using laboratory-based behavioural and biochemical indices to identify factors that may potentially affect post-capture survival among different species of fish.
Sustained potentiation of NMDA receptor-mediated glutamate responses through activation of protein kinase C by a μ opioid

mu opioids, such as morphine and certain enkephalin analogs, are known to modulate glutamate-evoked activity in dorsal horn neurons in the spinal cord and caudal brain stem. Yet the molecular mechanism by which this modulation occurs is not understood. We examined the interactions between glutamate and a selective mu opioid receptor agonist, D-Ala2-MePhe4-Gly-ol5-enkephalin (DAGO), in spinal trigeminal neurons in thin medullary slices of rats. DAGO caused a sustained increase in glutamate-activated currents that are mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Intracellularly applied protein kinase C (PKC) mimics the effect of DAGO, and a specific PKC inhibitor interrupts the sustained potentiation produced by DAGO. Thus, PKC plays a key role in mediating the action of mu opioid peptides.
On the initiation of melt fracture.

Discussion of a problem encountered in the processing of viscoelastic materials that is caused by the presence of a hydrodynamic instability in the extrusion of polymer melts. The importance of the so-called Weissenberg number in determining the onset of the melt fracture is examined using classical linearized hydrodynamic stability analysis. It is shown that the simple shearing flow of a viscoelastic fluid becomes unstable at a critical value of the Weissenberg number. Implications for the extrusion processing of polymers are reviewed.
Increased Serum Iron Levels and Infectious Complications after Liver Transplantation

Background Elevated serum iron levels have been associated with infectious outcomes in various patient populations but, to our knowledge, have never been studied after liver transplantation. Methods The relationship between serum iron levels and infectious outcomes after liver transplantation was evaluated in a nested case-control study using prospectively collected data and serum samples. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios were calculated for each iron marker predictor variable (iron level, unsaturated iron-binding capacity, total iron-binding capacity, transferrin saturation, and ferritin level) and time to development of each of 6 outcomes (cytomegalovirus [CMV] disease, invasive fungal infection, bacteremia, invasive fungal infection or bacteremia, any infection, and 1-year mortality rate). Results Serum measurements (n = 109) corresponding to increased levels of serum iron were independently associated with an increased risk of any infection and death. After adjusting for the number of red blood cell transfusions, donor CMV-seropositive status, and fungal colonization, ferritin level was independently associated with the development of any infection (hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.14). After adjusting for the number of red blood cell transfusions, development of CMV disease, and administration of intravenous steroids for treatment of rejection, ferritin level was also was independently associated with death (hazard ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.18). Similar results were found for unsaturated iron binding capacity for the same 2 outcomes. Conclusions A better understanding of iron metabolism and its relationship to infection could help guide future infection prognosis, prevention, and management efforts in this high-risk population.
Dynamic layer management in super-peer architectures

The emerging peer-to-peer (P2P) model has recently gained a significant attention due to its high potential of sharing various resources among networked users. Super-peer unstructured P2P systems have been found very effective by dividing the peers into two layers, super-layer and leaf-layer, in which message flooding is only conducted among super-layer. However, current super-peer systems do not employ any effective layer management schemes, which means the transient and low-capacity peers are allowed to act as super-peers. Moreover, the lack of an appropriate size ratio maintenance mechanism on super-layer to leaf-layer makes the system's search performance far from being optimal. We propose a dynamic layer management algorithm, DLM, which can maintain the optimal layer size ratio, and adoptively adjust peers between super-layer and leaf-layer. DLM is completely distributed in the sense that each peer decides to be a super-peer or a leaf peer independently without the global knowledge. DLM could effectively help a super-peer P2P system maintain the optimal layer size ratio, and designate peers with relatively long lifetime and large capacities as super-peers, and the peers with short lifetime and low capacities as leaf-peers under highly dynamic network situations. We demonstrate that the quality of a super-peer system is significantly improved under DLM scheme by comprehensive simulations.