cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The roles of MEMS optical switches in fiber optic networks: what and when

Shortly after it was proposed, optical micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) was recognized as the most promising all-optical switching technology for core lightwave-communications networks. Focusing on achieving low loss, high port-count, and bit-rate transparency, this technology provides the best match for the applications of provisioning and restoration in core optical networks, without following the mislead path in the history of optical-switch development that all-optical switches need to achieve fast nanosecond switching time. Although the delay in capacity demand of long-haul optical networks has dramatically slowed down the development and commercialization of this technology, many impressive technological advances have been demonstrated as a result of intense research and development in a brief period of a few years. In this paper, we review various technologies for MEMS optical switches, and discuss their roles in optical communication networks.
Feasibility of using beryllium as internal reference to reduce non-spectroscopic carbon species matrix effect in the inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) determination of boron in biological samples

Abstract The mechanism by which carbon matrix species cause non-spectroscopic matrix interference on boron (B) and beryllium (Be) during the determination of B in biological samples is investigated. The study indicates that, unlike other matrix species such as Ca and Na that cause non-spectroscopic matrix interference only through space charge effect, carbon species manifest non-spectroscopic interference by two mechanisms. The minor non-spectroscopic interference of carbon is through space charge effect. However, the major non-spectroscopic effect of carbon is by a charge transfer mechanism from C + -species to B and Be atoms in the central channel of the plasma discharge. The large difference in the magnitude of the carbon charge transfer non-spectroscopic matrix interference between Be and B makes Be unsuitable as an internal reference for B in solutions containing more than 1500 μg/ml dissolved organic carbon (DOC). This DOC content is approximately half the DOC usually present in the final sample solution for B determination in biological samples. However, Be still acts as a perfect internal reference to B in solution containing matrix elements that exert their non-spectroscopic interference effect through space charge mechanism (such as Na, K, Ca, etc.).
Discussions of Astrology in Early Tafsīr

Judicial astrology, predicting future events on the basis of celestial positions, has been a fraught topic in Islamic literature. On one hand, the spectre of humans knowing their future with certainty would weaken the principle of human responsibility. On the other hand, given God's omnipotence, it would be entirely possible that the heavens were a means for God's control over the earth. Previous research on religious reactions to astrology in Islamic civilisation has used Ḥadīth and Kalām texts to conclude that the prevailing attitude was one of disapproval. My current research uses Tafsīr literature to argue that this attitude of disapproval was far more nuanced. This paper will first survey what early Tafsīr has said about astrology and, second, present late antique Jewish and Christian texts that could be the sources or context for the views on astrology found in early Tafsīr. To help explain some of the differences between early Tafsīr's view of astrology and early Kalām's view of astrology, the thir...
Transaction models for design environments

Abstract Design data bases used in the design of engineering artifacts have characteristics quite different from conventional data bases. While conventional data bases have, at any given time, a single correct value for each of object, design data bases, due to the presence of design alternates or versions, have available several correct versions of design objects. However, during a design process, when several design objects are involved, the different versions of each object chosen for the design has to be controlled such that they are compatible or version consistent. This article formalizes the notion of version consistency and proposes two transaction models for design processes, where the notion of version consistency itself is used as a basis for scheduling design transactions. A mechanism for enforcing version control is also presented.
Measurement of oxygen activity modulated space charge potential at metal-ceramic interfaces using a CHEMFET with epitaxial LaF3 electrolyte

Abstract A CHEMFET gate has been fabricated using epitaxially deposited LaF 3 as the gate dielectric on Si(111). The LaF 3 layer is used both as the electrical insulator and the ionic conductor. Platinum or RuO 2 was sputtered on top of LaF 3 as the gate metal catalytically active to the reduction of oxygen. The epitaxial film and substrate surface was characterized in-situ by RHEED. Further characterization of the film was performed ex-situ by X-ray diffraction methods. Due to the greater dielectric constant of LaF 3 , the epitaxial construction has a steeper CV curve than constructions which use additional insulating layers of SiO 2 and/ or Si 3 N 4 . Oxygen activity above the gate was modulated between 0.10 and 1.00 while applying a constant bias on the gate. Capacitance versus time plots revealed the Nernst response to be the closest to a single electron reaction.
A combination of tea (Camellia senensis) catechins is required for optimal inhibition of induced CYP1A expression by green tea extract

It was previously demonstrated that the commercial green tea extract Polyphenon 100 (P100), and to a lesser extent (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), partially antagonizes 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced transcription of human CYP1A1 (Williams, S. N.; Shih, H.; Guenette, D. K.; Brackney, W.; Denison, M. S.; Pickwell, G. V.; Quattrochi, L. C. Chem.-Biol. Interact. 2000, 128, 211-229). Here, P100 is compared to a reconstituted mixture of the four major tea catechins (referred to as P100R) to determine whether inhibition was due to additional polyphenols in the extract or from synergistic interactions among the tea catechins. It was found that cotreatment of cells with TCDD and either P100 or P100R inhibited TCDD-induced CYP1A promoter-driven luciferase reporter activity (HepG2 cells) and CYP1A expression (HepG2 and primary human hepatocytes), similarly. These results indicate that modulation of human CYP1A expression by P100 can be attributed entirely to the combination of the four tea catechins. These findings may be important in the evaluation of future chemoprevention strategies using green tea and single catechin agents.
Critical scaling for monodromy fields

The large scale asymptotics of the correlations for a family of two dimensional lattice field theories is calculated at the critical “temperature”.
Size-Selective Electrodeposition of Mesoscale Metal Particles in the Uncoupled Limit

In principle, metal particles can be electrodeposited on electrode surfaces under conditions where individual metal particles grow independently of neighboring particles on the electrode surface, and the growth rate for every particle on the surface is the same. In this “uncoupled limit”, extremely narrow particle size distributions will be attainable. We describe the conditions of nucleation density and electrodeposition duration and rate for which this uncoupled growth regime can be obtained. When these growth conditions are implemented to grow silver and gold mesoscale particles on graphite electrode surfaces, narrow (RSDdia < 10%) particle size distributions are obtained for particles with mean diameters in the range from 50 nm to 2.0 μm.
Multi-channel integrated circuits for the detection and measurement of ionizing radiation

Abstract The Integrated Circuits (IC) Design Research Laboratory at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) has collaborated with the Nuclear Reactions Group at Washington University (WU) to develop a family of multi-channel integrated circuits. To date, the collaboration has successfully produced two micro-chips. The first was an analog shaped and peak sensing chip with on-board constant-fraction discriminators and sparsified readout. This chip is known as Heavy-Ion Nuclear Physics–16 Channel (HINP16C). The second chip, christened PSD8C, was designed to logically complement (in terms of detector types) the HINP16C chip. Pulse Shape Discrimination–8 Channel (PSD8C), featuring three settable charge integration windows per channel, performs pulse shape discrimination (PSD). This paper summarizes the design, capabilities, and features of the HINP16C and PSD8C ICs. It proceeds to discuss the modifications, made to the ICs and their associated systems, which have attempted to improve ease of use, increase performance, and extend capabilities. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of what may be the next chip (employing a multi-sampling scheme) to be added to our CMOS ASIC “tool box” for radiation detection instrumentation.
Pediatricians' Use of Language Services for Families With Limited English Proficiency

OBJECTIVES. Patients with limited English proficiency confront multiple barriers to health care access in the United States. Appropriate language services for families with limited English proficiency are essential; however, little is known about pediatricians9 use of language services. The objective of this study was to examine pediatricians9 provision of language services to patients with limited English proficiency and the pediatrician, practice, and state characteristics associated with use of these services. METHODS. Data were obtained from the Periodic Survey of Fellows No. 60, a nationally representative survey of members of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A total of 1829 surveys were mailed, and responses were obtained from 58%. Use of 6 language services was assessed. Factors associated with language services use were examined after adjusting for physician, practice, and state characteristics. RESULTS. Bilingual family members (70%) and bilingual staff (58%) were the most frequently reported language services; 40% of respondents report the use of professional interpreters, 28% use telephone interpreters, and 35% of practices report provision of translated written materials. Pediatricians in smaller and rural practices and in states with higher proportions of limited English proficiency persons report less use of professional interpreters. Pediatricians in states with third-party reimbursement for language services are more likely to report use of professional interpreters. CONCLUSIONS. Most pediatricians report using untrained interpreters to communicate with limited English proficiency patients and their families. Pediatricians in regions with high proportions of limited English proficiency persons may be less likely to provide appropriate language services. Third-party reimbursement for professional language services may increase the use of trained interpreters and quality of care.
Portrait of the Social Entrepreneur: Statistical Evidence from a US Panel

Social entrepreneurship is an increasingly important concept in the study of voluntary and nonprofit organizations. In spite of the growing recognition of this concept, little is known about what individual characteristics might describe or explain who in society is likely to be (or become) a social entrepreneur. This preliminary study empirically addresses this question using data from a United States online panel. Our results suggest that social entrepreneurs are likely to be female, non-white, younger, and college-educated individuals with some business experience and who live in big cities. Social entrepreneurs also tend to have more social capital, as measured by their activity in clubs and organizations other than work, and they are more likely to be happy, interested in politics, extroverted, giving (to charity), and liberal ideologically. Although exploratory, these findings help describe the social entrepreneur and suggest ways in which this important actor in civil society can be better identified, understood, and perhaps cultivated.
Submaximal exercise thallium-201 SPECT for assessment of interventional therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Submaximal thallium-201 stress testing has been shown to provide important diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the diagnostic value of early submaximal stress testing and thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) after interventional therapy. Scintigraphic results from 56 patients with infarctions, who underwent acute thrombolytic therapy, angioplasty, or both, were compared with late (6 weeks) functional outcome as assessed by radionuclide ventriculography and with results of discharge coronary angiography. A linear correlation was found between the extent of thallium-201 SPECT perfusion defect and late ventricular function (r = 0.74, p
Milan systemic family therapy: a review of ten empirical investigations

Ten empirical investigations of Milan Family Therapy (MFT) are reviewed in this paper. The studies include both single and comparative group outcome trials; investigations of therapeutic process; clinical audit and consumer satisfaction surveys. Substantive findings and methodological issues are discussed in the light of family therapy and individual psychotherapy research generally. Findings indicate that MFT may lead to symptomatic change in two-thirds to three-quarters of cases and to systemic change in half the treated cases. Engagement of fathers may be important for positive outcome. Technical aspects of MFT, such as the use of screens and teams, may lead to client dissatisfaction in some cases. MFT-based consultation may be effective in resolving therapeutic impasses. Coupled with short-term residential placement, MFT may reduce the risk and complexity of cases as rated by referring social workers.
Effect of Testosterone and Estradiol-17β Alone and in Combination on LH and FSH Concentrations in Blood Serum and Pituitary of Geldings and in Serum after Administration of GnRH

Sixteen stallions were castrated and 30 days later assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: testosterone propionate (T, 175 ag/kg BW), estradiol-1713-3’benzoate (E, 44 pg/kg BW), the combination of both steroids (TE) or control (safflower oil). These dosageswere administered every other day for 18 days (low dose) and then were doubled (high dose). Treatment at the high dose was continued for 27 days and the geldings were sacrificed. Treahitment at the low dose resulted in concentrations of testosterone and estradiol in serum similar to those in intact stallions during the breeding season. Concentrations of LH and FSH in peripheral serum increased by 4-10-fold after castration and stabilized in �20 days. Concentrations of LH in serum were suppressed by T and even more rapidly by TE. Estradiol alone increased concentrations of LH in serum at the low dose. Compared with levels in control geldings, concentrations of LH in the pituitary glands were suppressed by “.‘SO% in T or TE treated geldings, whereas they were increased by 10-fold in E treated geldings. Concentrations of FSH in serum were rapidly suppressed by E or TE. Testosterone alone sup’ pressed concentrations of FSH in serum at the high dose. Compared with control geldings, all treatments resulted in elevated concentrations of FSH in the pituitary gland; the effect of T was “.‘3-fold greater than for E. The magnitude of increase in concentrations of LH and FSH in serum after an injection of CnRH generally reflected the concentrations of these hormones in the pituitary. However, E in combination with T decreased release of LH in response to GnRH, even though pituitary concentrations of LH were similar in T and TE treated geldings. Estradiol also decreased the release of FSH in response to CnRH in E treated geldings, compared with controls, even though pituitary concentrations of FSH were ‘\,2-fold greater.
Models of glycolysis: Glyceraldehyde as a source of energy and monomers for prebiotic condensation reactions

All organisms require energy in a chemical form for maintenance and growth. In contemporary life this chemical energy is obtained by the synthesis of the phosphoanhydride bonds of ATP. Among the biological processes that yield ATP, fermentation is generally considered primitive, because it operates under anaerobic conditions by substrate-level phosphorylation which does not require compartmentation by membranes. Fermentation by the glycolytic pathway, which is found in almost every living cell, is an especially attractive energy source for primitive life. Glycolysis not only produces useful chemical energy (ATP), but intermediates of this pathway are also involved in amino acid synthesis and photosynthetic carbon-fixation. It is believed that energy and substrates needed for the origin of life were provided by nonenzymatic chemical reactions that resemble the enzyme-mediated reactions of glycolysis. These nonenzymatic reactions would have provided a starting point for the evolutionary development of glycolysis.
The Understanding and Experience of Mixed Emotions in 3–5-Year-Old Children

The term mixed emotions refers to the presence of two opposite-valence emotions toward a single target. Identifying when children begin to report experiencing and understanding mixed emotions is critical in identifying how skills such as adaptive functioning, coping strategies, environmental understanding, and socioemotional competence emerge. Prior research has shown that children as young as 5 years old can understand and experience mixed emotion, but perhaps appropriately sensitive methodologies can reveal these abilities in younger children. The present study evaluated 57 children between 3 and 5 years old for mixed emotion experience and understanding using an animated video clip in which a character experiences a mixed emotional episode. Ordinal logistic regression was utilized to examine the relation of gender, attention, and understanding of content to experience and understanding of mixed emotion. While only 12% of children reported experiencing mixed emotion while watching the clip, 49% of children-some as young as 3 years old-were able to recognize the mixed emotional experience of the character. Thus, mixed emotion understanding emerges earlier than previously identified and the expression of understanding may develop independently of the ability to report mixed emotion experience. These findings are discussed in relation to cognitive and developmental considerations.
Steroid transformations in porcine salivary glands

Abstract Incubation of [7- 3 H]-pregnenolone‡ with homogenate supernatant from castrate and normal porcine parotid and submaxillary glands has led to the formation of 5-pregnene-3β,20α-diol, 3β, 17-dihydroxy-5-pregnene-20-one and 5-pregnene-3β,17,20α-triol. Conversion to 5-pregnene-3β,17,20α-triol was observed arising from both normal and castrate tissue in both salivary glands, while 5-pregnene-3β,20α-diol arose solely in castrate tissue. Similar incubations with [4- 14 C]-testosterone led to the production of androstenedione and the major product, 4-androstene-3α,17β-diol. No difference in the products isolated could be found between castrate and normal tissue.
A novel double quantum well device for THz range frequency detection

Abstract A novel device has been proposed which uses a double quantum well structure for the detection of signals in the THz range. The technology for the manufacturing of such devices at this point of time is significantly mature so that such a device may be easily fabricated. The detector frequency may be varied from 10 to 90 THz by changing the well widths from 10 to 30 A.
Disturbed brain phospholipid and docosahexaenoic acid metabolism in calcium-independent phospholipase A2-VIA (iPLA2β)-knockout mice

Abstract Calcium-independent phospholipase A2 group VIA (iPLA2β) releases docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from phospholipids in vitro. Mutations in the iPLA2β gene, PLA2G6, are associated with dystonia-parkinsonism and infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy. To understand the role of iPLA2β in brain, we applied our in vivo kinetic method using radiolabeled DHA in 4 to 5-month-old wild type (iPLA2β+/+) and knockout (iPLA2β−/−) mice, and measured brain DHA kinetics, lipid concentrations, and expression of PLA2, cyclooxygenase (COX), and lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes. Compared to iPLA2β+/+ mice, iPLA2β−/− mice showed decreased rates of incorporation of unesterified DHA from plasma into brain phospholipids, reduced concentrations of several fatty acids (including DHA) esterified in ethanolamine- and serine-glycerophospholipids, and increased lysophospholipid fatty acid concentrations. DHA turnover in brain phospholipids did not differ between genotypes. In iPLA2β−/− mice, brain levels of iPLA2β mRNA, protein, and activity were decreased, as was the iPLA2γ (Group VIB PLA2) mRNA level, while levels of secretory sPLA2-V mRNA, protein, and activity and cytosolic cPLA2-IVA mRNA were increased. Levels of COX-1 protein were decreased in brain, while COX-2 protein and mRNA were increased. Levels of 5-, 12-, and 15-LOX proteins did not differ significantly between genotypes. Thus, a genetic iPLA2β deficiency in mice is associated with reduced DHA metabolism, profound changes in lipid-metabolizing enzyme expression (demonstrating lack of redundancy) and of phospholipid fatty acid content of brain (particularly of DHA), which may be relevant to neurologic abnormalities in humans with PLA2G6 mutations.
Neuroergonomics of Visual Cognition: Research and Applications:

This panel examines recent developments in neuroergonomic research and application involving higher-order vision. Four important aspects of visual cognition are discussed, namely 3-D object motion, biological motion, visual memory, and visual imagery. Each of the panelists follows a neuroergonomic approach, first describing studies of these aspects of visual cognition using both behavioral and neuroimaging (fMRI, ERP, and MEG) measures. The implications of these results for human factors applications are then discussed. Particular domains of application that are examined include elder design, driving, virtual environments, and software and educational curriculum design.
Transient heat transfer in air saturated porous media in a short cylinder

Abstract The rate of heat transfer occurring in a fluid saturated porous media contained in a short cylinder has been experimentally studied. The experiments considered the situations of heating and cooling the porous bed from an initially uniform temperature to the imposed boundary temperature to steady-state. A modified Rayleigh and a modified absolute Nusselt number were used to correlate the experimental results. Comparison was made to a finite difference simulation.
Ionization potentials, experimental and theoretical, of the elements hydrogen to krypton

The ionization potentials of the first 36 elements are examined as isoelectronic sequences. Hartree-Fock theoretical ionization potentials are modified by adding a correction which is extrapolated from the difference between theory and experiment. If the data are insufficient to develop a plausible extrapolation, the theoretical values are reported together with an estimate of their reliability.
Reoxygenation injury affects isolated islet response to fatty acid stimulation

Hyperlipidemia is frequently associated with hyperinsulinemia, but because the effects of fatty acids on insulin secretion in in vitro studies using isolated perifused islets have mostly been described with supraphysiological concentrations of fatty acids, it has remained uncertain whether elevated lipid levels contribute to hyperinsulinemia by their direct stimulation of insulin secretion. In the present study, we have identified reoxygenation injury in isolated islet function as a contributing factor in the failure of physiological concentrations of free fatty acids to stimulate insulin secretion in isolated perifused islets. Reoxygenation of isolated islets is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species, which impair islet function. We have found that pretreatment of freshly isolated islets with the antioxidant glutathione (GSH), as well as a 24-hour preculture of isolated islets under appropriate conditions, enhanced their sensitivity to fatty acid stimulation.
In the ventral tegmental area, progestins have actions at D1 receptors for lordosis of hamsters and rats that involve GABAA receptors

Abstract In the ventral tegmental area (VTA), progestins facilitate lordosis via actions at γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A/benzodiazepine receptor complexes (GBRs) and dopamine type 1 receptors (D1). The relationship between progestins' actions at GBRs and D1 in the VTA for facilitating sexual behavior of hamsters and rats was examined. Ovariectomized (ovx), estradiol (E2; 10 μg) + progesterone (P; 250 μg; SC)-primed hamsters, with bilateral guide cannulae to the VTA, were pre-tested for sexual and motor behavior and infused with the GBR antagonist bicuculline (100 ng/side) or vehicle. Thirty minutes later, hamsters were re-tested and then infused with the D1 agonist SKF38393 (100 ng/side) or vehicle. Hamsters were post-tested 30 min later. Ovx, E2 (10 μg)-primed rats were pre-tested, infused first with bicuculline or vehicle, second with SKF38393 or vehicle, third with 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (3α,5α-THP; 0, 100, or 200 ng) and were post-tested 10 and 60 min after 3α,5α-THP infusions. VTA infusions of SKF38393 increased lordosis of hamsters or rats. Bicuculline pretreatment reduced SKF38393- and/or progesterone-mediated increases in lordosis of E2-primed hamsters. In E2-primed rats, bicuculline blocked SKF38393- and/or 3α,5α-THP-mediated increases in lordosis. There were no effects on motor behavior. Thus, in the VTA, GBR activity modulates D1-mediated actions for lordosis of hamsters and rats.
Angiostatin: A novel angiogenesis inhibitor that mediates the suppression of metastases by a lewis lung carcinoma

The phenomenon of inhibition of tumor growth by tumor mass has been repeatedly studied, but without elucidation of a satisfactory mechanism. In our animal model, a primary tumor inhibits its remote metastases. After tumor removal, metastases neovascularize and grow. When the primary tumor is present, metastatic growth is suppressed by a circulating angiogenesis inhibitor. Serum and urine from tumor-bearing mice, but not from controls, specifically inhibit endothelial cell proliferation. The activity copurifies with a 38 kDa plasminogen fragment that we have sequenced and named angiostatin. A corresponding fragment of human plasminogen has similar activity. Systemic administration of angiostatin, but not intact plasminogen, potently blocks neovascularization and growth of metastases. We here show that the inhibition of metastases by a primary mouse tumor is mediated, at least in part, by angiostatin.
Contribution to the theory of random and biased nets

The probabilistic theory of random and biased nets is further developed by the “tracing” method treated previously. A number of biases expected to be operating in nets, particularly in sociograms, is described. Distribution of closed chain lengths is derived for random nets and for nets with a simple “reflexive” bias. The “island model” bias is treated for the case of two islands and a single axon tracing, resulting in a pair of linear difference equations with two indices. The reflexive bias is extended to multiple-axon tracing by an approximate method resulting in a modification of the random net recursion formula. Results previously obtained are compared with empirical findings and attempts are made to account for observed discrepancies.
Treatment to prevent postnatal loss of brain water reduces the risk of intracranial hemorrhage in the beagle puppy.

ABSTRACT: We compared the risk of intracranial hemorrhage after a hypovolemic, hypotensive insult followed by rapid volume replacement in three groups of beagle puppies: one group less than 12 h old, a second, 72 h of age, and a third, 72 h of age, which had been treated from birth with ovine prolactin in the dose per kilogram which prevents postnatal brain water loss in rabbits. Intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 14% of day 1 animals, 68% of untreated animals on day 3, and 15% of the group treated with prolactin. These data suggest that postnatal loss of brain water predisposes to intracerebral hemorrhage and that treatment to prevent this water loss can reduce the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage at 72 h of age.
Carbonyl and Oxalyl Bridged Bis(1,5‐Diaminotetrazole)‐Based Energetic Salts

High density energetic salts containing nitrogen rich cations and carbonyl- or oxalylbis(diamino-tetrazole) anions, which were obtained from cyanogen azide and hydrazine, were readily synthesized. In every case, a new family of energetic salts 3-14 were characterized by vibrational spectroscopy, multinuclear ((1)H, (13)C, (15)N) NMR, elemental analyses, density, differential scanning calorimetry and impact sensitivity. Compound 12 was structured by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The densities of 3-14, determined by gas pycnometer, range between 1.500 and 1.676 g cm(-3). The heats of formation and detonation properties for these stable salts were calculated by using Gaussian 03 and Cheetah 5.0, respectively.
Continuous focus tracking for real-time optical coherence tomography.

We report an approach to achieving continuous focus tracking and a depth-independent transverse resolution for real-time optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. Continuous real-time focus tracking is permitted by use of a lateral-priority image acquisition sequence in which the depth-scanning rate is equivalent to the imaging frame rate. Real-time OCT imaging with continuous focus tracking is performed at 1? frame?s by reciprocal translation of a rapid lateral-scanning miniature imaging probe (e.g., an endoscope). The optical path length in the reference arm is scanned synchronously to ensure that the coherence gate coincides with the imaging beam focus. The image quality improvement is experimentally demonstrated by imaging a tissue phantom embedded with polystyrene microspheres and rabbit esophageal tissues.
Short Time Fourier Analysis of the Electromyogram: Fast Movements and Constant Contraction

We applied short-time Fourier analysis to surface electromyograms (EMG) recorded during rapid movements, and during isometric contractions at constant forces. We selected a portion of the data to be transformed by multiplying the signal by a Hamming window, then computed the discrete Fourier transform. Shifting the window along the data record, we computed a new spectrum each 10 ms. We displayed the transformed data in spectograms or "voiceprints." This short-time technique allowed us to see time-dependencies in the EMG that are normally averaged in the Fourier analysis of these signals. Spectra of EMG's during isometric contractions at constant force vary in the short (10-20 ms) term. Moments of the spectral distribution show this variability. Short-time spectra from EMG's recorded during rapid movements were much less variable. The windowing technique picked out the typical "three-burst pattern" in EMG's from both wrist and head movements. Spectra during the bursts were more consistent than those during isometric contractions. Furthermore, there was a consistent shift in spectral statistics in the course of the three bursts. Both the center frequency and the variance of the spectral energy distribution grew from the first burst to the second burst in the same muscle. We discuss this pattern with respect to the origin of the EMG bursts in rapid movement. We also extend the analogy between electromyograms and speech signals to argue for future applicability of short-time spectral analysis of EMG.
Income taxation with fixed hours of work

Abstract When all jobs are full time and workers cannot substitute alternative jobs, the skills of workers are observable. Nevertheless, the optimum may involve a benefit for those who choose not to work (making their skills unobservable). When the tax structure and benefit for nonworkers are chosen to maximize welfare, they tradeoff the social marginal utility of consumption against the needed incentive to work. In contrast to more conventional models, the optimal tax schedule may have discontinuities and may involve subsidization of the work of low earners.
Effects of Negative Charges of a Model for Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor Folding Intermediate on the Peptide Folding

A peptide model (called PαPβ) of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) for studying the peptide folding structure was designed as a crucial folding intermediate. The PαPβ model folded but it was unstable at low pH. Four acidic groups in PαPβ: Glu-49, Asp-50, and C-termini at Phe-33 and AIa-58, were replaced individually with an Ala (in case of Glu and Asp) and an amide group (for C-terminal carboxyl groups) to study the effects of these negative charged groups on folding structure in terms of thermal stability and pH dependence. Substituting the Glu-49 or Asp-50 with Ala and blocking the C-terminus carboxyl group of Phe-33 in Pβ destabilized the structure, but blocking the negative charge of C-terminus in Ala-58 of Pα stabilized the structure at neutral pH. These results can be interpreted in terms of helix dipole momentum effects and/or salt bridge formation between Asp-50 and Arg-53, and of electrostatic interaction between positive and negative charges, which stabilized the structure. The melting ...
Abused child to nonabusive parent: resilience and conceptual change.

Individuals who were abused as children and have spontaneously, without intervention, been able to change their cognitive and behavioral patterns such that they do not abuse their own children represent a heretofore untapped source of information and understanding about the processes of conceptual change and resilience. This pilot study investigates the nature of this conceptual change as an exemplar of resilience. Birth order, gender, locus of control, and coping behaviors emerged as areas needing further study. Additionally, the belief on the part of the abusing parents that abuse was not wrong needs further investigation as a possible precursor to this particular context for conceptual change.
Noise tolerance as a measure of channel discrimination for multi-channel neural interfaces

Spatial selectivity can be obtained when recording the activity of a peripheral nerve or corticospinal pathways of the spinal cord by circumferential placement of the metal contacts around the axon bundle. Selectivity indices that have been proposed, however, do not measure how the channel discriminability deteriorates in the presence of noise. The pattern of amplitude distribution across the recording sites during a neural firing (a vector) can be considered as a symbol received at the end of an information channel. Thus, the performance of the neural interface/recording method can be quantified for the noisy case and compared with others using the classic formulae for the information channels. Monte Carlo simulations in this study show that the decay of information transfer rate with noise can differentiate between neural interfaces that have identical spatial selectivity indices based on the Euclidian distance measure. Noise tolerance can be the method of choice to assess the performance of multi-channel neural interfaces in terms of channel discrimination.
Detection using intermittent observations for passive wireless sensors

Passive wireless sensors have emerged as a new technology to measure multiple phenomena in our daily life. Passive sensors require no power source, and therefore their application domains are numerous, including health care, infrastructure protection, and national security. The deployment of passive wireless sensors and their readers has changed how detection needs to be performed. Passive sensors cannot pre-process the measurements as they have limited computational power. Therefore, no local decision is taken. Also, the reader polls the information from multiple sensors at the same time, and this causes collisions and hence packet drops and delays. Detectors designed without considering the properties of the communication channel have degraded performance. Therefore, analysis is required to quantify the degradation and take the necessary remedy action. In this paper, we study the effect of sensor-reader channel imperfection on the local detection performance of the reader, assuming no data pre-processing at the passive sensor.We consider the case of a single sensor-reader communication over a Bernoulli communication channel. We formulate the detector performance and compare with the ideal case. We present the problem of DC level detection in White Gaussian Noise, as a case study. Finally, we propose a heuristic approach to restore the original detector performance working with non-ideal channel, with the cost of increasing the delay for detection.
Application of the Finite Element Method to Determine the Electrical Resistance, Inductance, Capacitance parameters for the Circuit Package Enviornment

A finite-element program, Fierce, is used to obtain representative R, L, C electrical parameters for various two-dimensional conductor/dielectric packaging structures. The calculated results of Fierce are compared with an existing program C2D and correlated to hardware measurements. Specific advantages of Fierce are cited for ,modeling complex multilevel wiring packages with mixed dielectrics and several grounds. The concluding example demonstrates the capability of Fierce to characterize nine conductor--five dielectric model(s). The R, L, C outputs are inputed to a circuit analysis program, Astap, to compare the performance advantage of a ground plane located close to the conductors versus a far ground plane for a high performance application (800 ps driver switching speeds).
Birth of large calves that developed from in vitro-derived bovine embryos

High birth weights were observed in calves that developed from bovine embryos produced by in vitro maturation (IVM) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. After IVM and IVF, embryos were either co-cultured in vitro with oviductal epithelial cells or transferred into the sheep oviduct for development to the blastocyst stage. Blastocysts were transferred to the reproductive tracts of recipient heifers and cows for development to term. Birth weights and gestation periods were compared between calves that developed from in vitro-derived embryos and calves born after artificial insemination (AI) of cows in the herd from which recipient females were selected. Gestation periods were not different among the groups (P > 0.05), but calves that developed from IVM/IVF-derived embryos co-cultured in vitro were larger at birth than calves born from IVM/IVF-derived embryos that developed into blastocysts in the sheep oviduct and calves born from AI (P < 0.001). Dystocia and calf mortality were associated with large calf size at birth. These data were collected from an experiment designed for other purposes, and confounding variables and small sample size could have influenced the observed differences in birth weights. Nevertheless, the extreme birth weights of some calves suggest that abnormal prenatal growth occurs in some IVM/IVF-derived bovine embryos and that conditions for co-culture to the blastocyst stage may exacerbate the problem.
Helly theorems and generalized linear programming

Recent combinatorial algorithms for linear programming also solve certain non-linear problems. We call these Generalized Linear Programming, or GLP, problems. One way in which convexity has been generalized by mathematicians is through a collection of results called the Helly theorems. We show that the every GLP problem implies a Helly theorem, and we give two paradigms for constructing a GLP problem from a Helly theorem. We give many applications, including linear expected time algorithms for finding line transversals and hyperplane fitting in convex metrics. These include GLP problems with the surprising property that the constraints are non-convex or even disconnected. We show that some Helly theorems cannot be turned into GLP problems.
Interventions for mesenteric vasculitis

Objective This study reviewed the outcomes of open and endovascular revascularization for mesenteric vasculitis (MV). Methods We reviewed the clinical data of all patients who underwent revascularization for occlusive MV from 1984 to 2008. Patients treated for aneurysms or mucosal bleeding without ischemic symptoms were excluded. End points were early mortality and morbidity, survival, freedom from mesenteric symptoms, and patency. Outcomes of open reconstructions were compared with the results of 163 patients who underwent open operations for atherosclerotic disease. Results There were 15 patients (13 females, 2 males) with a mean age of 38 years (range, 15-66 years). Etiologies were Takayasu's arteritis in 7, polyarteritis nodosa in 4, indeterminate in 3, and giant cell arteritis in 1. The celiac axis was affected in 13, superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in 13, renal arteries in 8, and the aorta in 4. Seven patients had active disease, and eight were in remission. Nine (60%) presented with symptomatic chronic (n = 8) and acute (n = 1) mesenteric ischemia. Six patients with asymptomatic disease underwent mesenteric revascularization during other aortic-based operations. Fourteen patients (93%) had 10 mesenteric bypasses (8 aortic based; 2 iliac), three had aortoplasties, of which two had mesenteric patch angioplasties, and one underwent arcuate ligament release with patch angioplasty. One patient (7%) underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of SMA stenosis. There were no early deaths. Early complications occurred in three patients (20%) after open reconstruction, including gastrointestinal hemorrhage, ileus with re-exploration, and superior mesenteric vein thrombosis. Median follow-up was 22 months. One graft thrombosis in a patient with active disease was treated with redo bypass 74 months after aorta-celiac-SMA bypass. All patients were alive at 10 years, with similar expected survival compared with the general population (P = .69). Compared with patients with atherosclerotic disease, open reconstructions for MV had similar freedom from mesenteric symptoms (83% vs 75%, P = .80) and similar primary graft patency (83% vs 84%, P = .9). Conclusion Mesenteric vasculitis is a rare manifestation of Takayasu arteritis, polyarteritis nodosa, indeterminate, or giant cell arteritis. Open revascularization is durable and effective when needed.
Structure of the ternary complex formed by a chemotaxis receptor signaling domain, the CheA histidine kinase, and the coupling protein CheW as determined by pulsed dipolar ESR spectroscopy.

The signaling apparatus that controls bacterial chemotaxis is composed of a core complex containing chemoreceptors, the histidine autokinase CheA, and the coupling protein CheW. Site-specific spin labeling and pulsed dipolar ESR spectroscopy (PDS) have been applied to investigate the structure of a soluble ternary complex formed by Thermotoga maritima CheA (TmCheA), CheW, and receptor signaling domains. Thirty-five symmetric spin-label sites (SLSs) were engineered into the five domains of the CheA dimer and CheW to provide distance restraints within the CheA:CheW complex in the absence and presence of a soluble receptor that inhibits kinase activity (Tm14). Additional PDS restraints among spin-labeled CheA, CheW, and an engineered single-chain receptor labeled at six different sites allow docking of the receptor structure relative to the CheA:CheW complex. Disulfide cross-linking between selectively incorpo- ratedCysresiduesfindstwopairsofpositionsthatprovidefurtherconstraintswithintheternarycomplex:one involving Tm14 and CheW and another involving Tm14 and CheA. The derived structure of the ternary complex indicates a primary site of interaction between CheW and Tm14 that agrees well with previous biochemical and genetic data for transmembrane chemoreceptors. The PDS distance distributions are most consistent with only one CheW directly engaging one dimeric Tm14. The CheA dimerization domain (P3) aligns roughly antiparallel to the receptor-conserved signaling tip but does not interact strongly with it. The angle of the receptor axis with respect to P3 and the CheW-binding P5 domains is bound by two limits differing by ∼20. In one limit, Tm14 aligns roughly along P3 and may interact to some extent with the hinge region near the P3 hairpin loop. In the other limit, Tm14 tilts to interact with the P5 domain of the opposite subunit in an interface that mimics that observed with the P5 homologue CheW. The time domain ESR data can be simulated from the model only if orientational variability is introduced for the P5 and, especially, P3 domains. The Tm14 tip also binds beside one of the CheA kinase domains (P4); however, in both bound and unbound states, P4 samples a broad range of distributions that are only minimally affected by Tm14 binding.The CheA P1 domains that containthesubstrate histidine are alsobroadlydistributed in spaceunder all conditions. In the context of the hexagonal lattice formed by trimeric transmembrane chemoreceptors, the PDS structure is best accommodated with the P3 domain in the center of a honeycomb edge.
Overgeneralization of Conditioned Fear as a Pathogenic Marker of Panic Disorder

ObjectiveClassical conditioning features prominently in many etiological accounts of panic disorder. According to such accounts, neutral conditioned stimuli present during panic attacks acquire panicogenic properties. Conditioned stimuli triggering panic symptoms are not limited to the original conditioned stimuli but are thought to generalize to stimuli resembling those co-occurring with panic, resulting in the proliferation of panic cues. The authors conducted a laboratory-based assessment of this potential correlate of panic disorder by testing the degree to which panic patients and healthy subjects manifest generalization of conditioned fear. MethodNineteen patients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of panic disorder and 19 healthy comparison subjects were recruited for the study. The fear-generalization paradigm consisted of 10 rings of graded size presented on a computer monitor; one extreme size was a conditioned danger cue, the other extreme a conditioned safety cue, and the eight rings of intermediary s...
Diversification and Specialization of Touch Receptors in Skin

Our skin is the furthest outpost of the nervous system and a primary sensor for harmful and innocuous external stimuli. As a multifunctional sensory organ, the skin manifests a diverse and highly specialized array of mechanosensitive neurons with complex terminals, or end organs, which are able to discriminate different sensory stimuli and encode this information for appropriate central processing. Historically, the basis for this diversity of sensory specializations has been poorly understood. In addition, the relationship between cutaneous mechanosensory afferents and resident skin cells, including keratinocytes, Merkel cells, and Schwann cells, during the development and function of tactile receptors has been poorly defined. In this article, we will discuss conserved tactile end organs in the epidermis and hair follicles, with a focus on recent advances in our understanding that have emerged from studies of mouse hairy skin.
Use of picosecond optical pulses and FET's integrated with printed circuit antennas to generate millimeter wave radiation

Millimeter-wave radiation has been generated from field effect transistors (FETs) and high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), integrated with printed circuit antennas and illuminated with picosecond optical pulses. Modulation of the millimeter waves was achieved by applying a swept RF signal to the transistor gate. Using this technique, tunable electrical sidebands were added to the optically generated carrier providing a method of transmitting information. The technique also provides increased resolution for use in spectroscopic applications. Heterodyne detection demonstrated that the system continuously generated tunable radiation, constrained by the high-gain antenna, from 45 to 75 GHz. >