cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
History of Medicine in US Medical School Curricula

Abstract Study Objective To determine the extent to which the history of medicine (HOM) and its related topics are included within the curriculum of accredited medical schools in the United States. Design Survey instrument. Setting US allopathic medical schools. Measurements An online survey was sent to officials from every medical school in the US. Respondents were asked to provide institutional identifiers, the presence of an HOM elective offered to medical students, the years during which the elective is offered, the existence of an HOM department, and the contact information for that particular department. Nonresponders were contacted by phone to elicit the same information. History of medicine electives included didactic sessions and seminars with varying degrees of credit offered in different years of medical school. Main Results Based on responses from 119 of 121 contacted medical schools (98%), 45 (37%) included formal lectures or weekly seminars in the medical school curriculum. Five (11%) curricula had or have required HOM, whereas 89% offered elective HOM instruction. Course duration and credit awarded varied. Eighteen (15%) medical schools included departments dedicated to HOM. Providing education in HOM was limited by faculty interest, clinical training hours, and low interest. Conclusions Data collected by our study suggest that substantial barriers exist within the academic medical community towards a wider acceptance of the importance of HOM. Causes for such lack of interest include absence of questions on written or oral tests related to HOM, difficulty in publishing articles related to HOM in peer reviewed journals, near absence of research grants in HOM, difficulty in getting academic promotions or recognition for activities related to HOM, and a lack of support from academic chairpersons for activities related to HOM.
Epidemiology of Blood Lipids and Lipoproteins

Cholesterol levels in adults are related to several lifestyle factors, including obesity, cigarette smoking, ethanol intake, and physical activity. Higher levels generally confer greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. The key determinants for higher levels of atherogenic lipids measured as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) include high dietary saturated fat, high dietary cholesterol, and low dietary polyunsaturated fat. The key determinants of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), which is associated with greater CVD risk, include male sex, androgen use, progestin use, estrogen deficiency, adiposity, cigarette use, low alcohol intake, diabetes mellitus, and low dietary saturated fat. Mean cholesterol levels have generally risen in the past several decades in regions around the world where the economy is developing. On the other hand, in the developed regions of the world such as the USA and Western Europe, mean cholesterol levels in adults have generally stayed the same or declined modestly.
γ-Aminobutyric Acid Binding and Content in Density Gradient Subfractions of Mouse Brain

Publisher Summary This chapter presents studies to determine whether the different compartments could be separated physically by means of density gradient centrifugation, and, if possible, to identify by electron microscopic examination the morphological entities in which they might exist. Studies of Elliott and Van Gelder that indicated the presence of 1- 14 C-γ-aminobutyric acid (γABA) in the sedimentable material of brain homogenates were extended by the demonstration that exogenous γABA can be accumulated by brain particulate fractions in the presence of NaCl. More recent studies in laboratory have suggested that some of the fractions of the saline-treated particulates may have two or perhaps more pools of γABA, which may reside in different morphological structures.
Performance Bounds in Queueing Networks

Optimal controls for many multiclass queueing networks are complex and intractable to compute. This paper surveys computable performance bounds. The primary focus is sequencing and scheduling control in open networks to minimize the long run average number of customers, or a weighted average over different customer classes. Lower bounds are given for any policy and, in some cases, upper bounds for a class of policies. Closed networks are considered briefly. Many of these bounds require only solving a linear program. Some pathwise bounds are also discussed. Keywords: Markov decision process; achievable region method; approximate linear programming; queueing network; pathwise bounds
Agreement and its failures.

Reviewed by (Elly van Gelderen)This book is a revised version of Preminger's 2011 MIT PhD, entitled ‘Agreement as a fallible operation’. The main focus of the book (and the dissertation) is on the ...
Assessment and evaluation: lessons learned by coalitions

Summary form only given. Sixty engineering institutions have participated in the NSF supported Engineering Education Coalitions Program. Within a collaborative coalition structure, faculty, staff and students have worked together to design, implement and institutionalize engineering curriculum reform and innovations. The approach to reform varies by each coalition and by institution. Regardless of approach, the question to answer is whether these reform activities have had the intended impact on engineering education. An integral part of each coalition's strategy has been to assess and evaluate the impact of these reform activities. This paper explores what has been learned over the past five years from assessment and evaluation initiatives.
Classification-Driven Pathological Neuroimage Retrieval Using Statistical Asymmetry Measures

This paper reports our methodology and initial results on volumetric pathological neuroimage retrieval. A set of novel image features are computed to quantify the statistical distributions of approximate bilateral asymmetry of normal and pathological human brains. We apply memory-based learning method to find the most-discriminative feature subset through image classification according to predefined semantic categories. Finally, this selected feature subset is used as indexing features to retrieve medically similar images under a semantic-based image retrieval framework. Quantitative evaluations are provided.
Research, Publication, and Service Patterns of Florida Academic Librarians.

In an effort to establish benchmarks for comparison to national trends, a web-based survey explored the research, publication, and service activities of Florida academic librarians. Participants ranked the importance of professional activities to the tenure/promotion process. Findings suggest that perceived tenure and promotion demands do influence research productivity.
Case report: Haemorrhagic hepatic adenoma — MR features

Hepatic adenomas are incidentally detected with increasing frequency after imaging the abdomen for unrelated pathology. We report the CT and MR features of an asymptomatic hepatic adenoma with evidence of subclinical intratumoral haemorrhage.
Short-term Trajectories of Substance Use in a sample of Drug-involved Probationers

The current study estimates trajectories of illegal substance use in a sample of 251 drug-involved probationers to identify risk profiles that predict group membership and explores the impact of treatment participation across these trajectories. Trajectory analyses reveal five patterns of drug use during probation supervision. Age and the use of hard drugs are identified as the strongest predictors of involvement in illicit drug use while on probation. The effect of participation in substance use treatment varies across treatment settings and trajectory groups. Prior research has tended to treat drug abusers as a homogeneous population, but the current study findings suggest considerable heterogeneity amongst drug users involved in the criminal justice system. Identifying trajectories of drug use during supervision can help identify individuals who may be more likely to persist in drug use, can inform practice by identifying individuals in need of more intensive treatment services, and can assist in developing new drug treatment strategies.
CYTOKINETICS OF RAT TRACHEAL EPITHELIUM STIMULATED BY MECHANICAL TRAUMA

Mild abrasion of rat tracheal epithelium results in irreversible damage to the superficial cells and stimulates the viable basal cells to participate in a nearly synchronous wave of DNA synthesis and mitosis. For the growth population as a whole, DNA synthesis started at 14 hr after injury and persisted for 16 hr. The duration of S in individual cells was determined autoradiographically by identifying the time at which a second pulse of DNA precursor (14C-TdR) was no longer incorporated by cells labelled with 3H-TdR at the onset of S. S was found to be 8-9 hr long. It was also determined that cells entering S at later times synthesized DNA for the same 8-9 hr period. TG2 was calculated to be 2 1/2-3 1/2 hr by subtraction of TS and 1/2TM from the period from onset of DNA synthesis to metaphase. By making a second denuding lesion adjacent to the first injury, the cells were stimulated through at least another period of S. At the peak of the second wave of DNA synthesis (50 hr after injury) 14C-TdR was present in the same cells which had incorporated 3H-TdR administered at the mid-point of the preceeding synthetic phase. The 28-hr interval between these two peaks of synthesis is the measure of cell cycle duration for these regenerating tracheal epithelial cells.
Small Organic Farm Renewable Energy Demonstration Project Based on Incremental Capital Investment and Community Participation

Rising fuel prices, energy security, and climate-change awareness are all incentives for farmers to implement efficiency measures and renewable energy systems, such that all or part of a farm's energy needs are produced locally. This practice, known as clean energy farming, complements principles of sustainable agriculture such as promoting environmental stewardship, reducing dependence on nonrenewable resources, increasing economic viability, and strengthening farm families and society as a whole. Farmers who entertain moving toward a more sustainable energy portfolio are often unsure where to begin and how to approach such an endeavor. This uncertainty, combined with the perceived enormity of the task, create an insurmountable roadblock for many. Overcoming these barriers and engaging in small-scale renewable energy projects can benefit the farmer and the larger community. Exposure to such projects is an invaluable means of fostering support for renewable energy as it helps the public better appreciate the human ecological connection between daily energy consumption, the source of that energy, and the overall effect on the environment. The central objective of this paper is to demonstrate a model for sustainable energy for a working farm based on community participation and incremental capital investment. A small organic farm was used as the model to show how to migrate toward energy independence through efficiency and conservation measures, and the incorporation of technologies based on renewable resources. It is a portfolio approach, which allows for multiple technologies such as wind, solar, biomass, and efficiency measures to be implemented over time as funds become available.
Triggered automaticity in canine myocardial infarction

Abstract We report finding oscillatory afterdepolarizations exhibiting triggered automaticity during experimental myocardial infarction in dogs. This phenomenon may constitute a mechanism for tachyarrhythmias after myocardial infarction.
Effects of in vivo administration of growth hormone on milk production and in vitro hepatic metabolism in dairy cattle.

Abstract Bovine growth hormone (50 IU/d) or placebo injections were administered for 11 consecutive d to Holstein cows (four per treatment) in midlactation. Growth hormone injections increased milk yield, efficiency of milk production, and concentrations of growth hormone and free fatty acids in plasma. Concentrations of β -hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate in whole blood and glucose in plasma were not affected by treatment. Liver biopsies were taken from both groups of cows 8 d prior to and on the last day of injection. Liver slices were used for in vitro incubations with carbon-14-labeled propionate, alanine, butyrate, and palmitate. Rates of substrate metabolism before and after placebo treatment were similar. Compared with pretreatment, however, liver slices from cows receiving growth hormone had significantly higher rates of propionare conversion to both glucose and carbon dioxide. There was also a nonsignificant increase in rate of alanine conversion to glucose and carbon dioxide. Growth hormone treatment did not change in vitro production of ketones or carbon dioxide from butyrate or palminate. Results indicate that growth hormone increases hepatic capacity for propionate metabolism and supports the concept that growth hormone partitions fatty acids for preferential use by mammary tissue.
Development of diffuse correlation techniques for non-invasive measurement of cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism in rats:

Our group has pioneered the development of diffuse correlation tomography (DCT) for measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) through the intact skull in animal models and finally in adult human brain. By combining DCT with simultaneous diffuse optical tomography(DOT) which images changes in oxyhemoglobin (rHbO2), deoxyhemoglobin (rHb) and total hemoglobin (rTHC) concentrations, and blood oxygen saturation (dYt), we can derive an image of the relative cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (rCMRO2). Previously, we have obtained images in rat brain during hypercapnia 1 and focal transient ischemia 2, and now present data in cortical spreading depression (CSD). The development of this technique enables us to carry out longitudinal studies in small animals relatively noninvasively. After validating the combined DOT/DCT technique using a well characterized system (hypercapnia) 1, we then obtained data in a middle cerebral artery occlusion model in the rat 2. In the penumbra, rCBF decreased to 424%, dYt decreased by 114% and rCMRO2 decreased to 594%. These data are in reasonable agreement with values reported in the literature and were the first images of rCMRO2 obtained by diffuse optical methods. Recently, we have induced cortical spreading depression (CSD) in twenty-six rats by applying KCl through a burr hole over the parietal cortex under hypocapnia, normocapnia, and hypercapnia. Figure 1a shows images of rCBF at selected time points and at different depths. A region of increased CBF progressed from the point where the KCl was applied, spreading throughout the cortex. The observed response was mainly constrained to the upper cortex, illustrating the depth selectivity of the imaging technique (Figure 1b). We observed significant correlations of the peak amplitude of rCBF and frequency of the CSD waves with alterations in pCO2 (Figure 1c). Similar results were obtained in the oxygenation and CMRO2 images. By imaging multiple parameters simultaneously we are able to characterize the CSD physiology more thoroughly than usual DOT. Overall these results have validated and demonstrated the utility of DCT methods in obtaining 3D dimensional, dynamic images of blood flow and hence enabling measurement of CMRO2. We discuss the extension of this technique to measurements in the adult human in an accompanying abstract.
A web-based fuzzy expert system for frost warnings in horticultural crops

Frost damage is responsible for more economic losses than any other weather related phenomenon in the United States (USA) and many other regions across the globe. With sufficient warning, producers can minimize the potential damages caused by frost and freeze events. However, the severity of these events is dependent upon several factors including air temperature, dew point temperature, and wind speed. Methods for assessing this risk are not easily quantifiable and require the insight of experts familiar with the process. Georgia's Extreme-weather Neural-network Informed Expert (GENIE) incorporates the knowledge of expert agrometeorologists and additional information on air temperature, dew point temperature, and wind speed into a fuzzy expert system for use by Georgia producers to provide warning levels of frost and freeze for blueberries and peaches. Artificial neural network (ANN) predictions of air temperature and dew point temperature across the state of Georgia for one to 12 h ahead and observed wind speed are used as input variables for this fuzzy expert system. Meteorological conditions were classified into five levels of frost and freeze by the expert agrometeorologists. These expertly classified scenarios were then used to develop fuzzy logic rules and membership functions for GENIE. Additional scenarios were presented to GENIE for evaluation and it classified all scenarios correctly. This tool will be made available to Georgia producers through a web-based interface, which can be found at www.georgiaweather.net.
Male Singing Ability and Territory Integrity in Red-Winged Blackbirds (Ageliaus Phoeniceus)

During the breeding seasons of 1974 and 1976 three territorial male Red-winged Blackbirds were devocalized utilizing a technique which involved cutting the membrane of the interclavicular air sac. As a result, males were devocalized or muted for a period ranging between 14 and 21 days, after which time they regained their ability to sing typical song. One sham operated male and 10 "undisturbed" neighbouring residents served as control males. The frequency and length of intrusions by a devocalized male's neighbours increased markedly during a male's mute period. Sidling, a highly visual and apparently aggressive behavior, increased dramatically during the time a male was muted. After the experimental males regained their ability to sing species typical song they were successful in regaining territory boundaries which approached or exceeded the pre-operative dimension. It was concluded that 1) under the conditions of this study muted males were not as effective in excluding potential or actual intruders from their territories as when they could produce song; 2) visual dispalys (sidling) are utilized more frequently by devocalized males because of the persistence of intruding males on devocalized males' territories.
Frequency stabilized modelocked laser for photonic signal processing

Frequency stabilized modelocked lasers have recently garnered much attention owing to their potential in metrology, communications, and signal processing applications. The possibility of optical source technology that is economical, compact, and electrically efficient suggests that semiconductor gain media could allow frequency stabilized ultrafast sources to rapidly gain a foothold in communication and signal processing applications. This work will summarize recent work in the area of stabilized modelocked semiconductor diode lasers, and highlight unique features that will impact photonic signal processing applications.
Treatment of abdominal wall eventrations associated with abdominoplasty techniques

An experimental and clinical study using alloplastic materials (Marlex and Prolene mesh) for repairing large defects of the abdominal wall is reported. A defect was created in the experimental model to simulate an anatomical disarrangement of the musculo-aponeuroticfascial complex of the abdominal wall and the surgical correction of this deformity. Macroscopic and microscopic observations of the operated area were done to demonstrate the good integration of the surrounding tissues with the mesh. In a clinical study, 16 patients, presenting large eventrations of the abdominal wall, were surgically treated using Marlex or Prolene mesh to reinforce the abdominal wall. Two techniques of abdominoplasty, vertical and horizontal, were performed on these patients, according to the location of previous scars. The advantages of using alloplastic materials to reinforce the abdominal wall and the cosmetic results of both abdominoplasty techniques are discussed.
Weight status and weight dissatisfaction of college students enrolled in a basic nutrition course

It has been suggested that general dissatisfaction with body weight, or anorexia-like behaviour, may be higher in students majoring in home economics, specifically dietetics, than in students in non-food and nutrition majors. This observation may be problematic in a student's future personal life or professional practice. The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence of general dissatisfaction with body weight, compared with actual body weight, in a group of college students enrolled in an introductory nutrition course. The sample included 169 female and 41 male students. Mean body weight and body mass index were 110 ± 20·7% of ideal and 23·4 ± 4·4, respectively. Dissatisfaction with weight was reported by the majority of students, especially females (76·2%). A significant relationship was found between reported weight dissatisfaction and actual weight status for females (P < 0·001). Furthermore, more females in dietetics were dissatisfied with weight (83%) than females in other majors (75%) although the difference was not significant. These results suggest that, while weight dissatisfaction was not significantly higher in dietetic majors, the high incidence of dissatisfaction in all females is a concern. There are, therefore, potential implications for the educational strategies of home economics faculties regarding appropriate attitudes about weight status and food.
Curcumin amorphous solid dispersions: the influence of intra and intermolecular bonding on physical stability

We have investigated the physical stability of amorphous curcumin dispersions and the role of curcumin-polymer intermolecular interactions in delaying crystallization. Curcumin is an interesting model compound as it forms both intra and intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the crystal. A structurally diverse set of amorphous dispersion polymers was investigated; poly(vinylpyrrolidone), Eudragit E100, carboxymethyl cellulose acetate butyrate, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and HPMC-acetate succinate. Mid-infrared spectroscopy was used to determine and quantify the extent of curcumin-polymer interactions. Physical stability under different environmental conditions was monitored by powder X-ray diffraction. Curcumin chemical stability was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Isolation of stable amorphous curcumin was difficult in the absence of polymers. Polymers proved to be effective curcumin crystallization inhibitors enabling the production of amorphous solid dispersions; however, the polymers showed very different abilities to inhibit crystallization during long-term storage. Curcumin intramolecular hydrogen bonding reduced the extent of its hydrogen bonding with polymers; hence most polymers were not highly effective crystallization inhibitors. Overall, polymers proved to be crystallization inhibitors, but inhibition was limited due to the intramolecular hydrogen bonding in curcumin, which leads to a decrease in the ability of the polymers to interact at a molecular level.
Scientists observe near‐inertial wave trapped in Gulf Stream eddy

During a research cruise in September 2009, Joyce et al. detected for the first time the existence of a near-inertial wave trapped within most of a 90 kilometer-diameter warm-core eddy in the Gulf Stream. Just as oceanic gravitational waves are driven by the counterbalancing forces of gravity and buoyancy, inertial waves are driven by the wind and the inertial Coriolis force. The downward propagating wave that the authors detected was bounded by the clockwise-rotating eddy.
The Effects of Sulfur Dioxide on Pulmonary Function in Healthy Nonsmoking Male Subjects Aged 55 Years and Older

To determine whether normal nonsmoking individuals aged 55 years or greater have heightened bronchial reactivity to inhaled SO2, ten male subjects, 55 to 73 years of age, were exposed for 20 min at rest and 10 min during moderate exercise on a treadmill to the following: 1) NaCl droplet aerosol, or 2) 1.0 ppm of SO2 and NaCl droplet aerosol. Seven of the subjects also were exposed to 0.5 ppm SO2 and NaCl droplet aerosol. Significant decreases in forced expiratory volume in one sec (FEV1) were seen 2-3 min post-exercise following all three test modes. The reduction in FEV1 seen after NaCl aerosol +1.0 ppm SO2 was significantly greater than that seen after NaCl aerosol alone. The results show that men aged 55 years or older are somewhat more sensitive to NaCl aerosol +1.0 ppm SO2 than similarly exposed normal adolescents, but not nearly as sensitive as asthmatic subjects. This study also demonstrates that investigations of air pollutants and exercise can be undertaken in subjects of this age.
Parotid secretions in cystic fibrosis. Effect on zeta potential of tracheal mucus.

Abstract Parotid saliva of cystic fibrosis patients demonstrates a significantly different effect on zeta potential of mucus than that of normals. The effect is not due to high electrolyte levels found in cystic saliva. A long time increase in zeta potential is probably due to a high α-amylase content of cystic saliva; however a significant initial decrease is due to adsorption of a basic polyelectrolyte on the glycoprotein substrate. This factor may be the same as those identified by other investigators in cystic serum and secretions.
Achilles' heel cleavage: creation of rare restriction sites in λ phage genomes and evaluation of additional operators, repressors and restriction/modification systems

Abstract A novel technique for the creation of rare restriction sites was described by Koob et al. [Science 241 (1988) 1084–1086]. This technique, Achilles' heel cleavage (AC), relies on the use of a bound repressor molecule to protect only one of many identical restriction sites from a modification methyltransferase that inactivates all other restriction sites. The technique was applied to a small plasmid and shown to work efficiently with two repressor/operator systems: lac repressor/lacO operator and λ repressor /λo L 1 operator. Here, we have extended these results to a lac operator carried by a much larger vector, namely a 44-kb phage λ construct. In addition, we have evaluated the effect of altering the stability of the lac repressor/lac operator complex by varying both the operator and the repressor. We have also evaluated several more restriction/modification systems (MboI, Dam, MspI and AluI) in addition to HhaII and HaeII used earlier. Finally, we extended the AC technique to a third system, that of the phage 434 repressor and a synthetic 434 operator. From our results we conclude that the AC method should be applicable to the mapping of large genomes and to measuring the strength of operator-repressor interactions. AC could also be applied to identifying and evaluating many different DNA-binding proteins and their sites of action.
Energy Efficiency Metrics

This presentation addresses the questions: why metrics and what makes a good metric. It then looks at metrics for data centers, infrastructure, sustainability and compute performance.
The pattern of prolactin secretion during pseudopregnancy in the rat: a daily nocturnal surge.

The patterns of prolactin secretion during the estrous cycle and pseudopregnancy were determined in rats bearing chronic aortic catheters from which blood samples were withdrawn at 2-hr intervals throughout both reproductive states. Prolactin concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Except for the spontaneous proestrus surges observed at the beginning and end of the blood collection, plasma prolactin concentrations during the estrous cycle were low, never rising above 10 ng/ml. In pseudopregnant animals, prolactin concentrations were highly erratic but significantly elevated during the 24 hr period following cervical stimulation. Beginning on day 1 and at approximately 24-hr intervals thereafter through day 11, a surge of prolactin secretion occurred, beginning at 0100 hr, peaking at 0300–0500 hr and terminating by 0900–1100 hr. Maximal mean prolactin values during the surges ranged from 40–110 ng/ml. These daily nocturnal surges of pseudopregnancy alternate daily with a period from 1100 hr to ...
Lattice changes in spinel-type iron chromites

Abstract X-ray powder studies have been made of structure deformations arising on cooling spinel-type iron chromite compounds with compositions of the form FeFe2−xCrxO4 below room temperature. Approximate measurements of Curie temperatures have also been carried out over the entire composition range x = 0 to x = 2. A tetragonal distortion with c/a greater than one is first detected at x = 1.0 and increases in magnitude up to x ⩾ 1.3. With higher values of x the deformation is orthorhombic and results from a separate [001] expansion and [100] contraction, giving the sequence cubic → tetragonal → orthorhombic on cooling. As x is increased to 2 the second of these deformations predominates and in FeCr2O4 the lattice distortion is tetragonal with c/a less than one. The nature and magnitude of the distortions are considered in relation to the probable cation distribution in tetrahedral and octahedral sites. The observed structure changes in these compounds are difficult to explain on the theory of covalent bonding of either octahedral or tetrahedral cations. It is suggested that the deformations may arise from strong negative B-B type interactions of the form Fe3+-Fe3+, Fe3+-Cr3+ or Cr3+-Cr3+ operating through super-exchange or semicovalent-exchange mechanisms.
Preoperative irradiation for carcinoma of the rectum and rectosigmoid colon: Report of a national veterans administration randomized study

In 1964 the Veterans Administration Surgical Adjuvant Group (VASAG) initiated a large-scale, controlled, randomized protocol to study the role of low-dose preoperative irradiation (2000-2500 rads/10fractions/12 days) in patients with operable adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon and rectum. This report analyzes the data in 700 patients, all at 5-year risk. There appears to be a definate benefit to irradiated patients who undergo abdominoperineal resections, when compared with the controls. This advantage is reflected in improvement of 5-year survival, and reduction in lymph node invasion, local recurrence, and distant metastases. A second protocol has been initiated in 30 VA hospitals employing a higher dose (3150 rads) to extended portals (toL2) to male patients who require abdominoperineal resections.
Development of oxidative metabolism in the non-innervated optic lobe of the chick.

Early removal of the optic cup of the chick embryo prevents innervation of the contralateral optic lobe. This reduces the rate of development of citrate synthetase. The posthatch increase of the level of this enzyme related to oxidative metabolism is not impaired by denervation of the chick optic lobe.
Optical interconnection testbed using fiber image guides

We present an optical interconnection system that transfers 3- D optical data packets among network nodes using fiber image guides. The fiber image guides (FIGs) are potentially easier to align and package and more flexible in their application than alternative techniques. The testbed system includes a reconfigurable field programmable gate array (FPGA), a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) receiver array, and an optoelectronic very large-scale integrated (OE-VLSI) monolithic smart pixel device. The smart pixel device contains vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and metal - semiconductor-metal (MSM) detectors, and performs optical I/Os for the electronic devices. The TIA receiver chip is used with the MSM detectors to convert photodetected current signals into 5V CMOS compatible signals. These components are mounted on a printed circuit board for testing and evaluation of integrated monolithic OEIC designs. We discuss techniques for butt-coupling the fiber image guides to the VCSEL array and optimizing the coupling distance for VCSEL output. The optical signals are transferred most efficiently through the core fibers in FIGs. When the position of the incident beam is near the center of the cladding the power loss is significant. The system demonstrates high data transmission rates over 16 channels with low crosstalk.
An economic analysis of the prevention of peste des petits ruminants in Nigerien goats

Abstract Recent serological evidence and clinical observations have indicated that small-ruminant plague (peste des petits ruminants, PPR) may be a major constraint to small-ruminant production in the pastoral zone of central Niger. In 1986, the Government of Niger made a decision to vaccinate the national small-ruminant herd against PPR. In order to determine the potential effectiveness of this decision, a 5-year dynamic herd model of the national goat herd of Niger was constructed. The age and sex demographics for this model were based on data collected from the 30 herds used in the PPR point prevalence survey. Population and production parameters used in this model were based on data collected in several studies of goat production in Niger. Economic analyses (net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR)) of the benefits of the PPR vaccination programme were made, and sensitivity analyses on various discount rates, vaccination costs, and animal market values were done. The PPR vaccination programme instituted by the Government of Niger appears to be highly beneficial with an anticipated NPV return in 5 years of 24 million dollars (IRR > 900%) following an investment of 2 million dollars; there would be an anticipated minimum NPV return of 14 million dollars with an investment of 10 million dollars (IRR > 100%) if the cost of the vaccination programme were to increase five-fold.
Femtosecond Thomson scattering X-ray source based on laser wakefield accelerator for ultrafast X-ray absorption spectroscopy

A novel source of femtosecond keV X-ray pulses based on Thomson scattering from a terawatt laser wakefield accelerator is being developed for chemical studies. The characteristics of the source, based on recent calculations and experiments, are discussed. Due to its short pulse duration, high flux and collimation this X-ray source is very well suited for ultrafast time-resolved X-ray absorption experiments to study short-living transient structures in gasses, liquids and solids. As an example of such an experiment, we propose to study the solvent-solute dynamics in charge-transfer-to-solvent processes.
Asian Spies, American Motors, and Speculations on the Space — Time of Value

How do strategists' decisions regarding the organization of corporate resources reflect the interplay of power and identity within the firm? And what is at stake for the production of value? These are the questions I address through the presentation of an ethnographic study I conducted in the Asian and Mexican facilities of a multinational firm that produces outboard motors and boats. I draw attention to a particular moment in this corporation's history when a group of US – American engineers try to prohibit corporate support for a new product designed by the company's Hong Kong Chinese engineers. When the Asian engineers defy their American colleagues' directives, they are referred to as ‘Asian spies’ and are threatened with dismissal. In this case, I demonstrate how these nationalist turf-battles inside a corporation are struggles over the form of value itself. They are battles over how the materials of value are recognized as such across a corporation's employees and within the commodities it manufactures.
Anxiogenic-Like Effects of Spontaneous and Naloxone-Precipitated Opiate Withdrawal in the Elevated Plus-Maze

Abstract Withdrawal from opiates and other drugs of abuse in human addicts is associated with a state of anxiety that may be of motivational relevance for the maintenance of drug addiction. Previous attempts with rats to model the anxiogenic-like effects of opiate withdrawal using the elevated plus-maze have met with mixed success. The current study sought to determine whether spontaneous and naloxone-precipitated opiate withdrawal could be observed reliably in rats made dependent on morphine through implantation of two morphine pellets (75 mg morphine base each). Seventy-two hours after implantation of either morphine or placebo pellets, rats were tested in the elevated plus-maze. In Experiment 1, pellets were removed 8 or 12 h prior to test; results indicated an anxiogenic-like effect (reduction in time spent in the open arms) of opiate withdrawal at 8 but not 12 h postpellet removal. In Experiment 2, pellets were not removed, but withdrawal was precipitated with naloxone (0.003–0.03 mg/kg SC). Naloxone dose dependently precipitated a reduction in exploration of the open arms of the plus-maze. The results suggest that both spontaneous and precipitated withdrawal from continuous morphine administration via pellet implantation result in demonstrable anxiogenic-like effects in the plus-maze.
Mechanism of exchange striction of ferroelectricity in multiferroic orthorhombic HoMnO 3 single crystals

$E$-type perovskite magnet HoMnO${}_{3}$ is considered to be a prototype Mn-Mn exchange-striction driven multiferroic. We have grown orthorhombic HoMnO${}_{3}$ single crystals and studied the directional dependence of their electric polarization P. The direction of P is not along the crystallographic $a$ axis, as predicted, but along the $c$ axis. The magnetic state is incommensurate. The direction P along the $c$ axis is primarily induced by Ho-Mn exchange striction, and Mn-Mn striction in the incommensurate spin state leads to an antiferroelectric order along the $a$ axis. We predict the rotation of P with temperature in commensurate $E$-type $R$MnO${}_{3}$ ($R$ denotes magnetic rare earth).
Underlying heterogeneity: a problem for biological, philosophical, and other analyses of heritability?

Claims that some human trait, say, IQ test score at age 18, show high heritability derive from analysis of data from relatives. For example, the similarity of monozygotic twins (which share all their genes) can be compared with the similarity of dizygotic twins (which do not share all their genes). The more that the former quantity exceeds the latter, the higher the trait’s ‘‘heritability.’’ Researchers and commentators often describe such calculations as showing how much a trait is ‘‘heritable’’ or ‘‘genetic.’’ However, no genes or measurable, transmissable genetic factors (e.g., alleles, tandem repeats, chromosomal inversions) are examined in deriving heritability estimates, nor does the method of analysis suggest where to look for them. Moreover, even if the similarity among twins or a set of close relatives is associated with similarity of yet-to-be-identified genetic factors, the factors may not be the same from one set of relatives to the next, or from one situation to the next. In other words, the underlying factors may be heterogeneous .I t could be that pairs of alleles, say, AAbbcbDDee, subject to a sequence of environmental factors, say, FghiJ, are associated, all other things being equal, with the same outcomes as alleles aabbCCDDEE subject to a sequence of environmental factors FgHiJ. That heritability estimates are not helpful in identifying the specific genetic factors has been noted by prominent researchers (e.g., Rutter 2002, p. 4), but the possible heterogeneity of factors that underlie patterns in observed traits has not been flagged as an issue, either by quantitative geneticists or by critical commentators on heritability research (e.g., Downes 2004 and references therein). A conference session that involved members of three Societies—Social Studies of Science, History of Science, and Philosophy of Science—was held in November 2006 to stimulate interest among a range of scholars in the scientific, philosophical,
Educational Validity: Procedures to Evaluate Outcomes in Programs for Severely Handicapped Learners.

Documentation of positive outcomes for severely handicapped learners as a function of their educational programs is receiving increased attention as the major focus of program development, monitori...
Axonal transport in the asymmetric optic axons of flatfish.

Abstract Axonal transport of protein was studied in the asymmetric optic axons of adult flounders, Pseudopleuronectes americanus . In these animals, the right optic nerve averaged 36% longer than the left optic nerve. There was no significant difference between the two sides in optic tract length or retinal ganglion cell body size. 3 H-Proline was injected into the eyes and the amount of labeled protein accumulating in the optic tectum at selected intervals was measured by liquid scintillation counting. The rate at which proteins traveled with the fast component was estimated at 20–24 mm/day in both long and short axons; labeled protein, therefore, arrived in the right tectum earlier than in the left tectum. No such difference in accumulation of labeled protein could be demonstrated in the two tecta at longer intervals, suggesting that the rate of slow transport is not identical in the long and short axons, but that the net rate is greater in the longer axons. A consistently greater amount of labeled protein reached the right tectum at the longer intervals, indicating a greater utilization of the newly synthesized protein by the longer axons. The rate of slow transport thus seems to be influenced by the length of axon, perhaps in response to a greater rate of utilization of transported material required by the longer anox.
A multidisciplinary therapeutic approach for advanced previously untreated: Epidermoid cancer of the head and neck: Preliminary report

Abstract A pilot study was conducted using two courses of cis -diamminedichloroplatinum, vincristine (Oncovin), and bleomycin (COB) every three weeks prior to surgery(s) and/or radiotherapy in 34 patients with advanced previously untreated epidermoid cancer of the head and neck. All patients received at least one course of chemotherapy; 7 are too early for evaluation. Responses to chemotherapy were dramatic and occurred within a few days. Sixteen patients had partial remission (PR) (59.3%), 9 had minimal response (MR) (33.3%) and 2 had stable disease after one course of COB. Twenty-two patients completed a second course of chemotherapy, 6 (27.3%) had complete remission (CR), 13 (59.1%) had PR, 1 had MR and 2 had stable disease. Objective remission correlated with subjective improvement. Drug toxicity were tolerable and acceptable. Eight patients had surgical resection after chemotherapy, followed by post-operative radiation therapy, and one patient had pre-operative radiation therapy before the tumor was considered resectable. Twelve patients underwent radiotherapy, including patients with CR after chemotherapy. Presently there is no evidence of local recurrence with the longest follow-up of 15+ months. In this preliminary report, the effectiveness and feasibility of this combined modality therapy is established; further study is needed to prove its value in prolonging disease-free period and survival.
Diode-laser-based detector for doublet peak measurements in flow injection analysis

Double peaks may be obtained in a single-line flow injection manifold if, by the time the reaction zone reaches the detector, there has been insufficient interspersion of the sample and reagent so that the sample is in excess over the reagent in the center of the reaction zone. The time between the peaks (Δt) in a doublet profile in flow injection analysis (FIA) can be related to other experimental parameters by the equation Δt = (V/Q)ln{Cs[exp(Vi/V) - 1]/CR} (1) for the
Monovalent cation effects on intermolecular purine-purine-pyrimidine triple-helix formation

Abstract The binding of a 19-mer guanosine-rich oligodeoxyribonucleotide, TG3TG4TG4TG3T (ODN 1), to a complementary polypurine DNA target was investigated by DNase I footprinting and restriction endonuclease protection assays. Monovalent cations inhibited intermolecular purine-purine-pyrimidine triple-helical DNA formation, with K+ and Rb+ being most effective, followed by NH4+ and Na+. Li+ and Cs+ had little to no effect. Similar results were observed with the G/A-rich oligonucleotide AG3AG4AG4AG3AGCT. Kinetic studies indicated that monovalent cations interfered with oligonucleotide-duplex DNA association but did not significantly promote triplex dissociation. The observed order of monovalent cation inhibition of triplex formation is reminiscent of their effect on tetraplex formation with G/T-rich oligonucleotides. However, using electrophoretic mobility shift assays we found that the oligonucleotide ODN 1 did not appear to form a four-stranded species under conditions promoting tetraplex formation. Taken together, our data suggest that processes other than the self-association of oligonucleotides into tetraplexes might be involved in the inhibitory effect of monovalent cations on purine-pyrimidine-purine triplex formation.
Elevated temperature cracking of RSP aluminum alloy 8009: Characterization of the environmental influence

Degradation of the material properties of the Al alloy is examined to determine the effects of moist air and predissolved hydrogen on elevated-temperature fatigue and fracture resistance. Experiments are conducted at 175 C in both moist air and high vacuum with as-processed specimens and specimens that are vacuum-heat-treated. Fracture mechanics characterizations are made for initiation and propagation fracture toughnesses during rising load, fatigue-crack propagation kinetics, and sustained-load crack-growth rates. Time-dependent embrittlement at intermediate temperatures is identified in both plate and extrusion samples of the Al-Fe-Si-V alloy 8009. Intermediate temperature cracking is found to be the same for each case in both vacuum and moist air, and the vacuum heat treatment does not significantly affect the results.
Energy Dependence of Plutonium Fission-Product Yields

Abstract A method is developed for interpolating between and/or extrapolating from two pre-neutron-emission first-chance mass-asymmetric fission-product yield curves. Measured 240 Pu spontaneous fission and thermal-neutron-induced fission of 239 Pu fission-product yields (FPY) are extrapolated to give predictions for the energy dependence of the n + 239 Pu FPY for incident neutron energies from 0 to 16 MeV. After the inclusion of corrections associated with mass-symmetric fission, prompt-neutron emission, and multi-chance fission, model calculated FPY are compared to data and the ENDF/B-VII.1 evaluation. The ability of the model to reproduce the energy dependence of the ENDF/B-VII.1 evaluation suggests that plutonium fission mass distributions are not locked in near the fission barrier region, but are instead determined by the temperature and nuclear potential-energy surface at larger deformation.
Postcombustion hydrocarbon oxidation in a spark ignition engine

Postcombustion oxidation plays a significant role in reducing engine-out hydrocarbon emission levels and is a complicated process depending on in-cylinder temperatures, stoichiometries, and flows. A research program addressing the role of chemical kinetics, fluid mechanics, and engine operating conditions and their relative importance in the process of postocombustion hydrocarbon oxidation has been conducted. Initially, the role of mixing and kinetics on in-cylinder postcombustion hydrocarbon oxidation was examined using gaseous hydrocarbons with carbon number less than six. Cycle-averaged exhaust manifold sampling results showed that fuel structure plays a significant role in determining emissions levels, and time-resolved exhaust port sampling data indicated that the extent of hydrocarbon oxidation is highest during the expansion process and decreases significantly during the exhaust process. Subsequently, an exhaust port tracer technology was developed and applied to investigate the importance of port temperature, kinetics, and mixing in the exhaust port oxidation processes. Minimum exhaust port temperatures for hydrocarbon oxidation range between 1300 and 1500 K.