cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engineering hydrogels as extracellular matrix mimics

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex cellular environment consisting of proteins, proteoglycans, and other soluble molecules. ECM provides structural support to mammalian cells and a regulatory milieu with a variety of important cell functions, including assembling cells into various tissues and organs, regulating growth and cell–cell communication. Developing a tailored in vitro cell culture environment that mimics the intricate and organized nanoscale meshwork of native ECM is desirable. Recent studies have shown the potential of hydrogels to mimic native ECM. Such an engineered native-like ECM is more likely to provide cells with rational cues for diagnostic and therapeutic studies. The research for novel biomaterials has led to an extension of the scope and techniques used to fabricate biomimetic hydrogel scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. In this article, we detail the progress of the current state-of-the-art engineering methods to create cell-encapsulating hy...
Telecommunications&#8212;The resource not depleted by use. A historical and philosophical resum&#233;

Telecommunications is unique among technologies in its minimum demands upon the material and energy resources of nature. Throughout its history-particularly in the past century-it has found ways to increase its message handling capacity and reduce the unit costs by engineering developments, particularly by improved coding procedures. These coding procedures exploit both the single worldwide common medium of the radio spectrum and the multiple use of physical conductors employing cables and tubes and, more recently, by optical transmission to carry many messages simultaneously through common media. The cost of individual messages has continually decreased and the available media would be wasted rather than consumed if not used. Telecommunications may be substituted for many technologies such as physical transportation, which would consume scarce supplies of energy and materials. The paper is a historical outline of how the technology of telecommunications has expanded in the past century based on concepts as old as man's discovery of speech, smoke signals, picture writing, and the alphabet.
A 205Tl and 13C NMR study of the Tl(I)-gramicidin A association in dimethyl sulfoxide

Abstract Association of the thallous ion with the gramicidin A monomer in dimethyl sulfoxide was investigated by thallium-205 NMR spectroscopy. Although it has been previously reported that the gramicidin A monomer did not associate with sodium ions, the data obtained in this study show that the thallous ion binds to the monomer as a 1:1 complex. Association constants were calculated, and from the temperature-dependence values for the association enthalpy and entropy of −1.98 ± 0.08 kcal/mol and + 10.10 ± 0.02 e.u., respectively, were obtained. Carbon-13 NMR spectra of gramicidin A and its thallous ion complex in DMSO indicate that the binding site is located at the Trp carbonyl region.
Dwelling and Fleeting Encounters: Exploring Why People Use WeChat - A Mobile Instant Messenger

WeChat is a popular mobile instant messenger (MIM) in China with hundreds of millions of users. Recent literature suggested that MIMs can support users to "dwell" together with their close relationships by constantly exchanging tidbits of their lives. In this paper, we present an interview study to investigate why and how people use WeChat, particularly focusing on its three novel opportunistic social features: Shake, Drift Bottle, and Look Around. Drawing from 25 interviews, our results suggest that WeChat usage was motivated by a wide range of user needs. Notably, we found these social features supporting fleeting encounters among strangers. The seemingly conflicting practices of dwelling with close people and fleeting encounters with strangers vividly co-existed in the WeChat social space. These results suggest that MIMs as a rich design space for supporting divergent social interactions.
Circadian Phototransduction: Phase Resetting and Frequency of the Circadian Clock of Gonyaulax Cells in Red Light1

Constant red light (RR) influences the Gonyaulax clock in several ways: (1) Phase resetting by white or blue light pulses is stronger under background RR than in constant white light (WW); (2) frequency of the rhythm is less in RR than in WW; and (3) the amplitude of the spontaneous flashing rhythm is greater in RR than in WW. The phase response curve (PRC) to 4-hr white or blue light pulses is of high amplitude (Type 0) for cells in RR, but is of lower amplitude (Type 1) for cells in WW. In all cases, the PRC is highly asymmetrical: The magnitude of advance phase resetting is far higher than that of delay resetting. Consistent with this PRC, Gonyaulax cells in RR (free-running period greater than 24 hr) will entrain to T cycles of between 21 and 26.5 hr. The bioluminescence rhythms exhibit "masking" by blue light pulses while entrained to these T cycles. The fluence response of phase resetting to light-pulse intensity is not linear or logarithmic—rather, it is discontinuous. This feature is consistent wi...
In Vivo Treatment Sensitivity Testing With Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography After One Cycle of Chemotherapy for Hodgkin Lymphoma

Purpose Negative [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) –positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) after two cycles of chemotherapy indicates a favorable prognosis in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). We hypothesized that the negative predictive value would be even higher in patients responding rapidly enough to be PET negative after one cycle. This prospective study aimed to assess the prognostic value of PET after one cycle of chemotherapy in HL and to assess the dynamics of FDG uptake after one cycle (PET1) and after two cycles (PET2). Patients and Methods All PET scans were read by two blinded, independent reviewers in different countries, according to the Deauville five-point scale. The main end point was progression-free survival (PFS) after 2 years. Results A total of 126 patients were included, and all had PET1; 89 patients had both PET1 and PET2. The prognostic value of PET1 was statistically significant with respect to both PFS and overall survival. Two-year PFS for PET1-negative and PET1-positive...
Exploring the Kinetics and Folding Pathways of Trp-cage using a Kinetic Network Model

Protein folding is a slow process occurring via a cooperative transition of many degrees of freedom. It is therefore difficult to obtain meaningful information on the kinetics and mechanism of such a process from all-atom simulations. Advanced sampling methods such as replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) can significantly enhance the ability to obtain accurate canonical populations in complex systems. However, the kinetic information is lost due to temperature swaps. We take advantage of the power of REMD, collecting the samples from the REMD simulation and organizing them into a kinetic network. We show that kinetic information such as folding pathways, Pfold values and folding rate constants can be obtained from this network either by direct simulation using the Gillespie algorithm or by linear algebra and graph theory. Clustering techniques can also be applied to the network to vary the size and complexity of the network to required resolution. The technique is illustrated for the Trp-cage mini-protein. The results from the kinetic network are analyzed and projected on a small number of appropriate reaction coordinates for a clear interpretation of folding pathways and the folding mechanism.
Posterodorsal amygdala lesions reduce feeding stimulated by 8-OH-DPAT.

Injections of the serotonin (5-HT)(1A) agonist, 8-hydroxy-2(di-n-propylamino)tetralin, (8-OH-DPAT), either systemically or into the midbrain raphe nuclei, elicit food intake in otherwise satiated rats. Lesions of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus are well known for producing long-term overeating, but past research has excluded this site as a potential locus for short-term 8-OH-DPAT feeding effects. More recent work shows that small lesions of the posterodorsal amygdala (PDA) elicit overeating in their own right. Since this and related regions of the amygdala receive 5-HT innervations from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), we determined if PDA lesions might alter feeding after injecting 8-OH-DPAT into this midbrain region. Adult female rats received either bilateral electrolytic lesions of the PDA or sham lesions. After recording weight gains for over 1 month, all rats were implanted with DRN cannulae, then randomly tested every 3-4 days for 1 h intake of standard lab chow after 0, 0.4, 0.8 or 1.6 nmol injections of 8-OH-DPAT. Additional 90 min measures of intake were also made after 0 vs. 250 microg (760 nmol) 8-OH-DPAT s.c. At the two highest DRN doses tested, lesioned rats showed 50% less intake compared to shams. A similar profile emerged after the single s.c. dose. These results suggest that the PDA may be an important locus at which reduced release of endogenous 5-HT stimulates feeding. Alternatively, the PDA may represent part of a larger brain circuit whose integrity is necessary for eliciting intake in response to a variety of feeding stimuli.
Making accurate estimates [software development estimation]

Whenever I'm asked to recommend estimation methods and techniques, I always point to 12 issues you must consider in making accurate estimates, independent of the method, tool, or technique used. Satisfy these conditions and, as the article shows, your chances of making accurate estimates using your method or tool of choice will improve significantly. Violate one or more of them, however, and you'll run a significant risk of making inaccurate estimates regardless of the method or technique you've used.
Effects of male presence on agonistic behavior and productivity of White Leghorn hens

Abstract We studied the ways in which the presence of a male affects hens' agonistic activity, egg production and body weight. Three experiments were designed involving 18, 16 and 48 flocks with 9–16 females and 0–4 males per flock. Effects of genetic stocks, time elapsed after flock assembly, developmental age, and laying-house environment (cage as opposed to floor) were also examined using factorial experimental designs. Females emitted fewer peck-avoidances and threat-avoidances when one or more males were present; the frequencies decreased with additional males. Pullets in crowded colony cages displayed fewer threats than those in floor-pen flocks, and adolescent pullets displayed more of both kinds of agonistic acts than sexually mature females. Body weight gains and egg weights appeared to be reduced when a male was present within the flock for 30 weeks.
EFFECT OF PROPENTOFFYLINE (PPF) ON FREE RADICAL GENERATION DURING HYPOXIA IN NEWBORN PIGLETS. ▴ 2253

EFFECT OF PROPENTOFFYLINE (PPF) ON FREE RADICAL GENERATION DURING HYPOXIA IN NEWBORN PIGLETS. ▴ 2253
FMRFamide-related peptides and serotonin regulate Drosophila melanogaster heart rate: Mechanisms and structure requirements

Drosophila melanogaster FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs) include SDNFMRFamide, PDNFMRFamide, and TDVDHVFLRFamide (dromyosuppressin, DMS); each peptide contains a C-terminal FMRFamide but a different N-terminal extension. FaRPs and serotonin (5-HT) each affect the frequency of D. melanogaster heart contractions in vivo. We examined the cellular expression of FaRPs and 5-HT, and the activities of FMRFamide, SDNFMRFamide, PDNFMRFamide, or DMS and 5-HT on heart rate. FaRPs and 5-HT were not co-localized; FaRP-and 5-HT-immunoreactive fibers extended from different brain cells and innervated the anterior D. melanogaster dorsal vessel. However, no neuron expressed both a FaRP and 5-HT. The effect of FMRFamide and 5-HT was not different from the effect of 5-HT alone on heart rate. The effect of PDNFMRFamide and 5-HT showed an additive effect on heart rate. SDNFMRFamide and 5-HT or DMS and 5-HT resulted in non-additive effects on heart rate. Our data provide evidence for the complexity of FaRP and 5-HT interactions to regulate frequency of heart contractions in vivo. Our results also confirm the biological importance of FaRP N-terminal amino acid extensions.
Buyers' Pricing Behavior for Risky Alternatives: Encoding Processes and Preference Reversals

Numerous studies have examined individuals' minimum selling prices or certainty equivalents for lotteries as measures of preference, but few have examined maximum buying prices. Because every transaction involves a buyer as well as a seller, buyers' pricing behavior is of interest in its own right. Two prospect theory based descriptive models of maximum buying prices-the integration and segregation models-are developed from different assumptions about cognitive encoding processes. The models were tested experimentally using an incentive-compatible cash payoff scheme in which maximum buying prices for bets and choices between bets were elicited from subjects. Surprisingly, observed maximum buying prices were far below expected values even for bets with probabilities of winning near 1.0. This suggests buyers are strongly influenced by loss aversion and that the conventional assumption that the buying price for a risky alternative is a reduction in the alternative's payoffs fails to describe behavior. Instead, it appears subjects predominately employed a segregation encoding process in which the buying price was encoded separately from the bet's payoffs and treated as a sure loss. However, an additional result was not explained adequately by either encoding model: Buying prices were less risk averse than choices for $3 expected value bets-creating preference reversals of the standard kind Lichtenstein and Slovic 1971-but more risk averse for $100 expected value bets-creating reverse preference reversals Casey 1991. Implications for the scale compatibility principle Tversky et al. 1988 are discussed. Two theoretical approaches are outlined which offer promise in the development of a unified model of price judgments and choice preferences under risk.
Properties of central vestibular neurons fired by stimulation of the saccular nerve.

Abstract In 4 cats all vestibular afferents in one labyrinth except those innervating the saccular macula were transected and allowed to degenerate. 23–53 days after the initial surgery the central connections of the remaining saccular nerve were studied under chloralose anesthesia. Stimulation of the saccular nerve evoked N1 field potentials in the ipsilateral lateral and descending vestibular nuclei; little or no field potential activity was seen in the superior nucleus. The distribution of field potentials overlapped with that of neurons of origin of the vestibulospinal tracts. Forty-two neurons in the ipsilateral vestibular nuclei, many in the lateral nucleus, responded, often monosynaptically, to stimulation of the saccular nerve with single or double shocks; some of the neurons projected to the spinal cord. All saccular-fired neurons were tested for commissural actions by stimulation of the contralateral vestibular nerve. Many were facilitated, almost none were inhibited. In agreement with earlier work, we conclude that commissural inhibition may be a property of the canal system only.
Chip Scale Optical Microresonator Sensors Integrated With Embedded Thin Film Photodetectors on Electrowetting Digital Microfluidics Platforms

Miniaturized, portable, sensitive, and low cost sensing systems are important for medical and environmental diagnostic and monitoring applications. Chip scale integrated photonic sensing systems that combine optical, electrical, and fluidic functions are especially attractive for sensing applications due to the high sensitivity of optical sensors, the small form-factor of chip scale systems, and the low-cost processing possible for systems fabricated with well-developed mass production techniques. In this paper, a chip scale sensing system, which is composed of a planar integrated optical microdisk resonator and a thin film InGaAs photodetector, is integrated with a digital microfluidic system. This system was designed, fabricated, and experimentally characterized by dispensing and moving droplets of glucose solution from the reservoir to the microresonator sensor. The optical output of the resonator was transduced by the integrated photodetector to an electrical current signal for readout.
Stability analysis of fuzzy control systems

In this paper, we present a general review of the stability issue as related to fuzzy control systems. The concept of stability and the general criterion used for fuzzy control systems are discussed. The intuitive and nonlinear system stability analysis of fuzzy control systems are given. Popov's technique is proposed to test the stability of fuzzy systems.
A new class of invertible FIR filters for spectral shaping

Spectral shaping filters find a rich set of applications in the statistical signal processing problems such as signal modeling, spectral estimation, system identification, and channel equalization. In this paper, we present a new class of LTI causal FIR filters for converting a set of autocorrelation samples representing the input to a prescribed set of output autocorrelation samples. The input autocorrelation samples may represent a MA, AR, or ARMA process, with or without additive white noise, whose stable model is minimum or non-minimum phase. In contrast to the existing methods, derivation of a FIR filter of this class is direct requiring no intermediate step and no direct application of orthogonality principle or minimization of a cost function. The FIR filter is minimum-phase and its output autocorrelation lags, except the lag zero, match the set of prescribed values precisely. We characterize the filters solution space and present a novel time-domain algorithm for finding a unique invertible FIR filter of minimum-order in the solution space. We refer to the solution filter as an ''optimal invertible FIR (OIFIR)'' filter, in general, and as a ''semi-whitening filter (SWF)'', in particular, when the prescribed output autocorrelation lags, except the lag zero, are all equal to zero. It is shown that the whitening filter obtained by Yule-Walker equations (or by the orthogonality principle) belongs to the solution space of SWF only if the set of input autocorrelation samples accurately represents an AR process of finite order. Examples show performance of the proposed class of filters in spectral shaping applications including the AR modeling of a stationary process.
Isotopic records of tropical vegetation and climate change from terrestrial vascular plant biomarkers preserved in Cariaco Basin sediments

Abstract Records of vascular plant leaf wax δ 13 C and δ D were generated from terrestrial biomarkers preserved in Cariaco Basin marine sediments, and were found to parallel known regional millennial-scale climate changes between the late Glacial and Preboreal periods. The terrestrial biomarkers used consisted of C 24 –C 32 n -alkanoic acids, which originate from vascular plant leaf waxes. Differences in δ D between C 16 –C 18 and C 24 –C 30 n -alkanoic acid homologues suggest a marine source for the shorter chain lengths and a terrestrial source for the longer chains. Both the δ 13 C and δ D leaf wax records exhibited enrichment during the late Glacial and Younger Dryas and relative depletion during the Bolling/Allerod and Preboreal periods. δ D likely records the hydrogen isotopic composition of plant growth water, and thus may act as a proxy for local aridity. In agreement with Cariaco Basin sediment grey scale records, the δ D record suggests that the late Glacial and Younger Dryas were more arid than the Bolling/Allerod and Preboreal periods. n -Alkanoic acid δ 13 C, which is a proxy for C 3 versus C 4 plant type, indicates that C 3 plants predominated in this area of the tropics during warm and wet periods, such as the Bolling/Allerod and the early Holocene, and C 4 plants proliferated during cooler and more arid periods, such as the Glacial and Younger Dryas. The biomarker δ 13 C record agrees with pollen data from Cariaco Basin sediments, confirming that leaf wax compounds preserved in marine sediments can accurately record terrestrial vegetation changes.
Shell‐isolated nanoparticle enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) investigation of benzotriazole film formation on Cu(100), Cu(111), and Cu(poly)

Benzotriazole (BTAH) is well known as an effective corrosion inhibitor for Cu because of its ability to make a coordination polymer film on the surface that provides a barrier to Cu oxidation. BTA− film formation was investigated on single-crystal and polycrystalline Cu surfaces with shell-isolated nanoparticle enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) using silica-encapsulated Au nanoparticles. Potential-dependent spectra display reversible film formation on polycrystalline Cu and irreversible film formation on single-crystal Cu. Grain boundaries leading to smaller BTA−-Cu oligomers are proposed to be the reason for cathodic degradation of the BTA− polymeric films on polycrystalline Cu. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reduced interference time-frequency representations and sparse reconstruction of undersampled data

In this paper, we examine the time-frequency representation (TFR) and sparse reconstruction of non-stationary signals in the presence of missing data samples. These samples lend themselves to missing entries in the instantaneous auto-correlation function (IAF) which, in turn, induce artifacts in the time-frequency distribution and ambiguity function. The artifacts are additive noise-like and, as such, can be mitigated by using proper time-frequency kernels. We show that the sparse signal reconstruction methods applied to the time-lag domain improve the TFR over the direct application of Fourier transform to the IAF. Additionally, the paper demonstrates that the use of signal-adaptive kernels provides superior performance compared to data-independent kernels when missing data are present.
Nonlinear controllers for fast Voltage regulation using STATCOMs

This paper presents system modeling and nonlinear control design of static compensators (STATCOMs) for fast voltage regulation in the presence of load uncertainty and voltage flicker. A simplified power distribution system is modeled using ideas similar to field oriented control of three phase ac machines. Zero dynamics of the system show that the system is nonminimum phase for certain operating conditions, thus, imposing restrictions on the achievable dynamic response. The control design involves estimation of the load conductance via a gradient-based estimator, and state feedback control to reach an equilibrium point established by the estimated load conductance and knowledge of system parameters. A Lyapunov function is used to establish asymptotic stability in the large for the closed-loop system. To account for practical implementation issues, a new controller relying on feedback of a readily measurable state is also proposed. Simulations results are presented to show efficacy of both controllers with regard to bus voltage regulation and suppression of voltage flicker.
Identification of Novel Glial Genes by Single-Cell Transcriptional Profiling of Bergmann Glial Cells from Mouse Cerebellum

Bergmann glial cells play critical roles in the structure and function of the cerebellum. During development, their radial processes serve as guides for migrating granule neurons and their terminal endfeet tile to form the glia limitans. As the cerebellum matures, Bergmann glia perform important roles in synaptic transmission and synapse maintenance, while continuing to serve as essential structural elements. Despite growing evidence of the diverse functions of Bergmann glia, the molecular mechanisms that mediate these functions have remained largely unknown. As a step toward identifying the molecular repertoire underlying Bergmann glial function, here we examine global gene expression in individual Bergmann glia from developing (P6) and mature (P30) mouse cerebellum. When we select for developmentally regulated genes, we find that transcription factors and ribosomal genes are particularly enriched at P6 relative to P30; whereas synapse associated molecules are enriched at P30 relative to P6. We also analyze genes expressed at high levels at both ages. In all these categories, we find genes that were not previously known to be expressed in glial cells, and discuss novel functions some of these genes may potentially play in Bergmann glia. We also show that Bergmann glia, even in the adult, express a large set of genes thought to be specific to stem cells, suggesting that Bergmann glia may retain neural precursor potential as has been proposed. Finally, we highlight several genes that in the cerebellum are expressed in Bergmann glia but not astrocytes, and may therefore serve as new, specific markers for Bergmann glia.
Fiber design—from optical mode to index profile

Designing fibers with a certain modal profile may lead to improved performance. We demonstrate that it is possible to derive the index profile from the desired modal characteristics. Along with an efficient beam propagation code, the procedure may expedite the development of special fibers.
The Dispute Tree and the Legal Forest

Since the Civil Litigation Research Project in the 1980s, sociolegal researchers have referenced the metaphor of the dispute pyramid to understand dispute resolution. The pyramid focuses on formal legal dispute resolution and represents disputes as a linear process of attrition in which only a small proportion of perceived injuries proceed to adjudication. Although a fertile metaphor, the dispute pyramid approach left important processes undertheorized and understudied. We propose a new metaphor: the dispute tree. The dispute tree has many branches, both legal and nonlegal, through which grievances may be resolved. Grievances may move along several branches simultaneously, and dispute resolution may be a nonlinear process. Branches represent the evolving nature of disputes as living organisms that may bear flowers and fruit or may wither and die. Not only dispute trees but also their forests are subjects for study. Dispute trees exist in social environments that may foster or inhibit healthy growth; they ...
Metaproteomic Analysis of a Bacterial Community Response to Cadmium Exposure

Microbial communities are of great environmental, medical, and industrial significance. To date, biomolecular methods to study communities have focused on identifying species, with limited capabilities to reveal functions. Proteomics has the potential to yield functional information about these communities, but the application of proteomic methods to complex mixtures of unsequenced organisms is in its infancy. In this study, 2DE, MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, and de novo peptide sequencing were used for the separation and identification of proteins differentially expressed over time following exposure of a bacterial community to an inhibitory level of cadmium. Significant community proteome responses after 0.25, 1, 2, and 3 h of exposure to cadmium were observed, with more than 100 protein expression changes detected at each time point. Several temporal responses were observed, and the most common expression pattern was immediate up- or down-regulation within 15 min of shock followed by maintenance of that level. Mor...
Reactivity of (Dicarboxamide)M(II)-OH (M = Cu, Ni) Complexes: Reaction with Acetonitrile to Yield M(II)-Cyanomethides.

The complexes (Bu4N)(LMeMII–OH) (LMe = 2,6-dimethylphenyl-substituted pyridine(dicarboxamide); M = Cu or Ni) react with CH3CN to yield (Bu4N)(LMeM–CH2CN) cyanomethide complexes, which were fully characterized, including by X-ray crystallography. These conversions contrast with the usual reactions of metal hydroxide complexes with nitriles, which typically involve attack at the nitrile carbon atom and formation of amides or carboxylic acids. Kinetic studies (M = Cu) revealed a first-order dependence on the complex and a kinetic isotope effect [k(CH3CN)/k(CD3CN)] of 4. Various mechanisms involving either intra- or intermolecular deprotonation steps are proposed. In addition, (Bu4N)(LMeCu–OH) was oxidized by ferrocenium hexafluorophospate (FcPF6) to a proposed CuIII complex LMeCuOH at low temperature, and comparisons of its stability and reactivity with dihydroanthracene were drawn to its previously described congener with isopropyl substituents on the phenyl rings of the supporting ligand. The cyanomethide complex (Bu4N)(LMeCu(CH2CN)) was also reversibly oxidized both electrochemically (E1/2 = –0.345 V vs. Fc/Fc+) and chemically (FcPF6, –25 °C). The product was formulated as LMeCuIII(CH2CN), a new CuIII–alkyl complex relevant to such species proposed during copper-catalyzed organic reactions.
Electron Density Measurement in Reentry Shocks for Lunar Return

Results of electron density measurements in the Electric Arc Shock Tube at NASA Ames Research Center are reported here. Measurements are made at conditions relevant for lunar return of the Orion Command Module. Normal shocks are produced in the Electric Arc Shock Tubewith freestreampressures of 0.1–1.0 Torr and velocities from 8–12 km=s. Nonintrusive electron densitymeasurements aremade by observing optical emission from various lines at high resolution and employing analysis of Stark broadening effects. Themeasurements show electron density in the shock to be up to several times larger than equilibrium density up to a few centimeters behind the shock front. The disagreement with equilibrium improves at higher velocities.
A measurement of the gate-emitter voltage waveform of IGBT in a motor driver circuit

A fiber optic isolation system is introduced for the measurement of active gate-emitter voltage waveform of IGBT(Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) in a motor driver circuit. The system is designed for this kind of floating measurement which requires large common-mode rejection ratio(CMRR) at high frequency and common-mode slew-rate(dV/dt). The required performance is analysed by the convolution of the emitter voltage waveform and a impulse response of a high-pass filter which simulates the common mode rejection. Then the experimental results of the gate-emitter voltage waveform measurement are verified. The proposed fiber optic isolation system consists of a battery powered transmitter, a fiber optic cable and a line powered receiver. The transmitter converts an input electrical signal into an optical signal. The receiver converts the optical signal back into an electrical signal. These are connected with fiber optic cable which has two cores. One is used for the signal transmission and another is for the control command transmission. The receiver also works as the system controller. It has the self-calibration function and GPIB interface function. >
Ultrahigh and Broad Spectral Photodetectivity of an Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Phototransistor for Flexible Electronics

The creation of new organic-inorganic phototransistors with high and broad spectral photosensitivity is reported. The extended charge transport and photoconductivity between the layers in the bilayer structure results in a notable detectivity of over 10(12) Jones and a linear dynamic range of over 100 dB at a broad spectral bandwidth across the UV-NIR range. Furthermore, the considerably reduced persistent photocurrent effect of In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO)-based hybrid phototransistors is first demonstrated via an organic-inorganic bilayer approach.
Compact cooling devices based on giant electrocaloric effect dielectrics

The entropy and/or temperature change of material with respect to electric fields is known as electrocaloric effect (ECE). Giant ECE is discovered in P(VDF-TrFE) ferroelectric copolymers near ferroelectric-paraelectric (F-P) transition temperature. F-P transition is normally much higher than room temperature around which is preferred by working temperature of cooling device configuration. This paper presents the two defect-inducing methods to lower and broaden working temperature range of P(VDF-TrFE) based copolymers for ECE. Giant ECE is experimentally demonstrated in large temperature range (0–55°C). In addition, an electrocaloric oscillatory refrigerator (ECOR) was proposed and simulated by finite volume method and its high performance was theoretically demonstrated. Temperature gradient larger than 30 °C can be maintained across the two sides of a 1 cm device. For ΔT=20 °C cooling condition, a high cooling power (5.4 W/cm2) and significantly higher coefficient of performance (COP) can be achieved (50% of Carnot efficiency).
Sympathy for the Weary State?: Cold War Chronotopes and Moscow Others

Julya paces the parquet, blond hair coiled severely, hands clasped atop padded buttocks encased in a boxy gray, ill-fitting suit. She sputters abuse at her audience: fifteen classmates sprawled on the floor, their teacher seated in a chair, and a video camera. Moscow, November 2002. The Americans prepare to invade Iraq, Putin serves his third year as president, and these students begin their first term at the Russian Academy for Theatrical Arts (RATI/GITIS). Inside its walls, Julya depicts the head of her high school, an older woman in a town two hours north. She yells: “I REQUEST that TODAY at the meeting with ZhshzhshshzhshuGAnov you ALL be there!” (Zjuganov is the leader of the Russian Communist Party.) Some students slap the parquet laughing. Their teacher is less impressed.
Prospective Randomized Trial of Empiric Therapy with Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole or Doxycycline for Outpatient Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in an Area of High Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

To evaluate empirical therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or doxycycline for outpatient skin and soft tissue infections in an area of high prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a randomized, prospective, open-label investigation was performed. The overall clinical failure rate was 9%, with all failures occurring in the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole group. However, there was no significant difference between the clinical failure rate of empirical trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy and that of doxycycline therapy.
Monitoring universal precautions: a new assessment tool.

Objectives: Two pilot studies were conducted to produce efficacy data on an observational tool designed to assess the use of Universal Precautions (UP) in patient care settings. The instrument addresses barrier precautions, hand-washing, handling of sharps, and avoidance of unprotected mouth to mouth resuscitation. Design: The Universal Precautions Assessment Tool was submitted to a panel of 3 experts to establish consensual validity. It was pilot tested by 2 simultaneous observers to establish interrater reliability. Setting: Pilot Study I was conducted in 3 different units within a 100-bed U.S. Army hospital. Pilot Study II was conducted in the emergency department of a large university-based hospital. Participants: Subjects observed were registered nurses providing acute patient care. Results: Two simultaneous raters calculated UP compliance rates of 76.4% and 78.6%, respectively, for 9 nurses in Pilot Study I, and 62% and 65%, respectively, for 5 nurses in Pilot Study II. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the raters' scores in Pilot Study I was 0.992 with a 95% confidence interval (0.979, 0.997). Consensual validity was established. Conclusions: The instrument has acceptable interrater reliability under the conditions used. Limitations to use include the possibility of a Hawthorne effect and the fact that assessing proper implementation of UP occasionally relies on a “judgment call” by the observer. With test conditions adjusted to minimize these limitations and with proper consideration of sample size, the tool can be used by researchers and by monitors of hospital quality control to measure UP compliance of caregivers individually or collectively.
Dynamics of phosphoinositides in membrane retrieval and insertion.

▪ Abstract The phosphoinositides PtdIns(4,5)P2 and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 are concentrated in plasma membranes of eukaryotic cells, and excluded from endosomes, whereas PtdIns(3)P is formed in these latter intracellular membranes and is apparently excluded from the plasma membrane. The logic of this asymmetric disposition is now revealed by the nature of the effector proteins that selectively bind these lipids through specific modules and by the processes that they catalyze. PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 has a role in directing exocytosis, in addition to many other signaling events, whereas PtdIns(4,5)P2 directs endocytosis through its ability to anchor several coat proteins to the plasma membrane. Remarkably, the elimination of PtdIns(4,5)P2 from forming endosomes may be required for membrane fission to occur. Thus membrane insertion and retrieval can be regulated by plasma membrane concentrations of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(4,5)P2, whereas PtdIns(3)P directs the downstream trafficking and recycling of intracellular membra...
Why are some spatial discriminations independent of contrast

The accuracy of some spatial discriminations, including spatial frequency and orientation, is independent of the contrasts of the stimuli discriminated except when contrasts are near the detection threshold. This fact is surprising because higher contrasts should improve signal-to-noise ratios and performance. Two alternative explanations of this puzzle are examined, using a signal-detection-theory vector model: (1) noise increases with stimulus contrast in such a way that signal-to-noise ratios remain constant; (2) noise is constant, but the difference signal generated by each individual tuned mechanism is independent of contrast because the response function of the mechanism becomes compressive (approximately logarithmic) at a low contrast. The alternative explanations generate different predictions, which have been tested in several experiments. The results reject alternative (1) as a model of suprathreshold discrimination and give mixed support to alternative (2).
Climate change and the northern Russian treeline zone

The Russian treeline is a dynamic ecotone typified by steep gradients in summer temperature and regionally variable gradients in albedo and heat flux. The location of the treeline is largely controlled by summer temperatures and growing season length. Temperatures have responded strongly to twentieth-century global warming and will display a magnified response to future warming. Dendroecological studies indicate enhanced conifer recruitment during the twentieth century. However, conifers have not yet recolonized many areas where trees were present during the Medieval Warm period ( ca AD 800–1300) or the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM; ca 10 000–3000 years ago). Reconstruction of tree distributions during the HTM suggests that the future position of the treeline due to global warming may approximate its former Holocene maximum position. An increased dominance of evergreen tree species in the northern Siberian forests may be an important difference between past and future conditions. Based on the slow rates of treeline expansion observed during the twentieth century, the presence of steep climatic gradients associated with the current Arctic coastline and the prevalence of organic soils, it is possible that rates of treeline expansion will be regionally variable and transient forest communities with species abundances different from today9s may develop.
Why Inservice? An Obligation of Schools To Provide the Best

After presenting a rationale for inservice education, the author reviews some fundamental research in the subject and defines the basic organizational concepts relative to staff development.
Evidenced-Based Approach to Bradyarrhythmias

Bradycardia can be caused by a wide variety of factors that affect the sinoatrial or the atrioventricular nodes. The sinus node is the main pacemaker of the heart and is extremely sensitive to autonomic influences as it is richly innervated by sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve inputs. Sinus node dysfunction is a result of various intrinsic or extrinsic causes, most commonly aging and medications. The clinical presentation can vary widely with electrocardiographic (ECG) manifestations including sinus bradycardia, sinus arrest, sinoatrial exit block, hypersensitive carotid sinus syndrome, chronotropic incompetence, and tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome. The key to the diagnosis is correlating symptoms to ECG findings. The only effective management is by pacing. The atrioventricular (AV) conduction axis has complex anatomical and physiological characteristics and the AV node is also strongly influenced by autonomic inputs. There are multiple causes of AV block divided into three ECG classifications – first-, second-, and third-degree AV block – based on the P wave to QRS complex relationship. Additional forms include 2:1, high-grade, and paroxysmal AV block which do not fit within those ECG classifications. Definitive therapy is pacemaker implantation which is indicated for treatment of symptoms with any form of AV block or an infranodal site of conduction block regardless of symptoms.
Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody in Kawasaki Disease

Purpose : Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody(ANCA) has been identified in various disorders including Wegener' s granulomatosis, microscopic polyarteritis and Kawasaki disease. Measuring this antibody has a diagnostic role. It facilitates monitoring disease activity and may also help understand the pathogenesis of the diseases in which it is found. We investigated the correlation between the hematologic findings and ANCA in acute Kawasaki disease and the diagnostic potential of ANCA to predict coronary artery involvement. Methods : Thirty-eight patients who met the diagnostic criteria for Kawasaki disease were enrolled in this study. We sampled and investigated the hematologic findings and the assay of ANCA before intravenous immunoglobulin treatment and weekly echocardiographs weekly. Results : There was no sexual difference between ANCA positive and negative group. The age in ANCA positive group was significantly lower than in ANCA negative group. Duration of fever before treatment in ANCA positive group were not significantly different from those in ANCA negative group. In ANCA positive group, the mean WBC count and the mean ESRs were higher than in ANCA negative group. There was no relation between ANCA and coronary artery involvement Conclusion : The assays of ANCA in acute Kawasaki disease does not help to predict disease activity and coronary artery involvement. (J Korean Pediatr Soc 1998;41:808-812)
Relapse after non-T-cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia: early transplantation, use of an unrelated donor, and chronic graft-versus-host disease are protective.

We analyzed the incidence of posttransplant chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) relapse in 283 consecutive related-donor (n = 177) and unrelated-donor (n = 106) allogeneic transplant recipients. Twenty-two of 165 related-donor recipients with stable or advanced disease at the time of transplant had hematologic relapse of CML following transplant (5-year Kaplan-Meier estimate of relapse, 20%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11 to 30%). One of 12 patients transplanted in second stable phase following blast crisis also relapsed. Fifteen related-donor transplant recipients relapsed within 5 years of transplant; however, seven relapsed between 5 and 9 years after transplant. Factors independently associated with an increased risk of posttransplant relapse for related-donor recipients included prolonged interval between diagnosis and transplant (relative risk, [RR], 3.81; P = .009) and bone marrow basophilia (RR, 5.62; P = .01). Related-donor recipients with posttransplant chronic graft-versus-host disease (CGVHD) had a decreased risk of relapse (RR, 0.24; P = .005). Only two of 106 unrelated-donor transplant recipients relapsed following transplant (5-year Kaplan-Meier estimate of relapse, 3%; 95% CI, 0% to 7%). When both related- and unrelated-donor recipients were considered, the use of an unrelated donor was independently associated with a decreased risk of relapse (RR, 0.24; P = .07). Twelve of 16 relapsing patients who received further therapy (nine of 13 who underwent second transplant and three of three who received donor leukocyte infusions) remain alive. This analysis shows that relapse, sometimes occurring long after transplant, is an important adverse outcome in allogeneic transplantation for CML. Early transplant, posttransplant CGVHD, and use of an unrelated donor are associated with a reduced incidence of relapse, perhaps due to allogeneic disparities enhancing the graft- versus-leukemia effect.
Review of Recent Antitrust Books (2009-2010)

The following is a compilation of book reviews and notices of notable books I have prepared over the past two years as U.S. Book Review editor for the World Competition Law & Economics Review and/or for the web site for the Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies at Loyola University Chicago. All are short, none are deeply analytical. A couple of the books discussed were published in 2008, but I did not get around to reviewing them until at least 2009. Review of notable antitrust books from 2008-2008 can be found at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1235662. Each of the current reviews highlight work that addresses different needs of the academic and practicing bar, and even includes a book or two of general interest to antitrust professionals. This is not intended as a comprehensive list of publications in the field, but rather those works that crossed my desk and appealed to me enough to review. The reviews are arranged by the date of publication of the review and include: 1) ABA Section of Antitrust Law, Proof of Conspiracy Under Federal Laws (2010). 2) ABA Section of Antitrust Law, Antitrust class action Handbook (2010). 3) ABA Section of Antitrust Law, Competition as Public Policy (2010). 4) David Gerber, Global Competition: Law, markets and Globalization (2010). 5) Lloyd Constantine, Priceless: The Case that Brought Down the Visa/Mastercard Bank Cartel (Kaplan 2009). 6) Michael A. Carrier, Innovation for the 21st Century: Harnessing the Power of Intellectual Property and Antitrust Law (Oxford University Press 2009). 7) ABA Section of Antitrust Law, issues in Competition Law ans Policy (2008), 8) Gary L. Reback, Free the Market! Why only the Government can Keep the Marketplace Competitive (Portfolio Books 2009). 9) ABA Section of Antitrust Law, Antitrust and Associations Handbook (2009). 10) How the Chicago School Overshot the Mark: The Effect of Conservative Economic Analysis on U.S. Antitrust (Robert Pitofsky ed. Oxford University Press 2008). 11) E. Thomas Sullivan & Jeffrey L. Harrison, Understanding Antitrust Law and its Economic Implications, (LexisNexis 2009).
Steroid Hormone Receptors and Human Breast Cancer

Approximately 30% of all breast cancer patients will respond to some form of endocrine therapy. The rate of response depends on the level of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PgR) in the tumor tissue. While approximately 60% of ER-positive advanced breast tumors will respond objectively to endocrine therapy, up to 80% of both ER-positive and PgR-positive tumors will respond. The quantitative assessment of receptors in tumor specimens has also led to the use of ER and PgR as prognostic indicators of disease-free intervals following mastectomy. In general, patients with steroid hormone receptor-positive primary tumors have longer disease-free intervals before recurrence than those with hormone receptor-negative tumors. Receptor levels are related to age: lower levels of ER are observed in younger women compared with older women. The recent development of monoclonal antibody assays for ER may allow for more precise predictions of the response of patients to hormonal manipulation.
Persistence of elevated values for the thymol turbidity test following infectious hepatitis.

SummaryValues for the serum thymol turbidity test show a delayed rise and fall following an acute attack of infectious hepatitis. Recurrences of the disease produced a marked increase in the thymol...