cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Editorial: molecular obesity research: lessons learned?

This editorial is a tribute to Douglas Coleman, PhD, a giant in the field of obesity research, who died on April 16, 2014. In the 1970s, Coleman conducted elegant studies at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, which led him to propose the existence of a circulating factor linked to the pathogenesis of obesity (1, 2). His seminal cross-circulation (parabiosis) experiments in genetically obese mice formed the basis of the current view of adipose tissue as an endocrine organ linked to regulation of feeding and body weight.
The promiscuous primate

The Last Ape: Pygmy Chimpanzee Behavior and Ecology. By Takayoshi Kano. Stanford University Press: 1992. Pp. 248. $45.
Translational activation by an NtrC enhancer-binding protein

The Rhodobacter capsulatus NtrC protein is a bacterial enhancer-binding protein that activates the transcription of at least five genes by a mechanism that does not require the RpoN RNA polymerase sigma factor. The nifR3-ntrB-ntrC operon in R. capsulatus codes for the nitrogen-sensing two component regulators NtrB and NtrC, as well as for NifR3, a protein of unknown function that is highly conserved in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Evidence of a unique translational control of NifR3 mediated directly by the NtrC enhancer-binding protein is reported. The nifR3-ntrB-ntrC operon is expressed from a single promoter upstream of nifR3 with the levels of transcript equivalent in wild-type and ntrC mutants under nitrogen-limited or nitrogen-sufficient conditions. LacZ reporter analyses of this operon and immunological quantitation of NifR3 and NtrC demonstrate that, unlike NtrC levels which remain constant, production of NifR3 is at least ten to 40-fold reduced in NtrC- strains. NifR3 is increased at least fivefold upon nitrogen limitation whereas NtrC production is constitutive. Surprisingly, the purified NtrC protein binds cooperatively to the nifR3 promoter region in vitro at two sets of tandem binding sites centered at +1 and -81 nucleotides relative to the transcriptional start site. Deletion analysis demonstrates that the upstream tandem sites are essential for nitrogen and NtrC-dependent production of NifR3 in vivo , but are not necessary for nifR3 transcription. These experiments indicate that NtrC stimulates the translation of the NifR3 messenger RNA while tethered to the promoter DNA. This is in contrast to five other promoters (nifA1, nifA2, glnB, mopA and anfA) in R. capsulatus which are transcriptionally activated by NtrC bound to one set of tandem binding sites that are centered greater than 100 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site.
Use of forward error correction to maintain image fidelity

The last decade has seen extensive research in the area of image compression (source coding). Of equal importance is the forward error correction (channel coding) required to maintain the fidelity of reconstructed images when they are transmitted through a noisy communications channel. This paper presents a design methodology based on end-to-end analysis of the communication channel from the sensor to the display monitor to develop the appropriate bit error model for the communications channel. Channels containing all white Gaussian and/or burst errors are addressed. These channels include rf data links, satellite relay links, digital tape recorders, and optical recording systems. An overview of the forward error correction codes required for error correction of these channels is also presented. The codes that are discussed include 1/2 rate convolutional, Reed-Solomon, concatenated 1/2 rate convolutional and Reed-Solomon, and 2-dimensional Reed-Solomon product codes. Extending the error correction capability of these codes through both block and helical interleaving is addressed.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Holocene History of the Southern Lake Chad Basin: Archaeological, Linguistic and Genetic Evidence

Archaeological evidence indicates a complex history of settlement of the southern Lake Chad Basin from the mid-Holocene onward, in parallel with the gradual desiccation of the Sahara and reduction of lake and river systems in the region. These archaeological data can be compared with a growing body of data from historical linguistics and genetics, and the southern Lake Chad Basin is one of few areas in Africa where such comparisons can be undertaken. This paper will serve as a preliminary consideration of some of the issues generated by an initial comparison of archaeological, genetic and linguistic evidence for the peopling of the Lake Chad Basin. It focuses on the contexts of initial encounters between ancestral Nilo-Saharan and Chadic populations south of Lake Megachad and subsequent population expansions and diversifications around the Mandara Mountains.
On fuzzy codes for asymmetric unidirectional errors

Abstract In this paper we investigate whether the distance between fuzzy code words, fuzzy subsets of n -tuples over a set F , is dependent upon the dimension of the space as well as the distance between the non-fuzzy code words on which they are based. This is done for both asymmetric errors and unidirectional errors. The results are compared and contrasted with the work of von Kaenel [3] on fuzzy codes for symmetric errors.
Shear strengths of CBGA/PBGA solder ball joints with lead-free solder pastes

The present study is carried out to characterise the ball shear strengths of ceramic ball grid array (CBGA) and plastic ball grid array (PBGA) packages with lead-free solder pastes. Three commercially available Sn/Ag/Cu (SAC) solder pastes such as Sn 96.5/Ag3.0/Cu0.5 and 95.5/Ag3.8/Cu0.7 with a no-clean flux are employed. The effects of temperature profiles during reflow on the strength of solder joints are studied. Their printing abilities are also observed. Of particular concern for ceramic ball grid array packages is the interaction between 90/10 Pb/Sn compound solder balls and SAC solder pastes. The composition of the solder paste region between the I/O pad and the solder ball is analysed using the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) machine.
Modeling and Analysis of Homopolar Motors and Generators

The dc homopolar motor converts electrical energy into mechanical rotational energy using the Lorentz force. The same machine can be operated in reverse to convert mechanical energy into dc electrical energy. To better understand homopolar motors and their suitability for use in various applications, a computer model was created using PSpice. Forces opposing the motor rotation include back voltage, eddy currents, moment of inertia, and sliding contact friction and are analyzed in detail. Forces and torques are discussed and calculated analytically. The capabilities of the homopolar machine operating as both a motor and a generator are considered. Using current research from the University of Missouri on helical guns and railguns, which utilize similar electromagnetic forces for linear acceleration, the maximum efficiency of the homopolar motor during transient start-up phase is examined. The measured homopolar motor efficiency in this paper asymptotically approaches 50% and is determined by several variables. Experimental data are collected and used to compare the simulation results and verify the accuracy of motor performance. Sensitivity analysis and the estimated maximum machine efficiency obtained from simulation are presented.
The paradox of Lower Cretaceous gravels and the initiation of thrusting in the Sevier orogenic belt, United States Western Interior

Gravels of Early Cretaceous age that are widespread throughout much of the Western Interior are commonly assumed to have been deposited in a foreland basin adjacent to the Sevier thrust belt to the west. Synorogenic foreland conglomerates, however, are in most cases restricted to that part of the basin most proximal to the thrust system. In contrast, the Lower Cretaceous gravels of the Western Interior represent a widespread low-sinuosity stream system that deposited gravel more than 600 km from the closest possible site of thrusting. Although paleohydraulic calculations indicate that slopes on the order of only 1 m/km were needed to transport these gravels from the thrust belt, the results from flexural modeling indicate that even this slope could not have been sustained over great distances in a foreland basin adjacent to the Sevier belt. The gravel, therefore, reflects regional uplift to the west and may not be directly associated with thrusting. Several possible origins for widespread gravel deposition can be quantitatively tested. Of these, it is possible that the gravel resulted from thermal uplift that preceded thrusting, resulted from isostatic rebound that occurred after thrusting located much farther west had ceased, or was derived from the very earliest uplift of thrust sheets in the Sevier belt superimposed on regional doming. Our preferred model is that gravels were shed eastward from a regional thermal uplift associated with Jurassic-Cretaceous magmatism in the hinterland. Regardless of the origin, deposition of widespread gravel is associated with uplift to the west and not with regional subsidence associated with thrusting. Thus, the gravel is a harbinger of the onset of thrusting in the Sevier belt and appears to support models in which retroarc thrusting is associated with the development of the magmatic arc. On the basis of available stratigraphic evidence, the initiation of thrusting in the Sevier orogenic belt took place during or just prior to Aptian time and is recorded not by the widespread gravel deposits but rather by areally restricted gravels near the thrust front and fine-grained sediments over most of the foreland basin.
On Why Abortion Rates Vary: A Geographical Examination of the Supply of and Demand for Abortion Services in the United States in 1988, by Patricia Gober

A lIthough there has been a sub-specialty of geography known as medical geography for many years, its practitioners have tended to shy away from the more controversial socio-political issues concerning health care, and rarely publish their work in the major geography, public health, or medical journals. Studies involving perinatal health conducted by geographers are also quite rare, irrespective of the venue in which they appear. It was therefore with great anticipation that I awaited the publication of Patricia Gober's article "Why Abortion Rates Vary: A Geographical Examination of the Supply of and Demand for Abortion Services in the United States in 1988" (Gober 1994). Having now read this paper, I feel compelled to offer some comments by way of linkage with researchers in the fields of biometry, perinatal epidemiology, demography, spatial statistics, and related fields who might share some or all of my concerns. There is much of value in Gober's paper, and herein lies the predicament for the casual audience. An understanding of the historical context within which abortion services have been sought, provided, legislated, regulated, and moralized is a prerequisite to the careful study of geographic factors in the supply of and demand for these services. Gober provides a workmanlike overview, chronicling the history of the preand post-Roe v. Wade eras. There are two significant omissions from this discussion. First, information on trends in maternal and reproductive mortality associated with these procedures before and after the landmark Supreme Court decision should be added (Cates 1984; Forrest and Henshaw 1993). Second, data on how changes in state laws affect abortion rates are available; this information might help the reader to understand the spatial patterns described and analyzed later in the paper (Korenbrot et al. 1990). If one overlooks the comments concerning reliability and validity of data sources below, the discussion of spatial patterns of occurrence and residence-based abortion rates is also a useful contribution which deserves a wider audience. Gober is also to be commended for her courage in addressing one of the most highly charged topics on the contemporary American scene. I agree with Gober that, from the perspective of the geographer, l[o]ur mission ... is to identify the geographic variations in abortion rates, to seek their causes, and to predict their change" under a variety of potential scenarios (Gober 1994:248). Where I differ is in my ability to accept the spatial and statistical analyses presented in this paper as a useful first step in this process. There are significant problems with the data sources, construction of dependent variables, selection of independent variables, and choice of statistical methods for the ecological analysis which collectively render the conclusions of Gober's study highly problematic.
On-Line Studies of Mass-Separated Xenon Fission Products

Mass-separated, short-lived Xe fission products from ${\mathrm{Cf}}^{252}$ have been studied using on-line nuclear spectroscopy. The Xe isotopes from a 10-\ensuremath{\mu}g Cf source were separated in the Princeton Isotope Separator, and the decay properties of the separated isotopes were measured with a Ge(Li) detector located at the collector of the separator. Results from measurements of the decay of ${\mathrm{Xe}}^{137\ensuremath{-}142}$ and accompanying Cs and Ba isotopes are discussed.
Securing Wireless Grids: Architecture Designs for Secure WiGLET-to-WiGLET Interfaces

Article history: th , 2012 Wireless grids are ad-hoc dynamic sharing of physical and virtual resources among heterogeneous devices. In order for wireless grids to be secure, the main communication device called a WiGLET must have precise control over the distribution of information exchanges amongst the devices with the ability to accommodate new devices and resources spanning different levels of trust. A lack of trust in the WiGLET-to-WiGLET interface hinders its ability to protect information and to collaborate with unanticipated devices on unanticipated events at the time that such collaboration is needed. Not only do the WiGLET‟s have to agree on the level of sensitivity of data, but they need to be able to determine if they all understand that sensitivity in the same manner. This article identifies three different types of wireless grid architecture‟s and specific security considerations for each type around the WiGLET. Keyword:
In situ microparticle analysis of marine phytoplankton cells with infrared laser-based optical tweezers

We describe the application of infrared optical tweezers to the in situ microparticle analysis of marine phytoplankton cells. A Nd:YAG laser (λ= 1064 nm) trap is used to confine and manipulate single Nannochloris and Synechococcus cells in an enriched seawater medium while spectral fluorescence and Lorenz-Mie backscatter signals are simultaneously acquired under a variety of excitation and trapping conditions. Variations in the measured fluorescence intensities of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and phycoerythrin pigments in phytoplankton cells are observed. These variations are related, in part, to basic intrasample variability, but they also indicate that increasing ultraviolet-exposure time and infrared trapping power may have short-term effects on cellular physiology that are related to Chl a photobleaching and laser-induced heating, respectively. The use of optical tweezers to study the factors that affect marine cell physiology and the processes of absorption, scattering, and attenuation by individual cells, organisms, and particulate matter that contribute to optical closure on a microscopic scale are also described.
Obtaining Greater Value From Health Care: The Roles Of The U.S. Government

The problems of quality and cost in the U.S. health care system are unlikely to be solved without strong leadership from the federal government, which can mobilize action to set national priorities for quality; develop and promulgate standards for care; and stimulate implementation of performance measures and standards for providers. All of these functions would best be carried out by a new federal agency. Furthermore, the federal government should design payment policies based on the performance standards, invest in needed information technology, and invest in research related to improving care and in training professionals to support nationwide quality improvement.
Nonlinear stability analysis of a two-dimensional diffusive free boundary problem

We explore global existence and stability of planar solutions to a multi-dimensional Case II polymer diffusion model which takes the form of a one-phase free boundary problem with phase onset. Due to a particular boundary condition, convergence can not be expected on the whole domain. A boundary integral formulation derived in [16] is shown to remain valid in the present context and allows us to circumvent this difficulty by restricting the analysis to the free boundary. The integral operators arising in the boundary integral formulation are analyzed by methods of pseudodifferential calculus. This is possible as explicit symbols are available for the relevant kernels. Spectral analysis of the linearization can then be combined with a known principle of linearized stability [13] to obtain local exponential stability of planar solutions with respect to two-dimensional perturbations.
Natural selection for salt tolerance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in wild sunflower hybrids: implications for the origin of Helianthus paradoxus, a diploid hybrid species.

For a new diploid or homoploid hybrid species to become established, it must diverge ecologically from parental genotypes. Otherwise the hybrid neospecies will be overcome by gene flow or competition. We initiated a series of experiments designed to understand how the homoploid hybrid species, Helianthus paradoxus , was able to colonize salt marsh habitats, when both of its parental species ( H. annuus × H. petiolaris ) are salt sensitive. Here, we report on the results of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of mineral ion uptake traits and survivorship in 172 BC 2 hybrids between H. annuus and H. petiolaris that were planted in H. paradoxus salt marsh habitat in New Mexico. A total of 14 QTLs were detected for mineral ion uptake traits and three for survivorship. Several mineral ion QTLs mapped to the same position as the survivorship QTLs, confirming previous studies, which indicated that salt tolerance in Helianthus is achieved through increased Ca uptake, coupled with greater exclusion of Na and related mineral ions. Of greater general significance was the observation that QTLs with effects in opposing directions were found for survivorship and for all mineral ion uptake traits with more than one detected QTL. This genetic architecture provides an ideal substrate for rapid ecological divergence in hybrid neospecies and offers a simple explanation for the colonization of salt marsh habitats by H. paradoxus . Finally, selection coefficients of +0.126, − − − 0.084 and − 0.094 for the three survivorship QTLs, respectively, are sufficiently large to account for establishment of new, homoploid hybrid species.
Effect of response programming on hemispheric differences in lexical decision

A lateralized tachistoscopic lexical decision task with concrete nouns and orthographically regular nonwords was administered to normal subjects in three conditions using unimanual responses: Yes-No, Go-NoGo with nonword targets, and Go-NoGo with word targets. There was an overall right visual field advantage in accuracy and sensitivity, an interaction between visual hemifield and wordness in latency, and an overall "word" bias. No effect interacted with experimental conditions, showing that response programming did not affect hemispheric asymmetries. The data suggest independent lexical access and similar response programming in each hemisphere. These results are examined in light of three psycholinguistic models of lexical access and are interpreted to support instead a fourth one which posits separate and parallel computations for word decisions and for nonword decisions in each hemisphere.
Publishing and consuming GLUE v2.0 resource information in XSEDE

XSEDE users, science gateways, and services need a variety of accurate information about XSEDE resources so that they can use those resources effectively. They need information to decide which resources to use, to track their usage of resources, and to provide services to their users. To support this, XSEDE is deploying a new system to gather and publish static and dynamic resource information. This paper gives an overview of the resource information available with this new system, describes the design and performance of the software and services that make up this system, and finally provides examples of how to use this new resource information.
Rapid on-line analysis of low molecular weight hydrocarbons using glass capillary gas chromatography

Rapid analysis is important for on-line chromatography. Gaseous or vaporized samples have been injected via heated gas sampling valves of less than 500 μl dead volume. The critical sampling and split problems could be solved by temperature programming. The general analysis described could be successfully used inter alia in scouting reactions.
Very narrow linewidth asymmetric cladding InGaAs-GaAs ridge waveguide distributed Bragg reflector lasers

Asymmetric cladding InGaAs-GaAs ridge waveguide distributed Bragg reflector (RW-DBR) lasers are demonstrated with a spectral linewidth as low as 39 kHz for an output power of 24 mW. The fabrication requires only a single standard epitaxial growth of a laser structure while the use of a thin top cladding layer allows for a shallow reactive ion etch of the distributed Bragg reflector. These RW-DBR lasers have a threshold current of 12.4 mA, a slope of 0.3 W/A, and over 40 dB side-mode suppression at a wavelength of 1010 nm.
Power and Sample Size Estimation for the Clustered Wilcoxon Test

The Wilcoxon rank sum test is widely used for two-group comparisons of nonnormal data. An assumption of this test is independence of sampling units both within and between groups, which will be violated in the clustered data setting such as in ophthalmological clinical trials, where the unit of randomization is the subject, but the unit of analysis is the individual eye. For this purpose, we have proposed the clustered Wilcoxon test to account for clustering among multiple subunits within the same cluster (Rosner, Glynn, and Lee, 2003, Biometrics 59, 1089-1098; 2006, Biometrics 62, 1251-1259). However, power estimation is needed to plan studies that use this analytic approach. We have recently published methods for estimating power and sample size for the ordinary Wilcoxon rank sum test (Rosner and Glynn, 2009, Biometrics 65, 188-197). In this article we present extensions of this approach to estimate power for the clustered Wilcoxon test. Simulation studies show a good agreement between estimated and empirical power. These methods are illustrated with examples from randomized trials in ophthalmology. Enhanced power is achieved with use of the subunit as the unit of analysis instead of the cluster using the ordinary Wilcoxon rank sum test.
Laser Raman Investigation of Drug-Polymer Conjugates:Sulfathiazole-Povidone Coprecipitates

Laser Raman spectroscopy is used for the investigation of the drug-polymer conjugates, sulfathiazole-povidone. Specifically, Raman spectra, both in the lattice vibration and the intramolecular vibration regions, are used to characterize various polymorphic forms of sulfathiazole. It is found that sulfathiazole exists in two unsolvated forms, untreated sulfathiazole and another form grown from propanol. The crystals grown from ethanol include varying amounts of ethanol depending on the growth condition. The nature of the povidone-sulfathiazole coprecipitates of various compositions are studied. We find no evidence of any new polymorphic form of sulfathiazole in these coprecipitates. The coprecipitates are found to consist of one of the unsolvated forms of sulfathiazole.
Current Perspectives on the Eating Disorders: I. History, Psychological and Biological Aspects

An ongoing, major effort in psychiatry throughout the 1980s has been the study of anorexia and bulimia. In spite of ample effort on the part of researchers and clinicians, the etiology of these disorders remains elusive. Because of the multiple biological, sociocultural, and psychological forces involved and the early genesis of the disorder, an understanding of the eating disorders is tantamount to an appreciation of the developmental process itself. Part I of this paper presents a historical view of the eating disorders and reviews recent progress in classification criteria, epidemiology, biology, psychology, developmental, and analytic theory. Part II will focus on treatment, outcome, and research priorities.
Facilitating observational study for comparative effectiveness research

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) compares the benefits and harms of alternative methods to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor a clinical condition or to improve the delivery of care for a particular group of patients. With the advent of clinical information systems, e.g., the electronic medical record, observational studies play an increasingly important role in generating clinical evidence for CER. From an information technology perspective, we identify four challenges associated with CER: 1) compliance with recommended procedures in epidemiology, 2) efficient discovery of potentially interesting hypotheses, 3) correct use of the appropriate statistical methods in hypothesis testing, and 4) the appropriate presentation and interpretation of results. To address these challenges, we propose a new system On-demand Comparative Effectiveness Research Accelerator (OCERA). The new system can facilitate observational studies for CER and assist clinical researchers in effectively and efficiently conducting high-quality CER studies.
Rationality, power, disruption: Framing Foucault's geneological agenda

This paper situates and examines the project of genealogy as articulated by the philosopher, Michel Foucault, and draws out from that examination educative implications both in terms of research and school practice. Following Foucault, the genealogist's primary challenge, it would seem, is both to acknowledge and to respond to the entwinement of rationality and power. This paper also considers critiques which have clustered around Foucault's work, and, more specifically, his genealogical work, which argue that Foucault leaves us with no hope for a better, more humane future and no positive agenda for change. Despite this “lack” in Foucault's work, I argue, here, that his genealogical agenda is philosophically, politically, and educatively significant.
A High Performance Semi-Passive Cooling System: The Pulse Thermal Loop

Over the past decade, the search for and development of high performance thermal transport systems for a variety of cooling and thermal control applications have intensified. One approach employs a new semi-passive oscillatory heat transport system called the Pulse Thermal Loop (PTL). The PTL, which has only recently begun to be characterized, exploits large pressure differentials from coupled evaporators to force (pulse) fluid through the system. Driving pressures of over 1.8MPa (260psid) have been demonstrated. Other passive cooling systems, such as heat pipes and Loop Heat Pipes, are limited by capillary driving forces, typically less than 70kPa (10psid). Large driving forces can be achieved by a mechanically pumped loop, however, at the expense of increased power consumption, increased total mass, and increased system cost and complexity. The PTL can be configured in either active or semi-passive modes, it can be readily designed for large ∼ O(100kW) or small ∼ O(10W) heat loads, and it has a variety of unique performance characteristics. For low surface tension dielectric fluids such as R-134a, the PTL system has over a 10-fold heat carrying capacity in comparison to high performance heat pipes. Data accumulated thus far demonstrate that the PTL can meet many of the requirements of advanced terrestrial and spacecraft cooling systems: a system that is robust, ‘semi-passive,’ high flux, and offers high heat transport thermal control while remaining flexible in design, potentially lightweight, and cost competitive.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Concomitant changes in progesterone catabolic enzymes, cytochrome P450 2C and 3A, with plasma insulin concentrations in ewes supplemented with sodium acetate or sodium propionate

Progesterone is essential for maintaining pregnancy, and several authors have suggested that low peripheral concentrations of progesterone may be responsible for high rates of embryonic loss. The primary organ involved in the catabolism of progesterone is the liver, and cytochrome P450 2C and 3A sub-families account for a large proportion of this catabolism. Elucidating a mechanism to decrease progesterone catabolism, thereby increasing embryonic and uterine exposure to progesterone, seems a logical approach to ameliorate high rates of embryonic loss. The objectives of the current experiment were to determine the pattern of insulin secretion after supplementing feed with either sodium acetate or sodium propionate and to determine any association between the differential patterns of insulin secretion with the hepatic activity of cytochrome P450 2C and 3A and progesterone clearance. Sixteen ovariectomized ewes were fed 3 kg/day for 10 days of a diet consisting of 50% corn silage, 38% triticale haylage, 12% soybean meal and 600 ml of 3.5 M sodium acetate (energy control; n = 8) or 2.0 M sodium propionate (gluconeogenic substrate; n = 8). Equal portions of the ration (1 kg as-fed basis along with 200 ml of 3.5 M sodium acetate or 2.0 M sodium propionate) were offered three times daily at 0600, 1400 and 2200 h. Concentrations of insulin in plasma were determined immediately before feeding and at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 300 min after feeding. Progesterone clearance from peripheral circulation (ng/ml per min) was measured by giving a 5 mg injection of progesterone into the left jugular vein and collecting blood via the right jugular vein at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20 and 30 min afterwards. Liver biopsies were taken 1 h after feeding to determine cytochrome P450 2C and 3A activities. Insulin concentrations in ewes supplemented with sodium propionate were elevated at 15, 30 and 60 min after feeding compared to the sodium acetate group. Cytochrome P450 2C and 3A activities were decreased 1 h after feeding in the sodium propionate-treated ewes relative to sodium acetate. Insulin appears to down-regulate cytochrome P450 activity, which could be used to decrease the catabolism of progesterone during early gestation, thereby increasing peripheral concentrations of progesterone and, consequently, embryonic exposure to progesterone.
Design issues in telecommunication blade systems and their resolution through design of experiments

There is an increasing need for improved node density and better power efficiency in telecommunication market. In addition, the telecommunication server environment also requires rugged high system performance systems with compliance to rigorous standards. Hence, the design of telecommunication blade servers presents several conflicting electrical and mechanical parameters in terms of desired transmission frequencies, blade density, energy utilization, and total cost.
Calmagite as a spectrophotometric reagent for aluminium.

Abstract Calmagite is proposed as a sensitive spectrophotometric reagent for aluminium, ϵ570mμ = 42000. After aqueous phase reaction at pH 8.6, the metal-reagent complex is extracted into chloroform by formation of an ion-association complex with a quaternary ammonium salt. The method is free from interference by common anions, and cationic interferences may be eliminated by the use of cyanide and EDTA as masking agents.
Relationship between mechanical dyssynchrony and intra-operative electrical delay times in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy

Background It is important to understand the relationship between electrical and mechanical ventricular activation in CRT patients. By measuring local electrical activation at multiple locations within the coronary veins and myocardial contraction at the same locations in the left ventricle, we determined the relationship between electrical and mechanical activation at potential left ventricular pacing locations.
Information Extraction from Web Pages Using Presentation Regularities and Domain Knowledge

World Wide Web is transforming itself into the largest information resource making the process of information extraction (IE) from Web an important and challenging problem. In this paper, we present an automated IE system that is domain independent and that can automatically transform a given Web page into a semi-structured hierarchical document using presentation regularities. The resulting documents are weakly annotated in the sense that they might contain many incorrect annotations and missing labels. We also describe how to improve the quality of weakly annotated data by using domain knowledge in terms of a statistical domain model. We demonstrate that such system can recover from ambiguities in the presentation and boost the overall accuracy of a base information extractor by up to 20%. Our experimental evaluations with TAP data, computer science department Web sites, and RoadRunner document sets indicate that our algorithms can scale up to very large data sets.
Strain and age affect electroconvulsive seizure testing in rats.

Electroconvulsive seizure thresholds were compared between adolescent and mature Sprague-Dawley, Wistar, and Fischer rats. All strains had similar hindbrain or forebrain seizure thresholds as adolescents. As adults, hindbrain or forebrain seizure thresholds were highest for Sprague-Dawley and lowest for Fischer rats. Conversely, limbic seizure thresholds during adolescence were highest for Fischer rats. Additional study is needed to better delineate strain and maturational effects on electroconvulsive seizure testing.
Fusion and fission in heavy systems near the barrier

Fusion and fission reactions have been studied near the barrier for 58, 64Ni beams incident on all even Sn targets. Excitation functions have been measured over an energy range from well below to ≈1.4 times the fusion barrier. We discuss the sub-barrier fusion yields, the observed fission behavior in comparison to theoretical model predictions and the possible influences of compound-nucleus structure effects at these energies near the barrier.
Re: "Call for action: a resident's perspective".

Radiology residents are challenged in today’s era to remain up to date with current political and economic issues facing the field. Of course, this comes in addition to the ever increasing volume of clinical knowledge that must be learned in a short period of time. These challenges vary from patient expectations to governmental legislations and from technological advances to turf wars. As we settle down on one challenge, more always seem to rise to the surface, some predictable and some not so predictable. The ACR is a platform in which we all have a common interest. The ACR provides a kind of fatherly assurance to many residents across the country that someone cares about our present and future. This assurance, however, comes with the expectation that every generation of training radiologists continue to pursue this idea of togetherness for the greater good of radiology as a whole. Hui and Vaughn [1] suggested,
Capacity Improvement with Interference Cancellation in the WCDMA Enhanced Uplink

Own-cell interference limits capacity and coverage in the WCDMA enhanced uplink, and the use of interference cancellation (IC) techniques is required to provide high-data-rate availability. For a typical uplink WCDMA system with mixed traffic generated by few high-data-rate users and many low-rate users (e.g., voice users), this paper considers an IC receiver that cancels the high-data-rate signals prior to low-rate traffic reception. The IC receiver provides substantial capacity gains and the benefits of cancellation can be seen as increased achievable data rate for a fixed voice load and/or increased voice load for a target data load. For example, with a data rate of 1.5 Mbps, voice capacity gains are between 60% and 80%. In low voice load, the achievable data rate exceeds 3.5 Mbps. Due to the nature of traffic in WCDMA networks and the option of a short transmission time interval (TTI) for high-data-rate transmission in WCDMA Release 6, this IC scheme is an attractive solution for implementation in base station receivers. In addition, this paper considers also an uplink receiver that cancels the control channels of all users in the cell. Capacity gains are substantial in cells highly loaded with low-rate users.
The effect of a single point on correlation and slope

By augmenting a bivariate data set with one point, the correlation coefficient and/or the slope of the regression line can be changed to any prescribed values. For the target value of the correlation coefficient or the slope, the coordinates of the new point are found as a function of certain statistics of the original data. The location of this new point with respect to the original
Can a Convective Cloud Feedback Help to Eliminate Winter Sea Ice at High CO2 Concentrations

Winter sea ice dramatically cools the Arctic climate during the coldest months of the year and may have remote effects on global climate as well. Accurate forecasting of winter sea ice has significant social and economic benefits. Such forecasting requires the identification and understanding of all of the feedbacks that can affect sea ice. A convective cloud feedback has recently been proposed in the context of explaining equable climates, for example, the climate of the Eocene, which might be important for determining future winter sea ice. In this feedback, CO2-initiated warming leads to sea ice reduction, which allows increased heat and moisture fluxes from the ocean surface, which in turn destabilizes the atmosphere and leads to atmospheric convection. This atmospheric convection produces optically thick convective clouds and increases high-altitude moisture levels, both of which trap outgoing longwave radiation and therefore result in further warming and sea ice loss. Here it is shown that this convective cloud feedback is active at high CO2 during polar night in the coupled ocean‐sea ice‐land‐atmosphere global climate models used for the 1% yr 21 CO2 increase to the quadrupling (1120 ppm) scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report. At quadrupled CO2, model forecasts of maximum seasonal (March) sea ice volume are found to be correlated with polar winter cloud radiative forcing, which the convective cloud feedback increases. In contrast, sea ice volume is entirely uncorrelated with model global climate sensitivity. It is then shown that the convective cloud feedback plays an essential role in the elimination of March sea ice at quadrupled CO2 in NCAR’s Community Climate System Model (CCSM), one of the IPCC models that loses sea ice year-round at this CO2 concentration. A new method is developed to disable the convective cloud feedback in the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), the atmospheric component of CCSM, and to show that March sea ice cannot be eliminated in CCSM at CO2 5 1120 ppm without the aide of the convective cloud feedback.
Comparing Forecasting Models in Tourism

This study uses three major U.S. national parks as applications of statistically selecting appropriate methods to forecast attendance. Forecasting methods assessed include Naive 1, Naive 2, single moving average (SMA), single exponential smoothing (SES), Brown's, Holt's, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), derived time series cross-section regression (TSCSREG), and time series analysis with explanatory variable models. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) is used to measure the accuracy of forecasting methods. Based on the MAPE values, SMA produces the most accurate forecasting, followed closely by ARIMA, Brown's, and Naive 1 models. Holt's and TSCSREG models produce the next most accurate forecasting, followed by SES, time series analysis with explanatory variable model, and Naive 2. Methods used in this article are readily transferable to other hospitality and tourism data sets with annual visitation figures. Merits and limits of the proposed forecasting methods are discussed.
Variable extrafloral nectary expression and its consequences in quaking aspen

Extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are secretory glands most commonly linked to defensive mutualisms. Both a plant’s need for defense and the strength of defense provided by mutualists will vary with pla...
WNT Signals Control FGF-Dependent Limb Initiation and AER Induction in the Chick Embryo

A regulatory loop between the fibroblast growth factors FGF-8 and FGF-10 plays a key role in limb initiation and AER induction in vertebrate embryos. Here, we show that three WNT factors signaling through beta-catenin act as key regulators of the FGF-8/FGF-10 loop. The Wnt-2b gene is expressed in the intermediate mesoderm and the lateral plate mesoderm in the presumptive chick forelimb region. Cells expressing Wnt-2b are able to induce Fgf-10 and generate an extra limb when implanted into the flank. In the presumptive hindlimb region, another Wnt gene, Wnt-8c, controls Fgf-10 expression, and is also capable of inducing ectopic limb formation in the flank. Finally, we also show that the induction of Fgf-8 in the limb ectoderm by FGF-10 is mediated by the induction of Wnt-3a. Thus, three WNT signals mediated by beta-catenin control both limb initiation and AER induction in the vertebrate embryo.
Prediction of dry powder inhaler formulation performance from surface energetics and blending dynamics.

The purpose of these studies was to investigate the ability of surface energy measurements and rates of mixing in dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations to predict aerosol dispersion performance. Two lactose carrier systems comprising either spray-dried or milled particles were developed such that they had identical physical characteristics except for surface morphology and surface energies avoiding confounding variables common in other studies. Surface energy measurements confirmed significant differences between the powder systems. Spray-dried lactose had a higher surface entropy (0.20 vs. 0.13 mJ/m 2 K) and surface enthalpy (103.2 vs. 79.2 mJ/m 2 ) compared with milled lactose. Mixing rates of budesonide or fluorescein were assessed dynamically, and significant differences in blending were observed between lactose systems for both drugs. Surface energies of the lactose carriers were inversely proportional to dispersion performance. In addition, the root mean square (RMS) of blending rates correlated positively with aerosol dispersion performance. Both techniques have potential utility in routine screening of DPI formulations.
pClock: an arrival curve based approach for QoS guarantees in shared storage systems

Storage consolidation is becoming an attractive paradigm for data organization because of the economies of sharing and the ease of centralized management. However, sharing of resources is viable only if applications can be isolated from each other. This work targets the problem of providing performance guarantees to an application irrespective of the behavior of other workloads. Application requirements are represented in terms of the average throughput, latency and maximum burst size. Most earlier schemes only do weighted bandwidth allocation; schemes that provide control of latency either cannot handle bursts or penalize applications for their own prior behavior, such as using spare capacity. Our algorithm pClock is based on arrival curves that intuitively capture the bandwidth and burst requirements of applications. We show analytically that an application following its arrival curve never misses its deadline. We have implemented pClock both in DiskSim and as a module in the Linux kernel 2.6. Our evaluation shows three important features of pClock: (1) benefits over existing algorithms; (2) efficient performance isolation and burst handling; and (3) the ability to allocate spare capacity to either speed up some applications or to a background utility, such as backup. pClock can be efficiently implemented in a system without much overhead.
A localized vibration response technique for damage detection in bridges

Traditional techniques for damage detection in civil infrastructures that are based on the global vibration response of the system are limited in their capabilities to detect damage. Because damage detection based on the global vibration response relies on global parameters to describe the dynamic behavior of local structural elements, it suffers from limiting factors such as poorly-formed aggregate system models, very low signal to noise ratio, unrealistic boundary conditions. An alternative to the use of global detection techniques is the use of an adaptive local analysis technique based on the local response of the structure. This is achieved using wavelet packet decomposition at the sensor outputs and interpreting this decomposition as a subband framework for a bank of adaptive beamformers. The beamformer adaptive processors guaranties the maximization of the output SNR and in the same time allows for spatial selectivity and a highly directive vibration response in the structure. Scanning the structure over time produces a detailed vibration signature of the structure. The structural damage can be localized with high probability by comparing two vibration signatures before and after the damage occurs.
Paleoclimate and Evolution, with Emphasis on Human Origins

Paleoclimate and Evolution, with Emphasis on Human Origins. Elisabeth S. Vrba. George H. Denton. Timothy C. Partridge. and Lloyd H. Burckle. eds. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995. 547 pp.
Fast solution of large complex non-Hermitian sparse eigenvalue problems

Dielectric waveguide formulations usually result in generalized eigenvalue problems which are non-Hermitian in nature. We solve this class of problems by a two stage process. In the first stage, a standard lumped eigenvalue problem is solved for a few eigenpairs of interest (usually the guided modes) by Arnoldi's method accelerated by Chebyshev polynomials. The solution is then refined for the actual unlumped generalised eigenvalue problem by using inflated inverse iteration. After the eigenvalues and eigenvectors have been calculated at the first point (preferably the highest frequency), the eigenpairs for the rest of the frequencies of interest are calculated for progressively smaller frequencies by inflated inverse iteration alone, using the eigenvectors of the last step as the initial guess. To demonstrate the efficacy of this method, we use a variational formulation for anisotropic, dielectric waveguides based only on the E/sub s/ components or only on the H/sub s/ components of the electromagnetic fields that was presented by Chew and Nasir (1989). In this formulation it was shown that due of the imposition of the divergence condition the spurious waveguide modes were eliminated.
All-Optical Clock Recovery with Retiming and Reshaping Using a Silicon Evanescent Mode Locked Ring Laser

A novel silicon evanescent mode locked ring laser is used to perform all-optical clock recovery from 30.4 Gb/s data. The recovered clock has dramatically improved jitter, ER, and pulse reshaping compared to the input data.
Knowledge capture in the wild: a perspective from semantic wiki communities

Semantic wikis augment wikis with semantic properties that can be used to structure content that can therefore be aggregated and queried through reasoning. Semantic wikis have been adopted by many communities for very diverse purposes, such as organizing genomic knowledge, coding software, learn about hobbies, and tracking environmental data. Although wikis have been analyzed extensively, there has been little analysis of the use of semantic wikis. In this paper, we analyze the formalization of knowledge in 230 semantic wiki communities. We report our findings in terms of the edits of semantic concepts and properties, as well as the communities of editors for these semantic features of the wikis.