cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanical tuning of whispering gallery modes over a 0.5 THz tuning range with MHz resolution in a silica microsphere at cryogenic temperatures

We experimentally demonstrate the mechanical tuning of whispering gallery modes in a 40 μm diameter silica microsphere at 10K, over a tuning range of 450 GHz and with a resolution less than 10 MHz. This is achieved by mechanically stretching the stems of a double-stemmed silica microsphere with a commercially available piezo-driven nano-positioner. The large tuning range is made possible by the millimeter long slip-stick motion of the nano-positioner. The ultrafine tuning resolution, corresponding to sub-picometer changes in the sphere diameter, is enabled by the use of relatively long and thin fiber stems, which reduces the effective Poisson ratio of the combined sphere-stem system to approximately 0.0005. The mechanical tuning demonstrated here removes a major obstacle for the use of ultrahigh Q-factor silica microspheres in cavity QED studies of solid state systems and, in particular, cavity QED studies of nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond.
Managing strategic consensus: the foundation of effective implementation

Executive Overview A frequent complaint of senior executives is that middle and operating managers fail to take the actions necessary to implement strategy. As one top manager told us. “It's been rather easy for us to decide where we wanted to go. The hard part is to get the organization to act on the new priorities.” Implementation problems of this type are often the result of poor middle management understanding and commitment to strategy. In our research we've found that relatively few middle managers articulate the same goals as their superiors. More troublesome, other researchers have found that middle managers who disagree with strategic initiatives frequently work against their implementation. This article examines an approach to implementation that focuses on the level of strategic understanding and commitment shared by managers within the organization. A framework identifying four categories of strategic consensus is introduced and used as the basis for analyzing differences in how managers perce...
Suicide After Childhood Cancer

TO THE EDITOR: Dr Recklitis et al report suicidal symptoms in a significant number of adult survivors of childhood cancer and identify risk factors associated with these symptoms. Although the authors do not report risk estimates for suicide in this patient population, their results suggest that adult survivors of childhood cancer are at an elevated risk for suicidality, even many years after treatment. Herein, we provide the first report of an increased risk of suicide in a large, population-based cohort of childhood cancer survivors in the United States. We identified 35,814 children diagnosed with cancer before age 21 years between 1973 and 2003 and reported to one of nine registries in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Previous population-based follow-up studies of patients diagnosed with cancer at all ages taken together found 1.3to 2.9-fold standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of suicide; however, separate risk estimates for childhood cancer survivors were not provided. Investigations of survivors of childhood cancer have been limited to hospital or clinical series. In our study, 36 childhood cancer survivors committed suicide (SMR 11; 95% CI, 7.8 to 15.3; excess absolute risk (EAR) 10 per 100,000 person-years). The median duration between initial cancer diagnosis and suicide was 10 years (range, 0.7 to 22 years). The median age at suicide was 26.8 years (range, 15.8 to 35.5 years). Significantly elevated SMRs of 11.7, 5.9, 13.8, and 11.7 were observed less than 1 year, 1 to 4 years, 5 to 9 years, and 10 or more years after initial cancer diagnosis, with no evidence of a diminution in risk with time. Risk for patients diagnosed with cancer at ages 10 to 14 years (SMR 12.9; 95% CI, 5.6 to 25.4) and 15 to 20 years (SMR 12.1; 95% CI, 7.7 to 17.9) was higher than those diagnosed at younger ages (0 to 4 years, SMR 3.26; 95% CI, 0.0 to 18.1; 5 to 9 years, SMR 8.8; 95% CI, 1.8 to 25.8). Suicide risk was comparable for males (SMR 10.9; 95% CI, 7.3 to 15.6) and females (SMR 11.8; 95% CI, 4.7 to 24.4). SMRs were similar for patients diagnosed before 1985 (SMR 11.9; 95% CI, 7.8 to 17.5) and those diagnosed in subsequent calendar years (SMR 9.2; 95% CI, 4.4 to 17.0). Risk was not higher for patients initially treated with radiation (SMR 9.8; 95% CI, 5.2 to 16.8) compared with those who did not receive radiotherapy as part of the primary therapy (SMR 11.9; 95% CI, 7.5 to 17.8). Although suicide among childhood cancer survivors is a rare event, the significantly elevated risk in this population-based survey is noteworthy. Our findings are consistent with those observed by Recklitis et al. Survivors of childhood cancer not only report an increased number of suicidal symptoms, but they also are at an increased risk of suicide. These results underscore the importance of incorporating resources devoted to psychosocial concerns into long-term follow-up programs for childhood cancer survivors.
The Political Economy of New Labour: The Failure of a Success Story?

With some governments there are few surprises. With Margaret Thatcher, what we saw was what we got and it was easily grasped: conviction-driven welfare retrenchment, the destruction of trade union ...
Evaluation of vaned diffuser performance applicable to chemical laser pressure recovery systems

In order to operate weapon-level chemical lasers, such as DF or COIL, or test articles, such as the Alpha HF chemical laser, in the atmosphere it is necessary to recover as much of the velocity component of the flow and convert it to pressure as possible. This conversion is accomplished through diffusers which decelerate the flow from supersonic to near zero velocities. Subsequent pressure increases to atmospheric levels, if required, are normally accomplished with ejectors. In a size limited carrier vehicle or test area it is desirable to design diffusers which are as small and compact as possible and still maintain optimum performance. One method of reducing the size of supersonic diffusers is to employ vanes to reduce the effective inlet duct dimension (D) and thus the length (L), since L/D equals Constant for a given inlet Mach number. This paper presents a tutorial on diffuser theory as well as experimental results from both TRW and UTRC on vaned diffuser performance. The results emphatically show that vanes are only effective when they reduce the inlet duct dimensions perpendicular to the limiting boundary layer.
Development of a Highly Reduced Mechanism for Iso-Octane HCCI Combustion With Targeted Search Algorithm

This paper describes recent development of iso-octane skeletal and reduced mechanisms for speeding up numerical simulations of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines. A novel targeted search algorithm is developed to systematically screen species for quasisteady state (QSS) assumption in order to reduce the mechanism size while maintaining accuracy. This new approach is especially found useful when the chemical kinetics involve complex ignition pathways. Using the iso-octane mechanism developed by LLNL, a skeletal mechanism with 215 species (Skeletal-215) and a reduced mechanism with 63 non-QSS species (Reduced-63) were constructed. Evaluations of the performances of the Skeletal-215 and the Reduced-63 were extensively conducted for the operation regimes in HCCI engine applications. Both mechanisms are found satisfactory in predicting start of combustion and minor emission species.
Fatigability of normal and dystrophic chicken muscle in vivo

Abstract Changes in the indirectly elicited isometric twitch tension, tetanic tension, twitch-to-tetanus ratio, and post-tetanic potentiation in response to fatigue were examined in the posterior latissimus dorsi muscles of normal and genetically dystrophic New Hampshire chickens. Contractile parameters were studied during 3-h fatigue stimulations and during continuous infusion of potassium chloride (0.24 m equiv/min) initiated at the conclusion of the fatigue period. Both twitch and tetanic tension of dystrophic muscles showed a relative resistance to fatigue; no significant changes in either twitch-to-retanus ratio or post-tetanic potentiation occurred during the fatigue period. In contrast, twitch and tetanic tension of normal muscles decreased more rapidly and to a greater extent in response to fatigue. The twitch-to-tetanus ratio decreased and post-tetanic potentiation increased such that after 30 min they were not significantly different from values seen in dystrophic muscles. Potassium chloride infusion produced a significant recovery (two- to ninefold improvement) of the fatigued twitch response to dystrophic muscle but did not have a significant effect on fatigued normal muscles. A comparison of directly and indirectly elicited twitch contractions indicated that part of the decrement of contractile response in dystrophic muscle was due to synaptic failure at the neuromuscular junction and that potassium chloride infusion resulted in restoration of neuromuscular transmission. It is suggested that the difference in fatigue pattern observed between normal and dystrophic muscle was a function of an altered distribution in the physiological types of motor units present in the diseased muscle.
In vitro activation of human sperm induced by amphibian egg extract

In this paper we characterize a system for the activation of human sperm using cell-free extracts from Xenopus laevis eggs. We characterize the kinetics of sperm activation in terms of morphological and DNA synthetic parameters. We have optimized some of the components which are necessary for chromatin decondensation and present data to demonstrate that the in vitro process is efficient over a wide range of salt concentrations and amounts of supplementary reducing agents.
Program Evaluation With Nonexperimental Data

Statistical methods for program evaluation with nonexperimental data have been studied by economists and econometricians over the last 20 years. These methods are concerned with laying out the precise circumstances under which valid nonexperimental estimates of the effects of an intervention can be obtained, and then with methods for determining when and if those circumstances hold. This article provides a simple exposition of the methods of identification that have been developed and draws the lessons of those methods for future evaluation designs, data collection, and analysis.
Analysis of a Ground to Satellite Optical Link with a Cooperative Satellite Beacon

Establishing a free-space optical communications link between a ground station and an orbiting satellite can be aided greatly with the use of a beacon on the satellite. A tracker, or even an adaptive optics system, can use the beacon during communications activities to correct beam pointing for atmospheric turbulence and mount jitter effects. Several models have recently been developed to study the effects of turbulence on a ground-to-geostationary satellite uplink, but published results from these models have not incorporated the effects of tracking. Two effects that need to be considered with a tracking system include a pointing lead-ahead issue and an aperture mismatch issue. The lead ahead problem involves the fact that the uplink beam needs to be pointed at the position the satellite will be when the pulse arrives. This problem exists even for a geostationary satellite. The aperture mismatch involves the sensing of the beacon through an aperture that is smaller, or larger, or even displaced from the uplink transmit aperture. In both cases, the sensed tilt might not be the same as the tilt required for optimal transmission to the satellite. These two issues have been studied separately, to some extent, by researchers in the past, although their combined effects in an optical communications uplink have never been investigated. The present paper applies previously published theories in an initial assessment of the impact of these tracking issues in an optical communications uplink. The analysis considers geosynchronous Earth orbit satellites as well as low Earth orbit satellites.
Development of an economical electron backscattering diffraction system for an environmental scanning electron microscope

A low cost, highly versatile electron backscattering diffraction system has been developed for an ElectroScan E3 Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM). A P20 phosphor coated screen is placed in the microscope environment to image electron backscattering diffraction patterns (EBSPs). A CCD TV camera is used to view the patterns through a leaded glass port in the microscope specimen chamber. This system has a spatial resolution approaching 5 [mu]m and yields analyzable patterns at pressures of up to 6 Torr. With minor modifications this system may be adapted to fit any scanning electron microscope. Comparison of analyses of the grain boundary misorientation of a Ni--16Cr--9Fe alloy with this system and by selected area channeling patterns (SACPs), performed in a standard SEM, yielded excellent agreement between the two techniques. Owing to the capability to perform on-line analysis of EBSPs, the EBSP technique required only half the time as the SACP technique. The capabilities of the system are illustrated in a study of the grain boundary character distribution of Ni--16Cr--9Fe following thermomechanical treatment.
Gluten sensitive enteropathy and other causes of small intestinal lymphocytosis

Recent studies on gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE) have heightened the pathologist's awareness of intraepithelial lymphocytes in duodenal biopsies. Mild histologic forms of GSE are now recognized with increased IELs as the only histologic change. In this review, both the classic morphology and "minimal deviation" GSE are discussed in detail, with special emphasis on the differential diagnosis and how to avoid overdiagnosing this condition. The Marsh-Oberhuber classification is described and contrasted with a more practical diagnostic terminology that is recommended for use in pathology reports. Other important conditions associated with duodenal lymphocytosis, such as refractory sprue, autoimmune enteropathy, and Helicobacter pylori-associated duodenitis, are also presented.
Wada Testing Reveals Frontal Lateralization for the Memorization of Words and Faces

Neuroimaging studies have suggested that specific regions of the frontal and medial temporal cortex are engaged during memory formation. Further, there is specialization across these regions such that verbal materials appear to preferentially engage the left regions while nonverbal materials primarily engage the right regions. An open question, however, has been to what extent frontal regions contribute to successful memory formation. The present study investigates this question using a reversible lesion technique known as the Wada test. Patients memorized words and unfamiliar faces while portions of their left and right hemispheres were temporarily anesthetized with sodium amytal. Subsequent memory tests revealed that faces were remembered better than words following left-hemisphere anesthesia, whereas words were remembered better than faces following right-hemisphere anesthesia. Importantly, inspection of the circulation affected by the amytal further suggests that these memory impairments did not result from direct anesthetization of the medial temporal regions. Taken in the context of the imaging findings, these results suggest that frontal regions may also contribute to memory formation in normal performance.
Quantitative trait loci for dry matter digestibility and particle size traits in two-rowed × six-rowed barley population

More than half of the barley grown in the USA is used for livestock feed, with the remaining stocks diverted for human food and malting purposes. The use of barley grain as a major source of cattle feed has been criticized because of its rapid digestion in the rumen, which can result in digestive disorders in cattle. In sacco dry matter digestibility (ISDMD) and particle size (PS) after dry rolling have been found to play a role in the feedlot performance of barley as a feed grain. Reducing the rate of ISDMD is predicted to result in significantly improved animal health and average daily gain. A recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between a high ISDMD, two-rowed barley cultivar (Valier) and a six-rowed Swiss landrace line (PI370970) exhibiting far slower ISDMD has been developed for studying the underlying genetic locations and mechanisms of these traits. To detect associated quantitative trait loci (QTLs), we collected and analyzed data from irrigated and rain-fed environments. A significant negative correlation was observed between ISDMD and PS. High heritability estimates for ISDMD and PS suggest that early selection for these traits during breeding would be achievable. Four QTLs were identified on chromosomes 2H, 6H, and 7H, explaining 73–85% of ISDMD phenotypic variation, while three QTLs on 2H and 7H were associated with variation in PS and explained 58–77% of its variation. A major QTL on chromosome 2H tightly linked to the morphology-modifying gene vrs1 was found to dramatically control 35–62% of the phenotypic variation of ISDMD and 26–53% of that of PS. The impact of the vrs1 locus on ISDMD was validated in two populations representing different genetic backgrounds. Our results suggest that it may also be advantageous to simultaneously overlap these QTLs around the vrs1 locus.
Intelligent solid-state voltage restorer for voltage swell/sag and harmonics

Voltage swell/sag along with extended undervoltage conditions and voltage harmonics are of vital concern to the majority of industries today. A neural network control method for the problems of voltage sag/swell and harmonics is proposed. A novel topology of the AC-AC boost converter solves the problems of voltage swell/sag, while a voltage controlled-voltage source inverter working as a series isolator compensates the harmonics contained in the voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC). The composite converter, named a solid-state voltage restorer, uses an injection transformer with three windings. The primary winding injects a voltage in series with the line to regulate the load voltage to a desired value with a sinusoidal shape. The centre tap secondary winding is connected to an AC-AC boost converter. The tertiary winding is connected to a DC-AC inverter to compensate harmonics in the voltage at the PCC. The neural network based control technique of the AC-AC converter helps to correct the wave shape and amplitude of the voltage to feed sensitive load at rated voltage conditions. A detailed design of the neural network methodology is given and a mathematical model of the voltage restorer is used to simulate its performance. Simulation results are discussed in detail.
Firewire: standard computer industry interconnect for test & measurement

Do you know what Firewire is? If not, you soon will, IEEE 1394, or Firewire, is an up-and-coming electronics industry standard that will soon be in wide use for interconnecting a massive variety of electronic equipment. It will be used for connecting CD-ROMs and scanners to computers, and it will be used for connecting VCRs, DVDs and satellite dishes to digital televisions. How does this affect Test & Measurement? This paper discusses Firewire, along with it's lower-end companion, USE, and how they can and will be utilized in T&M applications to replace T&M specific technologies, such as IEEE 488, and MXI. The advantages-and disadvantages-of these new technologies are discussed along with what the Test & Measurement industry should do to support these new technologies.
Laser Safety: The Game Is On

Any recurring mandatory education offering presents the risk of losing the audience's interest because of its repetitious nature. For example, laser safety in the OR is an important issue that should be reviewed annually, but most perioperative personnel have heard the laser safety talk and performed hands-on training numerous times. Educational offerings that must be presented repeatedly should be provided in new and creative ways to maintain staff members' attention. Presenting valuable and necessary educational material in a game show format can engage personnel, heighten their interest, and improve the chances that learning will occur. As a means of accomplishing this, a perioperative educator created an inservice game that was a successful and fun way to provide laser safety education.
Is national, independent oversight needed for the protection of human subjects?

(1999). Is national, independent oversight needed for the protection of human subjects? Accountability in Research: Vol. 7, No. 2-4, pp. 283-292.
Individual Risk Prediction and Population-wide Disease Prevention

Epidemiologists seem to be engaged in a ceaseless search for new risk factors for disease. An increasingly important consequence of this activity is the categorization of individuals according to personal disease risk. This search for risk factors is being conducted with the hope of more accurately isolating groups of high risk individuals; that is, the goal is to identify risk factors with high relative risks and with a correspondingly good ability to discriminate between diseased and nondiseased individuals. However, most known risk factors associated with chronic diseases (with the important exceptions of heavy smoking and certain occupational exposures, such as asbestos) have modest relative risks. At the individual level, most risk factors have poor discriminatory power, or poor positive predictive value. Some persons in the "low risk" or unexposed category will develop disease, while the majority of those who are exposed will remain healthy. One of the goals in the burgeoning field of genetic epidemiology is to extend the search for risk factors into the human genome, to uncover high risk individuals who were hitherto hidden within exposures defined by conventional lifestyle or environmental factors. Speculating on the future of genetic epidemiology, Feigelson et al. noted that "expanded knowledge in this area should lead to more refined definitions of 'high-risk' individuals... and, hopefully, lead us to be able to better define who may benefit from specific interventions based on underlying genetic susceptibility" (1, p. 20). In a similar vein, Khoury stated that "new gene discoveries, which occur on an almost daily basis, require that the public health community take a leadership role in translating the results of these dis-
Age-correlated tissue preferences ofHeliothis armigera (Hubner) andSpodoptera litura (F) with special reference to phenolic substances

Age correlated tissue preferences ofHeliothis armigera (Hubner) andSpodoptera litura (F) were investigated onGossypium hirsutum, Abelmoschus esculentus, Ricinus communis and Cajanus cajan. The food utilization and reproductive potential of these two noctuids are correlated with the host plant nutritional and non-nutritional phenolic substances, separated and characterised through thin-layer chromatography and UV spectra. The non-nutritional phenolic substances such as phloroglucinol, resorcinol, protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, pyrogallol and vanillic acid tend to vary within the host plant parts as well as in different host plant species. Keywords.Spodoptera litura; Heliothis armigera; age-correlated tissue preferences; nonnutritional phenolic substances.
Effect of Examinee Group on Equating Relationships

Many educational tests make use of multiple test forms, which are then horizontally equated to establish interchangeability among forms. To have confidence in this interchangeability, the equating relationships should be robust to the particular group of examinees on which the equating is conducted. This study inves tigated the effects of ability of the examinee group used to establish the equating relationship on linear, equipercentile, and three-parameter logistic IRT esti mated true score equating methods. The results show all of the methods to be reasonably independent of ex aminee group, and suggest that population independ ence is not a good reason for selecting one method over another.
A Toy Model of Giant Molecular Clouds

We idealize giant molecular clouds as flattened sheets, incorporating the concepts of strong magnetization, star formation from dense cores, and efficient bipolar outflows. This toy model reproduces the observed tendency of molecular clouds to form filaments without the need to invoke large-scale overall gravitational collapse that would yield a rate of star formation far in excess of empirical Galactic values. It yields line width-size relationships that are in rough accord with observations, although better simulations are needed that remove the imposition of periodic boundary conditions and allow for a more systematic treatment of subgrid turbulence. The model lends credence to earlier ideas concerning the self-regulation of star formation by turbulence and photoionization.
The characterization of the chemical impurities in Kevlar 49 fibres

Abstract The impurities in Kevlar 49 fibres (poly( p -phenylene terephthalamide), PPTA) are reported from chemical analyses. The interrelationships between the fibre impurities, microvoid characteristics, moisture sorption and chemical degradation are discussed. The chemical nature of the impurities and their distribution within the fibre are considered in relation to the physical and chemical processes involved in fibre fabrication. From chemical analyses, together with C, N, H elemental analyses, we show Kevlar 49 fibres contain 1.5 wt% impurities of which ∼50% are in the form of Na 2 SO 4 . The Na 2 SO 4 resides in the fibre interfibrillar regions, which are paths for preferential moisture diffusion. During fibre fabrication, these Na 2 SO 4 impurities generate osmotic pressures and microvoids in the fibre. There are three benzenesulphonic acid side groups and one COOH end group per PPTA macromolecule. Sixty per cent of these acid groups are neutralized and are in the from of the Na salt. Other metallic compounds at concentrations of ∼350 ppm are also present in Kevlar 49 fibres. There is evidence of trace quantities of mobile H 2 SO 4 in Kevlar 49 fibres that will accelerate hydrolytic and oxidative Kevlar 49 degradation.
Analysis of vibration‐dissociation‐recombination processes behind strong shock waves of nitrogen

Computations are presented for the relaxation zone behind strong, one‐dimensional shock waves of nitrogen. The numerical results are compared with existing experimental data. It is indicated that the derivation of chemical rate coefficients must account for the degree of vibrational nonequilibrium in the flow. A nonequilibrium chemistry model is employed together with equilibrium rate data to compute successfully the flow in several different nitrogen shock waves. The analysis is performed with the direct simulation Monte Carlo method (DSMC). The DSMC code is vectorized for efficient use on a supercomputer. The code simulates translational, rotational, and vibrational energy exchange, and dissociative and recombinative chemical reactions. A new model is proposed for the treatment of three‐body recombinative collisions in the DSMC technique, which usually simulates binary collision events. The new formulation represents improvement over previous models in that it can be employed with a wide range of chemical rate data, does not introduce into the flow field troublesome pairs of atoms that may recombine upon further collision (pseudoparticles), and is compatible with the vectorized code.
A statistical study of traveling convection vortices using the Magnetometer Array for Cusp and Cleft Studies

[1] The Magnetometer Array for Cusp and Cleft Studies (MACCS) is primarily a longitudinal magnetometer array located in the eastern Canadian arctic at cusp latitudes. We present a statistical study of traveling convection vortices (TCVs) as observed by MACCS from the first year of operations, August 1992 to July 1993. For this period, data are routinely available from three stations, extending more than 2 hours in magnetic local time (MLT) and located roughly on a line of constant geomagnetic latitude at 75°. With the selection criteria used, we find an average of 38 TCV events per month. We characterize the events as “isolated” and “nonisolated”. The isolated events have the typical, accepted signature of a TCV while the nonisolated ones are events that satisfy the selection criteria but occur among relatively strong magnetic activity. The diurnal distribution of these events shows a prenoon-afternoon asymmetry, but the distribution has a single peak at 10 MLT and then falls off smoothly in the afternoon hours. It does not show the previously reported minimum of event occurrence around magnetic local noon except for isolated events occurring during higher Kp values. The most likely explanation for this discrepancy is the wide longitudinal extent of MACCS. The majority of the events have propagation velocities between 3 and 11 km/s, which can be a factor of 2 larger than the events reported in previous studies. The majority of the events move away from noon, as is expected, with a small fraction moving toward noon. Most (80%) of the studied events exhibit all the characteristics of a typical TCV, while the remaining 20% show some form of irregularity. We find four different types of irregularities. The isolated and nonisolated events have many similar morphological and propagation characteristics. However, quantitative comparison of the statistical distributions of the two types of TCVs indicates that they belong to different populations. We also find that nonisolated TCVs may occur for somewhat higher Kp values. We therefore suggest that the two classes of TCVs have different source mechanisms.
The actin cytoskeleton inhibits pore expansion during PIV5 fusion protein-promoted cell-cell fusion

Paramyxovirus fusion (F) proteins promote both virus-cell fusion, required for viral entry, and cell-cell fusion, resulting in syncytia formation. We used the F-actin stabilizing drug, jasplakinolide, and the G-actin sequestrant, latrunculin A, to examine the role of actin dynamics in cell-cell fusion mediated by the parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) F protein. Jasplakinolide treatment caused a dose-dependent increase in cell-cell fusion as measured by both syncytia and reporter gene assays, and latrunculin A treatment also resulted in fusion stimulation. Treatment with jasplakinolide or latrunculin A partially rescued a fusion pore opening defect caused by deletion of the PIV5 F protein cytoplasmic tail, but these drugs had no effect on fusion inhibited at earlier stages by either temperature arrest or by a PIV5 heptad repeat peptide. These data suggest that the cortical actin cytoskeleton is an important regulator of fusion pore enlargement, an energetically costly stage of viral fusion protein-mediated membrane merger.
Sensory Properties of Meal Replacement Bars and Beverages Made from Whey and Soy Proteins

Whey and soy proteins have a variety of applications. Previous work has documented flavors of rehydrated whey and soy proteins. It is necessary to understand what flavors whey and soy proteins contribute to product applications to optimize protein performance in desired applications. This research was conducted to characterize sensory properties of meal replacement products containing whey and soy proteins. Flavor and texture lexicons were developed for meal replacement bars and beverages. Commercial peanut butter-flavored meal replacement bars and vanilla meal replacement shakes were evaluated by an experienced, trained descriptive panel (n= 9). Prototypes of bars and beverages were developed with 3 levels of whey and soy protein and subsequently evaluated. Consumer acceptance testing (n= 85) was conducted on the prototype bars and beverages. Protein type as well as product-specific formulation contributed differences in flavor and texture of commercial bars and beverages (P < 0.05). Sensory properties of prototype bars and beverages fell within the spectrum of commercial products. Prototype bars made with whey protein were characterized by sweet aromatic and vanillin flavor notes while the texture was characterized by adhesiveness and cohesiveness. Prototype bars made with soy protein were characterized by nutty flavor while the texture was characterized by tooth-pack and denseness. Whey protein contributed to sweet aromatic and vanillin flavors in prototype beverages while soy protein contributed cereal/grainy flavors. Consumer acceptance scores were higher for prototype bars and beverages containing whey protein or a mixture of whey/soy protein than for products made with soy protein alone (P < 0.05). These results will aid researchers and product developers in optimizing sensory quality in meal replacement products.
PSF Is a Novel Corepressor That Mediates Its Effect through Sin3A and the DNA Binding Domain of Nuclear Hormone Receptors

Members of the type II nuclear hormone receptor subfamily (e.g., thyroid hormone receptors [TRs], retinoic acid receptors, retinoid X receptors [RXRs], vitamin D receptor, and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors) bind to their response sequences with or without ligand. In the absence of ligand, these DNA-bound receptors mediate different degrees of repression or silencing of gene expression which is thought to result from the association of their ligand binding domains (LBDs) with corepressors. Two related corepressors, N-CoR and SMRT, interact to various degrees with the LBDs of these type II receptors in the absence of their cognate ligands. N-CoR and SMRT have been proposed to act by recruiting class I histone deacetylases (HDAC I) through an association with Sin3, although they have also been shown to recruit class II HDACs through a Sin3-independent mechanism. In this study, we used a biochemical approach to identify novel nuclear factors that interact with unliganded full-length TR and RXR. We found that the DNA binding domains (DBDs) of TR and RXR associate with two proteins which we identified as PSF (polypyrimidine tract-binding protein-associated splicing factor) and NonO/p54nrb. Our studies indicate that PSF is a novel repressor which interacts with Sin3A and mediates silencing through the recruitment of HDACs to the receptor DBD. In vivo studies with TR showed that although N-CoR fully dissociates in the presence of ligand, the levels of TR-bound PSF and Sin3A appear to remain unchanged, indicating that Sin3A can be recruited to the receptor independent of N-CoR or SMRT. RXR was not detected to bind N-CoR although it bound PSF and Sin3A as effectively as TR, and this association with RXR did not change with ligand. Our studies point to a novel PSF/Sin3-mediated pathway for nuclear hormone receptors, and possibly other transcription factors, which may fine-tune the transcriptional response as well as play an important role in mediating the repressive effects of those type II receptors which only weakly interact with N-CoR and SMRT.
The allocation of catastrophe risk

The potential losses from catastrophes have led financial researchers to address the following questions: (1) to what extent is catastrophe risk being shared (insured) and is the allocation of catastrophe risk consistent with notions of optimal risk sharing? (2) if not, what market imperfections hinder the efficient allocation of catastrophe risk? and (3) are there government policies or private market solutions that could lead to a more efficient allocation of catastrophe risk? This paper summarizes the research that has been conducted on these questions. � 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Scares of Communism: Architectural and Design Remnants of an Ideology:

During the rule of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) the built environment was filled with meaning and ideological communication. Since its collapse, much of Soviet style architecture ...
Endothelial cells direct human mesenchymal stem cells for osteo- and chondro-lineage differentiation through endothelin-1 and AKT signaling

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) reside in a perivascular niche of the body, suggesting that they interact closely with vascular endothelial cells (ECs) through cell-cell interaction or paracrine signaling to maintain cell functions. Endothelin-1 (ET1) is a paracrine factor mainly secreted by ECs. We thus hypothesize that ECs can regulate cellular activities of hMSCs and direct their stem cell fate. We investigated whether co-cultured human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were able to regulate expression of potency- and lineage-related markers in bone marrow-derived hMSCs. We further explored the regulatory effects of ET1 on cell proliferation, expression of surface antigens and pluripotency-related markers, and multilineage differentiation in hMSCs. Activation of the AKT signaling pathway in hMSCs was also analyzed to identify its mechanistic role in the ET1-induced regulation. Co-cultured HAECs enhanced expression of mesenchymal lineage-related markers in hMSCs. Treatment of ET receptor antagonist downregulated the increased expression of CBFA1 in hMSCs cultured with HAEC-conditioned medium. hMSCs treated with ET1 showed cell proliferation and expression of surface antigens, CD73, CD90, and CD105, comparable with those without ET1 treatment. ET1-treated hMSCs also expressed upregulated mRNA transcript levels of OCT3/4, NANOG, CBFA1 and SOX9. When induced for lineage-specific differentiation, hMSCs pre-treated with ET1 showed enhanced osteogenesis and chondrogenesis. However, adipogenic differentiation of hMSCs was not affected by ET1 pretreatment. We further showed that the ET1-induced regulation was mediated by activation of AKT signaling. Our results demonstrate that ET1 secreted by HAECs can direct bone marrow-derived hMSCs for osteo- and chondro-lineage differentiation through activation of the AKT signaling pathway, suggesting that ET1 plays a crucial role in regulation of hMSC activity. Our findings may help understand how hMSCs interact with ECs in a perivascular niche.
High quality spotlight SAR processing algorithm designed for LightSAR mission

A high quality spotlight SAR processing algorithm is presented. In this algorithm, subband images of the radar illuminated spot are processed using well known strip mode processing algorithms. A full resolution image is then formed by (1) merging the spectra of subband images into a full band spectrum, and (2) taking an inverse FFT. Advantages of this algorithm include (1) higher image quality, (2) higher processing throughput rate, and (3) lower S/W development cost. The image quality achieved by this algorithm is better than that previously achieved by the backprojection algorithm. The fine image quality is demonstrated by the SIR-C spotlight SAR images.
What's new in reliability engineering?

Reliability engineering is responding to the trend to computer-aided design (CAD), and the current emphasis on improving competitiveness through quality. Islands of automation addressing reliability for both hardware design and software engineering exist which are not yet connected, though government–industry teams are developing integrated software packages of reliability (and maintainability) tools. TQM (total quality management) principles are being adopted in many industries, and the U.S. Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) programme, which requires qualification of a process rather than a product, is now used for procuring microcircuits. However, government regulations remain a barrier to creating a ‘quality culture’. ISO 9000 is seen by industry as a requirement for international competitiveness, but criticized by some as counterproductive. Research and development of reliability engineering tools reflect the need for implementation in CAD frameworks, and fuzzy logic analysis has attracted the attention of the theorists.
Differences Between Teaching Adults and Pre-Adults: A Closer Look

There is a considerable body of prescriptive literature in adult education which defines a learner-centered, responsive approach for teaching adults. Little research, however, has attempted to describe the similarities and differences in the ways teachers actually teach adults and pre-adults. This study analyzed the reported and actual (observed) teaching practices of a population of university, community college, and public school teachers who taught in both adult and pre-adult programs. While teachers reported teaching differences that were very much in line with the prescriptive literature, there was, in actual practice, little evidence of the more student-centered approach with adults that was reported. Comparative analysis was used to examine factors which appeared to influence interaction patterns in adult education classrooms. The value of interaction analysis was supported in providing an objective description of teaching behavior from which grounded instructional theory and prescriptions for trai...
Effects of convolution on chaotic signals

Because chaotic signals are potentially useful both in describing physical phenomena and in engineering applications, signal processing algorithms exploiting their unique characteristics are of interest. The authors consider issues pertaining to processing signals in convolutional distortion. Specifically, they discuss the effects of convolutional distortion on two parameters commonly used in the description of chaotic signals-the Lyapunov exponents and the fractal dimension of the attractor. In addition, a blind deconvolution technique based on minimizing a nonlinear prediction error for data generated by one-dimensional chaotic maps is presented. >
EGRET Observations of Gamma Rays from Point Sources with Galactic Latitude +10(degrees) < b < +40(degrees)

The EGRET instrument aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) has completed the first all-sky survey in high-energy gamma rays and has repeatedly viewed selected portions of the sky. Analysis of the region with galactic latitude $+10\arcdeg < b < +40\arcdeg$ indicates the presence of nineteen point sources, including nine which can be identified as active galactic nuclei, some of which have been reported previously, as well as ten other sources with no definite counterparts. Using the combined exposures from Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the CGRO viewing program, the spectra, time variability, and positions of all detected sources in this region are determined. It is tentatively suggested that one of the unidentified sources might be associated with the radio galaxy Centaurus A.
Knowledge and Attitudes of American Physicians and Public About Medical Chronobiology and Chronotherapeutics. Findings of Two 1996 Gallup Surveys

Two Gallup telephone interview surveys were conducted during 1996 of 320 American primary care physicians and 1011 adults to assess their knowledge and attitudes about medical chronobiology and chr...
Human newborns differentiate differing concentrations of sucrose and glucose

One- to three-day-old infants who sucked to obtain flavored water revealed a precisely graded tongue movement which was sensitive to the gustatory properties of the flavored water. Stronger concentrations of sucrose and glucose elicited movements of greater amplitude than did weaker concentrations; sucrose was effective at lower concentrations than was glucose. These results correspond well with the relative sweetness adults attribute to these solutions in psychophysical studies.
Chromosomal Replicons of Higher Plants

Twenty-four years have passed since it was noted that the cell cycle duration of diploid root meristematic cells of unrelated plant species is positively correlated with the amount of nuclear DNA (Van’t Hof and Sparrow, 1963) and it has been 22 years since it was shown that the duration of S phase is likewise dependent on the genome size of higher plants (Van’t Hof, 1965)• These correlations were confirmed independently by others (Bennett, 1972; Evans et al., 1971, 1972) and extended to the duration of meiosis by Bennett and colleagues (Bennett, 1971; Bennett and Smith, 1972; Bennett et al., 1972). The earlier work, summarized by Van’t Hof (1974), yielded statistical correlations that become more precise as more recently gathered measurements from other species are added (Grif and Ivanov, 1975; Price and Bachmann, 1976).
Design and technologies for a smart composite bridge

An all-composite, smart bridge design for shortspan applications is described. The bridge dimensions are 9.14-m (30-ft.) long and 2.74-m (9-ft.) wide. A modular construction based on assemblies of pultruded fiber-reinforced-polymer (FRP) composite tubes is used to meet American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) H20 highway load ratings. The hollow tubes are 76 mm (3 in.) square and are made of carbon/vinyl-ester and glass/vinyl-ester. An extensive experimental study was carried out to obtain and compare properties (stiffness, strength, and failure modes) for a quarter portion of the full-sized bridge. The bridge response was measured for design loading, two-million-cycle fatigue loading, and ultimate load capacity. In addition to meeting H20 load criteria, the test article showed almost no reduction in stiffness or strength under fatigue loading and excellent linear elastic behavior up to failure. Fiber optic strain sensors were evaluated on the test article during testing. Sensor characteristics are determined as preparation for permanent field installation.
Replicating Sampson and Groves's Test of Social Disorganization Theory: Revisiting a Criminological Classic

Using data from the British Crime Survey conducted in 1982, Sampson and Groves provided a convincing test of social disorganization theory. Although macro-level theory was in the midst of a revival when this investigation appeared, no single article did more to polish the previously tarnished image of social disorganization theory than Sampson and Groves's analysis; in fact, this work has become a criminological classic. Subsequent research, however, has not systematically replicated this study. Questions thus remain as to whether Sampson and Groves uncovered enduring empirical realities or idiosyncratic relationships reflecting the time period from which the data were drawn. In this context, the current research seeks to replicate Sampson and Groves's findings with data from the 1994 British Crime Survey. Analyses of similar models with similar measures yield results consistent with social disorganization theory and consistent with the results presented by Sampson and Groves. Our study suggests, therefor...
Words in a sea of sounds: the output of infant statistical learning.

One of the first problems confronting infant language learners is word segmentation: discovering the boundaries between words. Prior research suggests that 8-month-old infants can detect the statistical patterns that serve as a cue to word boundaries. However, the representational structure of the output of this learning process is unknown. This research assessed the extent to which statistical learning generates novel word-like units, rather than probabilistically-related strings of sounds. Eight-month-old infants were familiarized with a continuous stream of nonsense words with no acoustic cues to word boundaries. A postfamiliarization test compared the infants’ responses to words versus part-words (sequences spanning a word boundary) embedded either in simple English contexts familiar to the infants (e.g. “I like my tibudo”), or in matched nonsense frames (e.g. “zy fike ny tibudo”). Listening preferences were affected by the context (English versus nonsense) in which the items from the familiarization phase were embedded during testing. A second experiment confirmed that infants can discriminate the simple English contexts and the matched nonsense frames used in Experiment 1. The third experiment replicated the results of Experiment 1 by contrasting the English test frames with non-linguistic frames generated from tone sequences. The results support the hypothesis that statistical learning mechanisms generate word-like units with some status relative to the native language. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.