cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed Principal Subspace Analysis for Partitioned Big Data: Algorithms, Analysis, and Implementation

Principal Subspace Analysis (PSA)—and its sibling, Principal Component Analysis (PCA)—is one of the most popular approaches for dimensionality reduction in signal processing and machine learning. But centralized PSA/PCA solutions are fast becoming irrelevant in the modern era of Big Data, in which the number of samples and/or the dimensionality of samples often exceed the storage and/or computational capabilities of individual machines. This has led to the study of distributed PSA/PCA solutions, in which the data are partitioned across multiple machines and an estimate of the principal subspace is obtained through collaboration among the machines. It is in this vein that this paper revisits the problem of distributed PSA/PCA under the general framework of an arbitrarily connected network of machines that lacks a central server. The main contributions of the paper in this regard are threefold. First, two algorithms are proposed in the paper that can be used for distributed PSA/PCA, with one in the case of data partitioned across samples and the other in the case of data partitioned across (raw) features. Second, in the case of sample-wise partitioned data, the proposed algorithm and a variant of it are analyzed, and their convergence to the true subspace at linear rates is established. Third, extensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world data are carried out to validate the usefulness of the proposed algorithms. In particular, in the case of sample-wise partitioned data, an MPI-based distributed implementation is carried out to study the interplay between network topology and communications cost as well as to study the effects of straggler machines on the proposed algorithms.
Wählen ohne Wahl

Die Regierungen in den sogenannten GIIPS-Staaten der Euro-Peripherie, das sind Griechenland, Irland, Italien, Portugal und Spanien, implementieren wirtschaftspolitische Austeritatsprogramme, die von einer Mehrheit der Burger abgelehnt werden. Sie werden dafur an der Wahlurne abgestraft und abgewahlt. Ein Regierungswechsel fuhrt jedoch nicht zu einem Politikwechsel. Nach ihrem Amtsantritt setzen die einstigen Oppositionsparteien die gleichen bzw. sehr ahnlichen unpopularen Masnahmen um, die den Sturz der vorherigen Regierung provozierten.
How can nurses help patients work more effectively with nurses to improve the safety of patient care

The literature seems quite clear that patients still regard the nurse as the principal link between the technical and interpersonal aspects of their care. The often-discussed medical error crisis tends to create in the patient mistrust of all care providers. The health care industry is driving towards a system that requires patients to be self-reliant in managing their care, without allowing for factual limitations in patient capability, ability, and interest in such an enterprise. Unfortunately for the overworked, understaffed nurse, patients still look to them to provide quality compassionate care without the patient having to police them. Health care providers have been mandated to provide assessment and intervention for pain management. It was mandated because we as health care professionals failed to perform this vital function in a consistent, quality manner. It did add to the workload of the nurse. However, if done properly, it is a valuable communication tool for the nurse and the patient to comfortably discuss pain and its management--the interpersonal part of care.
When Does Prior Experience Pay? Institutional Experience and the Case of the Multinational Corporation

This study re-examines organizational learning theories to reconcile the conditions under which prior experience leads to performance gains. Using the context of multinational corporations’ (MNCs’) heterogeneous host country institutional experiences, and using field studies on telecommunications regulation, executive interviews (conducted in Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Canada, and the U.S.), and a foreign direct investment dataset, I develop an experiential-learning theoretical framework to explain the mechanisms driving MNCs’ performance in subsequent host country institutional environments. Prior experience is operationalized as the knowledge acquired in 80 heterogeneous regulatory environments and a distance calculation is used to compute firm-level distance measures for 96 subunit operations investing in the Brazilian telecommunications industry from 1997 to 2004. I predict that MNCs with highly similar institutional experience compared with the target country’s institutional environment will succeed. Empirical evidence suggests that similarity, breadth, and depth of prior regulatory experience significantly prolong survival. In contrast, firms with institutional experience unrelated to the target country’s regulatory environment experience learning penalties and are six times more likely to fail. These findings suggest that variations in learning contexts affect organizations’ learning curves.
Managing Mismatch Between Belief and Behavior

Our behavior doesn't always match the beliefs attributed to us, and sometimes the mismatch raises questions about what our beliefs actually are. I compare two approaches to such cases, and argue in favor of the one which allows some belief-attributions to lack a determinate truth-value. That approach avoids an inappropriate assumption about cognitive activity: namely, that whenever we fail in performing one cognitive activity, there is a distinct cognitive activity at which we succeed. The indeterminacy-allowing approach also meshes well with an attractive view of folk-psychology: that ascriptions can help shape the attitudes they report.
A Risk Averse Seller in a Continuous Time Auction with a Buyout Option

An auction with a buyout option occurring over continuous time with rules similar to eBayâ€™s â€œbuy it nowâ€ option is analyzed. It is shown that a risk averse seller facing risk neutral bidders will choose a buyout price low enough so that the buyout option is exercised with positive probability in equilibrium. Further, when the seller is risk averse and bidders are risk neutral, allowing the seller to offer a buyout option results in an ex ante Pareto improvement, compared to a similar auction without such an option.
Spin-Hall effect MRAM based cache memory: A feasibility study

One of the key objectives of STT-MRAM research has been on minimizing switching current while maintaining the required nonvolatility. To address this challenge, non-traditional MRAMs based on novel switching mechanisms have been proposed. In particular, spin-Hall effect (SHE) which utilizes large spin currents generated in the direction transverse to the charge current have been recently drawing attention [1]. Despite early promises such as lower switching current by means of efficient spin generation (i.e. I spin /I charge >100%) and longer device lifetime owing to the decoupled read and write paths, there is still a lack of a comprehensive study for benchmarking SHE-MRAM against other memory technologies. In this work, we explore the trade-off points across different levels of design abstraction (i.e. device, circuit, and architecture) to evaluate the feasibility of SHE-MRAM for large on-die cache memory.
Provincial Bank Privatization in Argentina: The Why, How, and So What?

Argentina's recently privatized provincial banks generate much of their income through service contracts with the provinces, and the transition to commercial banking has been challenging. Available evidence suggests improvements in post-privatization performance, but it is uncertain whether these are sustainable. At the very least, however, a fiscal burden has been lifted from the provinces. Argentina's provinces offer a unique opportunity to study bank privatization because so many transactions took place there in so short a period in the 1990s (1994-98). As the decade started, every province owned at least one bank, performance in publicly owned provincial banks was substantially worse than in private banks, and the losses incurred imposed substantial fiscal costs on the provinces. Politicians whose provinces were in dire fiscal straits, their banks losing money at a fast rate, were most willing to seize opportunities to privatize, even though overstaffed provincial banks were harder to privatize. Deposit loss and liquidity problems associated with the Tequila crisis made privatization more likely. The right political situation is necessary but not sufficient to ensure good privatizations. First, one must find a buyer, and Argentina's provincial banks were the least attractive in the banking sector. So the provinces settled for purchasers that were not first-tier banks. Many of them were small wholesale banks that had to make the difficult transition to retail banking. Three important concessions were made to purchasers: Contracts to provide post-privatization services to the provinces, portfolio guarantees, and the assumption of only good assets. In return, provincial politicians were granted restrictions on branch closings and layoffs of bank employees. Both types of accommodation were costly to the purchasers and the provinces. These transactions probably could not have been completed without long-term loans from the Fondo Fiduciario. Were the Fondo Fiduciario loan funds put to good use? Did privatization leave provincial banking on a sounder footing? Initial indications are that the situation has improved in most provinces. And the provinces experiencing post-privatization difficulties tend not to have participated fully in the Fondo Fiduciario privatization program. But the privatized banks rely on their service contracts with provinces to generate a big share of their income and are having trouble making the transition to commercial banking. It is uncertain whether the newly created banks are sustainable. But at least a fiscal burden has been lifted from the provinces. This paper - a product of Regulation and Competition Policy and Finance, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to investigate the determinants of structural change in developing countries' banking sectors.
Driving research in system-chip design technology

Semiconductor advances over the past three decades have been tremendous. They have engendered a new economy of continuously failing electronics prices and increasing systems capabilities - all driven fundamentally by increased integrated circuit yields. For these trends to continue, process technology advances must be matched by investments in design technology for application-oriented system chips.
A Critical Role for the Regulated Wnt–Myc Pathway in Naive T Cell Survival

Wnt signaling is involved in T cell development, activation, and differentiation. However, the role for Wnt signaling in mature naive T cells has not been investigated. In this article, we report that activation of Wnt signaling in T cell lineages by deletion of the Apc (adenomatous polyposis coli) gene causes spontaneous T cell activation and severe T cell lymphopenia. The lymphopenia is the result of rapid apoptosis of newly exported, mature T cells in the periphery and is not due to defects in thymocyte development or emigration. Using chimera mice consisting of both wild-type and Apc-deficient T cells, we found that loss of naive T cells is due to T cell intrinsic dysregulation of Wnt signaling. Because Apc deletion causes overexpression of the Wnt target gene cMyc, we generated mice with combined deletion of the cMyc gene. Because combined deletion of cMyc and Apc attenuated T cell loss, cMyc overexpression is partially responsible for spontaneous T cell apoptosis and lymphopenia. Cumulatively, our data reveal a missing link between Wnt signaling and survival of naive T cells.
Effect of intra-arterial cisplatin and 1,3-bis(2chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) dosage on radiographic response and regional toxicity in malignant glioma patients: proposal of a new method of intra-arterial dosage calculation.

The frequency of both neurologic toxicity and therapeutic response due to intra-arterial (IA) chemotherapy is decreased by dose reduction. A method to individualize IA drug dosage is needed to provide each patient with the safest, most effective dose. Most trials of IA chemotherapy for malignant glioma have used body surface area (BSA) to calculate dosage; but brain size and arterial distribution do not correlate well with BSA. Fixed doses of cisplatin and BCNU were used in combination to perform 35 IA infusions in 20 malignant gliomas patients. Doses modified by the number of major intracranial vessels supplied by the infused artery were used in 34 infusions in 19 patients. Patients receiving 150 to 200 mg CP and 300 mg BCNU had an incidence of neurologic deficit of 5.6% if ≥ 3 vessels were supplied by the infused artery compared to 42% for those with only 2 vessels. This crude dose modification maintained efficacy while reducing neurologic toxicity. Further refinement is possible using well established intra-arterial pharmacokinetic principles. Intra-arterial dosing based on volume flow at the site of infusion would yield a more reproducible exposure of the infused capillary bed to a drug than methods currently in use. More consistent drug exposure should reduce toxicity due to over dosing and treatment failure due to under dosing.
Sciatic nerve stimulation induces hypotension but not renal or lumbar sympathoinhibition in hypertensive Dahl rats.

Sustained reductions in arterial pressure and sympathetic nerve activity occur after prolonged sciatic nerve stimulation in spontaneously hypertensive and pre-hypertensive Dahl salt-sensitive rats whereas these responses are not observed in renal hypertensive or Dahl resistant rats. These observations suggest that the development of post-stimulation hypotension and sympathoinhibition may be related to the genetic predisposition for hypertension rather than to the increased level of arterial pressure. However, it is not known whether the magnitude of the post-stimulation blood pressure and sympathetic nerve responses are influenced by the increased level of arterial pressure in addition to the genetic predisposition to hypertension. In the present study, we sought to determine if sustained sciatic nerve stimulation induces post-stimulation hypotension in hypertensive Dahl sensitive (DS) rats. For this purpose, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), renal (RSNA) and lumbar (LSNA) sympathetic nerve activity were recorded during and after sciatic nerve stimulation in hypertensive DS rats (n = 17) fed an 8.0% NaCl diet for 7-8 weeks. Sciatic nerve stimulation increased HR (control, 443 +/- 10 b.p.m.; stimulation, 487 +/- 8 b.p.m.; p < 0.05) and tended to increase MAP, RSNA and LSNA. Two hours after stimulation, MAP was reduced (control 145 +/- 5 mmHg; recovery, 124 +/- 8 mmHg; p < 0.01) from control values. In contrast, RSNA and HR remained unchanged whereas LSNA was increased (69 +/- 20%; p < 0.05) from control values 120 min after stimulation. MAP, HR and RSNA were unchanged from control values during and for 2 h after sham stimulation in eight DS rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Identification and characterization of key kinetic intermediates in amyloid beta-protein fibrillogenesis.

Amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) assembly into toxic oligomeric and fibrillar structures is a seminal event in Alzheimer's disease, therefore blocking this process could have significant therapeutic benefit. A rigorous mechanistic understanding of Abeta assembly would facilitate the targeting and design of fibrillogenesis inhibitors. Prior studies have shown that Abeta fibrillogenesis involves conformational changes leading to the formation of extended beta-sheets and that an alpha-helix-containing intermediate may be involved. However, the significance of this intermediate has been a matter of debate. We report here that the formation of an oligomeric, alpha-helix-containing assembly is a key step in Abeta fibrillogenesis. The generality of this phenomenon was supported by conformational studies of 18 different Abeta peptides, including wild-type Abeta(1-40) and Abeta(1-42), biologically relevant truncated and chemically modified Abeta peptides, and Abeta peptides causing familial forms of cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Without exception, fibrillogenesis of these peptides involved an oligomeric alpha-helix-containing intermediate and the kinetics of formation of the intermediate and of fibrils was temporally correlated. The kinetics varied depending on amino acid sequence and the extent of peptide N- and C-terminal truncation. The pH dependence of helix formation suggested that Asp and His exerted significant control over this process and over fibrillogenesis in general. Consistent with this idea, Abeta peptides containing Asp-->Asn or His-->Gln substitutions showed altered fibrillogenesis kinetics. These data emphasize the importance of the dynamic interplay between Abeta monomer conformation and oligomerization state in controlling fibrillogenesis kinetics.
A Mg2+ requirement for rapid ATP-driven protein synthesis by intact pea chloroplasts☆

Abstract Protein synthesis in the dark by chloroplasts isolated from young pea plants, driven by ATP, was slow unless Mg2+ was added. Maximal stimulation occured when the added Mg2+ was equimolar with the added ATP. The amount of incorporation of [3H] leucine into protein in the dark exceeded that found using light as the source of energy. When present in excess over the Mg2+ level, ATP inhibited protein synthesis, largely by shortening the time course of the reaction. A low level of free Mg2+ in the medium may have an important role in maintaining active protein synthesis by isolated pea chloroplasts. No indication was found of a need for light-activation of the enzymes of protein synthesis.
Use of adjuvants to minimize leaching of herbicides in soil

Excessive leaching of herbicides affects their efficacy against target weeds and results in contamination of groundwater. Use of adjuvants that can weakly bind herbicides and in turn release them slowly is a valuable technique to prolong the efficacy of herbicides and to minimize their leaching into groundwater. Effects of activated charcoal, three humic substances (Enersol SP 85%, Enersol 12%, and Agroliz), or a synthetic polymer (Hydrosorb) on the leaching of bromacil, dicamba, and simazine were investigated in leaching columns using a Candler fine sand (Typic Quartzipsamment). The addition of adjuvants had no harmful effects on physical properties of the soil as evident from lack of its affects on water percolation. When no adjuvants were used, 69%, 37%, and 4% of applied dicamba, bromacil, and simazine, respectively, were leached in the first pore volume of leachate (⋍3.2 cm rainfall). With five pore volumes of leachate (⋍16 cm rainfall), bromacil and dicamba were leached completely and only 80% of simazine was leached. Using Enersol 12% adjuvant resulted in a 13%–18% reduction in leaching of dicamba and bromacil in five pore volumes of leachate. The leaching of simazine was significantly decreased when any of the five adjuvants mentioned above were used. However, the decrease in leaching was significantly greater when using Enersol SP 85% or Enersol 12% (24%–28%) than when using the other adjuvants (12%–16%).
Resistance to hydrogen peroxide associated with altered catalase mRNA stability in MCF7 breast cancer cells.

We have established a variant of the human breast cancer cell line MCF7, designated MCF7/H2O2, which is 5-fold resistance to H2O2 by clonogenic assay. The specific activity of the H2O2 disposal enzyme catalase was elevated 3-fold in MCF7/H2O2; activities of other antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, were not increased. The steady-state level of catalase mRNA was only slightly elevated (approx. 1.6-fold) in MCF7/H2O2 cells; however, degradation of catalase mRNA was markedly retarded in MCF-7/H2O2 compared to MCF-7 (82% of catalase mRNA remained 24 h after inhibition of RNA synthesis by actinomycin D in MCF-7/H2O2 vs. 32% in MCF7) The degradation rates of superoxide dismutase mRNA and 28 S ribosomal RNA were not reduced in MCF-7/H2O2; howevery, the rate of degradation of another mRNA species, β-actin, was also significantly decreased. These data suggest that resistance to H2O2 in MCF7/H2O2 cells is mediated by elevated catalase activity which can be explained by stabilization of certain mRNA species, including catalase mRNA.
Simulating the oxygen K-edge spectrum from grain boundaries in ceramic oxides using the multiple scattering methodology

Abstract In this paper we demonstrate the use of the multiple scattering methodology to interpret oxygen K-edge spectra from both the bulk and grain boundaries in a variety of ceramic oxides. The experimental electron energy loss spectra (EELS) used in this study, were obtained from a dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). Using the STEM to obtain the spectra has the advantage that each spectrum can be acquired with atomic spatial resolution. While the energy resolution is limited to ∼0.8 eV, and the angular integration in the microscope apertures precludes momentum resolved spectroscopy, this unprecedented spatial resolution allows the electronic structure at individual defect sites to be determined. Additionally, as the microscope can also provide an atomic resolution image of the defect, the relationship between the atomic structure of the defect and its local electronic structure can be determined. In practice, this is achieved by using the structure observed in the image to build the real space atomic cluster for multiple scattering simulations. Detailed interpretation of the simulations of oxygen K-edge spectra from bulk MgO, CaO, SrTiO3, TiO2, MnO2, Mn3O4, Mn2O3 and MnO are presented. In addition, the simulations from grain boundaries in TiO2 (undoped) and SrTiO3 (undoped and Mn doped) are discussed in relation to quantifying the changes in the local electronic structure that are a direct consequence of the defect structure. The simulations are used to make interpretations of the structure–property relationships at these grain boundaries.
Digitalis Administration: An Underappreciated but Common Cause of Short QT Interval

To the Editor: I read with interest the recent report by Gaita et al1 of short-QT syndrome as a familial cause of sudden death. The authors enumerated other factors that shorten QT interval, such as increased heart rate, hyperthermia, hypercalcemia, hyperkalemia, acidosis, and altered autonomic tone.1 I would like to add another important and common, but underappreciated, cause of short QT interval, that is, administration of digitalis preparations. Because digitalis administration is such a common everyday occurrence in the management of patients with congestive heart failure and in those with atrial fibrillation or paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, its effect on the QT interval should be kept in mind when …
Heat and mass transfer coefficients of viscous spheres

Abstract The problem of mass/heat transfer from a viscous droplet is solved by using a finite-difference scheme, and a dual kind of computational grid. The steady-state Navier–Stokes and energy equations for the flow fields inside and outside a viscous sphere in a fluid of different properties are fully solved numerically for Reynolds numbers ( Re ) ranging from 1 to 500. The corresponding Peclet numbers ( Pe ) range from 1 to 1000. At high values of Re and Pe a thermal and a momentum boundary layer are formed in the outside fluid. For this reason, we adopted a method of a two sub-layer concept for the computational domain outside the sphere. The first of these computational sub-layers is positioned at the interface of the sphere and covers a thin region [of O( Re −1/2 ) for the momentum and of O( Pe −1/2 ) for the thermal boundary layer]. The second computational layer is based on an exponential function and covers the rest of the domain. We utilize this numerical technique to compute the Nusselt numbers for viscous spheres at different values of Re , Pe and the viscosity ratio. The computations also show that the effect of the internal fluid density on the heat or mass transfer is negligible.
Quark confinement and scaling structure functions

Abstract We give examples of a class of four-dimensional gluon field theories of hadron binding in which the Schwinger mechanism manifestly prevents the appearance of free quarks in the physical particle spectrum. The deep inelastic structure functions are shown to have Bjorken scaling.
An algorithm for generating necklaces of beads in two colors

Abstract In this paper we describe the necklaces of beads of length n in two colors and their equivalence to binary cycles from a circulating regiter of length n. We exhibit a correspondence between the binary cycles of length n and the lexicographic compositions of the integer n. We then give algorithms to generate the necklaces and the lexicographic compositions. We compare our algorithms to an exhaustive algoritm for generating the necklaces. We also give an algorithm for generating all necklaces of a specific density.
Genomics against flatulence.

In the past several months, eukaryotic genome sequencing has brought us the complete genome of the tiny green alga Ostreococcus ‘lucimarinus’ (Palenik et al., 2007) and a draft genome of the mosquito Aedes aegypti (Nene et al., 2007). Given that the genome sequence of another Ostreococcus species, Ostreococcus tauri, has been sequenced less than a year ago (Derelle et al., 2006), the availability of the O. lucimarinus genome opens a possibility to study the evolution of this unicellular planktonic organism and its adaptation to the life in the surface layer of the sea. There has been also exciting news from archaeal and bacterial genome sequencing. The list of recently sequenced genomes (Table 1) includes bacteria that inhabit a variety of ecological niches and degrade numerous environmental contaminants, as well as two γ-proteobacteria with near-minimal gene sets.
Immunity in vaginal candidiasis

Purpose of reviewVulvovaginal candidiasis and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis remain a significant problem in women of child-bearing age. While host defense mechanisms against infection are poorly understood, the most recent studies continue to challenge dogma relative to anti-Candida immunity at
The role of p53 in regulating genomic stability when DNA and RNA synthesis are inhibited

In addition to its induction by DNA damage, p53 is induced by drugs that starve cells for DNA and RNA precursors, or by inhibitors of DNA or RNA polymerase. In normal cells, the induction of p53 by dNTP starvation serves a protective role, mediating rapid, reversible cell-cycle arrest without DNA damage. In most cell lines, this first line of defense is missing, so that starvation for dNTPs causes DNA to break, thus increasing the probability of genomic instability, chromosome deletions and gene amplification. The mechanism of how p53 is induced remains unclear.
Over-expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha in ovarian clear cell carcinoma.

Abstract Objective. Unlike other histological types of epithelial ovarian carcinoma, ovarian clear cell carcinoma is known to have very poor response to therapy even when discovered in its early stages. Since tumor hypoxia has been shown to be strongly associated with poor prognosis, deregulation of the representative factor of tissue hypoxia; hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and related protein; Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) may be associated with poor prognosis of ovarian clear cell carcinoma. Methods. Immunolocalization of both HIF-1α and VHL was performed on 56 cases of paraffin-embedded tissue sections of four different histological types of epithelial ovarian carcinoma and 5 cases of benign ovarian tumors as a control. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of both HIF1A and VHL was performed on RNA isolated from 61 microdissected frozen tissues of four different histological types of epithelial ovarian carcinoma and 6 cases of normal ovarian epithelial cells. Expression levels of HIF-1α and VHL in different histological types and correlation between HIF-1α and VHL were determined by nonparametric analysis by Kruskal–Wallis and Spearman's test. Results. HIF-1α expression levels were significantly higher in ovarian clear cell carcinoma than in other histological types ( P =0.001). We found no correlation between mRNA and protein expression level in any type of carcinoma specimens. Among endometrioid, serous, and mucinous carcinoma, there were no differences in HIF-1α expression ( P =0.643). There was a negative correlation between HIF-1α and VHL in serous ( r =−0.661, P =0.027) and in endometrioid carcinoma ( r =−0.657 P =0.039), but no correlation was found between HIF-1α and VHL expression levels in ovarian clear cell carcinoma ( P =0.60). Conclusions. The results suggest that the role of hypoxia may change according to the histological type of ovarian carcinoma. High expression of HIF-1α and its independence from VHL in ovarian clear cell carcinoma may confer chemoresistance in this histological type.
Control of fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) on apple trees with trunk-injected plant resistance inducers and antibiotics and assessment of induction of pathogenesis-related protein genes

Management of fire blight is complicated by limitations on use of antibiotics in agriculture, antibiotic resistance development, and limited efficacy of alternative control agents. Even though successful in control, preventive antibiotic sprays also affect non-target bacteria, aiding the selection for resistance which could ultimately be transferred to the pathogen Erwinia amylovora. Trunk injection is a target-precise pesticide delivery method that utilizes tree xylem to distribute injected compounds. Trunk injection could decrease antibiotic usage in the open environment and increase the effectiveness of compounds in fire blight control. In field experiments, after 1-2 apple tree injections of either streptomycin, potassium phosphites (PH) or acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), significant reduction of blossom and shoot blight symptoms was observed compared to water- or non-injected control trees. Overall disease suppression with streptomycin was lower than typically observed following spray applications to flowers. Trunk injection of oxytetracycline resulted in excellent control of shoot blight severity, suggesting that injection is a superior delivery method for this antibiotic. Injection of both ASM and PH resulted in the significant induction of PR-1, PR-2 and PR-8 protein genes in apple leaves indicating induction of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) under field conditions. The time separating SAR induction and fire blight symptom suppression indicated that various defensive compounds within the SAR response were synthesized and accumulated in the canopy. ASM and PH suppressed fire blight even after cessation of induced gene expression. With the development of injectable formulations and optimization of doses and injection schedules, the injection of protective compounds could serve as an effective option for fire blight control.
A Bayes Reliability Growth Model for A Development Testing Program

The problem of estimating the reliability of a system during development is considered. The development process has several stages at each stage binomial test data are obtained by testing a number of such systems on a success/fail basis. Marginal posterior distributions are derived under the assumption that the development process constrains the reliabilities to be nondecreasing and that the prior distribution for reliability at each stage is uniform. Simulation models are designed to facilitate testing for the validity and computation of the Bayesian model with ordered reliabilities as well as to compare results with other reliability growth models.
Antineoplastic agents. 529. Isolation and structure of nootkastatins 1 and 2 from the Alaskan yellow cedar Chamaecyparis nootkatensis.

The yellow cedar tree, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, collected in southeast Alaska was evaluated as a potential source of new anticancer agents. Two new diterpene anticancer constituents termed nootkastatins 1 (4) and 2 (5) were isolated along with three previously known diterpene cancer cell growth inhibitors where two were reported as synthetic modifications of totarol and not previously found in nature. All five diterpene structures were established by HRMS and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses combined with three X-ray crystal structure determinations (2, 3, and 5). Against a panel of six human cancer cell lines, this series of diterpenes exhibited inhibition over the range GI50 0.75−2.0 μg/mL, and all inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and fungi.
An empirical study of the relationships between IT infrastructure flexibility, mass customization, and business performance

Information technology (IT) infrastructure deserves serious attention from both the practitioner and academic communities, especially concerning the factors for IT infrastructure flexibility. The issue of flexibility is viewed as a critical aspect of IT infrastructure, because organizations are faced with an ever-increasing rate of change in their business environments. One effort most business sectors have made to prepare for this change is the trend toward mass customization. Recently, many organizations have embraced mass customization in an attempt to provide unique value to their customers in a cost-efficient manner.The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate a sequential relationship between IT infrastructure flexibility, mass customization, and business performance. The process involves an investigation of the critical factors for IT infrastructure flexibility, along with the firm's mass customization and business performance indicators. The findings of this study provide evidence that integration and modularity of an organization's IT infrastructure facilitate the organization's effort to accommodate mass customization. Additionally, the flexibility of the IT personnel, the human component of IT infrastructure, and mass customization directly affect the organization's business performance.
The extension of healthcare coverage and protection in relation to the labour market: Problems and policies in Latin America

In the past 25 years almost all 20 countries of Latin America have reformed their healthcare systems, but coverage by social insurance averages 53 per cent of the total population (less than the ILO minimum standard), ranges from 7 to 26 per cent in ten countries and has stagnated or decreased in at least eight, and access is insufficient. This article (1) analyses the transformation of the labour market and its impact on social insurance coverage; describes legal coverage of various groups; estimates statistical coverage/access and its trends in the three typical sectors (public, social insurance and private); documents the differences in coverage by income, geographical area and ethnic group; examines the difficulties in the incorporation of the informal economy, the rural population, indigenous peoples and the poor, as well as the causes of low coverage, and touches problems of access;(2) summarizes recommendations from international organizations on coverage and access; suggests specific policies to expand protection in general and to vulnerable groups, and identifies themes that require more statistics and research; and (3) summarizes findings and recommendations. A preliminary version of this article was presented at the ISSA Regional Conference for the Americas held in Belize City, 28-31 May 2006. Based on the author's book Las Reformas de Saluden America Latina y el Caribe: Su Impacto en los Principios de la Seguridad Social (Santiago, ECLAC/GTZ, 2006), the article summarizes and restructures all pertinent sections of that book, with numerous changes and new data. Useful comments were provided by two anonymous referees.
Electroencephalography in clinical epilepsy research

Electroencephalography (EEG) remains central to the investigation of epilepsy. This review discusses two clinical problems at the temporal extremes of neurophysiologic recording: evaluation of the clinical significance of individual spike discharges in benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS), and prolonged (several days) continuous EEG monitoring in the ICU. BECTS is misdiagnosed often, and probably mis-treated often as well. Though the long-term outcome is usually excellent, it remains unclear whether the individual epileptiform discharges have a clinical effect. Answering this question is difficult, in part because of the natural evolution of the epilepsy and its different appearance depending on wakefulness or sleep state, and also due to substantial methodologic problems in measuring short and long-term cognitive effects. Continuous EEG (CEEG) recording has grown remarkably over the last 10 years. It has proved crucial in the diagnosis of nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), especially in the ICU, given the usual lack of obvious clinical signs of seizures in most of these patients, many of whom are critically ill. Much progress has been made in agreeing on terminology for the EEG findings, but diagnosis is still complicated. More efficient and reliable technology is being developed to help process the massive amount of data captured by CEEG and make it more useful (and in a timely fashion) clinically. Still, it is not completely clear which patients should be monitored, for how long, and what is the best role for CEEG in assessing and adjusting treatment once the diagnosis has been made. Investigators are using CEEG to study "seizure burden," to help determine what are the long-term effects of nonconvulsive seizures and NCSE, and to help guide treatment and improve outcome.
SHG Tuning In The KTP Structure Field

Potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) has been shown to be a premier material for optical frequency second harmonic generation (SHG). Monovalent cations covering a large size range, e.g. Na+, Ag+, T1+, Rio+, and Cs+, have been used to partially or completely replace K+ in KTiOPO4 or KTiOAsO4, causing subtle structural variations which are frequently accompanied by marked changes in the nonlinear optical properties of these materials. The syntheses of (Na,K)TiOPO4 and (NH4,K)TiOAsO4, both by direct methods and by ion exchange with KTP and KTA are described here, and SHG intensities as a function of composition are presented. In the (Na,K)TiOPO4 phase space, powder SHG intensity initially remains constant with sodium content, then drops by a factor of ten when the KTP isostructure NaTiOPO4 is reached. In the (K,NH4)TiOAs04 system, SHG intensity is reduced by a factor of 5 between 40 and 50 mole percent NH4+. Single crystal X-ray data were collected on the compositions K.5(NH4).5TiOAs04 (KNTA) and NaTiOPO4 (NaTP). In KNTA, refinement reveals little change in the Ti coordination environment, however, unlike K.5(NH4).5Ti0PO4, no selective siting of the potassium and ammonium ions occurs. In NaTP, it is found that one of the Ti-O-Ti bond angles is reduced to 1300, and that one of the sodium atoms has the unusually low coordination number of four. KTixGa1-x0xPO4(F,OH)1-x is isostructural with KTP, with ▵(Ga-0)trans bond length differences of 0.056 and 0.027A. Preliminary studies of the compositional dependence of SHG in the system KTixGa1-x0xPO4(F,OH)1-x show that SHG drops by 2 orders of magnitude between 50% and 60% Ga substitution.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
New Room-Temperature Ferroelectric

The neutral-salt complex with glycine, di-glycine manganous chloride dihydrate, (N${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$C${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$${\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}\mathrm{O}\mathrm{H})}_{2}$ \ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}Mn${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}${2\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O, is found to be ferroelectric from low temperatures to +55\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. Above the latter temperature the conductivity suddenly becomes excessive. At room temperature the spontaneous polarization is 1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ coulomb/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ and the coercive field is 5.6 kv/cm. A nonreversible surface change is observable optically above 72\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, probably due to loss of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O. Thermal measurements indicate onset of water loss above 35\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C; electrical conductivity increases sharply and irreversibly above 55\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and care must be taken to prevent dehydration even at room temperature. No Curie temperature can be observed. X-ray measurements of this hitherto unreported salt show space group $P{2}_{1}$, $a=9.96$ A, $b=8.53$ A, $c=6.86$ A, $\ensuremath{\beta}=107\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$, ${\mathrm{d}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{y}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=1.875}_{0}$ g/cc, and two formula units per cell. The ferroelectric axis is along $b$. The dielectric constants at room temperature are ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{a}=6.6$, ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{b}=8.1$, ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{c}=7.4$; and these decrease linearly and only very slightly as the temperature is lowered to 77\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The corresponding neutral-salt complex of two glycines with Mn${\mathrm{Br}}_{2}$ is not isomorphous, occurring as a tri-hydrate, and is not ferroelectric. It has not been possible to find any metal which will replace manganese and form an isomorphous crystal.
A communication model of employee cynicism toward organizational change

Purpose – The study was designed to generate and test a model of employee cynicism toward organizational change from the communication perspective in a higher education institution.Design/methodology/approach – Using the theoretical framework of social information processing (SIP), the study investigated the communication processes in the social context, which contributed to employee cynicism toward organizational change in the higher education setting. Path analysis was used to test the overall model fit.Findings – The findings suggest that the three variables, perceived quality of information, cynicism of colleagues, and trust in the administration, predict change‐specific cynicism, which, in turn, lead to intention to resist change.Research limitations/implications – As an initial attempt to explain employee cynicism toward organizational change in higher education settings, this model inevitably has loose ends. Further research is needed to expand the model from a communication perspective.Practical i...
Excluded Grid Theorem: Improved and Simplified

We study the Excluded Grid Theorem of Robertson and Seymour. This is a fundamental result in graph theory, that states that there is some function f:Z+→ Z+, such that for any integer g> 0, any graph of treewidth at least f(g), contains the (g x g)-grid as a minor. Until recently, the best known upper bounds on f were super-exponential in g. A recent work of Chekuri and Chuzhoy provided the first polynomial bound, by showing that treewidth f(g)=O(g98 poly log g) is sufficient to ensure the existence of the (g x g)-grid minor in any graph. In this paper we provide a much simpler proof of the Excluded Grid Theorem, achieving a bound of $f(g)=O(g^{36} poly log g)$. Our proof is self-contained, except for using prior work to reduce the maximum vertex degree of the input graph to a constant.
Jasmonates and their role in plant growth and development, with special reference to the control of potato tuberization: a review.

Jasmonic acid and closely related compounds show growth regulating properties in plants. They have been found in more than 30 plant species. In this paper we review what is known about the jasmonate biosynthetic pathway, biological activities, and mode of action. We also discuss the possible role of jasmonates in potato tuberization.
Evaluation of grid-based hex meshes for solid mechanics

Grid-based methods for generating all-hex meshes show tremendous promise in automating and speeding up turnaround for computational simulations for solid mechanics. Recognizing some of the inherent weaknesses of grid-based methods, there has been hesitancy in accepting this technology as a viable option for critical FEA. The authors extend previous work on a grid-based method known as sculpt, and evaluate its effectiveness in practice. This study attempts to compare meshes generated with traditional manual pave-and-sweep technologies with those generated with sculpt's automatic overlay grid method. We use a simple torsion pin analysis to understand both linear-elastic and non-linear elastic---plastic responses with grid-based meshes. We also introduce improvements to the sculpt grid-based procedure, including adaptive optimization-based smoothing, hex-dominant and pillowing to capture curve features as proposed techniques for improving mesh quality. This study demonstrates that in the cases tested, equivalent or superior results were achieved with grid-based meshes when compared to pave-and-sweep meshes.
Antibiotic resistance: a historical perspective.

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing problem worldwide. Much of the antibiotic resistance occurs among community-acquired and nosocomial pulmonary pathogens. Antibiotic resistance may be classified as relative or absolute, which has important therapeutic implications. Considerable misunderstanding exists with regard to the factors that are responsible for antibiotic resistance. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics should be avoided; however, high volume of antibiotic use alone does not result in resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is agent specific and not related to antibiotic class. The antibiotics associated with a high resistance potential include ampicillin, cefamandole, ceftazidime, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, and vancomycin. The use of these antibiotics should be restricted to prevent generalized resistance problems. The substitution on the formulary of ;;vacuum cleaner'' antibiotics, along with effective infection control measures, can eliminate resistance problems in institutions. The key to controlling antibiotic resistance is to selectively use antibiotics with a low resistance potential and restrict those with a high resistance potential.
Analysis of Damages Correlation of Prestressed Concrete Beam

Damages correlation of prestressed concrete beam and its safety evaluation have been studied by finite element method. The influences of three typical damages on deflection of beam have been analyzed. The vertical crack damage (VC) has been simulated by pre-crack and contact elements has been set between crack surfaces, the reinforcing steel corrosion damage (RSC) has been simulated by reducing the effective area of the reinforcing steel, and the concrete strength degradation damage (CSD) has been simulated by changing the elastic modulus of concrete based on the relationship between concrete strength and its elastic modulus. Damage correlation variables have been defined, and safety evaluation method of concrete beam based on damage correlation has been discussed. The results showed that: there is a strong nonlinear correlation between VC and RSC, and the beam's safety states are significantly reduced because of the interaction of damages.
Community changes following shrub invasion of grassland

We studied the development of the shrub Baccharis pilularis ssp consanguinea and its effects on herbs of the annual grassland in Northern California. A series of shands of Baccharis was sampled of ages ranging from 1 yr to>9 yr, representing most of the life cycle of the shrub. In each stand we examined shrub biomass, structure and litterfall. We also determined cover and biomass of all herbaceous species and estimated seed production, seed rain and storage of seed in the soil. Abundances of all herbaceous species declined greatly after Baccharis formed a closed canopy at 2–3 yr, and little seed of herbaceous species was either dispersed into shrub stands or stored in the soil. Exclosures suggested that herbivory by small mammals in the closed shrub stands may be important in reducing the abundance of herbaceous species following shrub invasion of grassland.