cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive control of jitter in laser beam pointing and tracking

This paper presents new results on adaptive control of jitter in laser beams. Experimental results illustrate the capability of a recently developed method for variable-order adaptive control reduce jitter in bandwidths well beyond the bandwidth of linear time invariant control systems. The adaptive control loop is based on recursive least squares lattice filter that implicitly identifies the disturbance statistics from real-time sensor data. The adaptive controller achieves both fast adaptation and true minimum variance steady state performance. The main innovation in this paper is frequency weighting in the adaptive control loop to emphasize the relative importance of jitter in particular bandwidths and mitigate the effects of high-frequency sensor noise. Results from an experiment with a MEMS fast steering mirror used in current free space optical communications systems illustrate suppression of jitter with simultaneous multiple bandwidths produced by multiple jitter sources.
Oncoproteins and proliferation markers in synovial sarcomas: a clinicopathologic study of 19 cases.

Abstract Purpose. The objective of this study was to evaluate synovial sarcomas for the expression of oncogenic proteins (Her2/neu, EGFR, Bcl-2, p53) and proliferation markers (Ki-67, Topoisomerase 2α), as possible markers of prognostic significance. Methods. From 17 patients with synovial sarcomas 19 tumors (15 primary, 2 recurrent, and 2 metastatic) were selected on the basis of characteristic histology, the expression of at least one epithelial marker, and/or the presence of t(X;18). Adequate follow-up was available in all cases. Results. The tumors were tested immunohistochemically and were found to express multiple oncogenic proteins. Four of 19 synovial sarcomas (21%) demonstrated nuclear over-expression of p53 protein; 18 of 19 tumors (94%) stained positive for Bcl-2; and 13 of 19 tumors (68%) were immunoreactive with EGFR. Of particular interest was the frequent expression of Her2/neu, an oncogenic protein more commonly observed in epithelial neoplasms. Ten of 19 tumors (52%, 7 monophasic and 3 biphasic) showed positive cytoplasmic and membranous staining with Her2/neu (HercepTest, DAKO). The staining intensity ranged from 1+ to 2+. Cellular expression of Her2/neu was independent of EGFR positivity and showed no association with proliferative activity of the tumors. FISH analysis of eight positive cases showed no evidence of Her2/neu gene amplification. Among the non-metastatic tumors, we found a significant correlation between Ki-67 and Topoisomerase 2α. Spearman's correlation co-efficient was 0.86 with P=0.001 (n=17). Conclusions. In this relatively small series of cases, we found no definite correlation between the over-expression of Her2/neu and clinical outcome. The over-expression of p53 was significantly associated with clinical outcome (Fisher's exact test, P=0.02).
A Retrospective Study of the Etiologies and Outcomes of Patients Admitted to a University Hospital with Presumed Acetaminophen Toxicity

We evaluated the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted with presumed acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity in a large university hospital over a 3-year period. There were 128 adults (mean age, 36 + 12.5 y) and 51 pediatric patients (mean age, 14.3 + 4 y). Seventy-eight (60.9%) adult patients presented with intentional toxic ingestion, 47 (36.7%) unintentional toxic ingestion, and seven (5.5%) cases in whom the intent of APAP ingestion was unknown. Conversely, 42 (82.4%) of the pediatric cases were intentional ingestion (P = 0.01 vs adults). Patients admitted with unintentional toxic ingestion had a greater degree of hepatic impairment; although, significant differences in serum chemistries were not seen in the pediatric patients. However, in the adult group, those with unintentional toxic ingestion had significantly greater peak serum concentrations of aspartame aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), bilirubin, and prothrombin time (PT). There were 56 cases of unintentional toxic inge...
Continuous, underway sampling of eggs of Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) and northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) in spring 1996 and 1997 off southern and central California

Abstract Eggs of the northern anchovy and Pacific sardine were sampled at 3 m depth using the Continuous, Underway Fish Egg Sampler (CUFES) during two cruises off southern and central California in March and April 1996 and 1997. Simultaneous measurements were made of seawater temperature and salinity. Real-time AVHRR satellite images of sea surface temperature were processed onshore and transmitted to the ship at sea. Sardine and anchovy eggs were identified and counted live, at sea, and again ashore, preserved. A total of 2129 CUFES samples were collected during 41 d at sea and contained 62,409 sardine and 15,123 anchovy eggs. Sardine eggs were widespread and abundant in both cruises (mean concentrations: 5.2 and 5.1 eggs m −3 ) at and shoreward of the eastern boundary of the California Current. Anchovy eggs were found primarily inshore in the Southern California Bight and were less abundant (0.4 and 1.0 eggs m −3 , respectively, for the two cruises). Temperature–salinity plots indicated distinct separation of the spawning habitat of these two species and consistency in habitat between cruises in successive years. The distributions of sardine eggs and euphausiids collected by CUFES were complementary in space and time.
Demographic, clinical and occupational characteristics associated with early onset of delivery: findings from the Duke Health and Safety Surveillance System, 2001-2004.

Background This cross-sectional study explores associations between preterm delivery and demographic, clinical and occupational characteristics of women employed within a university and health system. Methods A comprehensive surveillance system linking individual-level data from Human Resources, medical insurance claims and a job-exposure matrix was used to identify women with a single live birth between 2001 and 2004 and describe maternal characteristics during pregnancy. Results Preterm delivery occurred in 7.1% (n = 74) of the 1,040 women, a lower preterm delivery prevalence than observed in the general U.S. population. Nearly all (>99.5%) women utilized prenatal care services. Prevalence of preterm delivery was highest for inpatient nurses, nurses' aides and office staff. In multivariate analyses, preterm delivery was positively associated with several clinical conditions: placenta previa, diabetes and cardiovascular disorder/disease. Conclusions We observed associations between preterm delivery and several previously indicated clinical conditions. Further study of the effect of job characteristics on preterm delivery is warranted. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:911–922, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Regulation of mitochondrial activity by indoleacetic acid

Abstract Mitochondria of scutella of a maize inbred were allowed to respire in the presence of indoleacetic acid. Greatest enhancement of Q O 2 N , P/N and P/O was observed with indoleacetic acid concentration around 1.07 · 10−10 M. At concentrations above 1.07 · 10−8 M, O2 uptake was greatly inhibited while phosphorylation was inhibited to a lesser degree. It was shown that enhancement of mitochondrial activity is dependent on CoA; without added CoA, effects of indoleacetic acid were slight. The most effective concentration of CoA was shown to be 0.1 mg/2.8 ml reaction mixture. In the presence of 1.07 · 10−10 M indoleacetic acid, rate of O2 uptake measured at 3-min intervals was greatly increased. In addition, with indoleacetic acid in the reaction mixture, mitochondria showed an almost immediate enhancement of activity while the control reaction and the reaction with high concentration of indoleacetic acid (1.07 · 10−5 M) exhibited a lag of 3–4 min. With regard to the relationship of CoA and indoleacetic acid-induced stimulation of rate of mitochondrial O2 uptake, two points were observed: without added CoA, the rate of O2 uptake is sharply reduced and there is a lag of 7 min before mitochondria show any O2 uptake. The results suggest that indoleacetic acid enhances mitochondrial activity by affecting the enzyme(s) of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. It is suggested that indoleacetic acid accomplishes such enhancement by acting as an allosteric effector.
A complete CAD system for pulmonary nodule detection in high resolution CT images

The purpose of this study is to develop a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to detect small-sized (from 2mm to 10mm) pulmonary nodules in high resolution helical CT scans. A new CAD system is proposed to locate both juxtapleural nodules and non-pleural nodules. Isotropic resampling and lung segmentation are performed as preprocessing steps. Morphological closing was utilized to smooth the lung contours to include the indented possible juxtapleural locations, thresholding and 3D component analysis were used to obtain 3D volumetric nodule candidates; furthermore, gray level and geometric features were extracted, and analyzed using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier. Leave one case out method was used to evaluate the LDA. To deal with non-pleural nodules, a discrete-time cellular neural network (DTCNN) based on local shape features was developed. This scheme employed the local shape property to perform voxel classification. The shape index feature successfully captured the local shape difference between nodules and non-nodules, especially vessels. To tailor it for lung nodule detection, this DTCNN was trained using genetic algorithms (GAs) to derive the shape index variation pattern of nodules. Nonoverlapping training and testing sets were utilized in the non-pleural nodule detection. 19 clinical thoracic CT cases involving a total of 4838 sectional images were used in this work. The juxtapleural nodule detection method was able to obtain sensitivity 81.25% with an average of 8.29 FPs per case. The non-pleural nodule finding scheme attained sensitivity of 83.9% with an average 3.47 FPs/case. Combining the two subsystems together, an overall performance of 82.98% sensitivity with 11.76 FPs/case can be obtained.
Proton magnetic resonance of the bovine spleen green heme-protein

The ferric spleen green heme-protein exhibits hyperfine-shifted proton resonances between 90 and 20 ppm for the high-spin resting form and the chloride complex, and between 46 and −9.4 ppm for the low-spin nitrite complex. The proton NMR spectral profile of the enzyme is similar to that of lactoperoxidase, but different from those of common heme-proteins. The appearance of a resonance at 76 ppm in the ferrous enzyme shows the presence of a proximal histidine residue linked to the iron. The proton relaxation rates of bulk water indicate that chloride binds to the sixth position of the iron in the chloride complex of the enzyme.
Lineage distribution and barriers to gene flow among populations of the globally invasive marine mussel Musculista senhousia

Introduced species seem to rapidly adapt to non-native conditions although founder events may decrease genetic variance and impede adaptation. Cryptic introductions of an invader from different parts of its native range may allow colonization of habitat patches with compatible conditions, or admixture may restore genetic diversity lost during invasion bottlenecks. We present the first genetic study of global invasion pathways for the Asian date mussel, Musculista senhousia, comparing three putative source populations from Asia with six US estuaries and one invaded site in New Zealand and the Mediterranean Sea, totaling 117 individuals. Distribution of mitochondrial DNA and alleles of a nuclear intron revealed two genetically divergent populations in the native range. A warm-water lineage from Tokyo Bay and southwestern South Korea predominated in southern California and New Zealand, while a cold-water haplotype group sampled in northeastern Korea was more abundant at invaded sites in the northwestern US and Mediterranean Sea. The duration of high summer water temperatures accounted for substantial variance in the worldwide distribution of common haplotype groups, suggesting thermal pre-adaptation may influence invasion success for differentiated source populations. There was no gene flow across central California, but on either side of this phylogeographic barrier there was high exchange among estuaries within the northern and the southern US regional populations. Gradients in water temperature may therefore constrain post-introduction spread by limiting dispersion along a coast.
Response of a dynamic system to flow-induced load

Abstract An approximate analytical method is used to study in-line vibrations of a linear system induced by oscillatory flow. The hydrodynamic drag force is accounted for by an equivalent viscous dashpot. The obtained equivalent linear system is used to determine the amplitude and the phase of the oscillatory component, and the offset component of the steady-slate periodic response of the linear system. Several parametric studies are presented and discussed in detail. Particular attention is given to the magnitude of the effective viscous damping.
Elevation in urinary excretion of histamine following renal allografting in rats.

Renal allografts and isografts were carried out between and within inbred strains of rats. All recipients were Lewis rats. Brown-Norway rats were used as allograft donors. All grafted animals retained their own kidneys and immunosuppression was not used. Daily 24-hr fluorescence assay of the urinary excretion of histamine revealed a three-to-four fold higher level of histamine excretion by allografted animals than by isografted ones (P < 0.005). This finding suggests an involvement of histamine metabolism in cellular immunity and the biochemical processes involved in organ allograft rejection.
Spatial patterns of atmospheric pollen transport in a montane region

Annual pollen deposition (pollen cm−2 yr−1) was sampled for 6 yr in the southern Sierra Nevada, the Owens Valley, and the Inyo Mountains of central California. Spatial pollen distributions were examined for anemophilous plants which are limited to growth sites (1) at high elevations on one or both mountain ranges, (2) on lower mountain slopes, and (3) on the Owens Valley floor, Pollen deposition values for high- and low-elevation plants changed by a factor of 5 to 10 between adjacent sample sites which straddle boundaries of the plant communities in which the source plants grow. Pollen deposition values were high and variable within communities in which the species grew. Pollen deposition beyond source populations was low and uniform despite great differences in distance of sites from pollen sources. The step function that seems to characterize pollen distribution patterns implies that pollen from distant populations may be of little value in interpreting vegetation stability and change reflected by fossil pollen stratigraphy. The physical isolation of pollen embedded in the local mountain-valley wind system from that in the prevailing westerlies may explain part of the spatial distribution of the pollen.
On the dynamics of the age structure, dependency, and consumption

We examine the effects of population aging due to declining fertility and rising elderly life expectancy on consumption possibilities in the presence of intergenerational transfers. Our analysis is based on a highly tractable continuous-time overlapping generations model in which the population is divided into three groups (youth dependents, workers, and elderly dependents) and lifecourse transitions take place in a probabilistic fashion. We show that the consumption-maximizing response to greater longevity in highly developed countries is an increase in fertility. However, with larger transfer payments, the actual fertility response will likely be the opposite, leading to further population aging.
Probing Electron Tunneling Pathways: Electrochemical Study of Rat Heart Cytochrome c and Its Mutant on Pyridine-Terminated SAMs

The electron-transfer rates between gold electrodes and adsorbed cytochromes are compared for native cytochrome c and its mutant (K13A) using two different immobilization strategies. A recent study by Niki (Niki, K.; Hardy, W. R.; Hill, M. G.; Li, H.; Sprinkle, J. R.; Margoliash, E.; Fujita, K.; Tanimura, R.; Nakamura, N.; Ohno, H.; Richards, J. H.; Gray, H. B. J. Phys. Chem. B 2003, 107, 9947) showed that the electron-transfer rate for a particular mutant cytochrome c (K13A) is orders of magnitude slower than the native form when electrostatically adsorbed on SAM-coated gold electrodes. The current study directly “links” the protein's heme unit to the SAM, thereby “short circuiting” the electron tunneling pathway. These findings demonstrate that the immobilization strategy can modify the electron-transfer rate by changing the tunneling pathway.
The Point Defect Model for the Passive State

In this paper a review is presented of the point defect model (PDM) for the growth and breakdown of passive films on metal and alloy surfaces in contact with aqueous solutions. The model provides a reasonable account of the steady-state properties of cation-conducting and anion-conducting barrier layers on nickel and tungsten, respectively, in phosphate buffer solutions; of the impedance characteristics of passive films on nickel; of the breakdown of passive films on a wide range of metals and alloys; of the distributions in the breakdown parameters (breakdown voltage and induction time); of the role of alloying elements in enhancing the resistance of alloys to passivity breakdown; of transpassive dissolution and electro-polishing; of erosion-corrosion; and of photoinhibition of pit nucleation. Additionally, the PDM has allowed us to formulate a set of principles for designing new alloys and has led to the development of a deterministic method for predicting localized corrosion damage functions.
Investigation of Thermal Stability of High-kappa Interpoly Dielectrics in TaN Metal Floating Gate Memory Structures

Metal as floating gate (FG) in combination with high-k interpoly dielectrics (IPD) is seen as a possible solution to continue the scaling of NAND Flash technology node beyond 25nm. We have investigated the thermal stability of TaN metal as FG in combination with Hf based high-k IPD stacks. IPD leakage is found to worsen with high temperature anneal and causing degraded memory behavior. Comparative leakage study of high-k dielectrics on metal and Si substrates were performed through metal-insulator-metal (MIM) and metal-insulator semiconductor (MIS) structures. The leakage degradation was observed to be higher in case of MIM, which was attributed to the higher degree of dielectric crystallization on metal. The thermal stability of the high-k IPD on TaN metal FG memory structure has to be improved for potential application in future NAND flash memory.
Stress - strain isotherms and thermoelastic properties of crosslinked amorphous polyoxyethylene in compression

Abstract Stress-strain isotherms at a number of temperatures in the range 45–85°C have been determined for a compressed, amorphous polyoxyethylene network swollen with a constant amount of non-volatile diluent. The observed isotherms showed much smaller departures from the form indicated by the molecular theories of rubberlike elasticity than is generally the case for polymer networks in elongation. The thermoelastic behaviour of the network was characterized by the dependence of the stress on temperature at constant deformation. The value of the temperature coefficient of the unperturbed dimensions of polyoxyethylene calculated from these data is in good agreement with values obtained both from thermoelastic measurements on polyoxyethylene networks in elongation, and from viscosity-temperature studies on isolated polyoxyethylene chains in a thermodynamically good solvent.
Growth characteristics of HgBa2CaCu2O6 superconducting films on CeO2-buffered YSZ single crystals: an assessment for coated conductors

Abstract Superconducting HgBa 2 CaCu 2 O 6 (Hg-1212) films have been fabricated on CeO 2 -buffered YSZ single-crystal substrates using a two-step cation-exchange process. X-ray diffraction analyses show that the Hg-1212 films are highly crystalline and grow epitaxially on these CeO 2 /YSZ substrates. Although the superconducting transition temperatures ( T c ) of these films are approximately 122 K, the critical current densities ( J c ) fall far below the expected values. The reason for these low- J c values is explained by the observations of a cracked surface morphology in the superconducting layers. The likely mechanism for formation of the cracks and implications for the development of Hg-based coated conductors are discussed.
How Important is the Credibility Problem in Politics? Evidence from State-Level Abortion Legislation.

This paper proposes a simple mechanism for evaluating the relevance of credibility problems in politics. If parties are capable of making credible policy promises, we will not expect them to systematically adopt platforms that entail large probabilities of losing an election. This is because the adoption of very extreme plat- forms has the eect of shifting expected policies away from their ideal points. Parties who lack the capacity of making credible commitments, in turn, are unable to aect voters'expectations of the policies they will adopt upon reaching o¢ ce. We test these predictions on a panel of US states by studying the relationship between the prefer- ences of party constituents and enacted policies. We estimate this relationship using an econometric methodology that fully accounts for the possibility of multiple equilib- ria and …nd that its slope is in general not positive, a result that is inconsistent with the existence of a commitment technology.
Analysis of a marine picoplankton community by 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing.

The phylogenetic diversity of an oligotrophic marine picoplankton community was examined by analyzing the sequences of cloned ribosomal genes. This strategy does not rely on cultivation of the resident microorganisms. Bulk genomic DNA was isolated from picoplankton collected in the north central Pacific Ocean by tangential flow filtration. The mixed-population DNA was fragmented, size fractionated, and cloned into bacteriophage lambda. Thirty-eight clones containing 16S rRNA genes were identified in a screen of 3.2 x 10(4) recombinant phage, and portions of the rRNA gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. The resulting sequences were used to establish the identities of the picoplankton by comparison with an established data base of rRNA sequences. Fifteen unique eubacterial sequences were obtained, including four from cyanobacteria and eleven from proteobacteria. A single eucaryote related to dinoflagellates was identified; no archaebacterial sequences were detected. The cyanobacterial sequences are all closely related to sequences from cultivated marine Synechococcus strains and with cyanobacterial sequences obtained from the Atlantic Ocean (Sargasso Sea). Several sequences were related to common marine isolates of the gamma subdivision of proteobacteria. In addition to sequences closely related to those of described bacteria, sequences were obtained from two phylogenetic groups of organisms that are not closely related to any known rRNA sequences from cultivated organisms. Both of these novel phylogenetic clusters are proteobacteria, one group within the alpha subdivision and the other distinct from known proteobacterial subdivisions. The rRNA sequences of the alpha-related group are nearly identical to those of some Sargasso Sea picoplankton, suggesting a global distribution of these organisms. Images
With a Little Help from my Friends Partisan Politics, Transnational Alliances, and Labor Rights in Latin America

Why did Latin American governments adopt potentially costly, union-friendly labor reforms in the cost-sensitive 1980s and 1990s? The authors answer the question by exploring the relationship between trade unions and two of their most important allies: labor-backed parties at home and labor rights activists overseas. While labor-backed parties in Latin America have locked in the support of their core constituencies by adopting relatively union-friendly labor laws in an otherwise uncertain political and economic environment, labor rights activists in the United States have demonstrated their support for their Latin American allies by asking the U.S. government to treat the protection of labor rights as the price of access to the U.S. market. The former trajectory is the norm in traditionally labor-mobilizing polities, where industrialization encouraged the growth of labor-backed parties in the postwar era; the latter is more common in more labor-repressive environments, where vulnerable unions tend to look ...
Lest We Forget: Foundational Women for Historically and Socially Responsive Women

Accredited teacher education programs include historical and educational psychological foundations. Noticeably missing are women’s voices and theories in both disciplines. Explanations and descriptions of why it is imperative to incorporate historically notable and influential women into foundations coursework is the focus of this article.
Synthesis of plasma triglycerides in endogenous hypertriglyceridemia

Radioisotopic kinetic studies of triglyceride fatty acid synthesis from serum free fatty acids have been performed in 20 studies of normal and lipemic subjects. The lipemic subjects were characterized as having carbohydrate-responsive endogenous lipemia, and were classified as having either Type III or Type IV prebetalipoproteinemia. In the untreated state, triglyceride production was reduced relative to concentration of triglyceride when compared with the normal control population. In response to carbohydrate restriction an absolute reduction in triglyceride synthesis from free fatty acids was demonstrated. These data indicate that overproduction cannot be importantly implicated as the etiology of this form of endogenous lipemia. The patients thus represent a pathophysiological entity which is distinct from the normal physiological lipemia induced by carbohydrate feeding in which overproduction is reported to be the initiating event.
Apoproteins of the lipoproteins in a nonrecirculating perfusate of rat liver.

The apoproteins of serum lipoproteins and of lipoproteins present in a nonrecirculating perfusate of rat liver were compared by immunochemical, gel electrophoretic, and solubility techniques. Serum and perfusate very low density lipoprotein apoprotein composition were not different. No evidence for the presence of a lipoprotein resembling serum low density lipoprotein was obtained. However, the apoprotein composition of circulatory high density lipoprotein was quantitatively different from the secretory product in the density 1.06–1.21 range. As measured by stained sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoretic patterns, the arginine-rich protein was the major secretory apoprotein while the A-I protein was the major apoprotein in circulating high density lipoprotein. A very similar pattern was seen in perfusates of orotic acid-fatty livers. It was concluded that although the liver secrets lipoproteins in the high density class, circulatory high density lipoprotein is largely a product of catabolic processes. The arginine-rich protein was isolated from rat serum very low density lipoprotein by chromatography on an agarosesodium dodecyl sulfate column in one step, and shown to have a similar amino acid composition to that reported for this protein isolated from rat serum high density lipoprotein. When labeled amino acids were added to the perfusion medium, the arginine-rich protein had the highest apparent specific activity at 45 min and its specific activity was the same in high density lipoprotein as in very low density lipoprotein.
Size-dependent MRI relaxivity and dual imaging with Eu0.2Gd0.8PO4·H2O nanoparticles.

Three different sizes of Eu0.2Gd0.8PO4·H2O nanoparticles have been prepared to investigate the particle size influence on water proton relaxivity. Longitudinal relaxivity (r1) values increase for smaller particles, reaching as high as r1 = 6.13 mM–1 s–1 for a sample of 40 ± 4 nm particles, which, with a ratio of transverse/longitudinal relaxivity, r2/r1 = 1.27, are shown to be effective positive contrast agents. The correlation between relaxivity and the surface-to-volume ratio implies that access to surface Gd3+ sites is the principal factor affecting relaxivity. On the other hand, although ionic molar relaxivity decreases for larger particles, the relaxivity per particle can be significantly greater. Gadolinium-based nanoparticles doped with fluorescent lanthanide elements have attracted attention for their dual-imaging abilities, combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescence imaging agents. In both in vitro experiments with HeLa cells and in vivo experiments with C. elegans, strong red fl...
Chance-constrained strong controllability of temporal plan networks with uncertainty

This works presents a novel approach for determining chance-constrained strong controllability of Temporal Plan Networks with Uncertainty (TPNU) by framing it as an Optimal Satisfiability Problem (OpSAT).
Role of medullary plasma flow in the attenuated furosemide response in indomethacin-treated rats.

To determine the role of medullary hemodynamics in the attenuated furosemide response observed during prostaglandin synthesis inhibition, medullary plasma flow was measured by the albumin accumulation technique in nondiuretic rats and during furosemide administration (4 mg/kg b.wt./hr) in indomethacin- or indomethacin vehicle-treated rats. As in previous studies indomethacin attenuated furosemide chloruresis (FeCl: 11.4 +/- 1.1 vs. 5.0 +/- 0.9%, P less than .001) without altering mean arterial pressure, inulin clearance or total renal blood flow. Medullary plasma flow was not different between nondiuretic rats and furosemide-treated rats (41.4 +/- 4.3 vs. 41.3 +/- 3.4 ml/min/100 g of tissue). Medullary plasma flow was reduced (P less than .05) during indomethacin antagonism of furosemide chloruresis (41.3 +/- 3.4 vs. 29.1 +/- 2.8 ml/min/100 g of tissue). Angiotensin II blockade with saralasin (2 micrograms/kg/min) prevented the fall in medullary plasma flow in indomethacin-treated rats during furosemide infusion but did not alter mean arterial pressure, inulin clearance or total renal blood flow. However, furosemide's chloruretic response in rats treated with both indomethacin and saralasin remained lower (P less than .001) than that in vehicle-treated rats (FeCl 4.7 +/- .94 vs. 11.4 +/- 1.1%) and was not different from that in indomethacin-treated rats. These data demonstrate that although medullary plasma flow is reduced during indomethacin antagonism of furosemide response this change does not contribute to the attenuated chloruresis. Additionally, the dissociation of the antichloruretic and hemodynamic effects of indomethacin observed during saralasin administration suggest that hemodynamic mechanisms are not involved in the attenuated response to furosemide observed during prostaglandin synthesis inhibition.
Alternatives to the “Race to the Bottom” in Vietnam: Minimum Wage Strikes and Their Aftermath

This case study focuses on strategic mediating roles of labor newspapers. Concentrating on minimum wage strikes from 2005 to 2006, it shows the state's pro-foreign direct investment policy, tensions between state bureaucracies and labor unions, and their debates. It demonstrates alternatives to the “race to the bottom” thesis. The larger implication is that labor organizing and spontaneous collective actions can be successful even within a one-party state. It remains to be seen how the new strike law ratified in 2006 addresses structural weaknesses of the labor unions and the state, and how it affects labor organizing for workers' rights and interests.
Prediction of Jet Noise From Circular Beveled Nozzles

In this paper, simulations are performed of flow-induced noise from circular beveled jet nozzles. The Detached-Eddy Simulation (DES) approach is used to simulate both the jet nozzle internal and external flows as well as the jet plume. This methodology allows the turbulence model to transition from an unsteady Reynolds Averaged NavierStokes (URANS) method for attached boundary layers to a Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) in separated regions. A cylindrical coordinate system is used, with the centerline of the jet nozzle coinciding with the coordinate system’s polar axis. The one equation SpalartAllmaras turbulence model is used to describe the evolution of the turbulent eddy viscosity. An explicit 4th order Runge-Kutta time marching scheme is used. To avoid the use of a full turbulent grid in the nozzle, simple wall functions are used. The far-field sound is evaluated using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings permeable surface acoustic analogy. The computational domain is divided into at least two blocks, with the nozzle being along part of the boundary of the inner and outer blocks. A rigid cylindrical boundary, with finite thickness, is used to represent the jet exhaust nozzle. A nozzle with uniform inlet flow of M = 0.9, for both unheated and heated jets is considered. The grid distribution is uniform in the axial and azimuthal directions. The grid is clustered in the radial direction near the lip line of the jet. It is observed that the thrust axis deviates from the geometric centerline at an angle of 8.5 degrees. This is in reasonable agreement with experimental flow measurements. Flow characteristics such as the variation of the mean velocity and turbulent intensity in the radial, axial and azimuthal directions are described. The Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings calculations are performed using the code PSU-WOPWOP developed at Penn State. For these calculations, the surface chosen for the beveled nozzle case is a conical surface at r = 6D and length x = 25D, with a cone angle equal to the deflection angle of the thrust axis. The predictions capture the peak noise levels above and below the bevel as well as the crossover in the spectra at lower polar angles to the jet exit and the shielding effect at higher angles. Noise characteristics for the beveled nozzle are compared with experimental measurements. In addition, the effect of, and need for, artificial excitation to stimulate the development of a turbulent jet mixing layer are studied. Finally, the choice of acoustic data surface for the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings permeable surface method, as well as whether it should be closed or open at the downstream end are considered.
Valvular Heart Disease Associated with Dexfenfluramine

To the Editor: The appetite-suppressant drugs fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine (the purified d isomer of fenfluramine), and phentermine have each been associated with an increased risk of pulmonary hypertension when used alone.1–3 In this issue of the Journal, an unusual form of valvular heart disease is reported to be associated with use of the combination drug fenfluramine–phentermine,4 but whether valvular disease is also associated with use of the single agent dexfenfluramine is unknown. We wish to report a case of unusual valvular heart disease involving primarily the mitral valve in a young woman taking dexfenfluramine. A 32-year-old woman was referred for . . .
Summertime surface O-3 behavior and deposition to tundra in the Alaskan Arctic

Atmospheric turbulence quantities, boundary layer ozone (O3) levels, and O3 deposition to the tundra surface were investigated at Toolik Lake, AK, during the 2011 summer season. Beginning immediately after snowmelt, a diurnal cycle of O3 in the atmospheric surface layer developed with daytime O3 maxima, and minima during low-light hours, resulting in a mean amplitude of 13 ppbv. This diurnal O3 cycle is far larger than observed at other high Arctic locations during the snow-free season. During the snow-free months of June, July, and August, O3 deposition velocities were ∼3 to 5 times faster than during May, when snow covered the ground most of the month. The overall mean O3 deposition velocity between June and August was 0.10 cm s−1. The month of June had the highest diurnal variation, with a median O3 deposition velocity of 0.2 cm s−1 during the daytime and 0.08 cm s−1 during low-light conditions. These values are slightly lower than previously reported summertime deposition velocities in northern latitudes over tundra or fen. O3 loss during low-light periods was attributed to a combination of surface deposition to the tundra and stable boundary layer conditions. We also hypothesize that emissions of reactive biogenic volatile organic compounds into the shallow boundary layer may contribute to nighttime O3 loss.
Factors Influencing the Capital Investment of U.S. Not-For-Profit Hospitals: 1998-2001

Capital investments are important hospital decisions because they may attract physicians and patients and improve operating efficiency and quality of care. However, hospitals experienced a minimal growth rate in capital expenditures which contributed to the aging of the hospital industry's asset base during the late 1990's and early 2000's. One of the underlying reasons behind this lack of growth might be the financial stresses that hospitals were facing after the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997. The objective of this study was to examine how market, operational and financial factors interacted with the financial pressures in the post Balanced Budget Act (BBA) period to influence hospital capital investment. The study employed a panel of 2,658 U.S. nonprofit, short-term general hospitals from 1998 to 2001. The major source of data for the study was the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)' Medicare Cost Reports, which was used to obtain information on hospital capital investment, financial factors, and operational characteristics. Other sources of data include the American Hospital Association Annual Survey (AHA) database, the Area Resource File (ARF), the CMS case-mix index, the American Health Planning Association (AHPA), and InterStudy which were used to obtain market and operational characteristics. In this study, a first-difference transformation was employed to test how changes in market, operational and financial factors influence changes in the capital investment of hospitals, and to control for omitted variable bias due to unmeasured, time-invariant hospital characteristics, namely, fixed effects. In addition, instrumental variable estimation was simultaneously used to address endogeneity and possible feedback effects of regressors. In this study, lagged values of all endogenous and predetermined regressors served as instruments for the first differences of the regressors. The results show that hospital capital investment appeared to be positively associated with changes in the ratio of primary care physicians to all physicians in market, the size of population, and the ratio of population age 65 over to all population in market. Also significant was change in the age of plant for hospitals that exhibited a negative association with change in capital investment. In addition, the study observed a strong positive effect of changes in financial factors, especially liquidity and cash flow, on changes in capital investment. The outcome of this study suggests that hospitals appear to increase their capital expenditures to accommodate the increasing market demand for hospital services even in the financially stressed environment after the BBA, and the ability to increase liquidity and cash flow becomes more important for hospitals to replace existing plant and equipment and finance new services when facing reductions in payment.
Inhibition of respiratory neural discharges by clonidine and 5-hydroxytryptophan.

Activation of receptors for norepinephrine or serotonin in the central nervous system by i.v. injection of clonidine (10-50 micrograms/kg) or 5-hydroxytryptophan (20-40 mg/kg) inhibits phrenic neural discharges in anesthetized, artificially ventilated cats. Clonidine induces a rapid and complete inhibition of phrenic nerve activity which lasts for 1 to 3.2 hr. The inhibition is prevented by prior administration of phenoxybenzamine (10 mg/kg) or tolazoline (3 mg/kg). 5-Hydroxytryptophan, injected after inhibition of peripheral amino acid decarboxylase (carbidopa, 30-50 mg/kg), elicits a gradual but complete inhibition of phrenic nerve discharges which persists for 1 to 10 hr and is unaltered by alpha or beta adrenoceptor blocking agents. The inhibitions produced by clonidine and 5-hydroxytryptophan are overcome transiently during hypercapnia. Stimulation of carotid body chemoreceptors by i.a. injections of lobeline, doxapram or 0.015 N HCl in saline also briefly reinstates phrenic nerve discharges after inhibition by clonidine. Inhibition is also overcome during electrical stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve.
Determination of Moisture in Cheddar Cheese by Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

Near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy was used to determine the moisture content of Cheddar cheese. Through multiple linear regression analysis, a 3-wavelength calibration was developed for use with a commercial filter monochromator instrument. For a validation set of 47 samples, the correlation coefficient squared (r2) between the NIR and oven moisture methods was 0.92, with a standard error of performance (SEP) of 0.38%. Sample temperature was found to significantly affect the spectral response; therefore, it was necessary to equilibrate all samples to a uniform temperature prior to NIR analysis. Aging may also affect the NIR characteristics of cheese, although it was possible to develop a successful calibration that encompassed a wide range of aging times.
NA-H EXCHANGE IN MYOCARDIUM : EFFECTS OF HYPOXIA AND ACIDIFICATION ON NA AND CA

Historically, increase in cell Na content during ischemic and hypoxic episodes were thought to result from impaired ATP production causing decreased Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity. Here we report the results of testing the alternate hypothesis that hypoxia-induced Na uptake is 1) the result of increased entry, as opposed to decreased extrusion 2) via Na-H exchange operating in a pH regulatory capacity and that cell Ca accumulation occurs via Na-Ca exchange secondary to collapse of the Na gradient. We used 23Na-, 19F-, and 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to measure intracellular Na content (Nai), Ca concentration [( Ca]i), pH (pHi), and high-energy phosphates in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. When the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase was inhibited by ouabain and/or K-free perfusion, hearts subjected to hypoxia gained Na at a rate greater than 10 times that of normoxic controls [during the first 12.5 min Nai increased from 7.9 +/- 5.8 to 34.9 +/- 11.0 (SD) meq/kg dry wt compared with 11.1 +/- 16.3 to 13.6 +/- 9.0 meq/kg dry wt, respectively]. When normoxic hearts were acidified using a 20 mM NH4Cl prepulse technique, pHi rapidly fell from 7.27 +/- 0.24 to 6.63 +/- 0.12 but returned to 7.07 +/- 0.10 within 20 min, while Na uptake was similar in rate and magnitude to that observed during hypoxia (24.5 +/- 13.4 to 132.1 +/- 17.7 meq/kg dry wt). During hypoxia and after NH4Cl washout, increases in [Ca]i were similar in time course to those observed for Na.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Assessment of faculty development program outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES More and better research is needed about the effectiveness of faculty development programs. Increasingly, government leaders in Congress and the Administration expect comprehensive outcome and impact evaluation as justification for federal finding. This paper summarizes outcomes reported and methods used in published studies of faculty development programs since 1980.
Effect of root competition and shade on survival and growth of nine woody plant taxa within a pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] alley cropping system

Suitability for production of woody floral stems in a pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] alley cropping was determined for nine shrub species in northwest Florida. Treatments included partial shade without root competition, partial shade with root competition, and full sun. Only three species had high rates of survival for all treatments throughout both years of the study: Callicarpa americana L. (American beautyberry), C. americana var. Lactea (white American beautyberry), and Crataegus marshallii Eggl. (parsley haw). For C. americana, plant growth index increased through time and was similar among the three treatments, indicating that this species grew equally well in sun or shade irrespective of root competition from the tree crop. C. americana var. Lactea had similarly high rates of survival and grew largest in partial shade without root competition (81.7 cm) compared to partial shade with root competition (67.2 cm) and full sun (57.0 cm). C. marshallii had 100 % survival in partial shade without root competition, with one mortality in partial shade with root competition (91.7 % survival) and one in full sun (91.7 % survival). Growth index did not increase over time and was similar among all three treatments. Other species tested had low rates of survival in all treatments throughout both years of the study and included: Ilex glabra L. (inkberry), Ilex myrtifolia Walt. (myrtle-leaf holly), Hydrangea paniculata Seibold var. ‘Tardiva’ (panicle hydrangea), Hydrangea quercifolia Bart. (oakleaf hydrangea), Lyonia lucida (Lam.) K. Koch, and Salix matsudana Koidz. F. tortuosa Rehd. (corkscrew willow). No species produced sufficient flowers, fruits or ornamental stems during this establishment period to allow a florist evaluation of the stems for use as woody floral stems.
On Representing Event Reference

The presupposition expressed by a factive clause in a sentence with a factive predicate (e.g., that Mary refused the offer vis a vis John realized that Mary refused the offer) appears to be sufficiently similar to the presupposition that a unique referent exists in a use of a definite description (e g, that there is one and only one King of France vis a vis The King of France is bald) to suggest that the same concept of presupposition (no matter what its ultimate analysis) is at work. Presuming that it is the same concept of presupposition then makes it plausible to propose that phrases referring to events (or to processes, actions, activities, or states) be analyzed as factive clauses and predicates taking event phrases in the subject or object position are a subspecies of factives. I argue against this conclusion by showing (a) that reference to events and reference to individuals can be fruitfully represented in the same way; and (b) that event phrases are not factive clauses and so are to be associated not with factive predicates but with EVENTIVES.
Electrical Comparison between TSV in Silicon and TPV in Glass for Interposer and Package Applications

This paper presents one of the first comprehensive studies comparing the electrical performance of through-silicon-vias (TSVs) in silicon with through-package-vias (TPVs) in glass, considering electromagnetic field distributions, 50 ohm impedance design, and the effect of via taper. First, the electric and magnetic field distributions were analyzed using a 3D EM solver (CST Microwave Studio) for the scenario of a signal via adjacent to a return via, to study the differences in the field distributions for TSVs and TPVs. Next, the design for 50 &#x03A9; impedance matching was studied with various ground-via configurations for TSVs in silicon and TPVs in glass. It was found that additional ground vias improved the impedance matching to 50 &#x03A9; in the high frequency above 40 GHz. Finally, the effect of the via taper on the impedance and insertion loss of TSVs and TPVs was studied, concluding that taper has a positive impact in the case of TSVs in lossy silicon at low frequencies as it reduces the parasitic capacitance while taper has a negative impact in the case of TSVs in intrinsic silicon and TPVs in glass, as it increases the parasitic inductance.