cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of a Tunable Piezoelectric Resonator Using Interdigitated Electrodes

The use of an interdigitated electrode configuration for tunable MEMS resonators is investigated. The tuning concept utilizes a shunt capacitor concept based on the fact that the mechanical compliance (stiffness) of the system is a function of both the mechanical properties and the electromechanical coupling of the piezoelectric element. Since the electromechanical coupling is dependant on the electrical impedance of the piezoelectric element and its shunt circuit, the circuit conditions applied to the piezoelectric tuning element can be varied in such a way as to tune the vibrational frequency of the resonator [1]. By utilizing an interdigitated electrode design to elicit the d33 response of the piezoelectric, a greater electromechanical coupling is achievable, corresponding to a wider range of tunability. In this paper, a model of the resonator is presented and then used in a study to determine the parameters which result in the highest range of tunability for the resonator.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Zymogenic and enzymatic properties of the 70–80 loop mutants of factor X/Xa

The Ca2+ binding 70–80 loop of factor X (fX) contains one basic (Arg71) and three acidic (Glu74, Glu76, and Glu77) residues whose contributions to the zymogenic and enzymatic properties of the protein have not been evaluated. We prepared four Ala substitution mutants of fX (R71A, E74A, E76A, and E77A) and characterized their activation kinetics by the factor VIIa and factor IXa in both the absence and presence of cofactors. Factor VIIa exhibited normal activity toward E74A and E76A and less than a twofold impaired activity toward R71A and E77A in both the absence and presence of tissue factor. Similarly, factor IXa in the absence of factor VIIIa exhibited normal activity toward both E74A and E76A; however, its activity toward R71A and E77A was impaired approximately two- to threefold. In the presence of factor VIIIa, factor IX activated all mutants with approximately two- to fivefold impaired catalytic efficiency. In contrast to changes in their zymogenic properties, all mutant enzymes exhibited normal affinities for factor Va, and catalyzed the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin with normal catalytic efficiencies. However, further studies revealed that the affinity of mutant enzymes for interaction with metal ions Na+ and Ca2+ was impaired. These results suggest that although charged residues of the 70–80 loop play an insignificant role in fX recognition by the factor VIIa-tissue factor complex, they are critical for the substrate recognition by factor IXa in the intrinsic Xase complex. The results further suggest that mutant residues do not play a specific role in the catalytic function of fXa in the prothrombinase complex.
Scanning tunneling microscopy of the filled and empty arsenic states on the GaAs(001)-(2 × 4) surface

Abstract Scanning tunneling microscopy and current spectroscopy have been used to investigate the p-type arsenic-terminated GaAs(001)-(2 × 4) surface. Images were collected at both positive and negative voltages applied to the sample with respect to the tip. The main features in the images taken at positive sample bias do not differ from those taken at negative bias. This is in contrast to the scanning tunneling microscopy results on the GaAs(110) surface, where, at negative and positive sample bias, the As and Ga atomic orbitals are imaged, respectively, and are, thus, complementary to each other. The different behavior observed on the GaAs(001) surface is attributed to the fact that, on this surface, the Ga atoms are in the second layer. Hence, at positive sample bias tunneling occurs predominantly into the empty As molecular orbital. This conjecture is supported by a calculation of the tunneling current spectrum that contains the contributions of tunneling into the valence band as well as into the conduction band.
A Multimodal Trip Planning System With Real-Time Traffic and Transit Information

Most transit trip planning systems are based on static schedules and generate trips that do not dynamically respond to delays in transit operation caused by traffic congestion or accidents. In addition, the driving-parking-then-transit travel mode is common in metropolitan areas. However, very few transit trip planners incorporate real-time transit data into this mode. This article describes a multimodal trip planning system for multiple modes: driving, transit, and driving-parking-then-transit. The system considers the real-time transit arrival time, which is estimated by a prediction model. Both Web-based and mobile phone-based clients are used to access the system. Case studies show that the multimodal trip planning system works well in real-life situations.
Properties of Electron Centers

In this chapter, as in the previous one, there will be a great deal of emphasis on color centers in alkali halides and especially on the F center.* It is surely the best understood and most widely investigated center in ionic crystals. Since it consists of an electron localized at a halide ion vacancy, it is a very simple center. Also, many of the other, more complex centers consist of clusters of two or more F centers. As a result, the F center holds a position in the area of defects in solids which is similar to that of the hydrogen atom in atomic physics. It is the simple system on which new models, theories, and techniques are usually first tried before being extended to more complex problems.
The novel tail-anchored membrane protein Mff controls mitochondrial and peroxisomal fission in mammalian cells.

Few components of the mitochondrial fission machinery are known, even though mitochondrial fission is a complex process of vital importance for cell growth and survival. Here, we describe a novel p...
A Few Words on Christopher Throne's Pursuit of American Political Culture

As Christopher Thorne's readers will have discovered from this printed version of his Albert Shaw Lecture at Johns Hopkins University, his concern with the question of American political culture had become the central focus in much of his academic work, and, indeed, of his private correspondence as well. When last we spoke, two days before his death, he heaped praise on the National Health Service – which I took as a final comment on a crucial difference in British and American health care.
The surface CO2 gradient and pore-space storage flux in a high-porosity litter layer

We present an hourly time series of the CO 2 concentration profile in the top 20 cm of a boreal forest litter layer at a site in northern Manitoba, Canada. The profile data, measured with an automated sampling system during the summer of 1999, show a pronounced daily cycle, with a small surface CO 2 gradient and low concentrations during the day and a large surface gradient and high concentrations at night. The CO 2 profile measurements allow us to test two current assumptions built into measurements of ecosystem carbon fluxes. The first assumption is that the flux from the surface to the atmosphere can be calculated using the measured CO 2 gradient and a calculated value of the diffusive transport coefficient. The behaviour of the surface CO 2 gradient suggests that one cannot assume diffusive transport across the moss surface at this site when the friction velocity measured at 30 m exceeds 0.4 m s −1 . This condition, associated with turbulent mixing generated by wind shear and/or solar heating of the surface, was often encountered during the day at this site, though rarely at night. During the day, friction velocity and wind speed measured at 30 m height are linearly related, with friction velocity exceeding 0.4 m s −1 when wind speed exceeds about 2 m s −1 . At night, wind at the top of the canopy may be laminar, so that the wind speed must exceed 4 m s −1 to cause enough turbulence to raise friction velocity above the 0.4 m s −1 threshold. The second assumption is that changes in soil pore-space CO 2 storage can be neglected when correcting eddy covariance measurements for ecosystem respiration that is stored in the ecosystem rather than being mixed into the overlying atmosphere. Our results show that the soil pore-space CO 2 profile is not in steady state at the site, but that the magnitude of the corresponding storage flux is small relative to the below-canopy CO 2 storage flux. The soil pore-space CO 2 storage flux ranges between ±0.4 μmol m −2 s −1 , while the below-canopy storage flux ranges between ±20 μmol m −2 s −1 . However, the soil pore-space storage flux could be significant relative to the CO 2 respiration flux across the soil surface, which we estimate to be in the range of 1–4 μmol m −2 s −1 . DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2004.00113.x
Efficient .Multi-Stage Time Marching for Viscous' Flows via. Local Preconditioning

A new method has been developed to accelerate the convergence of explicit time-marching, laminar, Navier-Stokes codes through the combination of local preconditioning and multi-stage time marching optimization. Local preconditioning is a technique to modify the time-dependent equations so that all information moves or decays at nearly the same rate, thus relieving the stiffness for a system of equations. Multi-stage time marching can be optimized by modifying its coefficients to account for the presence of viscous terms, allowing larger time steps. We show it is possible to optimize the time marching scheme for a wide range of cell Reynolds numbers for the scalar advection-diffusion equation, and local preconditioning allows this optimization to be applied to the Navier-Stokes equations. Convergence acceleration of the new method is demonstrated through numerical experiments with circular advection and laminar boundary-layer flow over a flat plate.
Acanthamoeba griffini : Molecular characterization of a new corneal pathogen

Purpose Acanthamoeba was isolated from the cornea of a soft contact lens wearer who had keratitis. The protozoan was also isolated from the contact lens storage case and the domestic water supply used to clean the case. Using morphologic features, all three isolates were identified tentatively as A. griffini, a species not previously associated with keratitis. Complete small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (18S rDNA) sequence analysis was used to characterize further the three isolates. Methods 18S rDNA was polymerase chain reaction-amplified from whole cell DNA derived from amoebal lysates. The genes were cloned and sequenced. Complete sequences of approximately 2800 base pairs were obtained from each culture and compared wih those stored in a data base for homologous Acantamoeba sequences. Results The isolates were unequivocally identified as A. griffini both by comparison of the gene sequence available for the type strain of the species and the presence of a unique group I intron located within the small subunit rDNA. Sequences obtained for the three isolates were identical, indicating that they were the same strain. Conclusions The first direct connection between human disease and A. griffini is reported from a case of Acanthamoeba keratitis. The type strain of this species was isolated from a marine environment, but the disease-causing strain ws isolated from a domestic water supply. The DNA sequences obtained confirmed unequivocally the epidemiologic association between a keratitis-causing strain of Acanthamoeba, the contact lens storage case, and the domestic water supply.
Synthesis of 1,3-diarylsubstituted indazoles utilizing a Suzuki cross-coupling/deprotection/N-arylation sequence

Herein we report a general synthesis of 1,3-diarylsubstituted indazoles utilizing a two-step Suzuki cross-coupling/deprotection/N-arylation sequence. This procedure proceeds in excellent overall yield starting from the 3-iodo-N-Boc indazole derivative allowing for rapid access to these compounds.
Preface to Section II — The Hydrosphere

A column of water of variable thickness is interposed between the solar UV reaching the water surface and the aquatic organisms. While the nature of the chemical and the optical events occurring in the suspending water are known to be just as complex and controversial as the ways in which the atmosphere modifies solar UV radiation, it would appear that for ecological purposes the optical oceanographers need to answer only one encompassing question: How much solar UV reaches organisms at various depths in natural waters? In more rigorous terms: What are the attenuation coefficients of natural waters?
Performance of variable bit rate wireless communication systems over Nakagami fading channels

Currently, several wireless standards, both for voice and data communications as well as wireless local area networks, achieve a variable bit rate by different combinations of either binary or non-binary modulation and convolutional codes having different code rates. The probability of bit error for the different combinations of modulation type and code rate utilized by the IEEE 802.11a wireless local area network standard is examined. The channel is modeled as a frequency-selective, slow, Nakagami fading channel with additive white Gaussian noise. Contrary to expectations, for the combinations of modulation type and code rate utilized by the IEEE 802.11a standard, some of the higher data rate combinations outperform some of the lower data rate combinations.
Nonnegativity of solutions to the basic adjoint relationship for some diffusion processes

For a multi-dimensional diffusion process, an important problem is whether the associated basic adjoint relationship (BAR) uniquely characterizes the stationary distribution of the diffusion process. A key step in this characterization is an open problem that any solution to BAR does not change sign. This note describes the open problem precisely in the context of two classes of diffusion processes. They are semimartingale reflecting Brownian motions and piecewise Ornstein---Uhlenbeck processes.
A novel genetic strategy reveals unexpected roles of the Swi–Snf–like chromatin-remodeling BAF complex in thymocyte development

We have developed a general strategy for creating littermates bearing either a tissue-specific point mutation or deletion in any target gene, and used the method to dissect the roles of Brg, the ATPase subunit of the chromatin-remodeling Brg-associated factor (BAF) complex, in early thymocyte development. We found that a point mutation that inactivates the Brg ATPase recapitulates multiple defects previously described for Brg deletion (Chi, T.H., M. Wan, P.P. Lee, K. Akashi, D. Metzger, P. Chambon, C.B. Wilson, and G.R. Crabtree. 2003. Immunity. 19:169-182). However, the point mutant helps reveal unexpected roles of Brg in CD25 repression and CD4 activation. Surprisingly, CD4 activation occurs independently of the Brg ATPase and is perhaps mediated by physical interactions between Brg and the CD4 locus. Our study thus suggests that the BAF complex harbors novel activities that can be necessary and even sufficient for stimulating transcription from an endogenous chromatin template in the absence of Brg-dependent remodeling of that template. We conclude that conditional point mutants, rarely used in mammalian genetics, can help uncover important gene functions undetectable or overlooked in deletion mutants.
Computer power: part 1: distribution of power (and communications)

Power and communications wiring can be brought to computers and computer terminals in a variety of ways. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses; some that are ideal for one library may be forbidden another. Options include use of extension cords, perimeter raceway (such as conduit, wiremold, and armored cable), and interior raceway (such as underfloor duct, flat conductor cable, and power poles). Three sidebars discuss 1) the National Electrical Code; 2) volts, amps, watts, etc.; and‐3) transformers, circuit breakers, and circuits.
Technological teleology and the theory of technology enactment: the case of the international trade data system

Jane Fountain's book, Building the Virtual State: Information Technology and Institutional Change, uses the International Trade Data System (ITDS) as its leading case in support of technology enactment theory and in refutation of technological determinist theory. An examination of the ITDS case in the years since the termination of Fountain's coverage in 1999 shows the case to be of a different nature than presented in the book. The weaknesses of technology enactment as social science theory are compensated by its descriptive/prescriptive uses for practitioners and researchers interested in public sector information technology implementation.
Manipulation extrapolation a system for controlling trainable robots

Program synthesis from exemplary data is employed as a context for the design of trainable robots. A method for inferring programs from sample execution traces is illustrated. The method provides a possible model of a way humans are trained-by-exaraple. The convergence characteristics and the conditions sufficient to ensure them are briefly discussed.
Stack simulation for set-associative V/R-type caches

Efficient stack simulation has been successfully applied in physically indexed caches with physical or real tags to generate the number of misses and write backs for various cache configurations in a single run. The authors devise a stack simulation algorithm for virtually indexed caches with real tags. Using markers with a valid range for synonym lines, the algorithm is able to keep track of stack distances for various cache configurations. In addition to cache miss ratios and number of write backs, the algorithm reports pseudonym frequency for all cache configurations under investigation. A one-pass cache simulator based on the algorithm is developed, and its results on sample traces are reported. >
Femoroacetabular Impingement: Caution Is Warranted in Making Imaging-based Assumptions and Diagnoses

Owing to limited understanding of femoroacetabular impingement and unproved assumptions, caution is warranted when interpreting images.
Hippocampal activity patterns carry information about objects in temporal context

The hippocampus is critical for human episodic memory, but its role remains controversial. One fundamental question concerns whether the hippocampus represents specific objects or assigns context-dependent representations to objects. Here, we used multivoxel pattern similarity analysis of fMRI data during retrieval of learned object sequences to systematically investigate hippocampal coding of object and temporal context information. Hippocampal activity patterns carried information about the temporal positions of objects in learned sequences, but not about objects or temporal positions in random sequences. Hippocampal activity patterns differentiated between overlapping object sequences and between temporally adjacent objects that belonged to distinct sequence contexts. Parahippocampal and perirhinal cortex showed different pattern information profiles consistent with coding of temporal position and object information, respectively. These findings are consistent with models proposing that the hippocampus represents objects within specific temporal contexts, a capability that might explain its critical role in episodic memory.
Response of Fish Assemblage Structure and Function Following Restoration of Two Small Bahamian Tidal Creeks

Disruption of hydrologic connectivity via road crossings is extremely common in Bahamian tidal creeks, resulting in increased sedimentation and decreased habitat quality and quantity for biota. We restored hydrologic connectivity (i.e., tidal flow) in two small Bahamian mangrove tidal creeks in May 2004 and 2005. We observed the characteristics of fish assemblage structure (species richness) and function (secondary production and transient species utilization of restored areas) before and after restoration, and compared these data with fragmented and unfragmented reference creeks. Restoration significantly increased species richness and secondary production of resident fish species in one of the two restored creeks. Increased utilization of the previously blocked wetlands by transient fishes was observed in both creeks. We suggest success could be attributed to the presence of adjacent nearshore recruitment sources, a more complex local seascape (i.e., high habitat heterogeneity in the creek and local nearshore), and the creation of deep upstream refugia pools. This is one of the first studies to use both structural and functional characteristics to monitor the success of restoration in mangrove ecosystems. Studies combining both structural and functional metrics in restoration monitoring are imperative in linking restoration ecology theory with practical ecological restoration efforts.
Arsenic Methylation, Oxidative Stress and Cancer — Is There a Link?

Arsenic is a multiorgan human carcinogen. The best-known example of this effect occurred in subgroups of the Taiwanese population who were chronically exposed to high levels of naturally occurring arsenic in drinking water and developed cancers of the skin, lung, urinary bladder, and potentially the kidney ( 1 ). Nonneoplastic effects that are attributed to arsenic exposure under similar conditions include vascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and dermal lesions ( 2 , 3 ). Many countries today still have arseniccontaminated drinking water and are facing a potential public health crisis ( 4 ). Although the carcinogenicity of arsenic in humans has been known for more than 100 years, there is no defi nitive understanding of the mechanism of action for this effect. This gap in knowledge has been partly because of the lack of positive animal carcinogenicity studies for a number of years, because arsenic is not a point mutagen, and because the mechanism for the biotransformation of arsenic was not completely known. In the 1990s, attention became focused on the potential tumor-promoting and carcinogenic effects of the methylated metabolites of arsenic. Investigations found that dimethylarsinic acid [DMAs(V)], a pentavalent metabolite of inorganic arsenic, was a multiorgan tumor promoter in rodents ( 5 ) and was carcinogenic in rat urinary bladder following chronic dietary or drinking water exposure ( 6 , 7 ). Arsenic was also found to be carcinogenic in more recent studies using transgenic animals ( 5 ) or transplacental exposure in mice ( 8 ). In the 1940s, Challenger ( 9 ) proposed a pathway for arsenic metabolism that included reduction of a pentavalent (V) arsenical to a trivalent (III) arsenical by transfer of two electrons, followed by oxidative methylation using the methyl donor, S -adenosyl methionine. The pathway is shown below: Arsenate [iAs(V)] + 2 e → Arsenite [iAs(III)] + CH 3 → Monomethylarsonic acid [MAs(V)] + 2 e → Monomethylarsonous acid [MAs(III)] + CH 3 → Dimethylarsinic acid [DMAs(V)] + 2 e → Dimethylarsinous acid [DMAs(III)] + CH 3 → Trimethylarsine oxide [TMAsO(V)] For years, the methylation of arsenic was considered to be a detoxifi cation mechanism. The reasons for this hypothesis were that the pentavalent methylated arsenicals [MAs(V), DMAs(V), and TMAsO(V)] were less acutely toxic than either arsenate [iAs(V)] or arsenite [iAs(III)] and that these methylated metabolites were rapidly excreted by mammals ( 10 ). The exception is in the rat, which retains administered arsenic ( 10 ) and has hemoglobin that avidly binds DMAs(III) ( 11 ). Also, the trivalent methylated arsenicals, MAs(III) and DMAs(III), had never been detected in vitro or in vivo.
Drum transcription using partially fixed non-negative matrix factorization

In this paper, a drum transcription algorithm using partially fixed non-negative matrix factorization is presented. The proposed method allows users to identify percussive events in complex mixtures with a minimal training set. The algorithm decomposes the music signal into two parts: percussive part with pre-defined drum templates and harmonic part with undefined entries. The harmonic part is able to adapt to the music content, allowing the algorithm to work in polyphonic mixtures. Drum event times can be simply picked from the percussive activation matrix with onset detection. The system is efficient and robust even with a minimal training set. The recognition rates for the ENST dataset vary from 56.7 to 78.9% for three percussive instruments extracted from polyphonic music.
Reoperation Rates for Penile Prosthetic Surgery

Abstract Introduction In patients with erectile dysfunction refractory to medical treatment, placement of a penile prosthesis is an effective treatment option. Despite advancements in prosthetic design, it is not without complications requiring reoperation. Aim To evaluate the long-term reoperation rate of penile prosthesis implantation. Methods A longitudinal analysis of the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database from 1995 to 2010 was performed. Inclusion criteria were men who underwent their first penile prosthetic surgery. Patients were excluded if they underwent explantation of a prior prosthesis at the time of their first recorded surgery. Statistical analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier plot, hazard curve, and multivariate analysis adjusting for age, race, comorbidities, insurance status, hospital volume, and hospital teaching status. Main Outcome Measures Primary outcome was reoperation, specified as the removal or replacement of the prosthesis. Results In total, 7,666 patients (40,932 patient-years) were included in the study. The 5- and 10-year cumulative reoperation rates were 11.2% (CI = 10.5–12.0) and 15.7% (CI = 14.7–16.8), respectively. Malfunction and infection accounted for 57% and 27% of reoperations. Reoperation rate was highest at 1 year postoperatively and steadily decreased until 2 years postoperatively. Multivariate analysis showed higher rates of reoperation in younger men (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.51, CI = 1.12–2.05), African-American men (HR = 1.30, CI = 1.05–1.62), and Hispanic men (HR = 1.32, CI = 1.12–1.57). Of the reoperations, 22.9% were performed at a hospital different from the initial implantation. Conclusion Reoperation rate for penile prosthetic surgery is highest in the first year postoperatively. Patients with the highest risk for reoperation were African-American, Hispanic, and younger men. Nearly one fourth of reoperations occurred at a hospital different from the initial surgery, suggesting the existing literature does not reflect the true prevalence of penile prosthetic complications.
On an Inequality in Thermodynamic Stability

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on inequality in thermodynamic stability. In recent years, significant progress has been reported on the relationship between the thermodynamics and the stability of general continua. In the chapter, a discussion is presented on abstract fundamental problem and related theorems. It then applies the results to show the way in which certain mild conditions on the strain energy function in hyperelasticity theory can lead to a specific result, and thereby broadly generalize a stability theorem of Gurtin.
Embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors transplanted to the hippocampus migrate on host vasculature

This study describes the migration of transplanted ESNPs either injected directly into the hippocampus of a mouse, seeded onto hippocampal slices, or under in vitro culture conditions. We show that transplanted mouse ESNPs associate with, and appear to migrate on the surface of the vasculature, and that human ESNPs also associate with blood vessels when seeded on hippocampal slices, and migrate towards BECs in vitro using a Boyden chamber assay. This initial adhesion to vessels is mediated, at least in part, via the integrin α6β1, as observed for SVZ neural progenitor cells. Our data are consistent with CXCL12, expressed by the astroglial-vasculature niche, playing an important role in the migration of transplanted neural progenitors within and outside of the hippocampus.
Liver-Targeted Gene and Cell Therapies: An Overview

Until very recently, management of several liver malignancies, viral hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis, and hereditary metabolic diseases remained unsatisfactory, and thus, efficient therapeutic approaches have always been in need. In parallel with recent advances in molecular biology and recombinant DNA technologies, research in liver diseases and the quest for molecular insights of disease pathology have witnessed remarkable progression, and early and specific detection of genetic, infectious, and malignant liver diseases has become feasible like never before. Several molecular approaches combining genetics, biology, chemistry, and computer sciences have been introduced, and in particular, gene- and cell-based therapies opened up new opportunities that step out beyond classical pharmacology. Gene therapy emerged as promising therapeutic strategy aiming to introduce genetic material into cells to generate curative effects. Gene therapy comprises various methods of gene delivery and innovative overexpression and silencing designs for specific therapeutic needs (Kay MA, Nat Rev Genet 12:316–328, 2011). Cell-based therapies, on the other hand, aim to use biologically active living cells instead of DNA or RNA as treatment modality. Several extracorporeal and implantable cell therapies have been developed, such as bioartificial liver (Baquerizo A, Mhoyan A, Kearns-Jonker M, Arnaout WS, Shackleton C, Busuttil RW et al, Transplantation 67:5–18, 1999) for short-term treatment and liver cell transplantation for permanent liver replacement (Fox IJ, Chowdhury JR, Kaufman SS, Goertzen TC, Chowdhury NR, Warkentin PI et al, N Engl J Med 338:1422–1426, 1998). In this chapter, we will briefly discuss the current theories and potential applications of gene- and cell-based therapies for the treatment and/or prevention of various liver diseases.
Physiological response of cotton plants to feeding of three Tetranychus spider mite species (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Laboratory and greenhouse studies with cotton leaves were done with densities (mites per cm2 per day) of 1,2,4,8, and 16 Tetranychus turkestani Ugarov & Nikolski, T. urticae Koch, and T. pacificus McGregor to determine mite density effect on stomatal and mesophyll resistance to water vapor and 14CO2 diffusion and rates of photosynthesis. T. turkestani , by far the most injurious species, caused significant reduction of water vapor diffusion, CO2 uptake, and photosynthetic rate at one mite per cm2 per day compared with the presence of no mites. T. pacificus was somewhat more injurious than T. urticae; significant reduction of the parameters began at two mites per cm2 per day compared with the presence of no mites. The results indicate strongly that T. turkestani has a toxin-induced injury to cotton in comparison with the other two species.
Bioethical and Regulatory Issues in Newborn Medical Research

Current federal research regulations for the protection of human subjects are designed to uphold 3 basic ethical principles: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Research investigators and institutional review boards share responsibility for applying these principles through optimizing informed consent, minimizing research risks, and selecting subjects equitably. Children are afforded additional regulatory protections, and research involving neonates in particular carries unique challenges to successful implementation of these core ethical principles. Further complications arise from alternate interpretations of research regulations, an inevitable part of the struggle to keep pace with continuous and rapid advances in medical practice.
1920 x 1080 Pixel Color Camera with a Progressive Scan Output at 60 Frames/Sec

A high-definition camera has been developed that produces color images with 1920 x 1080 pixels progressively scanned at 60 frames/sec. The camera uses two recently developed charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors made by Eastman Kodak Co. One sensor detects luminance detail and is progressively scanned at 30 frames/sec. The other has color stripe filters and is progressively scanned two lines at a time at 60 frames/sec. The second sensor is used to derive color and low resolution luminance. Because of the progressive scan, the vertical and horizontal resolution is 1000 TV lines per picture height. Motion rendition is excellent. The sensor and processor are programmable so that all scan formats likely to be used in the near future can be produced by the camera.
Breaking winter dormancy of Phytophthora parasitica propagules using heat shock

Phytophthora parasitica Dast. is a common fungus in citrus soils in California and causes feeder root rot of citrus (2). Population fluctuations during the year correlate with soil temper? ature (3). The pathogen population reaches its peak during the hottest summer months of July through September and declines to virtually zero (less than one propagule per g rhizosphere soil) during the winter (3), when the soil temperature is 9-12 C (4). Similar results have been reported by Kuske and Benson for P. parasitica dieback of Rhododendron (8). It was not determined whether most propagules had died, leaving a re? sidual population that was too low to detect using standard assay procedures, or if the propagules were present, but in a cool temperature-induced dormancy. Preliminary studies by Holdaway indicated that low-level recovery of propagules from infested soil was possible when artificially inoculated soil that had been incubated at 1 C for 7 wk was then reincubated at higher temperatures for one wk (5). Kuske and Benson found that P. parasitica could not be recovered from naturally infested soil or Rhododendron tissues when winter tem? peratures were below 0 C, but could be recovered readily once the temperature rose in the spring (8). Based on these studies, we hypothesized that at least residual spore populations survived dur? ing the winter in a dormant state induced by cool temperatures. Exposing soil to short periods of heat (heat shock) was tested as a way to break this dormancy. During January and February, several field soil samples were taken from the edge of the furrow irrigation zone on the north side of individual citrus trees [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck]. Ten pairs of trees were sampled. Pairs were assigned based on tree-to-tree proximity and similarity of foliar disease severity symptoms of Phytophthora root rot. Samples were obtained with a bucket auger up to a depth of 23 cm. The top 7.5 cm soil was discarded. Soil adhering to the feeder roots (rhizosphere soil) was collected, and soil from the two trees in each pair was combined. Samples were dug from each pair of trees until approxi? mately 60 g rhizosphere soil was collected. Each rhizosphere soil sample was divided into three subsamples, and these were incubated at 8, 24 or 34 C for 48 h (pre-incubation). A 1:10 dilution of soil to water was made based on the dry weight of each soil sample, and one ml of solution was pipetted into each of 40 Petri dishes to which molten PVPH selective medium (9) was added. Eight of the 40 soil dilution plates from each subsample were incubated at 20, 24, 28,31, and 34 C for 3 da (post-incubation). The number of P. parasitica colonies was counted, and the number of propagules per g dry weight of rhi? zosphere soil was calculated. The effect of soil moisture content on breaking temperature-induced dormancy by heat was tested in a separate experiment. Soil samples were divided into subsamples and the moisture con? tent adjusted to 14,12, or 9% by weight. Samples with these different moisture contents were heat-
Templated nucleation of acetaminophen on spherical excipient agglomerates.

We investigated the effect of spherical agglomeration of heterogeneous crystalline substrates on the nucleation of acetaminophen (AAP). Optical and electron microscopy showed that the surface morphologies of single crystal triclinic lactose and d-mannitol differed significantly from their counterparts formed via spherical agglomeration. Spherical agglomerates of lactose were shown to enhance the nucleation rate of acetaminophen (AAP) by a factor of 11 compared to single crystal lactose; however, no such enhancement was observed for d-mannitol. X-ray powder diffraction identified the presence of new crystal faces of lactose present only in the spherical agglomerates However, d-mannitol did not show any significant change in crystal morphology. The new crystal faces of triclinic lactose were analyzed using geometric lattice matching software and molecular dynamics simulations to establish any new and significant epitaxial matches between lactose and AAP. A coincident lattice match and a large favorable ener...
An investigation of the Muller-Franz calorimeter.

2 aspects of the Muller-Franz dry gas meter were investigated; namely, accuracy of metering and mechanical resistance of the apparatus. The first problem was investigated by pumping known volumes of gas through the meter at varying rates of flow; the second by measuring the resistance in the air circuit by means of a water manometer. The Muller-Franz apparatus, based upon the study of 6 instruments, appears to underestimate gas flow. If a correction factor is applied to account for this, the meter is accurate to approximately plus or minus 3 or 4% between rates of flow of approximately 3 to 100 l/min. The resistance of the mechanical operation of the meter amounts to 20–25 mm water at about 50 l/min and to about 40–50 mm water at approximately 100 l/min.
Genomic leftovers: identifying novel microsatellites, over-represented motifs and functional elements in the human genome

The human genome is 99% complete. This study contributes to filling the 1% gap by enriching previously unknown repeat regions called microsatellites (MST). We devised a Global MST Enrichment (GME) kit to enrich and nextgen sequence 2 colorectal cell lines and 16 normal human samples to illustrate its utility in identifying contigs from reads that do not map to the genome reference. The analysis of these samples yielded 790 novel extra-referential concordant contigs that are observed in more than one sample. We searched for evidence of functional elements in the concordant contigs in two ways: (1) BLAST-ing each contig against normal RNA-Seq samples, (2) Checking for predicted functional elements using GlimmerHMM. Of the 790 concordant contigs, 37 had an exact match to at least one RNA-Seq read; 15 aligned to more than 100 RNA-Seq reads. Of the 249 concordant contigs predicted by GlimmerHMM to have functional elements, 6 had at least one exact RNA-Seq match. BLAST-ing these novel contigs against all publically available sequences confirmed that they were found in human and chimpanzee BAC and FOSMID clones sequenced as part of the original human genome project. These extra-referential contigs predominantly contained pentameric repeats, especially two motifs: AATGG and GTGGA.
Biologic- and Synthetic-Based Scaffolds for Tendon Regeneration

Despite advances in surgical techniques and graft technology, healing after tendon injuries remains a significant clinical challenge. Scaffold-based tissue engineering strategies aim at both mechanically augmenting the tendon repair and also biologically enhancing its intrinsic healing. Biologic grafts—allografts and xenografts—and synthetic scaffold devices using several synthetic and/or natural biomaterials have been used. Scaffolds have been designed as fiber-based, gel-based, or hybrid structures in an attempt to best achieve the mix of mechanical and biological properties. Novel strategies employing biomolecules, mechanical stimulation, cell- and gene-therapy have also been pursued. This chapter reviews the different types of scaffolds, biomaterials, and scaffold designs that have been used for tendon tissue engineering. While these scaffold strategies are conceptually attractive and supported by numerous basic science studies, further rigorous investigation including preclinical and randomized clinical trials are needed to critically evaluate and fully understand the role of scaffolds in tendon repair and regeneration.
Effect of Principal Component Analysis Centering and Scaling on Classification of Mycobacteria from Raman Spectra

Raman spectroscopy has been used for decades to detect and identify biological substances as it provides specific molecular information. Spectra collected from biological samples are often complex,...
Serial office-based steroid injections for treatment of idiopathic subglottic stenosis

Objectives/Hypothesis Current treatment options for idiopathic subglottic stenosis include endoscopic interventions, resection, and tracheotomy. Recently, serial office-based steroid injections were proposed as an alternative that may stabilize or induce regression of airway stenosis without the need for repeated operations. Procedure completion rate, pain, complications, effect on stenosis, time since the last operation, and limitations have not been described. Study Design Retrospective case series. Methods Retrospective series of 19 patients undergoing serial office-based steroid injection for idiopathic subglottic stenosis. Outcome measures included completion rate, procedure-related pain scores, complications, percentage of airway stenosis, and time since the last operative intervention. Results Procedure completion rate was 98.8%. Average pain score during the procedure was 2.3 ± 1.7 on a 10-point scale. There were no immediate complications. One patient underwent awake tracheotomy 8 days after her second injection and was later decannulated. Average stenosis decreased from 35% ± 15% to 25% ± 15% (n = 16; P = .086) over the first of three injections and 40% ± 15% to 25% ± 10% to 20% ± 10% (n = 8; P = .002) for those patients completing two sets of three injections. Fourteen of 17 patients undergoing at least three injections have not returned to the operating room since the first injection. Conclusions Office-based steroid injection represents a promising new treatment pathway for a disease that requires long-term management, offering a purely pharmacologic approach to a disorder that has traditionally been approached from a mechanical perspective. It is safe, well tolerated, and effective. Furthermore, it may help patients and physicians avoid repeated trips to the operating room and the associated risks. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 127:2475–2481, 2017
The Coming of the West: European Cambodian Marketplace Connectivity, 1500–1800

The Cambodia kingdom experienced the intertwined forces of political, social, and religious elites transforming the very nature of its longstanding rural economy from the fifteenth into the sixteenth century. In doing so, they took advantage of new commercial opportunities for raw materials and finished goods. Multiple international commercial and maritime diasporic communities were initially drawn from China and subsequently attracted interest from diverse global seas, such as the Japanese, Middle Eastern, and early European merchant explorers. The financial boon that resulted placed sixteenth-century Cambodia in a favourable position relative to its neighbours. An increasingly competitive commercial marketplace for moderate to luxury and high value goods grew regionally. However, by the eighteenth century Cambodia was less engaged in international commerce than in the prior two centuries with negative consequence.
New links between lipid accumulation and cancer progression.

Individuals with elevated lipid levels are at risk for developing cardiovascular disease as well as cancer. Sterol regulatory element–binding protein transcription factors (SREBPs) are inducers of lipid synthesis. Elevated SREBPs levels are linked to cell proliferation and metastasis. Using biochemical and mouse models of cancer, Zhao et al. have discovered that nuclear SREBP-1a–dependent transcription is activated by pyruvate kinase M2 in cancer cells, which promotes tumor growth. Targeting the lipogenesis pathway may therefore be a promising avenue for cancer treatment.
Importance-Performance Analysis of In-Room Technology Amenities in Hotels

Given that technology amenities are integral to a hotel stay, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the importance and performance of key in-room technology amenities, new and old. A random sample of 3,000 American travelers was chosen from a national database for this study. There were 534 complete responses with a response rate of 17.8%. The importanceperformance analysis by gender showed that top three important technologies for male travelers are express check-in/ check-out, high speed Internet access, and easily accessible electrical outlets while for female travelers the most important technologies are easily accessible electrical outlets, guest control panel, and high speed Internet access.
Changing Parental Involvement in Behavioral Treatment

Behavior modification techniques have had a growing effect on the treatment and management of autistic children during the past two decades. This trend has been accompanied by an immense literature and also several new journals in which to publish it. Most of these publications have attested to the efficacy of operant conditioning for changing many kinds of specific behavior from language (Lovaas, 1961) to self-injurious behavior (Tate & Baroff, 1966).
Familial retinal arteriolar tortuosity and quantification of vascular tortuosity using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography.

Abstract Purpose Familial retinal arteriolar tortuosity (FRAT) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder that is characterized by tortuosity of the second and higher order retinal arterioles. We implement swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) to quantify vessel tortuosity in patients with FRAT. We hypothesize that patients with FRAT will have higher retinal arteriole tortuosity when compared to controls. Methods Patients were scanned with a SS-OCTA device (Plex Elite 9000, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA). Images of a 12 × 12 mm2 area centered on the fovea were processed, and retinal vessels >23.5 μm in diameter were identified. An automatic tortuosity measurement program written in MATLAB was used to assess vessel tortuosity. Branch points in the vessels were detected and used to separate the vasculature into individual segments. The tortuosity was measured by calculating the arc-chord ratio of each vessel segment, where a minimum value of 1 indicated a straight vessel and higher values corresponded to increasing tortuosity. Results Two patients (4 eyes) with a known history of FRAT and six controls (12 eyes) were enrolled in the study. The mean tortuosity of all vessel segments (MTVS) in scans of FRAT eyes was on average 1.1244 [range: 1.1044–1.1438] while for control eyes it was 1.0818 [range: 1.0746–1.0872]. Average MTVS of FRAT eyes was significantly higher compared to control eyes (p = 0.03). Conclusions and Importance Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that patients with FRAT have higher objective measurements of tortuosity compared to controls. Broader applications of this method may be of benefit in other retinal diseases with changes in retinal vessel configuration.
The effect of low- and high-penetration light on localized cancer therapy

The design of a delivery system allowing targeted and controlled drug release has been considered one of the main strategies used to provide individualized cancer therapy, to improve survival statistics, and to enhance quality-of-life. External stimuli including low- and high-penetration light have been shown to have the ability to turn drug delivery on and off in a non-invasive remotely-controlled fashion. The success of this approach has been closely related to the development of a variety of drug delivery systems - from photosensitive liposomes to gold nanocages - and relies on multiple mechanisms of drug release activation. In this review, we make reference to the two extremes of the light spectrum and their potential as triggers for the delivery of antitumor drugs, along with the most recent achievements in preclinical trials and the challenges to an efficient translation of this technology to the clinical setting.