cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Manipulation of fifth-instar host (Manduca sexta) ecdysteroid levels by the parasitoid wasp Cotesia congregata.

Abstract Although 5th (last) instar parasitized Manduca sexta larvae undergo developmental arrest and do not wander, they exhibit a small hemolymph ecdysteroid peak (300–400 pg/ μ l) which begins one day prior to the parasitoid's molt to the 3rd (last) instar and concomitant emergence from the host. Ecdysteroids present in this peak were 20-hydroxyecdysone, 20,26-dihydroxyecdysone and one or more very polar ecdysteroids, as well as small amounts of 26-hydroxyecdysone and ecdysone. In parasitized day-1 and -2 5th instars ligated just behind the 1st abdominal proleg, hemolymph ecdysteroid levels increased in both anterior and posterior portions (100–500 pg/ μ l), while in unparasitized larvae, hormone levels only increased in the anterior portion (100–350 pg/ μ l). Thus, the ecdysteroid peak observed in host 5th instars was probably produced, at least in part, by the parasitoids. It may serve to promote Cotesia congregata's molt from the second to the third instar and/or to facilitate parasitoid emergence from the host. In parasitized day-1 and -2 5th instars ligated between the last thoracic and 1st abdominal segments, hemolymph ecdysteroid titers reached much higher levels (500–3500 pg/ μ l) in the anterior portion (no parasitoids present) than in the posterior portion (150–450 pg/ μ l). Therefore, it appears that the parasitoid's regulation of hemolymph ecdysteroid titers occurs at two levels. First, parasitization neutralizes the host's ability to maintain its normal hemolymph ecdysteroid levels. Second, in a separate action, the parasitoid manipulates the ecdysteroid-producing machinery so that hemolymph levels are maintained at the 200–400 pg/ μ l characteristic of day 3–4 hosts. This is the first report of a parasitoid's ability to interfere with the normal inhibitory mechanisms which prevent prothoracic gland production of ecdysteroid at inappropriate periods of insect growth and development.
Late pleistocene population dynamics: An alternative view

An attempt is made to argue for a more dynamic view of huntergatherer population behavior in place of the largely static one that has been widely accepted. Following a review of how the concept of carrying capacity has been used in both huntergatherer and ecological studies, attention is drawn to the role of stochastic factors in producing fluctuations over time among populations that are small in size. Some of the implications of this alternative view are briefly discussed.
Reye's syndrome: are adults big children?

Reye's syndrome (RS) is generally considered a childhood disease. We report our experience with RS in adults in the metropolitan Milwaukee area. Reye's syndrome was diagnosed in seven 18- to 46-year-old adults. The diagnostic criteria were as follows: viral prodrome followed by vomiting and encephalopathy without focal neurological signs, normal cerebrospinal fluid values, increased levels of serum aminotransferases (transaminase), prolonged prothrombin time, elevated blood ammonia levels, and characteristic microvesicular fatty liver and mitochondrial changes. None of the patients was hypoglycemic. The diagnosis of RS was entertained in 22 but confirmed in only seven patients. In cases of non-Reye's encephalopathy, drug ingestion presented as one of the most difficult differential diagnostic problems, which also included alcohol abuse, collagen vascular disease, and hepatitis B surface antigenemia. Clinical jaundice, distinctly uncommon in RS, was present in only one patient who presented to us in stage V coma. In adults, RS is more difficult to diagnose and should be suspected more frequently in patients with unexplained altered behavior following a viral illness and vomiting. Liver biopsy can be performed safely and is usually mandatory in adults. Patients with RS diagnosed during stage I or II coma and treated experienced an uneventful recovery.
Kinetic modeling of hydrogen production by thermal decomposition of methane

Abstract A kinetic model for the thermal decomposition of methane was developed by modifying a model for soot formation in combustion. The modifications consisted of adding five reactions representing surface chemistry on carbon particles. One kinetic parameter for the new surface reactions was fit to experimental data and the other parameters were determined by analogy to known gas-phase reactions. The modified model reproduces well the hydrogen concentrations at the beginning and end of recent experiments on the thermal decomposition of methane in the presence of carbon catalysts. The model predicts that increasing the pressure from 0.1 to 3.0 MPa will decrease hydrogen production with carbon catalysts by 48–60%. This prediction is robust to variations in the rate constants for the surface reactions and the rate constant for a key gas-phase reaction.
The involvement of lipids in light-induced charge separation in the reaction center of photosystem II.

Extraction of PS II particles with 50 mM cholate and 1 M NaCl releases several proteins (33-, 23-, 17- and 13 kDa) and lipids from the thylakoid membrane which are essential for O2 evolution, dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) reduction and for stable charge separation between P680+ and QA -. This work correlates the results on the loss of steady-state rates for O2 evolution and PS II mediated DCIP photo-reduction with flash absorption changes directly monitoring the reaction center charge separation at 830 nm due to P680+, the chlorophyll a donor. Reconstitution of the extracted lipids to the depleted membrane restores the ability to photo-oxidize P680 reversibly and to reduce DCIP, while stimulating O2 evolution minimally. Addition of the extracted proteins of masses 33-, 23- and 17- kDa produces no further stimulation of DCIP reduction in the presence of an exogenous donor like DPC, but does enhance this rate in the absence of exogenous donors while also stimulating O2 evolution. The proteins alone in the absence of lipids have little influence on charge separation in the reaction center. Thus lipids are essential for stable charge separation within the reaction center, involving formation of P680+ and QA -.
Kinetics of the Somatomedin C/Insulin-Like Growth Factor I: Response to Exogenous Growth Hormone (GH) in GH-Deficient Children

The somatomedin C/insulin-like growth factor I (SMC/IGF-I) response to human GH (hGH) therapy and the t½ of SMC/IGF-I after the cessation of hGH were determined in 15 children with GH deficiency. After 5 injections of hGH (0.1 U/kg), there was a significant increase in total SMC/IGF-I [from 0.27 ± 0.06 to 1.19 ±0.17 U/ml (mean ± SEM)]. Both the pretreatment SMC/IGF-I and the maximal SMC/IGF-I levels attained were correlated with chronological age and bone age. Body size, as indicated by height and weight, also correlated with pretreatment and maximal SMC/IGF-I levels. For both pretreatment and maximal SMC/IGF-I levels, there was a better correlation of SMC/IGF-I levels with bone age than with chronological age. While the correlation between height and the pretreatment SMC/IGF-I level was stronger, weight was a better predicter of the maximal SMC/IGF-I level. Maximal SMC/IGF-I levels were reached 18.8 ± 2.9 h after the last hGH injection. The t½ for SMC/IGF-I after the attainment of maximal levels was 20.7...
NSAIDs in dermatologic therapy: review and preview.

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been an important therapy in the treatment of a large number of cutaneous pathologies for more than three decades. Objective: In this retrospective review, we document the use of NSAIDs in more than 15 common and uncommon dermatoses, including acne, psoriasis, sunburn, erythema nodosum, cryoglobulinemia, Sweet's syndrome, systemic mastocytosis, as well as urticarial, livedoid, and nodular vasculitis. NSAIDs act mainly by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis by the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway. Conclusion: Recent studies link prostaglandin to cutaneous carcinogenesis, thus expanding the dermatologic use of NSAIDs. They may be effective in the treatment and prevention of non-melanoma skin cancer, and specific COX-2 inhibitors promise safer, broader, long-term use of these pharmacologically innovative drugs. Antecedents: Depuis plus de trois decennies, les anti-inflammatoires non steroidiens (AINS) ont joue un role important dans le traitement de nombreuses dermatoses. Objectifs: Dans cette etude retrospective, nous documentons l'usage d'AINS dans plus de 15 dermatoses frequentes et peu frequentes, notamment l'acne, le psoriasis, les coups de soleil, l'erytheme noueux, la cryglobulinemie, le syndrome de Sweet, la mastocytose systemique ainsi que les vascularites urticariens, livedoides et nodulaires. Les AINS agissent principalement en inhibant la synthese des prostaglandines par les voies d'acces de la cyclooxygenase. Conclusion: Des etudes recentes ont lie la prostaglandine a la carinogenese cutanee, elargissant ainsi l'usage des AINS en dermatologie. Les AINS peuvent etre efficaces dans la prevention et le traitement des cancers de la peau benins. Les inhibiteurs de COX-2 promettent de produire des medicaments innovateurs plus surs, a usage plus etendu, a plus.
Candidate glioblastoma development gene identification using concordance between copy number abnormalities and gene expression level changes.

Copy number abnormalities (CNAs) in tumor cells are presumed to affect expression levels of genes located in region of abnormality. To investigate this relationship we have surveyed the losses, gains and amplifications in 30 glioblastomas using array comparative genome hybridization and compared these data with gene expression changes in the same tumors using the Affymetrix U133Plus2.0 oligonucleotide arrays. The two datasets were overlaid using our in-house overlay tool which highlights concordance between CNAs and expression level changes for the same tumors. In this survey we have highlighted genes frequently overexpressed in amplified regions on chromosomes 1, 4, 11, and 12 and have identified novel amplicons on these chromosomes. Deletions of specific regions on chromosomes 9, 10, 11, 14, and 15 have also been correlated with reduced gene expression in the regions of minimal overlap. In addition we describe a novel approach for comparing gene expression levels between tumors based on the presence or absence of chromosome CNAs. This genome wide screen provides an efficient and comprehensive survey of genes which potentially serve as the drivers for the CNAs in GBM. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Distribution of Cells between Solid/Liquid and Liquid/Liquid Interfaces

The use of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) and each system's individual phase-forming species to prevent Streptococcus sanguis attachment onto hydroxyapatite discs was explored. The strategy that we followed was to attach the cells to a solid surface in the presence of an additional interface. Conditions under which, simultaneously, the phase-forming species form two phases and the cells proliferate were identified. Growth curves were constructed in the presence of various polymers and salts commonly used to prepare ATPSs. Several aqueous two-phase systems were selected such that bacterial growth was comparable to that observed in pure medium. Cells were allowed to attach to hydroxyapatite discs for 7 days in the presence of varying concentrations of media, media with polymer, media with salt, and media with ATPS. Streptococcus sanguis attachment to the disks was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The addition of a PEG/Na 2 SO 4 ATPS to high concentrations of yeast-tryptone (YT) media (>65%) and of a PEG/MgSO 4 ATPS to nutrient-limited media reduces surface coverage of S. sanguis to less than 10%. Comparison of the attachment levels for the systems containing PEG/Na 2 SO 4 to media containing the individual phase-forming species and to the YT reference systems indicated that nutrient availability did not affect attachment.
Magnitude image CSPAMM reconstruction (MICSR).

Image reconstruction of tagged cardiac MR images using complementary spatial modulation of magnetization (CSPAMM) requires the subtraction of two complex datasets to remove the untagged signal. Although the resultant images typically have sharper and more persistent tags than images formed without complementary tagging pulses, handling the complex data is problematic and tag contrast still degrades significantly during diastole. This article presents a magnitude image CSPAMM reconstruction (MICSR) method that is simple to implement and produces images with improved contrast and tag persistence. The MICSR method uses only magnitude images - i.e., no complex data - but yields tags with zero mean, sinusoidal profiles. A trinary display of MICSR images emphasizes their long tag persistence and demonstrates a novel way to visualize myocardial deformation. MICSR contrast and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) were evaluated using simulations, a phantom, and two normal volunteers. Tag contrast 1000 msec after the R wave trigger was 3.0 times better with MICSR than with traditional CSPAMM reconstruction techniques, while CNRs were 2.0 times better.
Geography in Ominous Intersection with Interrogation and Torture: reflections on detention in Israel

Abstract This paper describes and reflects on the author's detention as a prominent Palestinian geographer in an Israeli prison for 23 days by the Israeli Security Police (Shin Bet) in July 2006, and the nightmare of abuse, debasement and physical coercion, amounting to torture, he was subjected to during this ordeal. The author argues that the detention was political, punishment for the way he has ‘done the geography of Palestine’ and has documented Israeli erasure of the Palestinians from the land. It was centred on extracting imagined ‘usable’ information from him about his contacts, especially in the field of geography in the Middle East. The paper develops a geographic analysis of the micro-space of detention, and places reflections in a framework that looks at the use of torture as a means to extract ‘intelligence’, at the current mounting intimidation of academics in the wake of 9/11, and at McCarthyism redux and the ‘“disciplining” of the disciplines’. It also looks at recent material describing a...
Does exogenous LH in ovarian stimulation improve assisted reproduction success? An appraisal of the literature

A review of the scientific literature on the use of exogenous LH in assisted reproductive technology was performed by searching the MEDLINE, PubMed and Cochrane online databases. Scientific evidence was reviewed comparing recombinant FSH-only protocols to protocols supplemented with exogenous LH activity: human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG), recombinant LH and mid-follicular human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG). Studies were further compared based on pituitary suppression with gonadotrophin- releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist and agonist protocols. Primary focus was given to randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses. Data from hypogonadotrophic hypogonadal patients demonstrated the importance of LH activity for success of assisted reproduction treatment. However, the majority of normogonadotrophic patients had adequate endogenous LH to successfully drive ovarian steroidogenesis and oocyte maturation. Exogenous LH supplementation was consistently associated with higher peak oestradiol concentrations. The use of HMG in long GnRH agonist cycles was associated with a 3–4% increase in live birth rate. There was insufficient evidence to make definitive conclusions on the need for exogenous LH activity in GnRH antagonist cycles or the benefit of recombinant LH and HCG protocols. Poor responders and patients 35 years of age and older may benefit from exogenous LH.
SITE VALENCIES AND SPIN COUPLING IN THE 3FE AND 4FE (S = 1/2) CLUSTERS OF PYROCOCCUS FURIOSUS FERREDOXIN BY 57FE ENDOR

The hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus contains a novel ferredoxin (Pf-Fd) in which, in the native 4Fe form, three of the Fe ions are coordinated to the protein by cysteinyl thiolato ligands, but the fourth, labile, Fe is coordinated by an aspartyl carboxalato ligand. Addition of excess cyanide ion to the reduced 4Fe protein, Pf-Fd 4Fe-red, yields a species with EPR properties that differ greatly from the native cluster form (Pf-Fd 4Fe−CN). The unique Fe can be removed, to form a 3Fe cluster, which in turn can be reconstituted to regenerate the 4Fe form. The lability of this fourth Fe allows the preparation of a series of 57Fe cluster isotopologs: Pf-Fd 3Fe-ox (S = 1/2) as [Fe3S4]+ and [57Fe3S4]+; Pf-Fd 4Fe-red as [Fe4S4]+, [57FeFe3S4]+, and [Fe57Fe3S4]+ as well as the corresponding 57Fe isotopologs of Pf-Fd 4Fe−CN. The 3Fe and 4Fe cluster-containing native and cyanide-bound forms all have been investigated by 57Fe ENDOR spectroscopy at cryogenic temperatures. The ground state of Pf-Fd 3Fe-ox...
Fast, cheap, and powerful user research

Whether you have to recruit fellow employees or leverage your wider personal networks, there is no longer any excuse to skip this vital step.
Surveillance of musculoskeletal injuries and disorders in a diverse cohort of workers at a tertiary care medical center

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of work-related musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries and disorders among a dynamic cohort of health care workers, including direct care providers and support services, employed at a tertiary care medical center. METHODS: Human resources data were used to define the cohort and time at risk. Workers' compensation (WC) records (1997-2003) were utilized to identify work-related MSK claims. Poisson regression was used to generate gender specific rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of MSK injuries among workgroups. RESULTS: MSK injuries resulted equally ( approximately 30% each) from lift/push/pull of equipment, patient handling, and slip/trip/falls. Injury rates and their mechanisms varied substantially by occupational group, gender, and race. Even with declining injury rates over time, black workers had rates 2.5 times higher than other workers and women had rates 1.8 times higher than men. Male and female nurses' aides, housekeepers, and radiology technicians had among the highest rates of injury, while lost workdays rates were highest for male and female nurses' aides, female housekeepers, and male patient transporters. CONCLUSIONS: Differential risk associated with work tasks in highly segregated work populations can contribute to disparities in health, and the patterns we observed partly reflect the high concentration of female and black workers in occupations with increased physical demands. While the greatest public health impact will be achieved by implementing prevention strategies among large workgroups with high injury rates, public health efforts must not ignore smaller, often segregated, workgroups identified in this study as high risk. Language: en
Effects of thermal coupling and diffusion on the mechanism of H2 oxidation in steady premixed laminar flames

Abstract The article considers the question why steady premixed laminar flames can be successfully described by highly reduced models, whereas the underlying mechanism is inherently complex. The calculations are performed on H 2 air systems. Sensitivity functions are evaluated and studied for diffusion-free situations, both isothermal and adiabatic, as well as for steady premixed flames. In the diffusion-free cases most reactions of a 38-step mechanism are shown to be influential in a distinct fashion. The form of sensitivity functions is, however, radically changed and rendered self-similar by simultaneous thermal coupling and diffusion that introduce strong nonlinear coupling among the variables. Due to self-similarity, the mechanism can be reduced to 15 reactions, while keeping the temperature profile and the mass fraction profiles of molecular species almost unchanged in flame calculations. Furthermore, there exists an invariant subspace in the space of kinetic parameters such that large parameter perturbations along any vector in this subspace result in relatively small changes of the computed flame properties. By giving mechanistic interpretation to such parameter perturbations, the model can be simplified in many ways. In particular, a sequence of models is constructed in the stoichiometric H 2 air flame problem that converge to a nine-step reduced mechanism with quasi-steady-state assumptions in radicals except H, thereby resulting in a two-step quasi-global model. All these approximations are unfeasible without the presence of molecular and thermal diffusion.
A High-Density 45nm SRAM Using Small-Signal Non-Strobed Regenerative Sensing

In this work, an SRAM in low-power 45nm CMOS is composed of 0.25mum2 bit-cells and uses an offset-compensating non-strobed regenerative sense-amplifier (NSR-SA); this eliminates the need to insert timing margin for variation and tracking errors in the strobe signal, and it achieves higher sensitivity than conventional SAs, allowing read SNM to be optimized at the cost of IREAD. The NSR-SA uses nearly minimum-sized inverters, so its delay and area scaling follow logic trends more closely than conventional SAs.
Double Trouble for 2,609 Hospitalized Medical Patients Who Developed Deep Vein Thrombosis: Prophylaxis Omitted More Often and Pulmonary Embolism More Frequent

Background Hospitalized patients with medical illness are especially susceptible to the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Methods To improve our understanding of the demographics, comorbidities, risk factors, clinical presentation, prophylaxis, and treatment of hospitalized medical patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), we evaluated hospitalized medical patients in a prospective registry of 5,451 consecutive ultrasound-confirmed DVT patients at 183 institutions in the United States. Results Of those patients who participated in the registry, 2,609 (48%) were hospitalized medical patients. Compared with 1,953 hospitalized nonmedical patients with DVT, medical patients with DVT experienced pulmonary embolism (PE) more often (22.2% vs 15.5%, respectively; p Conclusions Hospitalized medical patients face "double trouble." First, during hospitalization for a reason other than VTE, VTE prophylaxis is omitted in medical patients more often than in nonmedical patients. Second, when VTE develops as a complication of hospitalization, hospitalized medical patients experience PE more often. Further studies should focus on understanding why prophylaxis is often omitted in hospitalized medical patients and on improving its implementation in this vulnerable population.
Explaining Speech Production Deficits in Poor Readers

The purpose of the present study was to further examine speech production abilities of young poor readers. Fourteen poor readers and 14 age-matched nondisabled subjects were taught to produce four novel, multisyllabic nonsense words. A recognition task was part of the training procedure. Retention of the words was also probed. The poor readers took significantly longer than the nondisabled children to produce three of the four words. The recognition data indicated that encoding limitations, rather than speech production limitations, were primarily responsible for the longer acquisition times. Speech production deficiencies seemed to account for only a small portion of the difficulty the poor readers experienced learning the novel words. The data are consistent with previous research that has documented encoding limitations in poor readers.
Electrical Switching Using Compliant Metal Infiltrated Multi-Wall Nanotube Arrays

The topology of conventional noble-metal-coated switch counterfaces creates modes of switch failure via fouling, arcing, and local melting when impacted. To avoid these failure phenomena, compliant conductive contact surfaces of vertically aligned multi-wall nanotube arrays grown on conductive substrates have been fabricated. Infiltration of the array by noble metal results in a robust compliant switch contact surface. Cyclic hot-switch testing of the nanotube based switch, via modified nano-indentation, results in performance surpassing conventional designs with stable resistance of 0.4Ω over 3000 cycles. Investigating the physical performance of the array shows the array is compacted less than 3% over the first 500 cycles with no observable compaction through the remaining cycles. The improvement in performance of the nanotube based switch is attributed to the ability for the compliant contact surface to conform to the probe tip geometry, increasing the effective contact surface area.
Refractory anaphylactoid shock potentiated by beta‐blockers

Allergic reactions, including anaphylactoid shock due to contrast material, are not uncommon. However, persistent anaphylactoid shock refractory to conventional therapy is rare. We present a case of refractory anaphylactoid shock during coronary angiography unresponsive to aggressive standard therapy in a patient on beta-blockers. Significant clinical improvement was noted upon administration of glucagon. Since beta-blockers are commonly used in patients with coronary artery disease, this potentially life-threatening complication has to be kept in mind with any procedure involving contrast media in patients on beta-blockers. Immediate access to glucagon by keeping it in the procedure room may be lifesaving in these situations.
Employment Transitions in the Japanese Male Labor Force A Log-Multiplicative Analysis of Mobility Structures

This study examines mobility patterns among Japanese employees who are not permanently employed. Based on the 1975 Social Stratification and Mobility data, mobility distance structures are estimated using log-multiplicative models along the firm and occupation dimensions. Findings indicate that firm mobility distances are essentially ordered by organizational sizes, except for the reverse positions of firms with 501-1,000 workers and 1,000+ workers. Mobility gaps exist between small and large firms and private and public sectors. Despite the perception that the Japanese are less occupationally conscious, mobility distances among occupational groups in Japan show a stratification and status ranking similar to that in the United States.
Disaster Mitigation and Insurance: Learning from Katrina

Hurricane Katrina illustrates the natural disaster syndrome. Prior to a disaster, individuals in hazard-prone regions do not voluntarily adopt cost-effective loss reduction measures. The federal government then comes to the rescue with disaster assistance even if it claimed it had no intention of doing so prior to the event. There are a number of reasons why individuals do not protect themselves prior to a disaster. They underestimate the likelihood of a future disaster, often believing that it will not happen to them; have budget constraints; are myopic in their behavior; and/or do not want to be the only one on the block modifying their structure. Given this lack of interest in voluntary protection, benefit-cost analysis can determine when a well-enforced building code would be appropriate. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of public-private partnerships as a way of reducing future disaster losses and aiding the recovery process.
A self-organizing neural scheme for road detection in varied environments

Detection of a drivable space is a key step in the autonomous control of a vehicle. In this paper we propose an adaptive vision based algorithm for road detection in diverse outdoor conditions. Our novel approach employs feature based classification and uses the Kohonen Self-Organizing Map (SOM) for the purpose of road detection. The robustness of the algorithm lies in the unique ability of SOM to organize information while learning diverse inputs. Features used for the training and testing of SOM are identified. The proposed method is capable of working with structured as well as unstructured roads and noisy environments that may be encountered by an intelligent vehicle. The proposed technique is extensively compared with the k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm. Results show that SOM outperforms KNN in classification consistency and is independent to the lighting conditions while taking comparable classification time which shows that the network can also be used as an online learning architecture.
Economic Crisis and Democracy in Latin America

While the world is focused on the economic impact of the financial and credit meltdown, what might be its impact on politics? In well-established democracies, probably not more than elections lost by incumbent parties seen as having mismanaged the economy. But what of consolidating democracies that predominate in the developing world, where some forecasts expect the crisis to hit the poor especially hard? This article uses AmericasBarometer survey data from Latin America and the Caribbean drawn on the eve of the crisis to project how it might affect democracy in the region.
Isotope Enrichment by Laser Stimulation Causing Condensation Repression

Sulfur isotopes in SF6 molecules have been enriched, in a laboratory experiment, using tuned laser radiation to excite a particular sulfur isotopic molecule and inhibit its condensation on the cooled annulus inside of the chamber. The evidence of enrichment was determined by examining the residual gas with a Fourier Transform lnfra Red Spectrometer. The enrichment was observed during a transient experiment in which the temperature of the condensing surface was gradually decreased, and gas pressure of the SF6 molecules was in the range of 8 Torr (0.01 atmospheres). These results show that excitation to a single excited level can create differential rates of condensation so as to achieve an enrichment factor of approximately 2.0 in a single stage.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Query l-diversity in Location-Based Services

Most existing cloaking techniques only focus on achieving location k-anonymity. However, maintaining location k-anonymity alone is not enough to counter query homogeneity attacks. In this paper, we first define the query l-diversity concept in location-based services, and then propose a technique to achieve query l-diversity. The proposed technique is compared with the improved Interval Cloak technique using simulation; and the extensive results indicate that our technique is better in protecting user privacy.
Hilbert's Tenth Problem for function fields of varieties over number fields and p-adic fields

Abstract Let k be a subfield of a p-adic field of odd residue characteristic, and let L be the function field of a variety of dimension n ⩾ 1 over k. Then Hilbert's Tenth Problem for L is undecidable. In particular, Hilbert's Tenth Problem for function fields of varieties over number fields of dimension ⩾1 is undecidable.
Study of an adaptive frame size predictor to enhance energy conservation in wireless sensor networks

Technological advances in low-power digital signal processors, radio frequency (RF) circuits, and micromechanical systems (MEMS) have led to the emergence of wirelessly interconnected sensor nodes. The new technological possibilities emerge when a large number of tiny intelligent wireless sensor nodes are combined. The sensor nodes are typically battery operated and, therefore, energy constrained. Hence, energy conservation is one of the foremost priorities in design of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) protocols. Limited power resources and bursty nature of the wireless channel are the biggest challenges in WSNs. Link adaptation techniques improve the link quality by adjusting medium access control (MAC) parameters such as frame size, data rate, and sleep time, thereby improving energy efficiency. In This work, our study emphasizes optimizing WSNs by building a reliable and adaptive MAC without compromising fairness and performance. Here, we present link adaptation techniques at MAC layer to enhance energy efficiency of the sensor nodes. The proposed MAC uses a variable frame size instead of a fixed frame size for transmitting data. In order to get accurate estimations, as well as reducing the computation complexity, we utilize the extended Kalman filter to predict the optimal frame size for improving energy efficiency and goodput, while minimizing the sensor memory requirement. Next, we designed and verified different network models to evaluate and analyze the proposed link adaptation schemes. The correctness of the proposed theoretical models have been verified by conducting extensive simulations. We also prototype the proposed scheme with the MAC protocol on Berkeley Motes. Both prototype and simulation results show that the proposed algorithms improve the energy efficiency by up to 15%.
A robust reliability methodology for accurately predicting Bias Temperature Instability induced circuit performance degradation in HKMG CMOS

A robust reliability characterization / modeling approach for accurately predicting Bias Temperature Instability (BTI) induced circuit performance degradation in High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) CMOS is presented. A series of device level stress experiments employing both AC and DC stress/relax BTI measurements are undertaken to characterize FET's threshold voltage instability response to a dynamic (inverter type) operation. Results from the AC stress experiments demonstrate that V T instability is frequency independent, an observation that suggests that V T degradation under AC stress can be equivalently measured through the simpler DC stress/relax sequence. An AC BTI model is developed that accurately captures the critical BTI relaxation effect through the DC stress/relax predictions on duty cycle dependence. A Ring Oscillator (RO) circuit is used as a model verification vehicle. Excellent agreement is demonstrated between the frequency degradation measurements obtained with a newly developed Ultra-Fast On-The-Fly (OTF) measurement technique optimized for BTI and the AC BTI model based RO simulations.
Endomembrane structures utilized by pathogens are targeted for disruption by the ubiquitin-like conjugation systems of autophagy (INM8P.439)

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that sequesters cytoplasmic materials in double membrane bound autophagosomes and degrades the cargo through the fusion between the autophagosome and lysosome. Degradative autophagy has been shown to play crucial roles in immune defense against intracellular pathogens as well as its conventional roles in recycling and remodeling. We found that the ubiquitin-like conjugation systems of the autophagy pathway involved in the conjugation of microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) to phosphatidylethanolamine on autophagosome membrane, including E1 Atg7, E2 Atg3, and E3 Atg12-Atg5-Atg16L1 complex, play crucial roles in the control of Murine Norovirus and Toxoplasma gondii both in vitro and in vivo. Pharmacologic modulation of the degradative autophagy pathway or genetic deletion of the other essential autophagy genes had no significant effects on controlling the replication of the pathogens by interferon-gamma (IFNγ). Rather the ubiquitin-like conjugation system was required for targeting of LC3 and IFNγ induced effectors onto the endomembrane structures utilized by the pathogens for their replication and consequent disruption of the structures. These data suggest that the ubiquitin-like conjugation systems that reorganize endomembranes during canonical autophagy have evolved to target immune effectors to the endomembrane structures utilized by pathogens as a form of cell autonomous immunity.
Using Radar Data to Partition Precipitation into Rain and Snow in a Hydrologic Model

Simulation of whether precipitation arrives at the land surface in a liquid or frozen state can have a pronounced effect on the peak flows produced by a hydrologic model. While many hydrologic models rely on surface air temperature to discriminate precipitation type, both past studies and the current effort indicate that there can be substantial shortcomings in that approach. As an alternative, the 0°C level detected by a vertically pointing radar is used in two modes, one by ingesting the 0°C level directly into a hydrologic model to determine precipitation type at the land surface, and a second by deriving average surface air temperature thresholds using the radar data. Where snowfall and snow melt are important, using radar-detected 0°C levels can provide a measurable improvement in simulated flow response. The derived surface air temperature thresholds recovered most of the benefit for streamflow prediction obtained by using the 0°C level directly in the hydrologic model for the period concurrent with...
Finite element analysis for the axisymmetric Laplace operator on polygonal domains

Abstract Let L ≔ − r − 2 ( r ∂ r ) 2 − ∂ z 2 . We consider the equation L u = f on a bounded polygonal domain with suitable boundary conditions, derived from the three-dimensional axisymmetric Poisson’s equation. We establish the well-posedness, regularity, and Fredholm results in weighted Sobolev spaces, for possible singular solutions caused by the singular coefficient of the operator L , as r → 0 , and by non-smooth points on the boundary of the domain. In particular, our estimates show that there is no loss of regularity of the solution in these weighted Sobolev spaces. Besides, by analyzing the convergence property of the finite element solution, we provide a construction of improved graded meshes, such that the quasi-optimal convergence rate can be recovered on piecewise linear functions for singular solutions. The introduction of a new projection operator from the weighted space to the finite element subspace, certain scaling arguments, and a calculation of the index of the Fredholm operator, together with our regularity results, are the ingredients of the finite element estimates.
The Congruity Principle Revisited: Studies in the Reduction, Induction, and Generalization Of Persuasion

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses current applications of the congruity model. The simple and not atypical communication situation to which the congruity principle was originally applied is one in which an identifiable source makes an assertion about some concept or object. It can be applied in the manner to account for conditions under which attitudes toward the source, the concept, or both, will be expected to change; the change always depends on the precommunication attitudes toward both objects and on the nature of the assertion linking them. The attitude change occurs in response to the incongruity, and functions to reduce it. The chapter provides a report of research that concern with the opposite side of the attitude change coin. As so often happens, embarking on the program of research led to the consideration of related phenomena. For one thing, it raised anew the question of the relative efficacy of different modes of inducing, as well as reducing, attitude change. Because of the close theoretical affinity between promoting and reducing attitude change, this chapter includes several such investigations. Another, possibly serendipitous, consequence of this research is a closer look at the problem of the generalization of attitude change, also considered within the framework of congruity theory.
Sediment yields from small, steep coastal watersheds of California

Abstract Study region Coastal watersheds of southern California, United States. Study focus We sought to better understand the rates and variability of suspended-sediment discharge from small coastal watersheds ( New hydrological insights for the region The watersheds were found to have suspended-sediment concentrations that extended over five orders of magnitude (1 to over 100,000 mg L−1). Sediment concentrations were weakly correlated with discharge (r2 = 0.10–0.25), and four types of hysteresis patterns were observed during high flow events (clockwise, counterclockwise, no hysteresis, and complex). Annual sediment yields varied by 400-fold across the four watersheds (e.g., 5–2100 t km−2 yr −1 during the 2003–2006 water years), and sediment discharge was measurably elevated in one watershed that was partially burned by a late summer wildfire. Dozens of high flow events provided evidence that suspended-sediment yields were generally related to peak stream discharge and event-based precipitation, although these relationships were not consistent across the watersheds. This suggests that watersheds smaller than 100 km2 can provide large – and therefore important – fluxes of sediment to the coast, but that simple techniques to estimate sediment loads, such as sediment rating curves, hydrologic regressions, and extrapolation using global sediment yield relationships that include watershed area as a primary factor, may provide poor results.
Angiogenesis in hydrogel biomaterials

Our ever-improving understanding of the cellular and molecular processes involved in angiogenesis enables increasingly sophisticated design of pro-angiogenic biomaterials. More complex interactions may be required for formation of optimally functional vasculature. Engineered microvasculature in hydrogel biomaterials may also have far-reaching impacts on the development of optimised culture systems for a variety of stem cells. In vivo, many stem cell niches are closely associated with microvasculature, and these associations have been shown to be critical to the maintenance of stem cells in the niche microenvironment.
The spontaneous fission half-life of238Pu

Abstract The spontaneous fission half-life of 238 Pu has been measured and found to be (4·77±0·14) × 10 10 yr. The spontaneous fission fragments were counted with silicon surface barrier detectors using commercially available electronic equipment. The spontaneous fission half-life was calculated by comparing the alpha-to-fission disintegration ratio with the 238 Pu alpha half-life of 87·77±0·03 yr.
Biases in Certain Production Indexes

PROFESSOR COCHRANE has recently presented in the Journal of Farm Economics a revised version of his hypothesis concerning the irregular shifting of the aggregate agricultural supply function to the right as a result of the adoption of new technology.2 Briefly his thesis is that the function is almost perfectly inelastic; further, it holds steady for a period of years of constant technology, jumps sharply to the right during a period of improving technology, then repeats the process. To subject this hypothesis to empirical testing, some method is needed to identify periods of constant technology and those of changing technology. In his most recent article, Cochrane computed an "index of production efficiency" as the ratio of the index of volume of farm marketings and home consumption to an index of total agricultural inputs.3 Professor Schultz performs a similar analysis. He computes two indexes of the physical volume of agricultural inputs and compares changes in the volume of inputs with changes in the volume of agricultural production for sale and home consumption.4 The computation and evaluation of these measures of inputs, outputs and technology is a problem in index numbers. The purpose here is to investigate the biases in these indexes. First, we need the following notations:
Visuohaptic borescope inspection simulation training: modeling multi-point collision detection/response and evaluating skills transfer

Results are presented from a transfer effects study of a visuohaptic borescope simulator developed for non-destructive aircraft inspection training. The borescope simulator supports multi-point collision detection to effect haptic feedback as the virtual probe slides along and collides with rigid surfaces. Such probe maneuvering is shown to be a significant aspect of the inspection task that benefits from training, regardless of whether a real or virtual probe simulator is used to provide the training.
Minocycline Transiently Reduces Microglia/Macrophage Activation but Exacerbates Cognitive Deficits Following Repetitive Traumatic Brain Injury in the Neonatal Rat

Elevated microglial/macrophage-associated biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid of infant victims of abusive head trauma (AHT) suggest that these cells play a role in the pathophysiology of the injury. In a model of AHT in 11-day-old rats, 3 impacts (24 hours apart) resulted in spatial learning and memory deficits and increased brain microglial/macrophage reactivity, traumatic axonal injury, neuronal degeneration, and cortical and white-matter atrophy. The antibiotic minocycline has been effective in decreasing injury-induced microglial/macrophage activation while simultaneously attenuating cellular and functional deficits in models of neonatal hypoxic ischemia, but the potential for this compound to rescue deficits after impact-based trauma to the immature brain remains unexplored. Acute minocycline administration in this model of AHT decreased microglial/macrophage reactivity in the corpus callosum of brain-injured animals at 3 days postinjury, but this effect was lost by 7 days postinjury. Additionally, minocycline treatment had no effect on traumatic axonal injury, neurodegeneration, tissue atrophy, or spatial learning deficits. Interestingly, minocycline-treated animals demonstrated exacerbated injury-induced spatial memory deficits. These results contrast with previous findings in other models of brain injury and suggest that minocycline is ineffective in reducing microglial/macrophage activation and ameliorating injury-induced deficits following repetitive neonatal traumatic brain injury.
Deep Borehole Disposal Remediation Costs for Off-Normal Outcomes

This memo describes rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) cost estimates for a set of off-normal (accident) scenarios, as defined for two waste package emplacement method options for deep borehole disposal: drill-string and wireline. It summarizes the different scenarios and the assumptions made for each, with respect to fishing, decontamination, remediation, etc.
Study of Stochastic Resonance in a Three-level Atomic Optical Bistability System

Stochastic-resonance is experimentally demonstrated in optical bistability from an optical ring cavity containing three-level (A-type) rubidium atoms. The results obtained match well qualitatively with the theoretical predictions of the generic model for the SR phenomenon.
Damage of the brachiocephalic vessels due to catheterization

14 cases (0.6%) of local damage to brachiocephalic arteries occurred during 2,300 consecutive femorocerebral angiographic studies. Improper manipulation of the catheter and guide wire, and wedging of the catheter, appeared to be the principal factors in the creation of intimal tears and subintimal hematomas. The use of J guide wires when feasible, careful fluoroscopic monitoring during the advancement of the guide wire catheter system, and test injections are advised. If an artery is damaged, the opposite artery of the same system should not be catheterized. No neurological sequelae resulted in these 14 patients.
Effect of Guest Atom Composition on the Structural and Vibrational Properties of the Type II Clathrate-Based Materials AxSi136, AxGe136 and AxSn136 (A = Na, K, Rb, Cs; 0 ≤ x ≤ 24).

Type II clathrates are interesting due to their potential thermoelectric applications. Powdered X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and density functional calculations for NaxSi136 found a lattice contraction as x increases for 0 8. This is explained by XRD data that shows that as x increases, the Si28 cages are filled first for x 8. Motivated by this work, here we report the results of first-principles calculations of the structural and vibrational properties of the Type II clathrate compounds AxSi136, AxGe136, and AxSn136. We present results for the variation of the lattice constants, bulk moduli, and other structural parameters with x. These are contrasted for the Si, Ge, and Sn compounds and for guests A = Na, K, Rb, and Cs. We also present calculated results of phonon dispersion relations for Na4Si136, Na4Ge136, and Na4Sn136 and we compare these for the three materials. Finally, we present calculated results for the elastic constants in NaxSi136, NaxGe136, and NaxSn136 for x = 4 and 8. These are compared for the three hosts, as well as for the two compositions.