cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emerging technologies to control oocyte apoptosis are finally treading on fertile ground.

As the medical community strives to improve on the efficacy of anticancer treatments, a critical issue not to be overlooked since the overall quantity of life has been substantially increased in many cancer survivors is the quality of that life post-therapy. Indeed, one of the most worrisome side effects of conventional cancer treatments is damage to the gonads. This problem is compounded in females since the ovaries, unlike the testes, are incapable of germ cell renewal in postnatal life. As a consequence, the inappropriate destruction of female germ cells (oocytes) following exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation is irreparable, often leading to premature menopause and infertility . Considering recent estimates that 1 in 52 human females between birth and age 39 (i.e., the pre-reproductive and reproductive years) will be diagnosed with, and presumably treated for, cancer , new strategies to minimize or prevent gonadal damage during such treatments would have a profound positive impact on millions of lives.
A qualitative study of older first-time mothering in the first year

Abstract Introduction The number of older first-time mothers has increased significantly during the past 30 years. The purpose of this study was to create a phenomenologic text explicating the experience of older, first-time mothering during the first year. Method A phenomenologic/hermeneutic method was used to create a narrative text to address the following question: In what way does older age give a certain quality of meaning to first-time motherhood in women 35 years of age and older? This text incorporated data from interviews with seven first-time mothers ages 36 to 48 years, as well other data sources such as poetry, literary references, and findings from other qualitative studies. Results Among essential themes that emerged from analysis of study data were: “Being Ready,” “Planned Intensity,” and “How Far We've Come.” Discussion Pediatric practitioners have unparalleled access to mothers during the first postpartum year. An increased understanding of the uniqueness of older primiparas as expressed in this narrative will enable nurses to more effectively address the needs and concerns of this growing population of women.
Absolute Seismometry: a New Method

THE fundamental problem in all seismometers is to find or devise some observable thing which shall not partake of the earthquake motion. Such a thing is spoken of as a steady point, and the work of a seismograph is to record the position of the steady point relative to the neighbouring earth as a function of time. Unfortunately, most mechanical systems under our observation or control require terrestrial connexion through agencies which inevitably transmit forces, so that steady points are subject to acceleration when their connecting links are disturbed. That is to say, the steady point is steady until the arrival of the earthquake and not longer.
Query-by-example: the invocation and definition of tables and forms

Query-by-Example is a query language for use by non-programmers querying a relational data base. In an earlier paper, the features of this language were introduced; however, it was assumed that the data base was already defined and available to the user.In the first part of this paper we demonstrate that the operations of Query-by-Example can be used not only to query the data base but also to define it, including data descriptions and declarations of various integrity constraints. This is an attempt to provide the user with a simplified, unified interface for a variety of functions.In the second part of this paper it is shown how one can make preliminary interrogations to retrieve a subset of the data base needed for the formulation of a specific query. This becomes very useful in cases where the data-base is very large and the user's initial task of scanning the tables for the ones relevant to his specific query becomes by itself horrendous.
Manifestations of ambiguity tolerance through verbal behavior in small groups

Two experiments examine the relationship between ambiguity tolerance as a personality trait and verbal behavior. In the first experiment Bales’ IPA system was used to analyze a group discussion. The high ambiguity tolerators dramatized almost three times as much as the low ambiguity tolerators. In the second experiment, only two of the IPA categories were used, dramatizes and gives opinion. No differences were found in the gives opinion category. In the dramatizes category, however, the same effect was found again.
Rotational vs. Continuous Intensive Stocking Management of Bahiagrass Pasture for Cows and Calves

Rapid growth of warm-season grasses such as bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) is associated with their rapid decline in nutritional value. Grazing management that better matches forage growth and animal intake may improve animal performance on warm-season grass pastures. A 3-yr study (1989-1991) was conducted at the USDA-ARS Subtropical Agricultural Research Station, Brooksville, FL, to determine the effect of the same stocking rate with either rotational or continuous intensive stocking (CIS; temporary increase in stocking density during periods of rapid forage growth) management on herbage mass, forage crude protein and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), and the performance of cows and calves (Bos taurus). Cow performance was judged on weight, body condition score (BCS), plasma urea nitrogen (PUN, mg dL -1 ), and pregnancy rate; calf performance was judged on average daily gain (ADG), adjusted 205-d weaning weight, and BCS. Ilerbage mass of both grazing treatments was similar until the start of the rainy season (June-July). Stocking density of CIS cattle increased by 75, which resulted in an increase in herbage mass of 250 to 1150 kg ha -1 on rotationally grazed pastures, but this was not significant. Even at the increased stocking density, herbage mass of grazed CIS pastures continued to increase in 2 out of 3 yr, indicating that animal selectivity was not limited by grazing treatment. Crude protein and IVOMD concentrations were not affected by grazing. As a consequence, none of the animal performance variables measured was affected by grazing management. The main advantages of CIS are less labor and fencing, and reserving an area for production of winter feed. Herbage mass on ungrazed CIS pastures (3000-4200 kg ha -1 ) would have produced between 1700 and 2400 kg hay ha -1 .
The q-analogue quantized radiation field and its uncertainty relations

Abstract The “classical limit” of the q -analogue quantized radiation field is studied paralleling conventional quantum optics analyses. Results for the number-phase uncertainty relations can be q -independent in the number basis. The variance of the generic electric field is found to be ⩾ λħω/2ϵ 0 V , where λ >1 if q ≠1. At large amplitudes, the amplitude itself would be quantized if the available resolution of unity for the q -analogue coherent states is accepted in the formulation.
Multi-dimensional resource scheduling for parallel queries

Scheduling query execution plans is an important component of query optimization in parallel database systems. The problem is particularly complex in a shared-nothing execution environment, where each system node represents a collection of time-shareable resources (e.g., CPU(s), disk(s), etc.) and communicates with other nodes only by message-passing. Significant research effort has concentrated on only a subset of the various forms of intra-query parallelism so that scheduling and synchronization is simplified. In addition, most previous work has focused its attention on one-dimensional models of parallel query scheduling, effectively ignoring the potential benefits of resource sharing. In this paper, we develop an approach that is more general in both directions, capturing all forms of intra-query parallelism and exploiting sharing of multi-dimensional resource nodes among concurrent plan operators. This allows scheduling a set of independent query tasks (i.e., operator pipelines) to be seen as an instance of the multi-dimensional bin-design problem. Using a novel quantification of coarse grain parallelism, we present a list scheduling heuristic algorithm that is provably near-optimal in the class of coarse grain parallel executions (with a worst-case performance ratio that depends on the number of resources per node and the granularity parameter). We then extend this algorithm to handle the operator precedence constraints in a bushy query plan by splitting the execution of the plan into synchronized phases. Preliminary performance results confirm the effectiveness of our scheduling algorithm compared both to previous approaches and the optimal solution. Finally, we present a technique that allows us to relax the coarse granularity restriction and obtain a list scheduling method that is provably near-optimal in the space of all possible parallel schedules.
MicroRNA target detection and analysis for genes related to breast cancer using MDLcompress

We describe initial results of miRNA sequence analysis with the optimal symbol compression ratio (OSCR) algorithm and recast this grammar inference algorithm as an improved minimum description length (MDL) learning tool: MDLcompress. We apply this tool to explore the relationship between miRNAs, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and breast cancer. Our new algorithm outperforms other grammar-based coding methods, such as DNA Sequitur, while retaining a two-part code that highlights biologically significant phrases. The deep recursion of MDLcompress, together with its explicit two-part coding, enables it to identify biologically meaningful sequence without needlessly restrictive priors. The ability to quantify cost in bits for phrases in the MDL model allows prediction of regions where SNPs may have the most impact on biological activity. MDLcompress improves on our previous algorithm in execution time through an innovative data structure, and in specificity of motif detection (compression) through improved heuristics. An MDLcompress analysis of 144 over expressed genes from the breast cancer cell line BT474 has identified novel motifs, including potential microRNA (miRNA) binding sites that are candidates for experimental validation.
Consumer Attitude Toward Outsourcing of Technical Support Services: An Exploratory Study

This study examines the attitude of U.S. consumers toward outsourcing of technical support services. The sample consists of 188 individuals from diverse backgrounds and from different geographic regions in the U.S. who were recruited by 16 “facilitators” who formed 16 groups of 10 to 12 persons in each group. The participants, who were prescreened for familiarity with outsourcing, were presented with six different scenarios on outsourcing and a single-item Likert scaled questionnaire with a question on each scenario and were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement with the questions. A 90 minute discussion was had after the questionnaire was completed. The results, amongst other things, indicate that consumers recognize the difference between the different forms of outsourcing, approve manufacturing offshore-outsourcing of some manufacturing activities, but disapprove of offshore-outsourcing of services, as well as outsourcing of government services. These results suggest that service managers n...
Fixed-word-length arrays in variable-word-length computers

Scientific users of small-scale variable-word-length computers, such as the IBM 1401, may frequently have the occasion to use fixed-word-length arrays. For instance, it is common practice to store matrices row-wise in linear arrays. A linear array whose elements are addresses is a common storage allocation scheme for handling pushdown lists.
Fit of the dielectric anomaly of squid axon membrane near heat-block temperature to the ferroelectric Curie-Weiss law.

Abstract In a 1969 experiment, Palti and Adelman reported that the capacitance of squid axon membrane rises sharply with temperature between 40 and 50°C. This phenomenon is here explained by the ferroelectric-superionic transition hypothesis, which also explains channel gating and other phenomena observed in excitable membranes. According to this hypothesis gating in the Na channel is due to a first-order phase transition from a ferroelectric (closed) state to a superionic (open) state. From it, the dielectric permittivity of the Na channel, and hence the temperature-dependent component of membrane capacitance, is predicted to obey the ferroelectric Curie-Weiss law near the transition (heat-block) temperature. The Palti-Adelman data are fitted accurately by the predicted relationship. The parameters obtained permit an estimate to be made of the Curie constant of the channel, ∼ 6400 K, consistent with an order-disorder ferroelectric. The Na channel appears to be a ferroelectric polymer component of a lyotropic lamellar liquid crystal.
Furazolidone and Quinacrine Comparative Study of Therapy for Giardiasis in Children

• Furazolidone and quinacrine hydrochloride were compared for efficacy, toxicity, and ease of administration in 45 young children with giardiasis. With the initial course of therapy, the cure rate was 89% (17/19) with furazolidone and with quinacrine it was 64% (9/14) in children less than 5 years and 92% (11/12) in older children. Cure rates for all courses of therapy were 92% (24/26) with furazolidone and 53% (9/17) and 92% (12/13) in the younger and older children, respectively, treated with quinacrine. Quinacrine failure was usually due to severe vomiting. When re-treated with furazolidone, patients were cured. The disadvantages of furazolidone are the large volume of doses and the expense. In this study, furazolidone was more effective and better tolerated than quinacrine for the treatment of giardiasis. (Am J Dis Child1981;135:164-166)
Gastroduodenal Motility in Mechanically Ventilated Critically III Patients: A Manometric Study A DIVE, M MOULART, P JONARD, ET AL Crit Care Med 22:441-447, 1994

This study determines characteristics of gastroduodenal motility in mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients. A multilumen perfused catheter pressure monitoring technique was used. Twelve patients and 12 volunteers were compared. All subjects fasted, and patients were mechanically ventilated receiving various medications. Characteristics evaluated include occurrence of activity fronts progressing along the antroduodenum, duration of migrating motor complex, relative contribution of three phases of motor activity to cycle length, propagation characteristics of the activity front, and total number of contractions. The measurements revealed 1.5 antral activity fronts in control and 0 in ventilated patients. Phase 3 activity was comparable in controls and patients in the duodenum. Occurrence of activity fronts demonstrated greater regularity in control. The conclusions are that motility is severely impaired in this group of mechanically ventilated patients. Activity fronts failed to originate in the s...
Optically detected zero-field triplet state magnetic resonance in photosynthetic bacteria

Abstract Triplet state transitions of the photosynthetic bacteria Rhodospirillum Rubrum, Rhodopseudomonas Spheroides and Chromatium Vinosum in chemically reduced preparations have been observed by zero-field optical detection of magnetic resonance at 2 K. For each bacterial preparation two sharp, structureless, zero-field EPR transitions were observed as microwave-induced decreases in the fluorescence intensity of the frozen cellular preparations. The depopulating rate constants for the spin sublevels of the triplet states observed in R Rubrum and R Spheroides were also measured. The similarities of the triplet state frequencies, spectral features and intersystem crossing rates suggest a common structure for the reaction centers in the photosynthetic bacteria.
The Secret Life of Methods.

In this article the status of methods in language teaching is considered from three perspectives. First, methods are discussed according to whether they are based primarily on a theory of language (and subsequent views concerning the nature of a language syllabus) or whether they are based on a theory of the nature of language learning processes. The differences between language-centered and learning-centered methods are discussed with reference to recent trends in language program and syllabus design and innovative methods proposals. Second, the reasons for the adoption and influence of methods are discussed. These are often largely independent of the content or philosophy of particular methods but rather depend on the form that a method takes and the support and promotion that it receives. Last, methods are discussed in terms of the broader concerns of curriculum development. From this perspective, it can be seen that a more informed approach to methods issues is needed. Most of the currently fashionable methods have not been properly evaluated, and insufficient data have been gathered to enable their claims to be assessed. Objectives and criterion measures are often not specified, nor is data available on how they are actually used. The need for a focus on broader issues in curriculum development is stressed. The history of language teaching is the history of ideas about what language is and how languages are learned. The application to language teaching of theories concerning the nature of language and language learning has led to a succession of different instructional methods. While differences between methods often reflect opposing views of the nature of language and of language learning processes, the reasons for the rise and fall of methods are often independent of either the theories behind those methods or their effectiveness in practice. To understand the role of language theory, instructional theory, and implementational factors in methods is to know their "secret life" and at the same time to discover the limitations of the "methods syndrome" in curriculum development.
Microvascular anastomoses performed in rats using a microsurgical telemanipulator

Objective: To determine the feasibility of performing microsurgical procedures with a remote telemanipulator using a rat femoral artery anastomosis model.Materials and Methods: A remote telemanipulator System was developed that enabled precision movements to be performed at up to 30 x magnification. Ten 1-mm femoral artery anastomoses were performed in rats using the telemanipulator, and results were compared to those from a control group in which the procedure was performed with conventional microsurgical techniques. Study endpoints included anastomosis completion time, short-term patency, and procedural complications. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test.Results: All anastomoses performed by remote telemanipulation and by conventional micro-surgery were completed successfully. Anastomosis completion times were 100.0 ± 18.6 minutes in the telemanipulator group and 38.8 ± 5.0 minutes using conventional techniques (p < 0.001). Patency in both groups at 5 minutes and at on e hour was 10...
Transient sum-frequency generation in resonant three-level media

Resonantly enhanced sum-frequency generation of pulsed laser radiation is treated theoretically for the case of a three-level system. The density-matrix equations of motion are solved using second-order, time-dependent perturbation theory with the inclusion of transient effects. The energy and spectrum of the generated radiation are calculated as functions of laser detunings, laser pulse lengths, and temporal overlap of the laser pulses. The tuning characteristics and output pulse characteristics are found to differ qualitatively depending on whether or not the excitation pulses satisfy the adiabatic following criteria generalized for the case of a three-level atom.
SALT BRIDGES AND NEGATIVE VARIATIONS

A negative variation in Nitella is unable to pass a spot killed by chloroform but can set up a negative variation beyond this spot when a salt bridge is put around it. It can likewise set up a negative variation in a cell of another plant if connected to it by two salt bridges.
Structural Shielding Design for Medical X-Ray Imaging Facilities (2004) Report No. 147

This article reviews Structural Shielding Design for Medical X-Ray Imaging Facilities (2004) Report No. 147 ISBN 0-929600-83-5 Price: $100.00. NCRP Report No. 147 can be purchased in soft and hardcopy formats online at http://NCRPpublications.org. A 20 percent discount is available to AAPM members for all online purchases by entering the code aapm49147 at checkout.
Combat-related facial burns: analysis of strategic pitfalls.

PURPOSE: Burns constitute approximately 10% of all combat-related injuries to the head and neck region. We postulated that the combat environment presents unique challenges not commonly encountered among civilian injuries. The purpose of the present study was to determine the features commonly seen among combat facial burns that will result in therapeutic challenges and might contribute to undesired outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was a retrospective study performed using a query of the Burn Registry at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center for all active duty facial burn admissions from October 2001 to February 2011. The demographic data, total body surface area of the burn, facial region body surface area involvement, and dates of injury, first operation, and first facial operation were tabulated and compared. A subset analysis of severe facial burns, defined by a greater than 7% facial region body surface area, was performed with a thorough medical record review to determine the presence of associated injuries. RESULTS: Of all the military burn injuries, 67.1% (n = 558) involved the face. Of these, 81.3% (n = 454) were combat related. The combat facial burns had a mean total body surface area of 21.4% and a mean facial region body surface area of 3.2%. The interval from the date of the injury to the first operative encounter was 6.6 ± 0.8 days and was 19.8 ± 2.0 days to the first facial operation. A subset analysis of the severe facial burns revealed that the first facial operation and the definitive coverage operation was performed at 13.45 ± 2.6 days and 31.9 ± 4.1 days after the injury, respectively. The mortality rate for this subset of patients was 32% (n = 10), with a high rate of associated inhalational injuries (61%, n = 19), limb amputations (29%, n = 9), and facial allograft usage (48%, n = 15) and a mean facial autograft thickness of 10.5/1,000th in. CONCLUSIONS: Combat-related facial burns present multiple challenges, which can contribute to suboptimal long-term outcomes. These challenges include prolonged transport to the burn center, delayed initial intervention and definitive coverage, and a lack of available high-quality color-matched donor skin. These gaps all highlight the need for novel anti-inflammatory and skin replacement strategies to more adequately address these unique combat-related obstacles. Language: en
Striving to be green: The adoption of total quality environmental management

Many firms are undertaking environment-friendly organizational change by applying the philosophy of total quality management with its emphasis on reducing waste and increasing efficiency. Their objective is to improve their management of pollution and increase customer satisfaction. This article investigates the factors that lead to total quality environmental management (TQEM) by large firms. We find that internal considerations stemming from a firm's technical capability, size (absolute and relative to competing firms), extent of operations and volume of past emissions are strongly associated with the TQEM adoption decision. The first four factors are proxies for the firm's costs and capabilities of adopting TQEM while the fifth factor is related to the benefits from increasing efficiency and waste reduction, and thus proxies for internally generated demand for TQEM. The desire to improve a firm's image with customers, earning good-will with regulators and the anticipation of future regulations do not a...
Development of a Magnetic Targeting Device Applied to Interlocking of Distal Intramedullary Nail Screw Holes

A magnetic targeting device was developed to assist orthopedic surgeon’s with distal interlocking of intramedullary nails, in which the novel device aligns the surgeon’s drill at the correct location for drilling. This device has significant advantages over current technology, being percutaneous, portable, and using no fluoroscopy for targeting. This device can allow shorter surgery, decreased radiation exposure, and fewer complications for the surgeon and patient.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Imaging Characteristics of 2,8-Dihydroxyadenine Stones: Review of a Rare Disorder

Adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRT) deficiency is a rare genetic condition that often presents with recurrent dihydroxyadenine (DHA) urolithiasis. To our knowledge, no CT imaging of DHA stones has been previously reported in English medical literature. We report a case of an 86-year-old woman with a large DHA stone in her upper left ureter. On CT imaging the stone was low density and had an unusual linear central lucency. We also review the literature for this rare disorder. World J Nephrol Urol. 2014;3(4):154-156 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/wjnu160w
The effects of boron on the high temperature ductility of iron and steel

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of B on the sulfur-induced embrittlement of iron and steel at elevated temperatures. High purity iron is used in all the alloys so as to minimize the effects of impurities other than those being studied.
Unique and joint effects of sexual and racial harassment on college students' well-being.

This study examined the sexual harassment (SH) and racial harassment (RH) experiences of Asian, Black, multiracial, and White male and female college students (N = 2,009). Research questions were (a) Do sex and race influence the frequency of SH and RH; (b) Do SH and RH have unique, additive, and/or interactive effects on psychological outcomes; and (c) Do sex and race moderate the relationship between SH/RH and psychological well-being? Analyses indicated that SH/RH frequency varied as a result of one's combined sex–race identity, SH/RH had individual, additive, and interactive effects on psychological well-being, and both sex and race moderate the relationships between harassment and well-being. Further, three-way interactions of sex, race, and harassment type were found for the prediction of well-being indicators.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction for people living with HIV/AIDS: preliminary review of intervention trial methodologies and findings

In the context of successful antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the management of HIV infection, the harmful effects of stress remain a significant threat. Stress may increase viral replication, suppress immune response, and impede adherence to ART. Stressful living conditions of poverty, facing a chronic life-threatening illness and stigma all exacerbate chronic stress in HIV-affected populations. Stress-reduction interventions are urgently needed for the comprehensive care of people living with HIV. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is one approach that has shown promise as an intervention for patients facing other medical conditions for reducing disease progression, psychological distress and maladaptive behaviours. In this systematic review, we identified 11 studies that have examined MBSR as an intervention for HIV-positive populations. Of the studies, six were randomised designs, one was a quasi-experimental design, and the remaining four were pre- and post-test designs. The preliminary outcomes support MBSR to decrease emotional distress with mixed evidence for impact on disease progression. Effect sizes were generally small to moderate in magnitude. The early findings from this emerging literature must be considered preliminary and support moving forward with more rigorous controlled trials, evaluated with objective assessments in longer-term follow-ups to determine the efficacy of MBSR for people living with HIV.
Low-dose oral glyburide reduces glucose production rates in patients with impaired fasting glucose.

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is commonly seen in the US population. Approximately 20% of patients with IFG can progress to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2) within 1 year. In the recent diabetes prevention study, lifestyle changes reduced the progression to only 8% per year, and metformin reduced the progression from IFG to DM-2 from 20% to 11% per year. Sulfonylurea therapy in DM-2 increases beta-cell function and fails to accelerate the 4% loss in function observed per year. Low-dose sulfonylurea therapy for IFG may be an effective treatment to delay the onset of type 2 diabetes if the treatment does not cause hypoglycemia. A very low dose of glyburide (20 microg/kg body weight) was given orally to 15 nondiabetic volunteers in an attempt to describe its effects on glucose production rates (GPR), blood glucose concentrations, and conterregulatory hormone profile. Six of the volunteers had IFG (mean +/- SEM, 115 +/- 1.8 mg/dL), and 9 had a normal fasting glucose (NFG) (94 +/- 2.3 mg/dL). Fasting blood glucose (FBG) decreased more in IFG after glyburide when compared with the NFG group (29% +/- 2.4% v 17% +/- 3.5%, P <.05). Patients with IFG had a larger insulin response to glyburide than those with NFG (17.7 +/-3 v 10.7 +/- 2.9 microU/mL; P <.05). The IFG patients also had a greater decrease in GPR (19% +/- 4%) than seen with the normals (12% +/- 3%, P <.05). The steeper decrease in GPR may have been due to a greater insulin response to oral glyburide in those with IFG. Low-dose glyburide increases insulin's effect on the liver.
Predictors of organizational commitment among occupational therapists.

Organizational commitment may have an important influence on work related outcomes (attrition, absenteeism, burnout, tardiness, and job performance) particularly during times of health care organizational turmoil and change. This study used a correlational research design with multiple regression analysis to determine the predictive power of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards as determinants of organizational commitment among occupational therapists (OTRs) working full-time in ambulatory care and hospital settings. Task involvement was a significant predictor of OTRs' commitment in both ambulatory care and hospital settings. General working conditions and task autonomy were significant determinants of commitment among OTRs working in ambulatory care settings. Salary and supervision were significant predictors of commitment among hospital OTRs. Given the demand for OTRs in ambulatory care and hospital settings, a better understanding of significant determinants that influence organizational commitment among O...
Millimeter Wavelength Frequency Multipliers

Mechanically tuneable millimeter wavelength frequency doublers typically exhibiting 10-percent conversion efficiency at any output frequency in the range 100-260 GHz have been fabricated. Output power varies from 10 mW at 100 GHz to 6 mW at 260 GHz, with a fixed tuned instantaneous 1-dB bandwidth typically 5 percent of the center frequency. A frequency tripler to 215-GHz output frequency is also described. For this device, a mechanically tuneable 3-dB bandwidth of 210 to 240 GHz was obtained, with a peak conversion efficiency of 6 percent at 4.8-mW output power.
Up-regulation of the Cell Integrity Pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Suppresses Temperature Sensitivity of the pgs1Δ Mutant

We have previously shown that mutants in the cardiolipin (CL) pathway exhibit temperature-sensitive growth defects that are not associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. The pgs1Delta mutant, lacking the first enzyme of the CL pathway, phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase (Pgs1p), has a defective cell wall due to decreased beta-1,3-glucan (Zhong, Q., Gvozdenovic-Jeremic, J., Webster, P., Zhou, J., and Greenberg, M. L. (2005) Mol. Biol. Cell 16, 665-675). Disruption of KRE5, a gene involved in cell wall biogenesis, restores beta-1,3-glucan synthesis and suppresses pgs1Delta temperature sensitivity. To gain insight into the mechanisms underlying the cell wall defect in pgs1Delta, we show in the current report that pgs1Delta cells have reduced glucan synthase activity and diminished levels of Fks1p, the glucan synthase catalytic subunit. In addition, activation of Slt2p, the downstream effector of the protein kinase C (PKC)-activated cell integrity pathway, was defective in pgs1Delta. The kre5W1166X suppressor restored Slt2p activation and dramatically increased (>10-fold) mRNA levels of FKS2, the alternate catalytic subunit of glucan synthase, partially restoring glucan synthase activity. Consistent with these results, up-regulation of PKC-Slt2 signaling and overexpression of FKS1 or FKS2 alleviated sensitivity of pgs1Delta to cell wall-perturbing agents and restored growth at elevated temperature. These findings demonstrate that functional Pgs1p is essential for cell wall biogenesis and activation of the PKC-Slt2 signaling pathway.
Protecting Childhood: Rights, Social Goals and the First Amendment in the Context of the Child Online Protection Act

On January 21, 2009, the Supreme Court of the United States dismissed the government's appeal in Mukasey v. ACLU, ending the Child Online Protection Act's decade-long journey through the legal system. Through the prism of collectivist and individualist political philosophies, this article examines how three levels of federal courts articulated the conflict between individuals' rights to speak and to access pornography and society's need to protect children from harmful material. First, it briefly examines legal philosophy literature to set the stage. It then focuses on how judges expressed the conflict between the individual and society. It concludes that the courts should have treated both the right to speech and the need to protect children as benefits to society, which would have allowed a logically coherent discussion on social values.
Effects of neuropeptide Y and corticotropin-releasing factor on ethanol intake in Wistar rats: interaction with chronic ethanol exposure

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) have opposing effects on stress-associated and consummatory behaviors in rodents. Recent studies also suggest that both peptides influence ethanol intake. In the present study, the effects of administration of CRF and NPY into the lateral ventricle on ethanol intake in naive and ethanol-vapor-exposed Wistar rats were examined. A limited access paradigm was used to measure intake of a 10% (v/v) ethanol solution in Wistar rats trained to drink using a sucrose fading procedure. Ethanol vapor exposure for 8 weeks significantly elevated ethanol intake in this limited access paradigm relative to pre-exposure levels. The effects of icv administration of CRF (1 microg), NPY (10 microg) or NPY/CRF combined (10 and 1 microg, respectively) on ethanol intake were then assessed. In non-vapor-exposed subjects, icv infusion of NPY had no effect on ethanol intake, while a significant suppression of drinking was seen following icv administration of CRF. Administration of NPY in combination with CRF had no effect on ethanol intake in non-ethanol-vapor-exposed rats. In vapor-exposed subjects, both NPY and CRF reduced ethanol intake, but when given in combination, no difference from vehicle was detected. Locomotor activity was measured during drinking sessions and was unaffected by peptide administration. These studies underscore the importance of a history of exposure to chronic ethanol vapor in the regulation of ethanol intake by NPY. Furthermore, the results presented here suggest that a balance between the stress-related peptides NPY and CRF may be involved in the regulation of ethanol intake.
Phenotypic Modulation of the Virulent Bvg Phase Is Not Required for Pathogenesis and Transmission of Bordetella bronchiseptica in Swine

The majority of virulence gene expression in Bordetella is regulated by a two-component sensory transduction system encoded by the bvg locus. In response to environmental cues, the BvgAS regulatory system controls expression of a spectrum of phenotypic phases, transitioning between a virulent (Bvg+) phase and a nonvirulent (Bvg−) phase, a process referred to as phenotypic modulation. We hypothesized that the ability of Bordetella bronchiseptica to undergo phenotypic modulation is required at one or more points during the infectious cycle in swine. To investigate the Bvg phase-dependent contribution to pathogenesis of B. bronchiseptica in swine, we constructed a series of isogenic mutants in a virulent B. bronchiseptica swine isolate and compared each mutant to the wild-type isolate for its ability to colonize and cause disease. We additionally tested whether a BvgAS system capable of modulation is required for direct or indirect transmission. The Bvg− phase-locked mutant was never recovered from any respiratory tract site at any time point examined. An intermediate phase-locked mutant (Bvgi) was found in numbers lower than the wild type at all respiratory tract sites and time points examined and caused limited to no disease. In contrast, colonization of the respiratory tract and disease caused by the Bvg+ phase-locked mutant and the wild-type strain were indistinguishable. The Bvg+ phase-locked mutant transmitted to naive pigs by both direct and indirect contact with efficiency equal to that of the wild-type isolate. These results indicate that while full activation of the BvgAS regulatory system is required for colonization and severe disease, it is not deleterious to direct and indirect transmission. Overall, our results demonstrate that the Bvg+ phase is sufficient for respiratory infection and host-to-host transmission of B. bronchiseptica in swine.
Food and Fluid Intake

The ingestive behaviors of eating and drinking play primary roles in the maintenance of fluid homeostasis and energy balance. Eating and drinking occur intermittently, they both renew and anticipate depletions, and their controls are complex and redundant. The physiological controls of food intake can be divided into systems that mediate: (1) signals related to metabolic state, especially the degree of adiposity stores, (2) affective signals related to taste and nutritional consequences that serve to reinforce aspects of ingestive behavior, and (3) signals that arise within an individual meal that produce satiety. Interactions among these systems permit the appropriate patterning of feeding that lead to the overall regulation of energy balance. The controls of fluid balance depend on interactions among three relatively well characterized systems related to: (1) neural and hormonal signals arising from the detection of plasma osmolality and extracellular fluid volume, which influence the initiation of bouts of fluid ingestion; (2) neural and hormonal signals related to myriad factors that lead to satiety and thus terminate bouts of drinking; and (3) brain sites that receive and integrate these signals and which elicit appropriate physiological and behavioral responses. Keywords: adiposity; cicumventricular organs; dehydration; fluid balance; hypothalamus; palatability; satiety
Application of very fast simulated annealing to the determination of the crustal structure beneath Tibet

SUMMARY The simulated annealing method has recently been applied to several multiparameter optimization problems, including those of geophysical inversion. A new variant of simulated annealing, called very fast simulated annealing (VFSA), overcomes some of the drawbacks of a conventional simulated annealing; it has been found to be a practical tool for geophysical inversion (Sen & Stoffa 1995). The method is particularly useful for non-linear problems with multiple parameters where a grid-search method is prohibitively expensive. Here, we have applied VFSA to retrieve the crustal structure beneath seismic stations in Tibet using teleseismic body-waveform data. Our approach is to compare the radial-component records with generalized ray synthetics directly in the time domain. For any given crustal structure, we have formulated a direct relationship between the radial- and the vertical-component signal, so that we can generate synthetic radial-component data from recorded vertical-component seismograms (Zhao & Frohlich 1996). We have tested the VFSA inversion algorithm using synthetics and confirmed that it works very well, i.e. it finds solutions very close to the true solution. Using the algorithm, we have determined the crustal structures beneath 11 stations in Tibet. From south to north, the total crustal thickness is quite uniform. Our tectonic interpretation of these crustal models is that they may represent crust from the Eurasian plate injected beneath the crust of the converging Indian plate. Certain features of the models are consistent with the presence of a small convection cell or plume beneath north-central Tibet, as suggested by Molnar (1990).
Visualizing power system operations in an open market

All players in the US electricity industry must understand how specific generation decisions, wheeling arrangements, and legislative initiatives affect system operations. This article features PowerWorld, a comprehensive power system simulation package developed to help meet this need. The package is designed for the many new players in the power industry who will never operate an actual system but who must have a basic understanding of its operations. The package, which runs in the Microsoft Windows environment, is user friendly, interactive, and menu driven. It effectively uses visualization techniques to present the basics of power system operations and control simply, yet also with a level of detail to accurately model large-scale systems realistically and with the appropriate level of fidelity. The package has been demonstrated to policy makers, legislative analysts, small and large utilities, and regulatory decision makers both nationally and internationally. It has been found to be a very effective tool for communicating the many technical and economic impacts of third-party access.
Production test enhancement techniques for MB-OFDM ultra-wide band (UWB) devices: EVM and CCDF

In the recent days, ultra-wide band (UWB) has drawn significant attention as an emerging wireless standard. While the multiband (MB) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) PHY standards (IEEE 802.15.3a) are still being formulated, the first set of UWB devices is set to hit the consumer market by the end of 2005. For MB-OFDM UWB devices to be successful in the marketplace it is necessary for their manufacturing and test costs to be very low. To reduce the cost of production test, we propose 'alternate' tests for complex UWB transmitter specifications viz. EVM and complementary CDF (CCDF). The non-idealities present in UWB transmitters are a result of nonlinearities in DACs and ADCs, as well as the phase noise of the local oscillator (LO) used in the front-end of the transmitter. In this paper, production cost is minimized by reducing test time as well as using low-cost test equipment for performing the tests. The production tests generated for EVM and CCDF are easy to apply in a production test environment using a low-cost ATE and provides up to 10times savings in test time and 3times savings in test cost
Holographic matched filter for full-field in-line signal processing of optical-fiber sensor outputs

A holographic matched filter is used to measure the changes in the output of a dual-mode fiber undergoing axial strain. The hologram is formed by interfering collimated light from a single-mode reference fiber and an unstrained dual-mode sensor fiber on a small piece of holographic material. When the hologram is illuminated by the strained sensor fiber, the cross-correlation field comparing the dual-mode output and its previous state, as recorded in the hologram, is collected, focused into a pick-up fiber, and sent to a photodiode. This arrangement allows for a compact, in-line method for full-field processing of the strain-induced changes in phase and amplitude in the sensor fiber. Other uses of such fiber-based correlators are suggested. >
Welcome to the special session on plasma medicine

The first session on the biomedical application of low temperature plasma was held at ICOPS 1998. Only three oral papers were presented at that session. Here we are twelve years later, with more than 100 submissions in this still emerging field. This is a clear testament on how fast this fascinating multidisciplinary field is growing. Today, research has expanded to cover medical applications in order to meet challenges still posed by hard to cure health conditions. These include chronic wounds, cancer, neurodegenrative diseases, etc… It is the honor of the conference organizers to welcome you, the leading researchers in this field, to this inaugural special session. We are confident that the conference attendees will greatly enjoy your presentations and will discover the cutting edge research that you are conducting in your laboratries. Thank you for coming and sharing with us your excellent work.
Order Selection of AR Models of Hydrologic Time Series

Recently several criteria have been proposed for selection of orders of AR models. One of these, namely the AIC has been used in hydrologic analysis. However, the results given by these criteria when observed hydrologic data are analyzed by using them have not been studied to determine the variability in the results obtained by these criteria. Some of the more widely discussed of these criteria have been analyzed in this paper by using both hydrologic and nonhydrologic time series. The orders of AR models given by Akaike's information criterion, the final prediction error criterion, the criterion autoregression transfer function, Schwarz's criterion and the posterior probability criterion have been analyzed, and the results are discussed. Although the results obtained by these criteria are often similar, the posterior probability criterion has been recommended for use because it is possible to estimate the probability of the order being correct by using it.
Arkansas' Earthquake Laboratory

During the first 9 months of 1982, more than 17,000 earthquakes have occurred within a very confined shallow crustal region of north central Arkansas. This is the largest earthquake swarm ever recorded in the central or eastern United States. Lifelong residents recall no previous activity, nor are there any instrumental records of earlier shocks. Although located in an area of considerable geological complexity, no prominent geological structure or geophysical anomalies can be associated with the swarm area. Why, then, is this earthquake swarm occurring, and why is it occurring in this particular location? If these questions ultimately can be answered, the results will have significant implications for attempts to quantify seismic hazards and identify potential seismic risk zones in the central and eastern U.S.