cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bureaucratic politics and the labor market

Anecdotes about government agencies suggest that the typical civil servant is lazy and incompetent, a clever schemer for his own aggrandizement, or an officious martinet. Occasionally one even hears stories of efficient, honest professionalism to offset the reports of corruption, pettiness, and stupidity. The diversity in the popular impressions of bureaucracy may reflect diverse characteristics of different bureaucrats and agencies. 1 After all, this is a complex world full of complex people, so it would not be surprising to find differences among government agencies in competence and commitment to the legislated task. But unless we can find some way to organize that diversity conceptually, we are left with little basis for predicting the behavior of bureaucrats. Gordon Tullock attempted to shortcut the problem in his pathbreaking study, The Politics of Bureaucracy. 2 He restricted his analysis to a particular group; i.e., the able, ambitious, and amoral 'climbers' (to use Downs' term) who rise to the top ranks of any large organization. Tull0ck's technique of looking at the choices open to the individual and explicit decision to stress the role of those who are able and determined to rise within the organization permit him to develop a very general model that is applicable to practically every form of government, to all levels of officials, and every era of history. Such generality has its costs, of course; the limitation examined here is the restriction of Tullock's model to the eager schemers who surround every head of state, and to those who are able and aspire to join or succeed them. If hierarchical control were perfect, it would be enough to concentrate on the decisions of the leaders; but it is one of the implications of Tullock's own model that the leaders cannot fully control the behavior of their subordinates. Certainly one can assert that control is far from perfect in the U.S. federal government. This implies that government activity will be influenced by the behavior of lower level bureaucrats who may be indolent, unambitious - or even moral! Clearly, a richer model is necessary to accommodate a variety of possible personal goals and different degrees of competence in pursuing them.
On the convex approximation property and the asymptotic behavior of nonlinear contractions in Banach spaces

We prove that ifC is a bounded closed convex subset of a uniformly convex Banach space,T:C→C is a nonlinear contraction, andS n =(I+T+…+T n−1 )/n, then lim n ‖S n (x)−TS n (x)‖=0 uniformly inx inC. T also satisfies an inequality analogous to Zarantonello’s Hilbert space inequality. which permits the study of the structure of the weak ω-limit set of an orbit. These results are valid forB-convex spaces if some additional condition is imposed on the mapping.
Rapid phylogenetic and functional classification of short genomic fragments with signature peptides

Classification is difficult for shotgun metagenomics data from environments such as soils, where the diversity of sequences is high and where reference sequences from close relatives may not exist. Approaches based on sequence-similarity scores must deal with the confounding effects that inheritance and functional pressures exert on the relation between scores and phylogenetic distance, while approaches based on sequence alignment and tree-building are typically limited to a small fraction of gene families. We describe an approach based on finding one or more exact matches between a read and a precomputed set of peptide 10-mers. At even the largest phylogenetic distances, thousands of 10-mer peptide exact matches can be found between pairs of bacterial genomes. Genes that share one or more peptide 10-mers typically have high reciprocal BLAST scores. Among a set of 403 representative bacterial genomes, some 20 million 10-mer peptides were found to be shared. We assign each of these peptides as a signature of a particular node in a phylogenetic reference tree based on the RNA polymerase genes. We classify the phylogeny of a genomic fragment (e.g., read) at the most specific node on the reference tree that is consistent with the phylogeny of observed signature peptides it contains. Using both synthetic data from four newly-sequenced soil-bacterium genomes and ten real soil metagenomics data sets, we demonstrate a sensitivity and specificity comparable to that of the MEGAN metagenomics analysis package using BLASTX against the NR database. Phylogenetic and functional similarity metrics applied to real metagenomics data indicates a signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 400 for distinguishing among environments. Our method assigns ~6.6 Gbp/hr on a single CPU, compared with 25 kbp/hr for methods based on BLASTX against the NR database. Classification by exact matching against a precomputed list of signature peptides provides comparable results to existing techniques for reads longer than about 300 bp and does not degrade severely with shorter reads. Orders of magnitude faster than existing methods, the approach is suitable now for inclusion in analysis pipelines and appears to be extensible in several different directions.
A Hierarchical Approach to Formal Semantics With Application to the Definition of PL/ CS

We describe a means of presenting hierarchically organized formal definitions of programming languages using the denotational approach of D. Scott and C. Strachey. As an example of our approach, we give the semantics of PL/CS, an instructional variant of PL/I. We also discuss the implications of this approach to language design, pointing out some cases where the wrong choices may cause the hierarchy to collapse into chaotic rubble.
Microbial adhesion to zirconium alloys

We present data and analyses concerning the adhesion of clinically relevant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (bacteria) and Candida albicans (yeast) to Zircaloy-2 (Zry-2) and Zircadyne-705 (Zr705) surfaces. These zirconium-based materials are similar to those now being used in total hip and knee replacements. Here we study clinical strains of microbes under shaken and stationary exposure conditions, and their ability to adhere to Zr surfaces having different oxide thicknesses. We use X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), viable counts, endotoxin assays, and statistical analysis methods, and demonstrate a predictive model for microbial adhesion based on XPS data.
A study of sampled-data control systems

AN ANALYSIS OF sampled-data servomechanisms which is useful in system design is described in this article. A sampled-data system has a sampling device at some point in the transmission. A sampling device has an output which is related only to input samples which are taken at instants equally spaced in time. If θ i (t) be the input signal to the device, then the output is related in a linear fashion to θ i (nT), where n is any integer and the constant T is the length of time between samples. When the sampling device is put in the feed-forward section of a servomechanism, special stability problems arise which are not present in the conventional servomechanism with continuously supplied error data.
Inhaled nitric oxide therapy in premature newborns.

Purpose of review Inhaled nitric oxide therapy reduces the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in near-term and term newborns with hypoxemic respiratory failure and persistent pulmonary hypertension, and is now a standard of care for this population. There is also considerable interest, however, in the potential role of inhaled nitric oxide in premature newborns with hypoxemic respiratory failure. The purpose of this review is to summarize the results of clinical trials of inhaled nitric oxide in premature newborns, with particular emphasis on studies published in the last 12 months. Recent findings Several trials of inhaled nitric oxide in premature newborns with respiratory failure have been published in the last year. Interpretation of the findings is complicated by differences in the severity of illness of the study populations, the trial designs, and relevant outcome measures recorded. Summary Trials of inhaled nitric oxide in premature newborns have yielded conflicting results to date, and the role of inhaled nitric oxide therapy in this population remains controversial. The largest trials of inhaled nitric oxide therapy in premature newborns have completed enrollment but have yet to be published. The results of these ongoing trials will help clarify the potential risks and benefits of inhaled nitric oxide therapy in the premature newborn.
KRAS Mutation Correlates With Accelerated Metastatic Progression in Patients With Colorectal Liver Metastases

Observational studies of patients with primary colorectal cancer have identified KRAS mutation as a marker of poor prognosis. To examine more directly whether KRAS mutations are associated with accelerated metastatic progression, we evaluated KRAS mutation as well as Ki-67 expression in patients with colorectal liver metastases not treated with cetuximab. KRAS mutation status was assessed in a series of resected or sampled colorectal liver metastases. In a subset of these tumors, Ki-67 antigen expression was assessed by immunohistochemical stains. Median follow-up after liver resection or biopsy was 2.3 years. KRAS mutation in the liver metastasis was detected in 27% of the 188 patients. High Ki-67 expression in the liver metastasis was identified in 62% of 124 patients analyzed. Both markers were associated with multiple liver metastases and shorter time interval to their detection. KRAS mutation and high Ki-67 expression were independent predictors of poor survival after colon resection (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.1–3.4], HR 2.6 [95% CI, 1.4–4.8], respectively). Tumors with high Ki-67 expression were less likely to be selected for liver resection, and KRAS mutation was independently associated with poor survival after liver resection (HR 2.4 [95% CI, 1.4–4.0]). KRAS mutation is associated with more rapid and aggressive metastatic behavior of colorectal liver metastases. These data suggest an important role for KRAS activation in colorectal cancer progression and support continued efforts to develop KRAS pathway inhibitors for this disease.
Diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance arthrography of the shoulder in children.

Background No reported data demonstrate the usefulness of magnetic resonance arthrography of the shoulder in children.
Chest wall configuration assessed at total lung capacity during acute asthma and after recovery

During acute asthma reversible increase in lung compliance and total lung capacity (TLC) have been observed. The magnitude of the increase in TLC, however, was found to be relatively small when TLC was measured radiographically. We wondered if structural distortion of the respiratory bellows develops during acute asthma attacks, accounting for the limited increase in TLC. We analyzed the chest wall dimensions using chest roentgenograms obtained in 32 patients who had previously participated in the study of radiographic evaluation of TLC. We found that the dimensional changes accompanying the small increase in TLC during acute asthma were nonuniform, consisting of mainly an increase in lung height (0.45 ± 0.15 cm) with limited coordinated expansion of other dimensions and a small but significant distortional contraction of lung width at the lowest portion of the rib cage (−0.25 ± 0.12 cm). These findings were interpreted to mean that in response to the decrease in elastic lung recoil (internal load) occurring during acute asthma, the diaphragm makes limited but effective further caudad descent without provoking serious structural distortion and that rib cage muscles, working at mechanical disadvantage at high lung volume, act largely as fixators.
Multiple mechanisms for enhancement of glutathione S-transferase activities in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract Glutathione S-transferase activities toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene (DCNB) were measured from fat body homogenates of chemically-treated and untreated Spodoptera frugiperda larvae. In assays with untreated insects, four GST activities were separable on the basis of substrate preference and pH optima: two active in DCNB metabolism and two with activity toward CDNB. Both GST activities toward DCNB increased following injection of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) but were unaffected by pentamethylbenzene (PMB). Induction by 8-MOP was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by co-administration of PMB, suggesting that PMB acts as an antagonist of 8-MOP-mediated induction. In contrast, activities toward CDNB increased following PMB, but not 8-MOP injection, and co-administration of 8-MOP blocked PMB-mediated enhancement of one GST/CDNB activity, but had no effect on the other. These results confirm previous reports of multiple forms of GSTs in insects and suggest that expression of GST activities in this insect is controlled by multiple mechanisms.
Vestibular implantation and longitudinal electrical stimulation of the semicircular canal afferents in human subjects

Animal experiments and limited data in humans suggest that electrical stimulation of the vestibular end organs could be used to treat loss of vestibular function. In this paper we demonstrate that ...
Mixed-layer heat budget associated with ENSO, IOD, and PDO inferred from satellite ocean data assimilation

El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) are important modes of climate variability of the coupled ocean-atmospheric system on interannual and decadal time scales. The late 1990s features large events of ENSO, IOD, and phase switch of PDO. Satellite measurements of wind, sea level, and sea surface temperature have provided unprecedented capability to monitor such climate events. Mixed-layer heat budget associated with these events are studied using a satellite ocean data assimilation product. The assimilation is part of the ECCO Consortium effort (http://www.ecco-group.org) funded under the National Ocean Partnership Program and collaborated by JPL, SIO, and MIT. ECCO assimilation product is characterized by physical consistency in the evolution of the estimated state such that various physical budgets are closed. This presentation compares heat budget of ENSO, IOD, and phase switch of PDO, in particular, in terms of the relative contribution by air-sea interaction and oceanic processes in mixed-layer temperature (MLT) balance. Oceanic advection plays a similarly important role to the three climate events in assisting the evolution of MLT. The role of air-sea heat flux marks a stark contrast among these events. Damping of MLT by air-sea heat flux is found for ENSO and IOD in the tropics, providing a necessary condition for negative feedback in the coupled ocean-atmosphere system. However, the same is not found in mid-latitude Pacific during the PDO phase switch. For ENSO, oceanic advection and mixing in the eastern equatorial Pacific cause a much larger amount of heat anomaly than the storage by oceanic mixed layer. This results in very large heat loss that affects equatorial zonal wind and in turn influences MLT through oceanic processes. For IOD, the pile-up of heat anomaly in the western equatorial Indian Ocean by oceanic processes is comparable to mixed-layer storage, suggesting that air-sea coupling associated with IOD is not as active as that for ENSO.
Detection and Characterization of Human Ureaplasma Species and Serovars by Real-Time PCR

We designed primers and probes for the detection and discrimination of Ureaplasma parvum and U. urealyticum and their 14 serovars by real-time PCR. The analytical sensitivity and specificity of the multiplex species-specific PCR were determined by testing corresponding American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) type strains, 47 other microbial species, and human genomic DNA. The limits of the multiplex PCR were 2.8 x 10(-2) CFU/microl PCR mixture for detecting U. parvum and 4.1 x 10(-2) CFU/microl PCR mixture for detecting U. urealyticum. Clinical specificity and sensitivity were proven by comparison with culture and traditional PCR. For the detection of any Ureaplasma species, the clinical sensitivity and specificity of real-time PCR were 96.9% and 79.0%, respectively, using culture as a reference. Multiplex real-time PCR was also more sensitive than traditional PCR in discriminating the two Ureaplasma species in culture-positive subcultures. Each of the 14 monoplex serovar-specific PCR assays was specific for the corresponding ATCC type strain serovar. This new species identification PCR is specific and sensitive in the detection of Ureaplasma species in clinical specimens, and the serovar-specific PCR assays are the first set of complete genotypic assays to differentiate all 14 known Ureaplasma serovars. These assays provide quick and reliable means for investigating the epidemiology and pathogenicity of ureaplasmas at the serovar level.
Accurate in-line CD metrology for nanometer semiconductor manufacturing

The need for absolute accuracy is increasing as semiconductor-manufacturing technologies advance to sub-65nm nodes, since device sizes are reducing to sub-50nm but offsets ranging from 5nm to 20nm are often encountered. While TEM is well-recognized as the most accurate CD metrology, direct comparison between the TEM data and in-line CD data might be misleading sometimes due to different statistical sampling and interferences from sidewall roughness. In this work we explore the capability of CD-AFM as an accurate in-line CD reference metrology. Being a member of scanning profiling metrology, CD-AFM has the advantages of avoiding e-beam damage and minimum sample damage induced CD changes, in addition to the capability of more statistical sampling than typical cross section metrologies. While AFM has already gained its reputation on the accuracy of depth measurement, not much data was reported on the accuracy of CD-AFM for CD measurement. Our main focus here is to prove the accuracy of CD-AFM and show its measuring capability for semiconductor related materials and patterns. In addition to the typical precision check, we spent an intensive effort on examining the bias performance of this CD metrology, which is defined as the difference between CD-AFM data and the best-known CD value of the prepared samples. We first examine line edge roughness (LER) behavior for line patterns of various materials, including polysilicon, photoresist, and a porous low k material. Based on the LER characteristics of each patterning, a method is proposed to reduce its influence on CD measurement. Application of our method to a VLSI nanoCD standard is then performed, and agreement of less than 1nm bias is achieved between the CD-AFM data and the standard's value. With very careful sample preparations and TEM tool calibration, we also obtained excellent correlation between CD-AFM and TEM for poly-CDs ranging from 70nm to 400nm. CD measurements of poly ADI and low k trenches are also reported, and both show good correlation to in-line CD-SEM results.
Transition metal perchlorate complexes with pyrazine N-oxide

Complexes of the mono N-oxide of pyrazine (pyzNO) with 3d metal perchlorates were synthesized by allowing ligand and hydrated metal salt to interact in ethanoltriethyl orthoformate. The new complexes were characterized by means of spectral and magnetic studies. Possible structures discussed are as follows: [Cu(NC4H4NO)4(OH2)(OClO3)](ClO4), monomeric and hexacoordinated with N-bonding pyzNO ligands. [Zn(ONC4H4N)n(NC4H4NO)4−n(OH2)(OClO3)](ClO4) (n = integer < 4), also monomeric and hexacoordinated, but with both N- and O-bonding unidentate pyzNO ligands. Hexacoordinated complexes, apparently binuclear, involving both uni-(O-bonding) and bi-(O,N-bonding, bridging) dentate pyzNO groups: [(NC4H4NO)3(C2H5OH)Cr(NC4H4NO)2-Cr(C2H5OH)(ONC4H4N) 3](ClO4)6; [(NC4H4NO)2(H2O)(O3ClO)M(NC4H4NO)2M (OClO3)(OH2)-(ONC4H4N2](ClO4)2 (m = Fe, Co); and [(NC4H4NO)2(H2O)2Ni(NC4H4NO)2Ni(OH2)2(ONC4H4N)2]-(ClO4)4. Mn(pyzNO)4(ClO4)2 and Fe(pyzNO)3(ClO4)2 are probably bi- or poly-nuclear and of the following types: [(NC4H4NO)nM(NC4H4NO)2M(ONC4H4N)n](ClO4)4 (n = 3 for Mn; n = 2 for Fe) or [M(pyzNO)3,4]χ(ClO42χ, involving polynuclear complex cations with one (Fe) or two (Mn) terminal O-bonded pyzNO and two bridging, bidentate O,N-bonded pyzNO ligands per metal ion. Fe(III) perchlorate yields a 1:6 complex with pyzNO; no characterization of the bonding site of the ligand was possible from the available experimental evidence, but the above metal-to-ligand ratio is suggestive of the presence of O-bonded, unidentate ligands ([Fe(ONC4H4N)6](ClO4)3).
Endotracheal tube introducer for failed intubations: A variant of the gum elastic bougie*

There is no universally accepted nonsurgical adjunct for management of the difficult airway in the emergency department. The gum elastic bougie is widely accepted in the British anesthesia literature. One model of endotracheal tube introducer, the Flex-Guide ET Tube Introducer (GreenField Medical Sourcing, Inc, Northborough, MA), is a less expensive plastic version of the gum elastic bougie with the same properties, available in the United States. We present 3 cases of its use in obtaining airway control in difficult airways in the ED. The bougie facilitates intubation where the cords are not visualized or neck movement is contraindicated, allows verification of correct placement before placing the endotracheal tube, is simple to use, and inexpensive to obtain. Reports of 100% first-attempt intubation success in difficult airways are published in the anesthesia literature. We advocate use of this device in the emergency department as a nonsurgical adjunct for difficult airway management.
Drug dependence reversed by a ribosomal ambiguity mutation, ram, in Escherichia coli☆

Mutations in the strA ribosomal gene may produce strains dependent on the presence of drugs for growth. Three classes have been isolated from Escherichia coli B: (1) the majority are DrugD, equally dependent on streptomycin, paromomycin, or ethanol; (2) some are SmD EtD‡ (3) a few are strictly SmD, dependent on streptomycin exclusively. They also differ in their ability to yield spontaneous “revertants” to independence: resistant to low concentrations of streptomycin (20 μg/ml.) from (1); resistant to high concentration of streptomycin (500 μg/ml. at least) from (2) and no revertants from (3). It is found that mutations at a second ribosomal gene, ram, known to contrast the effects of strA mutations, may cancel the dependence phenotype. This is demonstrated in two ways: (a) by transducing a known ram allele, ram1, into a dependent recipient and (b) by isolating spontaneous revertants to independence and demonstrating that they contain a mutation at the ram locus. The ram1 recombinants and the revertants from each of the classes (1) and (2) display identical phenotypes: low and high resistance respectively. The introduction of ram1 allele into class (3) fails to yield drug-independent recombinants. It is suggested that ram mutations and addition of drug may equally overcome dependence for analogous reasons: introduction of a genetic or phenotypic agent inducing translational ambiguity.
Zinc-Containing Carboxylate-Bridged Heterodimetallic Complexes and Their Reactions with Phosphodiester Ligands

A series of zinc-containing heterodimetallic complexes were prepared by using the dinucleating ligand XDK [H2XDK = m-xylylenediamine bis(Kemp's triacid imide)]. Mononuclear [Zn(XDK)(H2O)] (1) reacts with 1 equiv of M(acac)2·2H2O (acac = 2,4-pentanedionate) to afford the heterodimetallic compounds [ZnIIMII(XDK)(acac)2(CH3OH)2]·H2O (2·H2O, M = Co, 65% isolated yield; 3·H2O, M = Mn, 54%; 4·H2O, M = Fe, 30%; 5·H2O, M = Ni, 32%). As determined by X-ray crystallography, 2−5 each contain a ZnIIMII dinuclear core bridged by XDK and acac ligands. The zinc and M atoms have trigonal bipyramidal and octahedral geometries, respectively. The Zn···M separations depend on the metal ion in the octahedral site (2, M = Co, 3.440(2) A; 3, M = Mn, 3.517(1) A; 4, M = Fe, 3.492(1) A; 5, M = Ni, 3.397(1) A), a variation which is correlated with the ionic radius of the high-spin octahedral metal ion. The reaction of 2 with diphenyl hydrogen phosphate afforded the bis(phosphate) complex [ZnCo(XDK){μ-η2-(PhO)2PO2}{η1-(PhO)2PO2}(CH3...
Blazars with arcminute-scale radio halos

About 10-arcsec resolution 20-cm wavelength maps are presented for three nearby BL Lac objects: Mkn 180, whose halo has a linear size of 85 kpc, 2155-304, with a halo about 375 kpc across, and 1727 + 502, whose one-sided diffuse emission extends to a distance of about 145 kpc from its radio core. Little evidence is found for strong radio variability in the cores of the three blazars; these and other results obtained are consistent with the assertion that the three objects should be classified as normal low luminosity double radio galaxies with optically dull nuclei, if seen from other directions.
Operational NOVA spacecraft Teflon pulsed plasma thruster system

Transit, the navigation satellite system of the U.S. Navy, has used an electric propulsion system on its NOVA-class satellites since 1981. This paper describes the Teflon pulsed-plasma propulsion system and its control. The history of the incorporation of electric propulsion in the design of the spacecraft, the testing and early flight experience, the problems encountered on orbit, and the resulting engineering changes are addressed. Spacecraft-level EMC issues associated with the operation of the thrusters in space and in ground testing environments are considered. 10 refs.
Cyber vigilantism, transmedia collective intelligence, and civic participation

Emerging media afford netizens the opportunity to participate in critical civic discourse by collaboratively constructing and sharing previously inaccessible information across multiple platforms. This paper examined the communicative behaviors constituting the recent phenomenon of cyber vigilantism (human flesh search) in China, particularly how emerging media have been appropriated for online searches to hunt for personal information about social deviants to restore public morality. Our findings suggest that the identification of corrupt officials and circulation of their private data online amplified attention on their abuse of power and pressured the authorities toward greater accountability. Blogs, forums, and social networking sites helped support the expression of alternative public opinions. Novel mash-ups further stimulated the transmediation of political parodies that challenged state discourse across video-sharing sites. This article concludes with implications and recommendations for critical ...
Radiative decays of vector mesons

Abstract The radiative decays of vector mesons in the context of Zweig's rule and SU(3) breaking are examined. It is found that a general amplitude for the decays can be expressed in terms of seven parameters and it is solved for these parameters by fitting to the experimental data. It is found that the nonrelativistic quark model gives a reasonable explanation for the sizes of these parameters.
Long-term Effects and Costs of Brief Behavioural Dietary Intervention for Patients With Diabetes Delivered From the Medical Office

This study evaluated the 12-month follow-up results and costs of a personalized, medical office-based intervention focused on behavioral issues related to dietary self-management. Two hundred and six adults having diabetes attending an internal medicine outpatient clinic visit were randomized to either Usual Care or to Brief Intervention. The single session intervention involved touchscreen computer-assisted assessment that provided immediate feedback on key barriers to dietary self-management, goal setting and problem-solving counselling. Follow-up components included phone calls and videotape intervention relevant to each participant. Brief Intervention produced significantly greater improvement than Usual Care on multiple measures of change in dietary behaviour (e.g., covariate adjusted difference of 2.2% of calories from fat; p = 0.023) and on serum cholesterol levels (covariate adjusted difference of 15 mg/dl; p = 0.002) at 12-month follow-up. There were also significant differences favouring intervention on patient satisfaction (p < 0.02) but not on HbA1c levels. The costs of intervention ($137 per patient) were modest relative to many commonly used practices.
Poster: Image registration and visualization tool for in-situ gene expression images

In the age of high-throughput molecular biology techniques, scientists have incorporated the methodology of in-situ hybridization to map spatial patterns of gene expression. In order to compare expression patterns within a common tissue structure, these images need to be “registered” or organized into a common coordinate system for alignment to a reference or atlas image. In this work we present three different image registration methodologies (manual; correlation based; mutual information based) to determine the common coordinate system for the reference and in situ hybridization images. All three methodologies are incorporated into a Matlab tool to visualize the results in a user friendly way and save them for future work.
Model for pressure drop hysteresis in trickle-beds

Etude quantitative de la distribution de perte de charge dans un garnissage a ruissellement constitue de spheres de taille egale. Presentation d'un modele de milieux poreux. Analyse des differents types d'ecoulement
A fuzzy neural network approach to machine condition monitoring

This paper is focused on the implementation of a predictive neural network for use as an operator's aid in the diagnosis of faults with high prediction accuracy in an automated manufacturing environment. In order to evaluate the performance of the model, the network has been tested using both simulated time series and real time machine vibration data collected in lab experiments.
Teaching Sound Letter Correspondence and Consonant-Vowel-Consonant Combinations to Young Children who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The purpose of this study was to provide a preliminary examination of an intervention strategy designed to teach sound-letter correspondence and spelling of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) combinations to young children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). A multiple baseline probe design across behaviors was used to assess the effects of the intervention on the percentage of correct responses provided by two participants on the target skills during free-choice play activities in the literacy center of inclusive classrooms. The results of this study provide preliminary support for the use of the intervention strategy within inclusive classrooms.
Lumps and bumps in children.

Many lesions involving the skin or subcutaneous tissues alarm parents and, often fearing cancer, they bring their child to a physician. Most lesions are benign and rarely life-threatening. The physician faces the problem of determining which characteristics suggest only observation of a lesion and which make biopsy necessary. Because many lesions have a predilection for certain areas of the body, this is a useful form of categorization (Table 1). On first inspection of a superficial lesion, several questions must be asked, including the known duration, change in size, presence of pain or other signs of inflammation, and any noted multiplicity. The examination includes an accurate measurement of the size and, most importantly, a determination of the level of the lesion. This will help establish the diagnosis and help to determine whether the possibility of malignancy exists. Essentially all lesions originating in the skin of children are benign. Some are obvious, such as a wart, while others may not be so clear-cut, especially if the epidermis is not altered in appearance. Upon palpation of a cutaneous mass, the skin does not move over the surface and puckers when the adjacent skin and tissues are compressed and elevated. If the skin moves freely over the mass, the nature of the lesion is not so readily apparent.
Modified Roberts-Langenbeck test for measuring thickness and refractive index variation of silicon wafers

We describe a method to simultaneously measure thickness variation and refractive index homogeneity of 300 mm diameter silicon wafers using a wavelength-shifting Fizeau interferometer operating at 1550 nm. Only three measurements are required, corresponding to three different cavity configurations. A customized phase shifting algorithm is used to suppress several high order harmonics and minimize intensity sampling errors. The new method was tested with both silicon and fused silica wafers and measurement results proved to be highly repeatable. The reliability of the method was further verified by comparing the measured thickness variation of a 150 mm diameter wafer to a measurement of the wafer flatness after bonding the wafer to an optical flat.
Poisoning of orientation ratio on NiP-coated substrates

The surface chemical evolution of NiP-coated AlMag disk substrate was analyzed using contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Its effect on magnetic film structure and orientation ratio was also studied. It was also shown that slow nickel carbonate surface growth under ambient condition poisoned the orientation ratio of the structure.
Dietary Interventions to Extend Life Span and Health Span Based on Calorie Restriction

The societal impact of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders continues to rise despite increasing evidence of their negative long-term consequences on health span, longevity, and aging. Unfortunately, dietary management and exercise frequently fail as remedies, underscoring the need for the development of alternative interventions to successfully treat metabolic disorders and enhance life span and health span. Using calorie restriction (CR)—which is well known to improve both health and longevity in controlled studies—as their benchmark, gerontologists are coming closer to identifying dietary and pharmacological therapies that may be applicable to aging humans. This review covers some of the more promising interventions targeted to affect pathways implicated in the aging process as well as variations on classical CR that may be better suited to human adaptation.
Crystal structure assignment for the heavy-fermion superconductor U Pt 3

Understanding the normal and superconducting states in ${\mathrm{UPt}}_{3}$ depends critically on its crystal structure. Based on high-energy x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, we have determined that the crystal structure of ${\mathrm{UPt}}_{3}$ is trigonal, not hexagonal as traditionally held. Its trigonal structure provides an interpretation of recent high-field muon spin rotation experiments and may be relevant to the existence of the symmetry-breaking field required by most theoretical models of heavy-fermion superconductivity.
Socially Mediated Publicness: An Introduction

Social media complicate the very nature of public life. In this article, we consider how technology reconfigures publicness, blurs 'audiences' and publics, and alters what it means to engage in pub...
Effect of Subliminal Cueing on In-attentional Blindness

We are surrounded by a very dense and detailed environment. However, when we perceive, we are unable to attend to all the details at once. Certain fully visible but unexpected objects get overlooked when we become involved in other tasks. Change Blindness and In-attentional blindness are psychological phenomenon where a visual stimulus goes unnoticed by the observer. In this paper, we present results of the effect of subliminal cueing at a targeted area of a video which is prone to go unnoticed due to in-attentional blindness. This helps us in understanding human visual processing response and has various applications such as surveillance and driving safety.
A critical review of the role of the proposed VMpo nucleus in pain.

Abstract The evidence presented by Craig and his colleagues for an important projection from lamina I spinothalamic tract neurons to a renamed thalamic nucleus (the posterior part of the ventral medial nucleus or VMpo), as well as to the ventrocaudal medial dorsal and the ventral posterior inferior thalamic nuclei, is critically reviewed. Of particular concern is the denial of an important nociceptive lamina I projection to the ventrobasal complex. Contrary evidence is reviewed that strongly favors a role of spinothalamic projections from both lamina I and deep layers of the dorsal horn to the ventrobasal complex and other thalamic nuclei and from there to the SI and SII somatosensory cortices in the sensory-discriminative processing of pain and temperature information. © 2002 by the American Pain Society
Assessment of email communication skills of rheumatology fellows: a pilot study

Physicianepatient email communication is gaining popularity. However, a formal assessment of physicians’ email communication skills has not been described. We hypothesized that the email communication skills of rheumatology fellows can be measured in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) setting using a novel email content analysis instrument which has 18 items. During an OSCE, we asked 50 rheumatology fellows to respond to a simulated patient email. The content of the responses was assessed using our instrument. The majority of rheumatology fellows wrote appropriate responses scoring a mean (6SD) of 10.6 (62.6) points (maximum score 18), with high inter-rater reliability (0.86). Most fellows were concise (74%) and courteous (68%) but not formal (22%). Ninety-two percent of fellows acknowledged that the patient’s condition required urgent medical attention, but only 30% took active measures to contact the patient. No one encrypted their messages. The objective assessment of email communication skills is possible using simulated emails in an OSCE setting. The variable email communication scores and incidental patient safety gaps identified, suggest a need for further training and defined proficiency standards for physicians’ email communication skills.
Conformational Melding Permits a Conserved Binding Geometry in TCR Recognition of Foreign and Self Molecular Mimics

Molecular mimicry between foreign and self Ags is a mechanism of TCR cross-reactivity and is thought to contribute to the development of autoimmunity. The αβ TCR A6 recognizes the foreign Ag Tax from the human T cell leukemia virus-1 when presented by the class I MHC HLA-A2. In a possible link with the autoimmune disease human T cell leukemia virus-1–associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, A6 also recognizes a self peptide from the neuronal protein HuD in the context of HLA-A2. We found in our study that the complexes of the HuD and Tax epitopes with HLA-A2 are close but imperfect structural mimics and that in contrast with other recent structures of TCRs with self Ags, A6 engages the HuD Ag with the same traditional binding mode used to engage Tax. Although peptide and MHC conformational changes are needed for recognition of HuD but not Tax and the difference of a single hydroxyl triggers an altered TCR loop conformation, TCR affinity toward HuD is still within the range believed to result in negative selection. Probing further, we found that the HuD–HLA-A2 complex is only weakly stable. Overall, these findings help clarify how molecular mimicry can drive self/nonself cross-reactivity and illustrate how low peptide-MHC stability can permit the survival of T cells expressing self-reactive TCRs that nonetheless bind with a traditional binding mode.
A change point model for the location parameter of exponential family densities

Knowing when a process has changed would simplify the search for and identification of the special cause. Consequently, having an estimate of the process change point following a control chart signal would be useful to process engineers. In this research a maximum likelihood change point estimator is proposed for the natural location parameter of densities belonging to the exponential family. It is assumed that the behavior in the location parameter over discrete sampling intervals is adequately modeled by a linear predictor. The estimator is intended to be applied to data obtained following signals from univariate statistical process control charts in an effort to aid process engineers diagnose the root cause of process change.
Flagellate Parasites of the Fly, Phaenicia sericata (Meigen)*

SYNOPSIS. Two species of flagellate parasites, Herpetomonas muscarum (Leidy 1856) Kent 1881 and Crithidia luciliae (Strickland 1911) have been isolated in pure culture from the fly, Phaenicia sericata. Laboratory-reared Musca domestica were infected with each of the species. These two species have often been confused, the latter being regarded as “cysts” of the former. H. muscarum is long and slender and occurs actively swimming in the midgut of the host. C. luciliae is short and truncate and occurs mainly in the hindgut where it is often attached to the gut wall. C. luciliae grows readily and abundantly in culture and outgrows H. muscarum in mixed cultures. Attempts to infect Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens with C. luciliae failed while control feedings of these mosquitoes with Crithidia fasciculata produced infections.
Resolving IP aliases with prespecified timestamps

Operators and researchers want accurate router-level views of the Internet for purposes including troubleshooting and modeling. However, tools such as traceroute return IP addresses. Because routers may have dozens of IP addresses, or aliases, multiple measurements may return different addresses, obscuring whether they represent the same machine. While many techniques exist to address this issue by identifying some IP aliases, these techniques, even in combination, find only a subset of alias pairs. To improve this state, we design and evaluate a new alias resolution technique using the IP prespecified timestamp option. This option allows a sender to request timestamp val- ues from multiple IP addresses in the same probe. By careful arrangement of these IP addresses, we show that we can infer aliases in many cases. In this paper, we conduct a measurement study of how many routers support IP timestamps, demonstrating that enough honor the option to base our technique on it. Using our technique, and compared to the most accurate alias information available, we find that 94.7% of the aliases identified by our technique are true positives. Further, we show that our IP timestamp-based technique complements existing alias resolution techniques, providing significant gains by discovering previously unidentifiable aliases.
Pleiotropic effect of LEC mutation: a rodent model of Wilson's disease

Metabolic studies with 67Cu were undertaken to identify the site of the cellular defect in copper metabolism in the Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rat. The apparent rate of copper uptake by LEC primary hepatocytes was increased [maximal velocity (Vmax) = 259 pmol.min-1.mg protein-1] compared with controls (Vmax = 161 pmol.min-1.mg protein-1); however, Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) values were comparable (11.8 and 12.7 microM, LEC and control, respectively). Efflux of copper from LEC and control hepatocytes was similar from 0 to 15 min, but was reduced from 15 to 60 min in the former. Although hepatic copper contents were markedly elevated in LEC rats compared with controls (658 +/- 199 vs. 21.5 +/- 6.6 micrograms/g dry wt), biliary copper concentration was reduced in LEC rats compared with controls (0.187 vs. 1.39 +/- 0.66 microgram/ml). Subcellular fractionation of LEC liver homogenates revealed approximately 75% of copper to be present in cytosol, with gradients of copper concentration from cytosol to either lysosome or microsomal subcellular fractions. LEC rat bile and hepatic microsome and lysosome fractions contained smaller fractions of 67Cu administered intravenously as cupric acetate compared with control rats. However, recovery of 67Cu in bile and in lysosomal subcellular fractions were similar for LEC and controls following administration of 67Cu-labeled asialoceruloplasmin, which is targeted to lysosomes. This discordance suggests a possible defect in the entry of copper into lysosomes but normal delivery of lysosomal copper to bile. Based on these findings, we conclude that the mutation in LEC rats alters copper transport at more than one cellular site.
Authigenic layer silicate minerals in borehole Elmore 1, Salton Sea Geothermal Field, California, USA

A combined petrographic/X-ray/electron microprobe and energy dispersive system investigation of sandstone cuttings from borehole Elmore # 1 near the center of the Salton Sea Geothermal Field has revealed numerous regular variations in the composition, texture, mineralogy and proportions of the authigenic layer silicate minerals in the temperature interval 185° C (411.5 m depth) to 361° C (2,169 m). At temperatures near 190° C, dolomite/ankerite+calcite-bearing sandstones contain an illite/mixed layer phase with 10% expandable layers (dolomite/ankerite zone). In shale, the percentage of expandable layers in the mixed layer phase changes from 10–15% at 185° C to 5% at 210° C (494 m). In the interval 250° C (620 m) to 325° C (1,135 m), the calcite+pyrite+epidote-bearing sandstones contain a layer silicate assemblage of chlorite and illite (chlorite-calcite zone). In the shallower portions of this metamorphic zone, the illite contains 0–5% expandable layers, while at depths greater than 725 m (275° C) it is completely free of expandable layers. On increasing temperature, the white mica shows regular decreases in SiIV, Mg and Fe, and increase in AlIV, AlVI, and interlayer occupancy, as it changes gradually from fine-grained illite (=textural sericite) to coarse-grained recrystallized phengitic white mica. In the same interval, chlorite shows decreases in AlVI and octahedral vacancies and an increase in total Mg+Fe. The sandstones range from relatively unmodified detrital-textured rocks with porosities up to 20% and high contents of illite near 250° C to relatively dense hornfelsic-textured rocks with trace amounts of chlorite and phengite and porosities near 5% at 325° C. Numerous complex reactions among detrital (allogenic) biotite, chlorite, and muscovite, and authigenic illite and chlorite, occur in the chlorite-calcite zone. Biotite appears, and calcite disappears, at a temperature near 325° C and a depth of 1,135m. The biotite zone so produced persists to 360° C in sandstone, at which temperature orthoclase disappears and andradite garnet appears at a depth near 2,155 m. Throughout the biotite zone and into the garnet zone, the biotite undergoes compositional changes that are very similar to those observed in illite/phengite in the chlorite-calcite zone, including increases in interlayer occupancy, AlIV, AlVI, and Ti, and decreases in F−, SiIV, and Mg/Fet+Mg, on increasing temperature. Biotite thus changes from a siliceous, K-deficient biotite at the biotite isograd to a typical low-grade metamorphic biotite at temperatures near 360° C. Minor amounts of talc appear with biotite at the biotite isograd in sandstone, while actinolite appears in both sandstone and shale at temperatures near 340° C (1,325 m). Chlorite completely disappears from sandstone at temperatures of approximately 350° C (1,500 m), and diminishes abruptly in amount in the more chloritic shales at the same depth.