cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A second-order approximation for the variance of a renewal reward process

Abstract Let {C(t), t ⩾ 0} be a renewal reward process. We obtain the approximation Var C(t) = ct + d + o(1), and explicitly identify c and d.
Intestinal Growth and Function Increase in a Dose-Response Fashion to Enteral Feeding in the Parenterally Fed Neonatal Dog. ♦ 1408

Intestinal Growth and Function Increase in a Dose-Response Fashion to Enteral Feeding in the Parenterally Fed Neonatal Dog. ♦ 1408
Automatic eating detection using a proximity sensor

Eating detection is a critical component in a wearable dietary monitoring device called eButton under our investigation. Once an eating activity is detected, a camera within the device is activated to take pictures of food automatically which is then processed to measure intakes of calories and nutrients. In this paper, we address the eating detection problem using a proximity sensor within the eButton. The repetitive movements of the arm during eating are monitored by a proximity sensor within a fan-shaped region. An infrared light emitter and a photo receiver produce signals when the infrared light is blocked. Our test results show that eating activity can be detected and distinguished from other activities. In addition, our method is unobtrusive, low power, and of a small size, suitable to be used in wearable devices.
Differential action of diazepam on evoked cerebral responses

Abstract The effects of diazepam on evoked cerebral responses were investigated in unanesthetized immobilized cats. It was found that those responses, both sensory and motor, which depend upon polysynaptic mechanisms were most sensitive to the depressant effects of diazepam. Species-specific differences in the effects of diazepam on cat, man and the light-sensitive baboon ( Papio papio ) are discussed. Based on these and other results, it is concluded that the depressant effects of diazepam are exerted primarily on inter-neurons, and it is suggested that this action may account for its observed beneficial effects in myoclonic disorders.
Suppression of human cytochrome P450 aromatase activity by monoclonal and recombinant antibody fragments and identification of a stable antigenic complex.

Abstract Human cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom) is responsible for biosynthesis of estrogens from androgens. Monoclonal antibody MAb3-2C2 to P450arom specifically binds to a conformational epitope and suppresses the enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner. The crystal structure of the Fab fragment of MAb3-2C2 has been used to engineer a recombinant single chain antibody fragment (scFv) and a homodimeric variable domain of the light chain (VL2). These recombinant antibody fragments have been expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Here, we show that the recombinant scFv suppresses P450arom activity with an IC50 value similar to that of natural MAb3-2C2 F(ab′)2. The recombinant VL2 also exhibits dose-dependent suppression of the P450arom activity, but at a reduced level, demonstrating that the homodimer is unable to fully mimic the complementarity determining region (CDR) of a variable heavy chain (VH)–VL heterodimer. We prepare and purify a stable complex of P450arom with MAb3-2C2 F(ab′)2 and show that the complex migrates and precipitates as a single molecular assembly. Efforts to crystallize P450arom for structure-function studies have yielded small single crystals. Our results suggest that formation of stable complexes with fragments of the monoclonal antibody could provide an alternative method for crystallization of P450arom.
Energy levels of Be9 and B9

Abstract The low lying energy levels of Be9 and B9 have been investigated by means of magnetic analysis of the Be9 (p, p')Be9 and B10 (He3, α)B9 reactions, respectively. Several distinctive features of the data result in a model being proposed to describe the low lying energy level structure of these mirror nuclei. The model describes the mass nine nuclei as two-body cluster states of Be8(0+)+ nucleon and Be8(2+)+nucleon and gives quantitative agreement with the experimental width of the states. A generalized density of states function is employed to describe the continuum spectra, and allows a description of the cusp effects in the spectra of the two nuclei as aspects of two-body cluster spatial localization, and many-body decay occuring as a sequence of two-body separations.
Comparing neuropsychological tasks to optimize brief cognitive batteries for brain tumor clinical trials

Neuropsychological tests are increasingly being used as outcome measures in clinical trials of brain tumor therapies. This study informs development of brief neurocognitive batteries for clinical trials by identifying cognitive tasks that detect effects on a group level in a mixed brain tumor population. This is a retrospective study of brain tumor patients who completed a standardized battery sampling multiple cognitive domains using twelve subtests with widely-used task formats (the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status). Sixty-eight patients with brain tumors were studied (60% high-grade glioma). Forty patients (58.8%) were impaired (>2 standard deviations below published means) on at least one subtest. A combination of four subtests (Figure Copy, Coding, List Recognition, and Story Recall) captured 90% of the impaired subgroup. These results suggest visuoconstruction, processing speed, and verbal memory measures may be the most important domains to assess when evaluating cognitive change in brain tumor clinical trials.
Dynamics of the West African Westerly Jet

The West African westerly jet (WAWJ) is a low-level westerly jet located at 88‐118N over the eastern AtlanticandtheWestAfricancoast.Itis clearlydistinguishedfromthemonsoonwesterlyflowbyitsstructure and dynamics, and plays an important role in transporting moisture from the tropical eastern Atlantic to Sahelian West Africa during boreal summer. The WAWJ develops in early June, sustains maximum wind speeds of 5‐6 m s 21 from late July to early September, and weakens and dissipates by mid-October. In its mature stage, the WAWJ is located within the Atlantic ITCZ. It extends from the surface to 700 hPa, with maximum speed at 925 hPa. The jet has a weak semidiurnal cycle, with maxima at 0500 and 1700 local time. A momentum budget analysis reveals that the WAWJ forms when a region of strong westerly acceleration is generatedbythesuperpositionoftheAtlanticITCZandthewestwardextensionofthecontinentalthermallow. The WAWJ is supergeostrophic at its maximum, with zonal pressure gradient and Coriolis accelerations both pointingeastward.WhilemuchoftheWAWJ’sseasonalvariationcanbeexplainedbythegeostrophicwind,the ageostrophic wind contributes more than 40% of the wind speed during the jet’s formation and demise. The westward extension of the thermal low is associated with the formation of an offshore low, which is related to seasonal warming of the ocean between 68 and 188N along the coast. The coastal SSTs vary in response to a net surface heating pattern with warming to the north and cooling to the south, which is mainly controlled by solar radiative and latent heat fluxes.
Sellers and Buyers on the Boundary: Potential Moderators of Role Stress-Job Outcome Relationships

Despite intense research interest in the role stress phenomenon in marketing over the last decade, there have been few attempts to explain the sometimes discrepant findings. This study investigated the influence of three potential moderators (education, job tenure, and work group cohesion) on role stress-job outcome relationships. Hypotheses were developed and tested in two work contexts of interest to marketers: industrial selling and purchasing. Findings point to some interesting moderating effects in the two samples. Work group cohesion reduced the dysfunctional effect of role stress on organizational commitment among industrial buyers. However, a more cohesive sales group experienced stronger dysfunctional effects from role stress on organizational commitment. Level of education buffered the role stress-organizational commitment link but only among industrial sales representatives. Managerial and research implications are also discussed.
The April Fifth Movement: Marking the Rise of Citizen Photojournalism in the People's Republic of China

The death of Chinese premier Zhou Enlai in January 1976 triggered the April Fifth Movement, during which hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens flocked to Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mourn the widely respected political figure and protest against the central government, which was then largely under the influence of the much-despised Gang of Four. The movement was suppressed, and the official media remained silent. Some protesters took the risk to photograph the event and preserve their negatives that today constitute an important historical visual legacy. Based on interviews with several photographers and a close study of their photographs and memoirs, this article explores the relationship between the April Fifth Movement and the contemporary history of photography in China. It claims that the movement, as a result of a conscious choice by these photographers, marks both the rise of citizen photojournalism and a renewal of the social documentary tradition in China.
Diaphragm injury after liver stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an increasingly common treatment for lung and liver malignancies. Chest wall toxicity following SBRT for peripheral tumors has been reported and there are published dose constraint guidelines to minimize the risk for rib fracture, chest wall necrosis, and cutaneous ulceration.1-4 There are no documented reports of diaphragm injury after SBRT and no defined tolerance dose. We describe in this report the clinical course of a patient who developed severe back pain following liver SBRT and was found to have focal necrosis, fibrosis, and atrophy of the diaphragm in the high-dose region on autopsy.
The role of parent, teacher, and peer events in maintaining depressive symptoms during early adolescence.

Negative interpersonal events have been consistently identified as both antecedents and sequalae of adolescent depressive symptoms. However, little is known about the relative contributions of specific domains of interpersonal events (parents, peers or teachers) to the maintenance of depressive symptoms during early adolescence or whether a lack of positive interpersonal interactions plays a direct role in maintaining depressive symptoms. Further, few studies have examined whether positive interpersonal events moderate associations between negative events and adolescents’ depressive symptoms. This study combined stress generation and exposure models to evaluate the contribution of daily events to the maintenance of depressive symptoms in a sample of 132 adolescents (53 % female) followed from ages 13 to 15. Daily phone diaries collected at age 14 assessed adolescents’ negative and positive interactions with parents, teachers, and peers in a sample of adolescents from economically disadvantaged families. Negative peer events uniquely accounted for the maintenance of depressive symptoms over the 2 years period. Results did not differ by gender; however, positive parent events buffered the effects of negative parent events for females but not for males. Findings highlight the significance of peer relationships during a period of vulnerability for depressive symptoms.
bolism of the Inhibitory Neurotransmitter γ‐Aminobutyric Acid in a Rabbit Model of Fulminant Hepatic Failure

The serum concentration of 7-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been found to be elevated by more than an order of magnitude in a rabbit model of acute hepatic failure. A potential mechanism for increased serum GABA levels in liver failure is decreased catabolism of GABA. To study this possibility, GABA-transaminase activities were measured in nonneural tissues, and the kinetics of 3H-GABA in vivo were defined in both normal rabbits and rabbits with galactosamine-induced acute liver failure. Liver failure was associated with 56 and 80% increases in the activities of GABA-transaminase in liver and kidney, respectively. In the normal rabbit following the intravenous injection of 3H-GABA, total radioactivity in the serum decreased very rapidly initially and much more slowly after 3 to 4 min. Levels of labeled metabolites of 3H-GABA increased very rapidly in serum and reached a plateau after 5 to 10 min. The dependence of total serum radioactivity on time was similar for rabbits 10 hr after galactosamine injection, and control rabbits, with the exception that total serum radioactivity was higher during the first 3 min of the study in galactosamine-treated rabbits. In rabbits in hepatic coma, total serum radioactivity was higher but radioactivity in metabolites was lower than in controls at corresponding times. Clearance of 3H-GABA from the circulation (i.e., the product of the initial volume of distribution and the fractional catabolic rate, milliliters per minute) was reduced by 26% in rabbits 10 hr after galactosamine injection and by 61% in rabbits in hepatic coma. The reduction in clearance of 3H-GABA was associated with a decrease in the initial volume of distribution but no appreciable change in the fractional catabolic rate of GABA. The magnitude of the decrease in clearance did not fully account for the increase in serum GABA concentrations observed during acute liver failure. These findings suggest that, in addition to impaired GABA metabolism, an increase in the delivery rate of GABA to the circulation occurs in acute hepatic failure. Possible mechanisms for the latter phenomenon include increases in synthesis of GABA from glutamate in the liver and/or kidney, synthesis of GABA by gut bacteria permeability of the intestine and brain to GABA.
The role of capillary perfusion in the management of diabetic macular edema

The presence of nonperfusing capillaries in diabetic retinopathy was first described by Ashton using the india ink injection techni­ que. Cogan and associates· subsequently demonstrated acellular capillary zones in trypsin digestion flat retinal preparations. The latter authors interpreted these acellular capillaries as nonperfusing, based on the ab­ sence of red blood cells in the lumen, and suggested that the capillary closure was sec­ ondary to shunting of blood into surround­ ing vessels. On the other hand, many investi­ gators" suspect that capillary closure and the resultant relative hypoxia or ischemia stimulate the development of shunt vessels ( IRMA), microaneurysms, and also diabetic neovascularization. Macular edema has been, in our experi­ ence, a major manifestation of diabetic reti­ nopathy, particularly in patients with long­ standing maturity onset diabetes. We have found it a common cause of deterioration of central vision to as poor as 20/200, a fact that is sometimes overlooked in our concern for the neovascular manifestations. Photocoagulation by argon laser or xenon photocoagulator has been reported" to be helpful in favorable cases in resolving the edema, exudates, and hemorrhages. Unfor­ tunately, some eyes not only do not improve or stabilize after treatment but continue to deteriorate. In a pilot evaluation of fluorescein studies of patients with adult onset diabetes and
The live donor assessment tool: a psychosocial assessment tool for live organ donors.

Background Psychosocial evaluation is an important part of the live organ donor evaluation process, yet it is not standardized across institutions, and although tools exist for the psychosocial evaluation of organ recipients, none exist to assess donors. Objective We set out to develop a semistructured psychosocial evaluation tool (the Live Donor Assessment Tool, LDAT) to assess potential live organ donors and to conduct preliminary analyses of the tool's reliability and validity. Methods Review of the literature on the psychosocial variables associated with treatment adherence, quality of life, live organ donation outcome, and resilience, as well as review of the procedures for psychosocial evaluation at our center and other centers around the country, identified 9 domains to address; these domains were distilled into several items each, in collaboration with colleagues at transplant centers across the country, for a total of 29 items. Four raters were trained to use the LDAT, and they retrospectively scored 99 psychosocial evaluations conducted on live organ donor candidates. Reliability of the LDAT was assessed by calculating the internal consistency of the items in the scale and interrater reliability between raters; validity was estimated by comparing LDAT scores between those with a "positive" evaluation outcome and "negative" outcome. Results The LDAT was found to have good internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and showed signs of validity: LDAT scores differentiated the positive vs. negative outcome groups. Conclusions The LDAT demonstrated good reliability and validity, but future research on the LDAT and the ability to implement the LDAT prospectively is warranted.
The contact stress problem for indented strips and slabs under conditions of partial slipping

Abstract The numerical method developed in a previous article is used to solve additional and more difficult contact problems. The first problem concerns a rigid, axially-loaded, flat-ended, two-dimensional indenter compressing an elastic strip which is supported on a rigid foundation. If Coulomb's law of friction is assumed to hold between the normal and shearing stresses, the central portion of the contacting surfaces will adhere to one another, whereas the outer surfaces slide over one another. Graphs are obtained of the ratios of adherence length to contact length versus friction coefficient. Similar graphs are also obtained for the corresponding problem of an axially-loaded, flat-ended cylindrical indenter compressing a slab. Contact pressure distributions are then obtained for two rigid, flat-ended, two-dimensional indenters compressing a strip, and sliding in opposite directions on the strip. Finally, a method is outlined for solving the intermediate problem where the tangential force is sufficient to cause complete slipping of the contact surfaces.
FAK and Nanog Cross Talk with p53 in Cancer Stem Cells

This review is focused on the role of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) signaling in cancer stem cells. The recent data demonstrate the important role of FAK in cancer stem cell proliferation, differentiation, motility, and invasion. We showed recently that the transcription factor Nanog binds the FAK promoter and up-regulates FAK expression, and that FAK binds Nanog and phosphorylates it. This review discusses the interaction of FAK, Nanog, Oct-3/4, and Sox-2 signaling pathways that are critical for the regulation of cancer stem cells. The cross-linked signaling of FAK with p53 and Nanog signaling in cancer stem cell and function and targeted therapeutics approaches are discussed.
Highly concurrent scalar processing

High speed scalar processing is an essential characteristic of high performance general purpose computer systems. Highly concurrent execution of scalar code is difficult due to data dependencies and conditional branches. This paper proposes an architectural concept called guarded instructions to reduce the penalty of conditional branches in deeply pipelined processors. A code generation heuristic, the decision tree scheduling technique, reorders instructions in a complex of basic blocks so as to make efficient use of guarded instructions. Performance evaluation of several benchmarks are presented, including a module from the UNIX kernel. Even with these difficult scalar code examples, a speedup of two is achievable by using conventional pipelined uniprocessors augmented by guard instructions, and a speedup of three or more can be achieved using processors with parallel instruction pipelines.
Determination of the bowing parameter of the split-off band in Cd0.8Zn0.2Te(100) by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy is used to measure the width Ω s.o. =Γ 7 -X 6 of the split-off valence band in Cd 0.8 Zn 0.2 Te(100). We find an increase in the alloy bandwidth which is ∼2 times larger than the value expected from a linear alloy model (Vegard's rule). Using CdTe as a reference material, we determined a bowing parameter bp ∼0.65 eV for the split-off-band width in Cd 1-x Zn x Te alloys. The virtual-crystal approximation (VCA) works well for the upper valence bands but fails to describe the more localized d states
Parallel Split-Step Fourier Methods for Nonlinear Schrödinger-Type Equations

The nonlinear Schrodinger equation is of tremendous interest in both theory and applications. Various regimes of pulse propagation in optical fibers are modeled by some form of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation.
Dendritic and Synaptic Pathology in Mental Retardation

Histologic changes in brains from mentally retarded patients are often subtle and may be limited to abnormalities in the dendritic and synaptic organization of the cerebral cortex. Special methods may be necessary for their demonstration. This review summarizes data on dendritic and synaptic pathology in human mental retardation syndromes. Findings in humans are compared to those in animal models that are of relevance to human disorders. Both in humans and in animal models there is evidence that development modifies the observed changes and that findings differ depending on the developmental age at which the tissue is studied.
Home Range and Land Use of Urban Long-Eared Owls

Abstract. From 2004 to 2006 we studied the spatial activity of Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) breeding in the city of Ceske Budějovice, Czech Republic. Two main factors (size and proportion of home range in developed area) clearly distinguished the owls into two groups: urban (n = 5) and suburban (n = 4). Urban owls occupied home ranges >50% in developed area; home ranges of suburban owls were <50% in developed area. We obtained 866 radio fixes from nine individuals while they were feeding offspring, when both males and females participated in hunting. The home ranges of urban owls were larger than those of suburban owls (95% kernels: 446 vs. 56 ha, respectively). Urban males and females used home ranges of similar sizes that overlapped greatly with those of the opposite sex and with those of other breeding pairs. In contrast, suburban male owls had home ranges larger than those of suburban females. Wooded areas and meadows were the vegetation types preferred by both urban and suburban owls, and both groups ...
The AMY Antigen Co-Occurs with Aβ and Follows Its Deposition in the Amyloid Plaques of Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome

Novel plaque-like "AMY" lesions were recently described in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using three Abeta antibodies, we now document the co-occurrence of AMY immunoreactivity (IR) with amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) in the large majority of plaques in AD brain. AMY IR was detected in many compacted plaques, whereas its co-localization with early, diffuse Abeta deposits was rare. AMY IR overlapped considerably or fully with Abeta and, in more severely affected AD brains, decorated the periphery of some plaques. In a temporal series of 29 Down syndrome (DS) brains from patients aged 12 to 73 years, the earliest AMY IR was detected in some plaques at age 15, following the earliest appearance of Abeta plaques (age 12 years), and then accrued within a subset of Abeta deposits, namely, the more spherical, compacted plaques. Brains from DS patients 29 years and older showed AMY staining in many Abeta plaques, as seen in AD. Brains from eight monkeys aged 17 to 34 years and thirty APP transgenic mice aged 8 to 20 months showed Abeta IR but no AMY IR. We conclude that AMY IR represents an amyloid-associated antigen that co-deposits in most but not all Abeta plaques in AD and DS and that accumulation of the AMY antigen follows Abeta deposition in plaques.
Spline Approximation of Thin Shell Dynamics

Abstract : A spline-based method for approximating thin shell dynamics is presented here. While the method is developed in the context of the Donnell-Mushtari thin shell equations, it can be easily extended to the Byrne-Flugge-Lur'ye equations or other models for shells of revolution as warranted by applications. The primary requirements for the method include accuracy, flexibility and efficiency in smart material applications. To accomplish this, the method was designed to be flexible with regard to boundary conditions, material nonhomogeneities due to sensors and actuators, and inputs from smart material actuators such as piezoceramic patches. The accuracy of the method was also of primary concern, both to guarantee full resolution of structural dynamics and to facilitate the development of PDE-based controllers which ultimately require real-time implementation. Several numerical examples provide initial evidence demonstrating the efficacy of the method.
Complexified Pöschl–Teller II potential model

Abstract With the help of complexifying a five-parameter exponential-type potential model, we obtain a general complex version of the Poschl–Teller II potential, V(x)=−V 1 q c q 0 sech q c 2 λx+V 2 q c q 0 cosech q c 2 λx , where qc=q0e2iαe, real V1>0, q0>0 and 0 π 2 . It has been shown that this complex potential is P-pseudo-Hermitian and PT-symmetric, where the parity operator P acts on the position operator as PxP −1 = ln q 0 λ −x . The discrete energy eigenvalues are shown to be real when V 2 ⩾− q 0 λ 2 4 while they are complex conjugate pairs if V 2 q 0 λ 2 4 .
Mentoring as a retention strategy in a diverse, multicultural, urban associate degree nursing program

Abstract Nursing faculty are expending considerable resources to recruit qualified students. Retention of these valuable students should be a priority to meet the growing need for nurses in a changing health care environment. However, this has been a challenge due to a variety of variables inherent in the nontraditional student and in nursing education. A mentoring program was developed in a diverse, multicultural, urban community college. The significance of this enrichment program in improving retention rate and psychological outcomes for first-semester clinical nursing students was identified.
Gaussian pulse wings with passive modelocking

Abstract Passive modelocking tends to produce secant hyperbolic pulses with exponential wings in the time domain. The recent observation of gaussian pulse wings could be explained if one postulates a saturable absorber mechanism that stimulates a logarithmic dependence of absorption upon intensity. Two models are investigated: two conventional saturable absorbers and two KLM equivalent absorbers. The analysis shows ways for pulse-shaping of modelocked pulses away from the standard sech shape, not only in producing gaussians, but some other pulse-shapes.
The entopeduncular nucleus: Golgi morphometrics of serially reconstructed neurons in adult cats.

Abstract Computer-assisted morphometrics were used to characterizedmature somatodendritic architecture in Golgi-stained neurons of the entropeduncular nucleus (EN) of the adult cat. Only one form of adult EN neuron was apparent and characterized by common features including: (1) relatively large conical somata, (2) long aspiny and moderately branched dendrites and (3) discoid to spherical dendritic fields oriented randomly within the EN. These results indicate that feline EN neurons have some properties in common with large neurons of the primate medial pallidal segment.
Physical properties of a new fractal model of percolation clusters

We investigate nonrandom, half-random, and random variants of clusters generated by the "squig" process, using renormalization or Monte Carlo methods. Each variant is compared to two-dimensional percolation clusters at criticality from the viewpoints of the fractal dimensionalities of the whole, the backbone, the multiconnected parts, the ring hulls, the backbone links, the shortest paths, and the recurrences of diffusion, hence the fracton dimensionality. The random variant fits very well when its only parameter $s$ is a bit above 0.4.
Bender Receives 2008 Roger Revelle Medal

Michael L. Bender was awarded the 2008 AGU Roger Revelle Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held 17 December 2008 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “outstanding contributions in atmospheric sciences, atmosphere-ocean coupling, atmosphere-land coupling, biogeochemical cycles, climate, or related aspects of the Earth system.”
Joseph Fichter: Lightning Rod and Loyal Critic

In thinking about the life and works of Joe Fichter, I am immediately reminded of the statement that precedes every episode of Star-Trek: "Face the final frontier, these are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. It's continuing mission is to seek out new life and new civilizations, to explore strange new worlds, to boldly go where no one has gone before." For me, this mandate sums up much of what Joe Fichter was about. In this paper I want to trace some of the new worlds that he uncovered, usually amidst great strife and criticism. He was like a lightning rod that called attention to new storms a'brewing and he often took the heat of being the first to venture in where angels would have feared to tread. The invitation to participate in a symposium on Joseph Fichter provided me the opportunity and impetus to read Fichter's two autobiographies and to reflect upon what his career has meant not only to me personally but, even more importantly, to the Sociology of Religion. When I was asked what aspect of his works I wanted to explore, my immediate response was that I wanted to look at Fichter as a bold explorer of new arenas that many people, especially church-folks, considered too sacred to subject to the scrutiny of scientific methodology and objective analysis. Here was a Jesuit priest, very committed tO his religious values and upbringing, willing to take a hard look at aspects of his church that were previously taken-for-granted. As I got to know Fichter personally at our national meetings (and realized the pains he suffered because of his pioneering work in areas that were controversial within the Catholic Church), I came to respect his courage, his commitment to the scientific study of religion, and his excitement in foraying into topics that were risky and "new" in tenns of cutting edge on the religious scene. In fact, over the years I looked forward to seeing him at meetings because I knew he would have his pulse on topics that were just beginning to be explored and talked about in church circles. He became my "weather-vane" in terms of the issues that were just breaking within Catholic circles. In rereading his first autobiography, One man research (Fichter 1973), and then reading for the first time his latest autobiography, The sociology of good works (Fichter 1994), my admiration for him as a pioneer into new territories and his courage in forging ahead even against protest and criticism was rekindled. I will review the five or six most daring projects I think he undertook that were risky in terms of challenging established notions and elites, especially in terms of church hierarchy. In particular, I want to share some of the criticisms, attacks,
Basal and prism dislocation cores in magnesium: comparison of first-principles and embedded-atom-potential methods predictions

The core structures of screw and edge dislocations on the basal and prism planes in Mg, and the associated gamma surfaces, were studied using an ab initio method and the embedded-atom-method interatomic potentials developed by Sun et al and Liu et al. The ab initio calculations predict that the basal plane dislocations dissociate into partials split by 16.7 angstrom (edge) and 6.3 angstrom (screw), as compared with 14.3 angstrom and 12.7 angstrom (Sun and Liu edge), and 6.3 angstrom and 1.4 angstrom (Sun and Liu screw), with the Liu screw dislocation being metastable. In the prism plane, the screw and edge cores are compact and the edge core structures are all similar, while ab initio does not predict a stable prismatic screw in stress-free conditions. These results are qualitatively understood through an examination of the gamma surfaces for interplanar sliding on the basal and prism planes. The Peierls stresses at T = 0K for basal slip are a few megapascals for the Sun potential, in agreement with experiments, but are ten times larger for the Liu potential. The Peierls stresses for prism slip are 10-40MPa for both potentials. Overall, the dislocation core structures from ab initio are well represented by the Sun potential in all cases while the Liu potential shows some notable differences. These results suggest that the Sun potential is preferable for studying other dislocations in Mg, particularly the textless c + a textgreater dislocations, for which the core structures are much larger and not accessible by ab initio methods.
Regulation of protrusion shape and adhesion to the substratum during chemotactic responses of mammalian carcinoma cells.

We report here the first direct observation of chemotaxis to EGF by rat mammary carcinoma cells. When exposed to a gradient of EGF diffusing from a micropipette, MTLn3 cells displayed typical ameboid chemotaxis, extending a lamellipod-like protrusion and moving toward the pipette. Using a homogeneous upshift in EGF to model stimulated lamellipod extension (J. E. Segall et al., 1996, Clin. Exp. Metastasis 14, 61-72), we analyzed the relationship between adhesion and chemoattractant-stimulated protrusion. Exposure to EGF led to a rapid remodeling of the adhesive contacts on adherent cells, in synchrony with extension of a flat lamellipod over the substratum. EGF-stimulated lamellipods still extended in the presence of adhesion-blocking peptides or over nonadhesive surfaces. They were, however, slightly shorter and retracted rapidly under those conditions. The major protrusive structure observed on well-spread, adherent cells, after EGF stimulation was a flat broad lamellipod, whether or not in contact with the substratum, while cells in suspension showed transient protrusive activity over the entire cell surface. We conclude that the initial adhesive status of the cell conditions the shape of the outcoming protrusion. Altogether our results suggest that, although adhesive contacts are not necessary for lamellipod extension, they play a role in stabilizing the protrusion as well as in the control of its final shape and amplitude.
Immunologic response to cryoablation of breast cancer

Purpose.With improvements in breast imaging and image-guided interventions, there is interest in ablative techniques for breast cancer. Cryosurgery initiates inflammation and leaves tumor-specific antigens intact, which may induce an anti-tumor immune response. To help define the mechanisms involved in the cryoimmunologic response, we compared cryosurgery to surgery in a murine model of breast cancer. Experimental designBALB/c mice with MT-901 tumors underwent cryoablation or resection. Mice successfully treated were re-challenged with MT-901 or RENCA. Serum cytokine levels were analyzed by ELISA. Tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLN) and spleens were harvested, lymphocytes were activated and assessed for a specific anti-tumor response by both an interferon-γ (IFNγ) release assay and ELISPOT. NK cell activity was assessed by cytotoxicity against YAC-1, an NK-susceptible cell line. Results.After re-challenge, tumors developed in 86% of mice treated by surgical excision compared to 16% of mice treated by cryosurgery (p=0.025). Cryoablation of MT-901 had no effect on re-challenge with RENCA. Cryoablation led to significantly higher levels of interleukin (IL)-12 (383.6 pg/ml ± 32.8 versus 251.6 ± 16.5, p=0.025) and IFN-γ (1564 pg/ml ± 49 versus 1244 pg/ml ± 101, p=0.009), but no changes in IL-4 or IL-10. Tumor-specific T-cell responses were evident after cryosurgery in lymphocytes from TDLN but not from spleen. Cryoablation also increased NK activity compared to surgery (24.5% ± 17.3 versus 16.5% ± 5.9, p < 0.001). Conclusion.Cryoablation results in the induction of both a tumor-specific T-cell response in the TDLN and increased systemic NK cell activity, which correlates with rejection of tumors upon re-challenge.
Higher order photon statistics of intracavity second harmonic generation

Intracavity second harmonic generation (ISHG) is known to exhibit nonclassical effects such as sub-Poissonian statistics and antibunching [1, 2]. The predicted size of these effects, however, is very small. To enhance these effects a scheme based on homodyne detection was proposed [2]. In homodyne detection the light from the ISHG is combined with a coherent local oscillator (LO) at a beam splitter. We will refer to the homodyned second harmonic field as HISHG. We calculate the factorial moments for the HISHG field. Our approach is similar to that used by Dodson and Vyas [3] to discuss homodyne detection of a degenerate parametric oscillator. We obtain analytical results for the factorial moments and show that the HISHG exhibits novel higher order nonclassical effects.
Designing long-T2 suppression pulses for ultrashort echo time imaging.

Ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging has shown promise as a technique for imaging tissues with T2 values of a few milliseconds or less. These tissues, such as tendons, menisci, and cortical bone, are normally invisible in conventional magnetic resonance imaging techniques but have signal in UTE imaging. They are difficult to visualize because they are often obscured by tissues with longer T2 values. In this article, new long-T2 suppression RF pulses that improve the contrast of short-T2 species are introduced. These pulses are improvements over previous long-T2 suppression pulses that suffered from poor off-resonance characteristics or T1 sensitivity. Short-T2 tissue contrast can also be improved by suppressing fat in some applications. Dual-band long-T2 suppression pulses that additionally suppress fat are also introduced. Simulations, along with phantom and in vivo experiments using 2D and 3D UTE imaging, demonstrate the feasibility, improved contrast, and improved sensitivity of these new long-T2 suppression pulses. The resulting images show predominantly short-T2 species, while most long-T2 species are suppressed. Magn Reson Med 56:94 –103, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Perils and pitfalls of parallel discrete-event simulation

The design of efficient parallel discrete-event simulation (PDES) models often appears to be a mysterious art practiced primarily by academic researchers who have been rigorously ordained in this task. This tutorial attempts to unravel some of the mysteries. It describes the process of generating an efficient parallel implementation of a discrete-event simulation (DES) model. Common pitfalls in the parallel execution of the models are described together with suggestions on their avoidance.
Automated webpage evaluation

Webpage evaluation and metrics have historically focused on page-level characteristics or on key words. We introduce an automated technique for graphically measuring specific elements on a webpage. Our technique provides a means to increase the fidelity of webpage analysis and introduces a novel metric focused on the number of pixels that certain elements occupy in a browser window. We implemented the technique as a Firefox extension and successfully tested it on Alexa?s top 25 U.S. websites. The technique is fully automatable and consistently measures a customizable set of elements as they appear to users in the Firefox web browser. Importantly, the application allows for communication with and the incorporation of other browser-based tools or extensions. We discuss design considerations and creative solutions to technical implementation challenges. The application provides for a wide range of research opportunities that may require a new level of fidelity in webpage analysis and comparison.
Mismatched dNTP incorporation by DNA polymerase β does not proceed via globally different conformational pathways

Understanding how DNA polymerases control fidelity requires elucidation of the mechanisms of matched and mismatched dNTP incorporations. Little is known about the latter because mismatched complexes do not crystallize readily. In this report, we employed small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and structural modeling to probe the conformations of different intermediate states of mammalian DNA polymerase b (Pol b) in its wild-type and an error-prone variant, I260Q. Our structural results indicate that the mismatched ternary complex lies in-between the open and the closed forms, but more closely resembles the open form for WT and the closed form for I260Q. On the basis of molecular modeling, this over-stabilization of mismatched ternary complex of I260Q is likely caused by formation of a hydrogen bonding network between the side chains of Gln 260 , Tyr 296 , Glu 295 and Arg 258 , freeing up Asp 192 to coordinate MgdNTP. These results argue against recent reports suggesting that mismatched dNTP incorporations follow a conformational path distinctly different from that of matched dNTP incorporation, or that its conformational closing is a major contributor to fidelity.
Why Feasibility Matters More to Gift Receivers than to Givers: A Construal-Level Approach to Gift Giving

This article looks at the trade-offs that gift givers and gift receivers make between desirability and feasibility using construal level theory as a framework. Focusing on the asymmetric distance from a gift that exists within giver-receiver dyads, the authors propose that, unlike receivers, givers construe gifts abstractly and therefore weight desirability attributes more than feasibility attributes. Support for this proposition emerges in studies examining giver and receiver mind-sets, as well as giver and receiver evaluations of gifts. Furthermore, givers do not choose gifts that maximize receiver happiness or other relationship goals even though givers believe they are doing so. Finally, the authors demonstrate that while givers are sensitive to their distance from the receiver, receivers are not sensitive to this distance.
Short‐Term Effects of Maternal Alcohol Consumption on Lactational Performance

Previous research demonstrated that breast-feeding infants consumed significantly less milk during the immediate hours after their mothers consumed an acute dose of alcohol when compared with a nonalcoholic beverage. The present study tested the hypothesis that maternal alcohol consumption decreases the amount of milk available to the infant and alters milk composition in the short term. To this aim, 22 lactating women were tested on 2 days separated by 1 week; the women reported that they drank very little during pregnancy, but significantly increased alcohol intake during lactation. Each woman drank a 0.3 g/kg dose of alcohol in orange juice on one testing day and orange juice alone on the other; the order was counterbalanced. Immediately before drinking the beverage (baseline) and 2 hr after (postconsumption), women expressed their milk by using an electric breast pump until no milk had been secreted from either breast for 5 min. Although there was no difference in the energy content of the milk, maternal alcohol consumption slightly, but significantly, reduced the amount of milk produced by the lactating mother. These findings underscore the importance of determining whether and when infants compensate for the reductions in intake experienced at the breast following maternal alcohol consumption and how such changes impact on mother-infant interaction.
Cell-wall morphology correlated with vertical migration in the non-motile marine dinoflagellate Pyrocystis noctiluca

We report an ultrastructural study of the morphological changes in cells of the marine dinoflagellate Pyrocystis noctiluca Murray, which correlate with its vertical migration pattern. Cells alternate between a large, highly vacuolated, positively buoyant, vegetative cyst surrounded by a dinosporin-containing wall and a smaller, more compact, negatively buoyant, cellulose-bounded cell. The cyst wall is composed of two layers: a thin smooth outer layer, thought to be composed of dinosporin, and a thick inner layer that likely to be cellulosic. One or two thecate cells are formed from within the cysts. Thecate cells are smaller, more compact and contain many small translucent bodies. They are surrounded by a typical dinoflagellate amphiesmal layer composed of membranes and cellulose plates. The amphiesmal layer appears only in recently divided cells and exists for only one night. By the following day, the cellulose wall has been replaced by a new dinosporin wall synthesized from beneath the cellulose thecal layer. The cyst stage is suggested as being optimized for photosynthesis, whereas the compact, negatively buoyant, thecate form is thought to allow nutrient uptake in deeper waters. Vertical migration in this species is thus correlated with the presence of dinosporin wall during most of its stay in the upper waters, alternating with a brief thecate wall in deeper nutrient-rich waters. This is the first report correlating dinoflagellate vertical migration with changes in cell-wall composition.
Species dependent effects of doxapram HCl on alcohol dehydrogenase activity.

Abstract Doxapram HCl enhanced alcohol dehydrogenase activity of a rat liver extract. Little, if any, stimulation was observed when crystalline horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase was studied. In contrast, alcohol dehydrogenase activity in rabbit liver preparations was inhibited by the drug. The interesting species-dependent effect of this drug was further studied with respect to the electrophoretically separable forms of alcohol dehydrogenase. Comparative studies with lactic dehydrogenase indicated that this enzyme was not affected by doxapram HCl. Problems related to the identification of electrophoretically distinct forms of lactic dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase were discussed.
Optical link bandwidth optimization of the Fiber Channel Networks

Optical link bandwidth optimization techniques to optimize the cost-performance of a link are presented. As the data rate increases, fiber attenuation is no longer the limiting factor of the operating distance; instead, the bandwidth becomes the limiting factor. Therefore, it is essential to optimize the bandwidth utilization of a fiber to achieve better cost-performance over copper communications. Since the Fibre Channel standard uses a wide variety of light sources and fiber types, it is critical for the Fibre Channel standard to optimize its operating distances.
Probabilistic error modeling for sequential logic

Reliability is a crucial issue in nanoscale devices including both CMOS (beyond 22 nm) and non-CMOS. Devices in this regime tend to be more prone to errors due to thermal effects creating uncertainty in device characteristics. The transient nature of these errors commands the need for a probabilistic model that can represent the inherent circuit logic and can measure the errors. In sequential logic the error occurred in a particular time frame will be propagated to consecutive time frames thereby making the device more volatile. Any model that can represent a sequential logic should handle both spatial dependencies between nodes in a single time slice and temporal dependencies between nodes of different time slices. While modeling error in sequential logic the complexity arises in handling the temporal dependencies due to the feedback. Essentially, the feedback makes the system non-causal where outputs depend not only on inputs but also its own previous values. Depending on the circuit structure and the nature of feedback, various circuits would offer different degree of temporal dependence. In this work we propose a probabilistic error model for sequential logic that can measure the average output error probability that account for the spatio-temporal nature of the inherent dependencies using an temporally evolving causal Bayesian Networks also called Dynamic Bayesian Networks.