cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple-input soft-switching converters in renewable energy applications

This paper proposes a method that can reduce component counts of isolated multiple-input converters. This method can be applied not only to hard-switching converters but also soft-switching converters such as full-bridge (FB) converters. Two types of multiple-input (MI) FB converters that are generalized with a component counts reduction method are also proposed in this paper. Circuit operation, power sharing among input sources, and soft-switching conditions of the proposed MI-FB converters are discussed with a resistive load. Different control rules could be selected for uni-directional or bi-directional applications. A prototype of the proposed MI-FB converter was built in order to verify the analysis. It is observed that the measured inputs-to-output voltage ratio matches with the analysis. In addition, soft-switching characteristics on input switches are observed in the proposed MI-FB converter.
Microphysical retrievals of dual polarization and dual frequency ground radar for GPM ground validation

A dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) will be deployed aboard GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) core satellite in order to enhance our knowledge of precipitation microphysics. A ground based dual-frequency (Ku and Ka band) and dual-polarization radar D3R is being built to perform cross validation with GPM-DPR which helps provide insight into the physical basis of the retrieval algorithm. This paper is the follow up study of the author's previous paper where a new drop size distribution (DSD) retrieval algorithm was proposed. In this paper, the algorithm evaluation is extended to the complete region including rain, melting ice and ice based on simulation data. A possible method to classify the hydrometeor identification for dual-frequency and dual-polarization ground radar is also proposed which might be applied to D3R.
Ergosterol synthesis and storage in the yeast Torulopsis lipofera.

Abstract Net synthesis of ergosterol from acetate or glucose by whole cells of the yeast Torulopsis lipofera has been demonstrated. Incubation of the yeast with radioacetate suggests that the site of ergosteroneogenesis may be the particulate (mitochondrial and large microsomal) fraction. The cellular debris fraction is associated with a higher total ergosterol level than the other cellular fractions under the isolation conditions employed.
The Thematic Apperception Test, the Children's Apperception Test, and the Senior Apperception Technique in clinical use

Providing clinicians with thematic tests for children, adolescents, adults and the elderly, this work focuses on the thematic apperception test (TAT). Attention is given to a standard method of administration, a standard sequence of 10 cards, and a standard method of scoring. The authors demonstrate how to elicit elaborate stories for the TAT, CAT and SAT tests, to facilitate a more in-depth diagnostic assessment. Additionally, they provide clinical examples and scoring protocols which proceed through a step-by-step process of using thematic tests to evaluate the main components of an individual's personality. This edition has a chapter which shows clinicians how to balance the importance of age, gender and cultural norms when using thematic tests.
Patterns of Ice Formation in Normal and Malignant Breast Tissue

Normal and malignant human breast tissues were obtained from resection surgery and frozen on a directional solidification stage with controlled and uniform cooling rates. The frozen samples were freeze substituted and examined with a light microscope. It was observed that in both normal and malignant tissue, ice forms first in the connective tissue. The ice propagates along the connective tissue, which surrounds fat cells in normal adipose tissue and clumps of tightly packed malignant cells in the diseased tissue. This mode of freezing affects the osmotic response of malignant cells, causing intracellular ice crystal formation at unusually low cooling rates.
Telomerase deregulation in immortalized human epidermal cells: modulation by cellular microenvironment.

Modulation of telomerase activity was investigated in the spontaneously immortalized SIK human epidermal cell line. Although these cells displayed low telomerase activity in early passage, similar to that in normal human epidermal cells, the activity was found to be markedly stimulated by cultivation in the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF). This stimulation was evident in later passage as well, but the relative increase was not as marked inasmuch as the basal activity increased with passage. Normal human epidermal cells in culture displayed low telomerase activity shortly after inoculation and it decreased further with time, reaching minimum levels several days after cultures became confluent, independently of EGF addition. SIK cultures grown in the absence of EGF behaved similarly. However, addition of EGF to these cultures prevented the telomerase decrease otherwise observed in log-phase growth. In the presence of EGF, telomerase activity was maximal approximately 12 days after inoculation and then decreased considerably at confluence. In the absence of EGF, telomerase activity was increased by UV exposure despite its suppressive effect on keratinocyte growth. In the absence of EGF, the protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor vanadate stimulated growth marginally and did not have a pronounced effect on telomerase. In the presence of EGF, however, vanadate antagonized EGF action on cell growth and on telomerase activity, and it stimulated spontaneous envelope formation in a dose-dependent manner. Thus the spontaneously immortalized SIK line provides a useful model for study of telomerase modulation during the neoplastic progression of keratinocytes.
Oxidative Stability and Textural Quality of Restructured Beef Roasts as Affected by End‐point Cooking Temperatures, Storage and the Incorporation of Surimi

Restructured beef roasts containing either 0 or 3.5% surimi were cooked to end-point internal temperatures of 50, 60, and 70°C to assess treatment effects on textural and oxidative quality after 2 and 5 days of refrigerated (4°C) storage. Surimi did not improve binding, cook yield or sensory tenderness and juiciness. The sensory panel was able to distinguish a slightly more pronounced fishy flavor when surimi was added. End-point internal temperature had no effect on tensile strength, however, tenderness increased and juiciness decreased with increased endpoint temperatures. Higher end-point internal temperature enhanced lipid oxidation, which proceeded more rapidly during refrigerated (4°C) storage. Nonheme iron increased with increasing end-point temperature. During storage, phospholipid content decreased while total lipid remained constant.
A Bacterial Endosymbiote in Crithidia (Strigomonas) oncopelti: Biochemical and Morphological Aspects*

SYNOPSIS. It is concluded that the trypanosomatid flagellate, Crithidia (Strigomonas, Herpetomonas, Lepiomonas) oncopelti, contains a bacterial endosymbiote, which provides the protozoon with biosynthetic capabilities and, hence, with a measure of nutritional independence; the protozoon in turn gives the endosymbiote the protection of an intracellular environment. Tracer experiments show that C. oncopelti has the “bacterial” kind of lysine pathway (via α,e-diaminopimelic acid). Diaminopimelic decarboxylase, the last enzyme in this pathway, is associated with the endosymbiote. Electron micrographs of the endosymbiote reveal structures consistent with a cytoplasmic membrane and a cell wall. Endosymbiotes that are dividing, as judged by the presence of a constriction, exhibit membrane septa. Additionally, there are zones that are interpreted as representing nuclear material. The protozoon is “cured” of the endosymbiote by treatment with penicillin in a complex medium. The absence of the endosymbiote from “cured” protozoa can be checked with a staining method that permits the reliable detection of the endosymbiote in untreated protozoa.
Phosphate, nitrendipine and valinomycin increase the Ca2+/ATP coupling ratio of rat skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase

Abstract Nitrendipine and valinomycin act synergistically to stimulate ATP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation by rat skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles 3-fold. The stimulation is not caused by activation of the Ca2+-ATPase or by inhibition of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ channel, but is due to an increased efficiency of transport by Ca2+-loaded vesicles. At low Ca2+ concentrations, nitrendipine + valinomycin inhibits Ca2+ uptake by increasing the Ca2+ K M but does not effect equilibrium Ca2+ binding to the Ca2+-ATPase ( K d = 0.75 μ M ). In the presence of 50 mM phosphate, nitrendipine + valinomycin increases the steady-state coupling ratio (Ca2+ accumulated per ATP hydrolyzed) from 0.6 to 1.9 by decreasing the rate of ATP hydrolysis by 72%, while reducing the Ca2+ accumulation rate by only 13%. The rates of both passive and Ca2+-ATPase-mediated Ca2+ release are reduced by nitrendipine + valinomycin. The data indicate that nitrendipine and valinomycin act directly on the Ca2+-ATPase to decrease the ATP hydrolysis rate, increase the Ca2+ K M , decrease Ca2+ efflux, and increase the Ca2+/ATP coupling ratio of Ca2+-loaded vesicles.
High Energy Ion Beam Annealing in Implanted CdTe

The annealing effects of a high energy beam of Cu ions on implanted CdTe crystals are studied. Single crystals of CdTe have been implanted with Eu (energy 60 keV, fluence 1 × 1016 cm−2) at substrate temperatures of 25°C, and 400°C. Lattice damage introduced by the implantation process was measured by Rutherford backscattering. The samples were then implanted with high energy Cu ions (energy 3.5 MeV, fluence 0.5 × 1016 cm−2) at substrate temperatures of 25°C and 200°C. Channeling spectra from these samples indicate a reduction in the near-surface lattice damage as a result of the Cu implantation that can be unambiguously separated from the external heating of the substrate.
Models for fluorescence energy transfer between moving donors and acceptors

A number of theoretical models are introduced in which donors and acceptors perform lateral or rotational motion during the time in which fluorescence energy transfer takes place. Each case is reduced to an eigenvalue problem, and for each model calculations are made of observables, such as fluorescence intensities and anisotropies, by employing matrix methods. It is shown that the observables depend on the size of the motional step only if fluorescence energy transfer occurs. This finding indicates that fluorescence energy transfer studies may reveal whether the dynamics of a system (e.g., a protein) is better described in terms of transitions between a number of discrete states or in terms of diffusion equations. Some theoretical tools are offered for analyzing fluorescence energy transfer data without restrictive assumptions for motional averaging regimes or the orientation factor.
Welfare, Employment, and Income: Evidence on the Effects of Benefit Reductions from California

In recent years there have been unprecedented changes in welfare. The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act abolished AFDC and created Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a set of block grants that gave states nearly complete freedom in designing their welfare programs. Between March 1994 and March 2001, welfare caseloads fell 59 percent, to 2.1 million families from 5.1 million. These changes in welfare caseloads mirror changes in employment rates of single women, which rose to 76.5 percent in 1998–1999 from 67.5 percent in 1989–1990. After a recession early in the decade, the economy experienced the longest economic expansion in U.S. history beginning in March 1991, with GDP growing for 120 consecutive months. The unemployment rate fell to 4.0 percent in 2000, its lowest level since 1969. With the strong economy, state and federal budgets prospered. The good fiscal climate and the funding and flexibility of TANF allowed many states to expand child-care benefits, health insurance, and transportation services for low-income families and to change welfare rules so that recipients could keep a greater share of earned income than was previously the case. The overwhelming majority of pre-TANF welfare waivers and current state TANF plans employ one or more of the following building blocks: mandatory employment services, earnings supplements, and time limits on welfare receipt. There is a considerable amount of emerging evidence that these changes along with the strong economy and expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) increased employment of low-skilled families (see e.g., Dan Bloom and Charles Michalopoulos, 2001; Jeffrey Grogger, 2001; Hotz et al., 2001; Bruce Meyer and Dan T. Rosenbaum, 2001.) Yet if history is any guide to the future, state policymakers facing deteriorating fiscal climates will contemplate cutting welfare benefits. This paper summarizes results from a larger paper (Hotz et al., 2002) in which we analyze data from an experimental evaluation of welfare reform in California during the early part of the 1990’s. Starting in 1991, California experienced a severe economic downturn. Prompted by the very weak state economy and sharply rising welfare caseloads, California implemented changes in its Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program that included, among other changes, a 15-percent reduction in the maximum benefits provided to families on aid. We exploit these data to assess the impact of these changes on the employment, labor-market earnings, and levels of disposable income for low-income households. Because this experiment was run for almost six years, we are also able to assess the long-run effects of the benefit changes. Understanding how welfare reforms, especially benefit reductions, affect employment and financial resources available to poor households is important, given the goal of work-based welfare reforms to move these families toward economic self-sufficiency.
Hazardous ranges of laser beams and their reflections from targets

The hazardous range of laser beams and their reflections from surfaces must be known when one uses lasers outdoors in areas where individuals could be exposed above the applicable exposure limits. In this paper, we describe formulas that can be used to calculate these hazardous ranges, and a few experimental data are presented that indicate the validity of the formulas and the underlying assumptions. The hazardous range depends on the laser parameters, the exposure limit, the atmospheric attenuation, the distance between the laser and reflector, the dimensions of the reflector, the angle of incidence on the reflector, and the surface parameters such as the reflection coefficient and flatness of the surface. The hazardous range of some commonly used lasers by the U.S. Army extends from 5 to 25 km for unaided viewing.
Symbolic polynomial operations with APL

A recursive calculation of polynomial coefficients is used to demonstrate how functions performing polynomial algebra and differentiation may be written concisely in Iverson notation and executed by an on-line, time-sharing implementation of APL. These functions will operate on symbolic polynomials with constant coefficients and display in a superscripted format results having up to 116 variables.
Vertical transport of a field-released genetically engineered microorganism through soil

The vertical movement of a genetically-engineered bacterium released into a sub-surface soil contained within a lysimeter was investigated. The strain used was Pseudomonas fluorescens HK44, a lux-based microbe capable of bioremediating specific polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Strain HK44 was inoculated into a 4 m deep by 2.5 m diameter soil lysimeter outfitted with a hydraulic assembly to control groundwater levels. After 230 days, the lysimeter was subjected to a water table manipulation that resulted in significant transport of HK44 cells to depths 60 cm below the original inoculation zone within 20 days. A lysimeter not exposed to water level fluctuations exhibited no significant vertical transport. These results demonstrate the potential distribution of genetically engineered microorganisms in subsurface soil due to groundwater effects.
Basic Language Resources for Diverse Asian Languages: A Streamlined Approach for Resource Creation

The REFLEX-LCTL (Research on English and Foreign Language Exploitation-Less Commonly Taught Languages) program, sponsored by the United States government, was an effort in simultaneous creation of basic language resources and technologies for under-resourced languages, with the aim to enrich sparse areas in language technology resources and encourage new research. We were tasked to produce basic language resources for 8 Asian languages: Bengali, Pashto, Punjabi, Tamil, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu and Uzbek, and 5 languages from Europe and Africa, and distribute them to research and development also funded by the program. This paper will discuss the streamlined approach to language resource development we designed to support simultaneous creation of multiple resources for multiple languages.
Computer intervention impact on psychosocial adaptation of rural women with chronic conditions.

Background Adapting to living with chronic conditions is a life-long psychosocial challenge. Objective The purpose of this study was to report the effect of a computer intervention on the psychosocial adaptation of rural women with chronic conditions. Methods A two-group study design was used with 309 middle-aged, rural women who had chronic conditions, randomized into either a computer-based intervention or a control group. Data were collected at baseline, at the end of the intervention, and 6 months later on the psychosocial indicators of social support, self-esteem, acceptance of illness, stress, depression, and loneliness. Results The impact of the computer-based intervention was statistically significant for five of six of the psychosocial outcomes measured, with a modest impact on social support. The largest benefits were seen in depression, stress, and acceptance. Discussion The women-to-women intervention resulted in positive psychosocial responses that have the potential to contribute to successful management of illness and adaptation. Other components of adaptation to be examined are the impact of the intervention on illness management and quality of life and the interrelationships among environmental stimuli, psychosocial response, and illness management.
Age and temperature of shock metamorphism of Martian meteorite Los Angeles from (U-Th)/He thermochronometry

Mineralogic features attributed to impact-induced shock metamorphism are commonly observed in meteorites and terrestrial impact craters. Partly because the duration of shock metamorphism is very short, constraining the timing and temperature of shock events has been problematic. We measured (U-Th)/He ages of single grains of merrillite and chlorapatite from the Martian meteorite Los Angeles (LA). Merrillite and chlorapatite ages cluster at 3.28 6 0.15 Ma (2s) and 2.18 6 0.19 (2s) Ma, respectively. The mean age of the merrillites, which are larger than chlorapatites, is indistinguishable from cosmic-ray exposure ages (3.1 6 0.2 Ma), suggesting that impact-induced shock metamorphism was coeval with ejection of the LA precursor from Mars. To constrain the initial temperature of shock metamorphism in the LA precursor body, we modeled diffusive loss of He from merrillite as a function of diffusion domain size, LA precursor body size, and ablation depth. From these calculations, we suggest that the metamorphic temperature of the shock event was higher than 450 8C. These results support the idea that shock pressures of the Martian meteorite Shergotty were higher than 45 GPa, as inferred from the presence of post-stishovite SiO2 polymorphs. Single-grain (U-Th)/He dating of phosphates may provide unique constraints on the timing and pressure-temperature dynamics of shock metamorphism in a wide variety of extraterrestrial materials.
Determination of the solar cell equation parameters, including series resistance, from empirical data

Four equations are derived to determine approximate values of the parameters in the solar cell equation. The required empirical data consists of values for Voe, he, Vrn, Ira, and the slope of the I-V characteristic at he, taken from a single I-V curve at a single intensity. Trial cases have produced fits with an r.m.s, deviation of 0.4-3.6 per cent, with a worst-case single point error of +11 "5 per cent. The approximate parameters may be subsequently improved by an iterative trial-and-error process, to derive the best possible parameter values to the solar-cell equation under consideration. The process readily produces reasonably accurate values of the cell series resistance, R#, and the junction recombination factor, n. For convenience in solar array power calculations, an approximate explicit equation for I (V) is derived.
Non-elliptic elastic materials and the modeling of elastic-plastic behavior for finite deformation

For illustrative purposes this paper treats a special problem in the theory of finite deformations of elastic materials whose associated displacement equations of equilibrium do not remain elliptic at all strains. The typical deformation arising in this problem possesses a discontinuous gradient, so that quasi-static motions involving such equilibrium states may be dissipative. For a special class of such “non-elliptic” elastic materials, it is shown that the macroscopic response in the problem treated may be precisely of the form associated with elastic—perfectly plastic behavior. The counterparts of yield, plastic strain and plastic strain rate are determined by the underlying elastic strain energy function.
Boundary Layer Transition Under High Free-Stream Turbulence and Strong Acceleration Conditions: Part 1—Mean Flow Results

Measurements from heated boundary layers along a concave-curved test wall subject to high (initially 8 percent) free-stream turbulence intensity and strong (K = (v/U 2 ∞) dU∞ /dx) as high as 9 x 10 -6 ) acceleration are presented and discussed. Conditions for the experiments were chosen to roughly simulate those present on the downstream half of the pressure side of a gas turbine airfoil. Mean velocity and temperature profiles as well as skin friction and heat transfer coefficients are presented. The transition zone is of extended length in spite of the high free-stream turbulence level. Transitional values of skin friction coefficients and Stanton numbers drop below flat-plate, low-free-stream-turbulence, turbulent flow, correlations, but remain well above laminar flow values. The mean velocity and temperature profiles exhibit clear changes in shape as the flow passes through transition. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first detailed documentation of a high-free-stream-turbulence boundary layer flow in such a strong acceleration field.
Lowest T = 2 states in 20Ne and 24Mg

Abstract Precise values for the excitation energies of the lowest T = 2 states in 20Ne and 24Mg have been obtained. These states are strongly populated in the 18O(3He, n) and 22Ne(3He, n) reactions. The angular distributions are well described by DWBA double stripping theory.
The Structure of Yttrialite and Its Identification Using Laboratory and Synchrotron-Based Powder X-Ray Diffraction

A highly crystalline sample of the impurity stabilized phase y-Y2Si2O7, generally known as yttrialite, has been formed from the melt of a glass with a nominal composition of 62(SiO2)–10(Al2O3)–28(Y2O3) mol%. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns were collected using in-house instrumentation and the 11-BM diffractometer at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL. Rietveld refinements were carried out on the patterns using two structural models. On patterns collected using in-house instrumentation the correct structure assignment was difficult to determine; however, the extremely high-quality data afforded by the 11-BM instrument showed conclusively that the sample was found to crystallize in the monoclinic system (SG=P21/m) with lattice parameters a=5.03032(6), b=8.06892(6), c=7.33620(6) A, and β=108.673(1). Furthermore, simulations have shown that it is likely that this structure model can be used to describe natural yttrialite or yttrialite that is formed at low temperatures, though the possibility that such materials are paracrystalline is also discussed.
Eclectica, June 2010

Vascular calcification in its intimal (atherosclerotic) and medial (Monckeberg calcinosis) forms is much more common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), occurs at a younger age, and correlates with the high rates of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in this population. Elevated levels of inorganic phosphorous gain access to the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) of the arteries via a sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter, thereby triggering increased expression of alkaline phosphatase and a bone specific transcription factor, core binding factor alpha-1 (Cbfa-1) which induces osteoblastic transformation of VSMC which in turn begin to lay down hydroxyapatite, a form of calcium phosphate, in the arterial wall. These events are also associated with upregulation of osteocalcin, an important non collagenous bone matrix protein which regulates mineralization. Investigators have been examining various mechanisms that may retard this process of vascular calcification, which brings us to a consideration of heme, a ubiquitous ironcontaining molecule crucial for aerobic life; it induces the synthesis of heme oxygenase (HO-1), a rate limiting enzyme of heme catabolism which cleaves the porphyrin ring to form biliverdin and carbon monoxide, thus releasing free redox iron; the biliverdin is later reduced to bilirubin. Heme also induces the formation of the storage protein ferritin, a 450 kD shell that stores up to 4,500 iron atoms in a non toxic form, and has a heavy (H) and a light (L) chain; the latter chain being important not only for incorporating iron but also in diminishing oxidative tissue damage from ferrous iron. All of which brings us to the interesting experiments conducted by Zarjou et al. They raised human aortic smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in a high phosphorus culture medium and noted that the cells began to lay down calcium. Ferritin heavy chain and to a much lesser extent biliverdin, inhibited osteoblastic differentiation of VSMC and calcification; the iron chelator desferroxamine blocked this effect of ferritin, and a mutant form of ferritin lacking the ferroxidase activity could not reproduce the anticalcification effects of normal ferritin. Likewise ceruloplasmin, a molecule quite different from ferritin but also possessing ferroxidase activity, also inhibited calcification. Furthermore, the phosphorous-induced osteoblastic differentiation of VSMC, measured by the upregulation of Cbfa-1, alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin, was also inhibited by ferritin/ferroxidase activity. The authors conclude that the HO-1/ferritin system blocks the phosphorous mediated osteoblastic transformation of VSMC and subsequent calcification, and hope that their findings offer a promise of clinical application. J Am Soc Nephrol20:1254
ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF SYNAPTIC ENDINGS IN CULTURES OF MAMMALIAN CENTRAL NERVOUS TISSUE.

Synapses were found in rat cerebellar and brainstem cultures with the electron microscope. Three distinct types of synaptic terminals were described. The similarity between synapses found in vitro and in vivo was emphasized.
Quality of Life and Severity of Symptoms in Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease: a Clinical Review

My purpose is to review the quality of life (QoL) instruments used in the assessment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and assess the effects of GORD on quality of life. Many instruments have been used in the assessment of quality of life in patients with GORD, and these have varied both in quality and purpose. In general, the choice of instrument depends on its purpose. Several investigators, using generic quality of life instruments, have shown that GORD significantly reduces QoL, and its effects are comparable with those of congestive heart failure. However, these generic instruments do not seem to be sensitive enough to measure the effects of treatments on GORD. For this, disease-specific instruments are more appropriate. Both medical and surgical treatment has been shown to improve QoL. The choice of instrument is entirely dependent on the investigator's reason for measuring QoL in GORD patients.
Simplified technique for correction of anomalous origin of left coronary artery from the anterior aortic sinus

Anomalous origin of the left main coronary artery from the right anterior coronary sinus has been associated with high incidence of sudden death in young adults. We describe a simplified approach to this rare congenital anomaly, which avoids the need for commissural post resuspension or relocation of the coronary button.
Accelerated spectral domain approach for shielded microstrip lines by approximating summation with super convergent series

In this paper, a novel accelerated spectral domain approach (SDA) using few basis has been used to obtain very accurate and quick solution for propagation constant (β) for shielded microstrip lines. The convergence of the elements of the Galerkin matrix is achieved by leading term extraction using asymptotic expansions for the Bessel's and the Green's functions and the summation of the leading terms is approximated with a super convergent series. This approach results in highly accurate results for the effective permittivity without the need for numerical integration or evaluating complex coefficients.
External-cavity diode laser using a grazing-incidence diffraction grating

An external cavity has been developed for use with commercial diode lasers. It uses a diffraction grating at grazing incidence for wavelength selection and output coupling. This configuration allows a GaAlAs diode laser to be tuned conveniently anywhere in a range greater than 20 nm. Also, the linewidth is reduced by a factor of more than 1000 from 40 MHz to less than 10 kHz. The new laser system should be useful for high-resolution spectroscopy, laser cooling of atoms, time standards, and coherent optical communications.
Automatic Generation Control Structure for Smart Power Grids

Smart power grids with high penetration of intermittent, nondispatchable distributed energy resources (ING), and cyber networks with real-time pricing require new tools for automatic generation control (AGC). The main drawbacks of the intermittency are increased use of expensive spinning reserves, normally gas-fired units, and wear and tear of thermal units because of pulsating turbine valves of steam units for load regulation. This paper presents a new AGC structure to overcome the drawback of intermittency in smart power grids. The constant pressure steam (CPS), hydro, and variable pressure steam (VPS) units are controlled to follow low frequency load dynamic based on a one-step ahead load target. The distributed community storage (DCS) together with load dynamic response (DR) and aggregated DRs as virtual generator (DR/VG) assets are used to control high-frequency load fluctuations. The INGs and nuclear units are used as base loads.
Underestimation of cyclic 3',5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity by a radioisotopic assay using an anionic-exchange resin.

Abstract The anionic-exchange resin technique utilizing isotopically labeled cyclic AMP (or cyclic GMP) and an auxiliary enzyme, 5′-nucleotidase, for the assay of phosphodiesterase (Thompson, M. J., and Appleman, M. M. (1971) Biochemistry10, 311) does not accurately measure the enzyme activity due to adsorption of the product (adenosine or guanosine) by the resin. Binding of adenosine or guanosine by the resin may lead to an underestimation of phosphodiesterase activity. Under comparable conditions, adsorption of guanosine by the resin is much larger than that of adenosine. Consequently, cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activity is underestimated more than cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity.
Separation and microgram-scale isolation of sea urchin egg granules by electrophoresis in polyvinylpyrrolidone solution, using horizontal gel electrophoresis apparatus with fluorescence detector.

A homogenate of sea urchin (Lytechinus pictus) eggs rich in exocytotic membrane vesicles (granules) was subjected to analytical and preparative electrophoresis in the commercial automated horizontal gel electrophoresis apparatus (HPGE-1000, LabIntelligence, Belmont, CA) capable of intermittent scanning of the migration path, using buffered solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The nonfluorescent granules were detected by “fluorescence reduction”, i.e., a decrease of fluorescence intensity due to the absorbance and/or light scattering properties of the particle. Granules migrated at linear migration rates in buffers ranging from 0 to 2.5% PVP. Two bands were observed and optimally separated in 1.5% PVP solution. As shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polypeptide patterns, the material recovered from the bands was qualitatively indistinguishable from the two major fractions A and C of granules previously separated by free-flow electrophoresis in the absence of polymer. Ferguson plot analysis failed to provide the sizes of the granules in view of the narrow PVP concentration range available for mobility measurement and the unavailability of chemically homogeneous size standards.
Designing Linear Optical Components

Though we have many useful linear optical components, like lenses, mirrors and gratings, as well as opportunities with microand nano-fabrication for new devices, we have not known how to design “legal” optics.
Road map to a patient-centered research agenda at the intersection of hospital medicine and geriatric medicine

As the United States ages, the patient population in acute care hospitals is increasingly older and more medically complex. Despite evidence of a high burden of disease, high costs, and often poor outcomes of care, there is limited understanding of the presentation, diagnostic strategies, and management of acute illness in older adults. In this paper, we present a strategy for the development of a research agenda at the intersection of hospital and geriatric medicine. This approach is informed by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) framework for identification and prioritization of research areas, emphasizing input from patients and caregivers. The framework’s four components are: 1) Topic generation, 2) Gap Analysis in Systematic Review, 3) Value of information (VOI) analysis, and 4) Peer Review. An inclusive process for topic generation requiring the systematic engagement of multiple stakeholders, especially patients, is emphasized. In subsequent steps, researchers and stakeholders prioritize research topics in order to identify areas that optimize patient-centeredness, population impact, impact on clinical decision making, ease of implementation, and durability. Finally, next steps for dissemination of the research agenda and evaluation of the impact of the patient-centered research prioritization process are described.
Radical Railbanking and Scenarios for Detroit

Over the past several decades, the use of geodemographic data has become common in the regulation of urban land use and development.1 City planning commissions use geodemography to aid in the imple...
What's in a polaron?

ABSTRACT We apply the techniques of energy band theory to the analysis of polaron structure in ordered materials. Ourinterest is in the fact that the local structure of polarons involves information drawn from a large number of delocalized eigenstates. Polaron Wannier states are proposed as localized functions in which polaron structure is manifest. Examples of polaron Wannier states are constructed explicitly and their basic properties explained. It is perhaps a truism that the complex nature of polaron dynamics follows from the complex nature of polaron structure; as a quasiparticle blending electronic and vibrational properties in a single excitation, the polaron canshow a number of different faces depending on intrinsic material properties such as electronic and vibrationalband structure, and extrinsic factors such as applied fields. In practice, however, we often speak of polarons incasual terms, skirting what are surely formal difficulties in order to focus on practical issues. This is possiblebecause in practice, what is of greatest interest often is not the polaron at all, but the electron within it. Thatis, for many purposes it is possible to view the polaron as a kind of "bus" that electrons board at some point ofembarkation and ride to some destination of interest.
Effects of caloric restriction on brain-reactive antibodies in sera of old mice

Various studies have demonstrated that under-feeding in both premature and young mature animals may extend the life span as well as better preserve the functions of the immune system. The effects of such dietary restriction on old animals did not only appear beneficial, but proved even detrimental in some studies. Previous study on the effects of controlled dietary restriction on young mice (3 mos) carried out for 12 months showed a marked inhibition of the brain.reactive antibodies (BRA) in their sera. The present paper is an extension of the previous study and deals with the effects of caloric restriction for a period of 3 months on the formation of brain.reactive antibodies (BRA) in old mice (24 mos). The serum levels of BRA were not significantly altered in the dietary animals compared to the control animals of the same age and sex, although these animals, as in the previous study, maintained significantly lower weights of the total body as well as various organs including the brain, spleen, adrenals, thymus and kidneys. The study supports the earlier observations that dietary restriction is most beneficial in very early age before the age-related deterioration of the immune system has occurred and probably cannot reverse the changes already taken place.
Impact of pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Abstract The clinical course of 75 males subjected to radical prostatectomy after pelvic lymphadenectomy were compared with that of 29 males receiving radical prostatectomy without lymphadenectomy. The adverse survival impact of positive pelvic nodes and the impact of pelvic lymphadenectomy are discussed.
Heterogeneity of patch size in repair replicated DNA in Escherichia coli.

Abstract Repair replication in ultraviolet-irradiated Escherichia coli has been detected by the use of [3H]bromouracil as a density label and then equilibrium sedimentation in isopycnic CsCl gradients to separate the repaired parental DNA from normally replicated DNA. In the use of this assay it has been generally assumed that the patches of repair synthesis are short enough that the incorporated [3H]bromouracil will cause little detectable shift in density of the repaired DNA fragments. However, the repair label is consistently found to be skewed to the denser side of the parental DNA density position, possibly indicating size heterogeneity of the patches. We have now demonstrated such a heterogeneity. Repaired DNA isolated from the parental density regions of neutral CsCl gradients was extensively sheared by sonication to a single-strand molecular weight of 0.5 to 0.8 × 106 daltons. When the resulting fragments were sedimented in an alkaline CsCl gradient, a large fraction of the repair label was found in fragments which banded at density position sintermediate between those of fully bromouracil-labeled and unlabeled strands. Evidence is presented that this density-shift of some sonic fragments is due to the fact that repair replication sometimes produces very large patches. Base-composition analysis of the repaired regions indicates that these large patches must be at least as long as the sonic fragments (i.e. 1500 nucleotides). The possibility that the large patches arise from normal replication is eliminated. A model involving two alternative enzymic repair systems in the excision-repair process is presented to account for the existence of heterogeneity of patch size in repair replication.
Optical Clocks Based on Ultranarrow Three-Photon Resonances in Alkaline Earth Atoms

A sharp resonance line that appears in three-photon transitions between the 1S0 and 3P0 states of alkaline earth and Yb atoms is proposed as an optical frequency standard. This proposal permits the use of the even isotopes, in which the clock transition is narrower than in proposed clocks using the odd isotopes and the energy interval is not affected by external magnetic fields or the polarization of trapping light. With this method, the width and the rate of the clock transition can, in principle, be continuously adjusted from the MHz level to sub-mHz without loss of signal amplitude by varying the intensities of the three optical beams. Doppler and recoil effects can be eliminated by proper alignment of the three optical beams or by point confinement in a lattice trap. Light-shift effects on the clock accuracy can be limited to below a part in 10(18).
Temporal effects of cell adhesion on mechanical characteristics of the single chondrocyte

Cell adhesion to material surfaces is a fundamental phenomenon in tissue response to implanted devices, and an important consideration in tissue engineering. For example, elucidation of phenomena associated with adhesion of chondrocytes to biomaterials is critical in addressing the difficult problem of articular cartilage regeneration. The first objective of this study was to measure the mechanical adhesiveness characteristics of individual rabbit articular chondrocytes as a function of seeding time to provide further understanding of the cell adhesion process. The second objective was to quantify the force required to separate the plasma membrane from the underlying cytoskeleton as a function of seeding time. After culturing chondrocytes on glass coverslips for 1, 2, 4, 6 h, two biomechanical tests were performed on single chondrocytes: (i) mechanical adhesiveness measurement by the cytodetacher; and (ii) plasma membrane tether formation force measurement by optical tweezers. Cell mechanical adhesiveness increased from 231+/-149 Pa at 1 h to 1085+/-211 Pa at 6 h. The cell contact area with the substrata increased from 161+/-52 microm(2) at 1 h to 369+/-105 microm(2) at 6 h. The tether formation force increased from 232+/-23 pN at 1 h to 591+/-17 pN at 6 h. Moreover, fluorescence staining by rhodamine-phalloidin demonstrated the process of actin spreading within the cytoskeleton from 0.5 to 6 h and allowed for measurement of cell height which was found to decrease from 12.3+/-2.9 microm at 0.5 h to 6.2+/-0.9 microm at 6 h.
Cohesive Modeling of Quasi-Static Fracture in Functionally Graded Materials

A spatially varying cohesive failure model is used to simulate quasi-static fracture in functionally graded polymers. A key aspect of this paper is that all mechanical properties and cohesive parameters entering the analysis are derived experimentally from full-scale fracture tests allowing for a fit of only the shape of the cohesive law to experimental data. The paper also summarizes the semi-implicit implementation of the cohesive model into a cohesive-volumetric finite element framework used to predict the quasi-static crack initiation and subsequent propagation in the presence of material gradients.
A novel rearrangement of the adduct from CS-epoxide and dioxan-2-hydroperoxide

Abstract Under mild conditions, nucleophiles add across the cyanide moiety of CS epoxide rather than opening the ring. With hydroxide ion in peroxide-free aqueous dioxan isomeric amides are obtained. Hydrolysis in peroxide containing dioxan affords a novel rearrangement involving carbon—carbon bond fission of the dioxan.
IBM multimedia analysis and retrieval system

IBM Multimedia Analysis and Retrieval System is a Web-based technology that makes digital photos and video searchable through automated classification and indexing.
Abstract 945: Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of primary liver cancer in the United States

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are the two most common histologic types of primary liver cancer. Incidence rates of both HCC and ICC are increasing in the United States. Metabolic syndrome, characterized by increased fasting glucose level, central adiposity, dyslipoproteinemia and hypertension, has been linked with HCC and may also modify the risk of ICC. The magnitude of the association, however, has not been investigated at the population level in the US. We therefore examined the association between metabolic syndrome and the development of both primary liver cancers in the general U.S. population. Methods: All persons aged 65 years and older diagnosed with histologically confirmed HCC and ICC between 1993 and 2005 were identified in the SEER-Medicare linked database. The cases were compared to a 5% sample of individuals residing in the same geographic regions of the SEER registries as the cases. The prevalences of metabolic syndrome and other risk factors for HCC (HBV, HCV, unspecified viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, unspecified cirrhosis, biliary cirrhosis, hemochromatosis, Wilson9s disease, smoking) and ICC (biliary cirrhosis, cholangitis, cholelithiasis, choledochal cysts, HBV, HCV, unspecified viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, non-specified cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn9s disease, ulcerative colitis, smoking) were compared among the persons who developed cancer and the persons who did not. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression. Results: A total of 3,649 HCC cases, 743 ICC cases and 195,953 persons without cancer met the study inclusion criteria. Metabolic syndrome was significantly more common among persons who developed HCC (37.1%) and ICC (29.7%) than among persons who did not (17.1%, p Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for development of both HCC and ICC in the general U.S. population. Given that approximately one-third of U.S. adults have metabolic syndrome, these findings have implications for the future incidence of both HCC and ICC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 945. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-945
Exploring generative models of tripartite graphs for recommendation in social media

As social media sites grow in popularity, tagging has naturally emerged as a method of searching, categorizing and filtering online information, especially multimedia content. The unrestricted vocabulary users choose from to annotate content however, has often lead to an explosion of the size of space in which search is performed. This paper is concerned with investigating generative models of social annotations, and testing their efficiency with respect to two information consumption oriented tasks. One task considers recommending new tags (similarly new resources) for new, previously unknown users. We use perplexity as a standard measure for estimating the generalization performance of a probabilistic model. The second task is aimed at recommending new users to connect with. In this task, we examine which users' activity is most discriminative in predicting social ties: annotation (i.e. tags), resource usage (i.e. artists), or collective annotation of resources altogether. For the second task, we propose a framework to integrate the modeling of social annotations with network proximity. The proposed approach consists of two steps: (1) discovering salient topics that characterize users, resources and annotations; and (2) enhancing the recommendation power of such models by incorporating social clues from the immediate neighborhood of users. In particular, we propose four classification schemes for social link recommendation, which we evaluate on a real--world dataset from Last.fm. Our results demonstrate significant improvements over traditional approaches.