cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wingless signaling regulates the maintenance of ovarian somatic stem cells in Drosophila.

Identifying the signals involved in maintaining stem cells is critical to understanding stem cell biology and to using stem cells in future regenerative medicine. In the Drosophila ovary, Hedgehog is the only known signal for maintaining somatic stem cells (SSCs). Here we report that Wingless (Wg) signaling is also essential for SSC maintenance in the Drosophila ovary. Wg is expressed in terminal filament and cap cells, a few cells away from SSCs. Downregulation of Wg signaling in SSCs through removal of positive regulators of Wg signaling, dishevelled and armadillo , results in rapid SSC loss. Constitutive Wg signaling in SSCs through the removal of its negative regulators, Axin and shaggy , also causes SSC loss. Also, constitutive wg signaling causes over-proliferation and abnormal differentiation of somatic follicle cells. This work demonstrates that wg signaling regulates SSC maintenance and that its constitutive signaling influences follicle cell proliferation and differentiation. In mammals, constitutive β-catenin causes over-proliferation and abnormal differentiation of skin cells, resulting in skin cancer formation. Possibly, mechanisms regulating proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells, including epithelial stem cells, is conserved from Drosophila to man.
Bystander intervention in a Crime: The Effect of a Mass‐media Campaign1

Two field studies investigated bystander intervention by witnesses to a staged shoplifting in a University bookstore. In the first study, a mass-media campaign was successful in communicating information and altering behavioral intentions, but not in increasing actual intervention behavior. A second study attempted to determine whether the low report rate and the relative ineffectiveness of the campaign to alter this rate was due to in-group loyalty between students. The results indicated that although students differentially perceived a nonstudent shoplifter, there was no increase in intervention.
Electron shuttling in electron transfer dissociation

Abstract Ab initio electronic structure calculations have been performed on two model systems containing a disulfide linkage and one or two positively charged sites, aimed at gaining further insight into how and where electrons attach to positively charged peptides under electron capture (ECD) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD) mass spectroscopy conditions. Couplings among electronic states involving (i) an entrance-channel with the excess electron residing on a donor anion interacting with the positively charged peptide, (ii) a state in which the electron has been transferred to the SS σ* orbital to cause bond cleavage, and (iii) a manifold of states in which the electron has been transferred to a ground- or excited-Rydberg orbital on a positive site. The results of this study suggest that specific excited Rydberg states play a key role in effecting electron shuttling to the SS σ* orbital. The excited-Rydberg orbitals close in energy to the SS σ* orbital and with sufficient radial extent to span the distance between the positive site and the SS σ* orbital play the key role. Then, when the anion donor, excited-Rydberg, and SS σ* orbitals achieve spatial proximity and similarity in energies, one can have what is termed here a shuttle of an electron from the donor to the SS σ* orbital, which results in SS bond cleavage. For the singly and doubly charged systems studied here, it was the 3p and 3d Rydberg orbitals, respectively, that met these criteria of spatial and energetic proximity. For other peptides having different charge states, it will be other Rydberg orbitals that meet these criteria because the relative energies of the SS σ* and Rydberg orbitals are governed by the (different) Coulomb stabilizations these orbitals experience. However, the evidence suggests that it is not very high-energy Rydberg states but states with 3
Computer-aided diagnosis for detection of lung nodules on thin-section CT

Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) provides a computer output as a "second opinion" in order to assist radiologists in the diagnosis of various diseases on medical images. Currently, a significant research effort is being devoted to the detection and characterization of lung nodules in thin-section computed tomography (CT) images, which represents one of the newest directions of CAD development in thoracic imaging. We describe in this article the current status of the development and evaluation of CAD schemes for the detection of lung nodules in thin-section CT. We found that current schemes for nodule detection appear to report many false positives, and, therefore, significant efforts are needed in order further to improve the performance levels of current CAD schemes for nodule detection in thin-section CT.
Oral exposure to inorganic mercury alters T lymphocyte phenotypes and cytokine expression in BALB/c mice.

Mercury is a well-recognized health hazard and an environmental contaminant. Mercury modulates immune responses ranging from immune suppression to autoimmunity but the mechanisms responsible for these effects are still unclear. Male BALB/c mice were exposed continuously to 0, 0.3, 1.5, 7.5, or 37.5 ppm mercury in drinking water for 14 days. Body weight was reduced at the highest dose of mercury whereas the relative kidney and spleen weights were significantly increased. The dose range of mercury used did not cause hepatotoxicity as indicated by circulating alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels. Circulating blood leukocytes were elevated in mice treated with the highest dose of mercury. Mercury ranging from 1.5 to 37.5 ppm dose-dependently decreased CD3+ T lymphocytes in spleen; both CD4+ and CD8+ single-positive lymphocyte populations were decreased. Exposure to 7.5 and 37.5 ppm mercury decreased the CD8+ T lymphocyte population in the thymus, whereas double-positive CD4+/CD8+ and CD4+ thymocytes were not altered. Mercury altered the expression of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, and interleukin-12), c-myc, and major histocompatibility complex II, in various organs. Results indicated that a decrease in T lymphocyte populations in immune organs and altered cytokine gene expression may contribute to the immunotoxic effects of inorganic mercury.
Optimal distribution of air pollution sources

The problem of determining the optimal distribution of air pollutant sources in an airshed is defined. Essentially one wishes to allocate a given total quantity of source emissions over an airshed, subject perhaps to prior zoning decisions. Two cases are considered, the first in which the distribution of sources is continuous, and the second in which the source is concentrated at a point. An airshed simulation model which relates emission strengths to atmospheric concentrations is assumed to be available for the airshed. Since the air pollution model may not have a readily available analytical solution, an iterative procedure is necessary in general to solve the optimization problem. Iterative algorithms based on the method of steepest descent are developed for the continuous distribution and point source cases. A simple example of optimally locating an infinite crosswind, ground-level line source is presented.
The effect of trichlorethylene on the human, canine, and rabbit electrocardiogram

Abstract Although trichlorethylene has been used in the treatment of angina pectoris, 1, 2 its action on the cardiovascular system has not been extensively investigated. Only two short reports dealing with its cardiovascular effects are available, 3, 4 and both came from the same group of workers. Since trichlorethylene may be useful in the prevention and treatment of angina pectoris, an extensive study of its action was undertaken. In this paper the electrocardiographic changes produced by the administration of trichlorethylene to human, canine, and rabbit subjects are reported.
The Making of a Catholic President: Kennedy vs. Nixon 1960

The Making of a Catholic President: Kennedy vs. Nixon 1960, by Shaun A. Casey, Oxford University Press: New York, 2009, xii + 261pp. ISBN 978 0 19 537448 3, US$27.95 (hbk) In the presidential campa...
Explaining the Recent Upturn in Divorce in Indonesia: Developmental Idealism and the Effect of Political Change

Abstract Divorce trends in Indonesia during the latter half of the 20th century provide an interesting contrast to Western societies. While the social forces associated with modernisation resulted in a dramatic rise in divorce in Western societies, the process of modernisation produced an equally dramatic decline in divorce in Indonesia. Recent evidence, however, suggests that the divorce trends have reversed direction in Indonesia, and the divorce rate has begun to rise. The purpose of this paper is to present both statistical evidence of a possible rise in divorce and qualitative evidence of possible changes in reasons for divorce. The statistical evidence is based on five rounds of the Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 1987 and 2007. Qualitative evidence comes from interviews with marriage registrars, court officials, and other informed community members.
Lymphocyte-dependent ‘natural’ immunity to virus infections mediated by both natural killer cells and memory T cells

Abstract The replication and dissemination of viruses in the host can be retarded at early stages of infection by lymphocytes not previously exposed to the invading pathogen. Natural killer (NK) cells responding to virus-induced cytokines can mediate profound antiviral effects. Studies with murine cytomegalovirus suggest that NK cells may mediate anti-viral functions by different mechanisms in different organs. T cells may also mediate a rapidly-inducible natural immunity against viral infections. A subpopulation of memory T cells specific for one infectious agent may be stimulated through crossreactive determinants encoded by a heterologous infectious agent and thereby play an active role in the early host response to infection. This heterologous T cell-dependent ‘natural’ immunity may in part be due to the liberation of antiviral cytokines such as interferon γ, as there is much higher production of this cytokine early in infection in mice immune and previously exposed to heterologous infectious agents. Thus, both NK cells and memory T cells may act early in infection to delay the spread of virus, allowing time for high affinity antigen-specific responses to develop and cure the host of infection.
Construction of SV40 deletion mutants and delimitation of the binding domain for heat shock protein to the amino terminus of large T-antigen

SV40 large T-antigen (T-ag) mutants were generated using a cassette mutagenesis strategy and naturally occurring restriction sites. T-ag mutant constructs included internal in-frame deletions, frame-shift deletions that resulted in amino-terminal fragments, and internal initiation mutants that produced carboxy-terminal fragments; no foreign amino acids were introduced. The deletion mutants were stably expressed in BALB/c 3T3E cells and were analyzed for ability to bind heat shock cognate protein 70 using an ATP release assay of T-ag immunoprecipitates. Complex formation between heat shock protein and T-ag was independent of p53 involvement. The heat shock protein binding domain was narrowed to the amino-terminal 97 amino acids of T-ag, with the first 29 residues influencing the interaction. The amino-terminal domain of T-ag is important in both viral replication and cell transformation. We propose that the functional interactions of this highly interactive region of T-ag may be modulated by heat shock cognate protein 70.
Simulation-based Uniform Value Function Estimates of Markov Decision Processes

The value function of a Markov decision process (MDP) assigns to each policy its expected discounted reward. This expected reward can be estimated as the empirical average of the reward over many independent simulation runs. We derive bounds on the number of runs needed for the uniform convergence of the empirical average to the expected reward for a class of policies, in terms of the Vapnik-Chervonenkis or P-dimension of the policy class. Further, we show through a counterexample that whether we get uniform convergence or not for an MDP depends on the simulation method used. Uniform convergence results are also obtained for the average-reward case, for partially observed Markov decision processes, and can be easily extended to Markov games. The results can be viewed as a contribution to empirical process theory and as an extension of the probably approximately correct (PAC) learning theory for partially observable MDPs and Markov games.
Evaluation of two oral baiting systems for wild rodents.

Tetracycline hydrochloride (TC)-treated peanut butter or rodent chow baits were distributed during March 1990, on separate 0.53 ha sites in Oglethorpe County, Georgia (USA). Rodents were trapped on a control site prior to bait distribution and on two baited sites 6 days post-distribution. Cleaned skulls from euthanized mammals were grossly examined for TC florescence using an ultraviolet (UV) light. Mandibles were sectioned and examined for TC fluorescence using an ultraviolet light microscope. All 21 cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus), four eastern harvest mice (Rithrodontomys humulis), and two golden mice (Ochrotomys nuttalli) captured on the control site were negative for TC fluorescence. On the peanut butter bait site, mandible sections from 29 of 32 (91%) cotton rats, three of three (100%) eastern harvest mice, two of three (66%) golden mice, zero of five (0%) white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), one of three (33%) short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda), and zero of two (0%) least shrews (Cryptoti...
Evidence for thyrocalcitonin in man.

Summary and conclusionsThe response to a hypercalcemic stimulus was studied in normal subjects and in treated hypo thyroid patients. There was no difference between the groups in the fasting plasma calcium or the plasma calcium increment immediately following the calcium infusion. However, the disappearance of the plasma calcium increment was markedly prolonged in the treated hypo-thyroid patients. These observations are interpreted as indirect evidence for the presence and homeostatic function of thyrocalcitonin in man, and a deficiency of thyrocalcitonin in patients with reduced or absent functional thyroid tissue. The full physiological significance of thyrocalcitonin in human calcium homeostasis is not clear.
Salutary effects of estrogen receptor-β agonist on lung injury after trauma-hemorrhage

Although 17β-estradiol (E2) administration after trauma-hemorrhage attenuates lung injury in male rodents, it is not known whether the salutary effects are mediated via estrogen receptor (ER)-α or ...
Mirrorless optical bistability in a spacially distributed collection of two-level systems

Abstract We use a fully quantum, many-body treatment to show mirrorless optical bistability in terms of spatial properties among interacting two-level systems.
Reduced self-expansion in current romance and interest in relationship alternatives:

Two studies examined the process by which romantic relationship partners who report lower self-expansion in their relationship come to show greater interest in their alternatives. We tested predictions based on the alternatives literature in which lacking relationship-derived self-expansion would lead to failures of motivational bias (i.e., devaluing attractive alternatives) and perceptual bias (i.e., failing to notice attractive alternatives) to influence perceptions of alternatives. We conducted two cross-sectional studies, one designed to test failure of the motivational bias and one the perceptual bias. Results supported the predictions, indicating that both biases fail to operate in individuals whose current romantic relationship provides insufficient self-expansion. We discuss implications for relationship outcomes, as well as for the theoretical understanding of alternatives.
Effect of heat treatment on microcrack healing behavior of a machinable dental ceramic.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of annealing in air on the crack healing behavior of a machinable dental ceramic (Vita Mark II). The glass transition temperature and the softening point were determined by dilatometry. Polished Vita Mark II blocks (n = 12) were indented with a Vickers indenter under a 9.8 N load. Optical micrographs were taken immediately after indentation, and the crack lengths were measured. The specimens were annealed at 900°C for either 30 min, 1 h, or 2 h. One group was indented and heat treated at 400°C for 2 h as control. The ratio of crack length after annealing to crack length before annealing treatment was calculated for each indentation. Scanning electron microscopy was performed before and after annealing at 900°C for 1 h. Scanning electron microscopy revealed shortening and blunting of the cracks after annealing. Annealing in air at 900°C for either 30 min, 1 or 2 h significantly reduced the mean crack length of an indented machinable dental ceramic compared to the control group. However, the mean biaxial flexural strength was not significantly affected by an annealing treatment. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res (Appl Biomater) 48: 791–796, 1999
A phylogenetic analysis of the tropidurine lizards (Squamata: Tropiduridae), including new characters of squamation and epidermal microstructure

Abstract Characters of scale surface microstructure are combined with «traditional» morphological characters in a phylogenetic analysis of the Tropidurini. Tropidurid lizards show variation in types of coarse and fine scale surface microstructure, in the anatomical distribution of different scale surface features, and in scale organ morphology and distribution. The morphology of the inner surface zone of scales is here described for the first time using scanning electron microscopy. Our phylogeny differs considerably from those proposed in earlier studies. New characters and frequency coding of polymorphic characters help resolve the problematic relationships of several species. Statistical confidence supports recognition of one large cis-Andean and one large trans-Andean clade of species. Based on our results, we synonymize Plesiomicrolophus with Microlophus and Uranoscodon with Tropidurus . The phylogenetic relationships of newly discovered Tropidurus are resolved T. callathelys is the sister species of T. melanopleurus T. xanthochilus is the sister species of T. spinulosus. Tropidurus spinulosus is found to be more closely related to T. strobilurus and a clade of Amazonian species than to T. melanopleurus . The species previously placed in Uracentron are more closely related to species previously placed in Plica than to T. strobilurus as previously thought.
Model-based understanding of uncertain observational data for oil spill tracking

Oil spill tracking is essential in oil spill clean-up. Usually, the oil spill tracking is treated by employing a mathematical oil spill model which describes the fate and transport behavior of an oil-spill. Before a model can predict where the spilled oil will go in the future, it must have a reasonably accurate understanding about what happened in the past. Typically, the input to the model such as wind, current, etc. is unreliable or sometimes not completely available so that interpolating the past behavior of an oil spill becomes extremely difficult. In this paper, we regard the oil spill tracking as a control problem in which we reduce the errors between the oil observations and the model outputs by iteratively adjusting the model inputs and cope with the uncertainty of the model inputs by using fuzzy logic techniques. Through the process, we can construct a plausible history of the oil spill that is consistent with our observations and can be effectively extrapolated into the future. >
Secure Fingerprint Matching with Generic Local Structures

In this work we evaluate the performance of generic local structures as template points for secure fingerprint matching. We present a generic template structure called an n-gon that derives from a set of n neighboring minutiae points. We secure templates consisting of sets of n-gons using the fuzzy vault construct to obfuscate the data. We report the matching performance of our system in terms of the ZeroFAR for comparison with other systems. We also briefly describe a keyed version of our system for comparison with secure systems that utilize a secret user key.
Mathematics is a profession

It makes little sense to discuss future directions in applied mathematics without emphasizing similar opportunities and challenges in mathematics as a whole. A few decades ago, someone who should have known better wrote an article entitled “Applied mathematics is bad mathematics.” Nowadays, clearer thinking sometimes prevails. On one hand, it is clear that applied mathematicians have to be very good mathematicians. The reason for this is simple; applied mathematics tends to be interdisciplinary and one can’t do great interdisciplinary research without having core competency in a discipline in the first place. On the other hand, with the end of the Cold Wax and the evaporation of the longstanding rationale for national support of research, a grander debate between the relative merits of basic and applied research has subsumed any serious discussion about pure versus applied mathematics. Finally, the world is changing and mathematics, as one of the ways humans describe the world, will change as well. Henceforth, I won’t distinguish between pure and applied mathematics.
A recipe for evaluating and differentiating cos p expressions

We present a simple recipe for calculating and differentiating cosine of bond angle and dihedral angle expressions. The resulting formulas can be incorporated in a straightforward manner into the bond angle and dihedral angle components of potential energy functions. These formulas rely only on expressions and derivatives of dot products, and, in particular, they avoid cross products as well as excessive Fortran function references. Consequently, the expressions derived in this article can be written compactly and evaluated rapidly.
Equitable partitioning policies for robotic networks

The most widely applied resource allocation strategy is to balance, or equalize, the total workload assigned to each resource. In mobile multi-agent systems, this principle directly leads to equitable partitioning policies in which (i) the workspace is divided into subregions of equal measure, (ii) there is a bijective correspondence between agents and subregions, and (iii) each agent is responsible for service requests originating within its own subregion. In this paper, we provide the first distributed algorithm that provably allows m agents to converge to an equitable partition of the workspace, from any initial configuration, i.e., globally. Our approach is related to the classic Lloyd algorithm, and provides novel insights into the properties of Power Diagrams. Simulation results are presented and discussed.
Korean species of the genus Bisnius Stephens (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Two Korean species of the genus Bisnius Stephens are studied. Bisnius macies (Sharp), found along the seashore of some islands, is introduced for the first time in Korea.
Untersuchungen in der Pyrimidinreihe, XV: Synthese von Pyrimidin‐nucleosiden mit Hilfe der Schmelzkondensationsmethode

Die Synthese von 4-Oxo-3-ribofuranosyl-dihydropyrimidinen durch Schmelzkondensation von 4-Hydroxy-pyrimidin und Tetraacylribose-Derivaten wird beschrieben.
The Daily Profile of Plasma Melatonin in Obese and Prader-Willi Syndrome Children

Daily plasma melatonin profiles were determined by RIA in exogenously obese and Prader-Willi syndrome children. The melatonin RIA was validated for use in human plasma by evaluating melatonin immunoreactivity in the resultant eluate fractions of a high performance liquid chromatogram of a chloroform-extracted pooled human plasma sample. Melatonin immunoreactivity in the plasma profile occurred only in the fraction that corresponded to the chromatographic position of authentic melatonin. Exogenously obese patients had plasma melatonin profiles characterized by low levels during the day (20–30 pg/ml plasma) and high levels at night (65–130 pg/ml plasma). The plasma melatonin profile did not vary as a function of weight or pubertal status. Prader-Willi syndrome patients had similar melatonin profiles to those of exogenously obese patients. Although the Prader-Willi children had a delayed onset of puberty, the plasma melatonin profile was unaltered. These data indicate that plasma melatonin may not play a rol...
Thermodynamic examination of 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loops in RNA and DNA constructs.

Bulge loops are common features of RNA structures that are involved in the formation of RNA tertiary structures and are often sites for interactions with proteins and ions. Minimal thermodynamic data currently exist on the bulge size and sequence effects. Using thermal denaturation methods, thermodynamic properties of 1- to 5-nt adenine and guanine bulge loop constructs were examined in 10 mM MgCl2 or 1 M KCl. The ΔG37∘ loop parameters for 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loops in RNA constructs were between 3.07 and 5.31 kcal/mol in 1 M KCl buffer. In 10 mM magnesium ions, the ΔΔG° values relative to 1 M KCl were 0.47–2.06 kcal/mol more favorable for the RNA bulge loops. The ΔG37∘ loop parameters for 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loops in DNA constructs were between 4.54 and 5.89 kcal/mol. Only 4- and 5-nt guanine constructs showed significant change in stability for the DNA constructs in magnesium ions. A linear correlation is seen between the size of the bulge loop and its stability. New prediction models are proposed for 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loops in RNA and DNA in 1 M KCl. We show that a significant stabilization is seen for small bulge loops in RNA in the presence of magnesium ions. A prediction model is also proposed for 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loop RNA constructs in 10 mM magnesium chloride.
Quark Matter in Astrophysics and Cosmology

We discuss the role of quark matter in astrophysics and cosmology. The implications of the dynamics of the quark-hadron phase transition in the early universe for the element abundances from big gang nucleosynthesis and the composition of the dark matter in the universe are addressed. We discuss the possibility of deciding on an equation of state for high density matter by observing the cooling of a neutron star remnant of SN1987A. Quark matter models for the Centauros events, Cygnus X-3 cosmic ray events, high energy gamma-ray bursts and the solar neutrino problem are described.
The Use of Antidepressants in the Elderly: 1986 and 1989:

Depression is a frequent disorder in the elderly that is often treated with antidepressants. It is generally accepted that, since all antidepressants are equally effective and the elderly are diffe...
Unusual Foraging Tactics by a Red-tailed Hawk in an Urban Environment

Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) usually hunt from a perch and swoop down on prey. I observed a novel foraging strategy in which the bird deliberately, and successfully, attacked and deconstructed nests of squirrels to flush or capture prey in an urban environment.
Discrimination and Avoidance Reactions towards Predatory and Nonpredatory Fish by Blacknose Dace, Rhinichthys atratulus (Pisces: Cyprinidae)

and Summary The hypothesis that blacknose dace Rhinichthys atratulus discriminate between piscivorous creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus and nonpiscivorous common suckers Catostomus commersoni was tested in a seminatural, artificial stream. Dace avoided the nonpredatory suckers less than they did the predatory chub, which they avoided during both day and night. However, dace significantly avoided the nonpredator at night. Further, experienced and inexperienced dace avoided the nonpredator similarly, suggesting that they had not learned to discriminate predator from nonpredator in their natural habitat. These results are consistent with two hypotheses (1) that individuals varied in ability to discriminate predatory from nonpredatory fishes, and (2) that the predator was more active than the nonpredator, thereby “frightening” the dace more. At temperatures of < 6°C the nonpredator was inactive and dace no longer avoided it at night, but continued to avoid the active chub, suggesting that movement constituted part of the avoidance-releasing stimulus. Because dace avoided nonpredators, they may waste time in natural streams avoiding harmless fish. It is suggested that the dace cannot afford the risk of a mistaken identity, which may be high in the stream environment, and selection favors those that avoid all large, moving fish.
DNA Priming Prior to Inactivated Influenza A(H5N1) Vaccination Expands the Antibody Epitope Repertoire and Increases Affinity Maturation in a Boost-Interval–Dependent Manner in Adults

DNA priming improves the response to inactivated influenza A(H5N1) vaccination. We compared the immunogenicity of an H5 DNA prime (using strain A/Indonesia/5/2005) followed by an H5N1 monovalent inactivated vaccine boost at 4, 8, 12, 16, or 24 weeks to that of 2 doses of H5N1 monovalent inactivated vaccine in adults. Antibody epitope repertoires were elucidated by genome-fragment phage-display library analysis, and antibody avidities for HA1 and HA2 domains were measured by surface plasmon resonance. H5 DNA priming expanded the H5-specific antibody epitope repertoire and enhanced antibody avidity to the HA1 (but not the HA2) domain in an interval-dependent manner. Enhanced HA1 binding and avidity after an interval of ≥12 weeks between prime and boost correlated with improved neutralization of homologous and heterologous H5N1 strains. Clinical trials registration NCT01086657.
Statistical study of on-chip spiral inductors using integral equation based full- wave electromagnetic analysis

This paper presents a statistical study of the various parameters of interest of an on- chip spiral inductor in the 10 GHz range using the PMCHWT formulation [1]. Variability in the conductivity of the CMOS grade Silicon substrate and trace metal widths are assumed. We show that EM analysis of these inductors can accurately help in understanding the impact of process variations especially at high frequencies. The use of the PMCHWT formulation also permits analysis of the electrical properties of the substrate that are particularly important at higher clock and carrier frequencies. To enable fast extraction of statistics, a simple 2D Lagrange interpolation technique is used to approximate the surfaces of the quantities of interest and then a Montecarlo operation is carried out on the interpolated 2D polynomial. We extract the probability density functions (PDFs) of the effective resistance (R), the inductance (L) and the quality factor (Q) of a spiral on a lossy Silicon substrate.
Richard Lynn and the evolution of conscientiousness

Abstract The scientific style of Lynn is described and includes his tenacity combined with his creativity, his research intuition, and his ability to politely correct the scientifically incorrect. His empirical and theoretical contributions to conscientiousness as a function of intelligence, race, and psychopathic personality in an evolutionary context are described and discussed. This is related to his work on pigmentocracy and to recent research showing more aggression in dark animals and humans. Suggestions for measurement of psychopathic personalities are offered.
Final Report of the FOPE II Education of the Pediatrician Workgroup

This report from the FOPE II Education of the Pediatrician Workgroup assesses the current status and future trends of pediatric education. The attributes of each level of the education process (undergraduate, residency, fellowship, continuing medical education (CME)) are considered within the framework of lifelong learning. The pediatric education of nonpediatrician pro- viders is carefully considered. The Workgroup proposes and describes a new model for pediatric education that encompasses educational needs assessment, curriculum development and outcomes evaluation. Particular atten- tion is paid to CME, with a review of the strengths and problems of the current system. The proposal for improv- ing CME in the 21st century highlights the need for each pediatrician to have a "CME home," and several models and scenarios are explored. Appendices summarize the results of several surveys conducted on behalf of the Workgroup, and list societal trends and advances in pe- diatric health care that will influence pediatric education in the future. Pediatrics 2000;106(suppl):1175-1198; pedi- atric education, educational needs assessment, curriculum development, outcomes evaluation.
Nonvolatile resistive switching devices based on nanoscale metal/amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon junctions

M/a-Si:H/c-Si based nonvolatile resistive switching devices with active areas down to 50 nm×50 nm have been fabricated and explored. Close to 100% device yield was achieved without necessity of high voltage forming process. Both rectifying switching and non-rectifying switching were demonstrated in a controllable fashion. The potential for this structure as nanoscale nonvolatile memory devices was investigated in terms of scalability, retention time, endurance and switching speed. The device showed switching speed faster than 5 ns, endurance cycles more than 10 6 and retention time longer than 150 days without any degradation of stored data. The devices exhibit improved resistance switching ratio when scaled down.
The Heart Is Just a Muscle

Information about a real patient is presented in stages (boldface type) to expert clinicians (Dr Chetan B. Patel, heart failure cardiologist, and Dr Dwight D. Koeberl, medical geneticist) who respond to the information and share their reasoning with the reader (regular type). A discussion by the authors follows. A 25-year-old white woman was referred to the outpatient cardiology clinic at our institution for a second opinion regarding a newly diagnosed cardiomyopathy. She was in a normal state of excellent health, without a significant past medical history, when she began to develop exertional fatigue, dyspnea, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Her primary care provider diagnosed her with pneumonia. The following day she developed severe, cramping pain in her right leg associated with pallor. She was hospitalized and diagnosed with an arterial embolization of her right femoral artery. She was managed with tissue plasminogen activator and thrombectomy, resulting in the reconstitution of her right lower extremity arterial supply. While hospitalized, the patient underwent a transthoracic echocardiogram that demonstrated a mildly dilated left ventricle (LV) with an ejection fraction (EF) of ≈30%, a negative microcavitation study, and no evidence of LV thrombus. N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide was 2296 pg/mL (normal <190 pg/mL). After a standard medical regimen for heart failure, warfarin was initiated because of the arterial thromboembolic event. Tests for Factor V Leiden mutation, protein C/S deficiency, and prothrombin gene mutation were negative. After hospital discharge she continued to experience cardiovascular symptoms. She could walk only 1 flight of stairs without shortness of breath. She had ongoing fatigue and lost ≈10 pounds. She had no history of tobacco use and consumed only minimal alcohol. Her family history was remarkable for aortic dissection in her father at 49 years of age but otherwise was without cardiovascular disease. Physical examination was notable for a …
Initiative Taking as a Determinant of Role-Reciprocal Organization

The study explores the evolution of subjects' constructions of role-reciprocal interactions in a story about two ambiguous characters meeting in a singles bar. Patterns of role-reciprocal organizat...
Psychopathology in volunteers for headache research: initial versus later respondents.

Reprint requests to: Phillip J. Brantley, Psychology, LSU Unit, Earl K. Long Memorial Hospital, 5825 AirlineHwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70805-2498.Accepted for Publication: September 16, 1985SYNOPSISThe present study examined psychopathology in 64 volunteers for an on-going headache research project.Subjects (19 to 58 years old) who responded immediately to newspaper articles requesting volunteersdiffered in levels of psychopathology from those who responded later. It was further noted that thedifferences observed occurred on those MMPI scales found to discriminate among headache diagnosticgroups (Scales 2, 7, and 8). Recommendations for future research are made in light of these findin gs.(Headache 26:37-38, 1986)INTRODUCTIONThe MMPI has been used extensively in studies of headache populations. Although, in general, headache sufferershave been differentiated from no-headache controls, results across studies show many inconsistencies with regardto mean scale elevations.1-3 These discrepancies have not been resolved. Perhaps differences in samplingmethods account for a portion of these results.While Philips
ROOT EXUDATION IN RELATION TO SUPPLY OF PHOSPHORUS AND ITS POSSIBLE RELEVANCE TO MYCORRHIZAL FORMATION

SUMMARY The mechanism responsible for inhibition of the establishment of mycorrhizal associations in Sorghum vulgare Pers. (herbaceous monocot) and Citrus aurantium L. (woody dicot) under high levels of soil phosphorus (P) was studied. Plants were grown on low fertility loamy sand (4.5 ppm P), receiving superphosphate [Ca (H2PO4)2H2O] at 0, 6, 28, 56, 228 and 556 ppm P along with all the other necessary nutrients. The percentage P content of root tissue was correlated with the amount of P added to the soil. Root exudation, measured in terms of the net leakage of soluble amino acids and reducing sugars from the roots within a 17–h period, was significantly higher under low P levels (0, 6 and 28 ppm P) than under high P levels (56, 228 and 556 ppm P). The amount of exudation was correlated with a P-induced decrease in phospholipid levels and associated changes in permeability properties of root membranes, rather than with changes in the root content of sugars and amino nitrogen. The hypothesis is proposed that phosphorus inhibition of mycorrhizal symbiosis is associated with a membrane-mediated decrease in root exudation.
Infrared detection of flu viruses

The goal is to monitor binding of viruses to a model membrane - lipid bilayer - by using Infrared (IR) spectroscopy. IR spectroscopy is a useful spectroscopic tool: it monitors bio-molecular vibrations and provides for molecular fingerprinting. It also provides information on the direction of formed hydrogen bonds when using polarized IR beams. We used graphene-coated IR mesh-screens as substrates. We demonstrated monitoring the attachment of hemagglutinin (HA) from influenza viruses to the proper receptors. Monitoring is limited to monolayer range where bonds are formed.
Cultural Cartographic Archive: empowering communities through archi-digital technology

This paper will present research that was conducted with the goal of developing a digital archive using interactive media and open source applications to generate a multi-faceted public community database. Based in the Embudo Valley of northern New Mexico this research documents the architectural and cultural landscapes of this historic community. The data model is a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort that re-examines the boundaries of traditional architectural research and moves towards a working model incorporating a faculty-student team whose expertise lie in a variety of disciplines. Areas of expertise include landscape architecture, historical preservation, architecture, community and regional planning, economics and demographics, informatics and digital visualization. This demonstration project evolved into a multi-media data repository intended to both empower and enable the community to take control of their future by engaging in conversations with local and global communities.
Polarization Aberration in Astronomical Telescopes

The point spread function (PSF) for astronomical telescopes and instruments depends not only on geometric aberrations and scalar wave diffraction, but also on the apodization and wavefront errors introduced by coatings on reflecting and transmitting surfaces within the optical system. The functional form of these aberrations, called polarization aberrations, result from the angles of incidence and the variations of the coatings as a function of angle. These coatings induce small modifications to the PSF, which consists of four separate components, two nearly Airy-disk PSF components, and two faint components, we call ghost PSF components, with a spatial extent about twice the size of the diffraction limited image. As the specifications of optical systems constantly improve, these small effects become increasingly important. It is shown how the magnitude of these ghost PSF components, at ~10^(-5) in the example telescope, can interfere with exoplanet detection with coronagraphs.
Scarlet Letter: Are the CEOs and Directors of Failed Companies ‘Tainted’?

There is a consistent pattern that emerges when a company suffers from a major governance failure: the stock price falls, the company faces lawsuits, and there is elevated turnover in both the executive suite and the boardroom. The impact on the careers of the former executives and directors of these companies is less clear. Recent experience suggests that many CEOs and directors of failed companies are able to retain outside directorships – and even obtain new ones – following their forced departures.1. Should this be a concern for shareholders? 2. What is the standard by which the culpability of an executive or director should be measured? When are they too tainted by their experience to serve at other companies?3. Is it plausible that officers and directors involved in an accounting or ethical problem can learn valuable lessons from the experience?Read the attached Closer Look and let us know what you think.Topics, Issues and Controversies in Corporate Governance and Leadership: The Closer Look series is a collection of short case studies through which we explore topics, issues, and controversies in corporate governance. In each study, we take a targeted look at a specific issue that is relevant to the current debate on governance and explain why it is so important. Larcker and Tayan are co-authors of the book Corporate Governance Matters, and A Real Look at Real World Corporate Governance.
16TH- AND 17TH-CENTURY ITALIAN CHIAROSCURO WOODCUTS: INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS, DEGRADATION, AND CONSERVATION

AbstractItalian chiaroscuro woodcuts are among the most technically innovative of Renaissance prints for being printed in color. A woodcut is made from a wooden plank that is carved in relief, inked, and impressed on paper. Chiaroscuro woodcut prints – named from the Italian term for contrasting light and dark tones – involve printing an image from two or more woodblocks, with each block printed in a different color, to create transitional passages of shading. With two to five superimposed layers of colored, oil-based inks printed onto a paper support, the chiaroscuro woodcut is an object of complex stratigraphy. Several centuries of aging and deterioration of both the inks and paper can cause visual changes that affect a print's legibility, thereby distorting the historical and aesthetic interpretation of the work. A correct assessment of the physical characteristics of the printing process and the colored inks deployed, as well as the condition of the woodcut, is therefore fundamental not only to the ar...
The Bethlehem Plan Swimming Pool

(1918). The Bethlehem Plan Swimming Pool. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 116-122.
How Do You “Like” My Style? Examining How Communication Style Influences Facebook Behaviors

Given the increasing popularity of social-networking sites, it is extremely important for brand managers involved with Internet-based communication platforms to evaluate whether their communication strategies are positively influencing user attitudes and behaviors toward their brands. This article aims to address this need by investigating how sports fans respond to various marketing communication styles via Facebook posts. Using a case-manipulation design, this study empirically examines the relation among communication styles and individual willingness to engage in 4 common Facebook behaviors (i.e., “comment,” “like,” “share,” and “RSVP”). The results indicate that a personal communication style enhanced individual willingness to “comment” on Facebook posts, while the colorful style enhanced individual willingness to “like” and “RSVP” to Facebook events.
Texture and Microstructure Effects on Electromigration Behavior of Aluminum Metallization

Pure aluminum films are deposited under a variety of conditions to vary the crystallographic texture. After patterning and annealing at 400°C for 1 hour, electromigration tests are performed at several temperatures. Failure data are compared on the basis of t50 and standard deviation. Microstructure is quantified by transmission electron microscopy for grain size and grain size distribution and by X-ray diffraction for texture. A strong (111) texture significantly improves the electromigration lifetime and decreases the standard deviation in time to failure. This improvement correlates with both the fraction and sharpness of the (111) texture component.
Separation of Nanocolloids by Taylor Cone Harmonics

The conducting Taylor cone can activate specified harmonics of Laplace equation near the cone and can generate field maxima at multiple discrete polar angles. As the nanocolloids are ejected out from the cone tip, the difference of dominating forces in axial and transverse direction defines size-dependent initial angle before the colloids are trapped by the field maxima of the harmonics at the closest polar angle. This size-dependent selection of harmonics governs the different size colloids to travel along different trajectories and form separated deposition in the downstream of the electrospray. This electrospray-based separation of nanocolloids is successfully used to detect DNA hybridization. A family of cone shape is generated by changing voltage in a finite range. Variation of Taylor cone angle changes the harmonics and the trajectory of colloid is found to shift to a larger polar angle under higher voltage.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The healing of raw lung surfaces after experimental segmental resection.

SUMMARY 1. The significance of the raw lung surface created by segmental pulmonary resection is discussed. 2. Previous reports concerned with the healing of experimentally produced pulmonary wounds are reviewed. 3. Observations on the healing and fate of treated and untreated raw intersegmental lung wounds produced in dogs are presented. 4. The special problems arising from wounds resulting from segmental pulmonary resection are discussed and compared with the healing of other types of pulmonary wounds.
Impact pronostique de la morcellation chirurgicale en cas de cancers utérins : du « principe de précaution » au « réalisme »

Minimally invasive surgery has demonstrated benefits that include improved pain control, decreased infection risk, and faster surgical recovery and return to work. Morcellation is an integral part of making laparoscopic surgery possible for the removal of large uterine leiomyomata, and the development of power morcellation has increased efficiency during these procedures. Morcellation may expose patients to increased morbidity in certain circumstances. This is particularly true in cases of unrecognized malignancy, where intra-abdominal dissemination of cancer may worsen the prognosis (overall survival and disease free survival). A critical review of published data supports that tissue morcellation can be performed safely in screened and selected patients.