cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser frequency stabilization and control through offset sideband locking to optical cavities.

We describe a class of techniques whereby a laser frequency can be stabilized to a fixed optical cavity resonance with an adjustable offset, providing a wide tuning range for the central frequency. These techniques require only minor modifications to the standard Pound-Drever-Hall locking techniques and have the advantage of not altering the intrinsic stability of the frequency reference. In a laboratory investigation the sideband techniques were found to perform equally well as the standard, non-tunable Pound-Drever-Hall technique, each providing more than four decades of frequency noise suppression over the free-running noise. An application of a tunable system as a pre-stabilization stage in a phase-lock loop is also presented with the combined system achieving a frequency noise suppression of nearly twelve orders of magnitude.
A Simulation Study to Improve Performance in the Preparation and Delivery of Antineoplastic Medications at a Community Hospital

In this paper, we introduce a simulation study to improve the antineoplastic medication preparation and delivery performance at a pharmacy department in a large community hospital. The goal of this work is to help pharmacy reduce patients' average waiting time when receiving chemotherapy. This will be achieved by simulating and analyzing the preparation and delivery procedures to identify process bottlenecks, carry out what-if analysis, predict the impact of improvement effort, and provide recommendations to hospital leadership. Using the simulation model, we discover that by introducing early preparation for the returning patients and dedicating an infusion staff member for medication delivery, patients' waiting time for antineoplastic medications can be reduced substantially. Such improvements do not require additional floor space or significant investment. The recommendation has been accepted by hospital management and implemented in the pharmacy department. The preliminary results have verified the simulation output with the desired improvement predicted by the model.
Applications of fuzzy set theory

A state-of-the-art review of the literature related to applications of fuzzy set theory, with special emphasis on fuzzy industrial controllers, is presented. It is demonstrated that fuzzy set theory is applicable to a wide range of practical problems and that simple fuzzy control algorithms do give good results.
Gaussian sum approximations for nonlinear filtering

A sum of weighted gaussian probability density functions can be used to approximate another density function. This representation provides the basis for a procedure for computing the conditional density p(xk|zk) of the state xk of a nonlinear dynamical system given all available measurement data zk. As is well-known, estimates of the state xk for any performance criterion can be determined in a relatively straight forward manner if one has p(xk|zk). Consequently, knowledge of this density function essentiaUy constitutes a solution of the general nonlinear filtering problem.
Differences in c-AMP levels in epithelial cells from pelvic and pectoral regions of the toad skin

Abstract Arginine vasopressin (AVP) stimulated active Na+ transport (JNa+) and osmotic water flow JH2O) across the pelvic skin but only (JNa+) across the pectoral skin of the toad, Bufo woodhouseii. Isolated epithelial cells from the pelvic skin had a maximal c-AMP level of 11.16 pmoles/mg protein after 5 min of AVP treatment while that of pectoral skin was 3.64 pmoles/mg protein. The c-AMP level of both skin areas fell to unstimulated values after 20 min of AVP treatment; however, JH2O (pelvic skin) and (JNa+) (pelvic and pectoral skin) remained elevated during 3 hr of treatment. Dibutyryl c-AMP and theophylline stimulated JH2O across the pelvic but not the pectoral skin. Maintaining toads in water for 12–24 hr resulted in a substantial lowering of JH2O across the pectoral skin which was not reversible by treatment with c-AMP and theophylline.
Transport and Third World development: Review, issues, and prescription

Transport investment accounts for a major share of the capital formation of less developed countries. In fact, up to 40% of public expenditure is devoted to transport infrastructure investment with still additional amounts coming from the World Bank and advanced nation technical assistance programs (Button, 1993). These simple facts provide striking evidence once again of the prevailing recognition of the important role of transport in development. Yet, the exact role of transport in development continues to remain ambiguous and indeed has been subjected to periodic reappraisals. A legitimate question then in this light is: what do we really know about transport and development in the Third World? And perhaps even more important, what directions should our inquiries take? What are the questions which should form the basis of new research? This latter is suggested for indeed there is a widespread sense that meaningful and penetrating research on this important topic has been quite inconspicuous in recent years. Have we, as social scientists and policy makers, no new directions which are worth pursuing? This brief perspective has several purposes. First, it is intended to capsule some of the salient research on transport and development especially since the early 1980s. Second, and more important, it attempts to suggest some new research directions for consideration and possible inquiry. The commentary and review is confined largely to transport development and impact in the rural and regional context. Despite the critical importance of investments in Third World cities as well as the other modes of transport it is the land transport sector, and especially roads and regional development, that continues to receive the lion's share of the budget allocations and has the potential to affect the largest number of beneficiaries.
More Prominent Reactivity in Mood Than Activity and Sleep Induced by Differential Light Exposure Due to Seasonal and Local Differences

The aim of this study was to investigate how mood, work time, light exposure, activity, and sleep indices are affected by the differences of latitude and season in healthy volunteers. Twenty‐four subjects (38.92±11.32 yrs) in Rochester, Minnesota, USA (latitude 44°1′N) and 30 subjects (47.03±16.32 yrs) in San Diego, California, USA (latitude 32°43′N) completed a 1 yr protocol measuring daily logs including daily work time and sleep diary; the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D); the eight‐item atypical subscore of the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Seasonal Affective Disorder version (SIGH‐SAD); and actigraphic measures of light exposure and sleep for one‐week in each solstice of summer and winter. Higher scores of CES‐D (p=0.038) and the eight‐item atypical subscore of SIGH‐SAD (p=0.009), and longer indoor (p=0.001) and shorter outdoor (p=0.002) work times were observed during winter than summer only in Rochester, with no differences in San Dieg...
The organization of feline entopeduncular nucleus projections: Anatomical studies

The organization of entopeduncular nucleus (EPN) projections was studied in cats using autoradiographic and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) techniques. In autoradiographic studies, EPN axons were found to terminate in a J-shaped region in the dorsal and medial part of the ventral anterior nucleus (VA) and the rostral portion of the adjacent ventral lateral nucleus (VL). EPN axons also terminated in the rostral portion of the centrum medianum (CM), the ventrolateral portion of the lateral habenular nucleus (LHB), and the pedunculopontine nucleus (PP). The VA included the largest terminal field although the LHB had the greatest density of terminals. Regardless of the region of EPN into which amino acids were injected, the terminal fields were the same: there was no localization within the EPN of the cells projecting to one region. HRP-containing cells were distributed throughout the EPN following injections into the VA, LHB, or PP, although many more cells were labeled following injections into either VA or LHB than PP. EPN cells containing HRP following injections into either VA or LHB were not morphologically different from those not containing HRP in the same respective animals. Following HRP injections into stria medullaris, only cells in the rostral part of the EPN were labeled, providing evidence that rostrally and caudally located EPN neurons have different paths to LHB. Although there may be a rostrocaudal organization of pathways to LHB, individual regions of the nucleus project to the same areas.
Coding Polymorphic Data: Examples from Allozymes and Ontogeny

Limitations for using polymorphic characters in phylogenetic analysis include the lack of computer algorithms that allow input of complex branched or reticulate character state trees and the inability to use polymorphisms as data in tree building and character optimization. The step matrix option in PAUP version 3.0 and MacClade versions 2.1 and 3.0 provides a solution to these problems, allowing all homology information among character states to be utilized while retaining a biologically realistic definition of characters. For genetic data, this means that the locus can be coded as the character and allelic combinations can be coded as the character states. For ontogenetic data, this means that the entire ontogenetic sequence can be coded as the character and combinations of observed conditions within ontogenies can be coded as the character states. The unity of the locus or character ontogeny is preserved, and homology information from shared electrophoretic or ontogenetic conditions is not lost. Attention has not been called to the loss of homology information that accompanies coding the locus or an entire ontogeny as the character, possibly because of the lack of a coding option through which these data could be retained. The step matrix option allows any and all assumptions of transformation (order) among character states while retaining the unity of the locus or a whole ontogeny as the character and can be utilized for coding these and other polymorphic characters for phy? logenetic analysis. (Polymorphic; allozyme; ontogeny; character; order; coding; homology; step matrix.)
A BAF-centred view of the immune system.

Chromatin structure dictates whether DNA templates are accessible to nuclear proteins; therefore, it is tightly regulated. To reconfigure chromatin, cells often mobilize 'chromatin-remodelling complexes' that use energy to disrupt histone–DNA contacts. BAF complexes, which are related to the yeast SWI–SNF complex, are the prototypical mammalian chromatin-remodelling complexes. In the past few years, studies have revealed the crucial and diverse roles of BAF complexes in the regulation of the immune system — from lymphocyte development to immune responses. This review surveys these advances, highlighting the general insights these studies provide into the modes of action of BAF complexes, and it concludes with a discussion of some of the key opportunities and challenges in this field.
Foreign aid and political stability

Concerns about international terrorism make the stability of failing states central to Western foreign aid policies. This paper explores how donors reduce the volatility of aid to avoid political destabilization of recipient countries. Using a formal model, we show that stability-oriented donors control the risk of conflict, but they never fully eliminate it. Recipient governments can exploit donor preferences for stability through increased rent extraction. As a result, stability-oriented aid reduces the risk of political destabilization only under narrow circumstances. If these conditions are not met, stability aid makes conflict more likely. We present evidence for key predictions of our model.
Measurement of Hypersound Speed in Gases by Stimulated Brillouin Scattering

The frequency shifts associated with the 180° stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) from N2, CH4, CO2, and SF6 at moderate pressures were determined with an error of ±0.0004 cm−1. The apparatus and the ruby-laser system designed for this experiment are described. The theory of SBS is reviewed with special consideration of the frequency shift associated with the stimulated process. Experimental and theoretical reasons for the differences observed between the SBS hypersonic speeds and ultrasonic speeds are discussed. Available spontaneous Brillouin-scattering results are compared. Especially at lower pressures, the SBS measurements may yield hypersonic speeds that are lower than those at ultrasonic frequencies.
A parallel Aitken-additive Schwarz waveform relaxation suitable for the grid

The objective of this paper is to describe a grid-efficient parallel implementation of the Aitken-Schwarz waveform relaxation method for the heat equation problem. This new parallel domain decomposition algorithm, introduced by Garbey [M. Garbey, A direct solver for the heat equation with domain decomposition in space and time, in: Springer Ulrich Langer et al. (Ed.), Domain Decomposition in Science and Engineering XVII, vol. 60, 2007, pp. 501-508], generalizes the Aitken-like acceleration method of the additive Schwarz algorithm for elliptic problems. Although the standard Schwarz waveform relaxation algorithm has a linear rate of convergence and low numerical efficiency, it can be easily optimized with respect to cache memory access and it scales well on a parallel system as the number of subdomains increases. The Aitken-like acceleration method transforms the Schwarz algorithm into a direct solver for the parabolic problem when one knows a priori the eigenvectors of the trace transfer operator. A standard example is the linear three dimensional heat equation problem discretized with a seven point scheme on a regular Cartesian grid. The core idea of the method is to postprocess the sequence of interfaces generated by the additive Schwarz wave relaxation solver. The parallel implementation of the domain decomposition algorithm presented here is capable of achieving robustness and scalability in heterogeneous distributed computing environments and it is also naturally fault tolerant. All these features make such a numerical solver ideal for computational grid environments. This paper presents experimental results with a few loosely coupled parallel systems, remotely connected through the internet, located in Europe, Russia and the USA.
ECLOUD in PS2, PS+, SPS+: AN UPDATE

We present an update of our results for the electron-cloud build-up for several upgrades proposed for the LHC injectors. Specifically, we have re-examined our published results for the ecloud heat load [1] from the perspective of numerical convergence of the simulations vis-a-vis the integration time step {Delta}t. We repeated most of the simulations with ever smaller values of {Delta}t until we reached stable results, indicating numerical convergence; this was achieved at 200-500 slices per bunch, depending on the particular case. In all cases examined, the simulated heat load decreases monotonically, until the limit is reached, as {Delta}t decreases in the range explored, hence the stable results are more favorable vis-a-vis the heat load than the previous ones. This is particularly true for a bunch spacing t{sub b} = 25 ns.
A nonlinear degenerate parabolic equation

We shall be concerned with the initial-value problem of the form u t -v xx +w x =f, v∈α(u), w∈β(u) in R×(0,T), u(x,0)=u 0 (x) on R, where T is a fixed positive real number, f∈L 1 (R×(0,T)), and α and β are maximal monotone graphs in R×R, each containing the origin
Particle swarm optimization for scheduling batch processing machines in a permutation flowshop

Batch processing machines are capable of processing several jobs in a batch simultaneously. These machines are used in many real-life applications. This paper presents solution approaches to schedule batch processing machines arranged in a permutation flowshop in order to minimize its makespan (or completion time of the last batch). The processing time of each job on all the machines and their sizes are given. Each machine can process a batch of jobs as long as its capacity is not violated. The batch processing time is equal to the longest processing job in the batch. Since the problem under study is NP-hard, commercial mixed-integer solvers may require prohibitively long run time to solve even modest sized problems. Consequently, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed. Three heuristics to update the particle’s positions are also proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed PSO algorithm is compared with a commercial solver (which was used to solve a mathematical model) and several heuristics from the literature. The experimental study conducted indicates that the proposed PSO algorithm outperforms both the commercial solver and the heuristics in terms of solution quality. The commercial solver requires longer run times compared to PSO.
Pi-balanced torsion-free modules over a discrete valuation domain

Abstract Pi-balanced images of a finite direct sum L = J 1 ⊕ ⋯ ⊕ J n of purely indecomposable modules over a discrete valuation domain are investigated. Under a rigidity condition, these images can be classified by a complete set of isomorphism invariants. When the J i have finite rank, the torsion-free images of L admit an internal characterization. If, in addition, the J i are all isomorphic, then any pi-balanced image of L is a direct summand. Several examples illustrate the concepts and the results.
Interferon Gamma Regulation of the Clara Cell 10 kDa Protein, CC10 • 283

Controlled immune responses provide an effective defense system to invading organisms in the lung without permanently damaging it, but, if left uncontrolled, this process often leads to dysfunction. However, the lung has evolved mechanisms to maintain lung homeostasis. The Clara cells are the non-ciliated secretory cells that line the bronchiolar epithelium of the lung and produce a small 10kDa protein, CC10. A feedback loop in which high levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon gamma, IFN-γ, can induce expression of the CC10 gene has been discovered, suggesting that CC10 is critical for regulating inflammation in the lung. Previous analysis demonstrated two pathways potentially responsible for signaling to the CC10 gene. A direct pathway, utilizing a gamma activated sequence (GAS) site at position -284 to -292, and an indirect pathway, that involved increases in the HNF-3β transcription factor which binds the CC10 promoter at two sites in the proximal promoter region. We have utilized a cell line established from mouse transformed Clara cells, the mtCC1-2 cell line, to investigate the molecular mechanisms that control this signaling. The mtCC1-2 cell line maintains expression of the CC10 protein, as well as, all the known relavant transcription factors. Using transient transfection analysis, the pathways that are activated in the Clara cell by IFN-γ were investigated.
Controls on groundwater nitrogen contributions from on-site wastewater systems in coastal North Carolina.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of soil type and separation distance to water table on dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations in groundwater adjacent to on-site wastewater systems. Groundwater nitrogen species (NO3−-N and NH4+-N) and groundwater levels adjacent to 16 on-site systems in three different soil groups (group I- sand, group II- coarse loams and group III -sandy clay loams) were monitored for 15 months (January 2007–March 2008) in coastal North Carolina. On-site systems in soil group I had the highest concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (median of 18.9 mg/L) in groundwater, and most frequently (mean 61%) exceeded 10 mg/L, followed by systems in soil group II (11.0 mg/L, 50%) and soil group III (2.6 mg/L, 9%), respectively. Groundwater NH4+-N concentrations near on-site systems in soil groups I and II that maintained a 60 + cm separation to the seasonal high water table were 4 mg/L lower in relation to systems that had <60 cm separation, but median NO3−-N concentrations were 6.5 mg/L higher. On-site systems in group I and II soils are prone to groundwater nitrogen loading with separation distance often controlling the nitrogen speciation in groundwater near on-site systems.
Tracheoesophageal voice restoration with total laryngectomy

Tracheoesophageal voice restoration has gained worldwide acceptance over the past 24 years and is the preferred method of postlaryngectomy speech. Tracheoesophageal puncture is safe, reliable,and reproducible and should be considered in all patients undergoing total laryngectomy and in those who have failed to master other methods of alaryngeal speech. This article discusses patient selection, surgical technique and complications, quality of speech,and predictors of success. Improved prosthesis design has expanded the use of tracheoesophageal speech in laryngectomees.
Primary adenocarcinoma of the Fallopian tube

Abstract Primary carcinoma of the Fallopian tube is the rarest of all gynecologic malignancies. The experience obtained in treating this disease at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is reviewed. This information, combined with that of the recent literature, has been incorporated into life-table survival curves to show (1) decreasing 5-year survival with increasing stage, (2) little mortality from this disease after 3 years except in stage II, and (3) no apparent difference in survival when the surgical treatment of stages I and II is combined with either pelvic radiation or intraperitoneal radioisotopes.
Persistence in degenerating sciatic nerve of substances having a trophic influence upon cultured muscle

Abstract Citrate-soluble proteins were extracted from normal and degenerating chicken sciatic nerves and added to chick embryonic skeletal muscle cultures to determine the trophic influences of the soluble proteins upon muscle cells. The soluble protein from normal or degenerating nerves was equally effective in promoting the protein synthesis, maturation, and long-term maintenance of muscle cells. Normal or degenerating nerve protein stimulated [ 14 C]leucine incorporation into muscle cell protein and enhanced the morphologic maturation of muscle cells in culture. Furthermore, matured, cross-striated myotubes survived longer in the presence of normal or degenerating nerve protein than in control cultures. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis on thin-layer gels revealed similar electrophoretic patterns for normal and degenerating nerve proteins. Electrophoretic gels also revealed the presence in these extracts of a protein with MW R 84,000 which migrated in a manner identical to a neurotrophic protein which was recently purified from chicken sciatic nerves. The present results indicate that neural proteins having trophic influences upon muscle in vitro persist in degenerating sciatic nerve. We therefore conclude that the in vivo changes in muscle after denervation are not due to the depletion of trophic substances following nerve transection.
Invasibility of mature and 15-year-old deciduous forests by exotic plants

High species richness, resource availability and disturbance are community characteristics associated with forest invasibility. We categorized commonly measured community variables, including species composition, topography, and landscape features, within both mature and 15-year-old clearcuts in West Virginia, USA. We evaluated the importance of each variable for predicting the degree of forest invasion by early-establishing exotic invasive plants. Biotic variables, including overall richness (excluding exotic invasive species) and mutually exclusive native and exotic non-invasive species richness, were the strongest indicators of invasibility. Sites that were located on northeast-facing slopes, more mesic conditions, or in clearcuts were more likely to be invaded by exotic invasive plants. Invasion of clearcut sites was more dependent on available microsites (e.g., lower solar radiation, northeast-facing slopes, and lower elevations) within each site than on the condition of the surrounding landscape, whereas invasion into the mature forests was dependent more on the surrounding landscape (e.g., proximity to paved roads). Our results indicate that exotic invasive plant species in our study area respond similarly as other plant species to resource availability and that competitive interactions are relatively unimportant. Current invasion into this landscape is more likely to be a passive reaction to site conditions instead of a driver of change.
The effect of various atmospheric conditions on the 2,3-butanediol fermentation from glucose byBacillus polymyxa

The examination of the effect of N2, air and O2 on the glucose to 2,3-butanediol fermentation byBacilluspolymyxa showed that N2 sparging resulted in best 2,3-butanediol production at low yeast extract concentration (0.5%, w/v) whereas aeration produced best results with high yeast extract levels (1.2%, w/v). However, under all atmospheric conditions, improvements in rates and yields of 2,3-butanediol production and rates of glucose utilization were observed with high yeast extract. Regardless of the yeast extract levels, highest concentrations of ethanol and acetoin were obtained with N2 sparging and aeration respectively. No acetoin accumulated under anaerobic (N2) conditions and no ethanol accumulated with aeration. The rate of glucose utilization, in all fermentations, was highest under N2 and lowest with O2 sparging. In addition to the biochemical results, morphological observations with O2, N2 and air sparging are also reported.
Histamine H1 antagonist treatment with pyrilamine reduces nicotine self-administration in rats

Abstract Nicotine has been definitively shown to be critically involved in the neural bases of tobacco addiction. However, nicotine releases a wide variety of neurotransmitters. Nicotine-induced dopamine release has been shown to play a key role in facilitating nicotine self-administration. Other transmitter systems may also play important roles in the pharmacological effects of nicotine and may provide important leads for combating nicotine self-administration. Clozapine, an antipsychotic drug, which blocks a variety of different transmitter receptors including serotonin 5HT2 and histamine H1 receptors, has been found to decrease smoking. Previously we found that the serotonin 5HT2 antagonist, ketanserin, significantly reduced nicotine self-administration. In the current study, we assessed histamine H1 receptor interaction with nicotine self-administration. Young adult female Sprague–Dawley rats were fitted with IV catheters and trained to self-administer nicotine (0.03 mg/kg/infusion). Acute doses of 40 mg/kg of pyrilamine, a histamine H1 antagonist, significantly reduced nicotine self-administration. We also found that repeated injections (20 mg/kg) or chronic infusion via osmotic minipumps (50 mg/kg/day) of pyrilamine also significantly decreased nicotine self-administration. The peripherally restricted H1 antagonist ebastine was ineffective in reducing nicotine self-administration, pointing to central H1 receptor blockade as key for the effectiveness of pyrilamine. H1 antagonists may be a promising avenue to explore for new treatments to aid smoking cessation.
Holmium laser treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: an update.

Purpose of review The surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia is a dynamic, evolving field. Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate has been one of the most rigorously analyzed interventions for benign prostatic hyperplasia. In the 12 months since July 2005, a number of important studies have been published concerning this technique. Recent findings In the 12-month period of this review, there have been a number of articles published on holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. Among these are five randomized controlled trials. These studies emphasize the unique advantages of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate over other surgical treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Summary Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate is a more efficient procedure than competitor techniques, when grams of tissue removed per unit time are quantified. Additionally, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate is associated with a reduced length of catheterization and hospitalization when compared with other surgical therapies for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Outcome measures for men undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate are in many cases superior to those of other modalities. It is likely that the completeness of adenoma removal with holmium laser enucleation of the prostate confers many of these advantages.
The Actin-Based Nanomachine at the Leading Edge of Migrating Cells

Two fundamental parameters of the highly dynamic, ultrathin lamellipodia of migrating fibroblasts have been determined-its thickness in living cells (176 +/- 14 nm), by standing-wave fluorescence microscopy, and its F-actin density (1580 +/- 613 microm of F-actin/microm(3)), via image-based photometry. In combination with data from previous studies, we have computed the density of growing actin filament ends at the lamellipodium margin (241 +/- 100/microm) and the maximum force (1.86 +/- 0.83 nN/microm) and pressure (10.5 +/- 4.8 kPa) obtainable via actin assembly. We have used cell deformability measurements (. J. Cell Sci. 44:187-200;. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 79:5327-5331) and an estimate of the force required to stall the polymerization of a single filament (. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 78:5613-5617;. Biophys. J. 65:316-324) to argue that actin assembly alone could drive lamellipodial extension directly.
Scheduling time-sensitive multi-tier services with probabilistic performance guarantee

Web applications grow tremendously in both scale and scope, the application patterns turn to be more and more sophisticated. It is important but challenging for service providers to lower the operational costs without degrading user experiences, especially in the case where a service provider's profit is closely related to the user experience (e.g. response time.) In this paper, we study the problem of efficiently scheduling multi-tier time sensitive applications on distributed computing platforms with respect to the user's Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. The efficiency refers to the QoS satisfaction with low average response times. The service provider must ensures that service requests be served successfully before end-to-end deadlines with certain probabilities. To solve this problem, we propose an approach to judiciously assign a deadline for each service tier. An application request is dropped if any one of its services misses its deadline. Our simulation results demonstrate that our approach can statistically guarantee the required QoS more efficiently than the other widely applied methods (e.g. acceptance control, first-come-first-serve, deterministic sub deadline assignment, etc.) irrespective of whether the resources are shared or not by multiple different applications.
Frequency and Cost of Claims by Injury Type From a State Workers' Compensation Fund From 1998 Through 2008

Abstract Objective To determine which work-related injuries are the most frequent and costly. Design Secondary analysis of workers' compensation claims data. Setting Data were provided by a large, Maryland workers' compensation insurer from 1998 through 2008. Participants Not applicable. Interventions None. Main Outcomes Measures For 45 injury types, the number of claims and compensation amount was calculated for total compensation and for medical and indemnity compensation separately. Results Back and knee injuries were the most frequently occurring single injury types, whereas heart attack and occupational disease were the most expensive in terms of mean compensation. When taking into account both the frequency and cost of injury (mean cost × number occurrences), back, knee, and shoulder injuries were the most expensive single injury types. Conclusions Successful prevention and management of back, knee, and shoulder injuries could lead to a substantial reduction in the burden associated with work-related injuries.
Biodegradation of α-MSH and derived peptides by rat brain extracts, and by rat and human serum

Abstract The peptides α-MSH and MSH/ACTH 4–10 were degraded by rat brain extracts and serum to yield free amino acids among the end-products. Breakdown of these two peptides was double that of a related synthetic hexapeptide Met (0)-Glu-His-Phe-D-Lys-Phe. No significant breakdown of the hexapeptide occurred after incubation with human serum; it also had almost negligible pigmentary effects in vivo and in vitro when compared to α-MSH. The patterns of amino acid release indicate possible endopeptidase cleavage at Phe-Arg in α-MSH followed by secondary exopeptidase action to release free amino acids. For the hexapeptide, the primary cleavage point occurred at the -His 3 -Phe 4 bond. The stability of this analog in human sera, coupled with its lower rate of degradation in the CNS, may contribute to its more potent behavioral actions in vivo.
Sensitivity of the Polymerase of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus to 2′ Substitutions in the Template and Nucleotide Triphosphate during Initiation and Elongation

The RNA synthesis machinery of non-segmented negative-sense RNA viruses comprises a ribonucleoprotein complex of the genomic RNA coated by a nucleocapsid protein (N) and associated with polymerase. Work with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a prototype, supports a model of RNA synthesis whereby N is displaced from the template to allow the catalytic subunit of the polymerase, the large protein (L) to gain access to the RNA. Consistent with that model, purified L can copy synthetic RNA that contains requisite promoter sequences. Full processivity of L requires its phosphoprotein cofactor and the template-associated N. Here we demonstrate the importance of the 2′ position of the RNA template and the substrate nucleotide triphosphates during initiation and elongation by L. The VSV polymerase can initiate on both DNA and RNA and can incorporate dNTPs. During elongation, the polymerase is sensitive to 2′ modifications, although dNTPs can be incorporated, and mixed DNA-RNA templates can function. Modifications to the 2′ position of the NTP, including 2′,3′-ddCTP, arabinose-CTP, and 2′-O-methyl-CTP, inhibit polymerase, whereas 2′-amino-CTP is incorporated. The inhibitory effects of the NTPs were more pronounced on authentic N-RNA with the exception of dGTP, which is incorporated. This work underscores the sensitivity of the VSV polymerase to nucleotide modifications during initiation and elongation and highlights the importance of the 2′-hydroxyl of both template and substrate NTP. Moreover, this study demonstrates a critical role of the template-associated N protein in the architecture of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain of L.
Temperature effects of therapy in congenital hypothyroidism

The effect of therapy on the temperatures of three infants with congenital hypothyroidism is described. Within ten days the depressed digital skin temperatures rose in contrast to those of other body sites which simply remained at normal levels. These data are consistent with previous findings suggesting peripheral vasomotor changes as the euthyroid state is approached during therapy in hypothyroid subjects.
The dynamics of precursor adsorption: ethane on Pt(111)

Abstract We have studied ethane trapping into a second-layer state on Pt(111) using supersonic molecular beam techniques to investigate the dynamics of extrinsic precursor adsorption. Initial trapping probabilities of ethane on an ethane covered Pt(111) surface were measured directly as a function of incident translational energy and incident angle at a surface temperature of 95 K. At all incident translational energies and angles the initial trapping probability into the second-layer state is higher than on a clean surface. In addition the initial trapping probability into the second layer decreases less with incident translational energy than the initial trapping probability onto the clean surface. In contrast to previous findings for non-dissociative weak adsorption on clean surfaces showing the initial trapping probability to increase with incident angle, the initial trapping probability into the second layer is independent of incident angle indicating “total” energy scaling. A dynamical corrugation of the adsorbed layer is postulated to rationalize this strong deviation from the “normal” energy scaling implicit in one-dimensional theories of trapping.
Ultrastructure of a sclerosing hemangioma of the lung.

A typical sclerosing hemangioma of the lung was examined with the electron microscope. The ultrastructural features of the predominant cells are considered to be those of endothelial cells. The participation of these cells in the formation of primitive vascular spaces supports the concept that the lesion is primarily vascular proliferative or endothelial rather than of pulmonary epithelial origin. A secondary role is ascribed to the various cellular elements accompanying a process of aging and vascular senescence culminating in fibrous obliteration and xanthomatous transformation.
An Overview of the Direct Energy Conversion Power Production Program

The United States Department of Energy, Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) Direct Energy Conversion (DEC) project has as its goal the development of a direct energy conversion process suitable for commercial development. We define direct energy conversion as any fission process that returns usable energy without an intermediate thermal process. Enough of the project has been completed, roughly two thirds, to indicate that a viable direct energy device is possible. This paper reports on the progress of the DEC project. Three concepts are under development: Fission Electric Cell using magnetic insulation, Magnetic Collimator using magnetic fields to direct fission fragments to collectors, and Gas Vapor Core Reactor using magnetohydrodynamics to generate electrical current. Included in this paper area a short project description, an abbreviated summary of the work completed to date, a description of ongoing and future project activities, and a discussion of the potential for future research and development.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Ultrastructural features of the blood-brain barrier in biopsy tissue from Alzheimer's disease patients

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major cause of dementia. Characteristic neuropathological features of AD include neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaques, amyloid angiopathy and microvascular atrophy. The ultrastructure of the microvascular atrophy in AD and its pathogenetic significance have not been defined. This report presents an analysis of ultrastructural and morphometric features in the cerebral microvasculature of five brain biopsy specimens from AD patients. The cerebral microvasculature normally constitutes the blood-brain barrier (BBB), characterized by interendothelial tight junctions, few pinocytotic vesicles and high mitochondrial content in endothelial cells. In the AD brain biopsy tissue analyzed in the present article, data for endothelial cells were expressed as percentage of cytoplasmic area occupied by the respective organelles. The values for vesicular content ranged from 0.49% to 1.17% and were inversely correlated with mitochondrial content, which ranged from 7.04% to 2.88%. These results indicate decreased mitochondrial content and increased pinocytotic vesicles as compared to values obtained previously in endothelium from multiple sclerosis patients and in laboratory animals. Other findings such as accumulation of collagen in vascular basement membranes and focal necrotic changes in endothelial cells are further indications of BBB disruption. These data, together with earlier reports, suggest that dysfunction of the BBB is a characteristic feature of AD.
Printed antenna design for broadband waveguide‐based spatial power combiners

Design of broadband printed antennas, including the finite arrays of interacting patch, U-strip, U-slot, and meander slot antennas, are presented for applications in waveguide-based spatial power combiners operating at X-band. The effect of several antenna design parameters on antenna bandwidth performance is investigated in this paper. The antenna designs presented show significant advantages in their scattering characteristics compared to rectangular patch and slot antennas traditionally used in spatial power combiners. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 36: 411–415, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10778
Why does working memory capacity predict RAPM performance? A possible role of distraction

Abstract Current theories concerning individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) suggest that WMC reflects the ability to control the focus of attention and resist interference and distraction. The current set of experiments tested whether susceptibility to distraction is partially responsible for the established relationship between performance on complex span tasks and the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM). This hypothesis was examined by manipulating the level of distraction among the incorrect responses contained in RAPM problems, by varying whether the response bank included the most commonly selected incorrect response. When entered hierarchically into a regression predicting a composite score on span tasks, items with highly distracting incorrect answers significantly improved the predictive power of a model predicting an individual's WMC, compared to the model containing only items with less distracting incorrect responses. Additional analyses were performed examining the types of errors that were made. A second experiment used eye-tracking to demonstrate that these effects seem to be rooted in differences in susceptibility to distraction as well as strategy differences between high and low WMC individuals. Results are discussed in terms of current theories about the role of attentional control in performance on general fluid intelligence tasks.
Circuit Structures for Improving Efficiency of Security and Privacy Tools

Several techniques in computer security, including generic protocols for secure computation and symbolic execution, depend on implementing algorithms in static circuits. Despite substantial improvements in recent years, tools built using these techniques remain too slow for most practical uses. They require transforming arbitrary programs into either Boolean logic circuits, constraint sets on Boolean variables, or other equivalent representations, and the costs of using these tools scale directly with the size of the input circuit. Hence, techniques for more efficient circuit constructions have benefits across these tools. We show efficient circuit constructions for various simple but commonly used data structures including stacks, queues, and associative maps. While current practice requires effectively copying the entire structure for each operation, our techniques take advantage of locality and batching to provide amortized costs that scale polylogarithmically in the size of the structure. We demonstrate how many common array usage patterns can be significantly improved with the help of these circuit structures. We report on experiments using our circuit structures for both generic secure computation using garbled circuits and automated test input generation using symbolic execution, and demonstrate order of magnitude improvements for both applications.
She Loves Him, She Loves Him Not Attachment Style as a Predictor of Women’s Ambivalent Sexism Toward Men

In two studies, we examined how romantic attachment style relates to women’s sexism toward men. Specifically, we applied structural equation modeling and mediation analyses to the responses of over 500 self-reported heterosexual women. Study 1 included 229 women who answered questionnaires tapping attachment anxiety and avoidance, ambivalent sexism toward men, romanticism, and interpersonal trust. We conducted Study 2 as a replication, changing questionnaire order to gauge the robustness of results, using a new sample of 273 women. In general, women’s attachment anxiety predicted ambivalent sexism (both benevolence and hostility) toward men, whereas women’s attachment avoidance predicted univalent hostility (and lower benevolence) toward men. Romanticism mediated attachment style’s relationship to benevolence toward men, whereas lower interpersonal trust mediated attachment’s relationship to hostility toward men. The results suggest that, for women (as for men), sexist attitudes toward members of the othe...
Non-additivity of D2 receptor proliferation induced by dopamine denervation and chronic selective antagonist administration: evidence from quantitative autoradiography indicates a single mechanism of action

Abstract Experiments were conducted to investigate whether chronic dopamine (DA) D 2 receptor blockade and DA denervation exert additive effects on striatal D 2 receptor density. We employed for the first time chronic treatment with a pure D 2 antagonist, metoclopramide, and measured regional striatal DA receptor binding with quantitative receptor autoradiography. Rats with extensive unilateral DA denervation induced by intracerebral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) were injected daily for 21 days with either metoclopramide (30 mg/kg i.p.) or saline. Following a 72-h drug wash-out period, rats were sacrificed and brain sections through the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens were incubated with [ 3 H]spiroperidol or [ 3 H]SCH 23390 to assay D 2 and D 1 receptors, respectively. Autoradiographic analysis revealed that chronic metoclopramide treatment increased the density of D 2 sites in the intact hemisphere for all regions examined without further augmenting the already increased density of D 2 receptors seen in the 6-OHDA-treated hemisphere. In addition, chronic metoclopramide and 6-OHDA treatment by themselves exhibited remarkably parallel anterior-posterior gradients in their effects on D 2 receptor density. D 1 receptor density was not affected by metoclopramide treatment but was slightly reduced in the DA-denervated hemisphere. [ 3 H]Mazindol labelling of high-affinity DA uptake sites indicated that the extent of DA denervation was greater than 98% in both saline- and metaclopramide-treated rats. These findings are consistent with the view that chronic D 2 receptor blockade and DA denervation act via a single, common mechanism to increase D 2 receptor density. Work from other laboratories, in which additive effects of denervation and chronic neuroleptic treatment have been purported, may have resulted from incomplete denervation. Experimental discrepancies may also be due to differing means by which the mesotelencephalic dopaminergic neurons are injured.
The effect of soil pH manipulation on chemical properties of an agricultural soil from northern Idaho

Abstract Selected chemical properties of an artificially acidified agricultural soil from northern Idaho were evaluated in a laboratory study. Elemental S and Ca(OH)2were used to manipulate the soil pH of a Latahco silt loam (fine‐silty, mixed, frigid Argiaquic Xeric Argialboll), which had an initial pH of 5.7. A 100 day incubation period resulted in a soil pH manipulation range of 3.3 to 7.0. Chemical properties evaluated included: N mineralization rate, extractable P, AI, Mn, Ca, Mg and K and CEC. N mineralization rate (assessed by anaerobic incubation) decreased with decreasing soil pH. Nitrification rate also decreased as NH4 +‐N accumulated under acid soil conditions. Sodium acetate extractable P was positively linearly correlated (R2= 0.87) with soil pH over the entire pH range evaluated. Potassium chloride extractable Al was less than 1.3 mg kg‐1of soil at pH values higher than 4.4. Consequently, potential Al toxicity problems in these soils are minimal. Extractable Mn increased with decreasing soi...