cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determinants of inflationary performance: Corporatist structures vs. central bank autonomy

Studies by economists have shown that countries with autonomous central banks experience lower inflation than others. (Banian, Laney and Willett, 1983; and Bade and Parkin, 1987). One reason for this may be that countries with autonomous central banks are less likely to monetize their deficits (Burdekin and Wahar, 1990). Studies by political scientists have used measures of the strength of corporatist structures to explain macroeconomic outcomes. (Cameron, 1984). However, neither economics nor political science research has employed measures of both central bank autonomy and the strength of corporatist structures to explain comparative inflation rates. The present paper tests whether measures of corporatist structures and central bank autonomy explain the comparative inflation performance of eighteen industrialized countries. This issue is of great importance for students of piecemeal monetary reform in countries where the central banking structure is susceptible to reorganization. The results of this paper should inform parties who are active in the reformation and reorganization of central banks in lesser developed and nascent market economics throughout the world.
Waste Heat Recovery in Data Centers Using Sorption Systems

Of the total electricity consumption by the United States in 2006, more than 1% was used on data centers alone; a value that continues to rise rapidly. Of the total amount of electricity a data center consumes, about 30% is used to cool server equipment. The present study conceptualizes and analyzes a novel paradigm consisting of integrated power, cooling, and waste heat recovery and upgrade systems that considerably lower the energy footprint of data centers. Thus, on-site power generation equipment is used to supply primary electricity needs of the data center. The microturbine-derived waste heat is recovered to run an absorption chiller that supplies the entire cooling load of the data center, essentially providing the requisite cooling without any additional expenditure of primary energy. Furthermore, the remaining waste heat rejected by the data center is boosted to a higher temperature with a heat transformer, with the upgraded thermal stream serving as an additional output of the data center with negligible additional electrical power input. Such upgraded heat can be used for district heating applications in neighboring residential or commercial buildings, or as process heat for commercial end uses such as laundries, hospitals, and restaurants, depending on the location of the data center. With such a system, the primary energy usage of the data center as a whole can be reduced by up to 23% while still addressing the high-flux cooling loads, in addition to providing a new income stream through the sales of upgraded thermal energy. Given the large and fast-escalating energy consumption patterns of data centers, this novel, integrated approach to electricity and cooling supply, and waste heat recovery and upgrade will substantially reduce primary energy consumption for this important end use worldwide.
Safety and efficacy of combination immunotherapy with interferon Alfa-2b and tremelimumab in patients with stage IV melanoma

Purpose We tested the hypothesis that the combination of tremelimumab and interferon alfa-2b acting via different and possibly synergistic mechanisms would overcome tumor immune tolerance and lead to significant and durable clinical responses. Patients and Methods We conducted a phase II study in which patients were administered tremelimumab 15 mg/kg/course (three cycles [one cycle = 4 weeks]) intravenously every 12 weeks. High-dose interferon alfa-2b (HDI) was administered concurrently, including intravenous induction at 20 MU/m2/d for 5 d/wk for 4 weeks followed by maintenance at 10 MU/m2/d subcutaneously three times a week for 8 weeks per course. From course 2 onward, HDI maintenance was administered subcutaneously. Results Thirty-seven patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage IV (9M1a, 6M1b, and 22M1c) were enrolled. Two patients had previously treated brain metastases. Grades 3 and 4 toxicities included neutropenia (six patients; 17%), diarrhea/colitis (four patients; 11%), liver enzyme...
Iron removal during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis using deferoxamine

Abstract Iron overload is a serious problem for some maintenance hemodilaysis (MHD) patients and may be manifest by organ dysfunction [1] and elevated serum ferritin levels [2]. We had the opportunity to study iron chelation therapy in an iron overloaded dialysis patient during MHD and subsequently during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatment and to determine the effectiveness of iron removal using intravenous and intraperitoneal deferoxamine mesylate (Des-ferol®, Ciba-Giegy, Summit, New Jersey).
Increased benthic algal primary production in response to the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in a productive ecosystem, Oneida Lake, New York.

Increased water clarity associated with zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) populations may favor benthic algal primary production in freshwater systems previously dominated by pelagic phytoplankton production. While zebra mussel-mediated water clarity effects on benthic primary production have been implicated in published reports, few production estimates are available. This study estimates benthic primary production in Oneida Lake, NY before and after zebra mussel invasion (1992), using measured photosynthetic parameters (, αB and β) from sampled benthic algal communities. In the summers of 2003 and 2004, primary production was measured as O2 evolution from algal communities on hard (cobble) and soft (sediment) substrate from several depths. We also backcast estimates of benthic primary production from measurements of light penetration since 1975. Estimates of whole-lake epipelic and epilithic algal primary production showed a significant (4%) increase and exhibited significantly less interannual variability subsequent to the establishment of zebra mussels. We applied our model to two lakes of differing trophic status; the model significantly overestimated benthic primary production in a hypereutrophic lake, but there was no significant difference between the actual and predicted primary production values in the oligotrophic lake. The hypereutrophic lake had higher zebra mussel densities than Oneida (224 vs. 41 per sample respectively). Though total community respiration (measured in total darkness) was factored into our model predictions of production, our model may need modification when heterotrophic respiration is a large portion of total community metabolism.
Statistical properties of light from optical parametric oscillators

Coherence properties of light beams generated by optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are discussed in the region of threshold. Analytic expressions, that are valid throughout the threshold region, for experimentally measurable quantities such as the mean and variance of photon number fluctuations, squeezing of field quadratures, and photon counting distributions are derived. These expressions describe non-Gaussian fluctuations of light in the region of threshold and reproduce Gaussian fluctuations below and above threshold, thus providing a bridge between below and above threshold regimes of operation. They are used to study the transformation of fluctuation properties of light as the OPOs make a transition from below to above threshold. The results for the OPOs are compared to those for the single-mode and two-mode lasers and their similarities and differences are discussed.
BioEve: Bio-Molecular Event Extraction from Text Using Semantic Classification and Dependency Parsing

In this paper, we present BioEve a fully automated event extraction system for bio-medical text. It first semantically classifies each sentence to the class type of the event mentioned in the sentence, and then using high coverage hand-crafted rules, it extracts the participants of that event. We participated in Task 1 of BioNLP 2009 Shared task, and the final evaluation results are described here. Our experimentation with different approaches to classify a sentence to bio-interaction classes are also shared.
Parallel computation of a highly nonlinear Boussinesq equation model through domain decomposition

Implementations of the Boussinesq wave model to calculate free surface wave evolution in large basins are, in general, computationally very expensive, requiring huge amounts of CPU time and memory. For large scale problems, it is either not affordable or practical to run on a single PC. To facilitate such extensive computations, a parallel Boussinesq wave model is developed using the domain decomposition technique in conjunction with the message passing interface (MPI). The published and well-tested numerical scheme used by the serial model, a high-order finite difference method, is identical to that employed in the parallel model. Parallelization of the tridiagonal matrix systems included in the serial scheme is the most challenging aspect of the work, and is accomplished using a parallel matrix solver combined with an efficient data transfer scheme. Numerical tests on a distributed-memory super-computer show that the performance of the current parallel model in simulating wave evolution is very satisfactory. A linear speedup is gained as the number of processors increases. These tests showed that the CPU time efficiency of the model is about 75–90%. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
When people are too large and dirty (manufacturing computer control)

The manufacture of items with such stringent precision and cleanliness requirements that they cannot be assembled by human beings is addressed. The development of highly engineered compliant (springy) robot wrists, called remote center compliances (RCCs), that permit close clearance parts to be assembled with almost no contact force is described. An assembly system for inertial instruments that automated all material handling, cleaning, assembly, and test operations was designed with RCCs so complaint that they exert less force on the parts than people can detect with their fingers. Both the RCCs and the assembly system are described. >
Stem cell defects in parthenogenetic peri-implantation embryos

Mouse embryos containing only maternal chromosomes (parthenotes) develop abnormally in vivo, usually failing at the peri-implantation stage. We have analyzed the development of parthenote embryos by using an inner cell mass (ICM) outgrowth assay that mimics peri-implantation development. ICMs from normal embryos maintained undifferentiated stem cells positive for stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 and Rex-1 while differentiating into a variety of cell types, including visceral endoderm-like cells and parietal endoderm cells. In contrast, ICMs from parthenotes failed to maintain undifferentiated stem cells and differentiated almost exclusively into parietal endoderm. This suggests that parthenote ICMs have a defect that leads to differentiation, rather than maintenance, of the stem cells, and a defect that leads to a parietal endoderm fate for the stem cells. To test the hypothesis that the ICM population is not maintained owing to a lack of proliferation of the stem cells, we investigated whether mitogenic agents were able to maintain the ICM population in parthenotes. When parthenote blastocysts were supplied with the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (Igf-1r) and insulin-like growth factor-2 (Igf-2), two genes not detectable in parthenote blastocysts by in situ hybridization, the ICM population was maintained. Similarly, culture of parthenote blastocysts in medium conditioned by embryonic fibroblasts and supplemented with the maternal factor leukemia inhibitory factor maintained the ICM population. However, once this growth factor-rich medium was removed, the parthenote ICM cells still differentiated predominantly into parietal endoderm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
EVICTION TIME IN THE NEW SAIGON: Temporalities of Displacement in the Rubble of Development

This article describes the temporality of eviction in a rubble-strewn site of urban demolition in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where over 14,000 households are being evicted to create an ambitious “new urban zone.” Eviction thrusts many residents into an alternative time-world of enforced waiting, marked by an oppressive sense of being suspended in time. For some residents, however, an alternative temporality marked by indifference and disinterested detachment disrupts the project's timeline and thwarts the temporal designs of planners. Attention to the play of time reveals important social dynamics of everyday urban development and shows that acts of land clearance and reactions to them are more complex than simple battles over land and money. Most significantly, the difference between oppressive, alienating “waiting” and empowering, socially productive “hanging out” (chơi) is conditioned by the different ways social actors understand productive activity as an expression of agency played out in time.
GABRIELLA INFINITA: A PERSPECTIVE OF COLOMBIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE THROUGH ELECTRONIC LITERATURE

Gabriella infinita is a landmark of Latin American digital literature by Colombian author Jaime Alejandro Rodriguez Ruiz. It is a hypermedia novel in Spanish which was originally written and published as a traditional printed novel in 1994, to later on become a hypertext and a hypermedia novel. As a literary piece, Gabriella Infinita is an excellent example of Latin American literature. It brings to the fore topics that have been common to many Latin American countries, such as a civil war, guerrilla wars, repression, freedom of expression, fear and exile. It also highlights Latin America fascination with the United States and the counterculture movements of the 1970s. This essay explores how Colombian writer Jaime Alejandro Rodriguez Ruiz uses the various modalities of the new media in his hypermedia Gabriella Infinita to provide a better understanding of Colombian culture and history.
A Conceptual Review of Family Resilience Factors

Family resilience is the successful coping of family members under adversity that enables them to flourish with warmth, support, and cohesion. An increasingly important realm of family nursing practice is to identify, enhance, and promote family resiliency. Based on a review of family research and conceptual literature, prominent factors of resilient families include: positive outlook, spirituality, family member accord, flexibility, family communication, financial management, family time, shared recreation, routines and rituals, and support networks. A family resilience orientation, based on the conviction that all families have inherent strengths and the potential for growth, provides the family nurse with an opportunity to facilitate family protective and recovery factors and to secure extrafamilial resources to help foster resilience.
Neuropathy-Associated Egr2 Mutants Disrupt Cooperative Activation of Myelin Protein Zero by Egr2 and Sox10

Dominant mutations in the early growth response 2 (Egr2/Krox20) transactivator, a critical regulator of peripheral myelin development, have been associated with peripheral myelinopathies. These dominant mutants interfere with the expression of genes required for myelination by Schwann cells, including that for the most abundant peripheral myelin protein, Myelin protein zero (Mpz). In this study, we show that Egr2 mutants specifically affect an Egr2-responsive element within the Mpz first intron that also contains binding sites for the transcription factor Sox10. Furthermore, Egr2 activation through this element is impaired by mutation of the Sox10 binding sites. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we found that Egr2 and Sox10 bind to this element in myelinating sciatic nerve and that a dominant Egr2 mutant does not perturb Egr2 binding but rather attenuates binding of Sox10 to the Mpz intron element. Sox10 binding at other sites of Egr2/Sox10 synergy, including a novel site in the Myelin-associated glycoprotein (Mag) gene, is also reduced by the dominant Egr2 mutant. These results provide the first demonstration of binding of Egr2/Sox10 to adjacent sites in vivo and also demonstrate that neuropathy-associated Egr2 mutants antagonize binding of Sox10 at specific sites, thereby disrupting genetic control of the myelination program.
Antibiotic therapy in elderly patients with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis (CB) is a critical component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Emphysema, reversible airway disease and bronchiectasis also contribute to COPD. Elderly patients are at increased risk for COPD and its components - emphysema, CB and bronchiectasis. In addition, older patients are at increased risk for resistant organisms during episodes of acute exacerbation of CB (AECB). These organisms include the more common bacteria implicated in AECB, such as Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae, and less common nonenteric, Gram-negative organisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Risk-stratified antibiotic treatment guidelines for AECB appear to be useful, although they have not been prospectively validated for the general CB population, and especially not in the elderly CB population. Many of the AECB treatment guidelines that are stratified based on risk factors have recommended that the oral respiratory fluoroquinolone antibiotics (gemifloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin) play a second-line but pivotal role, particularly in patients who have failed initial antibiotic treatment for simple CB or as initial treatment for complicated CB.
PGC1α Expression Defines a Subset of Human Melanoma Tumors with Increased Mitochondrial Capacity and Resistance to Oxidative Stress

Cancer cells reprogram their metabolism using different strategies to meet energy and anabolic demands to maintain growth and survival. Understanding the molecular and genetic determinants of these metabolic programs is critical to successfully exploit them for therapy. Here, we report that the oncogenic melanocyte lineage-specification transcription factor MITF drives PGC1α (PPARGC1A) overexpression in a subset of human melanomas and derived cell lines. Functionally, PGC1α positive melanoma cells exhibit increased mitochondrial energy metabolism and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification capacities that enable survival under oxidative stress conditions. Conversely, PGC1α negative melanoma cells are more glycolytic and sensitive to ROS-inducing drugs. These results demonstrate that differences in PGC1α levels in melanoma tumors have a profound impact in their metabolism, biology, and drug sensitivity.
Bone tissue ultrastructural response to elastic deformation probed by Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy is used as a probe of ultrastructural (molecular) changes in both the mineral and matrix (protein and glycoprotein, predominantly type I collagen) components in real time of murine cortical bone as it responds to elastic deformation. Because bone is a composite material, its mechanical properties are dependent on the structure and composition at a variety of dimensional scales. At the ultrastructural level, crystal structure and protein secondary structure distort as the tissue is loaded. These structural changes are followed as perturbations to tissue spectra. We load murine femora in a custom-made mechanical tester that fits on the stage of a Raman microprobe and can accept hydrated tissue specimens. As the specimen is loaded in tension, the shifts in mineral P–O4ν1 are followed with the microprobe. Average load and strain are measured using a load cell. These devices ensure that specimens are not loaded to or beyond the yield point. Changes occur in the mineral component of bone as a response to loading in the elastic regime. We propose that the mineral apatitic crystal lattice is deformed by movement of calcium and other ions. Raman microspectroscopy shows that bone mineral is not a passive contributor to tissue strength. The mineral active response to loading may function as a local energy storage and dissipation mechanism, thus helping to protect tissue from catastrophic damage.
Endocrine and Metabolic Effects of Consuming Fructose- and Glucose-Sweetened Beverages with Meals in Obese Men and Women: Influence of Insulin Resistance on Plasma Triglyceride Responses

Context: Compared with glucose-sweetened beverages, consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages with meals elevates postprandial plasma triglycerides and lowers 24-h insulin and leptin profiles in normal-weight women. The effects of fructose, compared with glucose, ingestion on metabolic profiles in obese subjects has not been studied. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the effects of fructose- and glucose-sweetened beverages consumed with meals on hormones and metabolic substrates in obese subjects. Design and Setting: The study had a within-subject design conducted in the clinical and translational research center. Participants: Participants included 17 obese men (n = 9) and women (n = 8), with a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2. Interventions: Subjects were studied under two conditions involving ingestion of mixed nutrient meals with either glucose-sweetened beverages or fructose-sweetened beverages. The beverages provided 30% of total kilocalories. Blood samples were collected o...
Architecting ASIC libraries and flows in nanometer era

This paper is in response to the question 'ASIC Design the nm era - dead or alive' from an ASIC library architecture and library flow point of view. The authors believe it is certainly significantly harder to design in the nm era but ASIC design is not dead. ASIC Design is much more challenging in the nanometer era. This paper will present some of the main effects that have become significant in terms of library architecture and library creation flow. Some full chip level effects will be discussed. Example solutions to some of these dramatic trends will also be presented. This is presented in a 'stories from the trenches' format - from the team that architects and delivers TI ASIC libraries. The majority of the data presented comes from development of TI ASIC 130, 90 and 65nm libraries.
Mechanisms of ionization for low energy ion-atom collisions

Abstract In low energy atomic collision processes, the main contribution to the cross section often comes from “hidden crossings” of potential energy curves in the complex internuclear coordinate plane. Ionization of hydrogen by bare proton has been calculated at intermediate energies ( E A = 5–25 keV ). In addition to total cross section the electron energy spectra are discussed.
Errors and Understanding: The Effects of Error-Management Training on Creative Problem-Solving.

People make errors in their creative problem-solving efforts. The intent of this article was to assess whether error-management training would improve performance on creative problem-solving tasks. Undergraduates were asked to solve an educational leadership problem known to call for creative thought where problem solutions were scored for quality, originality, and elegance. Prior to beginning work on their problem solutions, participants were provided with training in 0 to 4 error-management strategies. It was found that error-management training was beneficial for talented people (as indicated by scores on the pretraining exercise) resulting in solutions of greater originality. The implications of these findings for improving performance on creative problem-solving tasks are discussed.
Design and implementation of computationally efficient, modulated filter banks

The authors present an effective design algorithm for analysis-synthesis filter banks with computationally efficient structures. Although a wide variety of implementation structures can be accommodated, the focus is on filter banks with cosine kernels. The design procedure is based on a time-domain formulation of the analysis-synthesis filter bank in which the individual channel filters are constrained to be cosine modulated versions of a baseband filter. The resulting filters are very efficient in terms of computational requirements and are relatively easy to design. Some design examples are included as well as a discussion of their associated computational properties. >
Sound, text and identity in Korn’s ‘Hey Daddy’

Most of the existing literature on metal approaches the subject from a sociological, anthropological or historical perspective, dedicating more attention to the surrounding musical (sub)cultures and their transformations than to the songs and music itself. This essay addresses this gap in recent metal scholarship by examining issues of sound, text and identity in one of the most influential and popular metal bands of the post-grunge era, Korn. I interpret possible meanings within 'Hey Daddy', a track from Issues (1999), based on the relationships among the music, both as pitch and sound/timbre, and the text. In addition, I explore different processes of identification, offering an assessment of identification in the genre of metal and challenges in respect to listener identity in 'Hey Daddy'.
Dynamic patterns and ecological impacts of declining ocean pH in a high-resolution multi-year dataset.

Increasing global concentrations of atmospheric CO2 are predicted to decrease ocean pH, with potentially severe impacts on marine food webs, but empirical data documenting ocean pH over time are limited. In a high-resolution dataset spanning 8 years, pH at a north-temperate coastal site declined with increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and varied substantially in response to biological processes and physical conditions that fluctuate over multiple time scales. Applying a method to link environmental change to species dynamics via multispecies Markov chain models reveals strong links between in situ benthic species dynamics and variation in ocean pH, with calcareous species generally performing more poorly than noncalcareous species in years with low pH. The models project the long-term consequences of these dynamic changes, which predict substantial shifts in the species dominating the habitat as a consequence of both direct effects of reduced calcification and indirect effects arising from the web of species interactions. Our results indicate that pH decline is proceeding at a more rapid rate than previously predicted in some areas, and that this decline has ecological consequences for near shore benthic ecosystems.
Detection of female lower genital tract dysplasia using orally administered 5-aminolevulinic acid induced protoporphyrin IX: a preliminary study.

Objective. Previous studies have suggested that 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) may be used topically on the cervix to allow optical detection of cervical dysplasia, based on the fluorescence of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) synthesized in situ from ALA. However, the uniformity of distribution of topically applied PpIX and the sensitivity and specificity of detection are not optimal. The current study was undertaken to demonstrate the feasibility of administering ALA by mouth (po) with the hypothesis that systemic administration might provide a more reliable diagnostic tool. Methods. Oral ALA was administered to 14 patients with abnormal Pap smears in a dose- and time-intensity design. Institutional review board approval was obtained. A starting dose of 10 mg/kg of po ALA was administered and colposcopy was performed in 3 patients at 1 h, 3 patients at 2 h, 6 patients at 3 h, and 2 patients at 4 h. The study was written with the intent to increase the dose in 10 mg/kg increments if fluorescence was not detected; however, fluorescence was detected at the first dose level. Liver function tests were checked pre and post ALA and follow-up telephone calls were made regarding possible side effects. Both white and blue light colposcopy examinations were performed by two blinded clinicians and biopsies of all abnormal areas were performed. Results. All patients tolerated po ALA well, with no systemic side effects. At the 10 mg/kg dose there was no reported nausea or photosensitivity. Optimal fluorescence was achieved at the 3-h time point, with quenching noted at the 4-h time point. Excellent absorption was documented with fluorescence of the lip demonstrated with Wood's lamp. In some cases fluorescence correlated with dysplasia on biopsy. Conclusion. 5-ALA given via the po route and at the dose and time period studied is well tolerated and affords fluorescence of the cervix. Future study is needed to demonstrate the successful identification of dysplastic lesions, with the ultimate goal of treating dysplasia of the lower genital tract with 5-ALA and light therapy.
Coincident display using haptics and holographic video

In this paper, we describe the implementation of a novel system which enables a user to “carve” a simple free-standing electronic holographic image using a force-feedback device. The force-feedback (or haptic) device has a stylus which is held by the hand like an ordinary cutting tool. The 3D position of the stylus tip is reported by the device, and appropriate forces can be displayed to the hand as it interacts with 3D objects in the haptic workspace. The haptic workspace is spatially overlapped and registered with the holographic video display volume. Within the resulting coincident visuo-haptic workspace, a 3D synthetic cylinder is presented, spinning about its long axis, which a person can see, feel, and lathe with the stylus. This paper introduces the concept of coincident visuo-haptic display and describes the implementation of the lathe simulation. After situating the work in a research context, we present the details of system design and implementation, including the haptic and holographic modeling. Finally, we discuss the performance of this prototype system and future work.
Current Switching in Crossed Graphene Nanoribbons

Current switching by voltage control of the quantum phase has been demonstrated theoretically in crossed graphene nanoribbons. Notable features are the large suppression of the transmission over a wide range of energy of 1.2 eV at zero bias and the high sensitivity of the transmission to an applied bias, changing by 3 orders of magnitude with a bias change of 0.15 V. The magnitude of the current is modulated by a factor of 1000. The area of the intersection that is the active region of the device is 1.8nm x 1.8nm consisting of 120 atoms.
Effects of Interspecific Competition Between Two Urban Ant Species, Linepithema humile and Monomorium minimum, on Toxic Bait Performance

We evaluated the effects of interspeciÞc competition on ant bait performance with two urban pest ants, the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), and the little black ant, Monomorium minimum (Buckley). In a laboratory study, the impact of a solid sulsuramid bait on M. minimum was diminished when L. humile were present, whereas the presence of M. minimum reduced the perfor- mance of a liquid Þpronil bait against L. humile. Argentine ants were not adversely affected by sulsuramid bait at any time, whereasM.minimum was unaffected by Þpronil bait until 14 d of exposure. In Þeld studies measuring diel foraging activity, M. minimum seemed to delay L. humile foraging to food stations by 30 min during summer 2001. However, L. humile subsequently recruited to food stations in very high numbers, thereby displacing M. minimum. L. humile visited food stations over an entire 24-h period, whereasM.minimum was only observed visiting food stations during daylight hours. Adjusting the timing of bait placement in the Þeld may minimize any negative effects of interspeciÞc competition between these two species on toxic bait performance.
A Dual-Output 550 GHz frequency tripler featuring ultra-compact silicon micromachining packaging and enhanced power-handling capabilities

We report on an ultra-compact 550 GHz Schottky diode based frequency tripler based on an on-chip power combined structure that allows to integrate and combine four multiplying structures onto a single chip to increase up to a factor of four the power handling capabilities of traditional frequency multipliers. The chip is mounted onto a Silicon micromachined stack to increase compactness. The design features to very well balance independent outputs that can be used to feed multi-pixel receivers with no additional power dividing. The tripler is designed to operate in the 520–600 GHz band, showing a measured peak power of 1.6–1.8 mW per output when pumped with 200 mW. This corresponds to an efficiency of around 4% in the device once the output power is corrected for the text fixture losses and other unexpected losses.
Modular computational critics for games

Formal game modeling tools could support the automated analysis of game rules and rapid automated play-testing, but are not widely used. Furthermore, existing game design support tools are often limited to very specific classes of game, require significant programming expertise to use or customize, or are fully-automatic tools with limited affordances for human designers. We therefore propose a framework for authoring computational game design critics and a new game definition language (Gamelan) grounded in the conventions of board game rules. We show how a set of these critics could have detected specific, attested design problems in the development of Donald X. Vaccarino's influential card game Dominion. We also illustrate an extension of this approach to other collectible card games, turn-taking games, and games in general.
Object-based image editing

We introduce Object-Based Image Editing (OBIE) for real-time animation and manipulation of static digital photographs. Individual image objects (such as an arm or nose, Figure 1) are selected, scaled, stretched, bent, warped or even deleted (with automatic hole filling) - at the object, rather than the pixel level - using simple gesture motions with a mouse. OBIE gives the user direct, local control over object shape, size, and placement while dramatically reducing the time required to perform image editing tasks.Object selection is performed by manually collecting (subobject) regions detected by a watershed algorithm. Objects are tessellated into a triangular mesh, allowing shape modification to be performed in real time using OpenGL's texture mapping hardware.Through the use of anchor points, the user is able to interactively perform editing operations on a whole object, or just part(s) of an object - including moving, scaling, rotating, stretching, bending, and deleting. Indirect manipulation of object shape is also provided through the use of sliders and Bezier curves. Holes created by movement are filled in real-time based on surrounding texture.When objects stretch or scale, we provide a method for preserving texture granularity or scale. We also present a texture brush, which allows the user to "paint" texture into different parts of an image, using existing image texture(s).OBIE allows the user to perform interactive, high-level editing of image objects in a few seconds to a few ten's of seconds
Reason, Development, and the Conflicts of Human Ends: Sir Isaiah Berlin's Vision of Politics

At the root of the conflict between Berlin and his critics is a fundamental disagreement over the possibility of certainty and over the relation of human ends to politics. Gerald MacCallum's formalist critique obscures the political question of whose values a free person is at liberty to pursue. Macpherson's attempt to defend positive liberty as not rationalistic is shown to fail because he (a) conflates liberty with its conditions and (b) assumes a rational pattern to human moral development. And Crick charges Berlin with ignoring politics, understood as active participation in the polis. Finally, Berlin's conception of politics as a form of human interaction aimed at creating the conditions of human dignity in a situation where we sincerely disagree over the ends of life is shown to be an effort to liberate us to live life for our own purposes. Yet Berlin's defense of liberty is problematic because it is too skeptical; to overcome this difficulty, a non-teleological yet developmentalist account of human nature and a weakly hierarchical account of human values is suggested.
A feasibility study of the use of axisymmetric thrust vectoring for enhanced in-flight simulation

The use of axisynmctric thrust vectoring technology to expand the VISTA (Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft) F-16 simulation capability is explored. First, axisymnietric thrust vectoring control power is used to expand the VISTA Short Period and Dutch Roll Simulation Envelopes. This is accomplished by augmenting conventional aerodynamic control surface control power with asisymmetric thrust vectoring control power. The increased control pohver is used to respond to feedback command signals to cspand the number of Short Period and Dutch Roll natural frequency and damping ratio combinations the VISTA can simulate at fixed flight conditions. Second, asisymnietric thrust vectoring control ponw is used to replace the aerodynamic control pov,er required for high fidelity VISTA tracking. Model Following Flight Control Systems (MFFCS) are developed for the VISTA with and \vithout thrust vectoring. In-flight simulation tracking operations are performed for both VISTA configurations. VISTA aerodynamic control surface effort during inflight simulation is measured for each configuration. Benefits provided by asisymmetric thrust vectoring are quantified in terms of percent reduction in peak and RSS (root of the summed square) aerodynamic control effort for the simulation.
Vectorial Analysis of Optical Dielectric Waveguide Bends using Finite-Difference Method

The design of optical dielectric waveguide bends is important in integrated optical circuits. The bends may be used to turn light beem for the desired angle and route it to the desired location. The bends have several advantages over deep-etched turning mirrors: they are easy to fabricate and can be used in buried waveguide structures where mirrors cannot be built. For these reasons, accurate calculation of the loss of optical dielectric waveguide bends is important
Low Lysine, Low Protein, and Skip-a-day Restriction of Summer and Winter Reared Broiler Breeder Pullets

Abstract Pullets were reared under two conditions of environment and fed diets which were first limiting in the essential amino acid lysine. During physiological parameters of decreasing daylength and hot ambient temperature, the sexual maturity of pullets was delayed most effectively by the use of the skip-a-day feeding program, and treatment effects on sexual maturity influenced reproductive performance. During physiological conditions of increasing daylength and cool ambient temperature, the sexual maturity of pullets was delayed most effectively by the low lysine feeding program, but no significant differences due to treatment were observed after these hens came into production. Body weight of pullets at sexual maturity is the most critical physiological parameter for an effective restriction program. All dietary restriction methods tested in these experiments can be used to successfully control growth and sexual maturity of pullets. Eggs from summer reared pullets were 2 g. larger than those from winter reared pullets.
Tu1158 Combining Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection and Endoscopic Mucosal Resection to Treat Neoplasia in Barrett's Esophagus

Background and aims Piecemeal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is the standard treatment of nodular Barrett’s esophagus dysplasia and T1a cancer. Piecemeal resection may be incomplete and makes precise histologic assessment difficult. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a technique that enables en-bloc resection but has not gained widespread acceptance due to its technical difficulty, risk and long procedure time.
A Tool for Selecting Plants When Restoring Habitat for Pollinators

Native pollinators and, particularly bees, are a critical component of agricultural systems. Unfortunately, many factors are leading to their declines, including habitat loss. Consequently, approaches have emerged that aim to restore pollinator habitat in managed landscapes. A widely adopted technique in Europe and North America is the planting of flowering shrubs and forbs along field edges. These habitats usually include a variety of species, chosen because they are attractive to pollinators and because they flower continuously over those pollinators' flight seasons. Because there are many potential plant species with different flowering times and pollinator preferences, selecting a subset is challenging. Here, we develop a tool that identifies a plant mix that optimizes some assessment criteria (e.g., pollinator visitation, richness, or phenology). We test our tool by showing that it identifies mixes that better satisfy these criteria than ones found using conventional expert-driven methods, when applied to a plant–pollinator dataset.
Neuroepithelial bodies stimulate proliferation of airway epithelium in fetal hamster lung

Autoradiographs were prepared from lungs of a newborn Syrian golden hamster exposed continuously to [3H]thymidine throughout the final 4.5 days of gestation. Silver grains were counted over nuclei ...
Interactions Between Donor CD4 Cells and Residual Host Cells After Nonmyeloablative Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Suppress Hematopoiesis and Lead to Graft Rejection

Abstract Abstract 75 While non-myeloablative conditioning significantly reduces morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), the risk of graft rejection increases, because persistent host cells mediate host-vs-graft reactivity. Here we studied the dynamics of engraftment and hematopoietic reconstitution after non-myeloablative radiation (XRT) in a minor antigen-mismatched model with high barriers to engraftment. BALB.K mice received purified hematopoietic stem cells (HSC: cKit+Thy1.1loSca1+Lin−) +/− TC from AKR/J donors. Recipients of pure HSC or HSC+CD8 TC regularly achieved stable mixed chimerism; however, if grafts contained CD4+CD25− TC (CD4con), recipients failed to engraft. This lack of engraftment was associated with BM hypocellularity (median 3.8 vs 13.3 x10^6 cells/2 legs in HSC+CD4con vs HSC recipients, respectively; p=0.0003), and lymphopenia ( 40%) at 2 weeks (w) post-HCT. In addition, 2w post-HCT the BM of mice given HSC+CD4con contained increased proportions of CD4 TC which expressed high levels of IFNγ (median 45% of donor vs. 13% of host CD4 TC; p LT) HSC was enlarged. These HSC were not apoptotic (as assessed by annexin V staining), but were cell cycle arrested (assessed by DNA content analysis). To study the functionality of these HSC outside the inflammatory environment, LT+ST HSC from HSC+CD4con recipients were FACS purified at 2w post-HCT and infused into secondary Rag2γc-/- recipients. These adoptively transferred HSC and promptly sustained multilineage hematopoiesis derived from the primary BALB.k host. Our results suggest that interactions between naive donor CD4 TC and immunocompetent residual host cells, such as DC, create a pro-inflammatory environment involving the IL-12/IFNγ axis. We evaluated several other MHC-identical strain combinations which demonstrated lower levels of cytokine production with improved hematopoiesis compared to the AKR into BALK.K combination. These differences imply that impaired hematopoiesis is due to activation of donor CD4 TC in response to disparate minor alloantigens, and not due to non-specific inflammation. Such immune reactions appear to prevent engraftment of donor HSC and also inhibit the HSC expansion required to restore hematopoiesis early post-HCT. We conclude that HCT with pure HSC can result in superior immune reconstitution and donor chimerism after non-myeloablative conditioning. Pure HSC are immunologically anergic, and do not trigger inflammation in the BM microenvironment. As it is generally believed that TC augment donor HSC engraftment, our results are of broad significance because they reveal critical interactions between donor and host populations after non-myeloablative conditioning. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Threat Appeals: The Fear–Persuasion Relationship is Linear and Curvilinear

Drive theory may be seen as the first scientific theory of health and risk communication. However, its prediction of a curvilinear association between fear and persuasion is generally held to be incorrect. A close rereading of Hovland et al. reveals that within- and between-persons processes were conflated. Using a message that advocated obtaining a screening for colonoscopy, this study (N = 259) tested both forms of the inverted-U hypothesis. In the between-persons data, analyses revealed a linear effect that was consistent with earlier investigations. However, the data showed an inverted-U relationship in within-persons data. Hence, the relationship between fear and persuasion is linear or curvilinear depending on the level of analysis.
Performance-cost optimization of a diamond heat spreader

The steady-state thermal resistance of a small heat source applied to a diamond heat spreader attached to a larger substrate with Newtonian cooling on the opposite side was evaluated using numerical simulation. The substrate with Newtonian cooling models a range of convection-cooled designs, such as a heat sink base with a finned surface or the base of a cold plate with liquid cooling. The objective of this work is to quantify the thermal performance of the modeled system as a function of the diamond heat spreader size and properties. The resulting maximum thermal resistance as a function of diamond spreader thickness, lateral dimension, and conductivity are presented, as well as some guidelines for effective thermal design. In addition, a range of convection conditions typical for these applications are examined. Synthetic diamond is still an expensive material, ranging from $1 to $20 per square millimeter in the lateral plane. The price increases sharply with conductivity, thickness, and lateral dimension, all of which increase thermal performance of the diamond spreader. For this reason, the cost per thermal performance is a distinctly different optimization problem from the thermal performance alone. The results of this optimization are presented for a Biot number typical for forced convection through a finned surface using direct air cooling.