cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of composition and irradiation on the glass transition temperature of methyl methacrylate–styrene copolymers

Effects of composition and irradiation on glass transition temperature of methyl methacrylate- styrene copolymers
Thermal-mechanical-noise-based CMUT characterization and sensing

When capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) are monolithically integrated with custom-designed low-noise electronics, the output noise of the system can be dominated by the CMUT thermal-mechanical noise both in air and in immersion even for devices with low capacitance. Because the thermal-mechanical noise can be related to the electrical admittance of the CMUTs, this provides an effective means of device characterization. This approach yields a novel method to test the functionality and uniformity of CMUT arrays and the integrated electronics when a direct connection to CMUT array element terminals is not available. Because these measurements can be performed in air at the wafer level, the approach is suitable for batch manufacturing and testing. We demonstrate this method on the elements of an 800-μm-diameter CMUT-on-CMOS array designed for intravascular imaging in the 10 to 20 MHz range. Noise measurements in air show the expected resonance behavior and spring softening effects. Noise measurements in immersion for the same array provide useful information on both the acoustic cross talk and radiation properties of the CMUT array elements. The good agreement between a CMUT model based on finite difference and boundary element methods and the noise measurements validates the model and indicates that the output noise is indeed dominated by thermal-mechanical noise. The measurement method can be exploited to implement CMUT-based passive sensors to measure immersion medium properties, or other parameters affecting the electro-mechanics of the CMUT structure.
Remote logging in Java using Jeli: a facility to enhance development of accessible educational software

The combination of Java and the World Wide Web has opened up new opportunities for teaching at all levels. It is now possible to assume that all students in a class have access to the web through a browser that supports the Java language and a standard subset of the GUI API. One of the drawbacks of using Java through a browser is the lack of a standardized safe way for a Java applet to access resources on the local machine. Security measures prevent the applet from storing information generated by the applet on the local machine. The Jeli package contains a logging facility that allows an applet to store files either locally (if permitted) or on the server from which the applet was loaded. Jeli logging makes it significantly easier for instructors to develop applets that can permanently store information generated by user interaction with the application. The log can then be used by the student for study or the instructor for grading.
Infravesical obstruction in aromatase over expressing transgenic male mice with increased ratio of serum estrogen-to-androgen concentration.

Purpose: The potential role of estrogen in the development of infravesical obstruction is still unresolved. Aromatase over expressing transgenic mice provide a novel instrument for investigating the consequences of prolonged systemic or local increases in endogenous estrogen concentrations. Two aromatase over expressing transgenic mouse strains with different prostatic phenotypes (reduced and normal size, respectively) were compared in urodynamic studies with each other and with the wild-type strain.Materials and Methods: The bladder and urethra were exposed in adult male wild-type or transgenic mice. High frequency oscillations of intraluminal bladder pressure and flow rate from the distal urethra were simultaneously recorded with the mice under anesthesia.Results: No changes were observed in voiding in MMTV-arom+ mice. These mice are known to have only slightly elevated estradiol concentrations in serum, suggesting a localized increase in estrogen production. In AROM+ mice the aromatase gene was detecte...
Association of Postnatal Dexamethasone Use and Fungal Sepsis in the Development of Severe Retinopathy of Prematurity and Progression to Laser Therapy in Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Infants

Association of Postnatal Dexamethasone Use and Fungal Sepsis in the Development of Severe Retinopathy of Prematurity and Progression to Laser Therapy in Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Infants
Progesterone Treatment Shows Benefit in a Pediatric Model of Moderate to Severe Bilateral Brain Injury

Purpose Controlled cortical impact (CCI) models in adult and aged Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats have been used extensively to study medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) injury and the effects of post-injury progesterone treatment, but the hormone's effects after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in juvenile animals have not been determined. In the present proof-of-concept study we investigated whether progesterone had neuroprotective effects in a pediatric model of moderate to severe bilateral brain injury. Methods Twenty-eight-day old (PND 28) male Sprague Dawley rats received sham (n = 24) or CCI (n = 47) injury and were given progesterone (4, 8, or 16 mg/kg per 100 g body weight) or vehicle injections on post-injury days (PID) 1–7, subjected to behavioral testing from PID 9–27, and analyzed for lesion size at PID 28. Results The 8 and 16 mg/kg doses of progesterone were observed to be most beneficial in reducing the effect of CCI on lesion size and behavior in PND 28 male SD rats. Conclusion Our findings suggest that a midline CCI injury to the frontal cortex will reliably produce a moderate TBI comparable to what is seen in the adult male rat and that progesterone can ameliorate the injury-induced deficits.
Aerosol optical properties at Mauna Loa Observatory: Long‐range transport from Kuwait?

Aerosol light absorption has been measured continuously at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii (MLO), since April 1990. During the spring of 1991, after oil wells were fired in Kuwait, there was speculation among scientists concerning long-range transport of smoke particles and its possible effect on global climate. The MLO light absorption record from April 1990 to June 1991 shows low values in the 0.1–1 ×10−7 m−1 range in the summer of 1990, and an increased baseline level of about 2–4 ×10−7 m−1 with numerous superimposed events in the 5–10 ×10−7 m−1 range in the spring of 1991. These levels correspond to black carbon (BC) concentrations of 1–10, 20–40, and 50–100 ng m−3, respectively, under the assumption that BC is the dominant light absorbing species and has a specific absorption of 10 m2 g−1. Large-scale 500-hPa trajectories calculated backwards from MLO sometimes show direct transport paths from China and Kuwait to Hawaii that coincide with the black carbon events. These measurements set an upper limit on the possible contribution of Kuwaiti black carbon to the background troposphere near MLO during periods of rapid transport. The aerosol observed at MLO is expected to cause a net cooling of the atmosphere.
Determination of the threshold voltage in sodium-doped metal-oxide-semiconductor structures

Measurements of transconductance, low-field Hall voltage, and Shubnikov\char21{}de Haas oscillations (SdH) have been performed in n-type Si inversion layers at low temperatures over a wide range of interfacial oxide charge densities (6.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{11}$\ensuremath{\le}${\mathit{N}}_{\mathrm{ox}}$\ensuremath{\le}4.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{12}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$). The threshold voltages found by these three techniques are in agreement only at the lowest measured values of ${\mathit{N}}_{\mathrm{ox}}$. As the amount of oxide charge at the interface is increased, the SdH thresholds become independent of ${\mathit{N}}_{\mathrm{ox}}$, while the Hall thresholds continue to shift in the expected direction. The evolution and behavior of the complicated structure in the transconductance with ${\mathit{N}}_{\mathrm{ox}}$ are also analyzed and compared with the SdH and Hall data. The discrepancy between the thresholds at a given ${\mathit{N}}_{\mathrm{ox}}$ appears to be due to the agglomeration of sodium ions into patches of high concentration. In addition, the Hall constant is observed to vary with the experimental parameters (e.g., magnetic field, temperature) for a fixed ${\mathit{N}}_{\mathrm{ox}}$. The study of this effect shows that it is caused by electron-electron interactions in the presence of disorder.
Paired-ion chromatographic analysis of tamoxifen and two major metabolites in plasma

A method is described for the clinical analysis of the non-steroidal anti-estrogenic, anti-neoplastic agent, tamoxifen and its 4-hydroxy and N-desmethyl metabolites in human plasma. The analytes are extracted from biological fluid with diethyl ether and subsequently converted to fluorescent phenanthrene derivatives by irradiation with UV light. The fluorophores are separated by paired-ion chromatography on a reversed-phase (C1???) column. Spectrofluorometric monitoring of the column eluent allows quantitation of analytes as their phenanthrene derivatives to levels of 100 pg/ml of plasma.
Faculty perceptions of the Educating Pharmacy Students to Improve Quality (EPIQ) program.

Objective. To investigate users’ initial perceptions of and potential applications for the Educating Pharmacy Students and Pharmacists to Improve Quality (EPIQ) program, a 5-module education program designed to educate pharmacists and pharmacy students about quality improvement in pharmacy practice. Methods. The 5-module EPIQ program was distributed to pharmacy faculty members, pharmacy practitioners, and other health professionals across the country upon request. A 6-item survey instrument was sent to the first 97 people who requested the program. Results. Twenty-seven (56%) of the 55 respondents had reviewed the EPIQ program and 22 (82%) intended to use some or all of the content to teach about quality improvement or patient safety primarily in pharmacy management and medication safety courses. Conclusion. Initial perceptions of the EPIQ program were positive; however, further evaluation is needed after more extensive implementation of the program in pharmacy colleges and schools and other settings.
A modified in situ enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for quantitating interleukin-2 activity employing monoclonal anti-IL-2 receptor antibody

The IL-2R ELISA recently described by Igietseme and Herscowitz (J. Immunol. Methods 97 (1987) 123) is a simple and reliable procedure for measuring the immunological activation of lymphocytes based on the expression of the early activation antigen, the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R). In the present report, this assay has now been adapted for the quantitation of IL-2 in culture supernatants and is based on the measurement of augmentation of IL-2R expression resulting from the exposure of sensitive cells (IL-2-dependent T cell line, CTLL-2, and mitogenic blasts) to IL-2. Under the conditions of these experiments, the magnitude of IL-2R expression appears to be directly proportional to the concentration of IL-2 in a given sample up to an optimum concentration beyond which no further increase in IL-2R expression is observed. Dose-response curves revealed that the assay correlates well with the proliferative response of the responder cells as measured by the [3H]thymidine (3H-TdR) uptake assay which is the commonly employed assay for quantitating IL-2. Using a simple mathematical formula, units of IL-2 activity could be assigned to unknown IL-2 preparations employed in these studies based on the activity contained in a standard IL-2 preparation. In an attempt to further simplify the procedure, a novel approach involving an in situ assay was designed and was found to be applicable for quantitating IL-2 by both the 3H-TdR uptake assay and the IL-2R ELISA. The assay can provide direct information about the immediate effect(s) of ligand-to-receptor binding and/or the effect(s) of ligand on the initial response of the cell. The assay could be adapted to quantitate the interleukins, in general.
Triggers and maintenance of multiple shifts in the state of a natural community

Ecological communities can undergo sudden and dramatic shifts between alternative persistent community states. Both ecological prediction and natural resource management rely on understanding the mechanisms that trigger such shifts and maintain each state. Differentiating between potential mechanisms is difficult, however, because shifts are often recognized only in hindsight and many occur on such large spatial scales that manipulative experiments to test their causes are difficult or impossible. Here we use an approach that focuses first on identifying changes in environmental factors that could have triggered a given state change, and second on examining whether these changes were sustained (and thus potentially maintained the new state) or transitory (explaining the shift but not its persistence). We use this approach to evaluate a community shift in which a benthic marine species of filter feeding sea cucumber (Pachythyone rubra) suddenly came to dominate subtidal rocky reefs that had previously supported high abundances of macroalgae, persisted for more than a decade, then abruptly declined. We found that a sustained period without large wave events coincided with the shift to sea cucumber dominance, but that the sea cucumbers persisted even after the end of this low wave period, indicating that different mechanisms maintained the new community. Additionally, the period of sea cucumber dominance occurred when their predators were rare, and increases in the abundance of these predators coincided with the end of sea cucumber dominance. These results underscore the complex nature of regime shifts and illustrate that focusing separately on the causes and maintenance of state change can be a productive first step for analyzing these shifts in a range of systems.
Flexor tendon rupture associated with an anomalous muscle

A rupture occurred in the substance of an apparently normal flexor digitorum profundus tendon of a left small finger. It was associated with a previously undescribed anomalous flexor digitorum superficialis of the brevis type to the same finger. Clinical reports of 20 anomalous flexor digitorum superficialis muscles were found in the literature; all but one were on the right side or bilateral and occurred predominantly in females. Three cases were of the brevis type and all involved the index finger. Although the precise reason for rupture is not known we have speculated that the anomalous superficialis may have given rise to a deficient vinculum longus to the profundus predisposing it to failure.
Spatial energy market risk analysis using the semivariance risk measure

Abstract The paper concentrates on the analysis of semivariance (SV) as a market risk measure for market risk analysis of mean–semivariance (MSV) portfolios. The advantage of MSV over variance as a risk measure is that MSV provides a more logical measure of risk than the MV method. In addition, the relationship of the SV with the lower partial movements is discussed. A spatial risk model is proposed as a basis of risk assessment for short-term energy markets. Transaction costs and other practical constraints are also included. A case study is provided to show the successful application of the model.
EEG Alpha: Lateral Asymmetry Related to Task, and Hypnotizability

Occipital EEG alpha (8-13 Hz) was recorded separately from the right and left hemispheres of 26 right-handed subjects during analytic (verbal and numerical) tasks, spatial (imagery) tasks, a music task, and a hypnotic susceptibility scale. An alpha laterality score was derived by computing the percent difference in the amplitude of alpha in the two hemispheres. This laterality score was significantly different between the analytic and spatial tasks, and between an eyes-open baseline and an eyes-open measurement during hypnotic amnesia. Because the spatial tasks used in this study are considered “easier” than the analytic or music tasks, the role of task difficulty provides some ambiguity in interpretation. Highly hypnotizable subjects showed significantly more alpha activity (compared to low hypnotizables) in all conditions (both outside hypnosis and within it) except for the eyes-open baseline and the eyes-open measurement following the release of amnesia. No differences were found between low- and high-hypnotizables in the laterality measure. This suggests that the lateral asymmetry of alpha is a function of task rather than of any particular cognitive style that may characterize the hypnotically susceptible. That high hypnotizables showed higher amplitudes of alpha, however, suggests that the overall production of alpha may be positively related to the particular cognitive style that characterizes the person who is able to experience hypnotic phenomena.
Data Collection Time Intervals for Stochastic Short-Term Traffic Flow Forecasting

The specification of time intervals for data collection is a fundamental determinant of the nature and utility of the resulting traffic condition data streams. In the context of short-term traffic flow forecasting, the establishment of the data collection time interval should play a key role in determining the corresponding appropriate forecasting approach. The data collection time interval provides the forecasting horizon for one-step-ahead forecasting. Nevertheless, the need for more rigorous understanding of the effects of data collection time interval specification within the context of short-term traffic flow forecasting is not well recognized. By contrast, it has been common practice in previous research to select the data collection time interval and forecasting approach without explicit consideration of time interval effects or systematic evaluation of available forecasting methods. A stochastic seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average plus generalized autoregressive conditional heterosce...
Concerted Emission and Local Potentiometry of Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells

We study the operation of polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) by combining scanning Kelvin probe microscopy with in situ imaging of the electroluminescence and photoluminescence on planar LECs. By combining these techniques on the same device in the same apparatus we directly map the relationship between the spatial distribution of electroluminescence and the local potential profile across the device. We find that the electroluminescence is always associated with a region of potential drop in LECs made with poly[2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyl-octyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene] (MDMO-PPV), poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO), and potassium trifluoromethanesulfonate. Nevertheless, depending on the electrode metal used, we also find significant potential drops at or near the electrode/organic interfaces. We study the effects of using different electrodes and show that both the electroluminescence and potential profiles are strongly dependent on the electrode work function for thin junctions operated at low po...
A SIMPLE AMERICAN OPTION PRICING METHOD USING THE FAST FOURIER TRANSFORM

This paper describes a fast, flexible numerical technique to price American options and generate their value surface through time. The method runs faster and more accurately than the standard CRR binomial method in practical cases and calculates options on a considerably broader family of new, useful underlying asset processes. The technique relies on the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to convolve a transition function for the underlying asset process. The method allows the underlying asset process to be quite general; the previously known standard geometric Brownian motion and the Variance Gamma process [8], and a novel, purely empirical transition function are compared by computing their respective American put value surface and the exercise boundaries.
Engineers and the respiratory system: A perspective

The respiratory system has so many diverse aspects that its function can be studied with the tools of almost any of the engineering disciplines. These tools include mathematical modeling, data analysis techniques, instrumentation, and methods of hardware and software design. Thus, engineers can contribute not only to the understanding of basic respiratory processes, but also to the delivery of health care. Too often, however, they are familiar with only a very specialized area, which may limit the scope of their activities or cause a misdirection of effort. In contrast, medical scientists usually have a broad understanding of the physiological system and knowledge of practical problems associated with clinical applications. Thus, the activities of engineers and medical scientists are complementary and can lead to fruitful collaborations. However, more often than not, the medical scientist takes responsibility for defining problems and setting goals, even though, in many areas of respiratory research, engineers can, and should, play the leading role. But to be able to assume this role, the engineer must be as familiar with the respiratory system as with theoretical principles, experimental approaches, and advanced technology. Investigators trained in engineering and the physical sciences who at tempt to understand respiratory system function are confronted by a major obstacle: translating the verbal explanations of complicated phenomena, so prevalent in the life science literature, into more precise mathematical descriptions of the type with which they are familiar. A lack of a rigorous formal framework for the ideas of mechanics, mass transport, control and
Artificial eye for assessing corneal-reflection eye trackers

An artificial eye for assessing corneal-reflection eye trackers is described. The “eye” simulates an adult human eye and consists of a contact lens of the same curvature as the cornea.
Batio3 thin films for optically active waveguides

Abstract The photoluminescent properties of epitaxial Er doped BaTiO3 films have been measured over the temperature range of 15 −295 K. The characteristic Er3+ emission peak energy is centered at 0.800 eV and is nearly temperature independent. The integrated peak intensity at 295 K is comparable to the intensity at 15 K. The photoluminescence decay time is 6 msec. which is comparable to what is observed in other Er doped solids. The predicted laser gain is of the order of 10 cm−1.
Universal quenching of the superconducting state of two-dimensional nanosize Pb-island structures

We systematically address superconductivity of Pb nano-islands with different thicknesses and lateral sizes via a scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS). Reduction of the superconducting gap (\ensuremath{\Delta}) is observed even when the island is larger than the bulk coherence length (\ensuremath{\xi}) and becomes very fast below \ensuremath{\sim}50-nm lateral size. The suppression of \ensuremath{\Delta} with size depends to a good approximation only on the volume of the island and is independent of its shape. Theoretical analysis indicates that the universal quenching behavior is primarily manifested by the mean number of electronic orbitals within the pairing energy window.
Design, synthesis, and characterization of ladder-type molecules and polymers. Air-stable, solution-processable n-channel and ambipolar semiconductors for thin-film transistors via experiment and theory.

The design, synthesis, and characterization of new high-performance n-channel molecular/polymeric semiconductors that are solution-processable and air-stable is of great interest for the development of p−n junctions, bipolar transistors, and organic complementary circuitry (CMOS). While over the past two decades there have been many reports on n-channel materials, solution-processability and air-stability still remain as major challenges. We report here the synthesis and detailed characterization of a highly electron-deficient class of indeno[1,2-b]fluorene-6,12-dione, 2,2′-(indeno[1,2-b]fluorene-6,12-diylidene) dimalononitrile, bisindenofluorene-12,15-dione, and 2,2′-(bisindenofluorene-12,15-diylidene) dimalononitrile-based ladder-type building blocks (1−12) and their corresponding homo- and copolymers (P1−P14), and examine in detail the effects of core size, thiophene vs core regiochemistry, carbonyl vs dicyanovinylene functionality, and alkyl chain orientation on the physicochemical properties, thin fi...
Guerra alle donne. Partigiane, vittime di stupro, ‘amanti del nemico’, 1940–45

Michela Ponzani, (2012) (Turin: Einaudi), 314 pp., ISBN 9788806206895, €25.00, hard cover, Perry Willson, (2009) Women in Twentieth Century Italy (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan), 230 pp., ISBN 97...
The spectral sensitivity of a littoral annelid:Nereis mediator

The spectral sensitivities of the four eyes ofNereis mediator (Polychaeta, Annelida) were measured from 400 nm to 600 nm by determining the reciprocal of the number of quanta required to elicit a constant electroretinogram of 350 μV.N. mediator is maximally sensitive at 480 nm, although it is very sensitive over a broad range from 400 nm to 540 nm (Fig. 4). Selective adaptation experiments (Fig. 5) and changes in the time characteristics of the electroretinogram under conditions of dark and green adaptation (Fig. 2) indicate the presence of a multi-receptor system.
Gene expression profile of the recovering human heart.

Heart failure is a disease of increasing prevalence and poor prognosis. Current data indicate that 5-year survival following the diagnosis of heart failure is 50%, and patients with end-stage disease face a 1-year survival rate of 50%. Recent predictions suggest that heart failure will become the leading cause of all disability by 2020. For patients with refractory end-stage heart failure, there are few options for effective treatment. Although cardiac transplantation provides the best therapeutic outcome for end-stage HF, substantial limitations of this surgical intervention include an extremely limited supply of acceptable donor hearts, having reached a plateau of less than 3000 per year worldwide. Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support of end-stage heart failure patients was originally approved as a bridge to cardiac transplant, and recent reports suggest improved outcomes in transplant recipients supported by LVAD in comparison with those treated with chronic inotropes.1 Improved morbidity and mortality were found in the REMATCH trial of long-term LVAD support compared with optimized medical management in severe HF patients ineligible for transplant, leading to the approval of LVAD as destination therapy. Unloading the left ventricle in end-stage heart failure patients with LVAD support can lead to partial normalization of myocardial structure and function, termed reverse remodelling. Reverse remodelling has been associated with changes in gene expression following LVAD support2–6 or pharmacological therapy.7 In select patients, LVAD support in conjunction with pharmacological therapy may result in sufficient reverse remodelling to allow explant of the device. LVAD-associated reverse remodelling provides the unique opportunity to obtain myocardial tissue in humans in end-stage heart failure at the time … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 585 273 1094; fax: +1 585 276 1914. E-mail address : burns_blaxall{at}urmc.rochester.edu
Oude wijn in 408 nieuwe vaten

20-12-2012 een prachtige dag, de geboorte van mijn zoon. Een gezond kereltje is het. We doen er uiteraard alles aan om dat zo te houden. Met gezonde voeding, een liefdevolle duidelijke opvoeding, … nemen we onze verantwoordelijkheid hem gezond en veilig te laten opgroeien. Zoals de overheid het van ons wil.
Habitat Defense in Southeast Asian Cities

Using interviews with public officials and activists as well as research reports available in Southeast Asia, this research compares the level of organization, mobilization and collective action among neolocal urban groups threatened with removal and relocation for large infrastructure projects. The results show that habitat defense is extensive in Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila, but minor or non-existent in Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. A model of collective action is nested in an ecological model to explain differences in level of habitat defense among the six Southeast Asian cities.
Fault identification of beams on elastic foundation

Abstract The capability of identifying both location and severity of damages of faulted elements in a structural system is greatly needed under the present demands of constantly maintaining the safety of civil engineering structures. Presented in this paper is a methodology based on vibration theory that can be used for the detection of faults in a beam of either uniform or nonuniform cross section and under a variety of boundary conditions, including simple support, cantilever support, and beam on elastic foundation. Theoretical developments of the methodology are presented first, followed by numerical experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. Numerical experiments include various damage scenarios such as those faults occurring in a beam section as well as in a subgrade foundation. Furthermore, damage scenarios involving both single fault and multiple faults are also presented. The defect of the supporting subgrade foundation can be modeled either as degrading subgrade stiffness or increasing damping values. Numerical experiments demonstrate the feasibility of the developed NDT methodology which warrants the next stage of field study.
Alloimmunity-induced autoimmunity as a potential mechanism in the pathogenesis of chronic rejection of human lung allografts

Background Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation (LTx). We sought to better understand the relationship between alloimmune responses and autoimmunity and, subsequently, how autoimmunity leads to chronic rejection. Methods We analyzed the development of donor-specific antibodies (Abs) in LTx by flow PRA and the development of Abs to K-α1 tubulin (K-α1T) and collagen V (ColV) by ELISA. The frequency of K-α1T- and ColV-specific T cells that secrete IFN-γ, IL-17 and IL-10 in LTx recipients was measured by ELISPOT. Results In a retrospective analysis of 42 LTx recipients, we demonstrated a strong correlation between development of donor-specific anti-HLA Abs, Abs to self-antigens and BOS ( p + patients had higher frequency of T cells secreting IL-17 ( p p p − patients. Conclusions Based on these results we propose that alloimmune responses to donor HLA can induce autoimmune responses to airway epithelial self-antigens, characterized by activation of the IL-17 pathway. These immune responses to self-antigens along with alloimmunity contribute to the pathogenesis of BOS. Strategies to prevent development of autoimmunity may be play a key role in preventing the development of chronic rejection.
Adopting threads for computing education: lessons learned to date from an nsf cpath project

The National Science Foundation (NSF) started the CISE Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH) program two years ago (2007). The panel provides a forum for our team to present and discuss our progress and lessons learned to date from our collaboration on a CPATH project entitled: "CPATH EAE: Extending Contextualized Computing in Multiple Institutions Using Threads"*.Our project team represents a diverse set of institutions and computing education programs. We have been working over the past two years on adapting and adopting Georgia Tech's Threads™ model for computing education at the partner institutions. This process is currently at a different stage at each of the institutions due to a variety of factors. We give an overview of those factors, of the Thread adaptation and adoption process at each school, of the challenges and opportunities for doing so as well as our next steps. Doing so should lead to a wider dissemination of lessons learned during this formative stage of the project that could be of benefit to other computing programs with similar goals.
Towards highly configurable real-time object request brokers

This paper discusses the software architecture of a real-time CORBA object request broker (ORB), called ZEN, written in real-time Java, which is designed to eliminate common sources of overhead and non-determinism in ORB implementations. We illustrate how ZEN can be configured to select the minimal set of components used by an application. Our experience with ZEN indicates that combining real-time Java with real-time CORBA is a major step forward towards simplifying the development and maintenance of distributed middleware and applications with stringent quality of service requirements.
Synthesis of periodic mesoporous phosphorus–nitrogen frameworks by nanocasting from mesoporous silica using melt-infiltration

Periodic mesoporous phosphorus–nitrogen (P–N) frameworks with p6mm hexagonal and Imm body centered cubic symmetries were synthesized by a solvent-free nanocasting route using periodic mesoporous silicas (SBA-15 and SBA-16) as hard templates and (PNCl2)3 as precursor. The (PNCl2)3 was molten at 120 °C in nitrogen atmosphere and infiltrated into the pores of mesoporous silicas. The nitridization of (PNCl2)3 in an ammonia atmosphere at 700 °C followed by the SiO2 template removal by etching with a HF/acetone mixture resulted in the formation of the desired periodic mesoporous P–N frameworks with high surface areas of 240 to 380 m2·g−1 and pore volumes in the range of 0.29 to 0.53 cm3·g−1. The excellent mesopore uniformity and periodicity of the obtained specimens were studied by electron microscopy, small angle X-ray diffraction, N2 sorption, FT-IR, EDS, and elemental analysis. The materials are thermally stable up to 550 and 700 °C in an inert atmosphere depending on the pore systems and exhibit photoluminescence between 280 and 450 nm.
Generic estimate of trans-Planckian modifications to the primordial power spectrum in inflation

We derive a general expression for the power spectra of scalar and tensor fluctuations generated during inflation given an arbitrary choice of boundary condition for the mode function at a short distance. We assume that the boundary condition is specified at a short-distance cutoff at a scale $M$ which is independent of time. Using a particular prescription for the boundary condition at momentum $p = M$, we find that the modulation to the power spectra of density and gravitational wave fluctuations is of order $(H/M)$, where $H$ is the Hubble parameter during inflation, and we argue that this behavior is generic, although by no means inevitable. With fixed boundary condition, we find that the shape of the modulation to the power spectra is determined entirely by the deviation of the background spacetime from the de Sitter limit.
NSLS control system upgrade status

The NSLS control system initially installed in 1978 has undergone several modifications but the basic system architecture remained relatively unchanged. The need for faster response, increased reliability and better diagnostics made the control system upgrade a priority. Since the NSLS runs continuously, major changes to the control system are difficult. The upgrade plan had to allow continuous incremental changes to the control system without having any detrimental effect on operations. The plan had to provide for immediate improvement in a few key areas, such as data access rates, and be complete in a short time. At present, most accelerator operations utilize the upgraded control system. >
Outcome while awaiting heart transplantation in children: a comparison of congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy

Abstract Background: Outcomes for children who undergo heart transplantation differ for children with congenital heart disease as compared to those with structurally normal hearts. Similar data have not been reported for these groups of patients for the morbidity and mortality associated with waiting for a donor. We report these data. Methods A retrospective review was performed for all pediatric patients who were listed for heart transplantation at Stanford from 1977 to 1996, comparing mortality and major morbidity for patients with congenital heart disease and those with cardiomyopathy and structurally normal hearts. Results There were 96 patients who met study criteria, of whom 67 were successfully transplanted. The median waiting time was 23 days. Survival at 30 days was 93% and at 90 days was 81%, with no difference between groups. Major complications were identified in 38% of patients with structurally normal hearts, vs 9% of patients with congenital heart disease ( p Conclusions Overall mortality is similar for patients with congenital heart disease and those with structurally normal hearts while listed for heart transplantation, but patients with congenital heart disease have fewer episodes of major morbidity during this time.
Getting Closer to P-Selectin

Inflammation is recognized for its important role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis (1). However, the use of genetic association studies to dissect the impact of inflammatory genes on vascular disease is challenging because of the relatively small effects expected for common variants and the difficulty of identifying surrogates that best reflect underlying disease processes. In this issue of Clinical Chemistry , Volcik and colleagues (2) suggest an original design to address these issues by looking for genetic associations with the cell-surface concentration of a pair of cognate cell-surface receptors, P-selectin and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1).1 P-selectin [encoded by the selectin P (granule membrane protein 140kDa, antigen CD62) (SELP) gene2 ] is primarily stored in platelets and endothelial cells, but it translocates to the cell surface upon activation and binding to its counterreceptor PSGL-1 [encoded by the selectin P ligand (SELPLG) gene] located on leukocytes. Adhesion of leukocytes to endothelium, with subsequent migration into the vascular wall, similarly involves P-selectin interaction with PSGL-1. Thus, the P-selectin–PSGL-1 interaction is thought to be of central importance in thrombosis, hemostasis, and vascular inflammation. A role for the P-selectin system in atherogenesis is indicated by decreased atherosclerotic plaques among apolipoprotein E ( APOE –/–) mice also deficient in either platelet or endothelial P-selectin (3). More broadly, epidemiological studies have linked increased concentrations of a soluble form of P-selectin in plasma to a variety of acute and chronic vascular conditions. …
Realizing narratives make future time real

Realizing narratives render projected futures knowable as real. Projected futures are intrinsic to forming identity and informing motives. Endtime is a future situated at a critical rupture, an ‘en...
SNR improvement in dedicated breast CT using energy weighting with photon counting detectors

Photon counting x-ray detectors (PCD) promise to provide substantial improvements in computed tomography (CT) as compared to Cesium Iodide based energy integrating x-ray detectors (CsI-EID). This paper investigates the possible improvements in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) obtained by using a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) crystal based PCD with energy weighting (EW) in low dose breast CT (BCT).
Rates of lysine catabolism are inversely related to rates of protein synthesis when measured concurrently in adult female rats induced to grow at different rates.

To test the effect of changes in the rate of protein synthesis on amino acid oxidation, both were studied concurrently in individual 200-g female Sprague-Dawley rats. In a growth trial (Experiment 1), recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) was injected subcutaneously (0, 2 or 12 mg/d) over 6 d (n = 4 rats per rbST level). Weight gain increased with rbST level (P 0.05). When 600 mmol valine (4.4 mBq L-[3,4(n)- 3 H]valine) was used in Experiment 3, specific activity (SA) of free valine was constant over 20 min and was 94 ± 4% of that injected. Finally, in Experiment 4, protein synthesis and amino acid oxidation rates measured in the same rat revealed a 35% increase (P < 0.01) in protein synthesis in hind leg muscle and a 29% increase in liver (P < 0.05) from rbST-injected (12 mg/d) rats (n = 6). Lysine oxidation was estimated by continuous (12 h) infusion of L-[1- 14 C]lysine via the opposite tail vein catheter. Expired CO 2 was collected over 20-min intervals and SA at plateau was estimated by fitting an exponential model. Lysine oxidation was reduced (P< 0.05) by 44% in rbST-treated rats. The idea that an increase in protein synthesis results in decreased amino acid oxidation remains tenable.
Natural language understanding and Montague grammar1, 2

This paper reevaluates some of the contributions of Montague grammar in view of the increasing importance of computational considerations in linguistic theory and the demand for linguistic theories that can provide support in the design of natural language systems. It also considers Montague grammar in relation to work on lexical semantics and semantic nets. In this perspective the techniques of Montague grammar for systematically linking syntactic form and a model-theoretic semantics emerge as the most significant feature of the theory, while a number of the specific semantic assumptions recede in importance. Yet, with different ways of thinking about the structure mapping between levels of linguistic form and interpretations (e.g., constraint systems), we can also implement this connection using different techniques from what Montague had at his disposal. Cette communication reevalue quelques-uns des elements de la grammaire de Montague afin de tenir compte de ľ importance grandissante des elements informatiques en theorie linguistique et de la necessite?elaborer des theories linguistiques pouvant faciliter la conception de systemes de langage naturel. Elle examine egalement la grammaire de Montague en rapport avec ľetude de la semantique lexicale et des reseaux semantiques. Dans cette perspective, les techniques de la grammaire de Montague pour etablir une relation systematique entre une forme syntaxique et une semantique de modele theorique apparaissent ětre la caracteristique la plus importante de la theorie, alors qu'un nombre d'hypotheses ? ordre semantique sont releguees au second plan. En envisageant de facons differentes le mappage de la structure entre des niveaux de forme linguistique et ? interpretation (ex. Systemes de contraintes), nous pouvons egalement etablir cette relation en utilisant des techniques autres que celles dont disposait Montague. Mots cles: grammaire de Montague, semantique du langage naturel, comprehension du langage naturel, reseaux semantiques, representation des connaissances.
Adolescents and Parental Aids Death: The Role of Social Support:

Adolescents who lose a parent to AIDS often deal with an aura of secrecy which hinders opportunities to receive social support and their abilities to cope with their loss (Nagler, Adnopoz, & Forsyth, 1995). A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between social support and coping strategies, gender, and likelihood of reporting a parent's cause of death as AIDS. Participants included fifteen males and five females, between the ages of eleven and seventeen years, who had one or both parents die from AIDS. Results indicate that higher amounts of support are related to greater numbers of coping strategies, and a greater likelihood of reporting a parent's cause of death as AIDS. Female adolescents reported a greater number of coping strategies than male adolescents. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Towards Inflation Targeting in EgyptFiscal and Institutional Reforms to Support Disinflation Effort

Inflation targeting has emerged in recent years as a leading and increasingly advocated framework for conducting monetary policy in order to achieve and maintain price stability. Like many other developing countries, Egypt is now aspiring to introduce inflation targeting as a framework for its monetary policy. In its monetary policy statement issued in June 2005, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) explicitly indicates its intention to "put in place a formal inflation targeting framework to anchor monetary policy once the fundamental prerequisites are met". Indeed, there is now a wide consensus on the necessity of meeting a set of economic, institutional and technical preconditions before being able to successfully adopt an inflation targeting regime. This paper reviews the prerequisites of inflation targeting, analyses the extent to which they are met in Egypt and examines whether the Egyptian economy, under its current status, is ready to formally adopt an inflation targeting regime. It discusses why developing strong fiscal, financial and monetary institutions is so critical to the success of inflation targeting and explains how, even if the prerequisites are not stringently fulfilled in the beginning of its adoption, the move towards them is believed to contribute to the macroeconomic stability of the country. More particularly, the focus is being put on fiscal balance, the financial sector and central bank independence. Since we believe that the latter is the most important condition in the inflation targeting implementation process, the paper discusses the CBE's independence and underlines the importance of issues related to transparency, credibility, technical capabilities and accountability. Finally, the paper draws some conclusions and formulates some policy recommendations on the adjustments the country should put in place in order to ensure a successful transition towards an inflation targeting regime.
State Telecommunications Policy in the 1980s

The role of the states in provision of telecommunications services combines aspects of regulation, economic development policy, tax policy, and government procurement. A variety of policy experiments, contrasts sharply with a dearth of state action in telecommunications prior to 1982. The growing realization that the implications of decisions about telecommunications are no longer narrowly confined to regulation has spurred the active involvement of governors and legislators in many states.