cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Changing Nature of Employment Discrimination Litigation

Two major pieces of employment discrimination legislation were passed in the early 1990s: the 1991 Civil Rights Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. Using some simple regression models, we examine the effects of this legislation on the volume, content and outcomes of employment discrimination cases filed in federal courts. We find, first, that the volume of discrimination cases nearly doubled between 1992 and 1997, in contrast to a 10 percent decline during the previous 8 years, and despite a sharply falling unemployment rate that–in the past–would have substantially reduced the amount of litigation. We also observe a significant shift in the composition of suits filed, with race and age discrimination cases declining substantially as a share of the total and sex and disability discrimination cases increasing. We tie these developments, as well as changes in the relationship between plaintiff win rates and the business cycle, to changes in the law that diminish the importance of back-pay damages. We conclude by tentatively suggesting how the meaning of and protection afforded by employment discrimination law has changed over the past 35 years. Yale Law School, j.donohue@yale.edu Univ. of Connecticut Law School, psiegelm@law.uconn.edu. This work was completed while Donohue was at Stanford Law School and Siegelman was at Fordham Law School. We benefitted from helpful comments by seminar participants at UConn. Law School, Fordham Law School, the American Bar Foundation, and conference participants at the American Law and Economics Association. Thanks to Katie Bilodeau and Jinhui Pan for excellent research assistance.
Numerical solution of time domain integral equations using the Nystro/spl uml/m method

A wide variety of electromagnetic scattering problems are, in principle, most efficiently solved with time domain integral equations. Integral equation methods are well suited for problems involving homogenous scatterers, and time domain methods can efficiently solve broadband, nonlinear, and time-varying problems. While a Galerkin approach is usually used in their solution, recently, the locally corrected Nystro/spl uml/m method (Canino, L.F. et al., 1998) was applied to the two-dimensional time domain integral equations (Wildman, R.A. and Weile, D.S., IEEE APS Int. Symp., 2004). The Nystro/spl uml/m method has several benefits over Galerkin's method. In the approach described by Wildman and Weile, a standard Nystro/spl uml/m discretization was used in space, and a low-order approximation (trapezoidal rule) was used for the temporal integrals. To obtain accurate results with low-order integration, the kernel of the integral equation was filtered, and bandlimited extrapolation was used to recover a causal representation. This paper follows a similar approach. Fortunately, in three dimensions, the filtering can be performed analytically, so the method is greatly simplified.
Gucci Group: Freedom within the Framework

In September 2008, during the global economic downturn that followed the credit crunch crisis, Robert Polet, the CEO of the Gucci Group, a London based multi-brand luxury goods company, had learned that after four years of growth, the Group's largest business, the fashion brand Gucci, would report a slowdown for the first semester. Polet had joined Gucci in 2004 after 26 years at one of the largest consumer goods companies Since his arrival, the Gucci Group had grown both in revenues and profitability. Part of his secret was his decentralized management style. Polet was worried because the economic crisis was reaching out the luxury world. He knew that he should leave the primary decisions for the Gucci brand to Lee. Yet, given the urgency of the situation, Polet wondered if more involvement from him in the brand's decision making process would not be more effective. The case also presents students with a series of actions that could help boost Gucci's sales and asks them to analyze what could Polet do.
Serum Lipoprotein Levels in Patients with Cancer

Summary Serum lipoproteins were quantitated in 122 patients with malignant tumors and in 186 normal subjects. The various serum components measured included α 1 -lipoproteins, β-lipoproteins, total lipids, phospholipids, triglycerides, cholesterol, and esterified fatty acids. α 1 -Lipoproteins, phospholipids, and cholesterol were markedly decreased in cancer patients when compared with age- and sex-matched normal subjects. α 1 -Lipoproteins were decreased in cancer patients regardless of whether the cancer was local or extensive or whether treatment was surgery, irradiation, or cytotoxic chemotherapy. Estrogen treatment, however, did cause an elevation of lipoproteins.
Complications of Acute Myocardial Infarction

This chapter describes and illustrates complications of acute myocardial infarction, including mechanical, arrhythmic, and embolic disturbances. Circulatory failure from severe left ventricular dysfunction or other mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction accounts for most fatalities. Mechanical complications include left ventricular failure with cardiogenic shock, cardiac free wall rupture, ventricular septal rupture, papillary muscle rupture, and right ventricular failure.
Hemostatic/fibrinolytic protein changes in C3H/HeN mice infected with Rickettsia conorii: A model for Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Changes in plasma hemostatic and fibrinolytic proteins were determined during courses of a murine model of fatal and non-fatal Rocky Mountain spotted fever. C3H/HeN mice were infected with Rickettsia conorii and coagulation and histopathologic studies were performed at prescribed periods of time. A significant decrease in plasma factor VIII activity and rise in plasma factor V procoagulant activity correlated with a fatal infection. Factor VII levels were unchanged; factor XI levels dropped early in the course in the lethally infected animals, but returned to normal. Factor XII, high molecular weight kininogen, and prekallikrein levels were unchanged by the sublethal infection. Prekallikrein levels fell during the lethal infection. Antithrombin concentrations were decreased significantly in all animals, but plasma plasminogen levels did not change in either group of animals. Nonocclusive thrombi were microscopically observed rarely and only in animals surviving a sublethal infection. A fall in tissue plasminogen activator activity and a rise in plasminogen activator inhibitor activity highly correlated with a lethal outcome. Lethal infection with R. Conorii is associated with primary endothelial cell injury resulting in decreased tissue plasminogen activator and increased plasminogen activator inhibitor.
Performance of the pipelined hash-join algorithm in a heterogeneous distributed environment

A pipelined distributed parallel hash-join algorithm is executed in a distributed heterogeneous supercomputing environment which consists of the Connection Machine CM2, and the Cray C90. This algorithm implements the computationally intensive join operation of relational databases. The hash and join phases of the algorithm are executed on the architectures determined to be best suited for them. The hash phase of the algorithm is implemented on the Cray C90. The hashed data sets of the first join relation are transmitted from the Cray to the CM2. A pipeline is established between the two machines as the Cray continues to hash each page of the second join relation and transmits it to the CM2 where the join is performed. Limited improvements in performance of the pipelined algorithm for different combinations of data sizes, data distributions, and join sizes is analyzed and the limitations of the distributed environment are discussed.
Discourse, affect and affliction

While much recent theorizing into affect has challenged the primacy of discourse in understanding social life, this paper is premised on the intertwining of affective experience with discursive meaning. Furthermore, appreciating the entwining of affect and discourse facilitates broader understanding into the illness experience, medical decision-making and experiences of healing. Today, the biomedical discourse carries particular affective weight that can saturate experiences of affliction. Cultural understandings of disease similarly shape affect that may emerge in affliction. Social meaning, more specifically stereotypes pertaining to identities, interweave with emotion also in the context of medical practice. The doctor-patient relationship is an affect-laden encounter where the entwining of affect with social assumptions carries important, yet poorly understood, repercussions for treatment decisions and for the furthering of health inequalities. Both the elusiveness and the power of affect that unfolds in relation to discursive meaning rest on the way in which affect dwells in and resounds through the body.
Survey of physician fellows in adolescent medicine

A national suvey of physician fellows in adolescent medicine from 1974 to 1979 was made. One hundred forty-six fellows were identified; 107 responded to the questionnaire. Of the 40 listed programs for 1978–1979, 29 had at least one fellow during the survey period. Eleven filled every year. Eighty-three percent of the respondents had taken a pediatric residency, 48% were in a full-time academic or institutional program, and 56% spent 75–100% of their professional time in adolescent health care. When asked to assess whether 15 different content areas were adequately covered in their fellowships, significant content deficiencies were identified. The most frequently recommended changes were for more inpatient care (30%), opportunity to do research (25%), and more involvement with psychosocial problems (22%). Two-year fellows indicated more satisfaction with the specific content areas. More attention should be given to two-year fellowships for those physicians with serious interest in academic or institutional careers.
The computer and production-logistics. management

Abstract During the past two decades there has been a natural and continuing application of computers to problems in the functional area of Production and Logistics Management. These are important management problems, ranging from the design of operating systems to the development of control systems, which require the use of Computers for analysis. Therefore it is important that students in Production and Logistics Management courses become involved with the computer. The approaches to this problem run from a passing mention of the computer to an in-depth computer experience. We have experimented with several approaches, varying from the use of preprogrammed models to requiring student-developed programs. We have devised some compromise devices, including computer augmented cases and games, that help to focus the student's attention on the functional problem analysis and not on the computer technique alone. This paper presents examples of these devices and our experience in using them.
Constraining anomalous HVV interactions at proton and lepton colliders

In this paper, we study the extent to which CP parity of a Higgs boson, and more generally its anomalous couplings to gauge bosons, can be measured at the LHC and a future electron-positron collider. We consider several processes, including Higgs boson production in gluon and weak boson fusion and production of a Higgs boson in association with an electroweak gauge boson. We consider decays of a Higgs boson including $ZZ, WW, \gamma \gamma$, and $Z \gamma$. Matrix element approach to three production and decay topologies is developed and applied in the analysis. A complete Monte Carlo simulation of the above processes at proton and $e^+e^-$ colliders is performed and verified by comparing it to an analytic calculation. Prospects for measuring various tensor couplings at existing and proposed facilities are compared.
pHlash: a new genetically encoded and ratiometric luminescence sensor of intracellular pH.

We report the development of a genetically encodable and ratiometic pH probe named “pHlash” that utilizes Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) rather than fluorescence excitation. The pHlash sensor–composed of a donor luciferase that is genetically fused to a Venus fluorophore–exhibits pH dependence of its spectral emission in vitro. When expressed in either yeast or mammalian cells, pHlash reports basal pH and cytosolic acidification in vivo. Its spectral ratio response is H+ specific; neither Ca++, Mg++, Na+, nor K+ changes the spectral form of its luminescence emission. Moreover, it can be used to image pH in single cells. This is the first BRET-based sensor of H+ ions, and it should allow the approximation of pH in cytosolic and organellar compartments in applications where current pH probes are inadequate.
Testing a Family‐Centered Intervention to Promote Functional and Cognitive Recovery in Hospitalized Older Adults

A comparative trial using a repeated-measures design was designed to evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of the Family-Centered Function-Focused-Care (Fam-FFC) intervention, which is intended to promote functional recovery in hospitalized older adults. A family-centered resource nurse and a facility champion implemented a three-component intervention (environmental assessment and modification, staff education, individual and family education and partnership in care planning with follow-up after hospitalization for an acute illness). Control units were exposed to function-focused-care education only. Ninety-seven dyads of medical patients aged 65 and older and family caregivers (FCGs) were recruited from three medical units of a community teaching hospital. Fifty-three percent of patients were female, 89% were white, 51% were married, and 40% were widowed, and they had a mean age of 80.8 ± 7.5. Seventy-eight percent of FCGs were married, 34% were daughters, 31% were female spouses or partners, and 38% were aged 46 to 65. Patient outcomes included functional outcomes (activities of daily living (ADLs), walking performance, gait, balance) and delirium severity and duration. FCG outcomes included preparedness for caregiving, anxiety, depression, role strain, and mutuality. The intervention group demonstrated less severity and shorter duration of delirium and better ADL and walking performance but not better gait and balance performance than the control group. FCGs who participated in Fam-FFC showed a significant increase in preparedness for caregiving and a decrease in anxiety and depression from admission to 2 months after discharge but no significant differences in strain or quality of the relationship with the care recipient from FCGs in the control group. Fam-FFC is feasible and has the potential to improve outcomes for hospitalized older adults and their caregivers.
Current Practices of Measuring and Reference Range Reporting of Free and Total Testosterone in the United States

Purpose The evaluation and management of male hypogonadism should be based on symptoms and on serum testosterone levels. Diagnostically this relies on accurate testing and reference values. Our objective was to define the distribution of reference values and assays for free and total testosterone by clinical laboratories in the United States. Materials and Methods Upper and lower reference values, assay methodology and source of published reference ranges were obtained from laboratories across the country. A standardized survey was reviewed with laboratory staff via telephone. Descriptive statistics were used to tabulate results. Results We surveyed a total of 120 laboratories in 47 states. Total testosterone was measured in house at 73% of laboratories. At the remaining laboratories studies were sent to larger centralized reference facilities. The mean ± SD lower reference value of total testosterone was 231 ± 46 ng/dl (range 160 to 300) and the mean upper limit was 850 ± 141 ng/dl (range 726 to 1,130). Only 9% of laboratories where in-house total testosterone testing was performed created a reference range unique to their region. Others validated the instrument recommended reference values in a small number of internal test samples. For free testosterone 82% of laboratories sent testing to larger centralized reference laboratories where equilibrium dialysis and/or liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry was done. The remaining laboratories used published algorithms to calculate serum free testosterone. Conclusions Reference ranges for testosterone assays vary significantly among laboratories. The ranges are predominantly defined by limited population studies of men with unknown medical and reproductive histories. These poorly defined and variable reference values, especially the lower limit, affect how clinicians determine treatment.
Static quadrupole moments of the first excited states of 58,60,62Ni

Abstract Measurements of the relative thick-target yields of γ-rays de-exciting the 2+ first excited states in 58, 60, 62Ni, following Coulomb excitation by carbon, oxygen and sulfur ions, have been used to determine the relative static quadrupole moments of these states as well as the relative reduced transition probabilities, B(E2; 01+ → 21). The measured yields were compared with calculations using a Coulomb excitation coupled channels computer code in order to extract the quadrupole moments and B(E2) values. The following results are obtained if the effects of higher excited states are ignored: Q( 58 Ni ) − 0.94 Q ( 60 Ni ) = − (0.122 ± 0.039)e · b , B(E2; 01+ → 21+)58Ni/B(E2; 01+ → 21+)60Ni = 0.783 ± 0.014, Q( 62 Ni − 1.11Q( 60 Ni ) = − (0.075 ± 0.092)e . b , B(E2; 01+ → 21+)62Ni/B(E2; 01+ → 21+)60Ni = 0.964 ± 0.026. A previous experiment provided measurements of the absolute static quadrupole moment and B(E2) for 60Ni and these are used to obtain absolute values for 58Ni and 62Ni. The experimental results are compared with various shell-model calculations as well as macroscopic model predictions. Qualitative agreement between theory and experiment is obtained.
Modeling deceptive information dissemination using a holistic approach

This research studies deceptive information dissemination based on the Information Flow Network and the Web of Trust. We present an Information Dissemination Model that illustrates the prerequisite for information propagation based on the subject and object trusts. To evaluate the spread of deceptive data accurately, we offer two quantitative models that are utilized to calculate the degree to which the subjects in the information flow network are affected. The algorithms for evaluating information dissemination for these two models are provided and the time complexities of the algorithms are also analyzed. Our experiments illustrate the characteristics of the web of trust that affect the dissemination of the deceptive information.
Ygdrasil: a framework for composing shared virtual worlds

Ygdrasil is a programming framework for creating networked, multi-user virtual worlds, especially interactive artistic worlds. It provides a shared scene graph, a plug-in system for adding new behaviors, and a high-level script interface for composing these worlds. We describe the architecture of Ygdrasil, and its use in creating two applications that were demonstrated at the iGrid 2002 workshop.
Rapid CB1 cannabinoid receptor desensitization defines the time course of ERK1/2 MAP kinase signaling.

Molecular mechanisms regulating the development of physiological and behavioral tolerance to cannabinoids are not well understood. Two cellular correlates implicated in the development and maintenance of tolerance are CB1 cannabinoid receptor internalization and uncoupling of receptor signal transduction. Both processes have been proposed as mediators of tolerance because of observations that chronic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) treatment causes both region-specific decreases in CB1 receptors and G-protein coupling in the brain. To determine the balance of these two processes in regulating CB1 receptor signaling during sustained receptor stimulation, we evaluated the parameters affecting ERK1/2 MAP kinase activity in HEK293 cells stably expressing CB1 receptors. CB1 receptor stimulation by the potent CB1 receptor agonist, CP 55,940 transiently activated ERK1/2. To determine if CB1 receptor desensitization or internalization was responsible for the transient nature of ERK1/2 activation, we evaluated ERK1/2 phosphorylation in HEK293 cells expressing a desensitization-deficient CB1 receptor (S426A/S430A CB1). Here, the duration of S426A/S430A CB1 receptor-mediated activation of ERK1/2 was markedly prolonged relative to wild-type receptors, and was dynamically reversed by SR141716A. Interestingly, the S426A/S430A CB1 receptor was still able to recruit βarrestin-2, a key mediator of receptor desensitization, to the cell surface following agonist activation. In contrast to a central role for desensitization, pharmacological and genetic approaches suggested CB1 receptor internalization is dispensable in the transient activation of ERK1/2. This study indicates that the duration of ERK1/2 activation by CB1 receptors is regulated by receptor desensitization and underscores the importance of G-protein uncoupling in the regulation of CB1 receptor signaling.
High-speed optical time-division-multiplexed signal generation

Summary form only given.Optical time-division-multiplexed (OTDM) transmission is attractive for future ultrahigh-speed optical networks, because of its high bitrate-to-bandwidth ratio and the natural accommodation of higher bit-rate payloads. Generation of OTDM signals, which consists of optical short pulse generation and time-division multiplexing, is one of the key techniques for realization of OTDM systems. This paper describes recent progress in high-speed OTDM signal generation.
Inhibition of Proteinase Inhibitor Transcripts by Leptinotarsa decemlineata Regurgitant in Solanum lycopersicum

One mechanism by which plants defend themselves against insect herbivores is the production of plant proteinase inhibitors, which can inhibit digestion in the midgut, thus affecting growth and survival. In this work, the effect of Colorado potato beetle (CPB) [Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)] regurgitant on Solanum lycopersicum defenses was investigated. When regurgitant from fourth-instar CPB was applied to wounded S. lycopersicum leaves, the wound-induced transcripts for the proteinase inhibitors pin1 and pin2 were reduced. Boiling the regurgitant abolished its ability to reduce the pin transcripts. Ultrafiltration of the regurgitant demonstrated that it contained a component between 10 and 30 kDa molecular weight that inhibited wound-induced pin1 and pin2 expression, suggesting that it may be a protein. This may represent a mechanism that the CPB has evolved to elude the plant’s induced response to infestation.
Another definition of resolution for the electron microscope

Resolution of an electron microscope is often estimated by adding the aberrations of the optical system in quadrature with the diffraction disk and the source size. It is known that this is not particularly accurate and that it is not really theoretically justified. In the case of large aberrations, such as when the beam limiting aperture angle is large, there is the possibility of ambiguity in the estimate of system performance because the optical transfer function may have significant structure. It was shown by Fellgett and Linfoot together, and by Linfoot alone, that it is possible to define the information transmitting capacity of an optical system in terms of the optical transfer function. If one makes use of their result then the resolution of an optical system can be defined by comparing it with the resolution of a diffraction limited system having the same information transmitting capacity. The method gives results that agree well with measurements made on a high resolution scanning electron microscope. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of the current density distribution for understanding the performance on an electron (or ion) optical instrument.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Use of a hybrid optical remote sensing classification technique for seasonal wetland habitat degradation assessment resulting from adoption of real-time salinity management practices

Delayed seasonal wetland drawdown is being investigated as one means of improving the scheduling of saline drainage discharge to the San Joaquin River, California, as an application of the principal of basin-scale real-time salinity management. A hybrid rapid vegetation assessment methodology was derived from the California Native Plant Society Rapid Assessment Protocol for classifying the vegetation in these seasonal wetlands. A hybrid remote sensing methodology combining pixel- and object-based components was developed to apply this classification strategy to a 160 km2 region. Twenty-six different plant communities were represented in a total of 20 land cover classes. An overall mapping accuracy ranges from 60% for identification of all 26 plant communities to 100% for identification of a single plant species. Low representation of certain associations for sensor calibration resulted in lower than anticipated mapping success as measured by errors of omission and commission. This image processing methodology provides an important tool, in concert with soil salinity mapping and wetland biology surveys, to assess the long-term impact of adaptive management strategies such as real-time salinity management on the wetland resource.
Disposition of roflumilast in pediatrics

Roflumilast (ROF) is an oral PDE4 inhibitor in development for COPD and asthma. To date, the pharmacokinetics (PK) of ROF and its active N-oxide metabolite (RNO) have been characterized only in adults. Methods 13 children (c; 6–10y) and 12 adolescents (a; 11–16y) with mild asthma enrolled in an open, 2-period parallel study stratified by age. subjects received sequential single doses of 100 and 250μg. blood samples (14) were taken up to 72h. rof & rno were quantified by hplc/ms-ms and pk analyzed with standard methods. within- & between-group comparisons were made using 2-tailed, paired and unpaired t-tests. (see Table) Except for CMAX (100μg; p=0.01), PK parameters were not significantly different between A and C. Dose (μg/kg) and AUC∞ were linear (R2=0.34, P<0.01) for all subjects. A and C were not significantly different for mean elimination T½ of ROF (11.7 vs. 13.7h) and RNO (31.1 vs. 27.5h) or RNO formation ratio. Conclusions In patients 6–16y, PK of ROF appears not to vary as a function of age or dose over a 100 to 250μg range. Previous data showed similar disposition of ROF in older adolescents and adults. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P29–P29; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.002 Table 1. Rof 100μg Rof, 250μg Results (±sd) A C A C λz, 1/h 0.10 ± 0.004 0.13 ± 0.14 0.07 ± 0.05 0.10 ± 0.06 Tmax, h 0.79 ± 0.50 0.69 ± 0.32 0.75 ± 0.34 0.58 ± 0.19 Cmax, μg/l perμg/kg 1.13 ± 0.31 0.84 ± 0.20 1.05 ± 0.21 0.88 ± 0.25 Auc∞, μg/l*H perμg/kg 3.53 ± 0.69 3.74 ± 2.67 4.44 ± 2.02 3.91 ± 2.76 Vd/f, l/kg 3.06 ± 0.75 4.27 ± 2.05 4.73 ± 2.25 4.70 ± 2.66 Cl/f, l/h/kg 0.29 ± 0.006 0.38 ± 0.20 0.26 ± 0.10 0.37 ± 0.19
Information quality and market share in electronic commerce

Purpose – For electronic commerce applications, the importance of quality information is self‐evident, especially for firms offering information products where information either significantly augments a physical product or constitutes the product itself. Aims to use a probabilistic simulation model is used to explore the relationship between information quality and market share for firms offering an information product.Design/methodology/approach – In the Excel‐based Monte Carlo model information quality is represented as a function of four general quality attributes. For these attributes, quality gaps relative to best practices are calculated and these gaps are used to drive a volume model whose output includes market share. The model is used to examine various scenarios including cases dealing with differences in a firm's initial information quality levels, differences in innovation rates and their variability, and differences in a firm's proclivity to copy advances of competitors.Findings – The result...
DETECTABILITY OF EXOPLANETS IN THE β PIC MOVING GROUP WITH THE GEMINI PLANET IMAGER

We model the detectability of exoplanets around stars in the β Pic Moving Group (BPMG) using the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), a coronagraphic instrument designed to detect companions by imaging. Members of the BPMG are considered promising targets for exoplanet searches because of their youth (~12 Myr) and proximity (median distance ~35 pc). We wrote a modeling procedure to generate hypothetical companions of given mass, age, eccentricity, and semi-major axis, and place them around BPMG members that fall within the V-band range of the GPI. We count companions lying within the GPI's field of view and H-band fluxes that have a host-companion flux ratio placing them within its sensitivity as possible detections. The fraction of companions that could be detected depends on their brightness at 12 Myr, and hence formation mechanism, and on their distribution of semi-major axes. We used brightness models for formation by disk instability and core-accretion. We considered the two extreme cases of the semi-major axis distribution—the log-normal distribution of the nearby F- and G-type stars and a power-law distribution indicated by the exoplanets detected by the radial velocity technique. We find that the GPI could detect exoplanets of all the F and G spectral type stars in the BPMG sample with a probability that depends on the brightness model and semi-major axis distribution. At spectral type K-M1, exoplanet detectability depends on brightness and hence distance of the host star. GPI will be able to detect the companions of M stars later than M1 only if they are closer than 10 pc. Of the four A stars in the BPMG sample, only one has a V-band brightness in the range of GPI; the others are too bright.
Enabling Force Sensing During Ground Locomotion: A Bio-Inspired, Multi-Axis, Composite Force Sensor Using Discrete Pressure Mapping

This paper presents a new force sensor design approach that maps the local sampling of pressure inside a composite polymeric footpad to forces in three axes, designed for running robots. Conventional multiaxis force sensors made of heavy metallic materials tend to be too bulky and heavy to be fitted in the feet of legged robots, and vulnerable to inertial noise upon high acceleration. To satisfy the requirements for high speed running, which include mitigating high impact forces, protecting the sensors from ground collision, and enhancing traction, these stiff sensors should be paired with additional layers of durable, soft materials; but this also degrades the integrity of the foot structure. The proposed foot sensor is manufactured as a monolithic, composite structure composed of an array of barometric pressure sensors completely embedded in a protective polyurethane rubber layer. This composite architecture allows the layers to provide compliance and traction for foot collision while the deformation and the sampled pressure distribution of the structure can be mapped into three axis force measurement. Normal and shear forces can be measured upon contact with the ground, which causes the footpad to deform and change the readings of the individual pressure sensors in the array. A one-time training process using an artificial neural network is all that is necessary to relate the normal and shear forces with the multiaxis foot sensor output. The results show that the sensor can predict normal forces in the Z-axis up to 300 N with a root mean squared error of 0.66% and up to 80 N in the X- and Y-axis. The experiment results demonstrates a proof-of-concept for a lightweight, low cost, yet robust footpad sensor suitable for use in legged robots undergoing ground locomotion.
Telecommunications issues: the marketing managers’ viewpoint

Reports the results of a survey of marketing managers with respect to the importance of telecommunications issues and the quality of their telecommunications training. The responses of the marketing managers identified three categories of issues: standard or clerical applications, such as e‐mail or voice mail; advanced applications, such as conducting business on the Internet and EDI; and managerial and technical issues, such as the use of telecommunications to gain a competitive advantage. Surprisingly, marketing managers rated the standard applications as the most important. The explanation was found in the quality of their training. Marketing managers expressed major dissatisfaction with all areas of telecommunications training, but especially in the advanced applications and managerial issues. Rather than placing emphasis on the strategic, more training effort was spent on telecommunications training in the clerical functions. Without knowledge about the advanced or cutting‐edge applications, marketing managers do not understand the potential of these applications and issues in the organization.
Analysis of diode, argon, and Nd: YAG peripheral iridectomy in cadaver eyes.

We compared semiconductor diode, neodymium (Nd): YAG and argon laser iridectomies performed in 14 cadaver eyes using Miyake videographic, histologic and scanning electron analysis. We found that the diode laser created an iridectomy in < 10 applications in blue, hazel and brown irides using 1000–1200 mW over 0.5 seconds. In hazel and blue irides the argon laser created iridectomies at parameters similar to the diode, but required multiple low energy burns in brown irides. Scanning electron microscopy showed pigment epithelial loss with the diode and Nd:YAG laser, and heaped up epithelium at the iridectomy site with the argon laser. Nd:YAG laser had the greatest iridectomy size. This study suggests a possible clinical advantage of diode versus argon laser iridectomies in reduced applications in brown irides and in preventing postoperative pigment occlusion. However, diode laser demonstrated no definite advantage over Nd:YAG laser.
In vivo three-photon imaging of subcortical structures of an intact mouse brain using quantum dots

Multiphoton microscopy is a valuable technique for producing high-resolution images deep within intact biological tissue in vivo. Furthermore, multiphoton microscopes that utilize longer-wavelength excitation at ~1700 nm as well as higher-order excitation processes permit deeper imaging within the same tissue [1]. We recently developed a laser source that produces 65 fs pulses at 1,675 nm excitation using a 1,550 nm laser (Calmar) and a photonic crystal rod (NKT photonics), which we use to perform three-photon imaging experiments [1]. In a recent publication, we showed that we are capable of producing images within the CA1 region of the hippocampus of the intact mouse brain in vivo using Texas Red-dextran (vascular label) and red fluorescent-protein (neuron label); hippocampal imaging within the intact mouse brain is practically impossible using two-photon microscopy due to the highly scattering External Capsule (EC, a.k.a. “white matter”) that separates the neocortex from the hippocampus [1]. Furthermore, the measured signal-to-background ratio (SBR), which determines the maximum imaging depth within tissue, ranged between 79 and 119 at depths between 1,000 and 1,135 μm (within the hippocampus). Therefore, the imaging depth of the three-photon microscopy demonstrated was limited by noise instead of the fundamental SBR, and a brighter fluorophore will allow deeper imaging using the same three-photon approach [1].
Energy levels of the ground state and the 2s2pn(J=1) excited states of berylliumlike ions: A large-scale, relativistic configuration-interaction calculation

We have calculated energy levels of the ${2\mathrm{s}}^{2}$${\mathrm{}}^{1}$${\mathrm{S}}_{0}$ ground state and the 2s2p${\mathrm{}}^{1,3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{1}$ excited states of berylliumlike ions with Z=10--92 using the relativistic configuration-interaction method. These calculations are based on the relativistic no-pair Hamiltonian which includes Coulomb and retarded Breit interactions and employ finite B-spline basis functions. Quantum electrodynamic and mass polarization corrections are also calculated. Good agreement between theory and experiment for the ${2\mathrm{s}}^{2}$${\mathrm{}}^{1}$${\mathrm{S}}_{0}$-2s2p${\mathrm{}}^{1,3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{1}$ transition energies is found throughout the isoelectronic sequence.
Volumetric spectroscopic imaging of glioblastoma multiforme radiation treatment volumes.

Purpose Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) are used almost exclusively in radiation therapy planning of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), despite their well-recognized limitations. MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) can identify biochemical patterns associated with normal brain and tumor, predominantly by observation of choline (Cho) and N -acetylaspartate (NAA) distributions. In this study, volumetric 3-dimensional MRSI was used to map these compounds over a wide region of the brain and to evaluate metabolite-defined treatment targets (metabolic tumor volumes [MTV]). Methods and Materials Volumetric MRSI with effective voxel size of ∼1.0 mL and standard clinical MR images were obtained from 19 GBM patients. Gross tumor volumes and edema were manually outlined, and clinical target volumes (CTVs) receiving 46 and 60 Gy were defined (CTV 46 and CTV 60 , respectively). MTV Cho and MTV NAA were constructed based on volumes with high Cho and low NAA relative to values estimated from normal-appearing tissue. Results The MRSI coverage of the brain was between 70% and 76%. The MTV NAA were almost entirely contained within the edema, and the correlation between the 2 volumes was significant (r=0.68, P =.001). In contrast, a considerable fraction of MTV Cho was outside of the edema (median, 33%) and for some patients it was also outside of the CTV 46 and CTV 60 . These untreated volumes were greater than 10% for 7 patients (37%) in the study, and on average more than one-third (34.3%) of the MTV Cho for these patients were outside of CTV 60 . Conclusions This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of whole-brain MRSI for radiation therapy planning of GBM and revealed that areas of metabolically active tumor are not covered by standard RT volumes. The described integration of MTV into the RT system will pave the way to future clinical trials investigating outcomes in patients treated based on metabolic information.
Orchestration of neuronal migration by activity of ion channels, neurotransmitter receptors, and intracellular Ca2+ fluctuations

The real-time observation of cell movement in acute cerebellar slices reveals that granule cells alter their shape concomitantly with changes in the mode and rate of migration as they traverse different cortical layers. Although the origin of local environmental cues responsible for these position-specific changes in migratory behavior remains unclear, several signaling mechanisms involved in controlling granule cell movement have emerged. The onset of one such mechanism is marked by the expression of voltage-gated ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors in postmitotic cells prior to the initiation of their migration. Granule cells start their radial migration after the expression of N-type Ca2+ channels and the N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of glutamate receptors on the plasmalemmal surface. Blockade of the channel or receptor activity significantly decreases the rate of cell movement, indicating that the activation of these membrane constituents provides an essential signal for the translocation of granule cells. Another signal that controls the rate of cell migration is embedded in the combined amplitude and frequency components of Ca2+ fluctuations in the somata of migrating granule cells. Interestingly, each phase of Ca2+ fluctuation controls a separate phase of saltatory movement in the granule cells: The cells move forward during the phase of transient Ca2+ elevation and remain stationary during the troughs. Consequently, the changes in the amplitude and frequency components of Ca2+ fluctuations directly affect granule cell movement: Reducing the amplitude or frequency of Ca2+ fluctuations slows down the speed of cell movement, while the enhancement of these components accelerates migration. These findings suggest that signaling molecules present in the local cellular milieu encountered on the migratory route control the shape and motility of granule cells by modifying Ca2+ fluctuations in the soma through the activation of specific ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors.
Porphyrin-catalyzed degradation of chlorinated phenols and nitro-substituted toluenes

Abstract Porphyrin-metal complexes have been used to catalyze the reduction of nitro-substituted toluenes to the corresponding amines as a preparatory step to enhance biodegradability. Dithiothreitol was used as a reducing agent. Complete conversion of 2-nitro-, 4-nitro- and 2,4-dinitrotoluene was observed with transient accumulation of nitroso intermediates. 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol has been shown to be oxidized by t -butyl hydroperoxide in a reaction catalyzed by an iron-centered porphyrin. All organic chlorine was converted to chloride ion.
Restoring Solvent for Nuclear Separation Processes

Abstract Solvent extraction separation processes are used to recover usable nuclear materials from spent fuels. These processes involve the use of an extractant/diluent (solvent) for separation of the reusable actinides from unwanted fission products. The most widely used processes employ tributyl phosphate as an extractant diluted with a normal-paraffin hydrocarbon. During use, the solvent is altered due to hydrolysis and radiolysis, forming materials that influence product losses, product decontamination, and separation efficiencies. In most processes, the solvent is recycled after cleaning. Solvent cleaning generally involves scrubbing with a sodium carbonate solution. Studies at the Savannah River Laboratory have shown that carbonate washing, although removing residual solvent activity, does not remove more solvent-soluble binding ligands (formed by solvent degradation), which hold fission products in the solvent. Treatment of the solvent with a solid adsorbent after carbonate washing removes binding ...
Vitellogenin protein diversity in the Hawaiian Drosophila.

Egg and female hemolymph proteins were resolved via SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in a diverse array of 33 endemic Hawaiian drosophilids, encompassing 17 picture-winged species, 3 of theantopocerus species group, 9 fungus feeders, 1 species from each of the modified mouthparts,crassifemur and ciliated tarsus groups, and 1Scaptomyza species. Molecular weights of the two (10 species) or three vitellogenin bands (22 species) were highly variable, spanning a 7-kD range. The largest vitellogenin, V1, was the most variable, showing a change of some 10% in its mean size of 47.6 kD. The smallest V3 vitellogenin, mean size 44.1 kD, was evolutionarily the most conservative in size. The speciesDrosophila hawaiiensis was found to be polymorphic for two/three vitellogenin bands and, also, polymorphic with respect to the size of the V1 protein. No inter- or intrapopulation variability in vitellogenin size was detected in 10 other species examined. The major features of vitellogenin protein evolution in the HawaiianDrosophila are change in molecular weight and regulatory differences that result in quantitative differences between species in patterns of vitellogenin protein production.
NOx generation by cultured small intestinal epithelial cells

The effect of cytokines, growth factors, mitogens, and bacterial products on nitric oxide (NO) generation by monolayers of small intestinal epithelial cells-6 (IEC-6) cells was evaluated. Subconfluent IEC-6 cells were maintained in DMEM containing 5% fetal calf serum and after 16–24 hr of incubation, the medium was replaced with fresh medium in the presence or absence of calcium ionophore (CaI),l-NAME,l-NNA, individual growth factors, cytokines, or mitogens. After 72 hr of culture, the media supernatant was collected and NOx generation was determined. NO synthase activity was determined in sonicated supernatants of IEC-6 cells by [14C] arginine conversion to citrulline. NOx generation in subconfluent cultures was greater than in fully confluent cultures, suggesting contact inhibition. NOx generation by IEC-6 cells was significantly increased by CaI and inhibited byl-NAME andl-NNA. LPS, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-8, IFN-8, TFN-α, EGF, TGF-α, bFGF, and PHA significantly increased NOx generation. NO synthase activity in IEC-6 cells (4.2±1.7 pmol/min/106 cells) was NADPH dependent. These results suggest that stimulation of NOx generation by intestinal epithelial cells through cytokine bacterial products and mitogens may be one of the mechanisms responsible for their effects in the intestinal tract.
Sixty-three years with Chinese herbal medicines; memoir of a botanist.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) went through a complete metamorphosis between 1935-1998. The same is trued the bones of its structure, the Chinese herbal medicines (CHM). Actually, TCM is a gradual crystallization of various ethnomedicines of different peoples living in China. For two thousand years, it has been a health care system operated in town by practitioners who learned the trade through family tradition or by apprenticeship, and in rural areas by shamans. It is only in the last few decades of the twentieth century that it has absorbed scientific knowledge and modern technique. Now, it is modernized and has aroused worldwide interest. During the time of metamorphic change in TCM and its associated CHM, I have lived with it, grown in it, learned a great deal of CHM and contributed to it. By training I am a professional botanist. However, when there were specific issues of CHM that required the participation of a botanist, I answered the call. The results of projects that took much time and of problems that required extensive research were published when the works were completed. A list of these publications issued in a period of over sixty years is given here as an illustration of challenges facing Chinese scientists in the recent evolution of TCM. During this period, four-fifths of my time was spent in the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, first as a graduate student for three years and then as a research botanist. Actually, the problems of CHM that called for my participation were the needs of society for the services of an institution that could only be provided by the Arnold Arboretum at the time. My research laboratory in the Harvard University Herbaria is next door to the Chinese Library of Harvard Yenching Institute. Together with specimens and libraries, they make an ideal place for addressing the challenges of Chinese herbal medicines.
An integrated approach for conducting a behavioral systems analysis

The aim of this paper is to illustrate how to conduct a Behavioral Systems Analysis (BSA) to aid in the design of targeted performance improvement interventions. BSA is a continuous process of analyzing the right variables to the right extent to aid in planning and managing performance at the organization, process, and job levels. BSA helps to build alignment among activities within an organization to better provide value-adding products or services to the organization's consumers, which ultimately determines its survival. This paper provides an overview of the BSA approach, a Behavioral Systems Analysis Questionnaire (BSAQ) to guide the performance analyst, and an example of the BSAQ applied to an organization.