cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Device technology limitations in monolithic switched-capacitor Σ–Δ modulators

Abstract This paper analyzes non-ideal effects and fundamental limitations encountered in Σ–Δ analog-to-digital converters realized by switched-capacitor techniques. Expressions are derived for the lower noise bound as a function of the modulator network structure. Circuit imperfections and device limitations are simulated using a behavioral model. The theoretical results are compared to simulations and actual measurements performed with monolithic implementations of the MASH and the iflf5 network structures. The circuits are implemented in a 2.0 and a 1.2 μm double-poly CMOS process, respectively.
Remarks on the article “Norm inequalities which yield inclusions for Euler sequence spaces”

Abstract The combinatorial identities and norm inequalities in a recent article [1] in this journal are reinterpreted and their proofs simplified by recasting them in a classical context. It is also shown that the classical methods are in general more powerful than those in [1] when applied to any Hausdorff mean.
Repetition and Focus on Form in Processing L2 Spanish Words: Implications for Pronunciation Instruction

Situated in the context of learning second language (L2) pronunciation, this article discusses from information-processing and pedagogical perspectives the role of repetitive practice with L2 input and of explicit focus on its form-related (phonological) properties. First, we report the results of an auditory word-priming experiment with 60 L2 learners of Spanish varying in degree of L2 pronunciation accuracy; these results suggest that both repetition and focus on form have measurable benefits for processing L2 speech. Next, we discuss these findings in terms of information processing and its relationship to L2 pronunciation teaching. Finally, we describe a communicative framework for teaching L2 pronunciation that is compatible with the outlined information-processing principles, that is, a framework that includes meaningful repetition and form-focused activities within a communicative context.
Motor and sensory innervation of muscle spindles in the neonatal rat.

Neural and muscular elements of three muscle spindles from the soleus muscles of 4-day-old rats were reconstructed by electron microscopy of skip-serial transverse ultrathin sections. Each spindle contained four encapsulated intrafusal fibers, including a minimum of one bag1, one bag2 and one chain fiber. The fibers were innervated by unmyelinated motor and sensory axons. The primary and secondary afferents approached the spindles as single axons and terminated on the central region of the intrafusal fibers. Single profiles of terminal axons occupied the sites of sensory neuromuscular junctions, similar to adult sensory endings. No morphological features suggested retraction of afferents from 4-day postnatal spindles. Motor axons approached spindles tightly packed in bundles of 5–20 axons and terminated in the juxtaequatorial and polar regions of both bag and chain fibers. Multiple profiles of terminal axons were visible for each intrafusal motor ending. More motor axons innervated 4-day postnatal spindles and a greater number of axon terminals were visible in immature intrafusal motor endings than in adult spindles. The data suggest that postnatal maturation of motor innervation to intrafusal fibers involves the elimination of supernumerary motor nerve inputs. Synapse elimination in the development of the fusimotor system might represent a mechanism whereby individual γ axons adjust the number of spindles they innervate.
Biological control of aquatic weeds with plant pathogens

Abstract Plant pathogens have characteristics that make them desirable candidates as biological control agents for aquatic weeds. They are: (1) numerous and diverse; (2) often host specific; (3) easily disseminated and self-maintaining; (4) capable of limiting populations without eliminating the species; and (5) non-pathogenic to animals. Recent investigations have revealed several pathogens with biocontrol potential. The algal viruses and the water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laub.) pathogens, Acremonium zonatum (Sawada) Gams, Bipolaris stenospila (Drechs.) Shoemaker, Cercospora rodmanii Conway, Rhizoctonia spp and Uredo eichhorniae Fragoso and Ciferri have been researched the most extensively and appear to hold promise as biocontrol agents.
Asymmetric hip kinematics during gait in patients with unilateral total hip arthroplasty: In vivo 3-dimensional motion analysis

Asymmetric limb loading has been reported in unilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients during gait. However, restoration of 3D motion symmetry of the hip following unilateral THA remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo 3D kinematics of the hip in unilateral THA patients during gait. Eight unilateral THA patients were evaluated for both hips during treadmill gait using a dual fluoroscopic imaging system. Reduced hip range of motion in sagittal plane, decreased peak hip extension and asymmetric pelvic rotation of the THA were observed. Furthermore, significant pelvic anterior/posterior tilt asymmetry, higher internal rotation (increased by 8.6°±4.6°) during stance phase and higher adduction (increased by 4.5°±3.2°) during swing phase of the THA were found in this cohort of patients. The results demonstrated that there was 3D motion asymmetry of the hip and pelvis in unilateral THA patients during gait. The data could provide insights into optimizing kinematics and to restoring normal hip function after THA.
Concentrations and spatial variations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and several organochlorine compounds in fishes from the northeastern United States.

Fish from four lakes, two small lakes in the northeastern United States and two of the Great Lakes, were analyzed to determine the concentrations and spatial variations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in this region. Three of the lakes were considered to have background levels of PBDEs; one lake was close to a suspected source. The PBDE concentrations were compared to organochlorine pesticide and PCB concentrations. Age and trophic position did not influence the organohalogen concentrations in the fish collected from the four locations. At the three background locations, the ΣPBDE concentrations ranged from 6.9 ± 1.4 to 18 ± 1 ng/g wet weight, or 150 ± 9 to 300 ± 80 ng/g lipid, and these values were similar to those of some of the organochlorine pesticides, such as total chlordane, but lower than ΣPCB concentrations. At the lake near the suspected source, the ΣPBDE concentration was 65 ± 8 ng/g wet weight, or 2400 ± 600 ng/g lipid, and it exceeded the ΣPCB concentration. The hexabrominated congen...
Inter-individual susceptibility to environmental toxicants--a current assessment.

Abstract Virtually all diseases have an environmental component. The two most important factors affecting your unique risk of an environmental disease (toxicity or cancer) are (a) your exposure to the environmental agent and (b) your genes. Epidemiologists have found ways to calculate inter-individual risk—if the exposure to environmental agents is sufficiently high and can be documented (e.g., years of cigarette smoking, taking prescribed drugs, drinking alcohol, or exposure to radon or other radioactive material, etc.). If the dose of environmental agents is lower and more ambiguous (e.g., exposure to chemicals on the job, herbicides sprayed on a golf course, outdoor or indoor air pollution, endocrine disruptors in cans of food, living near a toxic waste dump site, etc.), however, calculations of inter-individual risk become much more difficult. Highly accurate DNA tests for genetic susceptibility to toxicity and cancer have been sought in order to identify individuals at increased risk; this type of research represents the leading edge of phenotype–genotype association studies and is the major goal of most public health and preventive medicine programs. The task, however, has turned out to be far more challenging than anticipated. The major stumbling block has been the difficulty in determining an unequivocal phenotype or an unequivocal genotype. We were quite optimistic 5–10 years ago that this would be easy, but now we are beginning to appreciate how difficult it is to determine an unequivocal phenotype or genotype with certainty. For many reasons set forth in this overview, it appears that DNA testing alone, to predict and prevent environmental disease on an individual basis, may be virtually impossible with current knowledge and technologies and will require novel insights before major practical applications will evolve.
Inflation, growth, and import bottlenecks in the Turkish manufacturing industry

Abstract This paper argues that in economies heavily dependent on imported inputs, the responsiveness of price and output to cost and demand factors are altered by foreign exchange bottlenecks if the government resorts to non-market allocation of import licenses. A model of price and output determination which captures this stipulation is presented. Estimation results for the Turkish manufacturing industry over the 1952–1980 periods support the hypothesis that price and output elasticities are different between the import crisis and non-crisis periods. Most importantly, monetary expansion is inflationary when there are important bottlenecks but has real output effects otherwise.
Enhanced prostaglandin E2 secretion by cytokine-stimulated human synoviocytes in the presence of subtherapeutic concentrations of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs

Human synoviocytes were stimulated for 48 hours or 72 hours with cytokines (recombinant interleukin-1 beta and/or recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha) in the presence or absence of selected nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. The drugs were tested at subtherapeutic and clinically therapeutic levels, as follows: piroxicam 0.3 pM to 3 X 10(6) pM, sodium salicylate 30 nM to 3 X 10(6) nM, and indomethacin 3 pM to 3 X 10(6) pM. At low concentrations, all 3 drugs showed significant enhancement of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion (piroxicam, salicylate greater than indomethacin). At high, clinically therapeutic concentrations, all drugs showed suppression of PGE2 secretion (indomethacin greater than piroxicam greater than salicylate). The enhancement of PGE2 secretion may be partially responsible for the flare of arthralgia or arthritis frequently seen after termination of drug therapy.
Sonographic features of hepatic adenomas with pathologic correlation.

Background: We compared the sonographic characteristics of hepatic adenomas with pathologic findings. Methods: Information over 10 years was collected on 12 patients (six men, six women; mean age = 47 years) with surgically proven hepatic adenomas. Clinical data, sonographic features, and histopathologic findings were reviewed. Results: The tumors in males were smaller and simpler than those in women (p 5 cm) showed mixed-echoic patterns corresponding with pathologically intratumoral hemorrhage and necrosis. Four homogeneously hypoechoic tumors had less change in tumor composition. Three homogeneously hyperechoic tumors had evident fatty changes inside. One isoechoic tumor had a hypoechoic rim, that correlated mostly to the tumor itself and compressed liver parenchyma. Seven of the 12 tumors had thin fibrous capsules that were not seen on sonography. Conclusion: Hepatic adenomas have variable sonographic appearances depending on changes in the tumor. Hypoechoic, hyperechoic, and mixed-echoic patterns represent simple adenoma, adenoma with fatty metamorphosis, and hemorrhagic necrosis, respectively, in tumors.
The rotational spectrum and molecular parameters of BrO in the 2Π32 state

Abstract The ν = 0 and 1 rotational spectrum of BrO in the 2 Π 3 2 state has been observed in selected regions between 60 and 400 GHz. The precision of previously measured parameters and the quality of the fit has been improved. In addition, the centrifugal distortion constant, D02, the effective Λ-doubling constant, qeff, the perpendicular quadrupole coupling constant, eqQ2, and a linear combination of the magnetic hyperfine constant, b, and nuclear spin-rotation constant, Crs, have been measured for the first time. The values of ωe and ωexe derived from the mechanical constants are in good agreement with very recent optical data.
Molecular Evolution and Structural Analysis of the Ca2+ Release-Activated Ca2+ Channel Subunit, Orai

Abstract Depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores evokes Ca2+ entry across the plasma membrane by inducing Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) currents in many cell types. Recently, Orai and STIM proteins were identified as the molecular identities of the CRAC channel subunit and the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensor, respectively. Here, extensive database searching and phylogenetic analysis revealed several lineage-specific duplication events in the Orai protein family, which may account for the evolutionary origins of distinct functional properties among mammalian Orai proteins. Based on similarity to key structural domains and essential residues for channel functions in Orai proteins, database searching also identifies a putative primordial Orai sequence in hyperthermophilic archaeons. Furthermore, modern Orai appears to acquire new structural domains as early as Urochodata, before divergence into vertebrates. The evolutionary patterns of structural domains might be related to distinct functional properties of Drosophila and mammalian CRAC currents. Interestingly, Orai proteins display two conserved internal repeats located at transmembrane segments 1 and 3, both of which contain key amino acids essential for channel function. These findings demonstrate biochemical and physiological relevance of Orai proteins in light of different evolutionary origins and will provide novel insights into future structural and functional studies of Orai proteins.
Uncertainty as a Predictor of Adjustment to an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

Although the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) has reduced the risk of sudden cardiac death, some recipients experience uncertainty and adjustment problems related to the device. The study's purpose was to test hypotheses that predicted defibrillator recipients with greater uncertainty would have less psychosocial adjustment overall; less adjustment in the domestic, social, and vocational environments and in sexual relationships; and have more psychological distress at 1 and 8 weeks following hospital discharge. A repeated measures, correlational survey design was used with 94 adult defibrillator recipients from 4 hospitals. The Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale Self-Report, and demographics were completed at both time points. The sample was predominantly white, male, and married. There were no gender differences and younger adults had more adjustment problems than older adults. Results supported all but 2 hypotheses as participants had less psychosocial adjustment overall, less adjustment in all domains except vocational environment, and more psychological distress at 1 and 8 weeks after discharge. In conclusion, ICD recipients with greater uncertainty were at greater risk for psychosocial adjustment problems during the first 2 months and may require interventions, particularly younger adults.
Combined use of variable pressure scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy best reveal microstructure of comminuted meat gels

Abstract Observing the distribution of protein and fat phases in comminuted meat products can be helpful to understanding the mechanisms of texture development and fat/water binding. In this study variable pressure scanning electron microscopy (VP-SEM) was compared to conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and contrasted with confocal laser scanning microcopy (CLSM), as tools to characterize gel morphology of cooked meat batters or non-fat pastes. Gel morphology was varied by inclusion of whey protein isolate (WPI) that gels only at high temperature, in partial substitution of myofibrillar protein (MFP). CLSM (magnification:10–1000×) revealed that, when no WPI was added, a homogeneous gel structure was produced enmeshing small, well-distributed fat particles. Substituting 30 g/100 g MFP by WPI produced a coarse gel structure with clear microphase separation of fat. VP-SEM (magnification:1000–2000×) enabled visualization of small pore structure of gel matrix whereas SEM obscured details of this, as well as of the relationship between fat globules and gel matrix that were visible by VP-SEM. Since meat gels properties can be affected by multiple morphological features, visible only at different levels of magnification, the relationships between microstructure and important properties of meat gels can be most advantageously observed when both VP-SEM and CLSM are used in tandem.
Effect of Folic Acid on the Pharmacokinetics of Acutely Administered Phenytoin in Pregnant and Nonpregnant Rats

The concentrations of both total and free phenytoin in the plasma of epileptic women tend to decrease during pregnancy, suggestive of a pregnancy-associated increase in the metabolic clearance of the drug. On the other hand, the metabolic clearance of free (unbound) phenytoin decreases during pregnancy in rats. One possible reason for this species difference is the routine dietary supplementation of folic acid in human pregnancy and the apparent ability of folic acid to lower phenytoin plasma concentrations even in nonpregnant humans. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of treatment with folic acid on the pharmacokinetics of phenytoin in pregnant and female nonpregnant rats. In one experiment, the treated animals received folic acid in the drinking water, ∼100–150 μg/kg/d, for 19 d. There was no apparent difference between the treated and untreated rats in the pharmacokinetics of a 10-mg/kg iv dose of phenytoin (which was administered to the pregnant rats on the 20th day of gestation), regardless of pregnancy status. In another experiment, pregnant and female nonpregnant rats received either folic acid, 400 μg/kg/d, or an equal volume of the solvent only, by gastric intubation for 19 d. The next day (which was the 20th day of gestation for the pregnant rats), the animals received an intravenous injection of phenytoin, 30 mg/kg. Again, pretreatment with folic acid had no apparent effect on the pharmacokinetics of phenytoin in both pregnant and nonpregnant rats. However, the results of this investigation confirm previous observations of dose-dependent phenytoin pharmacokinetics in rats and of decreased clearance of free phenytoin in late pregnancy. It is possible that the qualitative difference between humans and rats with respect to the effect of pregnancy on the pharmacokinetics of phenytoin may be due, at least in part, to a species difference in response to folic acid.
Text messaging to improve attendance at post-operative clinic visits after adult male circumcision for HIV prevention: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Following male circumcision for HIV prevention, a high proportion of men fail to return for their scheduled seven-day post-operative visit. We evaluated the effect of short message service (SMS) text messages on attendance at this important visit. Methodology We enrolled 1200 participants >18 years old in a two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial at 12 sites in Nyanza province, Kenya. Participants received daily SMS text messages for seven days (n = 600) or usual care (n = 600). The primary outcome was attendance at the scheduled seven-day post-operative visit. The primary analysis was by intention-to-treat. Principal Findings Of participants receiving SMS, 387/592 (65.4%) returned, compared to 356/596 (59.7%) in the control group (relative risk [RR] = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.20; p = 0.04). Men who paid more than US$1.25 to travel to clinic were at higher risk for failure to return compared to those who spent ≤US$1.25 (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 1.35, 95% CI 1.15–1.58; p<0.001). Men with secondary or higher education had a lower risk of failure to return compared to those with primary or less education (aRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.74–1.01; p = 0.07). Conclusions Text messaging resulted in a modest improvement in attendance at the 7-day post-operative clinic visit following adult male circumcision. Factors associated with failure to return were mainly structural, and included transportation costs and low educational level. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01186575
PLANCK-BENZINGER THERMAL WORK FUNCTION : DETERMINATION OF THE THERMODYNAMIC STABILITY OF CHYMOTRYPSINOGEN A AND RIBONUCLEASE A IN GLYCEROL

A method is described for evaluating the temperature-invariant enthalpy, ΔH°(T0), for chymotrypsinogen A and ribonuclease A in an aqueous glycerol solution in the standard state, to determine the effect of glycerol on the thermodynamic stability of these two proteins. Chymotrypsinogen A has a temperature-invariant enthalpy of 210 kcal mol-1 at low pH in the absence of glycerol. In 10% aqueous glycerol solution, ΔH°(T0) is 239 kcal mol-1; in 40% glycerol, this value is 249 kcal mol-1. The temperature-invariant enthalpy of α-chymotrypsin dimerization is only 33 kcal mol-1, while that required for the conformational transition of ribonuclease A at low pH is approximately 60 kcal mol-1.9-13 Solvents such as glycerol tend to lower the melting temperature, 〈Tm〉, in chymotrypsinogen A at low pH, possibly due to preferential interaction as a result of solvent ordering in the associated state, rather than a conformational thermal transition from the native to denatured state. Using the Planck−Benzinger thermal wor...
A high-finesse broadband optical cavity using calcium fluoride prism retroreflectors

A high-finesse broadband optical cavity has been developed for use in the ultraviolet and visible region using Brewster-angle calcium fluoride (CaF₂) prism retroreflectors. Prior to prism construction, optical loss measurements of CaF₂ windows were performed using cavity ring-down spectroscopy at 250 nm. Total optical loss showed high spatial correlation with crystal birefringence, which was partially mitigated by orienting the crystal axis with the laser beam. Prism reflectivity was measured using cavity ring-down spectroscopy and found to be 99.77% at 250 nm and 99.96% at 500 nm, allowing for relatively high-finesse operation over hundreds of nm bandwidth with a single cavity.
Electrical conduction in thin film diamond

Abstract The electrical conduction in thin film diamond synthesized by microwave plasma enehanced chemical vapor deposition has been studied with metal-diamond-silicon metal-insulator-semiconductor structures. Measurements over a wide temperature range provide evidence for space-charge-limited current in the presence of traps. An exponential distribution of traps with a peak value of the order of 3 × 10 20 cm −3 eV −1 has been deduced from the current-voltage-temperature data.
Assessment of Students' Attitudes toward Breastfeeding:

A self-administered survey questionnaire was distributed to 346 high school and 244 college students in Alabama to explore their perceptions of breastfeeding. Only 135 acknowledged having been breastfed. Embarrassment was perceived as a major barrier to breastfeeding; less than half thought breastfeeding should be done publicly. However, respondents had generally positive attitudes about breastfeeding. They intended to support breastfeeding of their own child; thought that breastfeeding was more healthful than bottle-feeding and more convenient; and that breastfeeding is not obscene nor does it make a woman less attractive. Over half received breastfeeding information from home, school, and television. Further, both high school and college students supported breastfeeding education in schools. These findings suggest that although fears of embarrassment is a major barrier to breastfeeding, the students showed overall positive attitudes about breastfeeding despite the region's low breastfeeding rate. Breast...
Stokes flow past a particle of arbitrary shape: a numerical method of solution

The problem of determining the slow viscous flow of an unbounded fluid past a single solid particle is formulated exactly as a system of linear integral equations of the first kind for a distribution of Stokeslets over the particle surface. The unknown density of Stokeslets is identical with the surface-stress force and can be obtained numerically by reducing the integral equations to a system of linear algebraic equations. This appears to be an efficient way of determining solutions for several external flows past a particle, since it requires that the matrix of the algebraic system be inverted only once for a given particle.The technique was tested successfully against the analytic solutions for spheroids in uniform and simple shear flows, and was then applied to two problems involving the motion of finite circular cylinders: (i) a cylinder translating parallel to its axis, for which the local stress force distribution and the drag were determined; and (ii) the equivalent axis ratio of a freely suspended cylinder, which was calculated by determining the couple on a stationary cylinder placed symmetrically in two different simple shear flows. The numerical results were found to be consistent with the asymptotic analysis of Cox (1970, 1971) and in excellent agreement with the experiments of Anczurowski & Mason (1968), but not with those of Harris & Pittman (1975).
Subtypes of social perception deficits in schizophrenia

Persons with schizophrenia exhibit consistent deficits in emotion perception (recognizing the emotional expressions of others), but it is currently unclear if their performance represents a specific deficit in identifying emotions only or is a more generalized deficit across different perception tasks. To address this question, it is important to compare emotion perception with face and general visual perception to assess the type of deficit present. The equivocal nature of previous research may suggest the presence of subtypes with different levels and patterns of performance on social perception measures. In this study, we administered measures of emotion, face, and general perception to a sample of 100 persons with schizophrenia. These scores were then subjected to a cluster analysis to determine if different subtypes were present. Two distinct subtypes were identified, and both subtypes scored lower than normal controls across all three measures of perception, suggesting the presence of a generalized performance deficit. One subtype was characterized by mild to moderate impairment and the other showed more severe impairment. The cluster solution was stable, and the subtypes also differed on other variables not used in the cluster analysis (external validation). More specifically, persons in the mild to moderately impaired subtype reported fewer positive symptoms, and this subtype contained more persons with paranoid schizophrenia as compared to the more severely impaired subtype. The implications of the results for the study of social cognition in schizophrenia are discussed.
Colitis decreases mechanosensitive K2P channel expression and function in mouse colon sensory neurons.

TREK-1, TREK-2 and TRAAK are mechanosensitive two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels thought to be involved in the attenuation of mechanotransduction. Because colon inflammation is associated with colon...
Genesis of the reproductive system of mosquitoes II. Male of Aedes stimulans (walker)

The feminine dimorph has unique structures that produce eggs, select salubrious sites for the offspring, store sperm, and void the eggs. This paper provides a time table for development of these parts in Aedes stimulans based on preparations examined at 5-hour intervals when reared at 21°C. All growths of imaginal parts proceeds independent of activities in the larval tissues. Ovaries produce the eggs in terminal follicles of the ovarioles. Besides ovarioles each ovary contains sheaths for the ovarioles, pedicels attaching them to a central canal, the calyx, ovarian sheath and muscles. Ovaries are recognizable in newly hatched larvae as caps of cells on larger masses which become part of the delivery system for eggs. Each ovary grows forward from its attachment first as a column of cells that differentiates into the several tissues by the time the insect enters pupal life. Prior accounts have considered the ovary as the whole mass of cells on each side of the hemocoel of segment 6. Only the most anterior cells recognizably distinct at the end of embryogeny are generative. The delivery system for eggs is composed of the lateral oviducts and median or common oviduct. Primordia from which the former are derived are present from the end of embryogeny and throughout larval life as two distinct parts. Two ovoid masses occur in the hemocoel of segment 6. To each of these is attached a filament extending backward to an attachment ventrally and caudally in segment 7. They are rapidly changed into definitive lateral oviducts late in pupal life. The single primordium for generating the median genital tract appears during instar 3 as a caudal ventral plate of cells in segment 8 between a pair of bilateral buds and invaginates during instar 4 to form (1) the common oviduct from a midventral pouch, (2) three spermathecae from two lateral invaginations and (3) the elaborate vaginal area. The bilateral buds form no parts of the female. The post-vaginal area or atrium with its accessory organs is derived in part from the ventral plate of segment 8 and that of segment 9. The imaginal disc in segment 9 is present at the end of embryogeny as primordial buds and ventral plate and development is delayed until early pupal life when it projects inward to form part of the atrium and pouches once to form the common opening for the duct of the accessory gland and the canal to the bursa copulatrix. The buds of this disc produce no feminine parts. During the second larval instar lateral primordia appear as a pair of shields in the anal segment. They develop slowly until pupation when they extend caudally as two flaps called “cerci” in culicid literature and this paper.
A 3 to 5-GHz UWB pulse radio transmitter in 90nm CMOS

We describe a dual conversion, 3-5 GHz UWB pulse radio transmitter architecture using interleaved, IF digital-to-analog converters (DACs) followed by a partial-order hold reconstruction filters that eliminate sampling images, and an RF upconverter. 1.25 nJ is spent per pulse for a pulse-repetition rate (PRR) of 100 MHz while achieving a broadband image cancellation of 42 dBc.
Variability in nonlinear sediment response during the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake

Abstract Spectral ratios between sediment sites and rock sites for strong and weak ground motion are compared to infer the extent of nonlinear sediment response in the Los Angeles area during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Northridge mainshock records form the strong-motion database and aftershock records form the weak-motion database. The degree of nonlinearity is evaluated at 25 locations in and around the San Fernando and Los Angeles Basins based on the ratio of weak-to-strong spectral amplification factors (WSAF). Values of WSAF vary greatly from site to site and, for a given site, from one frequency band to another over the range from 0.75 to 20 Hz. This complexity is attributed to differences in several factors: material properties under the sites and the amplitude and frequency content of the input ground motions. Given these observations, it is not possible to assign an acceleration or velocity level at which nonlinearity initiates for all the stiff soil sites analyzed. However, no nonlinearity is seen below a peak acceleration of about 200 to 300 cm/sec 2 or peak velocity of 20 to 30 cm/sec. Nonlinearity is seen at all sites in or near the San Fernando Valley. Nonlinearity in the Los Angeles Basin is limited to a few isolated sites. For the Northridge earthquake, even sites with strong nonlinearity still show amplification levels greater than 1.0 relative to rock sites for frequencies below 10 Hz.
The HP PA-8000 RISC CPU

The PA-8000 RISC CPU is the first of a new generation of Hewlett-Packard microprocessors. Designed for high-end systems, it is among the world's most powerful and fastest microprocessors. It features an aggressive, four-way, superscalar implementation, combining speculative execution with on-the-fly instruction reordering. The heart of the machine, the instruction reorder buffer, provides out-of-order execution capability. Our primary design objective for the PA-8000 was to attain industry-leading performance in a broad range of applications. In addition, we wanted to provide full support for 64-bit applications. To make the PA-8000 truly useful, we needed to ensure that the processor would not only achieve high benchmark performance but would sustain such performance in large, real-world applications. To achieve this goal, we designed large, external primary caches with the ability to hide memory latency in hardware. We also implemented dynamic instruction reordering in hardware to maximize instruction-level parallelism available to the execution units. The PA-8000 connects to a high-bandwidth Runway system bus, a 768-Mbyte/s split-transaction bus that allows each processor to generate multiple outstanding memory requests. The processor also provides glueless support for up to four-way multiprocessing via the Runway bus. The PA-8000 implements the new PA (Precision Architecture) 2.0, a binary-compatible extension of the previous PA-RISC architecture. All previous code executes on the PA-8000 without recompilation or translation.
Nephron-sparing surgery and renal transplantation in patients with renal cell carcinoma and von Hippel-Lindau disease

Renal cell carcinoma is a common manifestation of von Hippel-Lindau disease and an important cause of mortality in these patients. A contemporary approach to the treatment of localized renal cell carcinoma is outlined based upon several recently conducted multicentre reviews. When technically feasible nephron-sparing surgery can preserve renal function without compromising long-term survival in most patients. For those who develop end-stage renal failure as a result of treatment for renal cell carcinoma, excellent results with a limited risk for development of recurrence can be obtained with renal transplantation.
A clash of cultures: Reaching hostile audiences through international broadcasting

The survey was funded in part by a grant from the Public Relations Society of America Foundation.
Colonic Diverticula Are Not Associated With an Increased Risk of Colorectal Adenomas.

Objectives:Patients with missed colorectal cancer have been reported to be more likely to have colonic diverticulosis. Such an association could be due to either higher risk of neoplasia or difficulty examining the colon in patients with diverticulosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether
Evaluating Disease Severity in Chronic Pain Patients with and without Fibromyalgia: A Comparison of the Symptom Impact Questionnaire and the Polysymptomatic Distress Scale

Objective. To compare the relative effectiveness of the Polysymptomatic Distress Scale (PSD) with the Symptom Impact Questionnaire (SIQR), the disease-neutral revision of the updated Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), in their ability to assess disease activity in patients with rheumatic disorders both with and without fibromyalgia (FM). Methods. The study included 321 patients from 8 clinical practices with some 16 different chronic pain disorders. Disease severity was assessed by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36). Univariate analyses were used to assess the magnitude of PSD and SIQR correlations with SF-36 subscales. Hierarchical stepwise regression was used to evaluate the unique contribution of the PSD and SIQR to the SF-36. Random forest regression probed the relative importance of the SIQR and PSD components as predictors of SF-36. Results. The correlations with the SF-36 subscales were significantly higher for the SIQR (0.48 to 0.78) than the PSD (0.29 to 0.56; p Conclusion. The SIQR, the disease-neutral revision of the updated FIQ, has several important advantages over the PSD in the evaluation of disease severity in chronic pain disorders.
Dempster-Shafer Theory, Bayesian Theory and Measure Theory

We use measure theoretic methods to describe the relationship between the Dempster Shafer (DS) theory and Bayesian (i.e. probability) theory. Within this framework, we demonstrated the relationships among Shafer's belief and plausibility, Dempster's lower and upper probabilities and inner and outer measures. Dempster's multivalued mapping is an example of a random set, a generalization of the concept of the random variable. Dempster's rule of combination is the product measure on the Cartesian product of measure spaces. The independence assumption of Dempster's rule arises from the nature of the problem in which one has knowledge of the marginal distributions but wants to calculate the joint distribution. We present an engineering example to clarify the concepts.
The effects of changing iterations on standard uptake values (SUVs)

2719 Objectives The new PET/CT at Froedtert Medical Hospital uses LYSO crystals. These crystals allow our department to take more accurate images using time of flight. The number of subsets was also reduced from 24 to 18. As a result of these changes, GE has recommended changing the number of iterations from two to three. The objective of this study is to determine if a change in the number of iterations has an effect on the standard uptake values. Methods : F18-FDG PET/CT images of cancer patients diagnosed at Froedtert Hospital were chosen. Initial images of each patient were altered by changing the number of iterations to one, three and six. Each of the three images were then placed side-by-side and identical regions of interest were drawn around the cancer lesions at the same slice. The Max SUV values were recorded. Results Upon analysis of the resulting data it was discovered that the number of iterations did change the SUVs. A T test was preformed, comparing one iteration to three iterations and three iterations to six iterations. The T values were determined to be 5.83 and 5.81 respectively. Conclusions Based on the results of the t test it was determined that the resulting data were statistically significant. According to the results the number of iterations does impact the SUV. At one iteration the SUV does not always meet the minimum SUV to be considered malignant. Six iterations also have a larger SUV than three iterations. This proves that changing the number of iterations would affect patient care. Further studies could be done to determine if SUV is affected by increasing iterations and decreasing subsets.
Faculty in the Middle: The Effects of Family Caregiving on Organizational Effectiveness

This study was designed to explore how organizational life in university-affiliated graduate social work education programs in the United States is affected by the stress of heightened caregiving roles. Analysis of data from 69 schools demonstrated deleterious effects of caregiving stress on organizational effectiveness, including missed obligations, feeling overwhelmed, and distracting others by seeking social support for specific problems. The authors identify two variables that provided partial amelioration of caregiver stress and appeared to contribute to increased organizational effectiveness: larger faculty size and on-site child care.
EP5 Mining Bottom-Up and Top-Down Datasets for Predictable and not so Predictable Post-Translational Modifications.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) can be routinely located and characterized by tandem mass spectrometry, provided the researchers know the identity and mass of the modification they are looking for. In the spirit of discovery proteomics, it is desirable that both bottom-up and top-down datasets be screened for all possible chemical modifications, in order to avoid bias toward the known. Analysis of saliva proteins from a number of human subjects is starting to reveal significant diversity. This variability and its plasticity must be understood if we are to realize the potential of this accessible fluid as a reliable source of biomarkers. This session will feature discussion of unbiased manual vs. automated interpretation of top-down datasets from human saliva proteins on high-resolution mass spectrometers, revealing novel PTMs and protein sequence polymorphisms. The session will also introduce new software paradigms for unbiased mining of bottom-up datasets (Spectral Networks) from aging lens proteins and snake venoms. The approach takes advantage of spectral pairs—pairs of spectra obtained from overlapping (often non-tryptic) peptides or from unmodified and modified versions of the same peptide. Having a spectrum of a modified peptide paired with a spectrum of an unmodified peptide allows one to separate the prefix and suffix ladders, to greatly reduce the number of noise peaks, and to generate a small number of peptide reconstructions that are likely to contain the correct one. In addition to speed, our approach provides a new paradigm for identifying PTMs. We also will discuss the ubiquitous microheterogeneity introduced by spontaneous modification of asparagine and glutamine residues via deamidation and the analysis of their acidic isomers using electron-capture dissociation techniques.
Storytelling in the context of vaccine refusal: a strategy to improve communication and immunisation

The December 2014 outbreak of measles in California impacted over 100 children and served as a reminder that this disease still plagues the USA, even 50 years following the first licensed vaccine. Refusal of vaccination is a complicated and multifaceted issue, one that clearly demands a closer look by paediatricians and public health officials alike. While medical doctors and scientists are trained to practice 'evidence-based medicine', and studies of vaccine safety and efficacy speak the language of statistics, there is reason to believe that this is not the most effective strategy for communicating with all groups of parents. Herein, we consider other methods such as narrative practices that employ stories and appeal more directly to parents. We also examine how doctors are trained to disseminate information and whether there are reasonable supplementary methods that could be used to improve vaccine communication and ultimately immunisation rates.
A New Orthology Assessment Method for Phylogenomic Data: Unrooted Phylogenetic Orthology

Current sequencing technologies are making available unprecedented amounts of genetic data for a large variety of species including nonmodel organisms. Although many phylogenomic surveys spend considerable time finding orthologs from the wealth of sequence data, these results do not transcend the original study and after being processed for specific phylogenetic purposes these orthologs do not become stable orthology hypotheses. We describe a procedure to detect and document the phylogenetic distribution of orthologs allowing researchers to use this information to guide selection of loci best suited to test specific evolutionary questions. At the core of this pipeline is a new phylogenetic orthology method that is neither affected by the position of the root nor requires explicit assignment of outgroups. We discuss the properties of this new orthology assessment method and exemplify its utility for phylogenomics using a small insects dataset. In addition, we exemplify the pipeline to identify and document stable orthologs for the group of orb-weaving spiders (Araneoidea) using RNAseq data. The scripts used in this study, along with sample files and additional documentation, are available at https://github.com/ballesterus/UPhO.
Pulse-shaper-assisted phase optimization of an ultrabroadband spectral comb

We investigate pulse-shaper-assisted phase optimization of an ultrabroadband spectrum aiming to synthesize non-sinusoidal waveforms. A linear phase across 5 frequency-separated sidebands is achieved, which implies generation of 2 to 3 optical-cycle pulses.
Alternate Pathway to Ammonia Formation in NOx Reduction: Direct Reaction of Acetylene and Nitrogen Atoms on Pt (111)

The formation of ammonia is detected above 500 K when acetylene is adsorbed on N-covered Pt(111). This temperature is well above the desorption temperature for NH3 from clean Pt(111), and ammonia c...
Modeling dynamic marine gas hydrate systems

Dynamically changing marine gas hydrate systems are the subject of this study. The changes may result from varying pressure or temperature at the seafloor, exploration and exploitation operations, rapid sedimentation or wasting at the seafloor, etc. Pressure and temperature may not be used as independent state variables at the same time to specify the overall state of such dynamic systems. Consequently, a pressure-enthalpy-gas concentration-salinity phase balance model is constructed for calculating phase distribution and transition of the system of marine gas hydrate, which is assumed to contain a liquid phase consisting of water, gas, and salt, a vapor phase consisting of gas only, solid halite, and solid gas hydrate consisting of gas and water. Calculations of phase transition processes demonstrate various dynamic feedback mechanisms involved in dynamically evolving marine gas-hydrate systems. A comprehensive model of fluid flow and transport of heat, water, salt, and gas in marine sediment is developed. Simulations show that gas hydrate dissociation resulting from increasing temperature or decreasing pressure at the seafloor may lead to the development of a three-phase zone with coexistent gas hydrate, free gas, and liquid solution and excess pore pressure in marine gas hydrate systems. The changes considered in this study are rapid ( 5 years) with respect to the geological time scale but are sufficiently slow (> 10 −2 years) to allow thermodynamic equilibrium throughout. The applicable pressure, temperature, and salinity ranges for the calculations used in this study are sufficiently wide to cover those likely occurring in gas hydrate-bearing marine sediments.
Detection and molecular characterization of a novel piscine-myocarditis-like virus from baitfish in the USA

During a survey of apparently healthy baitfish from the state of Minnesota, a novel piscine-myocarditis-like virus (PMCLV) was detected in golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas). The nearly complete genome sequence is 5819 nt long, including a partial 5’ untranslated region (UTR) of 100 nt. The sequence is divided into three ORFs: the complete ORF1 and ORF2, encoding proteins of 818 and 831 amino acids, respectively, and a partial ORF3 encoding 248 amino acids of the corresponding protein. This novel virus sequence was most closely related to piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), with a 49.0 % and 58.2 % amino acid identity in the ORF1 (YP005481249)- and ORF2 (YP004581250)-encoded proteins, respectively. Six of 56 retail outlets (e.g., bait shops) were positive during the 2014–2015 survey, indicating a 10.7 % prevalence of the novel virus in this population of golden shiners. Currently, there is no disease that is known to be associated with this virus.
Conditions Influencing Essentiality of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

The polyunsaturated fatty acids were shown to have special nutritional value in studies by Burr and Burr, who found that dietary fats contain an essential growth-promoting factor not due to fat-soluble vitamins, but which occurs in the fatty acid fraction. They demonstrated that linoleic acid, and perhaps linolenic acid, had this activity1. By the criteria of growth and dermatitis, linoleic acid was found to be more active than linolenic acid, and the essentiality of linolenic acid was not seriously considered. Only recently has the evidence come forth to indicate that linolenic acid is essential for other functions.