cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image continuity at different levels of zoom for Moiré techniques

Moire technique is a technique used for 2D and 3D imaging and surface characterization. Moire systems may have a range of zooms to image an object at different levels of details or Moire images may be combined (or compared) with images from other interferometers. So, it is needed to inter-relate images together in order to keep the continuity of the images at different levels of zoom or images from different types of interferometers. This paper uses image registration techniques to correlate images and find scale and translation between two images. Image registration is widely used in medical imaging and range imaging to relate two different images from a single object or scene. In this work, only interferograms from two successive levels of zooms of a Moire system are used. Saved interferograms are correlated using one of the affine algorithms which are used in image registration and then relative scale and shift are calculated. Calculation of these parameters makes it possible to locate the position of area that the Moire system is zoomed in, related to the area with lower zoom level. Simulation results show that this technique is applicable and successful in finding the scale and shift parameters and therefore can keep the continuity between images at different levels of zoom.
Characterization of environmental halogen molecule contamination-induced pad surface corrosion

The photoresist stripping process in passivation stage could induce the bonding pad surface corrosion (Figure-i). And the bonding pad surface corrosion rates will be accelerated if the chlorine concentration levels reach 5 to i 0 ppb in the cleanroom environment. The facility hookup of the exhaust pipelines and the cross contamination between the different airflow system has been identified to be critical regarding the chlorine concentration levels. In order to improve the pad surface susceptibility toward the chlorine molecules induced pad surface corrosion, the CF4 treatment is proposed with excellent passivation and replacement effects.
Photodissociation dynamics in crystalline solids: many-body dynamics

Understanding many-body dynamics on a molecular level is a major aim in condensed phase photodynamical research. Much can be learned about this general field through studies of molecular photodissociation in model systems, namely crystalline rare gas solids. The aim of this presentation is to illustrate this proposition by highlights drawn from a variety of related investigations. Under the title of photodissociation in solids, several related processes can be categorized: charge transfer induced 1 radiative dis sociation ,2 atomic photomobility,3 are examples.
A predictive model that evaluates the effect of growth conditions on the thermal resistance of Listeria monocytogenes.

A predictive model for Listeria monocytogenes was developed using cells grown in different pH and milkfat levels before subsequent thermal inactivation in identical pH and milkfat conditions. Inactivation of the cells used combinations of temperature (55, 60, 65 °C), pH (5.0, 6.0, 7.0), and milkfat (0%, 2.5%, 5.0%) in a complete 3×3×3 factorial design with each test done in triplicate. A modified Gompertz equation was used to model nonlinear survival curves with the following three parameter estimates: A for the shouldering region, B for the maximum death rate, and C for the tailing region. All treatment sets were analyzed together in a regression model using the modified Gompertz equation. There was good confidence in the overall model when it was used to predict values for the entire data set. The correlation of determination, R2, between the observed log surviving fraction (LSF) of cells from each of the conditions studied in the experiment, for the overall model was 0.811. For the A and B parameter estimates, temperature or milkfat alone, and the interaction of temperature and milkfat significantly (p<0.05) affected the shouldering region and maximum death rate of a survival curve, respectively. These results were compared to a previously published predictive model, generated for cells grown under optimum conditions (pH 7.0, 0% milkfat), where pH was the only significant (p<0.05) factor affecting the shoulder region. These results suggested that the conditions of the growth environment had an important impact on survival curve shape and the estimates of the predictive model. Specifically, there were more factor interactions involving temperature and milkfat level. These growth factors affected the shoulder region and maximum rate of death of the survival curve when cells were grown in identical medium conditions to which they were heated. Differences related to shouldering and inactivation rates for cells grown in different conditions may have important and practical importance for estimating inactivation of L. monocytogenes. This study provides some evidence on the importance of growing conditions when evaluating microbial heat resistance.
Choosing the Averaging Interval for Comparison of Observed and Modeled Fluxes along Aircraft Transects over a Heterogeneous Surface

Abstract Data from the April–May 1997 Cooperative Atmosphere Surface Exchange Study (CASES-97) are used to illustrate a holistic way to select an averaging interval for comparing horizontal variations in sensible heat (H) and latent heat (LE) fluxes from low-level aircraft flights to those from land surface models (LSMs). The ideal filter can be defined by considering the degree to which filtered aircraft fluxes 1) replicate the observed pattern followed by H and LE at the surface, 2) are statically robust, and 3) retain the heterogeneity to be modeled. Spatial variability and temporal variability are computed for different filtering wavelengths to assess spatial variability sacrificed by filtering and how much temporal variability can be eliminated; ideally, spatial variability should approach or exceed temporal variability. The surface pattern to be replicated is a negative slope when H is plotted against LE for a given time. This is required for surface energy balance if H or LE vary horizontally more ...
Analysis on link failures in free-space optical interconnects

Free space optical interconnect has provided a promising solution to the effective signal links of the increasing density and complexity in very-large-scale/large-scale integrated circuits. It is getting less affordable if such a system fails just for one tiny physical defect. Our analysis on the potential optical-electrical link failure provides guidelines for future testing and reliable system design. The study of fault models starts by exploring the underlying physical malfunctioning of the opto-electrical components, and their impacts on the assembled systems. We map the physical defects of opto-electronic devices into their corresponding logic-level representation for higher level design consideration. This mapping is chosen for its compatibility and practicability with digital electronic system designs where automated design tools can expedite the design optimization and verification process.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Management of colostomal hemorrhage resulting from portal hypertension.

Colostomy and ileostomy stomal hemorrhage is a rare and potentially fatal complication of portal hypertension. We describe two patients with colostomy stomal hemorrhage who had both undergone abdominoperineal resection for carcinoma of the rectosigmoid colon. Patient 1, in the absence of metastatic disease with minimal to moderate functional hepatic impairment, underwent a mesocaval interposition graft shunt and had no recurrence of stomal hemorrhage during the fourmonth postoperative period. Patient 2, in the presence of metastatic disease to the lungs and liver, was not shunted and died of hepatic and renal failure. Angiography, in particular splenopor-tography, is extremely helpful in establishing the diagnosis of portal hypertension and planning appropriate operative procedure. We reviewed the literature on ileostomy and colostomy hemorrhage in the presence of portal hypertension and conclude that control of major stomal hemorrhage by local measures is often ineffective and that portasystemic shunts may significantly improve long-term prognosis.
Characteristics of Histidine Uptake by Human Placental Microvillous Membrane Vesicles

L-histidine is an essential amino acid. Its fetal-to-maternal blood concentration ratio is high, suggesting active placental transport. In this study, human placental microvillous membrane vesicles were used to characterize L-histidine transport, heretofore not evaluated in human tissue. L-Histidine uptake by microvillous membrane vesicles was stimulated by an inward sodium gradient, leading to an "overshoot," followed by apparent equilibration. Linear uptake at 22 degrees C was limited to the 1st min. The initial sodium-dependent uptake rate was proportional to the sodium concentration in the medium. The sodium-dependent uptake was markedly diminished or lost when potassium, cesium, or choline was substituted for sodium but not lithium. Replacement of chloride with sulfate or gluconate had little effect. Sodium-stimulated L-histidine uptake was further stimulated by an outward potassium gradient (inside-negative) in the presence of valinomycin. Sodium-dependent uptake kinetic constants for L-histidine were: Km = 0.44 +/- 0.18 mM: Vmax = 536 +/- 94 nmol/mg/30 s (mean +/- SD). 2-(methylamino)isobutyric acid did not inhibit L-histidine uptake. Conversely, L-histidine noncompetitively inhibited sodium-dependent uptake of 2-(methylamino)isobutyric acid and L-cysteine. L-glutamine competitively inhibited sodium-dependent L-histidine uptake. L-histidine uptake was stimulated by preloading the vesicles with either L-histidine or L-glutamine (transstimulation). L-histidine uptake was not sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide treatment but was strongly inhibited by low pH. These findings suggest that L-histidine is transported in the human placenta by a specific sodium-dependent system similar to the "N" system described in rodent hepatocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Self-starting mode-locked ring-cavity Ti:sapphire laser

A self-mode-locked ring-cavity Ti:sapphire laser is described that is self-starting within milliseconds and completely unperturbed by the self-starting mechanism while mode locked. This technique makes use of a position-modulated mirror in an external cavity in which the cavity length and alignment are noncritical. Other benefits of the ring cavity over the linear cavity configuration are described.
Normal fault thermal regimes and the interpretation of low-temperature thermochronometers

Abstract Exhumation rates inferred from thermochronometers are dependent on spatial and temporal variations in temperature. In active extensional mountain belts, the temperature field is complicated by tectonic and surface processes including: (1) lateral heat flow across large, range-bounding normal faults due to the juxtaposition of a cool hanging wall and a relatively warmer footwall, (2) uplift and erosion of the footwall, (3) sedimentation and burial of the hanging wall, (4) lateral heat refraction around low thermal conductivity sediments deposited in the hanging wall basin, and (5) 3D temperature variations due to high-relief topography developed on the footwall. We explore these mechanisms through a series of 2D conductive thermal models designed to investigate the effect of tectonics and topography on apatite fission track (AFT) and (U–Th)/He thermochronometer data. Models were tuned to the geometry and kinematics of the Wasatch Mountains, Utah, USA. The principal parameters in our model are exhumation and burial rates ranging from 0.2 to 5.7 mm per year at the range front and decreasing with distance from the fault, surface morphology taken from USGS digital elevation models, and basin geometries inferred from seismic and gravity surveys. Predicted AFT and (U–Th)/He ages were generated using cooling rate dependent annealing and diffusion kinetic models. Results indicate after 10 million years of exhumation, footwall (U–Th)/He and AFT closure temperature isotherms within 10 km of the fault are advected upward 500 and 1000 m, respectively, from their initial position. The upward advection of isotherms and the 2D nature of the thermal regime can result in erroneous exhumation rates calculated from plots of sample elevation versus age using 1D thermal models. For simulations with a uniform vertical uplift rate and canyon and ridge topography, 1D and 2D exhumation rate differences were 20–70% for (U–Th)/He and ∼10% for AFT data. Samples collected perpendicular to fault strike up the range front are sensitive to the exhumation rate and footwall tilt. Differences between 1D and 2D range front exhumation rates were 10–95% for (U–Th)/He and 10–40% for AFT data. Furthermore, 1D thermal models are incapable of deciphering footwall tilt. At simulated exhumation rates of 3, 4, and 5 mm per year predicted (U–Th)/He and AFT ages form closely spaced, near vertical lines on a plot of elevation versus sample age, therefore, suggesting a decreased sensitivity of data to topography and surface processes at high exhumation rates. Despite large errors in previously collected AFT data from the Wasatch mountains, our model suggests a revised fault-adjacent exhumation rate of 0.5–0.6 mm per year compared to previous estimates of 0.7 mm per year based on 1D thermal models.
Stroke, spasticity, and botulinum toxin

Botulinum toxin is in the news these days. First came September 11 and fears of chemical terrorism. One gram of this “most poisonous poison” could kill a million people were it not for problems of delivery. Then, in April 2002, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of “frown lines” at the glabella, between and above the eyes. This cosmetic use of the toxin has already attracted the interest of countless people who want to look younger. The toxin is also used to erase “crow's feet” — wrinkles at the lateral margin . . .
Interrupting the template strand of the T7 promoter facilitates translocation of the DNA during initiation, reducing transcript slippage and the release of abortive products.

Abstract We have explored the effects of a variety of structural and sequence changes in the initiation region of the phage T7 promoter on promoter function. At promoters in which the template strand (T strand) is intact, initiation is directed a minimal distance of 5 nt downstream from the binding region. Although the sequence of the DNA surrounding the start site is not critical for correct initiation, it is important for melting of the promoter and stabilization of the initiation complex. At promoters in which the integrity of T strand is interrupted by nicks or gaps between −5 and −2 the enzyme continues to initiate predominately at +1. However, under these conditions there is a decrease in the release of abortive products of 8-10 nt, a decrease in the synthesis of poly(G) products (which arise by slippage of the nascent transcript), and a defect in displacement of the RNA. We propose that unlinking the binding and initiation regions of the T strand changes the manner in which this strand is retained in the abortive complex, reducing or eliminating the need to pack or “scrunch” the strand into the complex during initiation and lowering a thermodynamic barrier to its translocation.
Marlo’s windows: why it is a mistake to ignore hazard resistance in LCA

Hazard-resistant materials for homes promise environmental benefits, such as avoided waste and materials for repairs, which can be overlooked by scoping in life-cycle assessment (LCA) approaches. Our motivation for pursuing this research was to see how incorporating these avoided losses in the LCA could impact choices between hazard-resistant and traditional materials. Two choices common in home construction were analyzed using an LCA process that incorporates catastrophe modeling to consider avoided losses made possible with hazard-resistant materials. These findings were compared to those based on a similar LCA that did not consider these avoided losses. The choices considered were standard windows vs. windows with impact-resistant glass and standard windows with no opening protection vs. standard windows with impact-resistant storm panels. For the window comparisons, the standard products were environmentally preferable when avoided losses from storm events were not considered in the LCA. However, when avoided losses were considered, the hazard-resistant products were environmentally preferable. Considering avoided losses in LCAs, as illustrated by the window choices, can change which product appears to be the environmentally preferable option. Further, as home service life increases, the environmental net benefit of the hazard-resistant product increases. Our results show the value of an LCA approach which allows more complete scopings of comparisons between hazard-resistant materials and their traditional counterparts. This approach will help translate the impacts of hazard-resistant products into the more familiar language used to talk about “green” products, enabling more informed decisions by product manufacturers, those who develop building certification systems and codes, researchers, and other building industry stakeholders.
Path to the Clinic: Assessment of iPSC-Based Cell Therapies In Vivo in a Nonhuman Primate Model

Summary Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based cell therapies have great potential for regenerative medicine but are also potentially associated with tumorigenic risks. Current rodent models are not optimal predictors of efficiency and safety for clinical application. Therefore, we developed a clinically relevant nonhuman primate model to assess the tumorigenic potential and in vivo efficacy of both undifferentiated and differentiated iPSCs in autologous settings without immunosuppression. Undifferentiated autologous iPSCs indeed form mature teratomas in a dose-dependent manner. However, tumor formation is accompanied by an inflammatory reaction. On the other hand, iPSC-derived mesodermal stromal-like cells form new bone in vivo without any evidence of teratoma formation. We therefore show in a large animal model that closely resembles human physiology that undifferentiated autologous iPSCs form teratomas, and that iPSC-derived progenitor cells can give rise to a functional tissue in vivo.
Does Cryolipolysis Lead to Skin Tightening? A First Report of Cryodermadstringo

Skin laxity occurs over time as collagen and elastin fibers break down. The breakdown is exacerbated by environmental factors, such as ultraviolet radiation, pollution, and stress. The rate of collagen and elastin degradation accelerates with time, while the rate of new collagen and elastin formation slows. For facial and neck laxity, several treatment methods exist, such as surgical lifts, minimally-invasive filler injections, and nonsurgical devices employing radiofrequency, laser, infrared, and ultrasound energy.1⇓⇓-4 To treat skin laxity on the body, the same treatment methods are available, although they are not as commonly used. Cryolipolysis (CoolSculpting System; Zeltiq Aesthetics, Pleasanton, CA) is a noninvasive method for selective fat reduction on the body. This nonsurgical procedure uses controlled cooling to reduce subcutaneous fat without inducing damage to surrounding tissues. Cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for fat reduction in 2010, cryolipolysis is an established procedure to safely and effectively reduce fat. A retrospective study on cryolipolysis discussed its clinical safety and efficacy, as well as its potential for business growth, in a plastic surgery practice.5 As shown in the aforementioned article, significant fat reduction can be achieved nonsurgically by cryolipolysis. Patients in flank and buttocks examples in the article also showed evidence of significant skin tightening.5 While cryolipolysis is well established as a nonsurgical method for fat reduction, it has …
Utility of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Evaluation of the Peritumoral Region in Patients with Primary and Metastatic Brain Tumors

In the brain, diffusion tensor imaging is a useful tool for defining white matter anatomy, planning a surgical approach to space-occupying lesions, and characterizing tumors, including distinguishing primary tumors from metastases. Recent studies have attempted, with varying success, to use DTI to define the extent of tumor microinfiltration beyond the apparent borders on T2-weighted imaging. In the present review, we discuss the current state of research on the utility of DTI for evaluating the peritumoral region of brain tumors.
The Impact of Optimal Stenting Techniques on Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Resource Utilization and Costs

Abstract Coronary stenting has been shown to reduce angiographic restenosis and improve clinical outcomes compared with conventional balloon angioplasty, but at greater in-lab cost. Recent studies have suggested that “optimal” stent deployment can eliminate the need for intensive oral anticoagulation after stenting, with the potential to reduce vascular complications, length of stay, and hospital cost. Between January and June 1995, we performed elective 1-vessel coronary stenting in 78 patients with a single, discrete (
The Design of Secure CPU-Multiplexed Computer Systems: The Master/Slave Architecture

Operating systems security is relatively new area. Most Operating Systems were designed without adequate attention to security since the primary concerns were economic. In this paper we present a new architecture that facilitates the design of secure time-shared Operating Systems. This approach differs from others that rely on verification to achieve security. In the proposed architecture, encryption is used to enforce the security policies.
Mechanism of radium-226 transfer from sediments and water to marine fishes

A study was conducted in Puget Sound, Washington, USA, to evaluate the accumulation of radium-226 in benthic fishes. The radium content of whole fish ranged from 0.83 to 20.33 pCi/kg wet weight and the calcium content ranged from 114 to 259 mg/g ash. Basically, no consistent correlation was found between radium and calcium concentration in fish. The concentration factor for transfer of radium from seawater to benthic fish ranged from 8 to 184 which is much lower than the corresponding values for the pelagic fish.
Effects of community violence on inner-city preschoolers and their families

Abstract The current study examined the extent to which preschoolers and their families are exposed to neighborhood violence, and it explored the possible impact of this exposure on young children. Mothers were interviewed about their family demography, exposure to violence, conflict in the home, and their children's distress symptoms. Children were observed during free play with peers and were given a cognitive assessment. Teachers rated children's social competence with peers. Results of path analyses suggested a link between families' exposure to community violence and a reduction in children's positive peer interaction and cognitive performance. The findings suggest that even very young children may not be “immune” to the effects of neighborhood violence.
Gang Involvement and Delinquency in a Middle School Population

The relationship between self-reported gang involvement and self-reported delinquency has been confirmed in a number of studies. However, there have been fewer studies of the relationship between self-reported gang involvement and officially recorded delinquency. This article examines variation in self-reported gang involvement, operationalized as three distinct categories—no involvement, gang involvement but not membership, and gang membership—and its relation to both self-reported and officially recorded delinquency for a population of middle school youths.
In vivo near-infrared fluorescence imaging of osteoblastic activity

In vertebrates, the development and integrity of the skeleton requires hydroxyapatite (HA) deposition by osteoblasts. HA deposition is also a marker of, or a participant in, processes as diverse as cancer and atherosclerosis. At present, sites of osteoblastic activity can only be imaged in vivo using γ-emitting radioisotopes. The scan times required are long and the resultant radioscintigraphic images suffer from relatively low resolution. We have synthesized a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent bisphosphonate derivative that exhibits rapid and specific binding to HA in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate NIR light–based detection of osteoblastic activity in the living animal and discuss how this technology can be used to study skeletal development, osteoblastic metastasis, coronary atherosclerosis and other human diseases.
A comparison of black and white prejudice

The prejudice of White Americans has been extensively studied, but that of African Americans has been comparatively ignored in the social sciences. In this article, the prejudice of Black and White university students is compared. Black respondents were students at Mississippi State University and White respondents were students at Iowa State University in the spring and fall of 1993. After factoring prejudice into its component types, we found that Black students scored significantly higher on aver‐sive and overall prejudice, but there was no significant racial difference on biological prejudice. There were few racial differences, however, in the correlates of overall prejudice. The perception of out‐group threat was positively related to and voluntary intergroup contact was negatively related to prejudice for Black and White respondents alike. Stratification beliefs were a predictor of prejudice only for White respondents. These exploratory results suggest racial comparisons of prejudice should be on th...
THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF THE ENTITLEMENT PROCESS IN THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP

Over time, members of organizations develop entitlements-preferences about how they wish to be treated and beliefs about how they should be treated. The formation of entitlements is an important subject for strategy researchers because employees resist changes that violate their perceived entitlements; thus entitlements constrain an organization's ability to adapt quickly in a changing environment. In this paper, we use psychological research to propose a two-part model of entitlements formation: (i) Preference formation makes people likely to resist change because preferences adapt to experience, and thus change imposes painful losses; (ii) Belief formation leads to over-entitlement, and this produces resistance because employees perceive changes to be unfair or unjust. Over-entitlement happens because (a) psychological limitations in judgement and (b) strategic distortions in the character and content of information exchanged in relationships lead employees to perceive their entitlements as richer and more systematic than intended by the organization. Combined, the preference and belief formation processes can produce substantial resistance to change. In stable environments firms may have an incentive to allow entitlements to develop since they enhance employee security and commitment. However, in changing environments, entitlements constrain firms' ability to mobilize resources to meet competitive challenges. After presenting our model of entitlement formation, we use the model to organize and analyze a set of suggestions about how the employment relationship might be managed to avoid problems of entitlement formation, thus enabling firms to adapt more effectively in a dynamic environment.
Strategies for promoting organizational and practice change by advancing implementation research

BACKGROUND: The persistence of a large quality gap between what we know about how to produce high quality clinical care and what the public receives has prompted interest in developing more effective methods to get evidence into practice. Implementation research aims to supply such methods. PURPOSE: This article proposes a set of recommendations aimed at establishing a common understanding of what implementation research is, and how to foster its development. METHODS: We developed the recommendations in the context of a translation research conference hosted by the VA for VA and non-VA health services researchers. IMPACTS: Health care organizations, journals, researchers and academic institutions can use these recommendations to advance the field of implementation science and thus increase the impact of clinical and health services research on the health and health care of the public.
Resource Sharing among Libraries in Developing Countries: The Gulf between Hope and Reality.

L'auteur decrit les obstacles qui s'opposent a un partage des sources efficace entre bibliotheques des pays en voie de developpement: facteurs sociaux, culturels, politiques, humains et professionnels. Il souligne la vanite de ces efforts s'il n'y a pas de prise de conscience de l'importance de l'information pour resoudre les problemes economiques et sociaux. Importante bibliographie
Neurochemical studies in a mouse teratoma with neuroepithelial differentiation. Presence of cyclic AMP, serotonin and enzymes of the serotonergic, adrenergic and cholinergic systems

A transplantable mouse testicular teratoma (OTT 6050) which displays a spectrum of neuroepithelial differentiation was evaluated biochemically for concentrations of cyclic AMP (cAMP), serotonin (5-HT), and enzymes involved in the metabolism of the biogenic amines and acetylcholine. These values were compared between teratomas with neuroepithelial differentiation as the major or minor component and brains of neonatal and adult mice of related strains. cAMP, 5-HT, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) were present. In addition, enzymes of the adrenergic system, i.e. tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), and of the cholinergic system, i.e. choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase, were studied. Biochemical differences in tumor groups probably reflected variations in the proportion of neuroepithelial components: trends suggested an increase of cAMP and an increased activity of TPH, AADC, TH and DBH in tumors with increased proportions of neuroepithelial cells. These findings indicate that the neuroepithelial component of the mouse teratoma may serve as a model for the study of neuronal differentiation in primitive neuroepithelial neoplasms.
Home Range, Habitat Use, and Nest Site Characteristics of Mississippi Kites in the White River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas

Abstract We located 39 Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) nests during the 2004 and 2005 breeding seasons in the White River National Wildlife Refuge in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Arkansas, USA. Radio transmitters were placed on seven adult and eight juvenile kites; 649 locations based on ground telemetry and 393 locations from aircraft were recorded for six adults (n = 5 males, 1 female) and five juveniles (n = 2 males, 3 females). The mean 90% kernel home range was 3,098 ha for adult kites (n = 6) and 439 ha (n = 5) for juveniles. Radio-marked Mississippi Kites significantly used mature forest (65.6%), second growth (15.5%), and water (10.0%) relative to availability (59.6, 11.5, and 7.1%, respectively). Agriculture fields (6.5%) and wetlands (1.5%) were used significantly less within the home ranges of kites relative to availability (17.6 and 3.9%, respectively). Tree height, diameter at breast height (dbh), and height of nest tree emergence above the surrounding trees were sig...
PicXAA: greedy probabilistic construction of maximum expected accuracy alignment of multiple sequences

Accurate tools for multiple sequence alignment (MSA) are essential for comparative studies of the function and structure of biological sequences. However, it is very challenging to develop a computationally efficient algorithm that can consistently predict accurate alignments for various types of sequence sets. In this article, we introduce PicXAA (Probabilistic Maximum Accuracy Alignment), a probabilistic non-progressive alignment algorithm that aims to find protein alignments with maximum expected accuracy. PicXAA greedily builds up the multiple alignment from sequence regions with high local similarities, thereby yielding an accurate global alignment that effectively grasps the local similarities among sequences. Evaluations on several widely used benchmark sets show that PicXAA constantly yields accurate alignment results on a wide range of reference sets, with especially remarkable improvements over other leading algorithms on sequence sets with local similarities. PicXAA source code is freely available at: http://www.ece.tamu.edu/� bjyoon/picxaa/.
Palliative Care for the Pediatrician

A multitude of diagnoses can limit the lives of children. Palliative care represents a branch of care with a distinct, family-centered approach. Symptoms can be far-ranging and include grief, anxiety, and existential concerns, in addition to somatic complaints, such as pain, dyspnea, and nausea. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach best benefi ts the family and patient. Despite the varied underlying diagnoses, many of the symptoms will be common and amenable to a thoughtful, basic approach. Key to managing all of the symptoms in the palliative and hospice settings is communication. It is essential to understand the family's goals, fears, and wishes, and to integrate therapy into that superstructure. Fortunately, the primary care physician is in the perfect position to appreciate the basis for the child and family's goals The primary care physician's rapport with the family will facilitate communication and decision-making in what maybe a very stressful journey for the child and family. Palliative and end of life care extend to parents and siblings, who should be monitored for extreme reactions to the death of a loved one and supported as they heal after death has claimed a child.
Biofeedback from the Perspectives of Cybernetics and Systems Science

The great French mathematician Laplace, whose monumental Mecanique celeste summarized the work of several generations of mathematicians on the behavior of celestial bodies under the influence of gravitational forces, captured the imagination of scientists and philosophers with his famous pronouncement that “An intelligence knowing all of the forces acting in nature at a given instant, as well as the momentary positions of all things in the universe, would be able to comprehend in one single formula the motions of the largest bodies as well as the lightest atoms, provided that its intellect were sufficiently powerful to subject all data to analysis; to it (i. e., to such an intelligence) nothing would be uncertain, the future as well as the past would be present to its eyes.”
Proteases as Scouring Agents for Cotton

Extending from our previous work on enzymatic removal of the noncellulosics on cotton fiber surfaces, this paper reports the effects of proteolytic enzymes on improving the water wettability and absorbency of cotton fabrics. Ten proteolytic enzymes or proteases are used on greige cotton fabrics pretreated in 100°C water for 2 seconds twice. Reactions with four of the proteases significantly improve the wettability of cotton fabrics, and the resulting wetting behavior is similar or superior to alkaline scoured cotton. Several other proteases also improve cotton wettability, but to lesser extents. The optimized reaction conditions for the most effective proteases afford a range of moderate scouring conditions, including neutral to acid (pH 4) media, low temperatures (25 to 45°C), and short reaction times (10 to 30 minutes). The low temperatures of these protease reactions also lead to fewer changes in fabric thickness and porosity than in the alkaline scoured cotton fabrics.
Description and Surgical Removal of the Cranial Cervical Ganglia in 3- to 5-day-old Chicks

Abstract The cranial cervical sympathetic ganglion (CCG) provides the primary innervation of the pineal gland in several gallinaceous species. The CCG is located at the base of the skull near the exoccipital bone, dorsal to the level of the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves. It occupies a much larger volume and appears pinkish-gray, instead of white, when compared to the petrosal ganglion. To surgically remove the CCG, chicks were anesthetized with halothane vapor. Following a small skin incision, blunt dissection was used to expose the CCG lying adjacent to the internal carotid. The ganglion was grasped with small forceps and pinched free of its fine neural connections to adjacent nerves. The success of the surgery was confirmed visually and by complete adrenergic dennervation of the pineal gland. The entire surgical procedure required approximately 20 min per bird. Mortality was less than 20% overall.
Importance of Breast Cancer Subtype in the Development of Androgen-Receptor-Directed Therapy

The androgen receptor (AR) has re-emerged as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment. This stems from recent progress made in preclinical models, which have recognized important differences in the effect of AR expression on outcomes for patients with different breast cancer subtypes. In parallel, the clinical development of new generations of androgen-receptor-directed therapy for prostate cancer has begun to mature. The availability of these new agents has resulted in trials of their potential for treating breast cancer. It is critical that studies of the effect of AR expression and signaling in breast cancer should be context and subtype specific, to successfully translate AR modulation into a clinical strategy for breast cancer. We will review developments in preclinical studies, and recent clinical trials targeting AR in breast cancer.
Characterization of the tunable response of highly strained compliant optical metamaterials

Metamaterial designs are typically limited to a narrow operating bandwidth that is predetermined by the fabricated dimensions. Various approaches have previously been used to introduce post-fabrication tunability and thus enable active metamaterials. In this work, we exploit the mechanical deformability of a highly compliant polymeric substrate to achieve dynamic, tunable resonant frequency shifts greater than a resonant linewidth. We investigate the effect of metamaterial shape on the plastic deformation limit of resonators. We find that, for designs in which the local strain is evenly distributed, the response is elastic under larger global tensile strains. The plastic and elastic limits of resonator deformation are explored and the results indicate that, once deformed, the resonators operate within a new envelope of elastic response. We also demonstrate the use of coupled resonator systems to add an additional degree of freedom to the frequency tunability and show that compliant substrates can be used as a tool to test coupling strength. Finally, we illustrate how compliant metamaterials could be used as infrared sensors, and show enhancement of an infrared vibration absorption feature by a factor of 225.
Research communication: war as a human endeavor: the high-fatality wars of the twentieth century.

Those 45 of the hundreds of wars of the first eight decades of the twentieth century that resulted in at least 32 thousand military plus civilian fatalities are each described in brief. About three such high-fatality wars were usually progressing simultaneously in any year, and there was only one year during the period in which none was being waged. The total number of fatalities was about 86 million, between 1% and 2 % of all individuals living during the period. It is concluded that war remains a routine, normal human activity, an activity that accounts for a small, continuing fraction of premature deaths.
The PhenX Toolkit pregnancy and birth collections

Purpose Pregnancy and childbirth are normal conditions, but complications and adverse outcomes are common. Both genetic and environmental factors influence the course of pregnancy. Genetic epidemiologic research into pregnancy outcomes could be strengthened by the use of common measures, which would allow data from different studies to be combined or compared. Here, we introduce perinatal researchers to the PhenX Toolkit and the Collections related to pregnancy and childbirth.
Spatial pattern and ecological process in the coffee agroforestry system.

The coffee agroforestry system provides an ideal platform for the study of spatial ecology. The uniform pattern of the coffee plants and shade trees allows for the study of pattern generation through intrinsic biological forces rather than extrinsic habitat patchiness. Detailed studies, focusing on a key mutualism between an ant (Azteca instabilis) and a scale insect (Coccus viridis), conducted in a 45-ha plot in a coffee agroforestry system have provided insights into (1) the quantitative evaluation of spatial pattern of the scale insect Coccus viridis on coffee bushes, (2) the mechanisms for the generation of patterns through the combination of local satellite ant nest formation and regional control from natural enemies, and (3) the consequences of the spatial pattern for the stability of predator–prey (host–parasitoid) systems, for a key coccinelid beetle preying on the scale insects and a phorid fly parasitoid parasitizing the ant.
Anatomy and histology of reproductive organs of female Homalodisca coagulata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini), with special emphasis on categorization of vitellogenic oocytes

The anatomy and histology of female Homalodisca coagulata (Say) (Hemiptera: Cicadellida: Proconiini) reproductive organs is described using light microscopy. The reproductive organs of H. coagulata consist of one pair of ovaries, each with 10 telotrophic ovarioles, a pair of lateral oviducts, a common oviduct, a spermatheca, an enlarged genital duct, a complex bursa copulatrix, a vagina, two types of accessory glands, and a genital chamber. The reproductive organs follow the general pattern seen in cicadellids. The complex bursa copulatrix, important in copulation and sperm transfer, is described. A set of morphological criteria were selected, based on the stage of oocyte development, and used to evaluate and assign the rank of ovarian development for field-collected individuals and to assess the overall reproductive status of female insect populations. A principal component analysis of morphological and physiological characteristics suggests that the ovarian ranks reflect the reproductive status of the females. Understanding reproductive status and patterns is critical for determining the optimal time to implement control methods to suppress H. coagulata populations in southern California.
Code and constellation optimization for efficient noncoherent communication

We consider noncoherent communication techniques with large signal alphabets, where explicit (i.e., pilot symbol based) channel estimates are not required by the receiver and iterative soft information exchange between noncoherent demodulator and channel decoder is employed for approaching Shannon-theoretic limits. Extrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) functions are used to characterize convergence of the iterative receiver, enabling joint optimization of the inner modulation code constellation and symbol mapping with an outer binary channel code. We find that QAM constellations classically employed over the AWGN channel are inferior to modified constellation shapes based on aligned PSK rings with Gray-like amplitude/phase bit maps. EXIT analysis of turbo noncoherent communication further shows that standard convolutional codes are near optimal in serial concatenation with a unit-rate inner modulation code. The overall system is within 2.4 dB of Shannon capacity for the block fading channel at 1.8 bits/channel use, demonstrating that bandwidth-efficient noncoherent communication systems with reasonable complexity are now within reach.
Neural networks for real-time control

The paper briefly reviews the status of control theory and practice using neural networks, and discusses some of the questions that have to be addressed if neural networks are to be used in real-time control.
‘Myspace led girl to Mideast’: Race, the online predator myth, and the pathologization of violence:

In June 2006 a 16-year-old Michigan girl reached an airport in Jordan in her attempt to visit a boyfriend she met on Myspace, 20-year-old Ali from the West Bank town of Jericho. The national media attention to this relationship begins with fears that Ali was an online predator, moves to stories of the pair as star-crossed lovers and constructions of Ali as a dangerous Arab terrorist, and ends with the conclusion that Ali was simply a bad boyfriend. I examine the media representations of this atypical case to illustrate the need to denaturalize and challenge typical constructions of sexual danger as embodied in racialized and pathologized figures such as the online predator.
The LIBOR Market Model: A Critical Review

This paper presents a critical review of the different versions of the LIBOR market model (LMM). Based on the new taxonomy of the term structure models (see Nawalkha, Beliaeva, and Soto [2007a, 2007b]) the typical application of the LMM are shown to triple-plus type, exposing these to the dangers of “smoothing.” This paper also derives a double-plus version of Jarrow, Li, and Zhao’s (JLZ) [2007] LMM model with stochastic volatility and jumps, which is less exposed to the dangers of “smoothing” compared with the original triple-plus version of this model. Finally, this paper makes a persuasive case for considering high-dimensional double-plus term structure models in the affine and quadratic classes. Fast computational methods make these models powerful alternatives to the LMM for valuing and hedging interest rate derivatives.
Management of hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma

Hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) represents up to one-third of MTC cases and includes multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2A (and its variant familial MTC) and 2B. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the disease focusing on the management of hereditary MTC patients, who have already developed tumor, as well as discuss the recommended approach for asymptomatic family members carrying the same mutation. A PubMed search was performed to review recent literature on diagnosis, genetic testing, and surgical and medical management of hereditary MTC. The wide use of genetic testing for RET mutations has markedly influenced the course of hereditary MTC. Prophylactic thyroidectomy of RET carriers at an early age eliminates the risk of developing MTC later in life. Pre-operative staging is a strong prognostic factor in patients, who have developed MTC. The use of recently approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors (vandetanib, cabozantinib) holds promising results for the treatment of unresectable, locally advanced, and progressive metastatic MTC. Genetic testing of the RET gene is a powerful tool in the diagnosis and prognosis of MTC. Ongoing research is expected to add novel treatment options for patients with advanced, progressive disease.
The Private Fund Industry Five Years after the Dodd-Frank Act – A Survey Study

This study evaluates the long-term implications of the unprecedented yet evolving post Dodd-Frank Act regulatory framework pertaining to the private fund industry. The Author collected and coded data for a population of 1267 registered investment advisers. Respondents (N=69) answered questions in several categories designed to identify cost, compliance, and management issues associated with the post Dodd-Frank Act regulatory framework. The findings in this study suggest that the industry is mostly affected by the uncertainty and higher costs associated with the Act, but under multiple metrics the industry appears to be coping well overall with the evolving post Dodd-Frank Act regulatory landscape.