cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular beam epitaxy growth of 1.55 μm GaInNAs(Sb) double quantum wells with bright and narrow photoluminescence

Abstract GaInNAs(Sb)/GaNAs double quantum well (DQW) structures were grown on GaAs substrates using solid-source molecular beam epitaxy with N 2 /Ar gas mixtures in a radio frequency plasma cell. A novel method of in situ antimony mass spectrometry is introduced which permits flux monitoring in the presence of large arsenic background pressures. For a DQW sample grown without Sb, bright and narrow (38.1 meV) room temperature photoluminescence (PL) emission at 1509 nm was achieved after optimized rapid thermal annealing. In two samples grown with antimony fluxes of approximately 0.012 and 0.028 monolayers/s the PL intensity improved and very bright PL was observed at 1518 and 1551 nm with linewidths of 33.1 and 35.0 meV, respectively. The integrated PL intensities of each of these two samples was equivalent to the emission for a reference GaInNAs/GaAs DQW sample emitting closer to 1.3 μ m . More strikingly, the intensity of the Sb-free 1509 nm sample was only lower by a factor of 2. This suggests that the N 2 /Ar plasma approach has benefits for the material quality, as well as providing efficient flux control, yielding good material even without Sb. High-resolution X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements indicate excellent crystal quality for all samples. Secondary ion mass spectrometry reveals a dramatic tendency for Sb segregation during growth, resulting in very asymmetric incorporation with most of the Sb atoms located at the top interface.
Phenobarbital drinking curves after varied water deprivation

Abstract The phenobarbital dose-drinking response curves were obtained for 11 1 2 and 23 1 2 hr of water deprivation in rats. The results indicated that the same quadratic curve was found in both cases displaced as a function of degree of deprivation. These results are explicable by regarding phenobarbital as an adequate stimulus for drinking or by disinhibiting drinking if level of inhibition is not directly concerned with regulation of water ingestion per se. The response to phenobarbital upon the days following injection is similar for both degrees of deprivation investigated.
Characterization of the mitochondrial DNA of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum

Abstract 1. 1. The mitochondrial DNA of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum has been characterized by CsCl buoyant density measurements, thermal transition values, and distribution of [32P]phosphate incorporation among the four deoxyribonucleotides. Each method yielded an estimate of base composition of 26 % G+C . Analyses of the major nuclear DNA (nDNA) were also performed with similarly consistent results (approx. 41 % G+C ). 2. 2. Studies aimed at elucidating the secondary structure of this mitochondrial DNA show that, as isolated, it is linear with molecular weights ranging to at least 2 · 10 7 – 3 · 10 7 , which is much greater than that observed in vertebrate mitochondrial DNA's. Nevertheless, single-stranded mitochondrial DNA of Physarum readily renatures suggesting that this DNA fraction is relatively homogeneous.
Compassion: The Missing Link in Economics and Management

Most business philosophies are based on economic theories, particularly rational behavior and optimum decision making. This leads companies to focus on profit maximization often ignoring other important aspects. As a result we have witnessed incidents such as the recent global recession. In this article we review the mainstream economic theories as they are applied in the business environment, focusing particularly on Oliver E. Williamson's transaction cost economics (TCE). We propose that “compassion” is a missing link in these theories connecting economics with management.
MRP: Wireless mesh networks routing protocol

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) are one of the few commonly implemented types of mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs); several companies offer WMNs for broadband Internet access and for extending the coverage of wireless local area networks. Several particularities differentiate WMNs from MANETs. First, in WMNs, most of the traffic originates or terminates at the gateways (nodes connected to the wired infrastructure/Internet). Second, in most applications, WMN nodes tend to be neatly differentiated as either stationary nodes (providing connectivity and coverage) or mobile nodes (utilizing the coverage afforded by the stationary nodes). While general MANET routing protocols can be used in WMNs, it is expected that a protocol that takes the particularities of WMNs into account will outperform the general protocol. In this paper, we propose such a routing protocol and evaluate its performance via simulations. Results show that, for WMNs, the proposed routing protocol outperforms general purpose MANET protocols in terms of routing overhead, packet delivery ratio, network throughput, end-to-end delay, and average hop-count.
Thromboxanes: Synthase and receptors

Thromboxane A2 is a biologically potent arachidonate metabolite through the cyclooxygenase pathway. It induces platelet aggregation and smooth muscle contraction and may promote mitogenesis and apoptosis of other cells. Its roles in physiological and pathological conditions have been widely documented. The enzyme that catalyzes its synthesis, thromboxane A2 synthase, and the receptors that mediate its actions, thromboxane A2 receptors, are the two key components critical for the functioning of this potent autacoid. Recent molecular biological studies have revealed the structure-function relationship and gene organizations of these proteins as well as genetic and epigenetic factors modulating their gene expression. Future investigation should shed light on detailed molecular signaling events specifying thromboxane A2 actions, and the genetic underpinning of the enzyme and the receptors in health and disease.
Recurrences and complications after levator shortening procedures

Between February 1983 and March 1991 a total number of 415 anterior approach levator shortening ptosis procedures have been performed. All patients had a satisfactory upper eyelid position at the end of the procedure. The large majority of the cases kept a fair final result. The recurrences and complications and their possible causes are analysed.
Insuffisances mitrales ischémiques : mécanisme et pronostic

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is mitral regurgitation (MR) due to complications of coronary artery disease. Two mechanisms can be individualized. Acute MR secondary to ruptured papillary muscle is a rare but often fatal complication of myocardial infarction. We focus on functional MR, much more common, which occurs without any intrinsic valve disease. It was often underrated because of low murmur intensity but is observed between 15 and 20% after a myocardial infarction. The presence and degree of the regurgitation are related to local left ventricular remodeling. The apical and posterior displacement of papillary muscles leads to excess valvular tenting which in turn, in association with loss of systolic annular contraction, determines the severity of the regurgitation. IMR presence is associated with an excess mortality. The mortality risk is directly related to the degree of the regurgitation and a regurgitant volume > or = 30 ml or an effective regurgitant orifice > or = 20 mm2 define a high-risk group. In current clinical practice, IMR is mainly corrected with ring annuloplasty. However, this technique does not correct local alterations of left ventricular remodeling and its benefits on long-term outcome remains to be demonstrated.
A Hessenberg-Schur method for the problem AX + XB= C

One of the most effective methods for solving the matrix equation AX+XB=C is the Bartels-Stewart algorithm. Key to this technique is the orthogonal reduction of A and B to triangular form using the QR algorithm for eigenvalues. A new method is proposed which differs from the Bartels-Stewart algorithm in that A is only reduced to Hessenberg form. The resulting algorithm is between 30 and 70 percent faster depending upon the dimensions of the matrices A and B . The stability of the new method is demonstrated through a roundoff error analysis and supported by numerical tests. Finally, it is shown how the techniques described can be applied and generalized to other matrix equation problems.
Abstract C46: DNA damage-induced autophagy is required for efficient DNA repair and cell cycle progression

DNA damage is known to induce cell cycle arrest followed by DNA damage repair (DDR) or apoptosis depending upon the extent of the DNA damage. DNA damage has also been shown to induce autophagy, a catabolic process involving the degradation of cellular organelles and proteins, to provide the energy needs for critical cellular processes. Excessive or defective autophagy can mediate cell death as a consequence of the degradation of vital organelles and/or accumulation of toxic cellular content. However, in many tumor cells, autophagy can be an acquired mechanism for cell survival that has evolved to provide higher energy and to remove the non-functional mitochondria for more efficient cellular function. In this study we show that ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage can induce autophagy in prostate cancer cells. LC3 lipidation (LC3 II), a classical marker for autophagy signaling was observed following irradiation. The steady state levels of LC3 II were not affected, however there was increased accumulation of LC3 II following irradiation in the presence of chloroquine, an inhibitor of autolysosomal formation and acidification. This observation suggested that autophagy is induced by DNA damage. Cell death analysis showed that autophagy served as a protective mechanism since inhibiting autophagy by pharmacological inhibitors, such as 3-MA and chloroquine, as well as genetic knockdown of ATG7 and LAMP2, sensitized prostate cancer cells to irradiation induced cell death, as shown by increased sub-G1 DNA content and reduced clonogenic survival. In autophagy-deficient cells, there were increased γH2AX and 53BP1 foci compared to autophagy-proficient cells, an indication that DDR is inhibited upon inhibiting autophagy. Moreover, comet assay revealed increased tail length in autophagy-deficient cells indicating accumulation of damaged DNA. Collectively, these observations suggest that DNA damage-induced autophagy can facilitate DDR signaling and cell cycle progression while autophagy inhibition can inhibit DDR signaling resulting in increased apoptosis. Investigating cell cycle checkpoints and activation of apoptosis in autophagy-deficient cells could help to understand the role of autophagy in mediating DDR and cell cycle progression following irradiation. Autophagy, similar to DNA repair may play a critical function in the cellular response to ionizing radiation, an oxidizing agent that damages not only DNA but other cellular molecules and organelles. These findings could help to identify specific autophagy inhibitors for sensitizing tumor cells to irradiation leading to increased tumor cell death. Citation Format: Kamini Singh, Sayer R. Al-Harbi, Akwasi Agyeman, Janet A. Houghton, Warren D. Heston, Alex Almasan. DNA damage-induced autophagy is required for efficient DNA repair and cell cycle progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Prostate Cancer Research; 2012 Feb 6-9; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(4 Suppl):Abstract nr C46.
Construction of a blue copper site at the native zinc site of yeast copper-zinc superoxide dismutase

A stable, green, copper-containing protein with two strong visible absorption bands at 459 (e≥1460) and 595 nm (e≥1420 M -1 cm -1 ) was constructed by replacing a histidine (His80) with a cysteine in the zinc site of yeast copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) using site-directed mutagenesis. It was expressed in a T7 polymerase expression system in E. coli, purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography, converted to the apoprotein, and reconstituted by addition of Cu 2+ to both the copper and the zinc sites
Observations on the morphogenesis and structure of a hemocytic poxvirus in the midge Chironomus attenuatus

An account is given of the ultrastructure of a poxvirus infecting larvae of a midge, Chironomus attenuatus. The virus appears to replicate only in hemocytes, and is of the occluded type. Immature virions are formed in association with an amorphous virogenic stroma, portions of which are sequestered into the developing particles. Further maturation of virions occurs either free in the cytoplasm or during (or after) occlusion within the crystalline matrix of polyhedra. A new intermediate in the development of cores from nucleoids is described. In addition, the presence of a unit membranelike structure in the poxvirus core is indicated. A possible nucleation site for the deposition of polyhedron protein is described.
Simulation of patient flow in a picture archival and communications system network

As hospital radiology departments expand their use of digitally formatted imaging devices, these machines will be connected in local area networks called Picture Archival and Communications Systems (PACS). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the use of computer simulation to analyze the process of patients using a PACS. The flexibility of using simulation on a proposed PACS is shown, starting with the description of a basic model. Different machine networks are run and the results compared. Simulation modeling provides a valuable tool to hospital and department administrators in detecting possible problem areas which may occur with proposed PACS configurations under assumed patient loads.
A New Instrument for the Continuous Measurement of Condensation Nuclei

An instrument is described which provides a continuous measurement of airborne particle concentrations in the size range down to 0.00 1 microns. The concentration range of the instrument is from 10 to 10 (sup 7) particles per cubic centimeter with a response time in the order of 1 to 2 seconds. The Instrument is designed for continuous unattended operation and employs a unique dual beam, single phototube optical system in which the reference beam passes through the same optical elements as the measuring beam.
Enhanced microwave performance of ion-implanted MESFET with graded GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunctions

Ion-implanted MESFETs have been fabricated on an inverted GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. The aluminium concentration in the AlGaAs is graded from 0% at the substrate to 30% at the heterointerface. A maximum extrinsic transconductance of 410 mS/mm is achieved with 0.5 µm gate devices. This heterojunction ion-implanted FET (HIFET) also exhibits enhanced microwave performance, especially at low drain current, when compared to conventional ionimplanted GaAs MESFETs. At 20% of Idss the current gain cutoff frequency ftis 40 GHz, which increases up to a maximum value of 47 GHz as the drain current rises. These characteristics of high ft and high gain at low current are advantageous for low-noise applications.
The Development of Regionalism in Southeast Asia1

One of the major premises of United States policy in Southeast Asia, as it has evolved during the past few years, appears to be that effective regional organization is a practical political possibility. To an increasing extent we have sought to implement policy objectives in the area through the development of regional institutions. Thus the United States took the lead in the negotiation of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty (the Manila Pact), which is a mutual security arrangement for the defense of Southeast Asia against aggression by means of armed attack or subversion. In the economic field we joined, after an initial period of hesitation, in the British Commonwealth-sponsored Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic Development in South and Southeast Asia. While American economic assistance to Asian countries has always been, and still is, extended primarily on a bilateral basis, the government let it be known early in 1955 that it would be prepared to establish a special regional fund of about $200 million to be used for projects benefiting more than one country, if the nations concerned could themselves devise a satisfactory program. The fact that the Simla Conference, called soon thereafter by India to discuss the American proposal, failed to reach agreement on regional use of the fund does not negate the general impression of American concern for a regional approach.
dead goats and broken betrothals: liability and equity in Dou Donggo law

This article looks at intentionality, causation and mitigation in calculations of legal liability among the Dou Donggo (Eastern Sumbawa, Indonesia). A specific case is used to explore a legal principle that makes a person liable for delicts that “might have” been committed, whether or not the accused has actually caused any damage. It is argued that this principle creates a “stricter-than-strict” liability without sacrificing equity. A comparative perspective is also considered. [dispute settlement, law, liability, equity, Indonesia]
Trace-Based Evaluation of Rate Adaptation Schemes in Vehicular Environments

There has been a variety of rate adaptation solutions proposed for both indoor and mobile scenarios. However, dynamic channel changing conditions (e.g., temporal channel variation due to unpredictable traffic pattern) make it virtually impossible to guarantee the same evaluation environment for all these schemes. Moreover, developing these schemes exhaustively on actual hardware can be gruesomely long. In this work, we propose an integrated framework which utilizes empirical data gathered from the vehicular testbed to objectively compare different rate adaptation schemes for Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs). Using this framework, we implemented some well-known adaptation schemes and evaluated their performance. The main contribution of this paper is a methodology to compare rate adaptation schemes in an environment which is both realistic and repeatable. In addition, our results shed new light on impact of various different environment and channel factors on the performance of different schemes.
Psychological dimensions and patterns in writings of critics1

Seventy-nine articles by critics in children's literature were described by rater-analysts as projective expressions of personality. A cluster analysis of manifest content concerns, implicit needs, and critical stances produced four clusters: elucidation, appreciation, challenging, and upholding of standards. When the articles were plotted on a “map of criticism,” with the elucidation and appreciation dimensions as coordinates, style of criticism was found to vary from one area of the map to another. Articles from diagonal quadrants had attributed to them characteristics approximating the Jungian functions: thinking-feeling and intuition-sensation. Articles high on challenging and upholding also had distinctive characteristics. The distribution of articles on the map was associated with occupation, sex, and age of the critics. Criticism and related discursive writing seem to reflect personality in important and pervasive ways. An understanding of their connotations may be a useful tool in personality and social psychology. However, personality information from the critics themselves is obviously needed.
The effect of intragastric administration of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the growth and development of fetal mice of the AJ strain

Abstract Pregnant A J mice were intubated with vehicle (sesame oil:Tween 80:water) or 60, 120, or 240 mg/kg of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on Days 11 and 12, 12 and 13, or 13 and 14 (vehicle and 240 mg doses only) of gestation. Mice were killed on Day 20 of gestation, and examined for number of corpora lutea and live and resorbed fetuses. Fetuses were weighed and examined for gross external and internal malformations. Each treatment group consisted of a minimum of 10 litters with about 10 pups per litter. In a few groups the effects of feed deprivation on Day 12 or of glucocorticoid administration on Days 12 and 13 (positive control) were assessed. Intubation with vehicle or Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or feed deprivation did not affect number of live fetuses, incidence of resorption, fetal weights, or gross malformations other than cleft palate. Intubation of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on gestational Days 12 and 13 or 13 and 14 increased the mean frequency of cleft palate formation. The increase was 2- to 2.5-fold at the 240-mg dose, being significant (p = 0.05) in the Days 12 and 13 group. Cortisone acetate and corticosterone injection induced both resorption and cleft palate formation. Other developmental or reproductive parameters were not influenced by Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol treatment. We conclude that Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol administered by gavage during Days 12 and 13 of gestation retards normal palatal development.
The biomimetic [Cr(3)O(O(2)CCH(2)CH(3))(6)(H(2)O)(3)](+ )decreases plasma insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides in healthy and type II diabetic rats but not type I diabetic rats.

The in vivo effects of administration of the synthetic, functional biomimetic cation [Cr3O(O2CCH2CH3)6(H2O)3]+ to healthy and type I and type II diabetic model rats are described. In contrast to current chromium-containing nutrition supplements, which only serve as sources of absorbable chromium, the trinuclear cation has been shown in in vitro assays to interact with the insulin receptor, activating its kinase activity, presumably by trapping the receptor in its active conformation. Thus, treatment of rats with the trinuclear cation would be expected to result in changes in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism related to insulin action. After 24 weeks of intravenous administration (0–20 µg Cr/kg body mass), the cation results in a concentration-dependent lowering of levels of fasting blood plasma LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin and of 2-h plasma insulin and glucose levels after a glucose challenge; these results confirm a previous 12-week study examining the effect of the synthetic cation on healthy rats and are in stark contrast to those of administration of other forms of Cr(III) to rats, which have no effect on these parameters. The cation has little, if any, effect on rats with STZ-induced diabetes (a type I diabetes model). However, Zucker obese rats (a model of the early stages of type II diabetes) after 24 weeks of supplementation (20 µg/kg) have lower fasting plasma total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin levels and lower 2-h plasma insulin levels. The lowering of plasma insulin concentrations with little effect on glucose concentrations suggests that the supplement increases insulin sensitivity.
Pyruvate formate lyase and acetate kinase are essential for anaerobic growth of Escherichia coli on xylose

During anaerobic growth of bacteria, organic intermediates of metabolism, such as pyruvate or its derivatives, serve as electron acceptors to maintain the overall redox balance. Under these conditions, the ATP needed for cell growth is derived from substrate-level phosphorylation. In Escherichia coli, conversion of glucose to pyruvate yields 2 net ATPs, while metabolism of a pentose, such as xylose, to pyruvate only yields 0.67 net ATP per xylose due to the need for one (each) ATP for xylose transport and xylulose phosphorylation. During fermentative growth, E. coli produces equimolar amounts of acetate and ethanol from two pyruvates, and these reactions generate one additional ATP from two pyruvates (one hexose equivalent) while still maintaining the overall redox balance. Conversion of xylose to acetate and ethanol increases the net ATP yield from 0.67 to 1.5 per xylose. An E. coli pfl mutant lacking pyruvate formate lyase cannot convert pyruvate to acetyl coenzyme A, the required precursor for acetate and ethanol production, and could not produce this additional ATP. E. coli pfl mutants failed to grow under anaerobic conditions in xylose minimal medium without any negative effect on their survival or aerobic growth. An ackA mutant, lacking the ability to generate ATP from acetyl phosphate, also failed to grow in xylose minimal medium under anaerobic conditions, confirming the need for the ATP produced by acetate kinase for anaerobic growth on xylose. Since arabinose transport by AraE, the low-affinity, high-capacity, arabinose/H+ symport, conserves the ATP expended in pentose transport by the ABC transporter, both pfl and ackA mutants grew anaerobically with arabinose. AraE-based xylose transport, achieved after constitutively expressing araE, also supported the growth of the pfl mutant in xylose minimal medium. These results suggest that a net ATP yield of 0.67 per pentose is only enough to provide for maintenance energy but not enough to support growth of E. coli in minimal medium. Thus, pyruvate formate lyase and acetate kinase are essential for anaerobic growth of E. coli on xylose due to energetic constraints.
Is back to nature always best

Comunidad Los Horcones mounts a compelling argument for the use of natural reinforcement in the schools, offering the strategy as a way to improve education. No person concerned with educational effectiveness can take issue with the notion that the most enjoyable and enduring learning is that which is an "automatic product of," that is, reinforced by its function (i.e., the "natural reinforcer" as defined in the Los Horcones paper). Natural or functional reinforcers, the stimulus events produced by the instrumental (learning) responses, are integral to the behavior, follow it everywhere, and support its continued maintenance. They require no time from educators, nor can society, educators, parents, or students take issue with their use on philosophical or ethical grounds. Indeed, natural reinforcement is best and the way to go, provided (a) that the learning objective does produce a natural reinforcer and (b) that the natural reinforcer is more powerful than any competing punishers inherent in the task or reinforcers for competing responses. Let us examine each of these provisos separately. Do all learning tasks automatically produce reinforcers? Often, but not always. Many function to enable more advanced or complex objectives, frequently set a long time into the future. Learning to discriminate a b from a d contributes toward the student's ultimate skill as a reader, but in and of itself provides little in the way of natural reinforcement. Learning a definition of a concept such as "negative reinforcement" is essential to understanding, talking about, experimenting with, and so on, the behavior of organisms, but acquiring the verbal chain accomplishes little for the person (other than the limited reinforcement some find inherent in meeting a challenge). Were it not for the fact that someone in the verbal community indicated the
Mechanism of electrical passivation of Si surfaces with quinhydrone

The ability of quinhydrone/methanol solutions to electrically passivate silicon surfaces with respect to minority carrier recombination has been confirmed. The p-benzoquinon has been found to be the active component of quinhydrone. It is the presence of ketones on opposite sides of the ring that acts to passivate the surface, although the exact mechanism of passivation is not understood. The time dependence of the passivation suggests that it includes more than merely repairing damage on hydrogen terminated surfaces.
Logic transformations for synchronous logic synthesis

An approach to logic synthesis of digital synchronous sequential circuits is presented. Algorithms are described for minimizing the area of synchronous combinational and/or sequential circuits under cycle time constraints and for minimizing the cycle time under area constraints. It is shown how to optimize concurrently the circuit equations and the register position by a set of algorithms based on logic transformations. An implementation of the algorithms in the program Minerva is described, and experimental results are reported. >
Approximate maximum likelihood hyperparameter estimation for Gibbs priors

The parameters of the prior, the hyperparameters, play an important role in Bayesian image estimation. Of particular importance for the case of Gibbs priors is the global hyperparameter, /spl beta/, which multiplies the Hamiltonian. Here we consider maximum likelihood (ML) estimation of /spl beta/ from incomplete data, i.e., problems in which the image, which is drawn from a Gibbs prior, is observed indirectly through some degradation or blurring process. Important applications include image restoration and image reconstruction from projections. Exact ML estimation of /spl beta/ from incomplete data is intractable for most image processing. Here we present an approximate ML estimator that is computed simultaneously with a maximum a posteriori (MAP) image estimate. The algorithm is based on a mean field approximation technique through which multidimensional Gibbs distributions are approximated by a separable function equal to a product of one-dimensional (1-D) densities. We show how this approach can be used to simplify the ML estimation problem. We also show how the Gibbs-Bogoliubov-Feynman (GBF) bound can be used to optimize the approximation for a restricted class of problems. We present the results of a Monte Carlo study that examines the bias and variance of this estimator when applied to image restoration.
Quantifying the consequences of conifer succession in aspen stands: decline in a biodiversity-supporting community

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michaux) stands are important for biodiversity in conifer-dominated forest landscapes. Our goal was to quantify the consequences of conifer succession on understory diversity and litter quality, as well as asso- ciated changes in aspen stand condition. We studied aspen stands on national park land in the transition zone between the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade mountain ranges. We field-measured ten met- rics of aspen stand condition in 29 aspen stands. Along a gradient of increasing current conifer cover, we observed decreases in herbaceous species diversity and richness and an increase in forest floor O horizon depth. We interpreted aerial photos from 1952 and 1998 to determine whether directional changes in co- nifer cover had occurred in the stands over the past half century, and used regression modeling to associ- ate succession with the observed range of aspen stand condition. From the period 1952 to 1998, we found that conifer encroachment occurred in half the sam- pled stands, with an average increase in conifer cover of 1 % a year. Aspen were persistent in the remaining stands. Stand cover dynamics and percent total canopy cover interacted to influence species richness, diversi- ty, aspen sprouting, and litter quality. In stands with conifer encroachment, both understory species rich- ness and diversity declined. Although aspen sprouting increased, aspen establishment declined and the rela- tive mass of woody to fine soil litter increased.
A prototype radiation oncology clinical information processing system on a personal computer (Network)

Abstract Software has been developed that facilitates prospective computer entry of the clinical contents of a radiation oncology chart in a way that assists in retrospective analyses. This software, which has been operational since 1988, now contains detailed clinical information on over 500 patients treated since that time, and limited information on over 3000 children treated since 1970. The system has been programmed using the FoxPro database management system, and may be run on an IBM® compatible or Macintosh® personal computer either alone or in a networked environment. Information is transcribed as routine patient dictations that require no extra personnel for entry. Standard printouts are the conventional notes compatible with the existing paper chart. Exportation of patient records is facilitated by means of built-in facsimile. The software has been designed to generate detailed reports automatically, including the statuses of selected patients or groups, lists of those who are behind in follow-up, and reports of specific events (e.g., mucositis) that occur before, during, or after therapy using free-text searches. Complete reconstruction of the patient's clinical radiation oncology chart is also included. Other abilities include calculation of Kaplan-Meier survival, relapse-free survival, and local control rates, statistical comparison between survival curves, and radiation dose-response. Exportation of data to statistical and graphics packages is also possible. For pediatric patients, a program to predict stature loss has been incorporated. Use of this system can enhance one's ability not only to follow patients but also to monitor and report their outcome continually. With the need to report institutional experiences and increasing demands to monitor quality assurance, such a system can be of great benefit.
Lifetime risk and duration of chronic disease and disability.

Objective: To estimate risk and duration of chronic conditions and disability for all older Americans and demographic subgroups. Method: Analysis of National Mortality Followback Survey data for survivors to age 65 to project lifetime risk and duration of selected conditions and examine their relationship with life expectancy and disability. Results: For women, Blacks, and non-Blacks, arthritis is most common and has the longest average duration, followed by diabetes and COPD. Among men, diabetes duration is longest, followed by COPD. Disability risk is elevated for all conditions studied, except heart attack. Those very overweight most of life and persons with dementia have the greatest disability risk and relatively long disability durations. Among women, those very overweight most of life can expect to die 3.1 years sooner and have above average disability duration. Discussion: Findings provide new information about the relative burden of common chronic diseases among all older Americans and major subg...
Software Robots and Trespass to Chattels: eBay v. Bidder's Edge

Abstract A traditional “brick and mortar” retailer will quickly fail if it does not provide enough sales- people to answer its customers' needs. If patrons must wait in endless lines to make purchases and cannot get sales help when they need it, they will simply go elsewhere the next time.
Prescriber Perceptions of a Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Program

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) can help improve antimicrobial use in hospitals and, therefore, reduce resistance. Our hospital implemented an ASP in 2004, with interventions based on Infectious Diseases Society of America recommendations. We aimed to assess the perceived effectiveness of ASP interventions on antimicrobial prescribing behavior by surveying hospital-based providers at a pediatric tertiary care center. We surveyed providers via an online survey utilizing questions with a Likert scale response format. Our ASP was perceived to be useful in improving antimicrobial use and was well received by prescribers. Hospitals considering creation of an ASP can anticipate that these interventions may affect prescribing behaviors in positive ways.
Regulation by Na+ and Ca2+ of renal epithelial Na+ channels reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers.

Purified bovine renal epithelial Na+ channels when reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers displayed a specific orientation when the membrane was clamped to -40 mV (cis-side) during incorporation. The trans-facing portion of the channel was extracellular (i.e., amiloride-sensitive), whereas the cis-facing side was intracellular (i.e., protein kinase A-sensitive). Single channels had a main state unitary conductance of 40 pS and displayed two subconductive states each of 12-13 pS, or one of 12-13 pS and the second of 24-26 pS. Elevation of the [Na+] gradient from the trans-side increased single-channel open probability (Po) only when the cis-side was bathed with a solution containing low [Na+] (< 30 mM) and 10-100 microM [Ca2+]. Under these conditions, Po saturated with increasing [Na+]trans. Buffering of the cis compartment [Ca2+] to nearly zero (< 1 nM) with 10 mM EGTA increased the initial level of channel activity (Po = 0.12 +/- 0.02 vs 0.02 +/- 0.01 in control), but markedly reduced the influence of both cis- and trans-[Na+] on Po. Elevating [Ca2+]cis at constant [Na+] resulted in inhibition of channel activity with an apparent [KiCa2+] of 10-100 microM. Protein kinase C-induced phosphorylation shifted the dependence of channel Po on [Ca2+]cis to 1-3 microM at stationary [Na+]. The direct modulation of single-channel Po by Na+ and Ca2+ demonstrates that the gating of amiloride-sensitive Na2+ channels is indeed dependent upon the specific ionic environment surrounding the channels.
Pulsed field ionization-photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation: the heat of formation of the C2H5+ ion

Pulsed field ionization photoelectron (PFI-PE) spectroscopy combined with ion coincidence detection has been used with multi-bunch synchrotron radiation at the Advance Light Source (ALS) to energy select ions and to measure their breakdown diagram. The resolution for ion state selection achieved with Ar+ (2P3/2,1/2) employing this PFI-PE-photoion coincidence apparatus is 0.6 meV (full width at half maximum). The production of C2H5+ from C2H5Br was investigated near the dissociative photoionization limit with this pulsed field ionization-threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence (PFI-PEPICO) scheme. Although the PFI-PE spectra of C2H5Br, C2H5I, and benzene show that the production of ions in the Franck–Condon gap regions is quite low, the selectivity for PFI-PE detection and the suppression of prompt electrons is such that we can detect 1 PFI-PE out of 25000 total electrons s−1. The derived C2H5+ heat of formation from the analysis of the C2H5Br+ breakdown diagram and a critical analysis of other results is 900.5±2.0 kJ mol−1 at 298 K, or 913.2±2.0 kJ mol−1 at 0 K. This leads to an ethylene proton affinity at 298 K of 682.0 kJ mol−1. The measured IE of C2H5Br is 10.307 eV.
MMPI-A for Peru: Adaptation and normalization

Even though the MMPI-A was developed for use with adolescents living in the United States, it is rapidly being adopted by mental health professionals in other countries. In order to sample its potential usefulness in Peru, the present instrumental study compares a Peruvian normative group of 348 adolescents to the standard MMPI- A Hispania U.S. normative sample. The instrument was administered under standardized conditions, the answer sheets were computer scored and the resulting protocols were screened for validity. Between the two samples, there was a high degree of similarity across the validity, clinical, supplementary and content scales. Most scales were within one-half a standard deviation of the U.S. Hispania mean and no scale elevations were clinically significant. The only elevations greater than one-half a standard deviation were found on scales K (Defensiveness), Pt (Psychasthenia) and Si (Social Introversion- Extroversion) for females only. For both males and females, small elevations were found on several other scales. This study would suggest that the adaptation of MMPI- A Hispania with the U.S. norms is appropriate for use in Peru.
Single axis relative rotation from orthogonal lines

We present an efficient algorithm that computes the relative pose between two calibrated views given that the rotation is around a single axis. The algorithm is suited for indoor and urban environments that have an abundance of orthogonal lines. We also present a framework in which this algorithm is used within a hypothesize-and-test framework to simultaneously detect orthogonal lines and compute the relative rotation without explicit structure computation. We study the performance of the algorithm using synthetic and real datasets.
Working With Older Adults: A Nurse Practitioner's Experience From a Humanbecoming Perspective

Although nurse practitioners use medical knowledge and skills for diagnosing and treating various diseases, the approach to care for their patients should be firmly grounded in nursing science from a nursing theoretical perspective. This column explicates a nurse practitioner's experiences working with community-dwelling older persons in a house-call program and using the theory of humanbecoming as a guide for practice. Three practice situations are described to illustrate the humanbecoming approach to nurse practitioner practice.
A 6 to 24 GHz continuously tunable, microfabricated, high-Q cavity resonator with electrostatic MEMS actuation

An all-silicon capacitive-post loaded cavity tunable resonator, continuously tunable from C to K frequency bands is presented for the first time. All parts of the resonator are fabricated using silicon microfabrication techniques. The presented device is tuned electrostatically from 6.1 to 24.4 GHz (4∶1 tuning range) with a measured unloaded quality factor (Q u ) from 300–1,000. The resonator includes an evanescent capacitive-post section with a thin film of low-loss dielectric (Parylene-N) as a spacer between the optically smooth, gold coated silicon post-top and single-crystal-silicon diaphragm to create sub-micrometer initial gaps. Consequently, the resonator achieves a capacitance density of 47 pF/mm2 at its lowest frequency. This is 5.6× higher than the state-of-the-art tunable filter designs. It is considered that precision and tight tolerances associated with the microfabrication techniques hold the key in achieving high-Q, widely tunable filters. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the widest tuning high-Q resonator presented today.
Best Practice in Earthquake Location Using Broadband Three-component Seismic Waveform Data

We present an earthquake location algorithm, the Broadband Waveform Regional Earthquake Location Program(BW RELP), which utilizes phase onset times and wave azimuths recorded by three-component broadband seismic stations and an adaptive migrating grid search algorithm to find the global minimum in an arbitrary normed misfit parameter. The performance ofBW RELPis demonstrated using regional (300-800 km distant) broadband recordings to locate events in the 1995 Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence. The purpose of this study is to introduce theBW_RELPalgorithm in detail and to expand on the previous paper by DREGERet al.(BSSA, 88, 1353-1362, 1998), using one Berkeley Digital Seismic Network (BDSN) station (YBH) and two USNSN stations (ELK and MNV) which span 300-800 km in distance and 55 degrees in azimuth, to further investigate the capability of a sparse broadband network of three-component stations at monitoring a region located outside of the network, as will be the case in the monitoring of the Comprehensive Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT) for low magnitude seismic events. We assess the capability of this sparse three-station broadband network and we compare locations estimated from phase onset time and wave azimuth measurements to a ground-truth catalog of high-quality earthquake locations derived from data recorded by the Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN). The results indicate that in the regional distance range it is possible, when an appropriate calibration event is available, to obtain absolute event locations to within 18 km as is prescribed by the CTBT.
A coupled-cluster study of linear and rhombic boron nitride dimers: a revisit

The potential energy surfaces of both singlet and triplet B2N2 have been investigated computationally at the coupled-cluster level with a polarized triple zeta basis set augmented with diffuse functions. Calculated vibrational frequencies and intensities are also reported. The triplet species are consistently more stable than their singlet analogs and the stabilities of the linear B2N2 isomers increase with increasing number of B–N bonds. The most stable isomer is the linear triplet BNBN isomer with a rhombic form with a short diagonal BB distance close in energy. Our results are consistent with the results of the matrix IR studies of Andrews et al. nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) values were calculated for the singlet D2h rhombic form and its C2v dication, and these were compared to those of the D2h cyclobutadiene and its D2d dication, respectively. Electron density plots for the linear and rhombic B2N2 minima showed similar distributions for the singlet and triplet states. These plots confirmed weak BB bonding interactions in both rhombic forms but larger BN bond orders.
A vehicle with no wheels

O'Brien & Opie's theory fails to address the issue of consciousness and introspection. They take for granted that once something is experienced, it can be commented on. But introspection requires neural structures that, according to their theory, have nothing to do with experience as such. That makes the tight coupling between the two in humans a mystery.
An Observational Study of the Role of Penetrating Cumulus in a Marine Stratocumulus-Topped Boundary Layer

Abstract Isolated cumuli penetrating through marine stratocumulus clouds were documented during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment. This paper aims at understanding the role of the penetrating cumulus in regulating stratocumulus and boundary-layer structure through analysis of data from the NCAR Electra aircraft. When penetrating cumulus clouds are present, the boundary layer is generally decoupled from the near-surface air except in the cumulus region. Therefore, air in the cumulus region includes air entrained at the cloud top, as well as air modified by surface processes. In the stratocumulus region, however, entrained inversion air and moist surface air are confined to separate layers. As a result, large horizontal variations are found in scalars, such as ozone and water vapor. Turbulence statistics and conditional sampling of entrainment events in the cumulus and stratocumulus regions indicate that stronger entrainment may occur at the cumulus top compared to the surrounding stratocumul...
Techniques of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography

Since its inception over 40 years ago endoscopic retrograde cholagiopancreatography (ERCP) has evolved from a purely diagnostic study to predominantly a therapeutic intervention. Therapeutic ERCP has supplanted surgery for many biliary and pancreatic disease processes. The success of ERCP relies on a specialized team of endoscopists, nurses, and technicians. Its mastery requires additional training in advanced endoscopy, continuing practice of the technique, and dedication to continuing education in ERCP as the technology rapidly evolves.
Osteoclasts: Potential Target for Blocking Microenvironmental Support of Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) bone disease is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality of MM patients due to pathological fractures. The MM cells interact with the cells of the bone microenvironment to both generate bone lesions as a result of enhanced induction of osteoclastogenesis and prevent reactive new bone formation to heal the lesions by repressing osteoblast activity. The MM stimulated osteoclasts (OCLs) not only generate bone lesions, but also interact with the myeloma cells to promote the proliferation and survival of the MM cells through the generation of interleukin-6 (IL-6), osteopontin, fibroblast activation protein, BAFF, APRIL, and annexin II. These MM-supportive OCL products present therapeutic opportunities. Further, the enhanced bone resorption by OCLs releases immobilized growth factors from the bone matrix that both support the MM cells and further stimulate OCL differentiation in a vicious cycle. Hence, targeting osteoclast activity may inhibit myeloma growth. Therefore, bisphosphonates have been investigated for their anti-tumor affects. The MM cells increase osteoclast activity both directly and by stimulation of microenvironmental production of RANKL, MIP-1α, TNF-α and interleukins IL-1b, IL-3 and IL-6. These are therefore also possible therapeutic targets to inhibit myeloma bone disease.