cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies On Decapod Crustacea From the Indian River Region of Florida. XVIII. Rediscovery of Periclimenes (Periclimenes) Pandionis Holthuis, 1951 (Caridea, Palaemonidae) With Notes On the Males and Zoeal Stages

[Cinq mâles et 21 femelles de Periclimenes pandionis Holthuis, 1951 (Palaemonidae) ont ete recueillis au large de Fort Pierce sur la cote centre-orientale de la Floride. L'espece n'etait connue jusqu'a present que par l'holotype provenant de Key West, Floride. Ce materiel additionnel a permis une description elargie, incluant les mâles adultes. Le premier et le second stades larvaires, obtenus en laboratoire, sont aussi decrits., Cinq mâles et 21 femelles de Periclimenes pandionis Holthuis, 1951 (Palaemonidae) ont ete recueillis au large de Fort Pierce sur la cote centre-orientale de la Floride. L'espece n'etait connue jusqu'a present que par l'holotype provenant de Key West, Floride. Ce materiel additionnel a permis une description elargie, incluant les mâles adultes. Le premier et le second stades larvaires, obtenus en laboratoire, sont aussi decrits.]
Purification of glycineamide ribonucleotide transformylase

Abstract Glycineamide ribonucleotide transformylase has been purified 240-fold from chicken liver along with formyl-methenyl-methylenetetrahydrofolate synthetase (combined), through seven purification steps including a glycineamide ribonucleotide affinity column and a 10-formyl synthetase specific MgATP elution from hydroxylapatite. The transformylase is a homodimer of M r 63,000 whereas the synthetase (combined) is composed of two identical subunits of M r 83,000. Transformylase has been isolated free of the synthetase (combined) by an additional anion exchange chromatographic step resulting in a net 400-fold purification.
LAMINAR FLOW HEAT TRANSFER WITH INLINE MIXERS INSERTS

Heat transfer coefficients were measured for heat transfer to a Newtonian fluid flowing in laminar flow through a tube with inline mixer inserts. Kenics “Static” mixer and Ross LPD mixer inserts were studied as heat transfer augmentation devices. The mixer inserts were in the inner tube of a concentric tube heat exchanger. Steam was condensed in the annulus of the exchanger. Significant heat transfer enhancement was obtained with both inserts at the expense of even greater pressure drop increases. The use of the Ross mixer insert gave greater augmentation than did the use of the kenics insert. An analysis using the analogy between momentum and heat transfer allowed the prediction of heat transfer coefficients from pressure drop measurements. The predicted coefficients were in good agreement with experimentally measured heat transfer coefficients for laminar flow.
Temperature change of the labia minora as an objective measure of female eroticism

Abstract A device was developed that allowed for the objective assessment of human female eroticism by continuously measuring temperature changes of the labia minora. During exposure to an erotic motion-picture, nine of ten adult female volunteers experienced increases of their labial temperature (ranging from about 0.10°C to 1.38°C), as measured by a sensitive thermistor-clip, that were significantly higher than during a non-erotic film. The labial temperature of the remaining subject decreased by a small amount during the film. No consistent changes were exhibited in a reference temperature measured from a position on the upper chest during either stimulus condition. Subjective levels of eroticism, obtained by self-report, were significantly correlated with labial temperature changes elicited by the stimuli.
Subthreshold Electron Damage in n-Type Germanium

The minimum energy at which intrinsic defects resulting from electron bombardment have been detected in $n$-type Ge at 78\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K is 360 keV. Defects referred to as subthreshold defects are produced at lower energies, but only in crystals grown in hydrogen. Heat treatment of such a crystal in either vacuum or hydrogen atmosphere at 450-500\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C for 24 h renders the crystal immune to subthreshold damage. This treatment does not change the electrical conductivity. Subthreshold defects have hole-trapping properties which render the measured carrier concentration highly sensitive to the intensity of the electron beam used for irradiation. The traps can be emptied completely by heating the samples at 140-280\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K without modifying the defects. They can be refilled by a short irradiation. There is no dependence of the subthreshold-damage production rate on crystal orientation. The defects have different electrical properties and annealing behavior from those of defects produced by higher-energy electrons, suggesting that they may not involve the vacancy or interstitial. The production of subthreshold damage appears to be zero below about 40 keV. Damage rates at 78\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K are larger than those at 273\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Crystals grown in deuterium exhibit little or no damage. It is concluded that subthreshold damage is caused by a relocation of hydrogen impurity in the lattice. The surprising isotopic effect is suggestive of an ionization mechanism for relocation. The dependence of damage production rate on bombardment energy is consistent with an ionization-induced process, except that it should have a "zero-energy" threshold. Possible explanations are given to account for the apparent 40-keV threshold.
Observational signatures of galactic winds powered by active galactic nuclei

We predict the observational signatures of galaxy scale outflows powered by active galactic nuclei (AGN). Most of the emission is produced by the forward shock driven into the ambient interstellar medium (ISM) rather than by the reverse shock. AGN powered galactic winds with energetics suggested by phenomenological feedback arguments should produce spatially extended 1-10 keV X-ray emission of 10^(41-44) erg/s, significantly in excess of the spatially extended X-ray emission associated with normal star forming galaxies. The presence of such emission is a direct test of whether AGN outflows significantly interact with the ISM of their host galaxy. We further show that even radio quiet quasars should have a radio luminosity comparable to or in excess of the far infrared-radio correlation of normal star forming galaxies. This radio emission directly constrains the total kinetic energy flux in AGN-powered galactic winds. Radio emission from AGN wind shocks can also explain the recently highlighted correlations between radio luminosity and the kinematics of AGN narrow-line regions in radio quiet quasars.
Zinc effects on nickel dermatitis in the guinea pig.

Prevention of NiSO4 induced allergic, contact dermatitis (ACD) using ZnSO4 in drinking water was studied in a guinca pig model Without ZnSO4 intervention, nickel (Ni)-exposure resulted in significantly higher (p<0.05) stimulation indices (SIs) as compared to non-exposed controls, using NiSO4 as an allergen in the lymphocyte transformation test (LTT). Oral intake of ZnSO4 at both 250 μg/ml double-distilled deionized water (DDD) and 500 μg/ml DDD resulted in lower SIs than those of control guinea pigs drinking only DDD: the 250 μg ZnSO4/ml group had significantly lower Sis than (p= 0.025) than controls. There was no significant correlation between intradermal test responses and the SI values of individual guinea pigs exposed to NiSo4 Mean Zinc (Zn) concentrations in skin and in whole blood were not statistically different between the NiSO4 exposed control and Zn supplemented groups, nor between Ni-sensitive and non-sensitive animals within groups. The role of Zn homeostasis role of the Langerhans cell, effect of Zn supplementation on Ni ACD in other species, and possible blocking effects of other metals should be investigated in future studies.
Racial and ethnic variation in unmarried young adults' motivation to avoid pregnancy

Context Racial and ethnic differences in unintended fertility are well documented, but mechanisms underlying these differences are poorly understood. To identify the factors that may contribute to such disparities, differences in distal characteristics theoretically linked to unintended fertility—such as the motivation to avoid a pregnancy—need to be identified. Methods Data on sexual and reproductive attitudes and behavior among a sample of 1,573 unmarried men and women aged 18–29 came from the 2009 National Survey of Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine two measures of motivation: one cognitive (perceived importance of avoiding pregnancy) and one affective (predicted feelings about experiencing an unplanned pregnancy). Results Seventy-seven percent of young adults reported that avoiding pregnancy is very important, and 34% would be very upset if they were to experience an unplanned pregnancy. In multivariate analyses, the cognitive measure of motivation was not associated with race and ethnicity. The affective measure, however, was: Foreign-born Hispanics would be less upset than whites, and blacks would be more upset than whites, if they were to experience an unplanned pregnancy (coefficients, –1.7 and 0.5, respectively). Conclusions Differences in motivation to avoid pregnancy—particularly in predicted emotional responses to an unplanned pregnancy—should be further investigated as a potential factor in Hispanics’ relatively high rates of unintended births. Future research should also examine connections between motivation to avoid pregnancy and reproductive behavior.
Prognostic Value of Posteromedial Cortex Deactivation in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background. Normal subjects deactivate specific brain regions, notably the posteromedial cortex (PMC), during many tasks. Recent cross-sectional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data suggests that deactivation during memory tasks is impaired in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The goal of this study was to prospectively determine the prognostic significance of PMC deactivation in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methodology/Principal Findings. 75 subjects (34 MCI, 13 AD subjects and 28 controls) underwent baseline fMRI scanning during encoding of novel and familiar face-name pairs. MCI subjects were followed longitudinally to determine conversion to AD. Regression and analysis of covariance models were used to assess the effect of PMC activation/deactivation on conversion to dementia as well as in the longitudinal change in dementia measures. At longitudinal follow up of up to 3.5 years (mean 2.560.79 years), 11 MCI subjects converted to AD. The proportion of deactivators was significantly different across all groups: controls (79%), MCI-Nonconverters (73%), MCI-converters (45%), and AD (23%) (p,0.05). Mean PMC activation magnitude parameter estimates, at baseline, were negative in the control (20.5760.12) and MCI-Nonconverter (20.3360.14) groups, and positive in the MCI-Converter (0.3760.40) and AD (0.9260.30) groups. The effect of diagnosis on PMC deactivation remained significant after adjusting for age, education and baseline MiniMental State Exam (p,0.05). Baseline PMC activation magnitude was correlated with change in dementia ratings from baseline. Conclusion. Loss of physiological functional deactivation in the PMC may have prognostic value in preclinical AD, and could aid in profiling subgroups of MCI subjects at greatest risk for progressive cognitive decline.
Nanoconfinement Revealed in Degradation and Relaxation Studies of Two Structurally Different Polystyrene−Clay Systems

Degradation and relaxation studies have been performed on two polystyrene (PS)−montmorillonite clay nanocomposites, one of which has an intercalated PS−clay structure and the other an exfoliated PS−clay brush structure. Compared to virgin PS, both nanostructured materials have demonstrated the following similarities: (a) a high yield of α-methylstyrene in the degradation products as measured by infrared spectroscopy; (b) larger values of the activation energy of the thermal degradation as determined by isoconversional kinetic analysis of thermogravimetric data; and (c) larger values of the activation energy for the glass transition as found from the frequency dependence of the glass transition temperature measured by multifrequency temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry. These effects are taken as structure independent manifestations of nanoconfinement of the PS chains in the PS−clay materials. Heat capacity measurements have been employed to evaluate the size of the cooperatively rearra...
Second-Order Spectral Statistics for the Power Gain of Wideband Wireless Channels

We derive closed-form expressions for the secondorder statistics of the power gain (as a function of frequency) of wideband microwave indoor channels. We obtain our results within a framework that is general enough to be compatible with several popular channel models, such as the Saleh-Valenzuela (SV) channel model and those proposed by the IEEE 802.15.3a and IEEE 802.15.4a task groups. As in all these models, our channel description is based upon clusters and rays with (possibly mixed) Poisson arrivals and random amplitudes. Our results consist of closed-form expressions for the second-order statistics of the channel power frequency response, where statistical averages involve expectations over ray amplitudes and arrival times. These expressions reveal that the autocovariance of the spectral power gain between any two frequencies decreases and tends to zero as the difference between these frequencies tends to infinity if and only if the cluster arrival rate goes to infinity. They also show that the variance-to-squared-mean ratio of the narrow-band power gain exhibits exactly the same behavior with respect to the center frequency. We then use these results to obtain closed-form expressions for the variance and the second-order moment of the aggregate channel power gain over any given interval of frequencies. This allows us to express the channel spectral diversity as a function of model parameters and bandwidth. In addition, we illustrate how these equations allow one to devise automatic cluster identification algorithms which, from empirical estimates of the second-order spectral statistics of the channel power gain, can confirm or deny the existence of clusters in a given scenario.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN MICROSOMES.

Abstract 1. 1. A comparative study of electron-trasporting components (cytochrome b 5 , flavin, “CO-binding pigment” and total heme) and activities (DPNH-cytochrome c reductase, DPNH-cytochrome b 5 reductase, TPNH-cytochrome c reductase, etc.) has been carried out on microsomes from various vertebrate and invertebrate sources. 2. 2. Microsomal electron-transporting components and activitites are found to be correlated with each other, the pattern of occurence in the microsomes being more characteristic of the organ than of the organism. The order of decreasing concentration and activity of the microsomes is: (by organ), liver, kidney, lung, intestinal mucosa (when functional), testes, adrenal glands, spleen, pancreas and muscle; (by organism), mammals, chicken, turtle, carp, frog, lobster. 3. 3. Of the various functions which have been proposed for cytochrome b 5 , this distribution is most consistent with involvement in steroid hydroxylation and related activities (such as drug metabolism). 4. 4. A previously unknown pigment of nucleated red blood cells (spectroscopically similar to lactoperoxidase) was observed.
Surface morphology, phase characterization, and stability of solution-deposited zirconia films

Deposition of zirconia films and multilayers from aqueous solution involves complexation of the precursor metal nitrate with a water soluble organic complexant. Following spin casting and associated water evaporation, an amorphous organic film is formed. Heat treatment initiates oxidation of the organic phase by nitrate, leaving behind a high index stoichiometric oxide film (n equals 2.01). Small grain sizes (approximately equals 50 nm) observed by AFM analysis stabilize the cubic and tetragonal crystalline phases of zirconia which are identified using XRD and Raman spectroscopy. Annealing above 700 degree(s)C causes recrystallization of these films to the monoclinic phase. A fluorescence method based upon introduction of a Sm+3 dopant into the film is shown to be a sensitive probe of the inherent crystalline phase and phase homogeneity and is used to evaluate crystalline phases in laser damaged coatings. These films exhibit visible damage areas upon irradiation at 532 nm with pulse energies in excess of 10 J/cm2. An increase in grain size accompanied by the presence of a disordered phase of zirconia is observed. Results are compared with damage regions induced in similarly irradiated PVD zirconia films.
The effects of alcohol history on the reinforcing, subjective and psychomotor effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers

The purpose of this study was to characterize the reinforcing, subjective and psychomotor effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers with different alcohol histories. Subjects were divided into two groups: light drinkers (n = 9) and moderate drinkers (n = 10). A choice procedure was used in which subjects first sampled placebo and a given concentration of nitrous oxide, and then chose between the two. Nitrous oxide concentration varied across the four-session experiment from 10-40%. Besides choice, subjective and psychomotor effects served as dependent measures. The majority of subjective effects of nitrous oxide, and its psychomotor-impairing effects, did not vary as a function of drinking group. However, a Wilcoxon rank sum test showed that the median number of times moderate drinkers chose nitrous oxide (three) was significantly higher than the median number of times light drinkers chose nitrous oxide (one). This study provides suggestive evidence that the reinforcing effects of nitrous oxide are modulated by alcohol history.
Increased Fall Rates in Nursing Home Residents After Relocation to a New Facility

OBJECTIVE: To examine the change in fall rates after relocation of nursing home residents from one facility to another and to identify resident risk factors for changes in falls following relocation. DESIGN: Retrospective review of incident reports to identify falls, followed by chart review of a longitudinal cohort. SETTING: An academic nursing home whose residents and programs moved from a 125- year-old, 233-bed facility to a newly constructed 255-bed facility. PATIENTS: A total of 210 nursing home residents were moved from one facility to the other. Of these, 133 individuals who lived in the old facility for 9 months before the move and in the new facility for 6 months after the move formed the longitudinal cohort. RESULTS: In the 3 months after the move, the fall rate increased from 0.34 to 0.70 falls per resident per quarter in the entire nursing home population (P < .001) and subsequently returned to baseline. In the longitudinal subgroup the fall rate went from 0.26 to 0.60 (P < .005). Fall-related injuries in the longitudinal subgroup went from 0.058 injuries per resident per quarter at baseline to 0.15 (P < .001). However, the injury rate per fall did not change. There were no characteristics associated with being a faller in the quarter before the move. Dementia and not being bedbound were associated with being a faller after the move. Individuals who were ambulatory or wheelchair mobile had a significant risk of increasing the number of falls after the move, and individuals with dementia had a strong but insignificant trend in this direction. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of falling doubled after relocation of nursing home residents to a new facility. An increase in falls was seen in individuals who were not bed-bound. Although nursing home relocation may be a relatively uncommon occurrence, it is reasonable to infer that older individuals who change their living environments are at increased risk for falls and fall-related injuries.
Relationships between burn size, immunosuppression, and macrophage hyperactivity in a murine model of thermal injury

Burn injury induces immune dysfunction and alters numerous physiological parameters. While clinical studies indicate that burn injury size profoundly impacts patient immune status, only limited experimental studies have systematically addressed its impact on immune functional parameters. In the present study, mice were subjected to burn injuries of varying sizes and splenic immune cells (splenocytes and macrophages) were isolated 7 days thereafter. Burn injury suppressed splenic T-cell proliferation in an injury size-dependent manner that correlated with the release of the immunosuppressive mediators PGE(2) and nitric oxide. In addition, a shift towards an immunosuppressive Th-2 cytokine profile and a hyperactive macrophage phenotype (increased release of inflammatory mediators) was observed post-injury, however, this effect was in part independent of burn size. Thus, unlike patient survival data, burn injury-induced changes in immune function do not necessarily correlate with the size of the injury.
Evaluation of Menus Planned in Mississippi Child-Care Centers Participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program

Abstract Objectives To collect information from licensed child-care centers in Mississippi on their foodservice operations relative to participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA); to collect information on who planned the menus; and to evaluate the energy and nutrient content of the planned menus relative to the suggested goal of one third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) and the recommendations made in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Design Survey questionnaire. Setting Licensed child-care centers in Mississippi Samples Ninety-two licensed child-care centers provided cycle menus for analysis. One hundred eighteen centers returned the questionnaire. Main outcome measures Content of the menus relative to the meal-pattern guidelines established for the Child and Adult Care Food Program; the energy and nutrient content of the menus relative to the RDAs and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Statistical analyses performed One-way analysis of variance and frequencies. Results Seventy-five percent of the centers reported participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. All but one of the centers planned menus that met the meal-pattern requirements established by the program, licensure, and Head Start Performance Standards . Results showed that following the established meal-pattern guidelines for the child nutrition programs may not guarantee consistent nutritional quality of planned menus in child-care centers. The mean amounts of energy and many nutrients were significantly lower ( P Applications Additional guidance is needed for menu planning in child-care centers to ensure compliance with the nutritional goal of meeting one third of the RDAs and Dietary Guidelines for Americans. J Am Diet Assoc. 1995; 95:765-768.
Cervical Myelopathy Secondary to Movement Disorders: Case Report

Involuntary cervical movements that result in cervical spondylosis and secondary myelopathy have not been adequately emphasized in the literature. We present two patients with cerebral palsy and long histories of involuntary movements who developed cervical myelopathy. We use these illustrative cases to emphasize that in the presence of underlying neurological symptoms and signs due to advanced cerebral palsy, any recent worsening should provoke a higher index of suspicion for myelopathy. The mechanics of neck movements and surgical treatment are discussed.
REU PACI---undergraduate student research experiences

The Education, Outreach, and Training Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure (EOT PACI) Program funded by the National Science Foundation, has launched a new Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) PACI Program. The REU PACI Program was awarded by the National Science Foundation in its Supplemental REU Program for the PACI programs: the National Computational Science Alliance (NCSA) and the National Partnership for Advanced Computational Infrastructure (NPACI). Through this program, undergraduate students will be working on projects which span research, development and education teams within the national PACI Program. The students will submit papers on their research experiences to the REU PACI Program Committee for selection of the panel at SC'98. Four of the best papers will be selected for discussion in this panel on how the PACI program has impacted the research opportunities for undergraduate students.The objective of the PACI REU program is to engage a diversified pool of talented undergraduate students in computational science research with PACI partners. A special emphasis of this program is to involve women, minorities and people with disabilities. Each student will be associated with a research group at one of the PACI institutions, which span the US. These research groups are involved in leading-edge research in fields of science (biology, chemical engineering, cosmology, etc.) and enabling technologies (visualization, next-generation networks, computer science, etc.) or education. Undergraduates at the various institutions will interact with the rest of the team members who are working on their project at other major institutions. Through the team interactions, students have a larger peer group of colleagues at the same stage of development and will experience modern interdisciplinary research directly. As one of the team-building experiences, many of these students are participating in Supercomputing '98. More information on the REU program can be found at: http://www.krellinst.org/neot/reu/.
Developing Learning Objectives for Accounting Ethics Using Bloom's Taxonomy

The purpose of our article is to offer a set of core knowledge learning objectives for accounting ethics education. Using Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives, we develop learning objectives in six content areas: codes of ethical conduct, corporate governance, the accounting profession, moral development, classical ethics theories, and decision models. We believe that defining core knowledge is important for two reasons. First, many accounting educators continue to debate whether ethics can be taught, apparently unaware that a common body of ethics knowledge exists. This knowledge needs to be imparted before higher-level classroom discussions can ensue. Second, we believe agreement on learning objectives is necessary for the development of meaningful assessment tools. Students should be able to demonstrate ethics knowledge, and accounting educators should be held accountable for whether or not students are learning.
Averting expenditure and the cost of pollution

The paper considers the relationship between the willingness to pay for environmental quality and averting expenditures-that is, the costs of measures undertaken in efforts to counteract the consequences of pollution. The models used assume perfect mobility among locations with different levels of environmental quality. The major results are: (I) Averting expenditures are not in general a good measure of willingness to pay; (2) averting expenditures are not always even a lower bound on willingness to pay; (3) even when averting expenditures are a lower bound, the difference between the level of such expenditures and willingness to pay carmot be attributed to the unavertible “aesthetic” consequences of pollution. For almost every kind of environmental unpleasantness we face, there are averting expenditures we can make to reduce, and sometimes completely remove, the damage. For air pollution, house paint, air conditioners, soap; for water pollution, wells, bottled water, purifiers; for noise pollution, storm windows, thicker walls. Economists have long been aware that averting behavior is both possible and practiced, and they have often suggested that expenditures on such behavior can be used as a measure of the costs imposed on society by various forms of pollution. The literature on this subject is difficult to characterize, but to the extent that a consensus has been reached, it is that averting expenditures provide a lower bound estimate of the total costs imposed by pollution, and the divergence between averting expenditures and the total costs of pollution arises from the fact that some consequences of pollution (e.g., the simple unpleasantness of breathing dirty air) cannot be averted.2, 3 In this note we develop two simple models of the response of utility maximizing consumers to small changes in the level of pollution which they face. In the first model, we assume that environmental quality is desired solely because it reduces the need for averting expenditure; we show that: (1) the level of averting expenditure may be either a lower bound or an upper bound estimate of the consumer’s
Implications of Climate Change for Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy), a Disease Vector of Citrus in Florida

Increasing temperatures, elevated CO2 levels, and changes in rainfall patterns are predicted to impact plants and insects, both harmful and beneficial. Toxoptera citricida Kirkaldy (Homoptera: Aphididae), commonly known as the brown citrus aphid (BrCA), is a cosmopolitan pest of citrus and a highly efficient vector of citrus tristeza virus (CTV). Both the pest and the disease pose a serious threat to citrus production in Florida. Temperature is the most important abiotic factor impacting the biology of BrCA and the growth of new citrus shoots on which the aphid depends for development and reproduction. Climate in most parts of the state is humid subtropical, characterized by mild to cool, relatively dry winters and autumns and hot, wet springs and summers. Cool winters, freezes and hot summers limit the aphid’s ability to survive and reproduce, leaving spring as the optimal season for population growth. Mature citrus trees go through a period of winter dormancy followed by a surge of growth in spring and periods of sporadic growth in summer and fall. Any significant rise in average winter temperatures will reduce the severity and duration of cool winter weather and may trigger earlier shoot growth by citrus trees. This would improve aphid survival in winter, provide a food bridge between fall and spring populations, and possibly lead to earlier recruitment of natural enemies, particularly predators. Summers, on the other hand, if warmer and more prolonged would probably be less tolerable for the BrCA and its natural enemies. However, adaptation to environmental change is possible and low aphid populations are observed in the field at temperatures above the upper threshold for development determined under laboratory conditions. The negative impact of rising temperatures on BrCA populations may be more pronounced in the south than elsewhere due to the relatively higher temperatures there, with more beneficial effects evident in the north.
Ultra Low Power CMOS PLL Clock Synthesizer for Wireless Sensor Nodes

This paper describes the design of an ultra low power CMOS PLL clock synthesizer targeting wireless sensor applications that require low minimum power dissipation. Based on integer-N architecture, the PLL clock synthesizer produces a 100 kHz output signal from a reference input signal generated using an on-chip crystal oscillator operating at 32.768 kHz. Fabricated in a 0.6-mum N-well CMOS process technology, the PLL achieves a power consumption of 20 muW with a frequency accuracy of plusmn13 Hz.
Particulate matter air quality assessment using integrated surface, satellite, and meteorological products: Multiple regression approach

[1] Monitoring particulate matter air quality from spaceborne measurements is largely confined to relating columnar satellite retrievals of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) with ground measurements of PM2.5 mass concentration. However, vertical distribution of aerosols and meteorological effects such as wind speed, temperature, and humidity also play a major role in this AOT-PM2.5 relationship. In this study, using 3 years of coincident hourly PM2.5 mass concentration (PM2.5 or PM2.5), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer–derived AOT, and rapid update cycle meteorological fields, we developed multiple regression equations as function of season for 85 P.M2.5 monitors over the southeastern United States. Our goal is to examine whether the use of meteorological fields will improve the relationship between PM2.5 and AOT. Our results indicate that there is up to threefold improvement in the correlation coefficients while using meteorological information through multiple regression methods compared to two variant regression (AOT versus PM2.5) equations. A 20–50% improvement in root-mean-square error is observed when adding temperature and boundary layer height to the AOT-PM2.5 relationship. The best agreement between AOT and PM2.5 was found during summer and in well-mixed boundary layer regimes. Since boundary layer heights are readily available from model simulations over the United States, they can be used as a good surrogate for estimating aerosol heights in conjunction with space- and ground-based lidars. These results and analysis are useful to research and operational communities that seek to improve the use of satellite information for assessing surface PM2.5.
A low-cost bipolar pulse generator for high-frequency ultrasound applications

A design of a low-cost bipolar pulse generator for high-frequency (HF) ultrasound applications is presented. The pulse generator can produce N cycle (1-255 cycles) bipolar pulses with center frequency over 60 MHz. The measured pulse amplitude was over 160 Vpp, and the pulse ringing was less than 0.3 Vpp (i.e., signal-to-ring ratio is 55 dB). The pulser can be used in high-frequency ultrasound Doppler and B-mode imaging applications with arrays
The G4's Role in the Evolution of the International Accounting Standard Setting Process and Partnership with the IASB

Abstract Between 1992 and 2001, representatives of the G4 national accounting standard setting bodies and the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) participated in a working group known as the G4+1. Immediately following the formation of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), the G4 announced that the working group would no longer meet. Alternatively, the G4 national standard setters would form a partnership with the IASB via liaison representatives. This paper focuses on the objectives and mission of the G4 + 1, the G4's relationship with the IASC, the impact of the G4 on the restructuring of the IASC to establish a quality independent global accounting standard setter, former G4 participants’ perceptions of the IASB, and the significance of the IASB's current partnership with the G4 national accounting standard setters. The paper additionally discusses recent changes to the IASC Foundation Constitution and considers now modifications to the liaison structure may impact the IASB's partnership with its G4 national standard setting partners. Portions of a monograph published by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales entitled Inside G4 + 1: The Working Group's Role in the Evolution of the International Accounting Standard Setting Process provide the background for the paper.
The Structure of the Upper Mantle under the United States from the Dispersion of Rayleigh Waves

Summary Seismograms from vertical-component, long-period instruments of the World-Wide Standard Seismographic Network (WWSSN) within the United States have been analysed to determine the dispersion of Rayleigh waves by the two-station method. Phase velocities from fundamental mode Rayleigh waves over the period range 20–250s have been obtained to study the structure of the upper mantle of the continent. The phase velocities show systematic variations in specific sub-regions of the United States. The phase velocities observed along five representative paths have been inverted into sub-surface structural cross-sections by the Hedgehog method. The results of the inversion indicate that there are significant regional variations in S-wave velocities, particularly from the Moho down to about 400km. We make no statement about lateral variations in structure at greater depths. The aseismic south-central part of the continent and the tectonically active western Cordillera are characterized by a well-developed low-velocity channel for S waves in the upper mantle. The north-central United States has dispersion data which are consistent with structures which either have a low velocity channel of marginal properties or no low velocity channel at all; if a channel is present for this region, the velocity contrast with the layers of the mantle above and below it is very small.
Food Irradiation: A Public Health Challenge for the 21st Century

Although the United States food supply is generally considered one of the safest in the world, foodborne illnesses remain a concern. Each year, millions of Americans become ill and as many as 5000 die from foodborne infections. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that medical treatment and productivity losses associated with foodborne illnesses cost as much as $37 billion annually. Irradiation, which involves exposing food briefly to radiant energy, can reduce or eliminate microorganisms that contaminate food or cause spoilage. So far, only limited quantities of irradiated foods--spices, herbs, dry vegetable seasonings, and some fresh fruits, vegetables, and poultry--have been available in the United States. Major purchasers are health care and food service establishments. The World Health Organization reviewed 500 studies and concluded that food irradiation poses no toxicological, microbiological, or nutritional problems. In more than 40 years, there have been no accidents in North America involving transport of the types of radioactive isotopes used for irradiation.
Exact optimization for Markov random fields with convex priors

We introduce a method to solve exactly a first order Markov random field optimization problem in more generality than was previously possible. The MRF has a prior term that is convex in terms of a linearly ordered label set. The method maps the problem into a minimum-cut problem for a directed graph, for which a globally optimal solution can be found in polynomial time. The convexity of the prior function in the energy is shown to be necessary and sufficient for the applicability of the method.
Molecular biology of kappa and delta opioid receptors

The endogenous opioids, enkephalin and dynorphin induce their biological actions by interacting with delta and kappa receptors. To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which these peptides induce their physiological effects, we have cloned the kappa and delta opioid receptors from a mouse brain cDNA library. The kappa and delta receptors are 380 and 372 amino acids, respectively, and are 61% identical and 71% similar (1). They have relatively little similarity in amino acid sequence with any other receptors except somatostatin receptors. We have analyzed the pharmacological specificities of these receptors following their transient expression in COS cells or in PC12 and CHO cells stably expressing the individual receptors
CDK1 Regulates Mediator of DNA Damage Checkpoint 1 during Mitotic DNA Damage

Cells engage sophisticated programs of DNA damage response (DDR) and repair to guard against genetic mutations. While there is significant knowledge concerning DDR in interphase cells, much less is known about these processes in mitosis. Direct interaction between MDC1, a master DDR organizer, and a marker of DNA damage, histone γH2AX, is required to trigger robust repair. Here we show that the DNA damage-induced interaction between MDC1 and γH2AX is attenuated in mitosis. Furthermore, inhibition in the activity of the core mitotic regulator CDK1, either by pharmacological inhibition or siRNA attenuation, enhances MDC1-γH2AX colocalization in mitosis. Our findings offer key new insights into how DDR is controlled during mitosis.
A novel statistical method for quantitative comparison of multiple ChIP-seq datasets

Motivation: ChIP-seq is a powerful technology to measure the protein binding or histone modification strength in the whole genome scale. Although there are a number of methods available for single ChIP-seq data analysis (e.g. ‘peak detection’), rigorous statistical method for quantitative comparison of multiple ChIP-seq datasets with the considerations of data from control experiment, signal to noise ratios, biological variations and multiple-factor experimental designs is under-developed. Results: In this work, we develop a statistical method to perform quantitative comparison of multiple ChIP-seq datasets and detect genomic regions showing differential protein binding or histone modification. We first detect peaks from all datasets and then union them to form a single set of candidate regions. The read counts from IP experiment at the candidate regions are assumed to follow Poisson distribution. The underlying Poisson rates are modeled as an experiment-specific function of artifacts and biological signals. We then obtain the estimated biological signals and compare them through the hypothesis testing procedure in a linear model framework. Simulations and real data analyses demonstrate that the proposed method provides more accurate and robust results compared with existing ones. Availability and implementation: An R software package ChIPComp is freely available at http://web1.sph.emory.edu/users/hwu30/software/ChIPComp.html. Contact: ude.yrome@uw.oah Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Employment of a needs assessment survey to shape a novel web-based pediatric rheumatology curriculum for primary care providers.

Background Pediatric rheumatology faces many challenges due to the shortage of board certified physicians in the field and the imbalance in their geographic distribution. This shortage has required primary care physicians and adult rheumatologists to assume the care of children with rheumatologic diseases, though these physicians report significant discomfort doing so. We are addressing this issue through the development of a novel web-based curriculum aimed at primary care physicians.
Decision making in fuzzy discrete event systems

The primary goal of the study presented in this paper is to develop a novel and comprehensive approach to decision making using fuzzy discrete event systems (FDES) and to apply such an approach to real-world problems. At the theoretical front, we develop a new control architecture of FDES as a way of decision making, which includes a FDES decision model, a fuzzy objective generator for generating optimal control objectives, and a control scheme using both disablement and enforcement. We develop an online approach to dealing with the optimal control problem efficiently. As an application, we apply the approach to HIV/AIDS treatment planning, a technical challenge since AIDS is one of the most complex diseases to treat. We build a FDES decision model for HIV/AIDS treatment based on expert's knowledge, treatment guidelines, clinic trials, patient database statistics, and other available information. Our preliminary retrospective evaluation shows that the approach is capable of generating optimal control objectives for real patients in our AIDS clinic database and is able to apply our online approach to deciding an optimal treatment regimen for each patient. In the process, we have developed methods to resolve the following two new theoretical issues that have not been addressed in the literature: (1) the optimal control problem has state dependent performance index and hence it is not monotonic, (2) the state space of a FDES is infinite.
Cardiovascular effects of atropine in postoperative cardiac patients receiving digoxin for ventricular dysfunction

Digoxin is clinically useful as a cardiac antiarrhythmic and inotropic agent. Its antiarrhythmic actions are mediated through the cholinergic nervous system. The cholinergic system, when activated, can depress ventricular function. We have sought to further increase the cardiovascular effects of digoxin by blocking its cholinergic effects with atropine. Atropine, 1 mg intravenously, was given to 10 postoperative cardiac patients. The cardiovascular time course was monitored by an ECG, radial arterial line, and pulmonary artery thermodilution catheter for 8 hours. A significant increase (p < 0.05) in the cardiac output (CO), from 5.98 ± 0.24 L/min to 6.60 ± 0.34 L/min, was evident within 2 hours after atropine administration. The CO returned to control levels by 6 hours. There were no significant changes in heart rate, systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary artery wedge pressure, or systemic blood pressure. The results indicate that the cholinergic blockade of digoxin with atropine will acutely increase the cardiac output in postoperative cardiac patients.
Transglutaminase 2–Mediated Activation of β-Catenin Signaling Has a Critical Role in Warfarin-Induced Vascular Calcification

Objective— Accumulating experimental evidence implicates β-catenin signaling and enzyme transglutaminase 2 (TG2) in the progression of vascular calcification, and our previous studies have shown that TG2 can activate β-catenin signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Here we investigated the role of the TG2/β-catenin signaling axis in vascular calcification induced by warfarin. Methods and Results— Warfarin-induced calcification in rat A10 VSMCs is associated with the activation of β-catenin signaling and is independent of oxidative stress. The canonical β-catenin inhibitor Dkk1, but not the Wnt antagonist Wif-1, prevents warfarin-induced activation of β-catenin, calcification, and osteogenic transdifferentiation in VSMCs. TG2 expression and activity are increased in warfarin-treated cells, in contrast to canonical Wnt ligands. Vascular cells with genetically or pharmacologically reduced TG2 activity fail to activate β-catenin in response to warfarin. Moreover, warfarin-induced calcification is significantly reduced on the background of attenuated TG2 both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion— TG2 is a critical mediator of warfarin-induced vascular calcification that acts through the activation of β-catenin signaling in VSMCs. Inhibition of canonical β-catenin pathway or TG2 activity prevents warfarin-regulated calcification, identifying the TG2/β-catenin axis as a novel therapeutic target in vascular calcification.
Reconstruction of cone-beam projections from Compton scattered data

The problem of reconstructing a 3D source distribution from Compton scattered data can be separated into two tasks. First, the angular distribution of line projections at different observation points within the detector volume are reconstructed. Then, reconstruction techniques are applied to the resulting cone-beam projections to synthesize the 3D source distribution. This paper describes an analytic solution for the first, yet unsolved, task. Building on the convolution theorem in spherical coordinates, a back-projection and inverse filtering technique in terms of spherical harmonics is formulated, The rotation invariance of the point response of the back-projection in spherical coordinates is proved; and the corresponding inverse filter function is derived. The resulting filtered back-projection algorithm then consists of a summation over all detected events of fixed and known event response functions. Measurement errors, which for Compton scatter detectors are typically different for each detected event, can easily be accounted for in the proposed algorithm. The computational cost of the algorithm is O(NT/sup 2/), where N is the number of detected events and /spl pi//T is the desired angular resolution.
Distribution System Leak Detection and Control

In an article in the Journal of the American Water Works Association in 1979, the author presented a model which made it possible to determine whether a water conservation policy is desirable or undesirable. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the usefulness of this model by a concrete application; namely, the evaluation of waste control policies for a large urban water system.