cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A second-order temperature compensated 1μW/MHz 100MHz RC oscillator with ±140ppm inaccuracy from -40°C to 95°C

On-chip RC-based frequency references are increasingly being used to generate device clocks. They consume lower power, occupy a small area, and do not require costly off-chip components. However, poor frequency accuracy resulting from their non-linear temperature sensitivity has limited their usage to systems that can tolerate large frequency inaccuracy (~1%). Several efforts are underway to reduce the inaccuracy and extend their use to real-time clock sources that mandate a more stringent inaccuracy (±250ppm). Among the reported schemes, those based on 2-point digital trim methods described in [1] and [2] are most effective in achieving excellent power efficiency (1μW/MHz in [1] at ±530ppm inaccuracy) or small frequency inaccuracy (±400ppm in [2] at 25μW/MHz). However, uncompensated higher-order temperature coefficient (TC) prevents reducing their inaccuracy further. Also, [1] requires resistors with opposing TCs, which may not be available in all processes. Higher-order compensation schemes based on finely-tuned analog networks [3] or correction polynomials [4] can alleviate some of these drawbacks, but they are susceptible to circuit-level imperfections [3] or exhibit poor power efficiency (100μW/MHz) [4]. This paper presents techniques to reduce the TC nonlinearity and proposes methods for performing first- and second-order compensation. The 100MHz RC oscillator prototype achieves an inaccuracy of ±140ppm (2.1ppm/°C) with a power efficiency of 1μW/MHz.
Pseudotumor cerebri

Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a syndrome of increased intracranial pressure without hydrocephalus or mass lesion and with normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition. Although often considered to be “idiopathic,” detailed investigation has revealed a high incidence of venous outflow abnormalities in PTC syndrome patients. The thought that elevated intracranial venous sinus pressure is a “universal mechanism” for PTC syndrome of varying etiologies has been called into question by a study indicating that the increased venous pressure in idiopathic PTC patients is caused by the elevated intracranial pressure and not the reverse, suggesting that “the chicken is the CSF pressure elevation and the egg is the venous sinus pressure elevation.” Vitamin A toxicity may play a role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic PTC. The treatment of PTC has two major goals: the alleviation of symptoms and preservation of visual function. When medical therapy fails or when visual dysfunction deteriorates, surgical therapies for PTC should be considered. The two main procedures performed include lumboperitoneal shunt and optic nerve sheath fenestration. Because of the association of PTC with venous sinus hypertension, some authors are considering venous sinus stenting for refractory cases of PTC. It is still unclear if primary treatment of the observed venous stenosis benefits patients with idiopathic PTC. This should be no surprise, as it is not certain whether the stenoses are the cause or the result of idiopathic PTC.
Tumor suppressor gene penetrance determined by early life environmental exposure

4175 Inheritance of a tumor suppressor gene defect confers a high relative risk for cancer development; however, these susceptibility genes are rarely 100% penetrant. Gene-environment interactions are thought to contribute to individual differences in penetrance by facilitating or inhibiting acquisition of the subsequent somatic mutations required for tumorigenesis. For disorders such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, a developmental programming hypothesis exists which proposes that as an alternative to contributing to somatic mutations, environmental exposures during fetal development alter normal adult physiological responses to increase risk for disease development later in life. We investigated whether developmental programming resulting from an environmental exposure could reprogram target cells to influence tumor suppressor gene penetrance in genetically susceptible individuals. Rats carrying a genetic defect in the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (Tsc-2) tumor suppressor gene that spontaneously develop uterine leiomyoma were exposed to the xenoestrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) on neonatal days 3-5, an important period of reproductive tract development. In carrier animals (Tsc-2Ek/+), developmental DES exposure increased tumor penetrance from 64% to 92% (p
Speech and Video Processing for Homeland Security

Advances in automated processing of spoken language and video promise new capabilities and methods to enhance homeland security. This article summarizes the challenges posed by searching conversational speech and large-scale video collections. We conclude by outlining some promising opportunities for future research and the potential benefits that could be derived to enhance homeland security. Keywords: speech processing; video processing; understanding; object identification; object tracking; event detection
Paramesonephric mucinous cysts of the vulva

Abstract Three new cases of mucinous cysts of the vulva are reported. Characteristically, they are located in the superior portion of the labium minus of multiparous women. They are subject to trauma by virtue of their location and often produce discomfort and postcoital pain. The epithelial lining is distinctive. A simple layer of tall columnar cells has basally placed nuclei and cytoplasm containing abundant mucin. Papillary infoldings of the wall, focal subcolumnar reserve cell hyperplasia and squamous prosoplasia, and epithelial cilia are often present. The marked resemblance to the mucosa of the uterine endocervix suggests that these cysts are of paramesonephric (Mullerian) origin. The possible factors related to histogenesis include the effects of progestational hormones on developmentally displaced epithelium. These cysts are uncommon but should be distinguished from mesonephric duct cysts and other cystic lesions of the vulva.
In vivo bicarbonate secretion by human esophagus

The capacity of the human esophagus to secrete bicarbonate was studied in vivo in 10 healthy subjects. A 10-cm segment of the lower esophagus was isolated between two balloons, and the segment was perfused with an unbuffered isotonic saline solution (pH 7) for 30 minutes. The perfusate was collected, pooled, and analyzed for bicarbonate using a sensitive back-titration method. Measurements of aspirate amylase and salivary amylase and bicarbonate permitted correction of perfusate bicarbonate values for contamination by swallowed saliva. The esophagus of all 10 subjects were found to secrete bicarbonate in amounts ranging from 10 to 274 microEq/30 min (average, 78 microEq/30 min); based on in vitro studies, these amounts of bicarbonate were shown to be capable of neutralizing enough residual acid from an episode of reflux to increase pH from 2.5 almost to neutrality (pH 6-7). These findings document the presence within the human esophagus of an additional mechanism for defense against (acid) reflux damage, namely, through enhanced luminal acid clearance by the secretion of bicarbonate ions.
Novel Method for Combined Tension and Shear Loading of Thin-Walled Tubes

Two simple experiments for probing the plastic response of thin-walled tubes under pure hoop tension and combined tension and shear are described. They both use ring-like specimens with test-sections machined on them. The specimens are placed over two D-shaped mandrels that are parted in a universal testing machine. The first experiment is the Ring Hoop Tension Test, which can be used to obtain the uniaxial hoop response of the tube. The second is the recently proposed Ring Plane-Strain Tension experiment, which can impose stress-states with an arbitrary combination of tension and shear. It is shown that the results of these experiments can be used to probe the yield locus of the tube material and calibrate suitable anisotropic yield functions. The experiments are proposed as complementary to the established tension-internal pressure loading of thin-walled tubes, but can also be used independently, in the absence of the specialized equipment that the latter experiment requires.
Dependence of Retinogeniculate Transmission on Membrane Voltage in the Cat.

The mammalian lateral geniculate nucleus seems organized to gate or control the gain of retino-geniculate transmission, the result of which is then relayed to the visual cortex. We have performed in vivo intracellular studies of retinogeniculate transmission along these retino-geniculo-cortical pathways in cats by recording the retinally evoked excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) in geniculate neurons. In cats, these pathways are organized into two parallel and functionally distinct channels, the X and Y pathways. We found that nearly all geniculate X cells display a fairly conventional voltage dependency for their retinally evoked EPSPs, because the amplitudes of these EPSPs decrease fairly linearly with membrane depolarization as the EPSP reversal potential is approached. Rare X cells and all Y cells, however, show an unconventional response: over a wide range of membrane potentials, their EPSP amplitudes increase with membrane depolarization. This increase does not result from alterations in neuronal input resistance and instead seems due to changes in synaptic conductance. The underlying cause of this voltage dependency remains to be determined. None the less, it does afford an interesting means by which retinogeniculate transmission can be gated, since non-retinal inputs (e.g. corticogeniculate axons) that can control a relay Y cell's membrane potential can also modulate the cell's EPSP amplitude.
An analysis of prey-searching behavior in the western diamondback rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox

Prey-searching behavior in a seminatural arena was observed in adult western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox). Adult house mice were used as prey items and their position in the arena was controlled. Rattlesnakes receiving visual or thermal cues from the mice responded with a depressed tongue-flick rate (TFR) but following the prey's disappearance they showed an elevated TFR. These snakes alternated to a chemosensory mode of prey detection in response to cues other than the prey strike sequence. Rattlesnakes may maintain a flexibility in their predatory behavior in nature greater than that which has been indicated in previous studies.
Effects of hydrogen bond formation on vibrations of pyridine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, and pyridazine

Abstract Vibrational frequency shifts of pyridine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, and pyridazine have been studied in several hydrogen donor solvents, H2O, D2O, CH3OH, C2H5OH, and CHCl3. Shifts to higher frequencies of almost all the vibrations of these molecules have been observed. In particular, new bands, which clearly arise from hydrogen bonded species, have been detected for skeletal vibrations, ν1, ν6a, and ν8a (nomenclature after Lord et al.), in pyridine and pyrimidine. From the shifts to higher frequencies, it is concluded that considerable changes of electron distribution which strengthen the chemical bonds in these molecules take place when they participate in hydrogen bonds.
Colorful virus-like particles: fluorescent protein packaging by the Qβ capsid.

Qβ virus-like particles encapsulating multiple copies of fluorescent proteins were generated in high yields using a modular system enhanced by specific engineered RNA–protein interactions. The resulting particles were structurally indistinguishable from recombinant Qβ alone. The encapsidated proteins were nearly identical in photochemical properties to monomeric analogues, were more stable toward thermal degradation, and were protected from proteolytic cleavage. Residues on the outer capsid surface were chemically derivatized by acylation and azide–alkyne cycloaddition without affecting the fluorescence properties of the packaged proteins. A high-affinity carbohydrate-based ligand of the CD22 receptor was thereby attached, and specific cell labeling by the particles was successfully detected by flow cytometry and confocal laser microscopy.
Robust invertibility of switched linear systems

In this paper, we address the effects of uncertainties in output measurements and initial conditions on invertibility of the switched systems - the problem concerned with the recovery of the input and the switching signal using the output and the initial state. By computing the reachable sets and maximal error in the propagation of state trajectories through the inverse system, we derive conditions under which it is possible to recover the exact switching signal over a certain time interval, provided the uncertainties are bounded in some sense. In addition, we discuss separately the case where each subsystem is minimum phase and it is possible to recover the exact switching signal globally in time. The input, though, is recoverable only up to a neighborhood of the original input.
Effects of Internal and External Focus of Attention on Novices’ Rehearsal Evaluations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of internal and external focus of attention on novices’ rehearsal evaluations. Thirty-two undergraduate instrumental music education students led bands in a series of three 6-minute rehearsals on their assigned excerpt. Prior to these rehearsals, participants were led in score study and rehearsal preparation activities. Internal group (n = 16) participants’ preparation related to knowledge of the score, whereas external group (n = 16) participants focused their preparations on observable rehearsal behaviors with a minimal amount of time devoted to score study. No significant differences were found between conditions for any of several dependent measures, including participants’ self-evaluation of their teaching, participants’ evaluation of ensemble performance, ensemble members’ evaluations of conductor rehearsal effectiveness and of conductor score knowledge, and independent audio evaluation of the final ensemble performance run-through. Results of...
The course of the blood pressure before, during, and after coronary occlusion

Abstract The course of the blood pressure before, during, and after the attack has been analyzed in five hundred thirty-eight cases of coronary occlusion. The incidence of hypertension increased with age. The blood pressure fell to some extent in every case, although in a few cases the fall was slight. A transitory rise in pressure occurred infrequently at the onset of the attack. A rapid fall was somewhat more common than a gradual one. Occasionally the fall did not occur until after a week. The lowest pressure was usually reached between the twelfth and twentieth days. In some cases the initial fall was soon followed by a temporary or permanent rise in pressure. The trend of the blood pressure was similar in the hypertensive and nonhypertensive groups, although a rapid fall was more common among the nonhypertensive patients who died. The systolic blood pressure rarely fell below 90 mm. in the hypertensive group, but this was common in the nonhypertensive group. When the pressure fell below 80 the patient usually died. In almost one-fifth of patients with a previous pressure of 200 mm. or more the pressure did not fall below 150 mm. Two-thirds of the hypertensive patients regained a hypertensive level; in half of these this took place before discharge from the hospital, and, in the remaining half, usually within one or two years. The height of the blood pressure after the attack did not significantly influence the future course of the patient with respect to subsequent angina pectoris, heart failure, coronary occlusion, or death.
Tooth enamel hypoplasia in PHACE syndrome.

Individuals with PHACE syndrome (posterior fossa malformations, hemangiomas, arterial anomalies, cardiac defects, eye abnormalities, sternal cleft, and supraumbilical raphe syndrome) have reported dental abnormalities to their healthcare providers and in online forums, but dental involvement has not been comprehensively studied. A study was conducted at the third PHACE Family Conference, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July 2012. A pediatric dentist examined subjects at enrollment. Eighteen subjects were enrolled. The median age was 4.2 years (range 9 mos-9 yrs; 14 girls, 4 boys). Eleven of 18 patients had intraoral hemangiomas and five of these (50%) had hypomature enamel hypoplasia. None of the seven patients without intraoral hemangiomas had enamel hypoplasia. No other dental abnormalities were seen. Enamel hypoplasia may be a feature of PHACE syndrome when an intraoral hemangioma is present. Enamel hypoplasia increases the risk of caries, and clinicians should refer children with PHACE syndrome to a pediatric dentist by 1 year of age.
Coherent Dynamics of a Single Spin Interacting with an Adjustable Spin Bath

Phase coherence is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics. Understanding the loss of coherence is paramount for future quantum information processing. We studied the coherent dynamics of a single central spin (a nitrogen-vacancy center) coupled to a bath of spins (nitrogen impurities) in diamond. Our experiments show that both the internal interactions of the bath and the coupling between the central spin and the bath can be tuned in situ, allowing access to regimes with surprisingly different behavior. The observed dynamics are well explained by analytics and numerical simulations, leading to valuable insight into the loss of coherence in spin systems. These measurements demonstrate that spins in diamond provide an excellent test bed for models and protocols in quantum information.
Stress-corrosion-crack initiation and growth-rate studies on titanium grade 7 and alloy 22 in concentrated groundwater

The stress-corrosion-crack initiation and growth-rate response was evaluated on as-received, cold-worked, and aged Alloy 22 (UNS N06022) and titanium Grade 7 in 105 °C to 110 °C, aerated, concentrated, high-pH groundwater environments. Time-to-failure experiments on actively loaded tensile specimens evaluated the effects of applied stress, welding, surface finish, shot peening, cold work, crevicing, and aging treatments in Alloy 22. Titanium Grade 7 and stainless steels were also included in the matrix. Long-term crack-growth-rate data showed stable crack growth in titanium Grade 7. Alloy 22 exhibited stable growth rates under “gentle” cyclic loading, but was prone to crack arrest at fully static loading. No effect of Pb additions was observed.
Competitive reaction pathways for functionalization and volatilization in the heterogeneous oxidation of coronene thin films by hydroxyl radicals and ozone

X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to monitor the heterogeneous reaction of hydroxyl radicals (OH) and ozone with thin films (∼5 A) of coronene. Detailed elemental and functional group analysis of the XPS spectra reveals that there is a competition between the addition of oxygenated functional groups (functionalization) and the loss of material (volatilization) to the gas phase. Measurements of the film thickness and elemental composition indicate that carbon loss is as important as the formation of new oxygenated functional groups in controlling how the oxygen-to-carbon ratio (O/C) of the coronene film evolves during the surface reaction. When the O/C ratio of the film is small (∼0.1) the addition of functional groups dominates changes in film thickness, while for more oxygenated films (O/C > 0.3) carbon loss is an increasingly important reaction pathway. Decomposition of the film occurs via the loss of both carbon and oxygen atoms when the O/C ratio of the film exceeds 0.5. These results imply that chemically reduced hydrocarbons, such as primary organic aerosol, age in the atmosphere by forming new oxygenated functional groups, in contrast to oxygenated secondary organic aerosol, which decompose by a heterogeneous loss of carbon and/or oxygen.
AN L p ‘COUSIN OF COBOUNDARY’ THEOREM FOR RANDOM FIELDS

It is known that for a given and a given strictly stationary sequence of random variables, the p -norms of the partial sums are bounded if and only if the sequence consists of successive differences from another strictly stationary sequence with finite p -norm. Here this is generalized to random fields, and the assumption of stationarity is relaxed. The index is included.
Does Hyponatremia Result in Pontine Myelinolysis and Neurological injury in Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) Micropremies? † 825

Does Hyponatremia Result in Pontine Myelinolysis and Neurological injury in Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) Micropremies? † 825
Debilitating “functional” bowel disease controlled by leuprolide acetate, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog

In this informal initial study, four female patients with intractable chronic abdominal pain, daily nausea, intermittent vomiting, and altered stool habits due to “functional” disease were investigated. A gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog agonist, leuprolide acetate (Lupron) [d leu 6,Desgly- NH 2 10,Proethylamide 9,was administered once daily (0.5 mg subcutaneously) for three months. At the end of the three-month period, three subjects were symptom-free and the fourth experienced only mild and intermittent pain. The leuprolide regimen was continued for an additional three months, and estrogen (0.625 mg orally) and calcium (1000 mg orally) were given daily to prevent osteoporosis. The patients remained symptom-free. A challenge with progesterone then induced recurrence of mild symptoms in each subject. Withdrawing leuprolide induced the baseline symptoms in all patients within three to five days. This regimen has now been continued for up to 15 months, and all four patients have remained generally symptomfree. Progesterone has also been given every three months to induce menses. A fifth patient, with Roux-en-Y syndrome, has also been treated with leuprolide. She is symptom-free after six months and has gained weight. In this initial observation period in patients with severe functional (neuromuscular) bowel disease, the GnRH analog agonist leuprolide controlled pain, nausea, and vomiting. The mechanism of this control is unknown but may involve the neuroendocrine physiology of the hypothalamic-pituitaryovarian axis.
How Does Strenuous Maternal Exercise Affect The Fetus? A Review

: The preponderance of studies suggest that in physically fit women, physiologic mechanisms have been developed which increase fetal tolerance to the circulatory and respiratory challenges of strenuous maternal exercise. Ventilatory reserve and cardiovascular changes of pregnancy join to protect the fetus in normal pregnancy, and some of these changes are further developed by physical training. The fetal heart rate response to strenuous maternal exercise may provide early diagnosis of uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI). In UPI, the fetal heart rate responds with tachycardia during the exercise, followed by bradycardia for a prolonged period. In preliminary investigations, fetal breathing movements have been more responsive to maternal exercise than have fetal heart rates.
Surface waves on a lossy planar ferrite slab

The parallel-polarized surface waves which propagate on a planar ferrite slab are considered. The ferrite material is isotropic and homogeneous, the slab rests on a perfectly conducting ground plane, and the ambient medium is free space. Only one mode can propagate on a thin lossless slab, but more and more of the higher order modes begin to propagate when one increases the thickness or the loss tangent of the slab. As the thickness and the loss are increased, the lowest order mode takes on the properties of the Zenneck wave. At the same time, the higher order modes take on the properties of a homogeneous plane wave propagating in the grazing direction in the slab. Among the most interesting properties of a surface wave are the attenuation constant and the phase velocity. Contour maps are included to show how these quantities depend on the thickness, permittivity, permeability and loss tangents of the ferrite slab. Additional insight is provided by graphs showing the root trajectories, cutoff boundaries and field distributions of the four lowest order surface-wave modes.
Quantitative Cu(I) determination using X-ray absorption edge spectroscopy: Oxidation of the reduced binuclear copper site in type 2 depleted Rhus laccase

Abstract We report a procedure, through difference comparison of X-ray absorption edge spectra, for the quantitative determination of Cu(I) content in copper complexes of mixed oxidation state composition. This technique is tested on copper model systems and then used to quantitatively determine that untreated T2D Rhus laccase contains 70±15% Cu(I). Whereas excess ferricyanide is demonstrated not to alter the Cu(I) content of the untreated T2D, aqueous peroxide and nitrite at pH 6.0 are shown to oxidize the cuprous type 3 site and generate met T2D protein forms.
Polarization analysis of target imaging in an underwater environment

Polarized light fields contain more information than simple irradiance and such capabilities provide an advanced tool for underwater imaging. We used a Monte Carlo technique to simulate the vector point spread function for a broad range of water parameters from clear to turbid coastal waters. We also analyzed the impact of light scattered by suspended particles between the target and the camera on the polarized image together with the light from the target. This knowledge is expected to contribute to solutions of the inverse problem of the restoration of the target polarization characteristics from its underwater image.
A high efficiency two-phase interleaved inverter for wide range output waveform generation

High voltage (3.3kV) SiC MOSFET devices enable high power density power conversion with fast switching and acceptable switching losses. The combination of fast switching device and soft-switching, which eliminates the losses of the turn on or off transition and limits the di/dt and dv/dt, becomes more important with high voltages. This paper presents a two-phase interleaved inverter which can achieve zero voltage switching (ZVS) operation for very wide output range with different voltage and current waveforms. The ZVS is realized without any additional active switches or passive components. ZVS is obtained with a phase-shift angle modulation scheme changing according to the load to minimize ripple current for all cases. It results in the lowest inductor RMS current, achieving ZVS at each load, and therefore high efficiency. The circuit operation and the impact of the phase-shift angle are described in details and the feasible ZVS range is analyzed. The analysis and design have been verified with simulation results. A 2.1kV H-bridge inverter with 3.3kV SiC MOSFETs was built and tested.
DFT-Chemical Pressure Analysis: Visualizing the Role of Atomic Size in Shaping the Structures of Inorganic Materials

Atomic size effects have long played a role in our empirical understanding of inorganic crystal structures. At the level of electronic structure calculations, however, the contribution of atomic size remains difficult to analyze, both alone and relative to other influences. In this paper, we extend the concepts outlined in a recent communication to develop a theoretical method for revealing the impact of the space requirements of atoms: the density functional theory-chemical pressure (DFT-CP) analysis. The influence of atomic size is most pronounced when the optimization of bonding contacts is impeded by steric repulsion at other contacts, resulting in nonideal interatomic distances. Such contacts are associated with chemical pressures (CPs) acting upon the atoms involved. The DFT-CP analysis allows for the calculation and interpretation of the CP distributions within crystal structures using DFT results. The method is demonstrated using the stability of the Ca2Ag7 structure over the simpler CaCu5-type al...
New highway geometric design methods for minimizing vehicular fuel consumption and improving safety

This paper proposes separate computational methods for evaluating (1) fuel efficiency, (2) sight distance deficiencies and (3) expected accident costs for a given highway alignment, depending on its detailed geometric characteristics. A fuel consumption model is developed based on two important concepts: (i) variability in the amount of fuel consumed by vehicles depending on variability in highway geometry and (ii) minimization of the fuel consumption by ensuring conditions suitable for driving at cruising speed. The methods estimate the fuel consumption by integrating vehicle propulsive force necessary to maintain the cruising speed from the beginning to the end of an alternative highway being evaluated. A sight distance model that not only automatically calculates available sight distance (ASD) and stopping sight distance (SSD), but also evaluates sight distance deficiency of alternative alignments is proposed. The total sight distance deficiency of an alternative alignment is estimated based on (i) the length of the road segments where ASD < SSD and (ii) the significance of sight distance restriction. A crash prediction model proposed in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) is adopted to evaluate and compare alternative alignments from safety perspective. A case study is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed methods. These methods will be integrated into a highway alignment optimization model (HAO) previously developed by the authors to evaluate numerous possible alternative alignments of a new highway system through tradeoffs among various relevant decision criteria. Those criteria may include vehicle fuel efficiency, sight distance, and safety, besides various cost factors, such as the construction cost, maintenance cost, user cost, and environmental impact cost. Such an integrated modeling framework will help evaluate green and environmentally sustainable highways. Many extensions of the work remain to be worked in the future, for example: (1) the effects of gain in propulsive force when traveling down from the crest of a curve; and (2) variability in fuel consumption rate based on vehicle type, gradient, critical length of grade, weather, and other factors.
One university’s experience starting fee‐based information systems: two case studies from UNLV

Information brokerages are operated by entrepreneurs or under the aegis of larger organizations. The UNLV library has established two such services. In spite of careful planning and a demand for business and legal information, the first venture was unsuccessful. The second venture is doing very well. An examination of these two cases provides lessons for future endeavors.
Mechanism of T-cell mediated protection in newborn mice against a Chlamydia infection

To determine the immune components needed for protection of newborn mice against Chlamydia muridarum, animals born to Chlamydia-immunized and to sham-immunized dams were infected intranasally with C. muridarum at 2 post-natal days. T-cells isolated from immunized or sham-immunized adult mice were adoptively transferred to newborn mice at the time of infection. Also, to establish what cytokines are involved in protection, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-12 were passively transferred to newborn mice. To assess the Chlamydia burden in the lungs mice were euthanized at 12 post-natal days. When T-cells from immunized adult mice were transferred, mice born to and fed by immunized dams were significantly protected as evidenced by the reduced number of Chlamydia isolated from the lungs compared to mice born to and fed by sham-immunized dams. Transfer of IFN-γ and TNF-α also significantly reduced the number of Chlamydia in the lungs of mice born to immunized dams. Transfer of IL-10 or IL-12 did not result in a significant reduction of Chlamydia. In vitro T-cell proliferation data suggest that neonatal antigen presenting cells can present Chlamydia antigens to adult T-cells. In conclusion, maternal antibodies and Chlamydia specific T-cells or Th1 cytokines are required for protection of neonates against this pathogen.
Protective Effect of Rotavirus VP6-Specific IgA Monoclonal Antibodies That Lack Neutralizing Activity

Rotaviruses are the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis and dehydrating diarrhea in young children and animals worldwide. A murine model and "backpack tumor" transplantation were used to determine the protective effect of antibodies against VP4(an outer capsid viral protein) and VP6(a major inner capsid viral protein). Only two non-neutralizing immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to VP6 were capable of preventing primary and resolving chronic murine rotavirus infections. These antibodies were not active, however, when presented directly to the luminal side of the intestinal tract. These findings support the hypothesis that in vivo intracellular viral inactivation by secretory IgA during transcytosis is a mechanism of host defense against rotavirus infection.
On the phase structure of baryonic matter

Abstract We have studied the phase structure of baryonic matter in a model which includes nucleons and delta resonances interacting with σ- and ω-mesons. In the mean-field approximation, the existence of phase transitions to delta matter and to a baryon-antibaryon plasma was strongly dependent on the values chosen for the equilibrium effective mass and compression modulus. When vacuum fluctuations were included, the physically acceptable solutions only yielded a liquid-gas phase transition. Further, these solutions were restricted to rather large values of the effective mass and compression modulus which did not include the currently accepted values.
Enabling photon counting detectors with dynamic attenuators

Photon-counting x-ray detectors (PCXDs) are being investigated as a replacement for conventional x-ray detectors because they promise several advantages, including better dose efficiency, higher resolution and spectral imaging. However, many of these advantages disappear when the x-ray flux incident on the detector is too high. We recently proposed a dynamic, piecewise-linear attenuator (or beam shaping filter) that can control the flux incident on the detector. This can restrict the operating range of the PCXD to keep the incident count rate below a given limit. We simulated a system with the piecewise-linear attenuator and a PCXD using raw data generated from forward projected DICOM files. We investigated the classic paralyzable and nonparalyzable PCXD as well as a weighted average of the two, with the weights chosen to mimic an existing PCXD (Taguchi et al, Med Phys 2011). The dynamic attenuator has small synergistic benefits with the nonparalyzable detector and large synergistic benefits with the paralyzable detector. Real PCXDs operate somewhere between these models, and the weighted average model still shows large benefits from the dynamic attenuator. We conclude that dynamic attenuators can reduce the count rate performance necessary for adopting PCXDs.
Immunosuppression with high doses of cyclophosphamide reduces the severity of myocarditis but increases the mortality in murine Coxsackievirus B3 myocarditis.

To test the therapeutic efficacy of immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide (CYP) on coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) myocarditis, 2-week-old DBA/2 mice were inoculated with 3 X 10(2) plaque-forming units of CB3 virus. CYP (100 mg/kg/day s.c.) was administered daily on days 0-8 (experiment 1; group 2), days 8-21 (experiment 2; group 4), and days 21-34 (experiment 3; group 6). Groups 1, 3, and 5 were infected control groups for each experiment. Spleen, thymus, and body weights were measured. In experiment 1, survival rate in group 2 on day 8 was low compared with group 1 (nine of 51 versus eight of 28; p = NS), and myocardial virus titers in group 2 on day 8 were higher (p less than 0.05) compared with group 1; however, cellular infiltration and myocardial necrosis in group 2 were less severe (p less than 0.05), and serum neutralizing antibody titers were decreased (p less than 0.01). In experiment 2, survival rate in group 4 on day 21 was significantly lower (six of 24 versus 12 of 16; p less than 0.01), but cellular infiltration, myocardial necrosis, and calcification in group 4 were significantly less severe, and serum neutralizing antibody titers were decreased (p less than 0.01). In experiment 3, survival rate, cardiac histopathology, and serum neutralizing antibody titers did not differ between groups 5 and 6. In experiments 1, 2, and 3, the treated groups were characterized by lower spleen-to-body-weight and thymus-to-body-weight ratios and by marked cellular depletion in spleen and thymus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Stories and metaphors as interventions with headache sufferers

Stories and metaphors can serve as an effective intervention with chronic headache sufferers. Stories and metaphors can serve as an effective intervention with chronic headache sufferers. The aim of the intervention is to promote sufferers' self confidence, increased resiliency, improved communication with others in the family, and the identification of previous promises, pledges, or commitments made to others in their family system.
Conventional Faces: Emoticons in Instant Messaging Discourse

Abstract This study investigated the emoticon in situ and attempted to examine emoticons in their own right as conventions of IM discourse, rather than comparing emoticons to Standard English (SE), written or spoken. We analyzed a corpus of naturally occurring IM conversations in order to uncover the conventions of emoticon use, including frequency, type, and placement. Our analysis illustrates that IM users access a shared body of knowledge about the types of emoticons they employ and also appear to rely on that body of knowledge to determine where they place emoticons within an utterance. We also suggest that examining the emoticon as a meaningful linguistic unit reveals that seemingly idiosyncratic uses of the emoticon may have rhetorical significance. We suggest that treating computer-mediated communication (CMC) as a language independent of SE is more generative toward theorizing CMC conventions. Knowledge of CMC conventions may help scholars and teachers to more fully understand adolescent literate practices.
The lunar wake at 6.8 RL: WIND magnetic field observations

We report on WIND magnetic field observations at ∼6.8 RL downstream of the moon on 27th December 1994. The moon was in the solar wind during the encounter. IMP-8 observations are used to determine baseline IMF conditions, and therefore determine those features in the WIND data which are related to its proximity to the moon. Previous Explorer 35 observations suggest that the lunar wake is not detectable beyond a downstream distance of ∼4 RL. However, despite the distance of WIND from the moon, we observe a slight decrease in field intensity just prior to the spacecraft entering the optical shadow, a slight field strength enhancement whilst in shadow, and perhaps a weak depression once the spacecraft reemerges into sunlight. These signatures closely resemble, but are weaker than, the previous observations. We conclude that a lunar wake did extend to these distances at the time of this encounter. We also note a rotation in field direction some distance outside of the wake signature which may be attributed to the crossing of the lunar mach cone boundary. We discuss the observations in terms of simple models of the solar wind interaction with an insulating body.
Working Memory Capacity and the Self-Regulation of Emotional Expression and Experience

This research examined the relationship between individual differences in working memory capacity and the self-regulation of emotional expression and emotional experience. Four studies revealed that people higher in working memory capacity suppressed expressions of negative emotion (Study 1) and positive emotion (Study 2) better than did people lower in working memory capacity. Furthermore, compared to people lower in working memory capacity, people higher in capacity more capably appraised emotional stimuli in an unemotional manner and thereby experienced (Studies 3 and 4) and expressed (Study 4) less emotion in response to those stimuli. These findings indicate that cognitive ability contributes to the control of emotional responding.
Exploring the relationship between population density and maternal health coverage

Delivering health services to dense populations is more practical than to dispersed populations, other factors constant. This engenders the hypothesis that population density positively affects coverage rates of health services. This hypothesis has been tested indirectly for some services at a local level, but not at a national level. We use cross-sectional data to conduct cross-country, OLS regressions at the national level to estimate the relationship between population density and maternal health coverage. We separately estimate the effect of two measures of density on three population-level coverage rates (6 tests in total). Our coverage indicators are the fraction of the maternal population completing four antenatal care visits and the utilization rates of both skilled birth attendants and in-facility delivery. The first density metric we use is the percentage of a population living in an urban area. The second metric, which we denote as a density score, is a relative ranking of countries by population density. The score’s calculation discounts a nation’s uninhabited territory under the assumption those areas are irrelevant to service delivery. We find significantly positive relationships between our maternal health indicators and density measures. On average, a one-unit increase in our density score is equivalent to a 0.2% increase in coverage rates. Countries with dispersed populations face higher burdens to achieve multinational coverage targets such as the United Nations’ Millennial Development Goals.
Electronic properties of gray tin single crystals

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Seminal fluid factor increases the resistance of the tight functional complex of cultured human cervical epithelium CaSki cells

Abstract Objective: To determine the effects of human seminal fluid on cervical paracellular resistance. Design: Experimental study. Setting: Healthy volunteers in an academic research environment; cultures of human CaSki cells on filters, with phenotypic characteristics of the endocervix. Patient(s): Healthy men donating sperm to a sperm bank. Intervention(s): Seminal fluid was obtained as the discarded fluid from ejaculates. Main Outcome Measure(s): Changes in transepithelial electrical resistance across CaSki cells on filters were determined in an Ussing chamber from successive measurements of the short-circuit current and the transepithelial potential difference. Changes in the dilution potential (and hence in the ratio of C1− to Na+ mobilities) were determined after lowering the NaCl concentration in the luminal solution. Result(s): Seminal fluid increased transepithelial electrical resistance acutely ( t 1 2 , 2 minutes), reversibly, and in a dose-related manner (ED50, 1%). The effect of seminal fluid was abolished when the extracellular calcium level was lowered, and the increase in transepithelial electrical resistance correlated with a decrease in the ratio of Cl− to Na+ mobilities, indicating an increase in the resistance of the tight junctional complex. The increase in transepithelial electrical resistance in response to seminal fluid was nonadditive to that of sn-1,2-dioctanoyl diglyceride (a stable diacylglyceride and activator of protein kinase C), and it was abolished by prolonged preincubation with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (to downregulate protein kinase C) or with staurosporin (to inhibit protein kinase C), suggesting that seminal fluid acts through a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism. Slower ( t 1 2 , 3.3 minutes) increases in transepithelial electrical resistance occurred when seminal fluid was added only to the luminal or the subluminal solution. Treatment with pertussis toxin, adenosine triphosphatase, or trypsin had no effect on the changes in transepithelial electrical resistance. Seminal fluid increased cytosolic calcium, but changes in cytosolic calcium are not important for the increases in transepithelial electrical resistance, suggesting that the effect of seminal fluid is not receptor-mediated. Preliminary studies indicate that the factor(s) in seminal fluid that increases transepithelial electrical resistance is a labile, low molecular weight ( Conclusion(s): Seminal fluid may regulate cervical mucus production in vivo by modulating endocervical permeability.
User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A Comparison of Two Theoretical Models

Computer systems cannot improve organizational performance if they aren't used. Unfortunately, resistance to end-user systems by managers and professionals is a widespread problem. To better predict, explain, and increase user acceptance, we need to better understand why people accept or reject computers. This research addresses the ability to predict peoples' computer acceptance from a measure of their intentions, and the ability to explain their intentions in terms of their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and related variables. In a longitudinal study of 107 users, intentions to use a specific system, measured after a one-hour introduction to the system, were correlated 0.35 with system use 14 weeks later. The intention-usage correlation was 0.63 at the end of this time period. Perceived usefulness strongly influenced peoples' intentions, explaining more than half of the variance in intentions at the end of 14 weeks. Perceived ease of use had a small but significant effect on intentions as well, although this effect subsided over time. Attitudes only partially mediated the effects of these beliefs on intentions. Subjective norms had no effect on intentions. These results suggest the possibility of simple but powerful models of the determinants of user acceptance, with practical value for evaluating systems and guiding managerial interventions aimed at reducing the problem of underutilized computer technology.