cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing the climate sensitivity of peat-based paleoclimate reconstructions in mid-continental North America

Abstract The sensitivity of peatland water-table depth reconstructions to past hydroclimate variability was assessed by comparing 210 Pb-dated, testate amoeba-based reconstructions of water-table depth with instrumental records of temperature, precipitation, and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). Comparisons were made for the past century at five sites in the western Great Lakes region of North America. The primary objectives were (1) to assess the relative influence of temperature and precipitation on proxy records from these systems, (2) compare an integrated index of past moisture variability, PDSI, to records of peatland surface-moisture, and (3) compare the relative climate sensitivity of paleohydrological records from a raised bog and two types of kettle peatland, including those with and without floating peat mats. Results indicated that the raised bog surface-moisture reconstructions were most strongly correlated with PDSI, with precipitation variability more important than temperature variability. Proxy records from two non-floating kettle peatlands were also correlated with PDSI, although the importance of precipitation and temperature varied between the two sites. Records from floating mats were not correlated with instrumental climate records, although patterns suggest that additional research is needed to assess the sensitivity of these systems to high-magnitude or prolonged drought events. Although the relative importance of precipitation and temperature in controlling peatland surface-moisture conditions may vary in space and time, consistent correlations with PDSI indicate that peatland archives are well suited for studies of past drought variability and should be particularly valuable in humid regions at mid-to-high latitudes where moisture-sensitive records are scarce.
The regulation of research by funding bodies: A wake-up call

The commentary by Miller et al. published in this journal earlier this year (Miller, Moore, & Strang, 2006) is important and timely. It adds to a growing concern regarding the excessive influence of governmental funding agencies on researchers and their research products, especially in politically sensitive areas such as alcohol and drug use research. This excessive influence seems to be driven by political a A a f u o a
Efficient nonlinear wave-mixing processes via slow and fast light

The talk consists of two parts. In the first, we have demonstrated enhancement of nonlinear signals and suggested a new approach that extends Raman spectroscopy to media which has a high level of scattering. The stimulated Raman scattering has an advantage of relaxing phase-matching condition which is difficult or even impossible to meet under condition of strong scattering. The second topic is related to enhanced optico-mechanical coupling that occurs when the group velocity of light is ultra-slow. We show theoretically that, due to dragging of the light by the mechanical motion of the medium, it is possible to control phase-matching condition.
Commentary---When Is Less More, and How Much More? Thoughts on the Psychological and Economic Implications of Online Targeting and Obtrusiveness

In a very intriguing and groundbreaking study, Goldfarb and Tucker [Goldfarb, A., C. Tucker. 2011. Online display advertising: Targeting and obtrusiveness. Marketing Sci.30(3) 389--404] show that online advertising targeting and obtrusiveness boost purchase intent independently, but not jointly. The authors rule out recall as an explanatory mechanism and provide preliminary evidence that the effect may be driven by privacy concerns. We comment on the substantive importance of this finding by discussing the psychological and economic implications of the effect.
Probing longitudinal dynamics at RHIC

Particle production of charged hadrons in Au+Au collisions at $$\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 200$$ GeV bas been studied as a function of rapidity by the BRAHMS Collaboration at RHIC. Selected recent results are presented with emphasis on longitudinal dynamics of particle production. The rapidity dependence of particle production imposes more stringent constraints on theoretical models describing dynamics of nuclear matter created by high-energy heavy ion collisions.
BIOLOGICALLY DERIVED PHOTOACTIVE MACROMOLECULAR AZODYES

Azophenols with various substituents at the para position of the phenyl ring were enzymatically polymerized in the presence of H2O2. Structural characterization of the synthesized polymers by FTIR, FT-Raman, and NMR (1H and 13C) spectroscopy confirms our previous observation that this enzymatically catalyzed coupling reaction occurs primarily at the ortho positions, with some substitution at the meta position of the phenol ring. The strong constraint and poor packing of the azobenzene chromophores in the polymer leads to a significant blue shift of the π-π* transition absorption and slow photoisomerization and thermal relaxation in comparison to the monomers. Surface relief gratings (SRG) with large surface modulation have been fabricated on these enzymatically synthesized polymer films. †Deceased.
Ureogenesis in chelonia

Abstract 1. 1. Seven species of turtles, Gopherus berlandieri, Terrapene ornata, T. carolina, Clemmys insculpta, Pseudemys scripta, Chelydra serpentina and Trionyx muticus, were analyzed for ornithine-urea cycle enzyme activities and for the nitrogenous wastes in the blood, urine and bladder deposits. 2. 2. All species of turtles were ureogenic and ureotelic except for G. berlandieri, which was ureogenic but uricotelic. 3. 3. Freshly collected G. berlandieri showed undetectable levels of activity of argininosuccinate synthetase and low activity of argininosuccinate lyase, whereas dehydrated and fasted turtles showed higher activities. Also, in freshly collected Gopherus ammonia was most concentrated in blood while uric acid was highest in urine. In other Gopherus urea always predominated in blood and was high in urine. 4. 4. The rise in osmotic concentration that is associated with high urea levels in starved and dehydrated Gopherus may be important in reducing evaporative water loss during hibernation or times of stress. This would be especially important in the desert species.
Faculty Unions, Business Models, and the Academy's Future

In several states in which legislation allows faculty to unionize, the 2010 elections swept in governors and legislators who have undertaken unprecedented efforts to severely restrict or rescind th...
From semiconductors to superconductors - diversity of applications of an FT-spectrometer in materials research

ABSTRACT IINTRODUCTION: A series of experiments is presented in which a Bomem DA8 FT spectrometer is used as the mainanalytic instrument to clarify different effects in materials research. Our applications of the instrument range from absorbancemeasurements in semiconducting materials to reflectance measurements on superconducting thin films. Effects such as the change inoptical absorbance for C60 films are observed and confirmed by transport measurements. The results of ion implantation processes onboron carbide (B4C) can be monitored by spectral measurements and indicate that the mechanical properties of the second hardestmaterial, after diamond, can be adequately modified for easier machining. Reflectance measurements in novel highT superconductingmaterials over extended spectral regions allow for optical characterization of the materials and detection of potential cfegradation during storage. RESEARCH PROJECTS IDISCUSSION: Three different experiments and the corresponding results are discussed in this paper:
Set Intersection Theorems and Existence of Optimal Solutions

The question of nonemptiness of the intersection of a nested sequence of closed sets is fundamental in a number of important optimization topics, including the existence of optimal solutions, the validity of the minimax inequality in zero sum games, and the absence of a duality gap in constrained optimization. We consider asymptotic directions of a sequence of closed sets, and introduce associated notions of retractive, horizon, and critical directions, based on which we provide new conditions that guarantee the nonemptiness of the corresponding intersection. We show how these conditions can be used to obtain simple and unified proofs of some known results on existence of optimal solutions, and to derive some new results, including a new extension of the Frank–Wolfe Theorem for (nonconvex) quadratic programming.
SU-FF-T-641: Testing the Sc, Sp, Scp Formulism for Elekta Beam Modulator

Purpose: The Elekta Beam Modulator™ (EBM) has a unique design in the sense that no movable jaws exist. The MLC has 40 leaf pairs with 4 mm wide leaves. A fixed diaphragm is beneath the MLC to form an aperture of 21 cm by 16 cm. The radiation fields are shaped primarily by the MLC. The goal of this work is to test whether the conventional Sc, Sp, Scp formalism holds true for this accelerator head configuration. Method and Materials: We have postulated two methods for determining Sc for the EBM: Method A: set Sc = 1 for all fields because there are no movable jaws; and Method B: regard the MLC as the “jaws”, since the apertures are formed by the MLC. We measured Sc for Method B using Wellhofer CC13 and PTW 30010 ion chamber with build‐up caps. Both setups were configured in RadCalc and calculations compared to measurements. Results: 6 MV results are reported. For 100 MU, dose was measured for standard square, rectangle, and off‐axis irregular shaped fields. For the standard fields, both methods agree with measurements to within 0.5%, except for the smallest field 2.4×2.4 cm2. For the off‐axis and irregular fields, both calculations differ from the measured dose by 3∼7%. The two methods agree within 0.5% for most standard fields, and the difference between them tends to increase for the off‐axis and irregular fields. Conclusions: Two methods to calculate Elekta Beam Modulator (EBM) point doses using the Sc, Sp, Scp formalism were tested. Both agree well with the measurement for the standard fields. However, they start to deviate from the measurements for off‐axis and irregular fields. More testing, including 10MV and 15MV, is planned and will be presented for this unique machine.
The utility of information and risk taking fuzzy expert systems

In this paper we first review the properties of our new fuzzy expert system shell, next we use utility theory to define risk-averse and risk-seeking systems, and then we outline our truth maintenance system.
Postpartum osteomyelitis caused by group B streptococcus

Postpartum infections caused by group B streptococci are generally limited in scope. We report a case of vaginal colonization with group B streptococcus that progressed in the postpartum period to osteomyelitis that necessitated total hip replacement. The patient had no risk factors predisposing to streptococcal osteomyelitis. An altered immune status in pregnancy and intrapartum bacteremia may be involved in the pathogenesis of this infection.
Surface properties of electron-hole droplets in semiconductors☆

Abstract The leading gradient terms in the kinetic energy densities of the electrons and holes in Ge and Si type semiconductors are calculated including band structure effects. Band structure effects are found to increase these gradient terms substantially over those for isotropic bands. The surface properties of electron—hole drops in Ge are studied using these gradient terms with several local energy densities, and band structure effects in the gradient terms are shown to increase the surface thickness, surface energy and dipole barrier over isotropic band results. The difference in the chemical potentials of the electrons and holes obtained from these approximate energy functionals indicates that the drop becomes positively charged, which is opposite in sign to that proposed recently by Rice.
Nuclear matter on a lattice

We investigate nuclear matter on a cubic lattice. An exact thermal formalism is applied to nucleons with a Hamiltonian that accommodates on-site and next-neighbor parts of the central, spin-, and isospin-exchange interactions. We describe the nuclear matter Monte Carlo methods which contain elements from shell model Monte Carlo methods and from numerical simulations of the Hubbard model. We show that energy and basic saturation properties of nuclear matter can be reproduced. Evidence of a first-order phase transition from an uncorrelated Fermi gas to a clustered system is observed by computing mechanical and thermodynamical quantities such as compressibility, heat capacity, entropy, and grand potential. We compare symmetry energy and first sound velocities with literature and find reasonable agreement.
The skin stage of malaria infection: biology and relevance to the malaria vaccine effort

Plasmodium sporozoites, the infective stage of the malaria parasite, are injected into the mammalian host by mosquitoes and travel to the liver where they invade hepatocytes. Recent studies demonstrating that sporozoites are inoculated into the skin, remain there for hours before exiting and that 20% of the inoculum goes to the lymph node draining the inoculation site, suggest that there is a 'skin stage' to malaria infection that may set the stage for subsequent host responses to the parasite. Here, we present an overview of what is currently known about sporozoite-host interactions at the inoculation site and the draining lymph node, and discuss the impact of the skin stage of malaria on immunity to pre-erythrocytic stages and malaria vaccine design.
Time Course of Inhibition of Hypertension by Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeted to AT1 Angiotensin Receptor mRNA in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Abstract Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODN) can be designed to provide inhibition of a specific protein. Since angiotensin receptors are involved in blood pressure regulation we constructed AS-ODN to angiotensin II type-1 receptor (AT1) mRNA. When given centrally, the AS-ODN reduces blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) 24 h after injection. To study the time course of a single AS-ODN injection on blood pressure and heart rate, groups of SHR were injected intracerebroventricularly (icv) with either single dose of AS-ODN or scrambled (SC) ODN and blood pressure was recorded through implanted catheters daily for up to 9 days. Blood pressure decreased significantly in the AS-ODN treated rats compared to the SC-ODN rats for up to 7 days. The maximum decrease (38 mm Hg) occurred at 3 days. There appeared to be no toxic reaction or side effects and the blood pressure level had recovered by days 8 and 9. Heart rate was not altered by AS-ODN treatment. To test that the ODN was entering the brain tissue, fluorescein-isothiocyanate labelled (FITC) ODN was injected in Sprague-Dawley rats and the fluorescence detected 1 h later by confocal microscopy. Within 1 h there was rapid uptake into cells close to the site of injection and into brain parenchyma around the third and lateral ventricles. To test that the AS-ODN had reduced AT1 receptors, binding studies were carried out on membranes from hypothalamic tissue. There was a modest (∼20%) but significant (P
Expression of immediate early genes after treatment of human astrocytoma cells with radiation and taxol

Abstract Purpose : The promising chemotherapeutic agent, taxol, has been shown to sensitize the G18 line of human astrocytoma cells to ionizing radiation. The present studies were performed to identify specific changes in gene expression associated with this altered sensitivity. Methods and Materials : The radioresistant, grade 3 human astrocytoma cell line, G18, was exposed for varying periods of time to treatment with taxol, tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA), serum, isoproterenol, dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate, or ionizing radiation alone or in combination with taxol pretreatment. Ribonucleic acid samples from the cells were monitored for the expression of a group of immediate early genes (IEGs), including c-fos, c-jun, TIS1, TIS7, TIS8, TIS11 and TIS21, by northern blot hybridization analysis. Results : Transient immediate early gene induction was observed after treatment of G18 cells with tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate, serum, isoproterenol, or ionizing radiation, but not after treatment with taxol. Of the seven immediate early genes analyzed, all but TIS7 were found to be inducible by one or more of the treatments. Only TIS8 (also known as egr-I or zif268) was significantly inducible by radiation, and this transient induction was decreased by at least four-fold by pretreatment for 24 hr with a dose of taxol that was previously shown to block 96.5% of the cells in G2/M and enhance radiosensitivity. Conclusion : The products of immediate early genes, which are induced transiently in cells in response to a variety of treatments, including growth factors, neurotransmitters, and irradiation with UV light or X rays, are thought to initiate a cascade of genetic responses to alterations in cellular environment. The present results demonstrate a dramatic attenuation in one immediate early gene response in association with a treatment that enhances radio-sensitivity in a refractory human brain tumor line.
Design and Evaluation of a Novel-Controlled Periodic Illumination Reactor To Study Photocatalysis

A novel reactor designed to study the effects of continuous or controlled periodic illumination (CPI) on photocatalytic reactions was built and tested. The reactor uses immobilized films of TiO{sub 2} on the circular face of a disk. Rotating disk hydrodynamics provide uniform access to the catalyst surface. These coated disks rotate in a closed cell filled with the reagents at angular velocities ranging from 20 to 100 revolutions per minute (rev/min). A bank of black lamps provides uniform UV illumination to the disk surface. A mechanical shutter is used to provide the periodic illumination. This shutter can provide light or dark times as short as 100 ms and as long as minutes. To evaluate the performance of this reactor, the oxidation of formate ion (HCOO{sup {minus}}) to CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O was studied at various light intensities and a single light and dark time. As the light intensity was increased from 0.05 to 5.5 mW/cm{sup 2} the photoefficiency for continuous illumination experiments decreased from 80% to 5%. At a light time of 0.6 s and a dark time of 2.0 s and a light intensity of 5.5 mW/cm{sup 2}, the photoefficiency increased from 5% during the continuous illumination experimentsmore » to 20% with CPI. However, at low light intensities (I < 0.5 mW/cm{sup 2}), CPI did not effect the photoefficiency. Analysis of the results indicates that the reactor is oxygen diffusion-limited at light intensities above 0.5 mW/cm{sup 2} when air is used as the oxidant. At intensities below 0.3 mW/cm{sup 2}, the reaction is photon limited and the authors are able to study the kinetics of the reaction. At light intensities between 0.3 and 0.5 mW/cm{sup 2}, the reaction is controlled by both surface kinetics and diffusion limitations.« less
A High-Performance SIMD Floating Point Unit for BlueGene/L: Architecture, Compilation, and Algorithm Design

We describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of a dual-issue SIMD-like extension of the PowerPC 440 floating-point unit (FPU) core. This extended FPU is targeted at both IBM's massively parallel Blue-Gene/L machine as well as more pervasive embedded platforms. It has several novel features, such as a computational crossbar and cross-load/store instructions, which enhance the performance of numerical codes. We further discuss the hardware-software co-design that was essential to fully realize the performance benefits of the FPU when constrained by the memory bandwidth limitations and high penalties for misaligned data access imposed by the memory hierarchy on a BlueGene/L node. We describe several novel compiler and algorithmic techniques to take advantage of this architecture. Using both hand-optimized and compiled code for key linear algebraic kernels, we validate the architectural design choices, evaluate the success of the compiler, and quantify the effectiveness of the novel algorithm design techniques. Preliminary performance data shows that the algorithm-compiler-hardware combination delivers a significant fraction of peak floating-point performance for compute-bound kernels such as matrix multiplication, and delivers a significant fraction of peak memory bandwidth for memory-bound kernels such as daxpy, while being largely insensitive to data alignment.
Rimonabant, gastrointestinal motility and obesity.

Background Obesity and overweight affect more than half of the US population and are associated with a number of diseases. Rimonabant, a cannabinoid receptor 1 blocker in the endocannabinoid (EC) system, was indicated in Europe for the treatment of obesity and overweight patients with associated risk factors but withdrawn on Jan, 2009 because of side effects. Many studies have reported the effects of rimonabant on gastrointestinal (GI) motility and food intake. THE AIMS OF THIS REVIEW ARE: to review the relationship of EC system with GI motility and food intake;to review the studies of rimonabant on GI motility, food intake and obesity;and to report the tolerance and side effects of rimonabant. Methods THE LITERATURE (PUBMED DATABASE) WAS SEARCHED USING KEYWORDS: rimonabant, obesity and GI motility. Results GI motility is related with appetite, food intake and nutrients absorption. The EC system inhibits GI motility, reduces emesis and increases food intake; Rimonabant accelerates gastric emptying and intestinal transition but decreases energy metabolism and food intake. There is rapid onset of tolerance to the prokinetic effect of rimonabant. The main side effects of rimonabant are depression and GI symptoms. Conclusions Rimonabant has significant effects on energy metabolism and food intake, probably mediated via its effects on GI motility.
A comparison of the effects of gentle heating, acetone, and the sulfhydryl reagent bis (4-fluoro-3-nitrophenyl) sulfone on the ATPase activity and pellet height response of tetrahymena cilia.

Incubation of glycerol-extracted, Triton X-100 demembranated Tetrahymena cilia with 2–10 vol % acetone caused an enhancement of ATPase activity by 2- to 3- fold, depending on concentration and time of incubation. Axonemal ATPase activity was also increased upon incubation with bis (4-fluoro-3-nitrophenyl) sulfone (FNS). Acetone and FNS enhanced the activity of solubilized 30S dynein, but slightly inhibited that of 14S dynein. Heating at 38°C, incubation with FNS, and incubation with acetone activated axonemal ATPase to the same extent. Subsequent studies of (1) the effect of time of preincubation with a spin-labeled maleimide (SLM) at 25°C as a function of pH on the ATPase activity, (2) the concentration dependence of the inhibition of ATPase activity by N-ethylmaleimide or SLM, (3) the ratio of ATPase activity assayed at 25°C to that assayed at 0°C, and (4) the ratio of ATPase activity at pH 8.6 to that at pH 6.9 did not reveal any difference in the properties of the axonemal ATPase after near maximal enhancement by the heat, acetone, or FNS treatments. It was concluded that enhancement of ATPase activity by gentle heat treatment, by incubation with acetone (or other organic solvents), or by FNS results from a conformation change of 30S dynein. The effect of acetone and of FNS on the pellet height response (a measure of the increase in height of the pellet of cilia precipitated by brief centrifugation in the presence of ATP as compared to the absence of ATP) was also determined. Enhancement of ATPase by these reagents did not lead to a decrease in pellet height response. This observation, in conjunction with other data, indicates that there are at least 3 states of the cross-bridge cycle of dynein arms in cilia.
Focal epithelial hyperplasia in an Eskimo population

Abstract The Canadian Eskimos from the eastern Arctic appear to experience the same frequency of focal epithelial hyperplasia as do those in western Greenland to whom they are closely related.
Intrathecal Morphine for Pelvic and Sacral Pain Caused by Cancer

Ten patients underwent placement of a lumbar subarachnoid catheter attached to a subcutaneous reservoir allowing daily injection of intrathecal morphine sulfate by family members. Sacral and pelvic pain were fairly well controlled. Neck and leg pain and pain mediated by the celiac plexus were not as well controlled by the intrathecal injection of morphine. The only significant complication was collection of cerebrospinal fluid around three reservoirs. Using this technique, narcotic concentration and frequency of administration can be easily altered to provide a safe but effective dose. Lumbar administration appears to block pain from lumbar and sacral dermatomes without the sedating and mood-altering effects of systemic narcotics.
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION

Within a short time of the recognition of acute non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis, identified in the course of enzyme-monitored transfusion studies conducted during the early 1970s, it became clear that, despite a paucity of symptoms, the illness failed to resolve in approximately half of those affected. The evidence for disease persistence was the fact that the serum enzymes, specifically alanine aminotransferase (ALT), continued to remain abnormal for periods in excess of 6 months. Now labeled chronic hepatitis by convention, liver biopsy examination confirmed this clinical diagnosis through the identification of histologically-defined chronic hepatitis of graded severity in about 50% to 60% of instances and of cirrhosis in another 20%. Despite these findings, most affected persons remained oblivious to these outcomes because of continued lack of symptoms. The detection almost a decade and a half later of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) provided a further tool for identifying chronicity. With the development of the highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR), it was possible to identify the persistence of HCV RNA in an additional group, even in the absence of raised ALT values. Currently, it is believed that approximately 85% of acutely infected individuals fail to recover fully following acute HCV infection. Short-term prospective, point-prevalence, and retrospective studies have since shown that, once chronically infected with HCV, such persons are at risk of progressing from histologically defined chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis and, in some instances, to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). More often than not, these events can continue to occur in the complete absence of symptoms which may emerge only when end-stage liver disease is reached. The true frequency and rate of these progressive changes have represented an area of uncertainty and have led to conflicting views on the subject. Some authorities have suggested that progression to severe end-stage liver disease is inevitable, provided the infected person does not succumb first to another lethal illness; others have concluded that disease progression is restricted to a limited few and that the challenge is to define factors that might account for wide differences in outcome. These opposing views can be accounted for, at least in part, by the extraordinarily insidious nature of the process and the almost snails' pace rate of its progression. Efforts to resolve this controversy are required for two obvious reasons: (1) the need to inform HCV carriers of what to anticipate in their future in the hope of reassuring them about potential sequelae; and (2) the need to make prudent decisions regarding therapy with drugs that are currently of only limited therapeutic benefit. The only means of resolving the conflict is to conduct appropriate long-term studies of the natural history of the disease.
FSH stimulation of Leydig cell function in the hypophysectomized immature rat.

SummaryFSH treatment of hypophysec-tomized immature rats increased testicular weight, increased the number of LH receptors per testis, and increased the in vitro testicular testosterone production in response to LH. The increase observed in all three parameters was related to the duration of FSH treatment. The testicular response to LH was enhanced to a greater extent than the number of LH receptors. The specificity of the FSH effect was indicated by the observation that administration of LH had no effect on testicular weight or number of LH receptors. LH administration did not increase the in vitro testicular response to LH, but appeared to prevent the decrease in this response observed in saline-injected controls.We thank Carol Craig for expert technical assistance. We also thank Dr. A. F. Parlow for the rat LH, NIAMDD-Rat LH-I-3, and NIAMDD for supplying the NIH-FSH-S11 and NIH-LH-S19. This study was supported by NIH Grant No. HD-08358.
A sub-ns response fully integrated battery-connected switched-capacitor voltage regulator delivering 0.19W/mm 2 at 73% efficiency

Lithium-ion batteries are the dominant power source in mobile devices. However, while the supply voltage required for processors and SoCs has scaled down to ~1V, the voltage range of this popular battery remains ~2.9V-4.2V (nominally ~3.6V). To bridge this voltage difference, off-chip power management ICs are typically required. Despite their high efficiency, supporting many independent, high-current supplies to e.g. a multi-core SoC is extremely challenging due to cost, area, and supply impedance concerns associated with board and package level parasitics. There is hence strong motivation for efficient, fully integrated voltage regulators (IVRs) that interface directly with the battery while supporting multiple separate on-chip supply.
Thoracoscopic anterior instrumentation for idiopathic scoliosis.

COMMENTARY ON: Lonner BS, Auerbach JD, Levin R, et al. Thoracoscopic anterior instrumented fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with emphasis on the sagittal plane. Spine J 2009;9:523–9 (this issue) .
Hemodialysis Graft Infections Treated with Cryopreserved Femoral Vein

Abstract Introduction. Treatment of infected hemodialysis grafts is associated with prolonged hospitalization and wound care. The use of cryopreserved femoral vein (CFV) for angioaccess in infected hemodialysis grafts was prospectively evaluated. Methods . Forty-three CFV arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) were placed in 43 patients with prosthetic AVG infections. Thirty-two of the CFV AVGs were constructed adjacent to the infected AVG using a parallel tunnel tract, while 11 were placed into the infected field. All patients were prospectively followed at three-month intervals for graft complications and recurrent infections. Results. With a mean follow-up of 418 days, there was one recurrent infection (2.3%). The one-year primary and secondary graft patency rates were 42% and 68%, respectively. The two-year primary and secondary patency rates were 31% and 63%, respectively. Conclusions. Cryopreserved femoral vein proved useful in the treatment of infected hemodialysis grafts. The absence of infection after implantation around an infected area shows promise for salvaging an angioaccess site that would otherwise have been abandoned.
Pacific Plate motion and undulations in geoid and bathymetry

Abstract Previous studies have shown that the Pacific geoid and gravity fields exhibit lineated anomalies, trending approximately in the direction of absolute plate motion over the underlying mantle. Because the undulations obliquely cross fracture zones they have often been attributed a convective origin. Recently, lithospheric boudinage caused by diffuse extension has been proposed as a possible mechanism. We have examined the undulations in the free-air anomalies, geoid and bathymetry over a portion of the Pacific Plate to determine quantitatively how the undulations are related to plate motion. We compare the observed data to an axisymmetric, sinusoidal undulation defined in an arbitrary frame of reference; in particular, we seek the north pole of this reference frame that maximizes the correlation between data and model. Poles that are close to the Pacific hotspot pole represent copolar undulations possibly related to plate motion. The distance between the best-fitting poles and the hotspot pole is determined as a function of undulation wavelength and reveals several minima (with distance
Surface Areas of Carbon Fibres

ATTEMPTS to derive a structural model for high-strength carbon fibres have led to studies of the development of microporosity during heat treatment. X-ray scattering and helium density measurements1 showed that carbonized rayon fibres have a fibrillar structure, with chains of graphite crystallites arranged parallel to the fibre axis and giving rise to needle-shaped micropores between the fibrils. The average diameter of the pores perpendicular to the fibre axis seems to vary from 6 to 20 A for heat treatments in the range 900°–2,900° C.
On Women, Power, and Politics During the Last Phase of the Ilkhanate

Abstract As a social and cultural study, this article is an attempt to contribute to the discussion around the end of the Ilkhanate by looking at the question of assimilation of Muslim and Mongol traditions during Abū Saʿīd’s rule (reg. 716-736/1316-1335). By studying this period through the main focus of women’s roles, it hopes to draw connections between the traditional Turco-Mongol status of elite women, the process of Islamization of the Ilkhanate, and the Ilkhanate’s inability to ensure continuity of government after the death of Abū Saʿīd. It will highlight the role of women of the ruling house during this period that on the one hand was seen as a Golden Age of the Ilkhanate, but on the other hand was marked by political fragmentation, confusing alliances, marriages, and numerous rebellions which ultimately led to its dissolution. The tension between choosing to remain loyal to traditional Turco-Mongol values and the processes of cultural exchanges, integration, and especially conversion to Islam becomes particularly interesting when studying the role of women in the late Ilkhanid court.
A Fundamental Extension of Einstein's Diffusion – Mobility Relationship

DIFFUSION is a fundamental process, possessed by molecular, atomic and sub-atomic particles. The process is associated with a density gradient, and is independent of particle charge.
The microwave spectrum and dipole moment of 1-cyano-1,3-cyclopentadiene

Abstract The microwave spectrum of 1-cyano-1,3-cyclopentadiene has been assigned and the rotational constants obtained are (in megahertz): A = 8356, B = 1904.24, and C = 1565.36. The dipole moment components were measured and are (in debye) μ a = 4.25, μ b μ total = 4.25.
Protein Oligomerization Monitored by Fluorescence Fluctuation Spectroscopy: Self-Assembly of Rubisco Activase

A methodology is presented to characterize complex protein assembly pathways by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. We have derived the total autocorrelation function describing the behavior of mixtures of labeled and unlabeled protein under equilibrium conditions. Our modeling approach allows us to quantitatively consider the relevance of any proposed intermediate form, and Kd values can be estimated even when several oligomeric species coexist. We have tested this method on the AAA+ ATPase Rubisco activase (Rca). Rca self-association regulates the CO2 fixing activity of the enzyme Rubisco, directly affecting biomass accumulation in higher plants. However, the elucidation of its assembly pathway has remained challenging, precluding a detailed mechanistic investigation. Here, we present the first, to our knowledge, thermodynamic characterization of oligomeric states of cotton β-Rca complexed with Mg·ADP. We find that the monomer is the dominating species below 0.5 micromolar. The most plausible model supports dissociation constants of ∼4, 1, and 1 micromolar for the monomer-dimer, dimer-tetramer, and tetramer-hexamer equilibria, in line with the coexistence of four different oligomeric forms under typical assay conditions. Large aggregates become dominant above 40 micromolar, with continued assembly at even higher concentrations. We propose that under some conditions, ADP-bound Rca self-associates by forming spiral arrangements that grow along the helical axis. Other models such as the stacking of closed hexameric rings are also discussed.
A comparison of second-order constitutive theories for hyperelastic materials

Abstract To develop a finite elastic constitutive equation for a real material, it is necessary to experimentally determine a number of material functions. This is much more difficult than determining the material constants needed for construction of a second-order constitutive equation for the same material. So it can be advantageous to use a second-order constitutive equation if it provides an adequate description of a material’s mechanical behavior over the deformation regimes to be considered. Of course, the second-order expansion of a constitutive relation always provides a good description of the mechanical response for sufficiently small strains and rotations. But by neglecting terms in these expansions which are higher than second order, we can construct a St Venant–Kirchhoff-type material model which may be applied for any deformation. In this paper we investigate the circumstances under which such St Venant–Kirchhoff-type second-order constitutive equations can successfully be used in lieu of the fully nonlinear elastic constitutive equation to solve boundary value problems. Two nonlinear elastic materials are considered: the generalized Blatz–Ko and the harmonic materials. For these materials we examine the performance of constitutive equations which are second order in the displacement gradient, the Biot strain, and the Green strain. A variety of boundary value problems are solved with these second-order constitutive equations, and the resulting solutions are compared to the solutions obtained with the corresponding fully nonlinear constitutive equation. We find that both the nature of the material and the nature of the deformation have a large impact on the performance of these three second-order constitutive equations. Overall, the constitutive equation which is second order in the Biot strain provides the most accurate solutions over the largest range of strains and rotations.
Maintenance of certification: current attitudes of members of the American Society of Neuroradiology.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The maintenance of certification (MOC) process has begun in radiology, and many physicians will be affected by it. We sought to assess the compliance with and knowledge of the MOC steps by American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) members. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An on-line survey was distributed via e-mail to the members of the ASNR for whom e-mail addresses were available. The survey addressed 3 components of the MOC currently implemented: 1) MOC cognitive examinations, 2) self-assessment modules (SAMs), and 3) continuing medical education (CME) credits. RESULTS: The response rate was 1020/2662 (38.3%). Of those responding, 11% stated that they either do not support the MOC examination (8%) or were unaware of it (3%), 21.4% of respondents have completed an SAM module, but >30% were unaware that they had to complete SAMs or did not know where they were offered. Many members will receive most of their 25 required CME hours for 2007 from sources besides the ASNR annual meeting. Of the small proportion of respondents who made comments (247/1020, 24.2%), those about the MOC process were favorable in 6.1% (15/247), unfavorable in 46.6% (115/247), and neutral in 47.4% (117/247). CONCLUSION: The MOC process remains poorly understood, with limited compliance. The radiology societies should spend additional effort publicizing the requirements and offering support and products aimed at allowing their members to achieve compliance in a reasonable cost-effective fashion.
Similarities of omega gliadins from Triticum urartu to those encoded on chromosome 1A of hexaploid wheat and evidence for their post-translational processing

The ω-gliadins encoded on chromosome 1 of the A genome were purified from Triticum aestivum L. (2n=6x=42, AABBDD) cv. Butte86, nullisomic 1D-tetrasomic 1A of cv. Chinese Spring (CS N1DT1A), and the diploid T. urartu (2n=2x=14, AA). Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography combined with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of gliadin extracts from CS nullisomic-tetrasomic (NT) lines confirmed the assignment to chromosome 1A. The purified ω-gliadins were characterized by mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing. The 1A-encoded ω-gliadins were smaller than 1B- or 1D-encoded ω-gliadins. The N-terminal amino acid sequences for 1A ω-gliadin mature peptides were nearly identical to those for the T. urartu ω-gliadins and were more similar to 1D ω-gliadin sequences than to sequences for T. monococum ω-gliadins, barley C-hordeins, or rye ω-secalins. They diverged greatly from the N-terminal sequences for the 1B ω-gliadins. The data suggest that T. urartu is the A-genome donor, and that post-translational cleavage by an asparaginyl endoprotease produces those ω-gliadins with N-terminal sequences beginning with KEL.
The (Japan-Born) "Flying-Geese" Theory of Economic Development Revisited--and Reformulated from a Structuralist Perspective

The Japan-born “flying-geese (FG)” theory of growth has recently gained recognition in academia and popularity in the media. Since Kaname Akamatsu introduced his ideas in a very broad fashion in the 1930s, opportunities abound for further elaboration and application to contemporary development issues. This paper reviews some of his key ideas and presents a reformulation from a new evolutionary structuralist perspective. The oft-used, yet vague, concept of “the ladder of economic development” is defined in terms of a “leading- sector” stages model, a la Schumpeter—and what comes next as a new rung is considered. The enabling mechanisms of structural upgrading are explored, and the dynamics and benefits of an FG formation of aligned countries are stressed. Also, a new stages (FG-theoretic) model of balance-of-payments is introduced to discuss the financial issues of “borrowed growth” and “global (G2) imbalances.” The dynamics of structural upgrading and interactive growth via trade and investment within a hierarchy of countries is the essence of these reformulated FG models, which make up what is now increasingly shaped and recognized as “new structural economics.”
Microbiological quality of bagged cut spinach and lettuce mixes.

Analysis of 100 bagged lettuce and spinach samples showed mean total bacterial counts of 7.0 log(10) CFU/g and a broad range of or = 11,000/g coliforms were found in 55 samples, and generic Escherichia coli bacteria were detected in 16 samples, but no E. coli count exceeded 10 MPN/g.
Learning from Chinese-English Parallel Data for Chinese Tense Prediction

Tense prediction can be useful for many language processing tasks, such as temporal inference and machine translation. In this paper, we investigate using diverse contextual features for Chinese tense prediction under a statistical learning framework. Because of lack of annotated training data, we propose to leverage ChineseEnglish parallel corpora to automatically generate reference tense for model training. We also propose to use an iterative learning framework to deal with the noisy reference data to improve learning. Evaluation is performed using both automatically generated reference data and a manually annotated set with verb tense. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed learning framework that maps annotation from one language to another using parallel data. Furthermore, we show better performance using our proposed iterative bootstrapping learning method compared to using the original automatically created training data.
The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analytic Review

Objective:Although mindfulness-based therapy has become a popular treatment, little is known about its efficacy. Therefore, our objective was to conduct an effect size analysis of this popular intervention for anxiety and mood symptoms in clinical samples.Method:We conducted a literature search using PubMed, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches. Our meta-analysis was based on 39 studies totaling 1,140 participants receiving mindfulness-based therapy for a range of conditions, including cancer, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and other psychiatric or medical conditions. Results:Effect size estimates suggest that mindfulness-based therapy was moderately effective for improving anxiety (Hedges’sg!0.63) and mood symptoms (Hedges’sg!0.59) from pre- to posttreatment in the overall sample. In patients with anxiety and mood disorders, this intervention was associated with effect sizes (Hedges’sg) of 0.97 and 0.95 for improving anxiety and mood symptoms, respectively. These effect sizes were robust, were unrelated to publication year or number of treatment sessions, and were maintained over follow-up.Conclusions:These results suggest that mindfulnessbased therapy is a promising intervention for treating anxiety and mood problems in clinical populations.
Growth in Weight of Guernsey Cows after the Age of Two Years

Summary Data are presented on the change of weight with age of the Guernsey cow. It was shown that from the age of first calving at about two years, until the age of maximum body weight, the course of growth in body weight can be accurately represented by an exponential equation.
Electrical characterization of coupled and uncoupled MEMS ultrasonic transducers

We report electrical characterization of micromachined polysilicon capacitive diaphragms for use as ultrasonic transducers. Admittance measurements yield insight into the resonant behavior and also the damping resulting from ultrasonic radiation and frictional forces caused by the etch release holes. Unbonded transducers exhibit sharp resonances with Q values that increase with decreasing air pressure. We also report for the first time direct bonding of these transducers to solid surfaces. Transducers survive the bonding process and show distinctly different displacement in response to applied dc bias. Finally, a single-degree-of-freedom model is used to obtain insight into the various contributions to damping.
Role of visual cortex in interocular transfer in the cat.

Abstract The role of the visual cortex (areas 17, 19, and 19), with its preponderance of binocular cells, was investigated as a locus important for interocular transfer. Fourteen cats were tested for interocular transfer of a series of brightness and pattern discriminations in a two-choice, positive reinforcement paradigm. Three were controls. Eleven underwent manipulations designed to reduce the number of binocular cells in their visual cortices. The manipulations were: rearing with external strabismus induced by neonatal transection of one or both medial rectus muscles and/or surgery in adulthood to cut midbrain and forebrain commissures (but not the optic chiasm); and ablation of areas of visual cortex. Measurements of immediate transfer and relearning scores evaluated interocular transfer. Controls showed complete transfer of every discrimination, which contrasts to transfer failures of some tests seen with every experimental cat; three cats reared with strabismus and no adult surgery and three normally reared cats with adult brain lesions showed transfer deficits. These results suggest a role in interocular transfer for the binocular cells of the visual cortex. Two different methods to reduce their number resulted in transfer deficits. This implies that few binocular cells in the visual cortex can subserve good interocular transfer, or the geniculocortical regions outside of areas 17, 18, or 19 can subserve interocular transfer.
Community-based pediatric experiences: Education for the future

In the world of managed, care, nontraditional learning experiences outside the hospital setting are imperative for nursing students. This article describes pediatric clinical learning experiences designed to prepare baccalaureate nursing students for practice. Home visits to families caring for children with illnesses clinical experiences in an elementary school setting, special olympics physical examinations and a drug store assignment illustrate pediatric faculty's efforts to achieve this goal.