cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suppression of molecule formation for orthoexciton-polaritons in Cu2O

Abstract The lifetime of dense orthoexcitons in Cu 2 O is severely limited by dark molecule formation. In order to investigate this two-body process for orthoexciton-polaritons, we employ two-photon excitation and resonantly create orthoexciton-polaritons at 2 K, which are the coherent quantum superposition of orthoexcitons and the light field. Based on the steady-state analysis, we find that this density-dependent process is an order of magnitude reduced for resonantly created orthoexciton-polaritons compared with thermalized orthoexcitons at 2 K. This most likely arises from the photonic character of an orthoexciton-polariton. Considering the greatly reduced effective mass of the orthoexciton-polariton, this implies that the experimentally achievable orthoexciton-polariton densities can be above the critical density for Bose–Einstein condensation. However, insufficient elastic scattering seems to keep this propagating quantum ensemble from internal equilibrium.
A recalibration of the quiet Sun millimeter spectrum based on the Moon as an absolute radiometric standard

The solar millimeter continuum between 1 and 20 mm is recalibrated using observations of the average lunar brightness temperature at the center of lunar disk and new Moon brightness temperatures. The solar data are placed on a common scale according to the average lunar brightness temperature distribution proposed by Linsky. A least-squares parabolic regression curve is proposed for the solar millimeter continuum. A small departure from this regression curve near 8 mm may indicate the existence of an absorption feature.
Surface Fourier transform-infrared spectral study of the effect of silver and carbon in Tl0.5Pb0.5Sr2CaCu2O7-δ

The relation between the effect of silver on the amount of residual carbon and the rate of carbonate build-up on the surface of the particles of Tl1212 and Bi2212 was studied by infrared spectroscopy using a diffuse reflectance infrared–Fourier transform (DRIFT) cell. The result showed that appreciable amounts of carbonate still remained after calcination at 940°C when carbonates were used as starting materials. Samples prepared using oxides also showed the presence of carbonate that originated from the CO2 adsorption at the surface during processing. The small amounts of surface carbonates were below the detection limit of X-ray diffraction. However, the DRIFT technique has been found to be a convenient and effective method for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of carbonate formation on the powder surface and atmospheric degradation of thallium- and bismuth-compound superconductors. The presence of silver decreased the rate of the carbonate formation on the Tl1212 and Bi2212 particle surface influencing the degradation process. Carbonate formation was more sensitive to the presence of silver in Tl1212 than in Bi2212. The presence of silver appeared to change the hydroxylation kinetics of calcium and/or strontium, which was directly related to the carbonate forming process. © 1998 Chapman & Hall
Lipid presentation by CD1: the short and the long lipid story.

CD1 presents lipid antigens to T cells. Intrinsic properties of microbial lipids, such as alkyl chain length, may be essential determinants of their efficient presentation to T cells.
Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome: A Cause of Postprandial Abdominal Pain in a Patient With Ulcerative Colitis

We report a case of a young woman with ulcerative colitis presenting with 6-month postprandial abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and weight loss. After an extensive diagnostic workup confirming the presence of multiple other potential causes abdominal pain including ulcerative colitis, pancreatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and then she was diagnosed with median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS). Her pain was relieved after laparoscopic lysis of median arcuate ligament. J Med Cases. 2014;5(6):344-346 doi: http://dx.doi.o rg/10.14740/jmc1773 w
Characterization of Alkylgalactolipids from Calf Brain by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Minor nonpolar galactolipids were isolated from the total lipids of calf brain stem by column chromatography and were separated by preparative thin-layer chromatography into four groups. The material recovered from the bottom band of the thin-layer chromatography consisted of monogalactosyl diglyceride and its 1-0-alkyl isomer, alkylgalactolipid, present in a molar ratio of 11:9. After perbenzoylation, they were separated by preparative thin-layer chromatography and characterized. The fatty acid compositions of these lipids were similar to each other and to those of the ester-linked fatty acids of cerebroside esters. The major alkyl group of alkylgalactolipid was palmityl, and the other, minor componenents were oleyl, myristyl, and stearyl ethers. Perbenzoylated derivatives of these lipids were further separated by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The chromatograms from these two lipids were similar; however, most of the peaks were still mixtures of homologs containing different fatty acids or an alkyl group.
Variation tolerant design methods for wideband low noise amplifiers

In this paper, we develop design techniques for reducing the impact of manufacturing variations on wideband low noise amplifiers (LNA). Utilizing an efficient modeling and circuit optimization method, we investigate the sensitivity of LNA performance metrics to process variations and determine that the input impedance matching is particularly sensitive to perturbations in component values. To mitigate the impact of process variations on the input impedance matching, we add additional circuit elements and tunable capacitors to dynamically compensate for manufacturing variations after fabrication. The results indicate that the proposed design techniques can increase manufacturing yield by up to one order of magnitude for input impedance matching with only a 14% increase in noise figure.
Targeted nanoparticle imaging of angiogenic endothelial activation in premalignant neoplasia and established epithelial cancers

INTRODUCTION: Molecular targeting is the holy grail of cancer therapy. Targeting integrin AvB3 of angiogenic endothelium is in clinical trials. Here, we demonstrate that nanoparticles covered with covalently-linked AvB3-RDG peptides decorate neovasculature associated with epithelial dysplasia and cancer, identifying a microvascular subset as a portal for targeted therapeutics of premalignant or malignant disease.
Traction force characterization of human bipedal motion

Traction estimation and control, common in the automotive industry, have yet to be extended to human bipedal motion. This paper presents a novel metric for slip and traction optimization using the partial derivative of a traction force estimate to slip velocity. The metric is verified computationally using an existing dynamic mode and experimentally using a multi-camera motion capture system.
Spin Twists in a Transistor

Transistors are the centerpiece of conventional electronics, with two key features of switching and amplification. However, transistors relying on electron charge are oblivious to another property of electrons: their spin. In a simple picture, these spins are compass needles, aligned by a magnetic field. With different orientations, “up” and “down,” spin lends itself to encoding binary information as ones and zeroes, as explored in the field of spintronics ( 1 , 2 ). Whereas harnessing spin for robust information storage in computer hard drives and magnetic random access memories has been very successful, delivering a spin transistor has been challenging ( 1 ). On page 324 of this issue, Betthausen et al. ( 3 ) describe a newly discovered spin-transistor action. Considering that the pioneering work on another spin transistor ( 4 ) waited two decades for experimental realization ( 5 ), it is a remarkable feat that the work of Betthausen et al. presents the experiment and theory for their spin transistor.
Marginal PM25: Nonlinear Aerosol Mass Response to Sulfate Reductions in the Eastern United States

ABSTRACT Reductions in airborne sulfate concentration may cause inorganic fine particulate matter (PM25) to respond nonlinearly, as nitric acid gas may transfer to the aerosol phase. Where this occurs, reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions will be much less effective than expected at reducing PM2.5. As a measure of the efficacy of reductions in sulfate concentration on PM , we define marginal PM2.5 as the local change in PM2.5 resulting from a small change in sulfate concentration. Using seasonal-average conditions and assuming thermodynamic equilibrium, we find that the conditions for PM2.5 to respond nonlinearly to sulfate reductions are common in the eastern United States in winter, occurring at half of the sites considered, and uncommon in summer, due primarily to the influence of temperature. Accounting for diurnal and intraseasonal variability, we find that seasonal-average conditions provide a reasonable indicator of the time-averaged PM2.5 response. These results indicate that reductions in...
Are serotonergic mechanisms involved in the acute toxicity of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs)?

Abstract The mechanism of CDD-induced appetite suppression was studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) served as the model compound; additional experiments were performed using higher chlorinated CDDs (penta-, hexa-, hepta-, and a mixture) with substituents in the biologically crucial 2-, 3-, 7-, and 8-positions. All homologues, plus their equipotent mixture, led to an increase of plasma and brain tryptophan (TRP) levels and concomitantly serotonin (5-HT) turnover, in the very same dose range where acute toxicity occurred. The reason for elevated TRP levels was an inhibition of the activity of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TdO) in the livers of treated animals. A direct effect of TCDD on the central nervous system (CNS) was ruled out. Depletion of CNS 5-HT stores by administration of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-dHT) did not influence the TCDD-induced appetite suppression, and thus it was concluded that 5-HT causes aphagia by a peripheral mechanism. Based on the similarity of symptoms caused by CDDs on the one hand, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) on the other hand, a mechanism of action is proposed where CDDs render the organism non-responsive to glucocorticoid receptor-mediated stimuli, locking the activities of several key enzymes of intermediary metabolism to low levels which do not allow the organism to respond appropriately to appetite suppression and hypoglycemia.
A reaction of water with rat-tail tendons (hydration-elongation)

Abstract 1. 1. The rate of lengthening of a dry tendon was analyzed when water, water-salt, and water-alcohol solutions were added. 2. 2. An empirical-mathematical treatment of the experimental data resulted in a certain constant ( K HE ) which could be related to the temperature (1/ T ), dielectric constant ( D ) and ionic strength (μ) of the water solutions. 3. 3. The experimental findingswere compared with recent knowledge of the inteaction of water with proteins. Also, the influence of the solvent was examined in light of the possible existence of electrostatic stabilization forces in the collagen-mucopolysaccharide interaction of tendons.
Role of nuclear receptors in lung tumourigenesis

Nuclear receptors are a family of ligand dependent transcription factors which have important roles in control of growth and differentiation in many cell types. This review will focus on the role of two members of this family (estrogen receptors and PPARgamma) in the initiation and progression of lung cancer. These receptors have been studied in other types of cancer, and the differences between findings in lung cancer and other malignancies will be discussed. We will also describe recent studies on the basic mechanisms of action of these receptors and suggest novel therapeutic targets. Specifically, there is emerging evidence that these receptors can induce gene expression through both ligand-dependent and ligand-independent pathways, and distinct families of genes are likely to be regulated depending on the mechanism of nuclear receptor signalling. These data suggest that a greater understanding of the basic biology and mechanisms of these receptors is required to develop specific pharmacological agents as therapeutics for cancer. Specifically, the development of selective agonists for these receptors, such as tamoxifen, may lead to more selective engagement of anti-tumourigenic pathways. In addition, combinatorial therapy using selective nuclear receptor activators in conjunction with the recently developed EGF receptor inhibitors (gefitinib, erlotinib) may sensitise cells which are unresponsive to the effects of EGF receptor inhibitors alone, providing powerful new therapeutic strategies.
Anatomical Localization of β1 Integrin-like Immunoreactivity in Rat Brain

beta 1 Integrin-like immunoreactivity was localized in rat brain using a polyclonal antibody raised in rabbit against rat liver beta 1 integrin. One-dimensional immunoblotting of whole rat brain membranes indicated that this antiserum recognized a single molecular species at 116,000 M(r), indicative of rat beta 1 integrins. Specific staining of beta 1 integrin-like immunoreactivity was found in the vascular structures of the brain, including microvessels, the ventricular ependymal cells, and pia mater. The pineal gland stained densely, and diffuse staining was present throughout the gray matter of the brain. This diffuse staining had a patterned appearance in certain structures, such as the apical dendritic field of CA1 in hippocampus, and occasional labeling of astrocytes, verified by labeling with GFAP on adjacent sections, was noted.
Dream of unity: from the United States of Africa to the Federation of African States

AbstractThe Pan-Africanists leaders’ dream of unity was deferred in favor of the gradualist/functionalist perspective embodied in a weak and loosely-structured Organization of African Unity (OAU) created on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). This article analyses the reasons for this failure, namely: the reluctance of newly-independent African leaders to abandon their newly-won sovereignty in favor of a broader political unity; suspicion on the part of many African leaders that Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana intended to become the super-president of a united Africa; and divide and rule strategies on the part of major Western powers (including the United States and France) meant to sabotage any attempt at African unity. The African Union which, on 26 May 2001, formally replaced the OAU, is also bound to fail because it is modeled on the European Union. The article then briefly surveys proposals for a re-configuration of the African states and a revision of the political map of Africa put forth by various authors, namely: Cheikh Anta Diop’s Federal African State; Marc-Louis Ropivia’s geopolitics of African regional integration; Makau wa Mutua’s and Arthur Gakwandi’s new political maps of Africa; Joseph Ki-Zerbo’s Federal African State; Daniel Osabu-Kle’s United States of Africa; Godfrey Mwakikagile’s African Federal Government; and Pelle Danabo’s pan-African Federal State. The article concludes with an overview of Mueni wa Muiu’s Fundi wa Afrika paradigm advocating the creation of a Federation of African States (FAS) based on five sub-regional states with a federal capital (Napata) and a rotating presidency, eventually leading to total political and economic integration.
Sequential Analysis of the Stay/Leave Decision: U.S. Air Force Officers

This paper develops a model to study the stay/leave decisions of Air Force officers. The model includes the most important institutional factors affecting an officer's career: promotion probabilities and timing, regular force integration probabilities, and mandatory separation and retirement probabilities. The model considers the officer's income for each potential combination of future grade and year of service and his civilian income opportunities. The model studies the incentives to retire for the current nondisability retirement system and the recent proposal by the President's Commission on Military Compensation. Numerical results are presented using actual data from Fiscal Year 1970 for nonrated officers who entered the Air Force through ROTC. On average, the officers' stay/leave behavior conforms with the model's predictions. Dynamic programming is the methodology used to construct the stay/leave model. Two versions of the dynamic programming model are considered. First, a sequential decision model for a risk-neutral agent is developed. The second version of the dynamic programming model generalizes the risk-neutral case to encompass risk-aversion. A functional equation is developed in which there is temporal resolution of uncertainty with respect to both military and civilian incomes.
Phthalate Esters: The Question of Safety—An Update

(1979). Phthalate Esters: The Question of Safety—An Update. Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 447-466.
Angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4) Protein Is a Physiological Mediator of Intracellular Lipolysis in Murine Adipocytes

Intracellular triacylglycerol (TG) hydrolysis and fatty acid release by the white adipose tissue (WAT) during a fast is stimulated by counter-regulatory factors acting in concert, although how adipocytes integrate these lipolytic inputs is unknown. We tested the role of angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4), a secreted protein induced by fasting or glucocorticoid treatment, in modulating intracellular adipocyte lipolysis. Glucocorticoid receptor blockade prevented fasting-induced tissue Angptl4 expression and WAT TG hydrolysis in mice, and TG hydrolysis induced by fasts of 6 or 24 h was greatly reduced in mice lacking Angptl4 (Angptl4−/−). Glucocorticoid treatment mimicked the lipolytic effects of fasting, although with slower kinetics, and this too required Angptl4. Thus, fasting-induced WAT TG hydrolysis requires glucocorticoid action and Angptl4. Both fasting and glucocorticoid treatment also increased WAT cAMP levels and downstream phosphorylation of lipolytic enzymes. Angptl4 deficiency markedly reduced these effects, suggesting that Angptl4 may stimulate lipolysis by modulating cAMP-dependent signaling. In support of this, cAMP levels and TG hydrolysis were reduced in primary Angptl4−/− murine adipocytes treated with catecholamines, which stimulate cAMP-dependent signaling to promote lipolysis, and was restored by treatment with purified human ANGPTL4. Remarkably, human ANGPTL4 treatment alone increased cAMP levels and induced lipolysis in these cells. Pharmacologic agents revealed that Angptl4 modulation of cAMP-dependent signaling occurs upstream of adenylate cyclase and downstream of receptor activation. We show that Angptl4 is a glucocorticoid-responsive mediator of fasting-induced intracellular lipolysis and stimulates cAMP signaling in adipocytes. Such a role is relevant to diseases of aberrant lipolysis, such as insulin resistance.
Posttranscriptional Regulation by the HIV-1 Rev Protein

Abstract Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) encodes a range of mRNA species derived by partial or complete splicing of a single initial RNA transcript. The nuclear export of the incompletely spliced class of HIV-1 RNAs, which encode critical viral structural proteins, is dependent on the Rev post-transcriptional regulatory protein, a viral RNA binding factor that is expressed early in the HIV-1 replication cycle. Rev contains a potent nuclear export signal that mediates the nucleocytoplasmic transport of bound RNAs subsequent to an interaction with components of the nuclear pore. It has now become evident that the nuclear export pathway utilized by HIV-1 Rev is also critical for the nuclear export of a range of cellular proteins and RNAs.
Sources, deposition rates and decomposition of organic carbon in recent sediment of Sachem Head Harbor, Long Island Sound

The vertical distributions of excess 210Pb and fall out 239, 240Pu imply a uniform sedimentation rate of 1·4–1·6 cm year−1 from 0 to 105–110 cm. This sediment accumulation rate is compatible with sulfate reduction rate data from this location. Below 70 cm only ‘aged’ refractory carbon is present (CR = 1·8% C) with an age of approximately 2400 years. This phase is present in a number of locations across Long Island Sound. Planktonic carbon (CP) is present above the 60–67 cm horizon. A value of 1·0 for AP (14C activity) at 32–37 cm was taken, AP = 1·285 was used for contemporary plankton. This was obtained by correcting the measured AP of a plankton tow sample for admixed refractory carbon. These values were then used to calculate CR, CP and CF (fossil carbon) at 32–37 cm and 6–12 cm. The only values compatible with the known sulfate reduction rate data are CR equal to pre 60–67 cm levels (1·6–1·8% C), CF being 0·3% C at both depths, and CP decreasing with depth from 0·3 to 0·4% C at 6–12 cm to close to zero at 32–37 cm.
Molecular self-assembly routes to optically functional thin films: Electroluminescent multilayer structures

This contribution describes the use of layer-by-layer self-limiting siloxane chemisorption processes to self-assemble structurally regular multilayer organic LED (OLED) devices. Topics discussed include: 1) the synthesis of silyl-functionalized precursor molecules for hole transport layer (HTL), emissive layer (EML), and electron transport layer (ETL) self-assembly, 2) the use of layer-by-layer self-assembly for ITO electrode modification/passivation/hole-electron balancing in a vapor-deposited device, 3) the microstructure/chemical characterization of HTL self-assembly using a prototype triarylamine precursor, 4) fabrication and properties of a hybrid self-assembled + vapor deposited two-layer LED, 4) fabrication and properties of a fully self-assembled two-layer OLED.
Promising Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Successful Urban Teachers

In the debate about urban school effectiveness and teacher quality, one proposition has emerged as indisputable: The success of urban schools depends heavily on the quality of the teachers who serve the schools and the administrators who support the teachers. Unfortunately, urban school district recruitment policies are often not aligned with research and practical knowledge about urban teacher effectiveness; thus, the best candidates are often ignored, neglected, or otherwise discouraged. To achieve challenging goals for student achievement, urban school districts must tailor their recruitment and retention efforts to address the characteristics and motivations of potential urban teachers.
Nonlinear GCV and quasi-GCV for shrinkage models

The generalized cross-validation (GCV) method has been a popular technique for the selection of tuning parameters for smoothing and penalty, and has been a standard tool to select tuning parameters for shrinkage models in recent works. Its computational ease and robustness compared to the cross-validation method makes it competitive for model selection as well. It is well known that the GCV method performs well for linear estimators, which are linear functions of the response variable, such as ridge estimator. However, it may not perform well for nonlinear estimators since the GCV emphasizes linear characteristics by taking the trace of the projection matrix. This paper aims to explore the GCV for nonlinear estimators and to further extend the results to correlated data in longitudinal studies. We expect that the nonlinear GCV and quasi-GCV developed in this paper will provide similar tools for the selection of tuning parameters in linear penalty models and penalized GEE models.
Co-ordination, spillovers, and cheap talk

Abstract We analyze the role of cheap-talk in two player games with one-sided incomplete information. We identify conditions under which (1) players can fully communicate and coordinate on efficient Nash equilibria of the underlying complete information game; and (2) players cannot communicate so cheap-talk does not alter the equilibrium set of the Bayesian game. We present examples that illustrate several issues that arise when there is two-sided incomplete information. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C72, D82.
eBase: A baseband unit cluster testbed to improve energy-efficiency for cloud radio access network

Recently, power consumption of radio access networks (RAN) has attracted a lot of attention since energy cost takes up a vast portion of operational expenditure (OPEX). Specifically, more than half of the energy is consumed by base stations (BS). Baseband Unit (BBU), which is responsible for baseband signal processing, is an important part of BS, and BBU consolidation in the form of a cluster is an promising solution to enhance energy efficiency. Although there are several existing work addressing similar ideas from theoretical perspective, there is still a gap between theoretical and practical solutions. Hence, by leveraging cloud computing and software-defined radio technologies, we develop a BBU cluster testbed, eBase, to consolidates multiple isolated BBUs into a virtualized BBU and then provide unified baseband resource pool for RAN. We present the architecture and implementation of eBase in detail. We also design a distributed resource management middleware to realize comprehensive resource management strategy for BBU cluster in order to improve energy efficiency. Through experiments, we find eBase can reduce total energy consumption by about 20% while satisfying about 95% QoS. These results not only demonstrate BBU cluster's significant capability to reduce energy cost and improve resource utilization, but also show eBase is a capable prototyping testbed for cloud radio access network research.
Multimodal In Vivo Skin Imaging with Integrated Optical Coherence and Multiphoton Microscopy

In this paper, we demonstrate high-resolution, multimodal in vivo imaging of human skin using optical coherence (OCM) and multiphoton microscopy (MPM). These two modalities are integrated into a single instrument to enable simultaneous acquisition and coregistration. The system design and the OCM image processing architecture enable sufficient performance of both modalities for in vivo imaging of human skin. Examples of multimodal in vivo imaging are presented as well as time lapse imaging of blood flow in single capillary loops. By making use of multiple intrinsic contrast mechanisms this integrated technique improves the ability to noninvasively visualize living tissue. Integrated OCM and MPM has potential applications for in vivo diagnosis of various pathological skin conditions, such as skin cancer, as well as potential pharmaceutical and cosmetic research applications.
Pose estimation and transformation for face recognition

A new efficient two-stage algorithm to compute nonlinear features is described. Its implementation on a neural net with adaptive activation functions that raise the input data to an arbitrary power is described. Its use in face recognition with unknown input poses is presented.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Stepwise Discriminant Analysis of Amino Acid Composition of Vitelline Membranes from Yolks Exhibiting Various Degrees of Mottling

Abstract The amino acid composition was determined for vitelline membranes from egg yolks from hens fed a diet with or without nicarbazin which were scored for mottling within 24 hours of oviposition or after two weeks storage at 12 or 22° C. The amino acid composition of the vitelline membranes subjected to the various treatments showed relatively small differences due to treatment. The use of stepwise discriminant analysis of the amino acid data enabled correct classification of the vitelline membranes by treatments and indicated the amino acids of greatest importance in classifying the vitelline membranes.
The promise keepers: Religious revival or third wave of the religious right?

While research on the Promise Keepers movement has yielded some highly suggestive findings, it has failed to draw comparisons between it and other groups or movements. In this article I contribute a small piece to this comparative puzzle by using content analysis to compare the elite gender ideologies of Promise Keeper and mainstream evangelical commentators (as represented by the magazine Christianity Today). While both Promise Keepers and Christianity Today commentators tend to embrace traditional gender role understandings, they typically balance these understandings by calling on men to treat their wives as equal partners in marriage, to contribute equally to the care of children, and to encourage their spouses to pursue their vocational dreams. Surprisingly, Promise Keepers commentators emerged as more apolitical than their Christianity Today counterparts, seldom broaching the topic of abortion. Their reticence on this matter challenges claims by critics that the Promise Keepers movement represents the third wave of the religious right.
Bacterial motility: How do pili pull?

Forceful retraction of a bacterial pilus has been directly observed for the first time. As retraction clarifies the basic mechanochemistry of single cell twitching and gliding movements, so cell-to-cell signalling by contact clarifies the coordination of multicellular gliding movements.
Multispectral Iris Fusion for Enhancement, Interoperability, and Cross Wavelength Matching

Traditionally, only a narrow band of the Near-Infrared (NIR) spectrum (700-900nm) is utilized for iris recognition since this alleviates any physical discomfort from illumination, reduces specular reflections and increases the amount of texture captured for some iris colors. However, previous research has shown that matching performance is not invariant to iris color and can be improved by imaging outside of the NIR spectrum. Building on this research, we demonstrate that iris texture increases with the frequency of the illumination for lighter colored sections of the iris and decreases for darker sections. Using registered visible light and NIR iris images captured using a single-lens multispectral camera, we illustrate how physiological properties of the iris (e.g., the amount and distribution of melanin) impact the transmission, absorbance, and reflectance of different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and consequently affect the quality of the imaged iris texture. We introduce a novel iris code, Multispectral Enhanced irisCode (MEC), which uses pixel-level fusion algorithms to exploit texture variations elicited by illuminating the iris at different frequencies, to improve iris matcher performance and reduce Failure-To-Enroll (FTE) rates. Finally, we present a model for approximating an NIR iris image using features derived from the color and structure of a visible light iris image. The simulated NIR images generated by this model are designed to improve the interoperability between legacy NIR iris images and those acquired under visible light by enabling cross wavelength matching of NIR and visible light iris images.
Alcohol use in students seeking primary care treatment at university health services.

Abstract Objective: Given the high rate of at-risk drinking in college students, the authors examined drinking behaviors and associated factors in students being seen in student health services for primary care visits from October 30, 2004, to February 15, 2007. Methods: Analyses were based on a Health Screening Survey completed by 10,234 college students seeking general medical treatment. Results: Alcohol use was similar to other studies with 57% (n = 5,840) meeting the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism criteria for at-risk drinking. Twenty-six percent of the students reported smoking at least once in the last 3 months. Risk factors for at-risk drinking included young age, white males, drinking at a fraternity/sorority house, and use of tobacco. Conclusions: These findings support the widespread implementation of alcohol screening and intervention in university health services.
INFANTS OF MOTHERS TREATED WITH LITHIUM (Li) DURING PREGNANCY HAVE AN INCREASED INCIDENCE OF PREMATURITY, MACROSOMIA AND PERINATAL MORTALITY

We have previously described the association between maternal Li therapy during pregnancy and fetal macrosomia (Ped Res 17(4):304A, 1983). This study reviews the records of 241 infants reported to the Register of Lithium Babies between 1962-1978. All infants were included in calculating mortality statistics. Gestational age (GA), birthweight (BW), sex, Li dose and duration of therapy were analyzed in 180 infants. Premature delivery occurred in 39% of the pregnancies. Mothers of premature infants were treated with higher daily Li doses during the 1st and 2nd trimester than mothers of term infants (1.2 ± .6 gm vs. .9 ± .5 gm (1st trim.), p 90th %tile for GA) was identified in 36% of the infants with a higher frequency in infants born prematurely than in those born at term (59% vs. 26%). The degree of macrosomia was significantly more pronounced in premature infants than in full term infants (129 ± 23 vs. 106 ± 18, % mean BW for GA, p<.0001). Perinatal mortality was 8.3% (projected 83 deaths/1000 live births) and included 8 stillbirths. Premature delivery accounted for 42% of the perinatal deaths. This study demonstrates that maternal use of Li (particularly greater than 1 gram daily in the 1st and 2nd trimester) during pregnancy constitutes a significant risk of premature delivery and fetal macrosomia. Prenatal management of these high risk pregnancies should include close monitoring for excessive intrauterine growth and premature labor.
Leadership impressions and nonverbal communication in a superior‐subordinate interaction

Based on social exchange theory principles it was hypothesized that nonverbal communication which reduces perceived status differentials in a superior‐subordinate dyad will be judged as considerate leadership behavior. Videotapes were prepared in which the nonverbal behavior of two male actors role‐playing a superior‐subordinate meeting was manipulated (high status or low status communication). As expected, subjects evaluated the leadership performance of the superior as more considerate when he displayed low rather than high status nonverbal behaviors. The superior was also rated as more considerate when his subordinate displayed high status rather than low status nonverbal behaviors. Judgments of the superior's problem solving performance were not affected by nonverbal displays of status.
Toward a Theory of Human History

I show the sense in which the concept of history as a human science affects our theory of the natural sciences and, therefore, our theory of the unity of the physical and human sciences. The argument proceeds by way of reviewing the effect of the Darwinian contribution regarding teleologism and of post-Darwinian paleonanthropology on the transformation of the primate members of Homo sapiens into societies of historied selves. The strategy provides a novel way of recovering the unity of the sciences: by construing the physical sciences themselves as human sciences ‐ and, therefore, as themselves historied.
Contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the female pelvis.

Keywords: Contrast enhancemen; adoliniu; vary, MR, 852,1214; Ovary, neoplasms, 852.31, 852.32, 852.33; Uterus, MR, 854.1214; Uterus, neoplasms, 854.31, 854.32, 854.33; Vagina, MR, 855.1214; Vagina, neoplasms, 855.31, 855.32, 855.33
Airway peptidoglycan and immunostimulatory DNA exposures have divergent effects on the development of airway allergen hypersensitivities.

Abstract Background Environmental exposures to toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands have been suggested to provide immunologic protection against allergic diseases. However, some TLRs use unique intracellular signaling pathways, suggesting that ambient TLR ligand exposures might induce a range of host responses. Objective These investigations compared peptidoglycan (PGN; TLR2)–induced and immunostimulatory sequence DNA oligodeoxynucleotide (ISS-ODN; TLR9)–induced innate responses and determined how airway exposures to these TLR ligands affect adaptive immunity and the asthmatic phenotype. Methods In in vitro and in vivo studies innate responses to PGN and ISS-ODN were compared. Alternatively, mice were intranasally immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) alone or OVA plus PGN or ISS-ODN, and adaptive immune profiles and responses to airway OVA challenge were assessed. Results PGN and ISS-ODN induced divergent innate responses predictive of their having T H 2- and T H 1-biasing adjuvant potential, respectively. Consistent with these findings, mice intranasally immunized with OVA alone had relatively weak adaptive responses, whereas intranasal OVA/PGN– and OVA/ISS-ODN–coimmunized mice had much stronger humoral and cellular responses that were T H 2 and T H 1 biased, respectively. Finally, on airway allergen challenge, mice intranasally immunized with OVA alone had modest T H 2-biased airway hypersensitivity responses, whereas airway responses were greatly exaggerated for intranasal OVA/PGN–immunized mice. In contrast, intranasal OVA/ISS-ODN–immunized mice had little evidence of airway hypersensitivity after airway allergen challenge. Conclusions Considered in a larger context, these results suggest that inspired air is likely to contain TLR ligands capable of both preventing and precipitating the asthmatic phenotype.
Aldosterone synthesis by adrenal mitochondria: III. Participation of cytochrome P-450

Abstract The following evidence has been obtained that cytochrome P-450 is involved in the biosynthesis of aldosterone from corticosterone by adrenal mitochondria: spectrophotometric measurements of the mitochondria demonstrated the presence of cytochrome P-450; the synthesis of aldosterone was inhibited by CO and the inhibition was reversed by light; and the photochemical action spectrum showed a maximum at 450 mμ. The involvement of cytochrome P-450 provides experimental evidence that a hydroxylation step occurs in the conversion of corticosterone to aldosterone, and therefore indicates that 18-hydroxycorticosterone (11β,18,21-trihydroxypregn-4-ene-3, 20-dione) is an intermediate in this conversion.
Melanoma of the external ear.

Management of melanoma of the external ear is controversial. Thirty-one patients treated for this disease were identified at our institution between January 1, 1974 and December 31, 1989. Follow-up was an average of 7.12 years (range 1-15). Local therapy performed included 16 wedge resections, 3 split thickness skin grafts after excision to the perichondrium, 10 partial and 2 total amputations. There were two local recurrences, four metachronous cervical metastases, and four distant metastases. Three elective and five therapeutic neck dissections were performed. Survivors at 1, 5, and 10 years were 93, 77, and 47%, respectively. There was no relationship between DNA ploidy, local surgical therapy, and eventual recurrence. Clinical stage and tumor thickness demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with likelihood of recurrence (P = .02 and .05). There is no evidence that melanoma of the ear has a poorer prognosis or different prognostic factors than melanoma at other cutaneous sites. In selected cases, local disease can be controlled by excision and skin graft rather than the more aggressive current procedures.
Summary of Presentations from the 46th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (2010): Focus on Developmental Therapeutics Related to Lung Cancer

A number of novel agents are currently being tested in clinical trials in patients with cancer. Results from early-phase trials, often in unselected groups of patients with a wide variety of cancer types, were reported at the 46th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). We report on selected studies from the developmental therapeutics track (abstracts 2500-2613 and 3000-3108) that may be of interest to the thoracic oncology community.
Skeleton and musculature of the head and thorax of Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The muscles of the head, neck and thorax of the adult cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni are described for the first time. They are compared to those of Choristoneura fumiferana, Manduca sexta, Smerinthus geminatus, Antheraea polyphemus, Sphinx convolvuli, Crymodes devastator, and Danaus plexippus.
Substrate surface effects on the properties of sputter-deposited and laser-irradiated films

Sapphire substrates, mechanically polished to an optical finish, were annealed for two days at either 1000{degrees}C or 1350{degrees}C. The near surface condition of as-polished and of the annealed substrates was analyzed by Rutherford backscattering/channeling (RBS-C) and by scanning electron microscopy/channeling (SEM-C), by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The polished substrates were found to be RBS-amorphous up to 100 nm, and heavily damaged at larger depths. In agreement with these results, no electron channeling was obtained from polished samples. TEM, however, showed that the damaged region was crystalline, and the only defects detected were microtwins. Both RBS-C and SEM-C analyses revealed that the damage is removed when the sapphire substrates are annealed for 48 hrs. at 1350{degrees}C. The condition of the near-surface region, viz., as-polished or annealed, is found to strongly affect the morphology of the laser-irradiated copper films deposited on sapphire substrates. A correlation is found between the threshold for film evaporation and for film rupture upon laser irradiation, both being a function of the substrate condition. It is concluded that the near-surface damaged layer acts as a thermal barrier for heat transport across the substrate.
Naïve Bayesian filters for log file analysis: Despam your logs

System log files are critical for troubleshooting complex modern computer systems. Systems can easily produce more log file entries than a human can realistically use. However, there are a number of good filtering and clustering technologies that are used in various areas of data mining. This research focuses on using very easily accessible Bayesian spam filters for categorizing log entries. Results of this research have confirmed that these filters can be effectively used to discover log entries related to known issues, and to effectively disprove outage relationships. Both of these techniques can be easily instrumented in a log analysis framework and provide administrators with much needed filtering for similar logs and thus, similar outages.
Task Assignmentand Agency Structures

This paper considers an agency model in which a principal delegates an agent authority to choose investment projects. The performance of the project depends stochastically on the agent's evaluation and operating efforts. The paper examines the conditions under which the principal prefers to assign production to a second agent. It is shown that the tasks will be assigned to two agents of the agent chooses an unobservable operating effort. The tasks will be assigned to one agent if the agent's evaluation and operating efforts are both unobservable and if disutilities of efforts are large relative to the profit from the risky project.
Compromise revisited: inhibitory synapse and electrical coupling effects on bilateral phasing in the leech heartbeat system

The leech heartbeat central pattern generator (CPG) consists of a network of heart interneurons (HN) that coordinate heart excitor (HE) motor neuron activity via inhibitory chemical synapses. Each segmental pair of HE’s is connected to one another via electrical coupling. Depending on the segment, the pair of motor neurons in the living system is active across a wide range of phase differences from nearly in-phase to anti-phase [1]. Prior efforts to model this complete network have not quantitatively matched the intersegmental phase differences observed [2]. We have created a reduced network model in Simulink to explore parameters that contribute to these phase differences. In our network model, we implemented known neuronal properties and synaptic connections from a single segmental ganglion as shown in Figure ​Figure1.1. In our initial model run, the HN’s were modeled as endogenous bursters as previously described [3]; the HE’s were modeled as tonic firers. We varied three parameters in this study: phased delay of the right HN synaptic input (ΦSyn) and the maximum conductances of the inhibitory synapse (gSyn) and electrical coupling (gcoup). Figure 1 Leech heartbeat circuit diagram showing identified heart interneurons (HN) of the CPG and their pattern of inhibitory synaptic connections (lines with circles) onto each other and the heart excitor motor neurons (HE). The resistor symbol indicates rectifying ... We found that in this network gSyn must be at least 150 times greater than gcoup in order to obtain 1:1 entrainment of the HE’s with the HN’s. Under conditions with zero ΦSyn, increased gcoup led to increased instantaneous spike frequencies (ISF) and reduced duty cycle, primarily due to a delayed burst beginning. Increasing gSyn alone with zero ΦSyn led to little change in HE phase or duty cycle, but saw increased ISF. With relatively high levels of gSyn (300-600 nS), increasing ΦSyn (0.2-0.5) caused one HE to decrease its duty cycle while the other increased. Higher levels of ΦSyn (0.5-0.8) caused the HE’s to switch their relative duty cycle patterns. With weak gcoup (0.25-0.50 nS) and moderate ΦSyn (0.4-0.6), increasing gSyn led to a reduced HE duty cycle and side-to-side phase difference. The largest phase differences were found when both gSyn and gcoup were relatively strong. In summary, increases in gcoup tended to lead to increased phase differences, while increases in gSyn led to decreased phase differences. Our search of parameter space has provided a foundation for understanding the mechanisms underlying variable phase differences in neuronal networks and reinforced the importance of compromise between synaptic and neuronal properties for producing functional motor patterns.
How to Make Kernicterus a "Never Event"

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. List potential reasons for the resurgence in cases of kernicterus since 1990 in otherwise well-appearing term and near-term infants. 2. List maternal and infant risk factors for increased frequency and severity of hyperbilirubinemia in breastfed infants. 3. Describe the key components of daily follow-up visits for infants discharged fewer than 48 hours after birth. 4. Describe the laboratory test that can be used to determine the risk of developing subsequent severe hyperbilirubinemia and help guide acute therapy and follow-up plans. 5. Explain why near-term infants born at 35 to 37 weeks’ gestation are at particularly high risk for developing severe hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus. A clinician in a well-baby nursery is asked daily to make decisions involving hyperbilirubinemia, breastfeeding, and early newborn discharge. In most cases today, a newborn is at home when lactogenesis is occurring and bilirubin levels are peaking. With the less aggressive approach to managing bilirubin advocated in the 1990s, there has been a dramatic rise in cases of acute bilirubin toxicity and kernicterus in otherwise well-appearing, healthy term and near-term newborns. There have been 120 cases reported to the Pilot Kernicterus Registry in the last 12 years, probably an underestimate of the true incidence. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) issued a Sentinel Event Alert in 2001 notifying all hospitals that kernicterus does threaten healthy newborns. Kernicterus has been called a “never event,” identified on a list of “serious, egregious, preventable adverse events” by The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Policies and protocols are needed in well-baby nurseries to ensure the safety of newborns from this entirely preventable and devastating outcome. In this article, we review the history of jaundice and kernicterus; the key interplay between hyperbilirubinemia, dehydration, and breastfeeding failure; and how a systematic approach to the …