cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of saturation on diffraction from dynamic photoanisotropic organic materials

The probability of absorbing a photon by a highly anisotropic dye molecule depends on the orientation of its principal absorption oscillator axis with respect to the polarization direction of the acting light. This will result in more molecules whose absorption axes are parallel to the polarization direction undergoing photoisomerization than the molecules which have other absorption axis orientations. Saturation occurs when all of the molecules aligned in a particular orientation are isomerized so further photoexcitation cannot occur. In this case saturation becomes direction dependent and occurs first in the direction aligned with the incident polarization. We investigate this anisotropic saturation behavior and present a theoretical model which incorporates intensity saturation for describing diffraction from dynamic photoanisotropic organic materials. Numerical simulations of diffraction versus intensity and polarization are provided and compared with the experimental results.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Retardations in fault creep rates before local moderate earthquakes along the San Andreas fault system, central California

Records of shallow aseismic slip (fault creep) obtained along parts of the San Andreas and Calaveras faults in central California demonstrate that significant changes in creep rates often have been associated with local moderate earthquakes. An immediate postearthquake increase followed by gradual, long-term decay back to a previous background rate is generally the most obvious earthquake effect on fault creep. This phenomenon, identified as aseismic afterslip, usually is characterized by above-average creep rates for several months to a few years. In several cases, minor step-like movements, called coseismic slip events, have occurred at or near the times of mainshocks. One extreme case of coseismic slip, recorded at Cienega Winery on the San Andreas fault 17.5 km southeast of San Juan Bautista, consisted of 11 mm of sudden displacement coincident with earthquakes ofML=5.3 andML=5.2 that occurred 2.5 minutes apart on 9 April 1961. At least one of these shocks originated on the main fault beneath the winery. Creep activity subsequently stopped at the winery for 19 months, then gradually returned to a nearly steady rate slightly below the previous long-term average.
Comparative Evaluation of A New Direct Compression Excipient, Soludex™ 15

AbstractSoludex™15, a new corn-based maltodextrin, has been evaluated and compared to nine frequently used commercial excipients for direct compression. The properties of the excipients reported are median size, particle size distribution, bulk density, flow rate, repose angle, moisture content, and hardness and compressibility at several compaction pressures. The influence of concentration of lubricant and mixing time with a lubricant on hardness of Soludex 15 compacts were determined. The effect of 1% magnesium stearate on the hardness of compacts was determined for the ten excipients. Model formulations for direct compression tablets using Soludex 15 are presented, and for a batch of these tablets the weight variation, friability, hardness, disintegration and dissolution are reported. Soludex 15 exhibited excellent flow and compressibility, and model tablets using Soludex 15 as the direct compression diluent met USP specifications and provided a rapid dissolution of the active ingredient.
Mixed oligopoly, privatization and subsidization

Abstract This paper demonstrates three effects of domestic production subsidies in a mixed oligopoly industry regarding privatization and efficiency. First, if subsidies are used before and after privatization, welfare is unchanged by privatization. Second, if subsidies are used only before privatization, then privatization always lowers welfare, regardless of the number of private firms in the industry. Third, the subsidy contributes to overall efficiency in a mixed oligopoly due to cost distribution effects.
Effect of multiple light scattering and self-absorption on the fluorescence and excitation spectra of dyes in random media

The absorption, fluorescence, and excitation spectra of a dye in a highly scattering random medium were studied experimentally. The intrinsic absorption spectrum of the dye does not change in the presence of scatterers, but the presence of scatterers in the media will change the observed fluorescence spectra. The observation is accounted for by the change in the photon trajectory path length for the fluorescence emission.
Monetary management and intergovernmental relations in China

Abstract This paper argues that the Chinese central bank per se is not to be blamed for the excessive monetary growth that created repeated high inflation; rather, the institutional features of the current central-local monetary relations generate this result endogenously. A central-local monetary game is presented as a theory to explain how local governments take advantage of the central bank's lack of commitment to a preannounced credit policy by forcing the central bank to revise the credit ceilings upward, thus creating inflation. This game also explains how reform cycles — the alternating of decentralization and recentralization — over the past decade could be a consequence of the central-local monetary interaction, and why reform cycles have coincided with the monetary cycles. The implications of the 1994 monetary reform are assessed under the framework of the monetary game.
Shewanella oneidensis Hfq promotes exponential phase growth, stationary phase culture density, and cell survival

Background Hfq is an RNA chaperone protein that has been broadly implicated in sRNA function in bacteria. Here we describe the construction and characterization of a null allele of the gene that encodes the RNA chaperone Hfq in Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, a dissimilatory metal reducing bacterium.
Ecological aspects of seed dormancy‐break and germination in Heteranthera limosa (Pontederiaceae), a summer annual weed of rice fields

SummaryHeteranthera limosa seeds were buried in flooded and in non-flooded soil and exposed to natural seasonal temperature changes in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Seeds exhumed after various periods of burial ranging from 2 to 36 months were tested for germination under both flooded and non-flooded conditions. Seeds were dormant at maturity in September and became non-dormant during winter. Seeds buried in non-flooded soil during winter germinated to higher percentages and over a wider range of temperatures when tested under flooded conditions (in light) during spring and summer, than did those buried in flooded soil during winter. Thus, the water regime associated with rice culture (non-flooded in winter and flooded in summer) is optimal for dormancy-break and germination of H. limosa seeds. A portion of the buried seeds exhibited an annual dormancy/non-dormancy cycle, whereas others had a conditional dormancy/non-dormancy cycle. Regardless of the type of cycle, seeds buried in non-flooded soil retained the ability to germinate in light at high temperatures under flooded conditions throughout the summer. Thus, seeds potentially can germinate at any time during the growing season, whenever rice fields are flooded. Flooding fields during winter and/or sowing rice relatively early in the growing season may help in establishing rice before seeds of H. limosa germinate.
PHYSICAL PROPERTY EVALUATIONS OF PERFLUOROTRIETHYLENE GLYCOL DIMETHACRYLATE AS A POTENTIAL REACTIVE DILUENT IN DENTAL COMPOSITE RESINS

Perfluorotriethylene glycol dimethacrylate (FTEGDMA), a fluoro analog of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), was evaluated in dental composites. Curing, physical properties, and water sorption of FTEGDMA-ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate (BisEMA) and bisphenol A glycol dimethacrylate (BisGMA) – TEGDMA as well as TEGDMA - BisEMA blends were evaluated and compared. BisEMA and FTEGDMA viscosities were lower than BisGMA and TEGDMA. FTEGDMA has the lowest refractive index and contact angle on silanated or nonsilanated glass. Polymerization studies showed that FTEGDMA did not significantly alter the decrease of C˭C conversion of the various formulations. Further, the experimental FTEGDMA resins absorbed much less water than the control formulations.
Access to medical care: how do women in Canada and the United States compare?

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine if access to medical care and utilization of cancer screenings differs between women in the United States and Canada. This study examined this question by comparing women in Canada to women in the United States who have insurance coverage and those who do not. Method This study used data from the 2002/03 Joint Canada United States Survey of Health and examined access to medical care and cancer screenings. A binary probit model was used to address several measures of access to medical care and cancer screening utilization. Results This study finds five significant differences between insured American and Canadian women. Canadian women are better off in terms of ever having a mammogram, having a regular doctor, and having access to needed medicine, but fare worse in terms of having had a recent mammogram and having perceived unmet healthcare needs. With the exception of having recent mammograms, there is no statistical difference between uninsured and insured American women. Conclusion Although this study does not show that one group is strictly better off, it does show that there are significant differences between the two groups of women.
Evaluation of a Genome-Scale In Silico Metabolic Model for Geobacter metallireducens by Using Proteomic Data from a Field Biostimulation Experiment

Accurately predicting the interactions between microbial metabolism and the physical subsurface environment is necessary to enhance subsurface energy development, soil and groundwater cleanup, and carbon management. This study was an initial attempt to confirm the metabolic functional roles within an in silico model using environmental proteomic data collected during field experiments. Shotgun global proteomics data collected during a subsurface biostimulation experiment were used to validate a genome-scale metabolic model of Geobacter metallireducens—specifically, the ability of the metabolic model to predict metal reduction, biomass yield, and growth rate under dynamic field conditions. The constraint-based in silico model of G. metallireducens relates an annotated genome sequence to the physiological functions with 697 reactions controlled by 747 enzyme-coding genes. Proteomic analysis showed that 180 of the 637 G. metallireducens proteins detected during the 2008 experiment were associated with specific metabolic reactions in the in silico model. When the field-calibrated Fe(III) terminal electron acceptor process reaction in a reactive transport model for the field experiments was replaced with the genome-scale model, the model predicted that the largest metabolic fluxes through the in silico model reactions generally correspond to the highest abundances of proteins that catalyze those reactions. Central metabolism predicted by the model agrees well with protein abundance profiles inferred from proteomic analysis. Model discrepancies with the proteomic data, such as the relatively low abundances of proteins associated with amino acid transport and metabolism, revealed pathways or flux constraints in the in silico model that could be updated to more accurately predict metabolic processes that occur in the subsurface environment.
High order asymptotic expansions of the four kernel functions for line formation with the Voigt profile

Abstract Analytical expressions are given for the coefficients, as a function of the Voigt parameter a, in the asymptotic expansions of the kernel functions K1(π), K2(π), M1(π), and M2(π) that describe the transfer of radiation scattered with complete redistribution over a Voigt profile.
Symmetries on random arrays and set-indexed processes

A processX on the setN of all finite subsetsJ ofN is said to be spreadable, if\(\left( {X_{pJ} } \right)\mathop = \limits^d \left( {X_J } \right)\) for all subsequencesp=(p1,p2,...) ofN, wherepJ={pj;j∈J}. Spreadable processes are characterized in this paper by a representation formula, similar to those obtained by Aldous and Hoover for exchangeable arrays of r.v.'s. Our representation is equivalent to the statement that a process onN is spreadable, iff it can be extended to an exchangeable process indexed by all finite sequences of distinct elements fromN. The latter result may be regarded as a multivariate extension of a theorem by Ryll-Nardzewski, stating that, for infinite sequences of r.v.'s, the notions of exchangeability and spreadability are equivalent.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THERMAL DIFFUSION EFFECTS IN LAMINAR AND TURBULENT SHEAR FLOW.

Abstract An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the order of magnitude of thermal diffusion across a laminar and a turbulent shear layer. A short length of a cooled free jet was passed through stationary gas and subsequently recaptured into a continuous circulating system. Various mixtures of helium and nitrogen were investigated. With temperatures of 78°K in the jet and 310°K in the surrounding chamber, steady-state helium concentrations in the laminar jet were as much as 7 per cent smaller than in the surroundings. The experimental results are in good agreement with a simplified analysis. With a turbulent sheat layer between the jet and surroundings, the helium concentration inside the jet increases to within 0.1 per cent higher than the chamber level. The thermal diffusion ratio (i.e. thermal to mass concentration diffusion coefficients) in the turbulent shear layer was thus at least two orders of magnitude smaller than in the laminar case and of opposite sign. It is suggested that similar separation effects are to be expected for other steady flows with closed streamlines, such as base flows and flows past cavities.
A retinoic acid response element from the rat CRBPI promoter is activated by an RARRXR heterodimer

Abstract The expression of the rat cellular retinol binding protein I (rCRBPI) can be upregulated in vivo by retinoic acid (RA). Here we have analyzed the rCRBPI promoter region and compared it to the corresponding mouse sequence. We find that the CRBPI 5′ flanking region has been highly conserved between rat and mouse, including a RA response element (RARE) ∼ 1 kb upstream of the start of transcription. The RARE is of the direct repeat type with a two nucleotide spacer. Like other direct repeat RAREs, this response element is activated by RARα and β but not by RARγ1. Furthermore, the rCRBPI-RARE is most effectively activated when both RAR and RXR are present. In addition RAR RXR heterodimers are required for efficient binding to the rCRBPI-RARE, while RARs or RXR alone do not interact effectively with this response element. The rCRBPI gene is therefore most likely activated in vitro by a rmRAR RXR heterodimer.
How to Find Relevant Data for Effort Estimation

Background: Building effort estimators requires the training data. How can we find that data? It is tempting to cross the boundaries of development type, location, language, application and hardware to use existing datasets of other organizations. However, prior results caution that using such cross data may not be useful. Aim: We test two conjectures: (1) instance selection can automatically prune irrelevant instances and (2) retrieval from the remaining examples is useful for effort estimation, regardless of their source. Method: We selected 8 cross-within divisions (21 pairs of within-cross subsets) out of 19 datasets and evaluated these divisions under different analogy-based estimation (ABE) methods. Results: Between the within & cross experiments, there were few statistically significant differences in (i) the performance of effort estimators, or (ii) the amount of instances retrieved for estimation. Conclusion: For the purposes of effort estimation, there is little practical difference between cross and within data. After applying instance selection, the remaining examples (be they from within or from cross source divisions) can be used for effort estimation.
Regional analysis of age-related changes in the cholinergic system of the hippocampal formation and basal forebrain of the rat

Abstract In an attempt to clarify conflicting reports of age-related changes in cholinergic systems of the rat hippocampal formation and basal forebrain, we compared aged (40 months) and adult (12 months) male rats using quantitative, regional receptor autoradiography in addition to radiolabelled assays of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The activities of ChAT and AChE in Ammon's horn/subiculum are 24% and 38% lower, respectively, in the aged brains. There is also a drop in both ChAT (38%) and AChE (28%) activities in the septum, and a 46% drop in ChAT activity in the nucleus basalis of aged rats. In the septal pole of the hippocampal formation there is no significant change with age in binding of the muscarinic antagonist, tritiated quinuclidinyl benzylate (3H-QNB) in any hippocampal subregion. However, specific binding in the temporal pole is higher in the subiculum (40%), CA1 (27%), and dentate gyrus (25%) of the aged animals. Because some of the neurons of the diagonal band of Broca project to the temporal areas of the hippocampal formation by way of a ventral pathway, it is possible that with age this septohippocampal pathway is selectively affected. Particularly in Ammon's horn and the subicular regions of the aged rat hippocampus, postsynaptic muscarinic receptors may upregulate to compensate for decreases in presynaptic cholinergic activity.
Interactions of cytosine derivatives with T.A interruptions in pyrimidine.purine.pyrimidine DNA triplexes.

The ability of triplex-forming oligopyrimidines to interact with duplex targets which contain a single pyr.pur interruption in their homopurine triplex binding site was studied. These oligonucleotides contain either N4-(3-carboxypropyl)deoxycytidine (3) or N4-(5-carboxytriazolyl)deoxycytidine (4) to target the pyr.pur interruption. The 3-carboxypropyl and the 5-carboxytriazolyl groups of these cytosine derivatives are designed to span the major groove of the duplex target. Molecular models suggest that the carboxyl group of 3 or 4 can serve as a hydrogen bond acceptor for the N6-amino hydrogen of A in a T.A base pair. Additional contacts are possible between the N4-amino hydrogen of 3 or 4 and the O4-carbonyl oxygen of T. UV melting experiments showed that a 15-mer, I(3), containing nucleoside 3 formed a stable triplex with duplex targets containing a single T.A interruption. The melting temperature of this triplex was 7 degrees C higher than that of a similar triplex containing a single G.T.A triad when a Tris buffer was employed. Oligomer I(3) also formed a triplex of lower stability with a target containing a G.C base pair but not with targets containing C.G, U.A, or A.T base pairs. A similar 15-mer, II, containing nucleoside 4 was found to be less selective than I(3) in its interaction with duplex targets. Thus, gel mobility shift experiments showed that in addition to interacting with T.A, oligomer II also formed triplexes with duplex targets containing U.A and C.G interruptions. These studies suggest that nucleoside derivatives which can potentially contact both bases of a pyr.pur interruption might provide a means to extend the range of sequences which can be recognized by triplex-forming oligonucleotides.
Does Tourism Promote Cross-Border Trade?

We estimate a simultaneous bivariate qualitative choice model of Arizona agribusiness firms' propensity to trade and visit as a tourist the cross-border state of Sonora, Mexico. Venture business visits, quantified through the tourism equation, were found to have the largest impact on a firm's propensity to trade. Tourist visits have a greater impact on trade when combined with other firm attributes such as age, perceived need for geographic diversity, foreign language fluency, and firm size, than if considered alone. Our results suggest that there is a role for government agencies to play in overcoming imperfect information related to trade opportunities through facilitating exploratory business venture and tourist visits.
Unmet Mental Health Service Needs in Kinship Care: The Importance of Assessing and Supporting Caregivers

Although children in kinship care reportedly have better outcomes than their nonkinship foster care peers, some have unmet mental health needs or delayed service utilization. This study confirms the presence of unmet mental health needs among children in kinship care and indicates that concerns about caregivers moderate the relationship between identified service needs and service utilization. It is important that child welfare assessments consider caregiver capacity to meet each child's needs and, especially within kinship care where not all caregivers are licensed, respond to the resource, housing, education, and service needs of caregivers.
Radiographic identification of threaded endoseous dental implants

Abstract Statement of Problem. The identification of dental implant bodies in patients without available records is a considerable problem due to increased patient mobility and to the large number of implant systems with different designs. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to document features that would help dentists identify nonthreaded implant bodies from their radiographic images. Material and Methods. More than 50 implant manufacturers were contacted and asked to provide implants with dimensions as close as possible to 3.75 mm (diameter) × 10 mm (length). Forty-four implants were donated, 16 of which were identified as nonthreaded. Radiographs were made of these implants at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° horizontal rotation combined with −20°, −10°, 0°, +10°, and +20° vertical inclination relative to the radiographic beam and film. A total of 20 images per implant were taken and examined to identify consistent, unique features that would aid in implant identification. At a 20° vertical inclination, vital features of implants were distorted enough to be deemed unrecognizable. Therefore, only those observations made from radiographs between −10° and +10° vertical inclination were used for implant identification purposes. Results. All implants could be recognized from radiographs made between −10° and +10° vertical inclination. A series of tables and flowcharts describe the implants according to their identifying features. Conclusion. Information from this study should help dentists identify nonthreaded endoseous implants from their radiographic images. (J Prosthet Dent 2002;87:552-62.)
An organizational profitability, productivity, performance (PPP) model: going beyond TQM and BPR

This paper analyses the two popular and widespread organizational development models, total quality management (TQM) and business process re-engineering (BPR). It proposes an organizational profitability, productivity, performance (PPP) model that integrates and enhances the two approaches with a synergistic perspective. Emphasis is placed on major elements such as quality, people, customers, adaptability, business processes and leadership that organizations may use to improve profitability, productivity, and performance.
Approximations for steady-state measures in highly dependable systems with generally distributed component failure and repair times

In this paper we present an approach for approximating steady-state measures, i.e., steady-state mean time between failures and the steady-state unavailability, in models of repairable, highly dependable systems where the components have generally distributed failure times and repair times. Exact solutions for these measures, even for problems with a small number of components, is very difficult as it involves solving a set of integro-differential equations. The approach we follow is to use a ratio representation of these measures and the fact that there are relatively few paths to system failure that are probabilistically dominant. We apply the approach to models of computer systems that were previously evaluated using simulation, and we find that most of our approximations are within 5% of those estimates. As a consequence of this study one also finds that for a large class of such models the steady-state measures depend mainly on the first moment of the component failure time random variables. Intuitive justifications for the approximations are provided.
Formation of orange hibonite, as inferred from some Allende inclusions

— We studied three fluffy Type A refractory inclusions from Allende that contain orange hibonite. The melilite in the present samples is very Al-rich, averaging Ak6, Ak14, and Ak12 in the three samples studied. Hibonite in two inclusions, unlike that in Murchison, has low rare earth element abundances of <10 × CI; in the other inclusion, the hibonite, melilite and perovskite have Group II-like patterns. The hibonite and melilite in all three inclusions studied have excess 26Mg consistent with (26Al/27Al)I = 5 × 10−5. Much of the hibonite and some of the spinel in these inclusions is corroded. These phases are found enclosed in melilite, but based on bulk compositions and phase equilibria, hibonite should not be an early-crystallizing phase in these inclusions. We conclude that the hibonite and probably some of the spinel is relic. Reversely zoned melilite, rounded spinel and isotopically heavy Mg in the inclusions probably reflect reheating events that involved melting and evaporation. Alteration of the gehlenitic melilite gave rise to some rare phases, including corundum and nearly pure CaTs pyroxene. Studies have shown that blue hibonite contains Ti3+ while orange hibonite does not (Ihinger and Stolper, 1986; Beckett et al., 1988). Orange hibonite formed either under oxidizing conditions (such as at oxygen fugacities at least seven orders of magnitude greater than that of a solar gas at 1700 K), or under conditions reducing enough (e.g., solar) that it contained Ti3+, which was later oxidized in situ. Although V and Ce oxides are volatile at the temperature and range of oxygen fugacities at which orange hibonite is known to be stable, we find that (a) the hibonite is V-rich (∼1 wt% V2O3) and (b) there are no negative Ce anomalies in Allende hibonite. This indicates that the hibonite did not form by condensation under oxidizing conditions. In addition, there are slight excesses of Ti + Si cations relative to Mg + Fe cations (up to 0.1 of 0.8 cations per 19 oxygen anions), probably reflecting the original presence of Ti3+. The results of this study strongly support the suggestion (Ihinger and Stolper, 1986) that Allende hibonite originally formed under reducing conditions and was later oxidized. Oxygen fugacities within ∼2–3 orders of magnitude of that of a solar gas are implied; otherwise, strong Ce and V depletions would be observed.
Nitrogen source influences wild mustard growth and competitive effect on sweet corn

Abstract Manipulations of the soil environment can affect the growth and competitive ability of annual weeds because of the large influence that soil conditions exert on seedlings early in the growing season. Our objective was to identify soil nitrogen (N) management systems with weed suppression potential. We hypothesized that competition from wild mustard against sweet corn would be weaker when N was supplied by organic sources (organic) or a split application of NH4NO3 fertilizer applied at planting and 4 wk thereafter (split) than when NH4NO3 fertilizer was applied in a single dose at planting (early). This hypothesis was tested in a 2-yr field experiment conducted in central Maine. Wild mustard's maximal relative growth rate (RGR) was 12% lower (P < 0.05) in 1997 and 1998, and the amount of time needed to achieve maximal RGR was delayed by 0.8 d (P < 0.05) in 1997 in the organic compared to the early treatment. The competitive effect of wild mustard on sweet corn yield was lower in the organic treatm...
A methodology for FPGA-based control implementation

When used for digital compensator implementation, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) allow the use of a short sampling period, and of a customized fixed-point hardware definition wherein each coefficient and each state variable may be represented using a different number of bits. A methodology is presented based on the control system L/sub 1/ or l/sub 1/ norms for computing the appropriate number of bits to represent each quantity. The methodology is shown to be effective for designing hardware for both traditional shift-form and delta-form representations of the compensator. The methodology is applied to the implementation of a magnetic bearing control system. In this example, a delta-form realization requires less hardware than a shift-form realization, and provides a closer approximation to the original analog compensator. The results show that the methodology is useful for the comparison of competing digital compensator structures.
Pain of injection and duration of anesthesia for intradermal infiltration of lidocaine, bupivacaine, and etidocaine.

background. Bupivacaine and etidocaine are local anesthetics said to be long acting based on nerve block data. There are insufficient data on pain of infiltration and duration of anesthesia when either is used for dermal infiltration to assess suitability for skin surgery. objective. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded comparison of intradermal 1 % etidocaine, 0.5% bupivacaine, and 2% lidocaine for pain of injection and duration of anesthesia. methods. Twenty subjects received the above three agents plus normal saline, each with and without epinephrine 1:200,000, with all solutions adjusted to pH 5.95 ± 0.15. results. Lidocaine hurt least and etidocaine hurt most. Adrenalized solutions were more painful than plain. For plain solutions bupivacaine lasted longest and lidocaine lasted shortest by far. For adrenalized solutions bupivacaine lasted 27% longer than lidocaine and 45% longer than etidocaine. conclusion. Where epinephrine is contraindicated and long anesthesia matters, use plain bupivacaine. When epinephrine can be used, lidocaine lasts almost as long as bupivacaine and hurts less.
Overview of near vs. far field radiation characteristics of the linac coherent light source (LCLS)

The unusually long insertion devices being prepared for Angstrom-wavelength Free Electron Lasers (FELs) will generate spectral-angular distributions in the proposed experimental areas that are substantially different from those conventionally calculated for the far field. In this paper we provide a general overview of near-field effects and report on initial computational simulations of near vs. far field distributions for the SLAC linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) undulator, an insertion device approximately 140 meters long. The properties of the coherent radiation as a limiting case of the near-field emission, for the special condition of a microbunched beam radiating along the undulator axis, are reviewed.
Stability and dissipativity theory for nonnegative dynamical systems: a unified analysis framework for biological and physiological systems

Abstract Nonnegative dynamical system models are derived from mass and energy balance considerations that involve dynamic states whose values are nonnegative. These models are widespread in biological, physiological, and ecological sciences and play a key role in the understanding of these processes. In this paper we develop several results on stability, dissipativity, and stability of feedback interconnections of linear and nonlinear nonnegative dynamical systems. Specifically, using linear Lyapunov functions we develop necessary and sufficient conditions for Lyapunov stability, semistability, that is, system trajectory convergence to Lyapunov stable equilibrium points, and asymptotic stability for nonnegative dynamical systems. In addition, using linear and nonlinear storage functions with linear supply rates we develop new notions of dissipativity theory for nonnegative dynamical systems. Finally, these results are used to develop general stability criteria for feedback interconnections of nonnegative dynamical systems.
Fluid flow stimulates rapid and continuous release of nitric oxide in osteoblasts

Interstitial fluid flow may mediate skeletal remodeling in response to mechanical loading. Because nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to be an osteoblast mitogen and inhibitor of osteoclastic resorption, we investigated and characterized the role of fluid shear on the release of NO in osteoblasts. Rat calvarial cells in a stationary culture produced undetectable levels of NO. Fluid shear stress (6 dyn/cm2) rapidly increased NO release rate to 9.8 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1 and sustained this production for 12 h of exposure to flow. Cytokine treatment also induced NO synthesis after a 12-h lag phase of zero production, followed by a production rate of 0.6 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1. Flow-induced NO production was blocked by the NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor NG-amino-L-arginine, but not by dexamethasone, which suggests that the flow stimulated a constitutive NOS isoform. This is the first time that a functional constitutively present NOS isoform has been identified in osteoblasts. Moreover, fluid flow represents the most potent stimulus of NO release in osteoblasts reported to date. Fluid flow-induced NO production may therefore play a primary role in bone maintenance and remodeling.
Voronoi binding site models: Calculation of binding modes and influence of drug binding data accuracy

A new and accurate method for calculating the geometrically allowed modes of binding of a ligand molecule to a Voronoi site model is reported. It is shown that the feasibility of the binding of a group of atoms to a Voronoi site reduces to a simple set of linear and quadratic inequalities and quadratic equalities which can be solved by minimization of a simple function. Newton’s numerical method of solution coupled to a line search proved to be successful. Moreover, we have developed efficient molecular and site data bases to discard quickly infeasible binding modes without time-consuming numerical calculation. The method is tested with a data set consisting of the binding constants for a series of biphenyls binding to prealbumin. After determination of the conformation space of the molecules and proposal of a Voronoi site geometry, the geometrically feasible modes are calculated and the energy interaction parameters determined to tit the observed binding energies to the site within experimental error ranges. We actually allowed these ranges to vary in order to study the influence of their broadness on the site geometry and found that as they increase, one can first model the receptor as a three-region site then as a single region site, but never as a two-region site.
T-cell depletion in GVHD: less is more?

A critical hurdle in the successful clinical application of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Socie and colleagues report that in a randomized trial of unrelated donor HSCT, adding a polyclonal anti–T lymphocyte globulin (ATG-Fresenius) to conventional GVHD prophylaxis before stem cell infusion after myeloablative conditioning results in a reduction of both acute and chronic GVHD without compromising antileukemia activity. 1
Treatment of Massive Rhinophyma with the Carbon Dioxide Laser

A case of massive rhinophyma that produced significant functional and cosmetic difficulties was treated using the carbon dioxide laser. Minimal bleeding occurred during the operative procedure despite the grotesque enlargement and high degree of vascularity of the skin and soft tissue. Using this technique, restoration of normal function and excellent cosmesis was possible without complication.
Holographic Figure Sensing Of Large Primary Mirrors

A holographic technique for sensing the optical figure of a deformable mirror is described. This technique uses the coherent summation of subaperture zone plate to achieve full aperture interferograms. As such, it is inherently scalable to arbitrarily large mirrors. Experimental confirmation of feasibility is presented.
Osteoblast Integrin Adhesion and Signaling Regulate Mineralization

Integrin adhesion and signaling events may contribute to the progressive differentiation of the osteoblast and to the initiation of a mineralized matrix. The purpose of our study was to begin to analyze the role of integrin receptors, in particular alpha2beta1, alpha5beta1, and alphaVbeta3, regarding mediation of the initiation of a mineralized matrix. Integrin-perturbation assays were conducted in microdot cultures of UMR-106-01 Bone Sialoprotein (BSP) osteoblast cells. For phenotypic analysis, we performed bright-field microscopy and Aliziran Red S staining to analyze effects on mineralization initiation. Mineralization was reduced significantly (P < 0.001) following the addition of alpha5- or beta1-integrin subunit antibody by approximately 20% and 45%, respectively--alphaVbeta3 integrin by nearly 65%, and alpha2beta1 integrin by nearly 95%. This effect was reversible following the removal of the antiintegrin antibody. These results suggest that integrin adhesion and signaling events may contribute to the ability of this cell line to mediate the initiation of the mineralization phenotype biologically.
Economic Impact of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation Expenditures on the Southeast U.S. Regional Economy: An Input–Output Analysis

Wildlife-associated recreation expenditures make significant contributions to employment, value added, and inter-industry transactions, and promote conservation and environmental goals. Using 2006 expenditures incurred by anglers, hunters, and wildlife-watching recreationists in the Southeast region of the United States, this study quantified economic impacts of recreation expenditures for fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching using input–output analysis. Results are presented in absolute terms and relative to the Southeast regional economy and to wildlife expenditures nationwide. In total, the US$33 billion spent in 2006 by wildlife recreationists in the Southeast generated US$11 billion in indirect impacts and another US$9.6 billion in induced impacts. Wildlife recreational expenditures generated 0.7% of regional employment and gross output. Thirty-five percent of all wildlife-related expenditures occurred in the Southeast. There were broad differences by type of recreation activity and economic indic...
Efficient techniques for replicated data management

Data replication in distributed systems is considered. Two approaches are developed to partially mitigate the costs associated with replicated data management. The first approach, termed the views protocol, is developed to address the concern of practitioners who reject the quorum protocol since it requires that a read operation be executed on more that one copy. The second approach organizes the copies of data into a logical structure such as a tree, a grid, etc. By using the additional information of the logical structure it is possible to relax the quorum intersection requirements. The two approaches are briefly described, and the possibility of combining them to manage replicated data more efficiently is considered. >
Mesarites as a Source

IN his notice of my study, 'The Foundation of the Empire of Trebizond,' which appeared in SPECULUM, January, 1936, pp. 3-37, Professor F. Dolger remarked, 'Among the sources on the wars between David Comnenus and Theodore Lascaris the writings of Mesarites might also have been considered." I wish first to express to Professor Dolger my sincere gratitude for his important suggestion and then frankly to confess that I cannot explain my omission, since I have been familiar for several years with the three studies by Heisenberg which he indicates and have used them in previous works. In order to repair my omission as far as possible, I intend to discuss here Mesarites' writings as far as they relate to the opening pages of the history of the Empire of Trebizond. Heisenberg published in three parts several works of Nicholas Mesarites under the general title Neue Quellen zur Geschichte des lateinischen Kaisertums und der Kirchenunion.2 In the first study, The Funeral Oration of Nicholas Mesarites in memory of his Brother John, the negotiations are described between Cardinal Benedict and the representatives of the Greek Orthodox clergy which took place in Constantinople at the beginning of October, 1206, after the death of the Patriarch of Constantinople, John Camaterus, who died in exile in Bulgaria (in Didymoteichos) in the summer of the same year. The negotiations came to nothing. But a statement made by the Orthodox monks is of interest to us. The Cardinal called them 'disobedient, stiff-necked, presumptuous, and not sufficiently humble to realize what was beneficial for them,' and the monks replied, 'If we were as you say, we, like the rest of the people of Constantinople, could go to the land of the Emperor Lascaris Theodore the Comnenus (i.e., Nicaea), and to that of Kyr David the Comnenus, and to the lands of the barbarians who share our faith, and even to the land of the Turks.'3 We note in this passage that the land of David, brother of the first Trapezuntine Emperor, Alexius, is mentioned as a refuge for the Greek Orthodox monks to preserve their faith. The second text has a hint only on the struggle between Theodore Lascaris and David Comnenus. This is a petition of the Greek clergy in Constantinople in 1208 addressed to Theodore Lascaris. Theodore's military successes are praised in such general terms that it is almost impossible to recognize single events; but, as Heisenberg correctly remarks, in one place only we find a reference to a real fact, the last hostilities between Theodore and his rival David in Paphlagonia.4 The text states that among other vanquished persons was a very powerful man whom Theodore's strategic cleverness overcame in war, not suddenly and
Influence of water on the deprotonation and the ionic mechanisms of a Heck alkynylation and its resultant E-factors

The influence of water on deprotonation and ionic mechanisms of a Heck alkynylation and its resultant E-factors were investigated. Estimation of the Hatta modulus, MH < 0.02, in cationic deprotonation, anionic deprotonation, and the ionic mechanism each separately confirmed an infinitely slow rate of reaction with respect to the diffusive flux within the thin film of the immiscible aqueous–organic interface. As a consequence, intrinsic kinetic expressions for far-equilibrium conditions were derived from first principles for each mechanism. Analyses of Gibbs free energies revealed that water potentially switched the rate-determining steps of cationic and anionic deprotonation to any of oxidative addition of organohalide to form Pd-complex (ΔG++ = 97.6 kJ mol−1), coordination of the alkyne with the oxidative addition adduct (ΔG++ = 97.6 kJ mol−1), or ligand substitution to form the cationic Pd-complex (ΔG++ = 94.9 kJ mol−1). Hydrogen-bonding in the transfer mechanism might account for the switch. Water, in general, was found to influence which step governs each catalytic cycle and the magnitude of its Gibbs free energy. Transformation of the synthesis from batch to continuous-flow was also studied by analyses of E-factors within the thin film. The amount of waste generated, as indicted by estimations of E-factors, was less in continuous-flow operation than in batch when the fastest step of deprotonation (ligand substitution) was infinitely fast with respect to the diffusive flux. The concentration of hydrophilic phosphine ligand was observed to influence mass transport limitations and the E-factor. Increasing ligand concentrations beyond (10.5), (13.3), and (23.2) × 10−3 mol L−1 for reaction temperatures of 353, 343, and 323 K increased the E-factor above its minimum value of 4.7, and it also induced mass-transfer-limitations. The switch from intrinsic to mass-transport-limited kinetics by finite changes in the ligand concentration explains ambiguity when performing aqueous-phase catalyzed Heck alkynylations and possibly multiphase Pd-catalyzed C–C cross-couplings in general. The potential exists to inadvertently mask the reactivity of useful ligands during discovery and to force mass transport limitations during manufacture. Understanding why the E-factor can be minimized is vital to the sustainable discovery and manufacture of fine chemicals, materials, natural products, and pharmaceuticals.
Identification of NPC1 as the target of U18666A, an inhibitor of lysosomal cholesterol export and Ebola infection

Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) is a lysosomal membrane protein that exports cholesterol derived from receptor-mediated uptake of LDL, and it also mediates cellular entry of Ebola virus. Cholesterol export is inhibited by nanomolar concentrations of U18666A, a cationic sterol. To identify the target of U18666A, we synthesized U-X, a U18666A derivative with a benzophenone that permits ultraviolet-induced crosslinking. When added to CHO cells, U-X crosslinked to NPC1. Crosslinking was blocked by U18666A derivatives that block cholesterol export, but not derivatives lacking blocking activity. Crosslinking was prevented by point mutation in the sterol-sensing domain (SSD) of NPC1, but not by point mutation in the N-terminal domain (NTD). These data suggest that the SSD contains a U18666A-inhibitable site required for cholesterol export distinct from the cholesterol-binding site in the NTD. Inasmuch as inhibition of Ebola requires 100-fold higher concentrations of U18666A, the high affinity U16888A-binding site is likely not required for virus entry.
Method for quantum-jump continuous-time quantum error correction

Continuous-time quantum error correction (CTQEC) is a technique for protecting quantum information against decoherence, where both the decoherence and error correction processes are considered continuous in time. Given any $[[n,k,d]]$ quantum stabilizer code, we formulate a class of protocols to implement CTQEC, involving weak coherent measurements and weak unitary corrections. Under this formalism, we show that the minimal required size of the ancillary system is $n\ensuremath{-}k+1$ qubits, and we propose one scheme that meets this minimal requirement. Furthermore, we compare our method with other known schemes, and show that a particular measure of performance described in this paper is better when using our method.
Learning from the Limits of an Adjudicatory Strategy for Resolving United States?Canada Fisheries Conflicts: Lessons from the Gulf of Maine

Growing concern about the world's fisheries and the capacity of international institutions to sustain them led us to reexamine the use of a World Court Chamber to resolve a boundary conflict between the United States and Canada in the Gulf of Maine. Among that case's unique features was an unprecedented argument, mounted by the United States, that turned fisheries conservation and management into a legal principle for boundary delimitation. We raise the question of whether the World Court is an appropriate institution for addressing problems of managing and conserving fisheries. To test its appropriateness, we examine the rhetorical practices associated with that institution as manifested in the Gulf of Maine case. Those practices include (1) framing the natural resource problem primarily as a political problem, (2) use of strategically designed, linear arguments on behalf of pre-established claims that conceal systemic features of the fisheries problem, (3) use of evaluative standards based on politics and equity but without regard to ecological concerns, and (4) selective use of science to support predetermined claims rather than selecting claims based on an understanding of the problem's ecological dimensions. These practices indicate that the fisheries conflict did not belong in the adjudicatory process, especially since an important alternative was then and is still available. We argue that institutional arrangements modeled after the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission have greater capacity to induce rhetorical practices more conducive to addressing the fisheries problems in the Gulf of Maine.