cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical measurement of static and dynamic displacement in MEMS

Abstract This chapter discusses the optical measurement of static and dynamic displacement in MEMS in detail. A variety of optical techniques have been developed for the characterization of mechanical motion in MEMS devices. A variety of optical metrology instruments are available to perform these measurements. Cameras based on array photodetectors are low-cost and easy to integrate with computer-based image acquisition and analysis software. High-speed cameras with frame-rates exceeding 10,000 frames per second are available, it is desirable to measure device motion at frequencies far above this range. Higher precision can be obtained through stroboscopic measurements in which the sample is illuminated with a pulsed light source. Out-of-plane motion in MEMS is conveniently measured using an interferometer. The reflected light beams combine and interfere at the surface of the photodetector or camera. The device topography can be extracted using phase-shifting interferometry, in which a sequence of interferograms is collected while controlled variations in the relative phase of the measurement and reference path are introduced. The interferograms are then analyzed together to compute the topography of the device under test. Interferometers may also be constructed using optical fiber. The fiber Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) has a number of advantages over free-space interferometers. The fiber FPI is considerably more robust to vibration than a conventional Michelson interferometer. In an interferometer, the coherence length of the light source determines the optical path difference at which the fringe contrast falls to zero. The interferometers described above are based on the interference of laser light with the same wavelength and are classified as homodyne interferometers. One popular heterodyne interferometer is known as a laser Doppler vibrometer.
Bacillus anthracis and Other Bacillus Species

The genus Bacillus is a diverse group of spore-forming bacteria. Bacillus species have implications in both medical and biodefence aspects of microbiology. This chapter attempts to summarize key molecular aspects of these bacteria (with an emphasis on B. anthracis ). Topics discussed include bacteriology (sporulation and germination), pathogenesis and disease progression, species differentiation and detection, virulence factors (toxin and capsule), vaccines (current and next-generation anthrax vaccines), and animal models of anthrax. As evidenced by the breadth of information covered within this chapter, there has been a great deal of research performed on Bacillus species for more than a century.
Design, Fabrication, and Characterization of a Low-Temperature Curable Magnetic Composite for Power Electronics Integration

To simplify the integration process of embedding magnetic components in power electronics converters, we fabricated a magnetic-filled-benzocyclobutene composite that can be cured at temperatures below 250 °C without pressure. The magnetic fillers used in the formulation were a round-shaped particle of permalloy and a flake-shaped particle of Metglas 2705 M. To guide the formulation, we first constructed 3-D finite-element models of the composite consisting of periodic unit cells of magnetic particles and flakes in the polymer matrix and used Ansoft Maxwell to simulate magnetic properties of the composite. Then, flowable pastes of the composite with varying amounts of Metglas in the magnetic fillers up to 12.5 wt% were prepared, and toroid cores were poured and cured at 250 °C. Subsequently, magnetic properties of the cores, i.e., complex permeability and core loss density, were measured. We found that the real part of the composite’s relative permeability increased with Metglas addition, reaching a value of 26 at 12.5%. However, the core loss data at 1 and 5 MHz showed that the addition of Metglas flakes also increased the core loss density. The measured properties were consistent with the Maxwell simulation results. Microstructures of the cores were examined by scanning electron microscopy. We found that the magnetic particles were uniformly dispersed and isolated by the polymer, which explained the high electrical resistivities of the composite and relatively low core loss densities due to suppression of inter-particle eddy-current losses.
Isolating Degradation Mechanisms in Mixed Emissive Layer Organic Light-Emitting Devices

Degradation in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) is generally driven by reactions involving excitons and polarons. Accordingly, a common design strategy to improve OLED lifetime is to reduce the density of these species by engineering an emissive layer architecture to achieve a broad exciton recombination zone. Here, the effect of exciton density on device degradation is analyzed in a mixed host emissive layer (M-EML) architecture which exhibits a broad recombination zone. To gain further insight into the dominant degradation mechanism, losses in the exciton formation efficiency and photoluminescence (PL) efficiency are decoupled by tracking the emissive layer PL during device degradation. By varying the starting luminance and M-EML thickness, the rate of PL degradation is found to depend strongly on recombination zone width and hence exciton density. In contrast, losses in the exciton formation depend only weakly on the recombination zone, and thus may originate outside of the emissive layer. These ...
Magnetic resonance and photoacoustic imaging of brain tumor mediated by mesenchymal stem cell labeled with multifunctional nanoparticle introduced via carotid artery injection

Objective. To evaluate the feasibility of visualizing bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) labeled with a gold-coated magnetic resonance (MR)-active multifunctional nanoparticle and injected via the carotid artery for assessing the extent of MSC homing in glioma-bearing mice. Materials and methods. Nanoparticles containing superparamagnetic iron oxide coated with gold (SPIO@Au) with a diameter of ~82 nm and maximum absorbance in the near infrared region were synthesized. Bone marrow-derived MSCs conjugated with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were successfully labeled with SPIO@Au at 4 μg ml−1 and injected via the internal carotid artery in six mice bearing orthotopic U87 tumors. Unlabeled MSCs were used as a control. The ability of SPIO@Au-loaded MSCs to be imaged using MR and photoacoustic (PA) imaging at t = 0 h, 2 h, 24 h, and 72 h was assessed using a 7 T Bruker Biospec experimental MR scanner and a Vevo LAZR PA imaging system with a 5 ns laser as the excitation source. Histological analysis of the brain tissue was performed 72 h after MSC injection using GFP fluorescence, Prussian blue staining, and hematoxylin-and-eosin staining. Results. MSCs labeled with SPIO@Au at 4 μg ml−1 did not exhibit cell death or any adverse effects on differentiation or migration. The PA signal in tumors injected with SPIO@Au-loaded MSCs was clearly more enhanced post-injection, as compared with the tumors injected with unlabeled MSCs at t = 72 h. Using the same mice, T2-weighted MR imaging results taken before injection and at t = 2 h, 24 h, and 72 h were consistent with the PA imaging results, showing significant hypointensity of the tumor in the presence of SPIO@Au-loaded MSCs. Histological analysis also showed co-localization of GFP fluorescence and iron, thereby confirming that SPIO@Au-labeled MSCs continue to carry their nanoparticle payloads even at 72 h after injection. Conclusions. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of tracking carotid artery-injected SPIO@Au-labeled MSCs in vivo via MR and PA imaging.
Imaging dichroism by photoacoustic computed tomography (Conference Presentation)

Conventional photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) images the spatial distribution of optical absorption, which is approximated as an isotropic optical property. The optical absorption of many biological tissues, however, is anisotropic. This anisotropy, known as dichroism or diattenuation, encodes rich information about molecular conformation and structural alignment. Here we report a novel imaging method called dichroism-sensitive PACT (DS-PACT). Using a lock-detection strategy, our method can measure the amplitude of tissue’s dichroism and the orientation of the optic axis of uniaxial dichroic tissue, even at a depth of 3.25 transport mean free paths. We experimentally demonstrated DS-PACT by imaging plastic polarizers and ex vivo bovine tendons deep inside scattering media. Our method extends the functionality of PACT to include a new capability, imaging tissue absorption anisotropy.
3D Fluorescence Microscopy with DiffuserCam

We propose a lensless diffuser-based microscope for 3D fluorescence microscopy from a single exposure. We use compressed sensing and a local convolution model to account for the system’s spatially-varying point spread functions in a computationally efficient manner.
Home Networking: Smart but Complicated

Internet connection at home has fundamentally changed the way that appliances are designed in the same way that the invention of electricity did. Having efficient and reliable home networking is the key to any modern home. The number of devices that need to be connected to a home networking system increases every day. Computers, televisions, tablets, gaming devices and sound systems are just some of the many appliances that need that connection. Despite the improvements to the hardware of networking devices, re-search shows that the software to set up networking devices along with their configuration are extremely complicated. This paper presents the results of several usability investigations on home networking devices including: a comparative study of different product brands, two series of user surveys, and empirical observations. The results of these investigations show that all of the major brands of home networking appliances use a complex, feature-oriented, rudimentary user interface (UI) design with terms that are understood by a very small percentage of people.
Some nonlinear problems in the control of distributed systems

In this paper, the control problems associated with a moving flexible robot arm, and with the attitude of a space station with flexible structural components are discussed. The robot arm is modelled by a partial differential equation with a time-dependent spatial domain. It is shown that the arm motion may stabilize or destabilize the system, and its feedback control gives rise naturally to a distributed system with a free boundary. The space station is modelled by a partial differential equation coupled with a nonlinear integrodifferential equation. A nonlinear control law based on a rigid-body model is derived. Its effectiveness in the presence of elastic deformations is discussed. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of certain control problems for abstract evolution equations with time-dependent spatial domains.
Calcium (Ca) Mediated Phosphate (PO4) Transport in the Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT) of the Rabbit

Several clearance studies have suggested a direct effect of calcium (Ca) on phosphate (PO4) handling by the kidney. Micropuncture studies by Amiel and colleagues1 have shown enhancement of fractional phosphate reabsorption in the proximal convoluted tubule when plasma calcium was raised from low towards normal values in parathyroidectomized rats. Conversely, Goldfarb et al 2 have shown a decline in fractional phosphate reabsorption in this portion of the nephron with the induction of mild hypercalcemia in thyroparathyroidectomized dogs. The divergence of these results may be due to species differences, the level of plasma phosphate or ionized calcium before and after calcium chloride administration, or the other various indirect effects of calcium on phosphate handling by the nephron.
Causal theories of action and change

For many commonsense reasoning tasks associated with action domains, only a relatively simple kind of causal knowledge (previously studied by Geffner and Lin) is required. We define a mathematically simple language for expressing knowledge of this kind and describe a general approach to formalizing action domains in it. The language can be used to express ramification and qualification constraints, explicit definitions, concurrency, nondeterminism, and dynamic domains in which things change by themselves.
Ibrutinib: A post-marketing safety analysis.

e19559Background: Patients taking ibrutinib are at increased risk of bleeding and atrial fibrillation / flutter (AFF). Data regarding safety of ibrutinib is mostly based on information from clinica...
Outcomes for Ulcerative Colitis With Delayed Emergency Colectomy Are Worse When Controlling for Preoperative Risk Factors

BACKGROUND:Increasing evidence supports immediate colectomy in acute fulminant ulcerative colitis in comparison with ongoing medical management. Prior studies have been limited to inpatient-only administrative data sets or single-institution experiences.OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this study was to com
Application of a recursive partitioning decision tree algorithm for the prediction of massive transfusion in civilian trauma: the MTPitt prediction tool.

Background A supervised machine learning algorithm was used to generate decision trees for the prediction of massive transfusion at a Level 1 trauma center. Methods Trauma patients who received at least one unit of RBCs and/or low-titer group O whole blood between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2017, were included. Massive transfusion was defined as the transfusion of 10 or more units of RBCs and/or low-titer group O whole blood in the first 24 hours of admission. A recursive partitioning algorithm was used to generate two decision trees for prediction of massive transfusion using a training data set (n = 550): the first, MTPitt, was based on demographic and clinical parameters, and the second, MTPitt+Labs, also included laboratory data. Decision tree performance was compared with the Assessment of Blood Consumption score and the Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage score. Results The incidence of massive transfusion in the validation data set (n = 199) was 7.5%. The MTPitt decision tree had a higher balanced accuracy (81.4%) and sensitivity (86.7%) compared to an Assessment of Blood Consumption Score of 2 or higher (77.9% and 66.7%, respectively) and a Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage score of 9 or higher (75.0% and 73.3%, respectively), although the 95% confidence intervals overlapped. Addition of laboratory data to the MTPitt decision tree (MTPitt+Labs) resulted in a higher specificity and balanced accuracy compared to MTPitt without an increase in sensitivity. Conclusions The MTPitt decisions trees are highly sensitive tools for identifying patients who received a massive transfusion and do not require computational resources to be implemented in the trauma setting.
Cholangioscopy-guided retrieval basket and snare for the removal of biliary stones and retained prostheses

Background and Aims Certain pancreaticobiliary conditions remain challenging to treat using standard endoscopic techniques. Examples include difficult-to-remove gallstones and foreign objects in the bile ducts. Two tools designed for these purposes are the SpyGlass retrieval basket and the SpyGlass retrieval snare, which are passed through the cholangioscope channel for use under direct visualization. We present 3 cases in which these tools were used successfully. Methods Three cases using the SpyGlass retrieval basket and retrieval snare were reviewed for efficacy. Results Patient 1 had hepatitis C cirrhosis and underwent liver transplantation with T tube placement at the site of biliary anastomosis. Image-guided T tube removal by interventional radiology was unsuccessful. Endoscopic removal with the SpyGlass retrieval snare was completed. Patient 2 presented with cholangitis from an impacted common bile duct stone. Fragmentation with electrohydraulic lithotripsy was performed, and the fragments were removed with the SpyGlass retrieval basket. Patient 3 presented for removal of a migrated biliary stent. The stent was placed a year prior during an ERCP for treatment of choledocholithiasis. Initial removal attempt at an area hospital failed, so the patient was referred to our center, where the Spyglass retrieval snare was used to remove the biliary stent. Conclusions This case series demonstrates initial successes treating biliary pathologic conditions with the SpyGlass retrieval basket and retrieval snare, 2 tools designed for use under direct visualization with the cholangioscope.
Step Dancing in Cape Breton and Other Complicated Relationships: A Review Essay

John G. Gibson, Gaelic Cape Breton Step-Dancing: An Historical and Ethnographic Perspective Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2017. Pp. 464. ISBN 978-0-7735-5059-9. CDN $55.00
Bacterial Vaccines and the Challenges Ahead

In this chapter, the learner is introduced to the history of, and process behind, the discovery and making of vaccines against bacterial diseases. This includes the types of formulations that have been constructed and the current guiding principles used to make a safe and efficacious vaccines, including the selection and discovery of antigens and the process for their preparation and testing in animal models and people. The text also includes a discussion of approved adjuvants, salient features of current vaccines, and an introduction into the challenges vaccinologists face in the future.
The Role of Fines and Fees on Probation Outcomes

Individuals on probation are commonly assessed fines and fees. These monetary sanctions serve different purposes. Fines are primarily used for more punitive purposes, whereas fees are often used to...
A phosphoinositide-based model of actin waves in frustrated phagocytosis

Phagocytosis is a complex process by which phagocytes such as lymphocytes or macrophages engulf and destroy foreign bodies called pathogens in a tissue. The process is triggered by the detection of antibodies that trigger signaling mechanisms that control the changes of the cellular cytoskeleton needed for engulfment of the pathogen. A mathematical model of the entire process would be extremely complicated, because the signaling and cytoskeletal changes produce large mechanical deformations of the cell. Recent experiments have used a confinement technique that leads to a process called frustrated phagocytosis, in which the membrane does not deform, but rather, signaling triggers actin waves that propagate along the boundary of the cell. This eliminates the large-scale deformations and facilitates modeling of the wave dynamics. Herein we develop a model of the actin dynamics observed in frustrated phagocytosis and show that it can replicate the experimental observations. We identify the key components that control the actin waves and make a number of experimentally-testable predictions. In particular, we predict that diffusion coefficients of membrane-bound species must be larger behind the wavefront to replicate the internal structure of the waves. Our model is a first step toward a more complete model of phagocytosis, and provides insights into circular dorsal ruffles as well.
Truth, Politics and Disability: Graphic Narratives as Illustrated Hope

Citizenship in the 21st century may necessitate new and novel means of practice and expression. The graphic novel form can allow for these new means of expression, especially in regards to an important issue in any society: the issue of disability. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how a comic, created by the author, was used to spark conversations and new understandings around the topic of disability and citizenship.
Predicting the Conducted Emission of a CRM PFC Below 1MHz by Transient Modeling

Power Factor Corrections (PFC) are widely used in ac to dc power supplies. Modeling the PFC circuits and predicting the conducted emission (CE) are important in power supply designs. This paper introduces a transient model of a critical conduction mode (CRM) power factor correction. The control circuit of the PFC is built to achieve a CRM working condition with a constant on-time switching. The simulated time domain noise waveform is converted to the conducted EMI in frequency domain via short-time fast Fourier transform (STFFT). The simulated conducted EMI is compared to measured results below 1MHz.
Leukemic Relapse 5½ Years After Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation

A 13-yr-old male with acute myelogenous leukemia was treated with various chemotherapy regimens for 3½ yr and then underwent an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The donor marrow was successfully engrafted, and the patient remained in remission free of all chemotherapy. Then, 5½ yr later, he developed an extramedullary relapse with a chloroma of his maxillary sinus. This case illustrates the need for prolonged followup of transplant recipients and suggests that statements proposing cure as a result of this procedure may be premature.
Using laboratory experiments for policymaking: An example from the Georgia irrigation reduction auction

In recent years, interest has been growing in policy applications of different auction systems. This paper reports a series of experiments that were used to design and implement an auction in a unique policymaking environment. In April 2000, the Georgia legislature passed a law that mandated that the state hold an auction in drought years to pay some farmers to suspend irrigation. This paper reports the results of laboratory experiments state policymakers used to determine the auction institution that would be used to fulfill the requirements of this new law. Experimental results are compared with farmers' bidding behavior in the state-run irrigation auction used to reduce water usage in Georgia. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
A New Methodology for the Analysis of Visuals in Legal Works

To be published at 15 Florida Int'l Univ. Law Review (2021) The goal of this Article is to introduce a comprehensive methodology for analysis of visuals used for communication in legal works, by which I mean transactional and litigation documents, legal instruments, primary and secondary sources of law, and legal informational materials. To date, the scholarship on visuals in legal communications has been heavily descriptive, with some forays into the ethical and practical considerations of the use of “visualized” legal works. No one has yet devised a comprehensive analytical methodology that draws upon the disciplines of visual literacy, visual cultural studies, visual rhetoric, and mise en scene analysis to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of actual examples of highly visual legal documents and critique their efficacy and propriety in a variety of legal settings. This Article will fill that gap in the literature. The new methodology evaluates the following aspects of visual legal works: • Immediate Visual Context o Analysis of Meaning o Taxonomy of Purpose and Function • Immediate Verbal Context • Visual Cultural Context • Mise en Scene and the Rhetorical Topic of Arrangement • Visual Rhetoric and the Ethical and Professional Propriety of the Work. Lawyers, judges, and law students typically do not receive training in visual literacy regarding the reading and interpretation of visual images, and much less so in the design principles required to create the most effective visuals for legal communications and legal instruments, such as contracts. This condition persists in spite of the fact that visual images can communicate across language and cultural barriers, taking advantage of the enormous speed and power of visual communication. In equal measure, knowledge and understanding of these principles will enable lawyers to design and use effective visuals, and to challenge or respond to the visual legal communications proffered by their opponents in litigation or negotiation, or their counterparts in a transaction. My intent in this Article and the methodology it presents is to examine visual elements as visuals, not as a translation or alternative form of verbal communication. The approach of trying to translate visual works into verbal arguments or verbal elements of legal reasoning limits the scope and the effectiveness of the visual works, because communication through visuals employs a separate visual language, and not in a literal or verbal sense. The methodology proposed in this Article is a set of tools that can help verbally-oriented law-trained writers to become better readers, evaluators, and creators of visual communications in the law.
Rotating maize reduces the risk and rate of nitrate leaching

There is a strong link between nitrate (NO3-N) leaching from fertilized annual crops and the rate of nitrogen (N) fertilizer input. However, this leaching-fertilizer relationship is poorly understood and the degree to which soil type, weather, and cropping system influence it is largely unknown. We calibrated the APSIM process-based cropping system model using 56 site-years of data sourced from eight field studies across six states in the U.S. Midwest that monitored NO3-N leaching from artificial subsurface drainage in two cropping systems: continuous maize and two-year rotation of maize followed by unfertilized soybean (maize-soybean rotation). We then ran a factorial simulation experiment and fit statistical models to the leaching-fertilizer response. A bi-linear model provided the best fit to the relationship between N fertilizer rate (kg/ha) and NO3-N leaching load (kg/ha) (from one year of continuous maize or summed over the two-year maize-soybean rotation). We found that the cropping system dictated the slopes and breakpoint (the point at which the leaching rate changes) of the model, but the site and year determined the intercept i.e. the magnitude of the leaching. In both cropping systems, the rate of NO3-N leaching increased at an N fertilizer rate higher than the N rate needed to optimize the leaching load per kg grain produced. Above the model breakpoint, the rate of NO3-N leaching per kg N fertilizer input was 300% greater than the rate below the breakpoint in the two-year maize-soybean rotation and 650% greater in continuous maize. Moreover, the model breakpoint occurred at only 16% above the average agronomic optimum N rate (AONR) in continuous maize, but 66% above the AONR in the maize-soybean rotation. Rotating maize with soybean, therefore, allows for a greater environmental buffer than continuous maize with regard to the impact of overfertilization on NO3-N leaching.
Social Workers’ Impact on Policy Through Regulations: A Case Study of the U.S. Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program:

SummaryInvolvement in the political process in the United States is critical for social work professionals, as social policies dictate funding and programming in social work practice. Yet, there is...
eRxNet: A Pipeline of Convolutional Neural Networks for Tuberculosis Screening

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease affecting millions of people annually worldwide. Treatment of this disease and reduction in local epidemics can be improved markedly by increasing the speed and efficiency of screening and diagnosis. eRxNet is a pipeline of convolutional neural networks designed to provide healthcare professionals with detailed and accurate analysis of chest X-rays (CXRs) for TB screening. The pipeline combines whole image classification, object detection (bounding boxes), and instance segmentation (polygonal masks) to provide data analysis at varying levels of detail. In order to construct a high performing system, a comparison of different CNN architectures applied to these tasks is presented. Images from two large TB datasets, UML-Peru and TBX11K, were used for training and evaluation of the models. Combining the two datasets required the development of a preprocessing stage which includes lung segmentation and image enhancement. We show that the resulting four stage pipeline of CNNs, using a combination of DenseNet, Faster R-CNN, and Mask R-CNN, has sufficiently strong performance to be a useful tool for TB screening.
Stochastic Analysis of Wind-Loaded Structures

The response of a building structure to gusty wind is formulated as a nonlinear problem in which random inputs occur both as parametric and nonparametric excitations. The stationary probability density is obtained for the structural motion parallel to the direction of the average wind velocity, from which the criteria for in-probability stability and various moment stabilities can be determined. The transient (nonstationary) second moment of the response in this direction is also obtained. For the structural motion perpendicular to the average wind velocity only the first moment stability boundary can be computed, and this boundary reduces to one corresponding to the known deterministic theory when the turbulence terms are dropped.
Human epidermal plasminogen activator: Characterization, localization, and modulation☆

Abstract Using biochemical and immunocytochemical approaches, we have investigated the plasminogen activator (PA) of primary human epidermal cell cultures. A rabbit antibody raised against human urinary PA (urokinase) inhibited ⩾96% of the PA activity in the keratinocyte cultures. Immunoblot and double immunodiffusion analyses of keratinocyte PA with anti-urokinase antibody confirmed that epidermal PA was of the urokinase type. Immunocytochemical investigation of human keratinocyte cultures with anti-urokinase antibody revealed two characteristic staining patterns for PA. First, cells at the advancing edge of subconfluent colonies were cytoplasmically stained in a granular pattern. Similar staining was observed at the migrating edges of confluent epidermal cell cultures that had been wounded by cutting with a blade. This induction of PA staining was independent of cell division. Secondly, differentiated epidermal cells located on the surface of colonies were stained either at the plasma membrane or homogeneously throughout the cell. The highly differentiated, spontaneously shed cells were usually very heavily stained by anti-urokinase antibody. These immunocytochemical experiments suggest that PA expression is highly regulated in human epidermal cells. Specifically, PA expression appears to be related to cellular differentiation and to cell movement in expanding or wounded keratinocyte colonies.
Distributional Effects of Defined Contribution Plans and Individual Retirement Arrangements

This paper incorporates retirement saving incentives into the Tax Policy Center microsimulation model and analyzes the distributional effects of current tax preferences for saving. As a share of income, tax-preferred saving incentives provide the largest benefits to households with income between $75,000 and $500,000, roughly the 80th to 99th percentile of the income distribution. In 2004, the top 20 percent of tax filing units by income will receive 70 percent of the tax benefits from new contributions to defined contribution plans and almost 60 percent of IRA tax benefits.
PENSION REFORM IN THE PRESENCE OF FINANCIAL MARKET RISK

As their populations grow older, the industrial countries face steep increases in public pension costs. If countries change their pension systems in advance of sharply higher pension costs, it is possible to prepare for the added retirement costs by funding a portion of the future liabilities through increased saving. By boosting capital formation and economic growth, higher saving has the potential to increase the incomes - and the welfare - of future workers and retirees.This paper considers investment accumulation and pension adequacy in light of financial market risk. We examine two alternative reforms of the U.S. pension system that are aimed at pre-funding part of future pension liabilities and increasing national saving. The first policy expands the role of advance funding in the existing Social Security system by moving toward a policy of tax increases that are large enough to maintain close actuarial balance over a 75-year horizon. Under the alternative policy, the traditional Social Security program adopts pay-as-you-go financing after 2033 and a new system of individual investment accounts is adopted to supplement (reduced) pensions under the traditional system. Advance funding takes place in the new individual investment account system.
Dissimilation as Local Conjunction

While the OCP has been an essential tool in explaining these phenomena, a fundamental problem arises when it is applied to the analysis of dissimilation and segmental cooccurrence restrictions. Such phenomena typically rule out more than one marked element in some domain. But the OCP, as a bald declarative statement, says nothing about the markedness of the elements involved. To account for the correlation between activity in a dissimilatory process and the markedness of target and trigger, adjunct theories of feature specification are required. These theories, however, have been shown to have many unsatisfactory consequences, essentially because unmarked segments can be active in ways that do not involve the OCP (Mohanan 1991, McCarthy & Taub 1992, Smolensky 1993, Steriade 1995, Ito, Mester & Padgett 1995, =IMP; Goodman 1995).
Enhancing success probabilities of projects, especially large projects entailing legal-political difficulties

It is noted that managing large projects that entail legal-political difficulties is a formidable task. Success is often dependent on the ability of the project manager to successfully cope with a myriad of complex factors that endanger the successful go-ahead, implementation, and completion of the project effort. To assist project managers in these setting, the author identifies potentially useful strategies for managing these types of projects. The author directed a study, believed to be the largest and most comprehensive investigation, on the subject of project management effectiveness. The author presents the significant variables and factors contributing to project success and failure for the project study. Among other findings, it is concluded that in order to minimize the chances of perceived failure, project managers are well advised to place heavy emphasis on establishing good, effective patterns of coordination and human relations with all the principal stakeholders of a project. >
Viscous Effects in Tube Flow Initiated by an Expansion Wave

An examination is made of the effect of the turbulent boundary layer on the uniformity of the flow initiated by a nonsteady expansion wave traveling in a long, constant-area tube. Closed-form expressions for the flow perturbations first are obtained from the linearized equations of motion. Measured static pressure histories for both lowand high-tube Mach numbers are used for comparison. Detailed discussions of the limitations of the linearized model and its extension to high-tube Mach numbers are given. Agreement is shown between a modified version of the linearized model and the experimental results. A model of viscous nonsteady pipe flow is used to explain the nonlinear pressure decay observed at very large length-to-diameter ratios.
Death in the Dark: Midnight Executions in America

This provocative book provides a comprehensive history of executions in the United States from colonial days to the present. Framing his analysis within the context of the politics of capital punishment and the role of the media in the death penalty debate, John D. Bessler begins by examining the transition from crowded public hangings in town squares to private executions behind prison walls. He then explores the origins and legislative rationales that led to statutory provisions mandating private, nighttime executions.
Efficiency of autonomic thermoregulation during resonant microwave exposure

Autonomic mechanisms of heat production and heat loss were measured in adult male squirrel monkeys during whole-body exposure to 450 MHz CW microwave fields in cool, neutral and warm environments. Power densities from 0 to 15 mW/cm/sup 2/, representing SARs from 0 to 6.1 W/kg, were tested to determine the efficiency with which deep body temperature was regulated at a stable level in the steady state. The most critical response was sweating, which limited effective thermoregulation in the warm (32/spl deg/C) environment to SARs equivalent to, or less than, the animals' resting heat production. >
Abstract B119: AF4 mimetic peptide SPK111 prolongs survival of MLL xenografted leukemias.

Acute leukemias with balanced translocations of the MLL gene are aggressive blood cancers with generally poor prognosis. Importantly, MLL leukemias are the most common type of leukemia in babies and account for 70% of the secondary leukemias that arise following treatment with topoisomerase II inhibitors. Only 40% of infants treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with MLL gene rearrangements survive to the age of five while the survival rate is 90% for patients in the same age group whose disease lacks a translocated MLL gene. Hence, better treatment options for MLL-rearranged leukemias need to be explored. As results of reciprocal translocations, the 59 coding region of MLL is fused to the 39 coding region of one of many different genes. This results in transcripts that encode chimeric proteins. AF4 and AF9 proteins are the two most frequent fusion partners of MLL. They are components of the protein complex P-TEFb that promotes transcriptional elongation. Misdirection of the transcriptional elongation complex is one proposed mechanism by which oncogenic transformation occurs in MLL leukemias. Our laboratory previously identified the amino acids required for direct physical interaction between AF4 and AF9 and designed an AF4 mimetic peptide that disrupts the AF4 - AF9 interaction. Treatment of cell lines with MLL-AF4 and MLL-AF9 translocations with the mimetic peptide leads to necrotic cell death without affecting normal hematopoietic cells. In order to further establish the AF4 - AF9 interaction as an effective target for MLL leukemias, we tested effect of a modified peptide designed to enhance its stability in xenografted mice. The peptide, designated SPK-111 exherts effective antitumor activity without causing overt toxicity. It significantly improves the survival of NOD/SCID mice engrafted with human cell lines carrying MLL gene rearrangements when used as a single agent. Here, we describe the in vivo activity of the peptide and propose that it, or other derivatives, may represent a clinically important agent for the treatment of MLL leukemias. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B119.
Comment on the Role of SO2 for Elemental Mercury Removal from Coal Combustion Flue Gas by Activated Carbon

A communication in response to the excellent and timely paper entitled “Role of SO2 for Elemental Mercury Removal from Coal Combustion Flue Gas by Activated Carbon”.
OYGEN DEPENDENCE AND REPAIR OF LETHAL EFFECTS OF NEAR ULTRAVIOLET AND VISIBLE LIGHT

Abstract— –Lethality in a repairable strain (WP2) and an excision repair deficient strain (WP2hcr) of Escherichia coli was studied at wavelengths of 254, 313, 365, and 390–750 nm. Survival curves were empirically fitted to the expression S= 1 - (1-e-kl)“, where S is the fraction surviving, D is the incident dose in ergs mm-2, k is the inactivation constant in units of (erg mm-2)-1 and n is the ‘shoulder constant’. The repairable sector (k(hcr-)–k(hcr-)lk(hcr-), a conservative estimate of the repair capability of E. coli WP2, was 0.91 at 254 nm, 0.92 at 313 nm, 0.60 at 365 nm, and 0.13 at 390–750 nm. Although there was no oxygen enhancement of inactivation at 254 nm and 313 nm, a strong enhancement was identified at 365 nm and 390–750 nm. These results suggest that oxygen-dependent damage induced by near u.v. (365 nm) can be partially repaired by the excision-repair system in E. coli.
Hemocyte encapsulation of streptococci in Drosophila

Electron micrographs of infectious bacterial cells encapsulated by hemocytes in Drosoehila suggest that bacterial lvsis within the capsular confines may be the mode of the hemocyte defense reaction rather Larvae with melanotic masses were noted in several culture dishes during routine collection of eggs and larvae of Drosophila melanogaster. These dishes contained the progeny of the dumpy (dp) mutant, and affected larvae continued to appear for 5 successive days of egg collection from the same group of parents. The melanotic masses were localized in the anterior region of the larva as shown in a typical example (Figs. 1 and 2), and dissection of larvae revealed that the melanotic masses consisted of blood cells and encapsulated bacteria (Fig. 3). This unusual occurrence of an apparently infectious bacterium in Drosophila provided an excellent opportunity to examine the hemocyte response and its effectiveness at the level of ultrastructural detail. Several capsules were therefore removed from larvae and fixed in formalin for electron microscopy. Following postfixation in osmium, the nodules were embedded in Epon and sections stained with uranyl acetate followed by lead citrate.
Effects of Sea Ice on Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris)

Sea ice advanced beyond its normal limits along the Alaska Peninsula in March 1971 and again in February, March, and April 1972. Observations of the reactions of sea otters inhabiting the area to various ice conditions were made during a series of aerial surveys. In 1971 during extremely cold temperatures the ice advanced rapidly through the sea otter habitat. Sea otters were trapped as the ice formed around them. They were forced to travel across the ice and the adjacent land, searching for open water in which to dive for food. Large numbers died from causes related to malnutrition when they could not maintain access to open water; however, little effect on the range of the population was observed. In 1972, the ice advanced more slowly under warmer temperatures. Most of the sea otters were able to move with the ice edge until they were concentrated near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula and Unimak Island. Although the ice in 1972 was denser and persisted longer than in 1971, relatively little mortality was observed, but the distribution of this population was at least temporarily altered. Observations made during the two years indicate that sea otters are able to tolerate severe ice and weather conditions as long as they are able to dive through leads for food. However, the northeastern expansion of the Bristol Bay population is being limited by the periodic formation of heavy sea ice.
Some thoughts on Canto II of Byron's Don Juan

Dost thou think because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale? — Yes by Saint Anne, and ginger shall be hot i' the mouth, too!
Beobachtungen über seltene Erden. XLVII. Darstellung der Wasserfreien Jodide seltener Erden

Die wasserfreien Jodide von Lanthan, Cer, Praseodym, Neodym, Samarium und Ytterbium sind hergestellt worden durch Erhitzen eines Uberschusses von Ammoniumjodid mit den seltenen Erden in einem besonderen Gerat bei 400°. Das uberschussige Ammoniumjodid wurde durch Sublimation entfernt.
Effect of magnetocrystalline anisotropy on the magnetic spectra of MgߝFe ferrites

Results of new experiments on magnesium-iron ferrites at 26° C and −196° C are presented. These include measurements of the first-order magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant K of monocrystals, and of the magnetic spectrum (the frequency dependence of the complex initial permeability) of polycrystals. If a newly observed inversion dependence of K is neglected, the values of K at room temperature are represented by K = − 85000x − 25000 ergs/cm3 where x is defined by the formula (MgO)1−x(FeO)xFe2O3. Frequencies between zero and 104 Mc/s were used for the magnetic spectra, and two or three pronounced dispersions were observed in each ferrite. Some earlier investigations concerned with the magnetic spectra of sintered ferrites possessing two broad dispersion regions are reviewed. It is concluded from the present and earlier investigations that the radio-frequency dispersion region and the static initial permeability are primarily due to domain wall displacements, and that the microwave dispersion region is primarily due to domain rotations that occur in an effective field caused by magnetocrystalline anisotropy as well as by static and dynamic magnetic interactions.
Fuzzy entropy threshold approach to breast cancer detection

Thresholding plays an important role in image processing. To select a suitable threshold requires some criteria on which to base the selection. A criterion of maximum fuzzy entropy is developed for selecting the threshold. In this algorithm, the degree of ambiguity in an image is measured by the entropy of a fuzzy set. The threshold is selected by maximizing the fuzzy entropy of the image. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated for different bandwidths of the membership functions using noisy and vague microscopic-slide breast cancer images. The results show that this method is useful for breast cancer detection. Moreover, this method can be applied to a wide range of image processing applications.
Distinguishing magnetic-moment and magnetic-ordering behavior in transition metal alloys

Abstract We report dichroism in angle-resolved X-ray photoemission with linearly polarized synchrotron radiation (MLDAD) of the 3p core levels of the ferromagnetic metals Fe, Ni, and their binary alloys. This technique is characterized by elemental specificity and surface sensitivity. A method has been introduced to accurately measure the magnetic dichroism asymmetry peak-to-peak amplitudes, A MLDAD , and the spectral width, W MLDAD . A MLDAD is a measure of the overall saturation magnetization, while W MLDAD reflects the magnitude of elemental magnetic moments. Deviations at the Invar composition Fe 65 Ni 35 are due to changes in magnetic order.
Development of drug treatments for neurofibromatosis type 2-associated vestibular schwannoma.

Purpose of review To review the discoveries in molecular pathophysiology contributing to the development of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-associated vestibular schwannomas and the recent experiences with drug therapies for these tumors. The review includes discussion of diagnostic criteria for NF2, populations to clinically consider for drug therapy and drug targets currently under consideration for NF2. Recent findings Increased insight into the complex pathways that underlie both the genetic syndrome of NF2 and the specific pathogenesis of vestibular schwannomas has highlighted multiple potential therapeutic targets. These discoveries have been translated into clinical trials with some early promising results. Inhibition of angiogenesis as well as regulation of mammalian target of rapamycin and the epidermal growth factor receptor family of receptors are the focus of current clinical investigations. Summary Although a great deal of work is ongoing to understand the multiple effects of the lack of the regulating protein Merlin on tumorgenesis in patients with NF2, advances are ongoing with clinical therapeutics. There is cause for enthusiasm based on recent results with antiangiogenesis therapy in select patients with NF2 and progressive vestibular schwannomas; however, awareness of the notable risks and limitations of therapies currently in development is required.