cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proximity correction enhancements for 1-µm dense circuits

The proximity effect in electron-beam lithography, which is due to electron scattering in the resist and wafer, results in nonuniform exposure and development for patterns in which the incident doses of all the shapes are the same. Correction for this effect has been accomplished in the past primarily by varying the incident doses of all the shapes in order to achieve an equal average resultant dose per unit area for all shapes. We show that in the case of dense circuits with linewidths of about 1 µm or smaller, two enhancements to the proximity correction technique can be easily implemented. One of these is a simple approach to shape breakup (partitioning) to enable dose correction to be applied nonuniformly within the original design shapes. The other technique is a new type of algorithm for forming subsets of the design to perform self-consistent dose correction. These two enhancements are applied to LSI chip data for dense circuits and are shown to permit fabrication of circuits which would be more difficult to process using the proximity correction techniques described previously, due to the particular geometries present in these circuit designs. We also show the application of step and repeat pattern recognition algorithms to compact the resulting data, and consequently to reduce the amount of data by an amount which is greater than the increase in the number of shapes caused by partitioning.
The behavioral sequelae of neurosurgical therapy (bilateral prefrontal lobotomy).

(1945). The Behavioral Sequelae of Neurosurgical Therapy: (Bilateral Prefrontal Lobotomy) The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 171-192.
Efficient synthesis of 5-amido-3-hydroxy-4-pyrones as inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases.

3-Hydroxy-4-pyrones are a class of important metal chelators with versatile medicinal applications. An efficient pathway for the preparation of new 5-amido-3-hydroxy-4-pyrone derivatives has been developed. The synthesized 5-amido-3-hydroxy-4-pyrones have been evaluated as inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases.
Lesbian presentations and representations of leadership, and the implications for HRD

Purpose – This paper seeks to identify, examine, and discuss the unique challenges for lesbians who serve in leadership positions in corporate America.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing upon a multi‐disciplinary framework of management, diversity, feminist, and leadership literature, the paper critically examines the myriad of pressures exerted upon all women in leadership positions, and then identifies the pressures that are specific and unique for lesbians.Findings – There are pressures that are unique for lesbian leaders. These pressures include negotiating the heterosexism of the organization; invisibility versus visibility, and gender expression and gender role expectations.Originality/value – The paper provides implications for human resource development to assume a stronger and more active role in uncovering tacit issues embedded in leadership so that organizational workplaces become locations of greater equity, access, and fairness for all who aspire to leadership positions.
Rev and Rex proteins of human complex retroviruses function with the MMTV Rem-responsive element

Background Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) encodes the Rem protein, an HIV Rev-like protein that enhances nuclear export of unspliced viral RNA in rodent cells. We have shown that Rem is expressed from a doubly spliced RNA, typical of complex retroviruses. Several recent reports indicate that MMTV can infect human cells, suggesting that MMTV might interact with human retroviruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV), and human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K). In this report, we test whether the export/regulatory proteins of human complex retroviruses will increase expression from vectors containing the Rem-responsive element (RmRE).
A singularity cancellation technique on arbitrary higher order patch descriptions

Accurate integration of singular and near-singular functions is critical to the accuracy of the method of moments solution to integral equations. While this problem has been widely addressed for flat geometries, their extensions to higher order surface descriptions have been limited. This paper provides a comprehensive prescription for the application of the singularity cancellation schemes to higher order surfaces. We present implementation details and demonstrative results.
A comparison of in situ and extractive measurement techniques for monitoring SO2 emissions from a stationary source

Abstract Recently, an investigation has been completed which compared both extractive and in situ electro-optical instrumentation for the measurement of SO2 emissions from a pulverized-coal power generating boiler. An assessment was made of individual system performance under field conditions. To accomplish this, particular areas of interest in this study included: (1) an investigation of the effects of variations in fuel composition, boiler operating conditions and fly ash emissions on the various measurement systems; (2) a correlation of instrument response with standard EPA compliance test methods; and (3) a determination of several instrument operating criteria such as zero drift, span drift, and maintenance.
Cancer chemoprevention by phytochemicals: potential molecular targets, biomarkers and animal models

Cancer chemoprevention by phytochemicals: potential molecular targets, biomarkers and animal models
Spontaneous Diabetes in Rats: Destruction of Islets is Prevented by Immunological Tolerance

Spontaneous diabetes occurring in "BB" rats (derived from a colony of outbred Wistar rats) is the result of destruction of pancreatic islets by infiltrating mononuclear cells (insulitis) and may be a disease very similar to human juvenile onset diabetes. Both diseases probably have an autoimmune etiology. Evidence is presented that islets transplanted to diabetic BB rats are destroyed by the original disease process. Inoculation of bone marrow from normal (nondiabetes-susceptible) rat donors into neonatal BB recipients usually prevented the development of hyperglycemia.
Joint Replacement in the Overweight Patient

During the 1990s, some cardiac surgeons were pilloried for suggesting that coronary artery grafting should be withheld from patients who continued to smoke. This attitude was deemed unacceptable. Doctors should advise on risk factors and treat disease, but not withhold therapy on account of an individual patient's life-style. Some Suffolk Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have, apparently, restricted funding for arthroplasties to those with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 30 kg/m2. The paper from Davies and Porteous extrapolates local data concerning those in whom surgery is withheld to incorporate numbers that would be affected if this policy was instituted nation-wide. Liz Symonds writes for the patient. For many, losing weight is not easy, especially for those living in poor circumstances where access is somewhat difficult to a personal trainer and a Mediterranean diet. If health rationing based on the fortunes of PCTs is to occur, (which it undoubtedly will) should not PCTs engage the local population in the debate and give some lead time? If a PCT opines that treatment is to be denied to patients who do not address their own ‘poor’ life-styles (and perhaps that is the responsibility of these guardians of HM Treasury money), what other groups may be similarly affected – drug abusers, alcoholics, multipartner gays with HIV, smokers with COPD – all consume expensive and repeated visits for hospital treatment, so where does this stop? Of 20th century surgical success stories, arthroplasty must count for one of the most frequently performed techniques which have resulted in improved quality of life for so many patients. Is there evidence that this surgery does not improve the quality of life of the obese? Health rationing, not only by postcode, but also by life-style may be the future face of health commissioning: currently it is by stealth and not by public open debate. Thomas CB Dehn Consultant Surgeon
Computerized detection and classification of microcalcifications on mammograms

We are developing computer-aided diagnosis algorithms to assist radiologists in detection and classification of microcalcifications on mammograms. A digitized mammogram was processed with a difference-image technique and signal segmentation methods to identify suspicious signals. False-positive detections were reduced by using morphological features as well as a convolution neural network. A regional clustering technique was applied to the remaining signals to identify clinically significant clustered microcalcifications. For the development of a malignant/benign classifier, the microcalcifications were extracted from the digital images by computerized segmentation techniques. A number of visibility descriptors and shape descriptors were developed to describe the features of the microcalcifications. Linear discriminant analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) methodology were used to classify the benign and malignant microcalcifications. For detection of microcalcifications, the computer reached a true-positive (TP) rate of 100% at 0.1 false-positive (FP) clusters per image for obvious microcalcifications, a TP rate of 93% at 1 FP clusters per image for average subtle microcalcifications, and a TP rate of 87% at 1.5 FP clusters per image for very subtle microcalcifications. For classification of microcalcifications, preliminary results indicated that an area under the ROC curve (Az) of 0.91 and 0.89 could be achieved during training, and an Az of 0.82 and 0.87 during jackknife testing for obvious and subtle clusters, respectively. When all cases were combined, the Az was 0.87 and 0.84, respectively, for training and jackknife testing.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Innovative bibliotherapy approaches to substance abuse education

What contribution can the language arts teacher make to our national effort to prevent alcohol and substance abuse? What can a teacher learn from techniques used in the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction? What can therapists learn from teachers? In this article I suggest one college teacher’s current answers to these questions. In collaboration with a number of psychologists and psychotherapists, I developed various ways of teaching literature using psychological inventories, coded student journals, small group discussions, computerized group discussions, and analyses of the transcripts they generate, to support goals widely accepted in both teaching and substance abuse treatment. My primary goal became emotional literacy: helping students identify and articulate the feelings they felt as they read, especially emotions generated by their family dynamics. Educators need not integrate psychology in their courses to achieve such a goal, although the techniques I developed were inspired by my own experience with psychotherapy. When my teenage daughter was diagnosed as chemically dependent over four years ago, the treatment center we chose required extensive involvement by the whole family. Hence, I became very conscious of problems of alcohol and drug abuse in our society, especially among teenagers and young adults, As one whose job was to educate that population, I wondered what I could do in my classroom to help prevent the kind of substance abuse that had devastated my family and many others. Initial Choice of Texts
A Comparison of Analysis of Covariance to Within-Class Regression in the Analysis of Non-Equivalent Groups.

Comparing non-equivalent groups is a persistent problem in educational research methodology, especially teacher effectiveness research. Within-class regression is a method, developed in this paper, of comparing a large number of non-equivalent groups. Monte Carlo data were generated under several conditions and within-class regression. The results indicated that the within-class regression method was a less biased method of data analysis. Reading achievement data were also analyzed using both methods. The results indicated that the method of analysis makes a difference in analyzing treatment effects. It was concluded that, when a large number of non-equivalent groups are compared, within-class regression will yield more accurate estimates of treatment effects than analysis of covariance.
Synthetic wavelength based phase unwrapping in spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Phase sensing implementations of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) have demonstrated the ability to measure nanometer-scale temporal and spatial profiles of samples. However, the phase information suffers from a 2π ambiguity that limits observations of larger sample displacements to lengths less than half the source center wavelength. We introduce a synthetic wavelength phase unwrapping technique in SDOCT that uses spectral windowing and corrects the 2π ambiguity, providing accurate measurements of sample motion with information gained from standard SDOCT processing. We demonstrate this technique by using a common path implementation of SDOCT and correctly measure phase profiles from a phantom phase object and human epithelial cheek cells which produce multiple wrapping artifacts. Using a synthetic wavelength for phase unwrapping could prove useful in Doppler or other phase based implementations of OCT.
ATP synthase of yeast: structural insight into the different inhibitory potencies of two regulatory peptides and identification of a new potential regulator

Abstract Mitochondrial ATP synthases, the major producers of ATP in higher eukaryotic cells, are known to be regulated by a peptide designated IF 1 . In contrast, in yeast three such peptides have been identified, IF 1 and STF 1 , which inhibit the reverse ATPase reaction, and STF 2 , a modulator of the action of these inhibitors. Despite significant homology to IF 1 , STF 1 exhibits less than half (∼40%) its inhibitory potency. The two-fold purpose of this bioinformatic study was to gain structural insight into the different inhibitory potencies of IF 1 and STF 1 and to determine to what extent yeast are unique in employing multiple peptides to regulate the ATP synthase. Sequence and secondary structural analyses and comparison with the known structure of bovine IF 1 predicted a dimeric structure for yeast STF 1 in which the C-terminal regions form a coiled-coil. Moreover, sequence comparisons showed that within this C-terminal region a conserved acidic residue (Asp 59) in yeast IF 1 is replaced by Asn in STF 1 . In the known structure of bovine IF 1 , predicted to be very similar to that of yeast IF 1 , the residue Glu 68 corresponding to Asp 59 participates in the formation of a four-residue conserved acidic cluster in the middle of the coiled-coil in the C-terminal region. It is deduced here that this acidic cluster is likely to be important in the regulation of IF 1 's inhibitory capacity and that replacement of conserved Asp 59 by Asn in STF 1 may reduce its potency. Although other homologs to the inhibitors IF 1 and STF 1 were not found in searches of available eukaryotic genomes, including human, a new homolog, named STF 3 , with 65% identity to the modulator STF 2 , was discovered within the yeast genome and identified to be expressed by searching the yeast EST database. Thus, yeast appears unique in regulating the ATP synthase by involving multiple peptides (IF 1 , STF 1 , STF 2 , and perhaps STF 3 ).
Water management decision makers' evaluations of uncertainty in a decision support system: the case of WaterSim in the Decision Theater

Model-based decision support systems are increasingly used to link knowledge to action for environmental decision making. How stakeholders perceive uncertainty in models and visualisations affects their perceptions of credibility, relevance and usability of these tools. This paper presents a case study of water decision makers’ evaluations of WaterSim, a dynamic water simulation model presented in an immersive decision theatre environment. Results reveal that decision makers’ understandings of uncertainty in their evaluations of decision support systems reflect both scientific and political discourse. We conclude with recommendations for design and evaluation of decision support systems that incorporate decision makers' views.
Robustness of Chi‐square and Canberra distance metrics for computer intrusion detection

Intrusion detection complements intrusion prevention mechanisms, such as firewalls, cryptography, and authentication, to capture intrusions into an information system while they are acting on the information system. We develop two multivariate quality control techniques based on chi-square and Canberra distance metrics, respectively, to detect intrusions by building a long-term profile of normal activities in the information system (norm profile) and using the norm profile to detect anomalies. We investigate the robustness of these two distance metrics by comparing their performance on a number of data sets involving different noise levels in data. The performance results indicate that the Chi-square distance metric is much more robust to noises than the Canberra distance metric. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Delivery‐date and capacity management in a decentralized internal market

We study competitive due-date and capacity management between the marketing and engineering divisions within an engineer-to-order (ETO) firm. Marketing interacts directly with the customers and quotes due-dates for their orders. Engineering is primarily concerned with the efficient utilization of resources and is willing to increase capacity if the cost is compensated. The two divisions share the responsibility for timely delivery of the jobs. We model the interaction between marketing and engineering as a Nash game and investigate the effect of internal competition on the equilibrium decisions. We observe that the internal competition not only degrades the firm's overall profitability but also the serviceability. Finally, we extend our analysis to multiple-job settings that consider both flexible and inflexible capacity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 55: 390-405, 2008
Infrared Spectroscopy of the tert-Butyl Cation in the Gas Phase

We report the first observation of the infrared spectrum of the free tert-butyl cation in the gas phase. This ion is produced in a pulsed supersonic expansion equipped with a pulsed electrical discharge. C4H9+ is detected with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Its infrared spectrum is recorded using infrared photodissociation spectroscopy and the method of rare gas tagging with argon. For this, the C4H9+Ar complex is produced, mass selected, and studied with resonance-enhanced IR photodissociation spectroscopy using a tunable optical parametric oscillator laser system. Ab initio computations are employed at the MP2(fc)/6-311+G(2d,2p) level for various isomeric structures of C4H9+ and C4H9+Ar, and for various configurations of the tert-butyl cation, to elucidate the spectra. We find that argon has a negligible effect on the IR spectra and that the patterns in the spectrum are consistent only with the tert-butyl cation in a C1 or Cs configuration.
The YAG laser used in micromanipulation to transect the zona pellucida of hamster oocytes.

Since there has been no reported use of the YAG laser to micromanipulate oocytes, our purpose was to study whether (1) a YAG laser could be used to open the zona pellucida of hamster oocytes; (2) human sperm could reach the ooplasm and (3) under sperm penetration assay conditions, sperm would bind and penetrate the ooplasm.
LRIS imaging spectropolarimeter at the W.M. Keck Observatory

An optical-wavelength polarimetry module has been in use for the past ten years at the W.M. Keck Observatory. The module is used in conjunction with the LRIS imaging spectrograph. It provides either imaging polarimetry or spectropolarimetry across the full wavelength range of the instrument (320-1100 nm). The design, performance, and limitations of the polarimetry module are described, along with a sampling of science results.
Research on Business Process Management System Based on SOA

Business process management (BPM) is considered to be an effective way to improve their business agility for the enterprises. But after analysis, it found that the existing BPM system has been difficult to meet the needs of enterprises development. It analyzed the theory and technology of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and BPM, and presented the BPM system solution based on SOA. Finally, it took case with a process improvement, which described the process of implementing a BPM system based on SOA. Practice has proved that the combination of SOA and BPM can greatly improve the business agility.
Identifying a negative mood subtype in incarcerated adolescents: relationship to substance use.

Abstract Objective The following study tested the empirical validity and clinical meaningfulness of a negative mood subtype of incarcerated adolescent males (N=270). Differences in alcohol and marijuana use and consequences were examined. Method Participants were subtyped according to reports of depressive and anxious symptoms using the Children's Depression Inventory and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale. Results Cluster analysis confirmed the presence of negative mood (34%) and normal mood (66%) subtypes. Incarcerated adolescents in the negative mood subtype reported higher levels of alcohol use, higher levels of use-related consequences for both alcohol and marijuana, greater use of both substances to regulate mood states, and more use of avoidant coping. Conclusion Results underscore the need for identification and treatment of mental health and substance use difficulties in the juvenile justice system.
Studies of the Mechanism of the Periodic Acid-Schiff Histochemical Reaction for Glycogen Using Infrared Spectroscopy and Model Chemical Compounds

It has been proposed in the literature that Schiffs reagent reacts with aldehydes to form one of the following types of compounds: alkylsulfonic acids, N-sulfinic acid derivatives, or Schiff bases. Model compounds whose structures are consistent with those proposed in the literature have been synthesized and subjected to infrared analysis. Also, actual products of Schiff reagent reactions with various aldehydes have been isolated and examined using infrared spectroscopy. Comparison of the spectra of the model compounds with those of Schiff-aldehyde reaction products yielded the following conclusions: 1. The reaction of simple organic aldehydes with Schiff's reagent produces an alkylsulfonate-type reaction product. 2. The reaction of periodate-oxidized glycogen with Schiff's reagent probably involves the formation of an alklsulfonate-type compound. 3. The product of the Schiff-aldehyde reaction exists as neither an N-sulfinic acid nor a Schiff base derivative of the fuchsin molecule.
A Proof of a Generalized Nakayama Conjecture

In a recent paper Kulshammer, Olsson, and Robinson proved a deep generalization of the Nakayama conjecture for symmetric groups. We provide a similar but a shorter and relatively elementary proof of their result. Our method enables us to obtain a more general H-analogue of the Nakayama conjecture where H is a set of positive integers.
Molecular structure effects on high harmonic generation in CO/sub 2/

We study the harmonic orders 25-47 from field-free aligned CO/sub 2/ as a function of time-delay between the alignment and HHG pulse. Harmonic-order dependent enhancement (decrease) of high-harmonic yield for aligned (anti-aligned) time-delays is observed.
Harnessing computer power for teaching concepts

Examples are used to show how one could approach the teaching of transmission lines in the classical sense by computer-based interpretation of the transmission line equations and finally mimicking nature. It is pointed out that the classical method of teaching science via equations requires a prolonged gestation period for firming up the comprehension of the concepts to the point where they become problem-solving tools. The graphically displayed dynamic computer solutions of equations provide an interim step for improving knowledge transfer efficiency. The gestation period can be shortened considerably by this method which answers the question 'what is happening?' extremely well. The ultimate reduction of gestation time involves mimicking natural phenomena the way they actually take place. This method also answers the question: 'how is it happening?' It usually invokes associations which promote instantaneous comprehension of the phenomena in question. >
Design of Low Power Monolithic DC-DC Buck Converter with Integrated Inductor

This paper presents the design and fabrication of monolithic buck converter using standard CMOS process. As the Q-factor of planar spiral inductor is low in standard CMOS process, this work uses an in-plane inductor built using a CMOS compatible MEMS based technique called PDMA (plastic deformation magnetic assembly). The fabrication process for integrating this air-core, in-plane PDMA inductor is outlined. Optimization of MOS transistors to minimize losses in the buck converter is presented. The design of a 75-mW monolithic buck converter, using AMIS ABN 1.5 mm CMOS process and in-plane PDMA inductor, is outlined. Experimental results from this buck converter are presented
An exact interactive time visibility ordering algorithm for polyhedral cell complexes

A visibility ordering of a set of objects, from a given viewpoint, is a total order on the objects such that if object a obstructs object b, then b precedes a in the ordering. Such orderings are extremely useful for rendering volumetric data. The authors present an algorithm that generates a visibility ordering of the cells of an unstructured mesh, provided that the cells are convex polyhedra and nonintersecting, and that the visibility ordering graph does not contain cycles. The overall mesh may be nonconvex and it may have disconnected components. The technique employs the sweep paradigm to determine an ordering between pairs of exterior (mesh boundary) cells which can obstruct one another. It then builds on Williams' (1992) MPVO algorithm which exploits the ordering implied by adjacencies within the mesh. The partial ordering of the exterior cells found by sweeping is used to augment the DAG created in Phase II of the MPVO algorithm. The method thus removes the assumption of the MPVO algorithm that the mesh be convex and connected, and thereby allows one to extend the MPVO algorithm, without using the heuristics that were originally suggested by Williams (and are sometimes problematic). The resulting XMPVO algorithm has been analyzed, and a variation of it has been implemented for unstructured tetrahedral meshes; they provide experimental evidence that it performs very well in practice.
A vertex-based finite-volume time-domain method for analyzing waveguide discontinuities

A vertex based finite-volume time-domain method is proposed for analyzing parallel-plate waveguide discontinuities. An irregular grid is chosen so that it can conform linearly to any discontinuity. In this scheme, the electric field vector is located at the vertices of the grid and the magnetic vector is located at the centroids of the elements formed by the grid. Reflection and transmission coefficients are calculated for the TE case. Excellent agreement is obtained for single- and double-step discontinuities when compared with the mode matching method. >
Changes in North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) cow–calf association times and use of the calving ground: 1993–2005

Like most mysticetes, North Atlantic right whale cows generally separate from their calves on their feeding grounds within a year. Right whale life history data from 1993 to 2005 were analyzed to determine the duration of cow/calf associations and where the pair separated. A change occurred with the 2001 cows; 71 % of those available stayed with their calves into the second year and this behavior remained elevated for several years. Less experienced cows, independent of their age, were more likely to extend their associations. The occurrence of cow/yearling associations was not related to the length of the cow's previous interbirth interval, used as a proxy for cow condition, but the hypothesis that body condition impacts how long cows nurse their young could not be adequately tested. Seventy-seven percent of the observed cow/yearling pairs also returned to the calving ground, a substantial physiological investment given the 1,450 km plus migration and the fact that they fast there, indicating that factors other than nutrition also influenced the cow's behavior. The concurrent increase in juveniles in the shallow waters of the winter calving grounds may afford naive whales greater protection from predators or provide a social benefit that improves their overall fitness.
A method for on-line identification and control based on hardware-in-the-loop concept

A method to identify and control a mechatronic system in real time environment is presented in this paper. Acquiring the systempsilas transfer function accurately can be difficult if some parameters are missing. This causes a great difficulty in the system modeling and control. Therefore in this research, a method based on Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) concept has been employed to identify and control dynamic systems. Online identification using Auto Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) models is used to identify the transfer function of the system; the controller is tuned on the identified model in a simulation environment and applied to the real system. The advantages of the proposed method are high accuracy in the identified system, simplicity, and low cost. Two case studies, namely, a DC motor and servo-pneumatic system, were used to verify the proposed method.
An optimal bivariate Poisson field chart for monitoring defects

In this article, we propose an optimal bivariate field chart to monitor two correlated characteristics of count data. This chart is based on optimization of bivariate Poisson confidence interval and projection of bivariate Poisson data in Poisson field. Both a real case study and simulations present improved performance of our proposed algorithm. Our experimental results show improved rate of average run length and robust detection of means shifts compared with other charts. The proposed chart is an effectively applicable chart, especially, in high quality processes.
Receptive fields and functional architecture in the retina

Functional architecture of the striate cortex is known mostly at the tissue level – how neurons of different function distribute across its depth and surface on a scale of millimetres. But explanations for its design – why it is just so – need to be addressed at the synaptic level, a much finer scale where the basic description is still lacking. Functional architecture of the retina is known from the scale of millimetres down to nanometres, so we have sought explanations for various aspects of its design. Here we review several aspects of the retina's functional architecture and find that all seem governed by a single principle: represent the most information for the least cost in space and energy. Specifically: (i) why are OFF ganglion cells more numerous than ON cells? Because natural scenes contain more negative than positive contrasts, and the retina matches its neural resources to represent them equally well; (ii) why do ganglion cells of a given type overlap their dendrites to achieve 3-fold coverage? Because this maximizes total information represented by the array – balancing signal-to-noise improvement against increased redundancy; (iii) why do ganglion cells form multiple arrays? Because this allows most information to be sent at lower rates, decreasing the space and energy costs for sending a given amount of information. This broad principle, operating at higher levels, probably contributes to the brain's immense computational efficiency.
On the summation of double infinite series field computations inside rectangular cavities

An accurate and efficient computational technique for the full-wave analysis of passive microstrip lines inside rectangular cavities is described. The unique feature of the technique is the transformation of the double infinite series expansion of the method of moments solution into a few single summations of fast converging series using the residue theorem and the contour-integration method. The technique offers improved convergence especially when the field and source points coincide. Examples of the field computations inside the cavity are presented to verify the technique and its usefulness. >
Anisotropy of interfaces in an ordered alloy: a multiple-order-parameter model

A multiple–order–parameter theory of ordering on a binary face–centred–cubic (FCC) crystal lattice is developed, and adapted to provide a continuum formulation that incorporates the underlying symmetries of the FCC crystal in both the bulk and gradient–energy terms of the free energy. The theory is used to compute the orientation dependence of the structure and energy of interphase and antiphase boundaries. The structure of these interfaces compares favourably with previous lattice calculations by Kikuchi and Cahn (1962, 1979). Anisotropy is a natural consequence of the lattice calculation and the multiple–order–parameter continuum formulation presented here. This is in contrast to the ad hoc fashion in which anisotropy is often introduced into a single–order–parameter continuum theory.
Accuracy of dynamic contour tonometry compared with applanation tonometry in human cadaver eyes of different hydration states.

Background In an experimental laboratory investigation we compared intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements obtained by dynamic contour tonometry (DCT), Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT), and pneumatonometry (PTG) with intracameral manometry on human cadaver corneas of different hydration conditions.
The Combined Collis-Nissen Operation for Esophageal Reflux Strictures

This report evaluates the efficacy of the combined Collis-Nissen operation in achieving long-term reflux control in patients with reflux strictures. A Collis-Nissen procedure with dilation of a reflux stricture was performed in 64 adults. The strictures were mild (easily dilated) in 37, moderate (requiring some force to dilate) in 17, and severe (requiring very forceful dilation) in 10. Two strictures were perforated intraoperatively. There was 1 postoperative death, and 4 patients have been lost to follow-up. The remaining 59 patients have been followed from 2 to 120 months (average, 43 months) after operation. Subjectively, reflux is absent in 48 (81%), mild in 4 (7%), moderate in 5 (9%), and severe in 2 (3%). Objectively, intraesophageal pH studies show good or excellent reflux control in 94% at 1 year and 66% at 2 to 5 years. Dysphagia has been eliminated in 71%, is mild in 10%, moderate (requiring occasional dilation) in 12%, and severe (requiring regular dilations) in 7%. The combined Collis-Nissen operation provides good long-term reflux control and relief of dysphagia in most patients with reflux strictures. However, patients with reflux strictures after previous repairs are likely to have unsatisfactory results and may best be managed with resectional therapy. Resection may also ultimately prove to be a better option for patients with more severe strictures.
LIPIDS AND IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTIONS IV. THE LIPID PATTERNS OF SPECIFIC PRECIPITATES FROM TYPE I ANTIPNEUMOCOCCUS SERA

1. Specific precipitates resulting from the interaction of the homologous capsular polysaccharide and Type I antipneumococcus horse and rabbit sera have been analyzed by gasometric micro methods for total nitrogen, lipid nitrogen, and lipid carbon. 2. Lipid may, under certain conditions, form as much as 51 per cent or as little as 4 per cent by weight of specific precipitates. 3. The total lipid content of specific precipitates, within the range studied, is entirely independent of the protein content. 4. Lipid nitrogen forms a very small but detectable portion of the total nitrogen of precipitates. 5. The absolute lipid content of precipitates is a function of the concentration of lipid in the reacting mixture prior to precipitation, and seems to be governed by the laws of adsorption phenomena.
A template-based fabrication technique for spatially-designed polymer micro/nanofiber composites

This paper reports a template-based technique for the fabrication of polymer micro/nanofiber composites, exercising control over the fiber dimensions and alignment. Unlike conventional spinning-based methods of fiber production, the presented approach is based on micro-transfer molding. It is a parallel processing technique capable of producing fibers with control over both in-plane and out-of-plane geometries, in addition to packing density and layout of the fibers. Collagen has been used as a test polymer to demonstrate the concept. Hollow and solid collagen fibers with various spatial layouts have been fabricated. Produced fibers have widths ranging from 2 µm to 50 µm, and fiber thicknesses ranging from 300 nm to 3 µm. Also, three-dimensionality of the process has been demonstrated by producing in-plane serpentine fibers with designed arc lengths, out-of-plane wavy fibers, fibers with focalized particle encapsulation, and porous fibers with desired periodicity and pore sizes.
WAP-TAg transgenic mice and the study of dysregulated cell survival, proliferation, and mutation during breast carcinogenesis

Understanding the process of carcinogenesis is key to developing therapies which might interrupt or reverse tumor onset and progression. Cell growth and death signals are dependent not only upon molecular mechanisms within a cell but also upon external stimuli such as hormones, cell - cell signaling, and extracellular matrix. Mouse models can be used to dissect these complex processes, to identify key signaling pathways operating at different stages of tumorigenesis, and to test the strength of specific interventions. In the WAP-TAg mouse model, carcinogenesis is initiated by expression of the Simian Virus 40 T antigen (TAg). TAg expression is triggered by hormonal stimulation, either during estrus or pregnancy. Breast adenocarcinomas (ranging from well to poorly differentiated) develop in 100% of the female mice by approximately 8 - 9 months of age. Three distinct stages of tumorigenesis are easily identified: an initial proliferation, hyperplasia, and adenocarcinoma. The mean time to first palpable tumor in mice which undergo at least one pregnancy is 6 months. The tumorigenic process is marked by a competition between proliferation and apoptosis and is characterized by cellular acquisition of genetic mutations and increased stromal fibrosis. Protein levels of cell cycle control genes cyclin D1, cdk2, and E2F-1 are increased in these adenocarcinomas. c-Fos protein levels are slightly increased in these cancers, while c-Jun levels do not change. Hormonal exposure alters progression. Estrogen plays a role during the early stages of oncogenesis although the growth of the resulting adenocarcinomas is estrogen-independent. Transient hormonal stimulation by glucocorticoids that temporarily increases the rate of cell proliferation results in tetraploidy, premature appearance of irreversible hyperplasia, and early tumor development. Tumor appearance also can be accelerated through over expression of the cell survival protein, Bcl-2. Bcl-2 over expression not only reduces apoptosis during the initial proliferative process but also decreases the total rate of cell proliferation. This block in cell proliferation is lost selectively as the cells transition to adenocarcinoma. The WAP-TAg model can be utilized to investigate how the basic processes of cell proliferation, apoptosis, DNA mutation, and DNA repair are modified by external and internal signals during mammary oncogenesis.
Spatio-Temporal Simulation Environment: A Microscopy Image Based Modelization Framework

Recently, the advancements in single cell microscopy such as fluorescent proteins (FP), used as reporters of biomolecular interactions [1], together with new image acquisition techniques (e.g. confocal [2], two-photon [3]) cause an important increase in the role of the imaging in molecular biology. These techniques open up many new areas of research the popularization of a spatial context to name explicitly one of the most important among them.
Rogerian Science-Based Nursing Theories:

In this column, the author provides a general overview of selected theories derived from Rogerian nursing science. After a brief discussion of the Rogerian perspective, she highlights representative theories. She suggests that ongoing development of proposed theories has been relatively slow for two main reasons. First, scholars still use the 1970 book as a major reference. Unfortunately, despite her promise to do so, Rogers never updated the 1970 book and admitted on many occasions that it would more accurately reflect her refinement of her science if a major portion of the pages were torn out. Second, theories were often proposed by doctoral candidates who changed focus in their careers postdoctorate. Despite this, there is a fascinating body of theories in various stages of development for Rogerian scholars to pursue.
Survival Time and Season-of-Treatment Initiation in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

We examined survival in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) as a function of season-of-treatment initiation. Survival for 1797 children aged 15 and under from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry, diagnosed and treated from 1973-1986 was obtained. There was no significant seasonal pattern for survival by season-of-treatment initiation. Neither age, gender, nor treatment type served as effect modifiers or confounders in this relationship. Female gender, age between one and ten years, and certain broad categories of treatment type were significant predictors of survival in separate univariate analyses, however. The nonsignificance of the results do not support the concept that season-of-treatment initiation is a prognostic factor in survival from ALL in children.
Evidence for Corticostriatal Dysfunction During Cognitive Skill Learning in Adolescent Siblings of Patients With Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia perform poorly on cognitive skill learning tasks. This study is the first to investigate the neural basis of impairment in cognitive skill learning in first-degree adolescent relatives of patients with schizophrenia. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare activation in 16 adolescent siblings of patients with childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) and 45 adolescent controls to determine whether impaired cognitive skill learning in individuals with genetic risk for schizophrenia was associated with specific patterns of neural activation. The siblings of patients with COS were severely impaired on the Weather Prediction Task (WPT) and showed a relative deactivation in frontal regions and in the striatum after extensive training on the WPT compared with controls. These differences were not accounted for by performance differences in the 2 groups. The results suggest that corticostriatal dysfunction may be part of the liability for schizophrenia.
Learning to walk before we run: the mechanics of medical intervention for peripheral arterial disease.

Clinicians are often faced with 2 important issues when treating patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD): 1) reduction of cardiovascular risk and 2) improvement of symptoms. Although multiple therapies (antiplatelet agents, statins, antihypertensive agents)
Changing Paradigms in Police Training: Transitioning from a Traditional to an Andragogical Model

The principal mission of policing within the United States, unchanged since its inception, serves to maintain social order and control. As society has continued to grow, mature, and evolve, so too has the complexity of fulfilling the police mission and the methods for training its officers.While a traditional, pedagogical, military model of basic police training may have at one time served the needs and interests of police and society, its applicability and efficacy has been called into question. An adult-based, andragogical instructional methodology has been viewed as a more effective means for training police recruits. It features a holistic, integrative, and collaborative approach to training with a strong emphasis on experiential learning. Andragogy is based on critical distinctions between how adults learn differently from children (pedagogy) and bases its practices on the needs, interests, readiness, orientation, experience, and motivation of the adult learner. While anecdotal data have suggested that an andragogical instructional methodology yields greater outcomes in learning and competencies, the absence of empirical data served as the impetus for a 2-year study that revealed the efficacy of an andragogical model over that of a traditional model. The study also led to identifying six thematic and categorical constructs for organizing, facilitating, and assessing the process of basic police training.
Metformin, an AMPK activator, stimulates the phosphorylation of aquaporin 2 and urea transporter A1 in inner medullary collecting ducts

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) is characterized by production of very large quantities of dilute urine due to an inability of the kidney to respond to vasopressin. Congenital NDI results from mutations in the type 2 vasopressin receptor (V2R) in ∼90% of families. These patients do not have mutations in aquaporin-2 (AQP2) or urea transporter UT-A1 (UT-A1). We tested adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK) since it is known to phosphorylate another vasopressin-sensitive transporter, NKCC2 (Na-K-2Cl cotransporter). We found AMPK expressed in rat inner medulla (IM). AMPK directly phosphorylated AQP2 and UT-A1 in vitro. Metformin, an AMPK activator, increased phosphorylation of both AQP2 and UT-A1 in rat inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCDs). Metformin increased the apical plasma membrane accumulation of AQP2, but not UT-A1, in rat IM. Metformin increased both osmotic water permeability and urea permeability in perfused rat terminal IMCDs. These findings suggest that metformin increases osmotic water permeability by increasing AQP2 accumulation in the apical plasma membrane but increases urea permeability by activating UT-A1 already present in the membrane. Lastly, metformin increased urine osmolality in mice lacking a V2R, a mouse model of congenital NDI. We conclude that AMPK activation by metformin mimics many of the mechanisms by which vasopressin increases urine-concentrating ability. These findings suggest that metformin may be a novel therapeutic option for congenital NDI due to V2R mutations.
Differential Parasitism of Several Species of Lepidopteran Eggs by Two Species of Trichogramma

Populations of insect pests can be controlled by maintaining a continuous population that can support enough parasites to effect a desired level of control (Evans 1930, Knipling and McGuire 1968). For example, Parker et al. (1971) suppressed larval populations of the imported cabbageworm, Pieris rapae (L.), by releasing fertile adults; then the resulting eggs supported an effective population of the egg parasite Trichogramma evanescens (Westwood). Also, Thewke and Puttler (1970) demonstrated that a population of Trichogramma can be maintained by applying lepidopteran eggs artificially in the field. In the present tests, several species of lepidopteran eggs were exposed to Trichogramma in the field to determine whether host characteristics affected rate of parasitism. Our findings may be of value for both monitoring Trichogramma parasitization and determining what host egg may be best used for supporting and increasing a population of Trichogramma in the field.