cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aujeszky's disease in the guinea pig: Cellular and humoral responses following immunization

The fatal disease caused by virulent ADV in guinea pigs was found to be identical to that seen in sheep and cattle. Intramuscular (i.m.) injection of an avirulent strain of ADV (Bartha) yielded better immunity to challenge after 3 weeks than did intranasal (i.n.) immunization, and this was reflected in differences in histopathological changes in the brain.
Firm Size and Cyclical Variations in Stock Returns

Recent imperfect capital market theories predict the presence of asymmetries in the variation of small and large firms' risk over the economic cycle. Small firms with little collateral should be more strongly affected by tighter credit market conditions in a recession state than large, better collateralized ones. This paper adopts a flexible econometric model to analyze these implications empirically. Consistent with theory, small firms display the highest degree of asymmetry in their risk across recession and expansion states, which translates into a higher sensitivity of their expected stock returns with respect to variables that measure credit market conditions. RECENT IMPERFECT CAPITAL MARKET THEORIES (e.g., Bernanke and Gertler (1989), Gertler and Gilchrist (1994), Kiyotaki and Moore (1997)) predict that changing credit market conditions can have very different effects on small and large firms' risk. Agency costs induced by asymmetry in the information held by firms and their creditors make it necessary for firms to use collateral when borrowing in the credit markets. Small firms, it is argued, typically do not have nearly as much collateral as large firms and will not have the same ability to raise external funds. Therefore, small firms will be more adversely affected by lower liquidity and higher short-term interest rates. Such theories do not simply have the cross-sectional implication that small firms' risk will be more strongly affected by tighter credit markets in all economic states. Based on the idea that a decline in a borrower's net worth raises the agency cost on external finance, the theories identify asymmetries in the effect of tighter credit market conditions on risk during recessions and expansions. In a recession, small firms' net worth, and hence their collateral, will be lower than usual and tighter credit markets will be associated with stronger adverse effects than during an expansion when the collateral of these firms is higher. Large firms are less likely to experience similarly
A critique of the “implicit folding procedure” for analyzing inelastic hadron scattering measurements

Abstract The assumptions underlying the use of the “implicit folding procedure” are examined and found to be invalid. We advocate that explicit folding calculations be used instead.
Migrants and asylum seekers: policy responses in the United States to immigrants and refugees from Central America and the Caribbean.

Although the 1990s have witnessed unprecedented immigration and refugee flows, many receiving countries in the West, including the US, have begun to apply more restrictionist policies as a result of perceived threats to their economies and cultural homogeneity. US immigration policy has generally responded to economic concerns and domestic pressures, while US refugee policy has reflected foreign policy concerns, especially the desire to embarrass communist systems during the Cold War. These policies have resulted in extensive immigration from Mexico and large numbers of refugees from Cuba and Nicaragua, but limited acceptance of asylum seekers from Haiti, El Salvador and Guatemala. The Welfare Reform Act and Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 and Proposition 187 movement in California (1994), which were meant to limit assistance to legal immigrants, reduce illegal immigration, and improve the efficiency of asylum process, were influenced significantly by American public opinion which viewed large numbers of immigrants as a threat to the American lifestyle. This legislation also led to revisions in the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s (INS) procedures including the “expedited removal” process and new guidelines on deportation and detention which many observers believe may lead to arbitrary decisions and possible violations of international guidelines. These policies present special problems for immigrants and refugees from Central America and the Caribbean who make up a large proportion of these cases.
Minimization of sidelobes in rectangular contact/via hole structures

With the increased use of attenuated phase shift masks, high NA, and highly light sensitive resists, accurate printing of both rectangular holes and square holes concurrently becomes an increasing challenge. Because of the relative difference in the amount of light passing through a rectangular hole compared to a square hole, printing both with good fidelity, and without sidelobing of the rectangular structures, is challenging. Sidelobes can arise when the first order of diffracted light from neighboring structures constructively interferes with light from the 6% attenuated background. Optimization of process conditions for square hole printing often results in sidelobing in rectangular structures on the same chip. Common methods for reducing sidelobes are to increase mask bias or partial coherence. Contrast considerations and mask inspectibility requirements limit the mask bias that can be used for square holes, and increasing partial coherence reduces the depth of focus for isolated square holes. This paper presents simulation and experimental results showing the effects of illumination conditions and mask bias on overall process window, including the sidelobe margin for rectangular hole structures. Sidelobe printing in rectangular holes is found to be extremely pitch dependent, and relatively insensitive to width. As discussed in this paper, the optimal process window depends on many factors, including the layout (of squares as well as rectangles), resist choice, scanner aberrations (coma), and illumination conditions. As with many aspects of photolithography, development of an optimal process requires consideration of all factors and making specific tradeoffs to reach this goal.
Extended range of gaplessness in a proximity effect sandwich: Magnetic impurities in the normal film

Abstract A gapless excitation spectrum in proximity effect samples Au1−xFex: Pb is observed when the transition temperature Tc of the sandwich has been depressed below Tco (transition temperature when x = 0) by only a few per cent. This extensive range of gapless behavior is in qualitative agreement with the calculation of Kaiser and Zuckerman.
The age of "adolescence".

This issue contains a Position Statement defining the purview of the specialist in Adolescent Medicine as persons ages 10 to 25 years of age. (1) This age range, broader than the traditional "12 to 18" or "12 to 21", acknowledges that the discipline of Adolescent Medicine is applicable to the preteen in earliest stages of puberty or adolescence and to the undergraduate and graduate student emerging from late adolescence to young adulthood. While it seems easy to define the age range appropriate for the field of Adolescent Medicine, it appears much more challenging to define an age range for "adolescence." In the March 1994 issue of Pediatrics, Drs. Ted Grace and Kevin Patrick, student health physicians, discussed the dilemma of a lack of consensus on a chronological definition of "adolescence." (2) Dr Grace challenged the Society for Adolescent Medicine to take the lead in establishing precise age categories for the stages of adolescence. I certainly appreciate the dilemma. When preparing a set of tables of normative physical and physiological data for a Ross Labs monograph and then for the McAnarney et al textbook, I encountered many variations of age-groupings for data concerning adolescents. (3) There have been many times when I have wished that everyone could get together and accept a common definition for "adolescent" and a common approach to age groupings for all of our endeavors in clinical practice, data collection, and research. However, I have reflected on this a great deal and would like to offer a different perspective. I believe it is impractical, if not impossible, to achieve consensus. As a specialist in Adolescent Medicine, I
Hearing Impairment and Psychosis

The study explores the relationship between hearing impairment and psychotic illness in twenty hospitalized patients (aged 55–77) using as controls twenty age-matched community-based older subjects with no psychiatric illness. All subjects received full psychiatric evaluations and comprehensive audiologic assessments. Data were analyzed by discriminant analysis and ANOVA. Experimental subjects were found to have significantly poorer unilateral pure tone average (PTA) and significantly poorer bilateral speech discrimination ability than control subjects. Patients with a mood disorder had poorer unilateral PTAs than controls, but did not exhibit significantly poorer speech discrimination. Subjects with specifically paranoid ideation were found to have significantly better left ear speech discrimination than nonparanoid subjects. Our data suggest that hearing impairment should possibly be considered a potential risk factor for the development of psychosis in the elderly.
Enuresis following masturbation in a mentally retared adolescent

An unusual presentation of enuresis is described. A mentally retarded adolescent male with normal bladder function wet his bed while awake following masturbation. Initially, this sequence was not apparent to the parents or physicians. A multidisciplinary approach to the symptom helped to define and focus on the circumstances of the symptom itself, allowing for successful intervention.
Post-Hoc Vibration Mitigation for Single-Molecule Tracking and Diffusion Measurements in Lipid Membranes

ABSTRACT Single-molecule tracking algorithms and analyses that use particle trajectory information rely on the accurate determination of particle positions to produce a meaningful interpretation of molecular dynamics. However, artifacts arising from vibration can sometimes distort or entirely mask the processes being studied. Here we describe a straightforward implementation of the Lucas-Kanade stabilization algorithm that can remove the impact of instrument-related vibrations on molecular diffusion measurements after a data set has been collected. Using fluorescently derivatized αHL on supported lipid bilayers in conjunction with computer simulations of 2D diffusion, we report that post-hoc stabilization can be effective in removing both simple and complex noise sources. The effectiveness of vibration mitigation is a function of the relationship between the vibration amplitude and the magnitude of the diffusion constant. For diffusion constants in the range of typical membrane proteins (e.g., 10−9 to 10−...
Release of Slow-Reacting Substance of Anaphylaxis in the Rat: Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte

The antigen-induced release of slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis was studied in rats previously treated with different biological and pharmacological agents to deplete these animals of specific cellular elements. The polymorphonuclear leukocyte appears necessary as a crucial cell type for optimum release of the slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis, whereas the mast cell and lymphocyte are not required.
Remote monitoring of hypersaline environments in San Francisco Bay, CA, USA

As part of a historic remediation project, approximately 61 km2 of salt evaporation ponds in the southern portion of San Francisco Bay, CA (USA) are scheduled for restoration to natural tidal marsh habitat over the next several decades. We have investigated the correlation of remotely sensed infrared spectral information with in situ field measurements and sampling, and evaluated the usefulness of a remote sensing approach to monitor salinity and population distributions of microbial communities in the hypersaline ponds. The Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) instrument operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has created a ten-year archive of spectral information concerning these ponds. We utilized spectral signatures of microbial populations that are sensitive to salinity, and trained a supervised classification algorithm to identify physical parameters from an AVIRIS scene based upon microbe spectra gathered in the field using a portable visible to near-infrared (VNIR) spectrometer. Our results indicate that automated analyses of hyperspectral observations are capable of detecting variations in microbial populations and discriminating corresponding salinity levels.
Evaluation Of A Dissolvable Ureteral Drainage Stent In A Swine Model

Purpose: Ureteral stents are commonly placed after routine ureteroscopic procedures to prevent acute ureteral obstruction. However, stents can cause significant symptoms, may require a secondary procedure for removal and may possibly be forgotten. Toward this end a temporary ureteral drainage stent capable of dissolving spontaneously was developed to obviate the problems associated with more commonly used stents.Materials and Methods: We evaluated 3 stents of various compositions in a swine model. These stents were composed of dense dissolving material with and without radiopaque filling (dense filled and dense unfilled, respectively) and soft material with radiopaque filling (soft filled). Standard soft hydrogel coated plastic stents served as controls. Three female swine were placed into 4 groups each, including group 1—dense unfilled versus standard stents with harvest at day 7, group 2—dense unfilled versus standard stents with harvest at day 3, group 3—dense filled versus dense unfilled stents with h...
ACUTE RESIDUAL TOXICITY OF SEVERAL DISINFECTANTS IN DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE WATER

ABSTRACT: This study determined the acute toxicity of waste water disinfected with chlorine, bromine chloride, or ozone. The residual toxicity of effluent dechlorinated with sulfur dioxide was also tested. Toxicity tests were conducted with cyprinid, salmonid, and centrarchid fishes, as well as several species of fresh water macroinvertebrates. Residual chlorine exhibited the greatest toxicity of the disinfectants tested; dechlorination with sulfur dioxide effectively eliminated the toxicity of chlorinated effluent. Residual ozone produced mortality in test animals only under special conditions where subjects were exposed to effluent immediately after it was contacted with ozone, and chlorobrominated effluent was more toxic to salmonids than chlorinated effluent.
Spaces of self-consciousness: Carla Accardi's environments and the rise of Italian feminism

“Spaces of self-consciousness” examines three environments created by the Italian artist Carla Accardi in light of an emerging feminist politics. Though better known as a painter, Accardi created these three-dimensional works during an era of political and social upheaval in which her own commitment to the Italian feminist movement began to take shape. Her environments were deeply imbricated both with her own experience of autocoscienza, or consciousness-raising, as well as with radical design proposals that rejected the current state of civilization. This article examines how these environments functioned as prototypes of the transient, anti-institutional spaces that she would later create as co-founder of Rivolta femminile, a historic Italian feminist collective, and examines a previously obscure moment in Carla Accardi's career.
Function and polymorphism of human leukocyte antigen-A,B,C molecules☆

Abstract Human class I major histocompatibility complex, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A,B,C molecules are peptide-binding proteins that present degraded fragments of antigens to cytotoxic T lymphocytes. HLA-A,B,C loci are highly polymorphic and their products are strong alloantigens. Comparison of the primary structure of 39 HLA-A,B,C molecules shows that variation is found at many positions in the extracellular domains (alpha 1 , alpha 2 , and alpha 3 ). Positions with high variability are concentrated in and around the peptide-binding groove formed by the alpha 1 - and alpha 2 -domains and defined by crystallographic analysis of HLA-A2. It is likely that the polymorphic differences serve to alter both the peptide-binding specificity and the interaction with T cell receptors. This in turn may result in differences in immune responsiveness, susceptibility, and resistance to disease, and in alloantigenicity.
Trends in acute myocardial infarction coronary heart disease death in the United States

Coronary heart disease accounted for 489,171 deaths in 1990. Age-adjusted death rates decreased faster between 1976 and 1990 for white men than for white women or blacks. Out of hospital death rates for coronary heart disease decreased in the 1980s. Hospital fatality rates for acute myocardial infarction continued a long-term decrease through 1990. Trends in risk factors and invasive procedures support the conclusion that risk factor reduction has resulted in reduced incidence of acute myocardial infarction and sudden coronary death and that improvements in medical care have resulted in a continued decrease in acute myocardial infarction fatalities and overall coronary deaths.
Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and brain function during emotional distraction from cognitive processing in posttraumatic stress disorder

Serotonergic system dysfunction has been implicated in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Genetic polymorphisms associated with serotonin signaling may predict differences in brain circuitry involved in emotion processing and deficits associated with PTSD. In healthy individuals, common functional polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) have been shown to modulate amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity in response to salient emotional stimuli. Similar patterns of differential neural responses to emotional stimuli have been demonstrated in PTSD but genetic factors influencing these activations have yet to be examined. We investigated whether SLC6A4 promoter polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR, rs25531) and several downstream single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) modulated activity of brain regions involved in the cognitive control of emotion in post-9/11 veterans with PTSD. We used functional MRI to examine neural activity in a PTSD group (n = 22) and a trauma-exposed control group (n = 20) in response to trauma-related images presented as task-irrelevant distractors during the active maintenance period of a delayed-response working memory task. Regions of interest were derived by contrasting activation for the most distracting and least distracting conditions across participants. In patients with PTSD, when compared to trauma-exposed controls, rs16965628 (associated with serotonin transporter gene expression) modulated task-related ventrolateral PFC activation and 5-HTTLPR tended to modulate left amygdala activation. Subsequent to combat-related trauma, these SLC6A4 polymorphisms may bias serotonin signaling and the neural circuitry mediating cognitive control of emotion in patients with PTSD. The SLC6A4 SNP rs16965628 and 5-HTTLPR are associated with a bias in neural responses to traumatic reminders and cognitive control of emotions in patients with PTSD. Functional MRI may help identify intermediate phenotypes and dimensions of PTSD that clarify the functional link between genes and disease phenotype, and also highlight features of PTSD that show more proximal influence of susceptibility genes compared to current clinical categorizations.
Fault detection in chemical plant equipment via fluid noise analysis

Abstract One role of fault detection in chemical plants is as an auxiliary (or even primary) technique of measuring and evaluating process operating performance. This article reports on the results of an investigation into the analysis of noise generated by a gas absorption column packed with Raschig rings. Different noise patterns were observed under normal, loading, and flooding conditions. The main problem noted in fault detection and diagnosis using acoustical noise is how to develop a selective technique for the extraction of features from the observed noise that are highly correlated with the internal conditions under study.
Assessing Pedagogy in Bioengineering Classrooms: Quantifying Elements of the “How People Learn” Model Using the VaNTH Observation System (VOS)

One goal of the VaNTH Engineering Research Center is to estimate the effects of the “value added” to bioengineering student learning as a result of “How People Learn” (HPL) framework interventions. A necessary step in that process is to assess pedagogical differences in both lecture-based and HPL-oriented courses. Data from 28 bioengineering courses, over five semesters, were analyzed using a newly developed HPL Index. This index, developed from the Classroom Interaction Observation portion of the VaNTH Observation System, reports levels of HPL-inspired pedagogy, traditional pedagogy, and classroom organization within a class using codes for different types of faculty and student interactions assigned by an observer in real time. Results confirm the HPL Index's ability to distinguish pedagogical practices based on HPL principles and pedagogical practices based on traditional, non-HPL pedagogy.
Presidential address: annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

Now more than ever, the world needs pain physicians and clinicians who are grounded in pain science. I am confident that this year's meeting provided attendees with the latest science advancements in the treatment of pain and afforded them the opportunity to learn about new resources, as well as an excellent opportunity to connect with their colleagues. I would like to take this opportunity to thank this year's annual meeting co-chairs, Drs. Steven Stanos and Jeffrey Tiede and their committee. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their countless hours spent on planning this year's meeting. Our co-chairs brought together an excellent lineup of expert faculty who addressed the latest science and the most relevant topics facing pain practitioners today. They set the stage with evidence-based research and knowledge for both the clinician and the academician by delineating knowledge and presenting a balance of complex issues and straightforward clinical information to use in your pain practice. The meeting covered the gamut of pain medicine, from interventional and restorative to psychiatric and pharmacologic, and even included a look at how the military treats pain. With issues surrounding pain in the news every day, our society needs us, more than ever, to maintain a strong stance as pain experts in the medical community. We know that more than 100 million Americans are suffering with chronic pain, and some of the treatments meant to help have been the sources …
Unilateral thyroidectomy in 6 horses

Objective,— To describe the surgical technique, complications, and outcome of thyroidectomy in 6 horses. Study Design— Retrospective study. Animals— Six horses, 10 to 22 years of age, with unilateral, rapidly enlarging thyroid masses. Methods— Medical records between 1985 and 2000 were reviewed for horses that had unilateral thyroidectomy. Retrieved data included signalment, physical, clinical, and ultrasonographic examination findings, surgical technique, complications, and outcome. A minimum of 6 months follow-up was obtained. Results— Six horses were identified. Three horses had tracheal compression and 2 of these also had exercise intolerance. On ultrasonography (5 horses), the enlarged thyroid ranged from 125 to 990 cm3, and had either a heterogeneous (1 horse), cystic (2), or homogeneous (2) appearance. En bloc, unilateral thyroidectomy under general anesthesia was performed in all horses. After surgery, 3 horses had ipsilateral laryngeal hemiplegia, but tracheal compression was resolved. Thyroid masses were adenoma (3), C-cell compact carcinoma (1), and adenocarcinoma (1). No tumor recurrence or metastatic disease was reported 6 to 14 months after surgery. Conclusions— Unilateral thyroidectomy can be successfully performed in horses with large thyroid tumors, but laryngeal hemiplegia can be an important surgical complication. Ultrasonographic examination is useful to define thyroid enlargement and location but is seemingly not useful to characterize tumor type. Clinical Relevance— Thyroidectomy is an uncommon surgical procedure and has an attendant risk for recurrent laryngeal nerve damage. Laryngoscopic examination before and after surgery and careful isolation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during surgery is recommended.
Nuclear factor-kappa B and apoptosis inducing factor activation by doxorubicin analog WP744 in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common extracranial tumors in children. The chemotherapeutic doxorubicin (Dox) remains a mainstay for treatment. However, the emergence of drug resistance seriously limits treatment efficacy. Numerous Dox analogues have been designed to more potently kill drug naive as well as drug-resistant NB. We have shown that the Dox analogue WP744 has enhanced the killing activity of NB compared to Dox, but the mechanism(s) of action is unclear. Materials and methods MTT assays were used to characterize the relative potencies of Dox and WP744 against SH-SY5Y NB cells. Western blotting was used to assess activation of caspases-3, -9, anti-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, p53, p21, AIF, IκBα, Bcl-2, Bcl-X L , and cyclin D1. Nuclear factor (NF-κB) activation was assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Results After WP744 treatment, enhanced apoptosis and cell death were seen, associated with cleavage of caspases-3, -9, and anti-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, an increase in p53 protein levels, and the induction of p21. WP744 also induced translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor from mitochondria to nuclei. Most remarkably, WP744 was 50-fold more potent than Dox in activating NF-κB. WP744 treatment also resulted in the down-regulation of expression of downstream targets of NF-κB. Conclusions WP744 is a novel Dox analogue that triggers apoptosis and cell killing by activation of proapoptotic mediators in NB cells. Enhanced cytotoxicity of this novel drug compared with Dox may be related to more effective activation of NF-κB and apoptosis-inducing factor in tumor cells.
Modeling and Simulation of a MEMS-Based Pseudospark Microthruster

Summary form only given. The requirements for satellite station-keeping include low levels of thrust applied intermittently over the lifetime of the satellite and high specific impulse to optimize payload efficiency and high reliability. Advances in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology have enabled the design and fabrication of microthrusters that can meet these requirements. The first step is to model and simulate a microthruster, with the eventual goal of building and testing arrays of thrusters. This research presents the modeling and simulation of a MEMS-based microthruster that generates a pseudospark discharge in a hollow cathode configuration. The ion microthruster operation uses a 5-nanosecond (ns) pulse of 500 V in argon gas at 10 torr. Simulation runs are executed using XOOPIC PIC-MCC code (developed by the Plasma Theory & Simulation Group of UC-Berkeley) for a microthruster with accelerator/extractor stages. Simulation results have been obtained for the microscale thrusters with one- and three-extractor stages. The average kinetic energy and number of particles (for both argon ions and electrons) have been plotted over the 5-ns pulse. The microthruster potential profiles and particle number densities have been recorded at times t = 2 ns and t = 5 ns. Estimates of the thrust and specific impulse have been determined from the flux and angular distribution data of the exiting ions
IMPROVING NATIONAL-SCALE INVASION MAPS: TAMARISK IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

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Illustrating concepts of quantal analysis with an intuitive classroom model.

the quantal hypothesis is central to the modern understanding of how a neurotransmitter is released from synapses. This hypothesis expresses that a neurotransmitter is packaged together in quanta that are released probabilistically. The experiments that led to the quantal hypothesis are often
Network Congestion Alleviation Using Adjoint Hybrid Control: Application to Highways

This paper derives an optimization-based control methodology for networks of switched and hybrid systems in which each mode is governed by a partial differential equation (PDE). We pose the continuous controller synthesis problem as an optimization program with PDEs in the constraints. The proposed algorithm relies on an explicit formulation of the gradient of the cost function, obtained via the adjoint of the PDE operator. First, we show how to use the result of the optimization to synthesize on/off control strategies. Then, we generalize the method to optimal switching control of hybrid systems over PDEs: the system is allowed to switch from one mode (or PDE) to another at times which we synthesize to minimize a given cost. We derive an explicit expression of the gradient of the cost with respect to the switching times. We implement our techniques on a highway congestion control problem using Performance Measurement System (PeMS) data for the California I210 for a 9 mile long strip with 26 on-ramps (controllable with red/green metering lights) and off-ramps (uncontrollable).
Underexplored niches in research on plant pathogenic bacteria.

Despite rapid advances on certain aspects of plant pathogenic bacteria, many economically important pathosystems are largely unexplored and biologically relevant life stages of even familiar systems remain poorly understood. We know remarkably little about end-stage disease, latent infections, survival away from the host, interactions among multiple microbes in a plant, and the effects of quantitative virulence factors. While no thoughtful researcher would dispute the effectiveness of reductionist experiments, we propose that this approach be combined with a broader perspective that includes the ecology, histopathology, and community population biology of phytopathogenic bacteria. We offer examples of exciting recent discoveries resulting from this natural history-based approach. In particular, in situ studies using biologically realistic inoculation followed by analyses with microscopy, gene expression profiling, community analyses, or application of key computational tools can offer new insights into old questions. Research that combines cutting-edge tools with a biological perspective is especially lacking on high-impact diseases of subsistence crops. Understanding the biology underlying important practical issues such as copper resistance, eradication from seed and cuttings, and rapid, sensitive detection could be of significant utility. Overall, we endorse a broader biological approach to research on plant pathogenic bacteria.
An elastic partial shape matching technique

We consider the problem of partial shape matching. We propose to transform shapes into sequences and utilize an algorithm that determines a subsequence of a target sequence that best matches a query. In the proposed algorithm we map the problem of the best matching subsequence to the problem of a cheapest path in a directed acyclic graph (DAG). The approach allows us to compute the optimal scale and translation of sequence values, which is a nontrivial problem in the case of subsequence matching. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the commonly used techniques in retrieval accuracy.
Improved sample adaptive offset for HEVC

Sample adaptive offset (SAO) is the new in-loop filter in High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. In this paper, the problems in the early version of SAO technique is discussed, and it is shown how the proposed methods improve its performance. It is proposed to restrict edge offset sign according to edge shape to reduce visual artifact caused by edge offset. It is also proposed to reduce number of band offset to facilitate implementation. Experimental results shows the proposed methods effectively reduce the artifact caused by edge offset, and reduce number of band offset by half without compromising coding efficiency.
300-Gb/s 24-channel bidirectional Si carrier transceiver Optochip for board-level interconnects

A parallel optical transceiver module with 24-transmitter plus 24-receiver channels has been designed and fabricated. The transceiver Optochip relies on silicon carrier technology to provide a high level of integration of the electrical and optical components onto a single substrate with high density interconnection. The transceiver Optochip consists of the Si carrier platform with 4 flip-chip attached components: two 24-channel 850 nm optoelectronic arrays (VCSELs and photodiodes) and two 24-channel CMOS ICs (receivers and laser drivers). Furthermore, 150-mum diameter "optical vias" are incorporated in the Si carrier at 48 locations of the VCSEL and PD array element in order to allow optical transmission through the silicon carrier. A lens arrays aligned to the optical vias can also be integrated into the Si carrier to collimate the optical inputs/outputs and facilitate optical coupling to/from the Optochip. Complete Optochips have been assembled and fully characterized using optical coupling into multimode fiber (MMF) with all channels fully operational. The 24 transmitter channels showed good performance up to 15 Gb/s with uniform, high optical output power and low jitter. The 24 receiver channels, characterized as full Tx-to-Rx Optochip links, operated error-free up to 12.5 Gb/s. At 12.5 Gb/s, each complete link consumes only 11 mW/Gb/s. The Optochip achieves a 300 Gb/s bidirectional data rate, a new record for parallel optical transceivers.
Control of rat granulosa cell mitosis by phorbol ester-, cyclic AMP-, and estradiol-17 beta-dependent pathways.

The present studies examined the effect of 8-bromo-cAMP (8-Br-cAMP), phorbol ester (TPA), and estradiol-170 (E,) on the capacity of rat granulosa cells (GC) to undergo mitosis. In the first series of experiments, GC were either maintained within immature rat ovaries in perifusion culture or isolated and placed in tissue culture. GC were cultured for 24 h with 1) control medium, 2) 8-Br-cAMP, 3) TPA, or 4) 8-Br-cAMP plus TPA in the presence of 3 H-thymidine ( 3 H-T). In perifusion culture, 8-BrcAMP stimulated both 3 H-T incorporation (p 0.05). Simultaneous exposure to 8-Br-cAMP and TPA enhanced 3 H-T incorporation and suppressed E, as compared to 8-Br-cAMP treatment alone (p < 0.05). In tissue culture, 8-Br-cAMP did not increase H-T incorporation or cell number. TPA increased both 3 H-T incorporation (p < 0.05) and cell number (p < 0.05), while 8-Br-cAMP suppressed both of these TPA-induced responses. In the presence of testosterone, 1) TPA's mitogenic action was also observed, 2) basal E, secretion ranged between 30 and 35 pg/ml, 3) neither 8-Br-cAMP nor TPA stimulated E, secretion over basal levels, and 4) Rp-cAMP, a cAMP antagonist, blocked TPA-induced cell proliferation. E, at 250 pg/ml also blocked TPA's mitogenic action. In a second series of experiments, GC were collected from eCG-treated rats. Although E, levels ranged from 250 to 350 pg/ml, TPA induced mitosis that was inhibited by 8-Br-cAMP. These data demonstrate that cAMP- and TPA-dependent pathways interact to determine whether the GC will undergo mitosis. Specifically, low endogenous levels of cAMP synergize with TPA-dependent pathways to promote mitosis, while high levels of 8-Br-cAMP inhibit proliferation. An E,-dependent mechanism also exists that attenuates TPA's mitogenic action in GC isolated from immature rats but not eCG-treated rats. Since 8-Br-cAMP blocks mitosis in the absence of androgen, it is unlikely that cAMP mediates its action by increasing E, secretion. It appears then that the anti-mitogenic actions of cAMP and E, are mediated through redundant, independent mechanisms that prevent GC mitosis. Further, the anti-mitogenic properties of E, but not cAMP diminish as a result of gonadotropin-induced GC maturation.
Non-linear op-amp circuits: Existence and uniqueness of solution by inspection

Even simple circuits containing only one op amp and linear resistors can have multiple d.c. operating points. Using a realistic non-linear d.c. op-amp model which includes the saturation characteristics, this paper gives the necessary and sufficient conditions for an arbitrary op-amp circuit (containing op amps, linear resistors, strictly-increasing non-linear resistors and independent sources) to have a unique solution for all values of circuit parameters. These conditions are remarkable because they are couched strictly in topological terms. For many op-amp circuits (e.g. those containing only one op amp), the necessary and sufficient conditions can be checked by inspection.
Active Sensing for High-Speed Offroad Driving

In this paper we propose an active control strategy for scanning laser sensors on autonomous vehicles traveling offroad at high speeds. As speed increases the amount of sensor information about the terrain decreases. We address the problem of sensor control in the context of this speed-coverage trade off. The algorithm and testing methodologies are described with results comparing our active sensing method to a passive sensing method.
Photoelectron imaging study of the effect of monohydration on O2 - photodetachment.

The photodetachment of the O2-·H2O cluster anion at 780 and 390 nm is investigated in comparison with O2- using photoelectron imaging spectroscopy. Despite the pronounced shift in the photoelectron spectra, the monohydration has little effect on the photoelectron angular distributions: for a given wavelength and electron kinetic energy (eKE) range, the O2-·H2O angular distributions are quantitatively similar to those for bare O2-. This observation confirms that the excess electron in O2-·H2O retains the overall character of the 2pπg* HOMO of O2-. The presence of H2O does not affect significantly the partial wave composition of the photodetached electrons at a given eKE. An exception is observed for slow electrons, where O2-·H2O exhibits a faster rise in the photodetachment signal with increasing eKE, as compared to O2-. The possible causes of this anomaly are (i) the long-range charge−dipole interaction between the departing electron and the neutral O2·H2O skeleton affecting the slow-electron dynamics; a...
Ethical Conduct and Public Service Loyalty Intelligently Bestowed

Over the past two decades, a variety of approaches to teaching and encouraging public administration ethics have been advanced. To that end, theories of social justice, citizenship claims, integrity-based approaches, moral leadership, and a renewed emphasis on professionalism have all made significant contributions to the discussion. This article offers a different approach through a reading of Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day. Ishiguro's characterization of moral conflict, as it appears within this novel, is particularly interesting and relevant for those engaged in public service. What emerges from the analysis provided here is an appraisal of the moral conflicts inherent within public administration, an appreciation of the moral fragility of individual decision making, and a basis for a new understanding of loyalty within public service that is, or ought to be, intelligently bestowed.
Comparison of Polyethylene Glycol-Electrolyte Solution vs Polyethylene Glycol-3350 for the Treatment of Fecal Impaction in Pediatric Patients

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of polyethylene glycol-electrolyte solution vs polyethylene glycol-3350 for the treatment of fecal impaction in pediatric patients. METHODS: A retrospective, observational, institutional review board–approved study was conducted over a 1-year time period. Patients were included in the study if they were admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of fecal impaction or constipation and were treated with either polyethylene glycol-electrolyte solution (PEG-ES) or polyethylene glycol-3350 (PEG-3350). Patients were excluded if they were discharged prior to resolution of treatment and/or did not receive PEG-ES or PEG-3350. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients (ranging in age from 1 month to 15 years) were evaluated: 23 patients received PEG-ES and 28 patients received PEG-3350. Sex, race, age, and weight were not statistically different between the 2 groups. Resolution of fecal impaction was not significantly different between PEG-ES vs PEG-3...
Protein kinase C modulates transcriptional activation by the juvenile hormone receptor methoprene-tolerant

Juvenile hormone (JH) controls many biological events in insects by triggering dramatic changes in gene expression in target cells. The Methoprene-tolerant (MET) protein, an intracellular JH receptor, acts as a transcriptional regulator and binds to the promoters of tissue- and stage-specific JH target genes when JH is present. Our recent study has demonstrated that the transcriptional activation by MET is modulated by a membrane-initiated JH signaling pathway, involving phospholipase C (PLC) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). Here we report that protein kinase C (PKC) is another essential intermediate of this pathway. PKC was activated by JH and this action was PLC-dependent. Inhibition of the PKC activity substantially weakened the JH-induced gene expression in mosquito cells. RNAi experiments indicated that several PKC isoforms were involved in the JH action during the post-emergence development of adult female mosquitoes. JH treatment considerably increased the binding of MET to the promoters of JH response genes in cultured mosquito abdomens that were collected from newly emerged female adults. The JH-induced DNA binding of MET was hindered when the abdomens were treated with a PKC inhibitor and JH. Therefore, the results suggest that PKC modulates the transactivation activity of MET by enhancing the binding of MET to JH response elements in the JH target genes. This mechanism may allow for variable and stage- and tissue-specific genomic responses to JH.
Jesus Christ, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and Adam Smith's Wise, Virtuous, Just, and Noble Person: A Comparison of Jesus Christ's System of Virtue Ethics with that of Adam Smith's

Jesus Christ can be viewed as the ultimate teacher of ethics and moral philosophy. However, his teaching approach, the parable, requires later readers of these parables to have understood or be able to grasp through historical analysis a very significant amount of the missing background knowledge that is usually overlooked by someone reading the parables.This is due to the oral tradition of Jesus’s time. This background information would have been readily understood by individuals listening to Jesus as he used his parables to teach virtue 2000 years ago.A reexamination of his Parable of the Good Samaritan demonstrates Jesus’s awareness that a virtuous person’s character is developed in a process that is occurring, in general, over time in different stages of a person’s life. A person needs to develop a proper understanding of moral behavior over time. This is why the parents and school teachers are so important - they help build the character of the young person growing up.Only two laws are needed - Love your God and love your neighbor. The wise and virtuous man or women, who has properly developed their character, would be able to apply these two rules of conduct to the many different kinds of situations that they would face in their lifetimes.Adam Smith developed, in much greater detail and length, a similar type of virtue ethics in his The Theory of Moral Sentiments in 1759 that, however, leads to the same conclusions concerning moral development that a complete and full understanding of Jesus’s Good Samaritan parable, and other parables (The parable of the talents), leads to. This paper will examine the overlooked background information that is contained in the Good Samaritan Parable. This overlooked background information, that Jesus took for granted would be known to his listeners, is not made explicit in the Good Samaritan parable itself. It needs to be explicitly grasped before a complete comparison can be made between Jesus and Adam Smith on the issue of the development and attainment of virtue over time.
VALUE AT RISK & TRANSACTION EXPOSURE: AN INTER-TEMPORAL LEXICOGRAPHIC PERMUTATION OF A SIX-CURRENCY PORTFOLIO

Combinations of a six-Currency portfolio are studied for a two-year period to access the reliability of “value at risk” approach to measuring the transaction exposure. The values at risk for each currency and for every additional currency portfolio are estimated for each year. The outcomes for the different permutations for each year are compared, not only in alphabetical and reverse alphabetical order, but for the best case scenario as well, to weigh up the reliability of the value at risk methodology. Comparing the results of the two years, it is established that variability in both the standard deviations of the individual exchange rates and their covariance can result in notably diverse estimates of value at risk, even over daily time periods.