cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mundell-Fleming Lecture: Contractionary Currency Crashes in Developing Countries

To update a famous old statistic: a political leader in a developing country is almost twice as likely to lose office in the six months following a currency crash as otherwise. This difference, which is highly significant statistically, holds regardless of whether the devaluation takes place in the context of an IMF program. Why are devaluations so costly? Many of the currency crises of the last 10 years have been associated with output loss. Is this, as alleged, because of excessive reliance on raising the interest rate as a policy response? More likely it is because of contractionary effects of devaluation. There are various possible contractionary effects of devaluation, but it is appropriate that the balance sheet effect receives the most emphasis. Pass-through from exchange rate changes to import prices in developing countries is not the problem: this coefficient fell in the 1990s, as a look at some narrowly defined products shows. Rather balance sheets are the problem. How can countries mitigate the fall in output resulting from the balance sheet effect in crises? In the shorter term, adjusting promptly after inflows cease is better than procrastinating by shifting to short-term dollar debt, which raises the costliness of the devaluation when it finally comes. In the longer term, greater openness to trade reduces vulnerability to both sudden stops and currency crashes.
Nanomechanical and Microstructural Properties of Bombyx mori Silk Films

Instrumented indentation and micro-Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the mechanical and structural properties of Bombyx mori silk films. Twelve different films were prepared from B. mori silk fibroin protein using a variety of post-deposition processing treatments (e.g. soaking in methanol, soaking in water, stretching, and/or enzymatic etching). The results show that different treatments lead to changes in both the conformation of the silk fibroin protein and the mechanical properties of the films.
Semantic Middleware for E-Discovery

E-Discovery is the process of collecting, preparing, reviewing and producing electronically stored information in the context of the legal process. In this paper we describe practical experiences developing semantic middleware to support E-Discovery from a variety of enterprise data sources including relational databases, LDAP directories and document repositories. Specifically we discuss the development of a top level ontology suitable for representing enterprise data for E-Discovery, a semantic mapping process that maps the data models of these heterogeneous sources into the top level ontology, a data integration step that merges references to the same entity from different sources, and a query controller that provides a common, coordinated view for applications consuming these sources.
Characterization of a Perfusion Reactor Utilizing Mammalian Cells on Microcarrier Beads

Our overall objective is to develop a cell culture analogue bioreactor (CCA) that can be used together with a corresponding physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK) to evaluate molecular mechanisms of toxicity. The PBPK is a mathematical model that divides the body into compartments representing organs, integrating the kinetic, thermodynamic, and anatomical parameters of the animal. The CCA bioreactor is a physical replica of the PBPK; where the PBPK specifies organs, the CCA bioreactor contains compartments with a corresponding cell type that mimics some of the characteristic metabolism of that organ. The device is a continuous, dynamic system composed of multiple cell types that interact through a common circulating cell culture medium. The CCA bioreactor and the model can be coupled to evaluate the plausibility of the molecular mechanism that is input into the model. This paper focuses on the design, development, and characterization of a CCA bioreactor to be used in naphthalene dose response studies. A CCA bioreactor prototype developed previously is improved upon by culturing the cells on microcarrier beads. Microcarrier beads with cells attached can form packed beds with cell culture medium perfusing the beds. In this study, two packed beds of cells, one with L2 cells (rat lung) and one with H4IIE cells (rat hepatoma), are linked in a physiologically relevant arrangement by a common recirculating cell culture medium. Studies of this CCA bioreactor presented here include mixing profiles, effect of reactor environment on cell viability and intracellular glutathione, naphthalene distribution profile, and initial naphthalene dosing studies. Unlike the prototype system there is no detectable response to naphthalene addition; in a companion paper we show that this discrepancy can be explained by differences in liquid residence times in the organ compartments. The perfusion reactor design is shown to have significant operating improvements over prototype designs.
COX-2 Expression Is Upregulated by DNA Hypomethylation after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant therapy is limited by pulmonary infections. Mice with fully reconstituted hematopoietic compartments, including alveolar macrophages (AMs), after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) have impaired host defense against Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Impaired innate immunity is related to increased production of PGE2 by AMs. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is the rate-limiting enzyme for synthesis of PGE2 from arachidonic acid, and COX-2 expression is elevated in AMs post-BMT. We hypothesized that epigenetic mechanisms may be responsible for upregulation of COX-2 in AMs. Using bisulfite sequencing, we observed the 5′-untranslated region and exon 1 of the COX-2 gene is hypomethylated in the AMs of BMT mice compared with control. COX-2 expression was increased in primary AMs and in the AM cell line (MHS) after treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (a methyltransferase inhibitor). Methylation by SssI methyltransferase of a 698-bp region of the COX-2 promoter including the beginning of exon 1 driving a luciferase reporter silenced luciferase expression. Because TGF-β1 is elevated in lungs post-BMT, we tested whether TGF-β1 could promote expression of COX-2 in a hypermethylated COX-2 vector, and observed TGF-β1–induced modest expression of COX-2, suggesting an ability to demethylate the promoter. Finally, BMTs performed with marrow from mice expressing a dominant-negative form of the TGF-βRII on CD11c-expressing cells (which includes AMs) demonstrated improved host defense and AM function. Our findings suggest impaired innate immunity and PGE2 elevation post-BMT are due to hypomethylation of the COX-2 gene, which is at least partly regulated by TGF-β1.
Activation of interleukin-6 gene expression through the NF-kappa B transcription factor.

Abstract The promoter region of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene has a putative NF-kappa B-binding site. We found that a fragment of the IL-6 promoter containing the site specifically binds highly purified NF-kappa B protein and the NF-kappa B protein in nuclear extracts of phorbol ester-induced Jurkat cells. Mutations of the NF-kappa B site abolished complex formation with both purified NF-kappa B and the nuclear extract protein. Transient expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) plasmids containing the IL-6 promoter revealed very little activity of the promoter in U-937 monocytic cells and in HeLa cells before stimulation. However, stimulation of U-937 and HeLa cells by inducers of NF-kappa B led to a dramatic increase in CAT activity. Mutations in the NF-kappa B-binding site abolished inducibility of IL-6 promoter-cat constructs in U-937 cells by lipopolysaccharide, tumor necrosis factor alpha, the double-stranded RNA poly(IC), or phytohemagglutinin and in HeLa cells by tumor necrosis factor alpha and drastically reduced but did not completely eliminate inducibility in HeLa cells stimulated by double-stranded RNA poly(IC) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. These results suggest that NF-kappa B is an important mediator for activation of the IL-6 gene by a variety of IL-6 inducers in both U-937 and HeLa cells and that alternative inducible enhancer elements contribute in a cell-specific manner to IL-6 gene induction. Because NF-kappa B is involved in the control of a variety of genes activated upon inflammation, NF-kappa B may play a central role in the inflammatory response to infection and tissue injury.
Interface Timing Verification with Application to Synthesis

A fundamental timing analysis problem in the verification and synthesis of interface logic circuitry is the determination of allowable time separations, or skews between interface events, given timing constraints and circuit propagation delays. These skews are used to verify timing properties and determine allowable propagation delays for logic synthesis. This paper presents an algorithm that provides tighter skew bounds with better asymptotic running time than previous methods, and shows how to apply the method to synthesis tasks.
Rice XB15, a Protein Phosphatase 2C, Negatively Regulates Cell Death and XA21-Mediated Innate Immunity

Perception of extracellular signals by cell surface receptors is of central importance to eukaryotic development and immunity. Kinases that are associated with the receptors or are part of the receptors themselves modulate signaling through phosphorylation events. The rice (Oryza sativa L.) XA21 receptor kinase is a key recognition and signaling determinant in the innate immune response. A yeast two-hybrid screen using the intracellular portion of XA21, including the juxtamembrane (JM) and kinase domain as bait, identified a protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C), called XA21 binding protein 15 (XB15). The interaction of XA21 and XB15 was confirmed in vitro and in vivo by glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assays, respectively. XB15 fusion proteins purified from Escherichia coli and from transgenic rice carry PP2C activity. Autophosphorylated XA21 can be dephosphorylated by XB15 in a temporal- and dosage-dependent manner. A serine residue in the XA21 JM domain is required for XB15 binding. Xb15 mutants display a severe cell death phenotype, induction of pathogenesis-related genes, and enhanced XA21-mediated resistance. Overexpression of Xb15 in an XA21 rice line compromises resistance to the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. These results demonstrate that Xb15 encodes a PP2C that negatively regulates the XA21-mediated innate immune response.
A New Real-Time Function Test Generation System for Complex LSI Testing

This paper discusses the applications and architectural features of a sequential pattern generator designed for a general-purpose high-speed large-scale integration (LSI) test system. This system provides enhanced capabilities for testing communications-microprocessor-oriented LSI devices which require long test patterns and flexible input-output (I-O) control of individual pins. Salient features discussed are a 10 MHz random access memory with an 80-bit word size and controller capable of 100 ns subroutine calls and loops in unlimited numbers. Also, individual pin changes such as I-O states, timing, and waveform format at 10 MHz rates are de- scribed.
Hierarchical approach to diffusive flow in heterogeneous systems

Conventional methods for the simulation of diffusive systems are quite slow when applied to strongly inhomogeneous systems. We present a hierarchical approach motivated by dynamic renormalization-group ideas and based on the Walsh transform ~or Haar wavelet! of signal-processing theory. The method is very efficient for simulation of petroleum reservoirs or other strongly inhomogeneous diffusive or pressure-driven flow systems. As we increase the number of cells N into which a sample inhomogeneous two dimensional test system is divided, the method becomes faster than conventional finite-difference methods by N516316, and is roughly 40 times faster at N564364; we argue that the speedup factor should asymptotically increase at least proportionally to N 2 . @S1063-651X~97!07505-3#
The Cytoplasmic Dynein and Kinesin Motors Have Interdependent Roles in Patterning the Drosophila Oocyte

Abstract Background: Motor proteins of the minus end-directed cytoplasmic dynein and plus end-directed kinesin families provide the principal means for microtubule-based transport in eukaryotic cells. Despite their opposing polarity, these two classes of motors may cooperate in vivo. In Drosophila circumstantial evidence suggests that dynein acts in the localization of determinants and signaling factors during oogenesis. However, the pleiotropic requirement for dynein throughout development has made it difficult to establish its specific role. Results: We analyzed dynein function in the oocyte by disrupting motor activity through temporally restricted expression of the dynactin subunit, dynamitin. Our results indicate that dynein is required for several processes that impact patterning; such processes include localization of bicoid ( bcd ) and gurken ( grk ) mRNAs and anchoring of the oocyte nucleus to the cell cortex. Surprisingly, dynein function is sensitive to reduction in kinesin levels, and germ line clones lacking kinesin show defects in dorsal follicle cell fate, grk mRNA localization, and nuclear attachment that are similar to those resulting from the loss of dynein. Significantly, dynein and dynactin localization is perturbed in these animals. Conversely, kinesin localization also depends on dynein activity. Conclusions: We demonstrate that dynein is required for nuclear anchoring and localization of cellular determinants during oogenesis. Strikingly, mutations in the kinesin motor also disrupt these processes and perturb dynein and dynactin localization. These results indicate that the activity of the two motors is interdependent and suggest a model in which kinesin affects patterning indirectly through its role in the localization and recycling of dynein.
PEP analysis of SDP-based non-coherent signal detection

In multi-antenna communication systems, channel information is often not known at the receiver. To fully exploit the bandwidth resources of the system and ensure the practical feasibility of the receiver, the channel parameters are often estimated and then employed in the design of signal detection algorithms. However, sometimes communication can occur in the environment where learning the channel coefficients becomes infeasible. In this paper we consider the problem of maximum-likelihood (ML)-detection in single-input multiple-output (SIMO) systems when the channel information is completely unavailable at the receiver and when employed signalling at the transmitter is q-PSK. It is well known that finding the solution to this optimization requires solving an integer maximization of a quadratic form and is, in general, an NP hard problem. To solve it, we propose an approximate algorithm based on the semi-definite program (SDP) relaxation. We derive a bound on the pairwise probability of error (PEP) of the proposed algorithm and show that, the algorithm achieves the same diversity as the exact maximum-likelihood (ML) decoder. Furthermore, we prove that in the limit of large system dimension this bound differs from the corresponding one in the exact ML case by at most 3.92 dB if the transmitted symbols are from 2 or 4-PSK constellations and by at most 2.55 dB if the transmitted symbols are from 8-PSK constellation. This suggests that the proposed algorithm requires moderate increase in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in order to achieve performance comparable to that of the ML decoder but with often significantly lower complexity.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CORTICOADRENAL REGULATION OF POTASSIUM METABOLISM1

Corticoadrenal insufficiency has been shown by extirpation experiments and replacement therapy to be responsible for the sequence of events grouped under the general term of adrenal insufficiency, but there are many theories and little agreement as to what action of the adrenal cortex is essential for the well-being of the body as a whole. The pathologic anatomy of cases of experimental adrenal insufficiency terminating without supervention of infections showed certain histologic changes of which the most definite referred to the kidneys and lymphoid structures (1). None of these changes were, however, of sufficient gravity in themselves to be held responsible for the death of the animals. The morphology of the adrenal glands after experimental procedures and in pathologic conditions not directly associated with adrenal insufficiency showed that the adrenal cortex was most depleted in conditions involving excessive catabolic activity or cell breakdown (2). The structural changes seemed to depend mainly on...
Forum and Tutorial

Several things come to mind in listing quickly the stumbling blocks to effective optical design/total system interfacing. They are: the presence of about five definitions for most optical requirement parameters; lack of communication; horrendous delays in making critical decisions; realizable vs practical requirements; and the way optical designers are educated. The last is perhaps the most difficult and controversial problem. At the August 1974 ,SPIE meeting on "Effective Systems Integration and Optical Design," Robert E. Hopkins (Tropel, Inc.) and Leonard H. Wald (Lockheed Missiles and Space Corporation) had a long public discussion on this subject. Although on the surface it appeared that they had agreed on virtually nothing, I feel they were completely in agreement on the idea that optical designers should have included within their education an apprenticeship program. It may be that Wald also felt that such a program should be applied, also, to the egineering types who eventually might become project engineers. Hopkins seemed to feel that an apprenticeship program could never be achieved, while Wald did not seem convinced of the impossibility.
Fuzzy application in tolerance design

Tolerance design has always been a challenge to the designer. On the one hand, tight tolerances often imply good quality. On the other hand, the tighter the tolerance specification, the higher the cost of production. To achieve a proper balance between the two is not an easy matter. In this paper the authors examine a means of balancing these two conflicting requirements. A new tolerance representation based on fuzzy arithmetic has been proposed to allow for more intuitive and natural way of expressing relationships between different parts. With this representation, relative assembly tolerance constraints can be easily expressed. An assembly-driven fuzzy tolerance generation and assignment process is discussed. During the generation phase, fuzzy tolerance conditions are automatically generated through a feedback evaluation process. In addition, manufacturing process characteristic and cost considerations are integrated into the tolerance design process. Algorithms for performing the generation and allocation process are given and simulation is performed on a prototype feedback system. This prototype system is implemented on a Sun Sparcstation using C++. >
Corrections to “Finding Optimal s, S Policies is About as Simple as Evaluating a Single Policy”

Correction to Zheng, Y.-S., A. Federgruen. 1991. Finding optimal s, S policies is about as simple as evaluating a single policy. Opns. Res.39 654--665.
Properties of rod-based artificial pinning center Nb-Ti superconductors

We have fabricated rod based artificial pinning center (APC) composites from rods of Nb-Ti and Nb as matrix and pinning center respectively. Critical current densities of 19000 A/mm/sup 2/ at 1 T, 12500 A/mm/sup 2/ at 2 T and 3000 A/mm/sub 2/ at 5 T were achieved in a conductor containing Nb 47 wt.% Ti with 24 vol% Nb pins. Microscopy revealed a progressive degradation of the original hexagonal pinning centers from an ordered array towards a more random ribbon-type microstructure as the composites were drawn towards their peak J/sub c/. We review the impact of this deformation on the physical properties. >
Cholinergic stimulation of phospholipid labelling from (32P) orthophosphate in guinea-pig cortex synaptosomes in vitro: subsynaptosomal localization.

— Subsynaptosomal localization of stimulation of phospholipid labelling by cholinergic agents was investigated. Synaptosomes prepared from guinea-pig cortex were incubated with [32P]orthophosphate in the presence or absence of 10−3m carbamylcholine. Following incubation and osmotic shock, lysed synaptosomes were subjected to density gradient fractionation. Subsynaptosomal fractions were examined by electron microscopy and analysed for enzyme activities and 32P-labelled lipids. In the absence of carbamylcholine, labelled phosphatidate and phosphatidylinositol were recovered in layers and interfaces A, B, C and D formed over 0.9, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 m sucrose, with highest amounts of label in fractions C and D for both lipids. Carbamylcholine induced the greatest increment in these two labelled lipids in fractions A and B. This distribution correlated with the presence of acetylcholinesterase activity and membrane ghosts. No correlation was found among the four fractions between the induced increase in labelling and succinic dehydrogenase activity or with the abundance of mitochondria, synaptic vesicles, or cytoplasmic fragments identified by electron microscopy. In contrast with the increases seen in phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidate labelling, carbamylcholine caused a decrease in 32P-labelling of the polyphosphoinositides, and this effect was seen primarily in the heavier subsynaptosomal fractions, C and D.
Radiation loss from open coplanar waveguide discontinuities

Radiation losses are investigated for open coplanar waveguide (CPW) discontinuities by the space domain integral equation technique. Results are presented for CPW open-end and stub discontinuities. It is pointed out that, at submillimeter wave frequencies, CPW technology offers greater design flexibility over microstrip, but lags in the availability of design tools. The method presented here can be used to develop high-frequency circuit models. In addition, it can be used to realize low-loss designs as was demonstrated by the improved tuning stub layout. >
Comparison of PET Oxygen Extraction Fraction Methods for the Prediction of Stroke Risk

PET measurement of increased oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) identifies patients at high risk for subsequent stroke. OEF methodology remains controversial. In this study we compare the sensitivity and specificity of absolute OEF measurements with ipsilateral-to-contralateral ratios of absolute OEF and count-based OEF estimates. Methods: Multivariate analyses of OEF methods were performed using data from patients with symptomatic carotid artery occlusion (n = 68). Outcome and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed. Results: All 3 methods were predictive of stroke risk in univariate analysis. Only the count-based method remained significant in multivariate analysis. The area under the ROC curve was greatest for the count-based ratio: 0.815 versus 0.769 (absolute) and 0.737 (ratios of absolute). Conclusion: All 3 methods are predictive of stroke risk in patients with unilateral carotid artery occlusion. ROC curve analysis is useful for selecting optimal thresholds for maximal sensitivity and specificity.
The very good property for moduli of parabolic bundles and the Deligne-Simpson problem

In “Quantization of Hitchin’s Integrable System and Hecke Eigensheaves”, Beilinson and Drinfeld introduced the “very good” property for a smooth complex equidimensional stack. They prove that for a semisimple group G over \(\mathbb{C}\), the moduli stack Bun G (X) of G-bundles over a smooth complex projective curve X is “very good”, as long as X has genus g > 1. In the case of the projective line, when g = 0, this is not the case. However, the result can sometimes be extended to the projective line and reductive group \(G =\mathrm{ GL}(n, \mathbb{C})\), by introducing additional parabolic structure at a collection of marked points and slightly modifying the definition of a “very good” stack. Using the modified definition, we provide a sufficient condition for the moduli stack of parabolic vector bundles over \(\mathbb{P}^{1}\) to be very good, and use this property to study the space of solutions to the additive Deligne–Simpson problem.
Indomethacin attenuates exercise-induced proteinuria in hypertensive miniature swine

Exercise-induced proteinuria may be increased in hypertensives. The mechanisms underlying the increased proteinuria are not known, and it has not been determined whether animal models of hypertension exhibit a similar response. We investigated whether indomethacin (Indo) altered exercise-induced proteinuria in normal and hypertensive deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) Yucatan miniature swine (YMS). Five normal and four DOCA YMS underwent 30 min of treadmill exercise at 80% of maximal heart rate. Cumulative (exercise + recovery) albumin excretion in the DOCA YMS was 25-fold (P < 0.01) greater than observed in the normal YMS. Indo had no effect on resting or exercise-induced proteinuria in the normal YMS. However, Indo decreased the slightly elevated proteinuria at rest, and normalized the exaggerated exercise-induced proteinuria in the DOCA YMS. The antiproteinuric effect of Indo in the DOCA YMS was not associated with altered exercise, recovery blood pressure, or glomerular filtration rate. Thus hypertensive DOCA YMS exhibit an exaggerated exercise-induced proteinuria. It is suggested that eicosanoids are involved in this abnormal renal proteinuric response to exercise.
FDG PET/CT for the assessment of desmoplastic small round cell tumors

475 Objectives To determine the metabolic activity of desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCT), extremely rare and commonly lethal neoplasms in children and to assess the potential utility of FDG PET/CT imaging for the evaluation of patients with DSRCT. Methods Nine patients (7 male, 2 female; ages 2.3-20 years, median 11) with confirmed DSRCT underwent a total of 63 PET/CT scans. Whole body PET emission images were acquired ~ 1 hour following injection of 0.15mCi/kg FDG (min 2, max 12) preceded by a whole body CT for attenuation correction. Results Seven patients underwent PET/CT scans at the time of initial diagnosis, while 2 were studied only following treatment to monitor for residual or recurrent disease. A total of 20 scans were positive for metabolically active DSRCT in the 9 patient cohort. A majority of positive scans showed evidence of abdominal (17 scans) and pelvic soft tissue disease (9 scans), with additional scans revealing lymph node (4 scans), liver (3 scans), supraclavicular (2 scans), diaphragmatic (2 scans), bone (2 scans), pancreas (1 scan), hilar (1 scan), and superficial orbital soft tissue (1 scan). Ten PET/CT scans were negative when conventional imaging was inconclusive, each time correctly indicating a disease free state. Two scans revealed a lack of FDG uptake in tumor masses identified by anatomical imaging, one upon initial presentation and one following chemotherapy treatment. FDG uptake was variable between DSRCT lesions both within and between patients. Tumor SUVmax ranged from 4.9 to 16.6. Declining tumor uptake was consistent with clinical improvement while persistent uptake was associated with poor prognosis. Conclusions PET/CT appears to be an effective modality for DSRCT imaging and provides valuable diagnostic information to complement other imaging methods for the evaluation of disease extent and therapeutic response. Research Support Award Number 5R25CA023944 from the National Cancer Institute (AO) and ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities
A Laboratory Model for Microkeratome-assisted Posterior Lamellar Keratoplasty Utilizing a Running Graft Suture and a Sutureless Hinged Flap

Purpose. To evaluate changes in anterior corneal curvature and graft stability with different sized donor buttons in a laboratory model of posterior lamellar keratoplasty. Methods. Thirty-six human eye bank corneas (18 donors and 18 recipients) were mounted on an artificial anterior chamber. A manual microkeratome was used to create a hinged anterior lamellar keratectomy. A 7.0-mm diameter posterior lamellar disk (posterior stroma, Descemet's membrane, and endothelium) was then trephinated from the recipient cornea. Three different sizes (7.0, 7.25, and 7.5 mm) of donor buttons were compared. They were sutured into the recipient bed with a running 10-0 nylon suture and covered by the host corneal flap. The flap was replaced without sutures. The resulting endokeratoplasty was analyzed by computerized videokeratography and tonometry. Results. Regular postoperative astigmatism was present in all cases. There was an average increase in astigmatism of 1.47 ± 1.49 diopters (D) postoperatively. The mean change in the average keratometry readings was −5.12 ± 6.12 D. The grafts and flaps maintained watertight seals with average leak pressures of 66.9 ± 46.4 mm Hg. Although donor buttons oversized by 0.5 mm had the least change in average keratometry reading, those oversized by 0.25 mm had the best stability at high pressure. All groups had little change in astigmatism. Conclusion. The optimal sized button of those tested would be either oversized by 0.25 or 0.5 mm. This new surgical technique may result in lower risk of high and irregular astigmatism in the management of corneal endothelial disorders.
Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Bait Feeding Studies Using Rubidium Chloride

Grasshopper populations were treated with bait formulations containing rubidium chloride as part of microbial control and dispersal studies conducted in 1989 and 1990. Bait feeding was compared in grasshoppers collected 4 d after bait application in 1989 and 2 d after application in 1990. Retention of Rb was studied from additional collections that were made during the 16 d after application in 1990. Rb concentrations in grasshopper tissues were estimated with atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Bait consumption increased with successive instars, but did not keep pace with increases in body weight. Consumption by adults was notably less than expected for their size. The migratory grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes (F.), and the Packard grasshopper, M. packardii Scudder, consumed comparable amounts of RbCl for a given instar. Assimilation rates varied considerably within each stage and species group. Among those grasshoppers that assimilated the most Rb, concentrations decreased during the 1st 6 d after application, remained stable during the next 5 d, and decreased again by 16 d after application. These results can be used in future studies to optimize bait feeding and dispersal studies.
Effects of K+ on the MgATP Stimulation of CO2 and PGA-Supported O2 Evolution by Intact Spinach Chloroplasts

Results of an investigation of the MgATP stimulation of photosynthesis in intact spinach chloroplasts in a tris-tricine buffer (pH 8.1) containing less than 10mM monovalent cation, are reported. Our results suggest that in tris-tricine buffer, stromal pH is suboptimal in the light, and that MgATP in the presence of KCl increases stromal pH.
4.1 Piezoelectric Ceramics

Certain materials produce electric charges on their surfaces because of mechanical stress. The induced charges are proportional to the mechanical stress. This is called the direct piezoelectric effect. This chapter describes the piezoelectric materials that are used and various potential applications of piezoelectric materials. There are five important figures of merit in piezoelectrics: the piezoelectric strain constant d, the piezoelectric voltage constant g, the electromechanical coupling factor k, the mechanical quality factor, and the acoustic impedance Z. Ultrasonic transducers convert electrical energy into mechanical form when generating an acoustic pulse and convert mechanical energy into an electrical signal when detecting its echo. The various types of transducers used in ultrasonic imaging are described. The chapter reviews the developments of piezoelectric and related ceramic actuators with particular focus on the improvement of actuator materials, device designs, and applications of the actuators.
Volumes of cochlear nucleus regions in rodents

The cochlear nucleus receives all the coded information about sound from the cochlea and is the source of auditory information for the rest of the central auditory system. As such, it is a critical auditory nucleus. The sizes of the cochlear nucleus as a whole and its three major subdivisions - anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN), posteroventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN), and dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) - have been measured in a large number of mammals, but measurements of its subregions at a more detailed level for a variety of species have not previously been made. Size measurements are reported here for the summed granular regions, DCN layers, AVCN, PVCN, and interstitial nucleus in 15 different rodent species, as well as a lagomorph, carnivore, and small primate. This further refinement of measurements is important because the granular regions and superficial layers of the DCN appear to have some different functions than the other cochlear nucleus regions. Except for DCN layers in the mountain beaver, all regions were clearly identifiable in all the animals studied. Relative regional size differences among most of the rodents, and even the 3 non-rodents, were not large and did not show a consistent relation to their wide range of lifestyles and hearing parameters. However, the mountain beaver, and to a lesser extent the pocket gopher, two rodents that live in tunnel systems, had relative sizes of summed granular regions and DCN molecular layer distinctly larger than those of the other mammals. Among all the mammals studied, there was a high correlation between the size per body weight of summed granular regions and that of the DCN molecular layer, consistent with other evidence for a close relationship between granule cells and superficial DCN neurons.
Subordination (1953–68)

The bulk of this chapter analyzes the one and half decades of Hungarian politico-military relations that began with the demise of Stalin and ended with the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. I argue that although no sweeping changes comparable to the 1945–53 period took place, after 1956 Budapest began cautiously to explore the limits of Moscow’s tolerance. The best examples of this phenomenon are the introduction of the New Economic Mechanism (NEM) and Hungary’s reluctant participation in the political isolation and subsequent military invasion of Czechoslovakia. My underlying argument throughout this chapter is that the Hungarian experience disproves several contentions of the models examined in Chapter 1. More specifically, the military’s influence on politics was negligible, it did not act as an interest group opposing the Party, neither was there any perceptible conflict between the armed forces and the Party.
Ordinary People’s Extraordinary Courage, Impact, and Hope: Tentative Conclusions

Nazi Germany, Rwanda, Darfur. As anyone familiar with world history knows, humanity’s record over the last hundred years is grim. Yet as this book illustrates, even as humanity’s collective capacity for good has been overshadowed, there has been hope. The practice of courageous resistance has been just as strong as the record of injustice over the last one hundred years. The inspiring examples of courageous resistance in this book show that ordinary people, often with few resources, can display extraordinary courage and yield impressive results. Courageous resisters have ended or reduced injustice in amazingly varied contexts—from dangerous harassment and environmental degradation to torture, disappearance, and even genocide. These cases show also that voluntary, other-oriented (largely selfless), high-risk, conscious, sustained, and nonviolent resistance to injustice occurs at individual, collective, and institutional levels.
Statistical science at the forefront of health policy research: two ICHPS 2015 special issues

The 11th International Conference on Health Policy Statistics (ICHPS) conference was successfully held from October 7 to 9, 2015, in Providence, Rhode Island, espousing the theme “Statistical Science at the Forefront of Health Policy Research”. Authors of research presented at ICHPS 2015, in both posters and talks, were invited to submit their completed papers in two special issues of Health Services and Outcomes Research Methodology. In addition, the issues feature interviews with the winners of the American Statistical Association’s Health Policy Statistics Section of the Long-Term Excellence and Mid-career Awards.
Motor plan differs for young and older adults during similar movements.

We aimed to determine whether the altered activation of muscles in older adults compared with young adults during fast goal-directed movements is related to an altered motor plan. For matched movem...
Self-Managing Team Performance: A Systematic Review of Multilevel Input Factors:

Organizations need flexible and adaptable structures to thrive in an increasingly turbulent business environment. Self-managing team (SMT) structures have evolved as an optimal approach to increase...
Effects of a Program to Promote High Quality Parenting by Divorced and Separated Fathers

This paper reports on the effects on parenting and on children’s mental health problems and competencies from a randomized trial of a parenting program for divorced and separated fathers. The program, New Beginnings Program-Dads (NBP-Dads), includes ten group sessions (plus two phone sessions) which promote parenting skills to increase positive interactions with children, improve father-child communication, use of effective discipline strategies, and skills to protect children from exposure to interparental conflict. The program was adapted from the New Beginnings Program, which has been tested in two randomized trials with divorced mothers and shown to strengthen mothers’ parenting and improve long-term outcomes for children (Wolchik et al. 2007). Fathers were randomly assigned to receive either NBP-Dads or a 2-session active comparison program. The sample consisted of 384 fathers (201 NBP-Dads, 183 comparisons) and their children. Assessments using father, youth, and teacher reports were conducted at pretest, posttest, and 10-month follow-up. Results indicated positive effects of NBP-Dads to strengthen parenting as reported by fathers and youth at posttest and 10-month follow-up. Program effects to reduce child internalizing problems and increase social competence were found at 10 months. Many of the program effects were moderated by baseline level of the variable, child age, gender, and father ethnicity. This is the first randomized trial to find significant effects to strengthen father parenting following divorce. In view of recent changes in family courts to allot fathers increasing amounts of parenting time following divorce, the results have significant implications for improving outcomes for children from divorced families.
Resolving Practical Design Issues in a Single-Phase Grid-Connected GaN-FET-Based Differential-Mode Inverter

Microinverters for grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power conversion systems often require voltage boost due to the low dc voltage of the PV panels. A high-frequency (HF) transformer-isolated differential-mode Cuk inverter (DMCI) is an attractive topology due to its inherent voltage boost capability and high power density. One of the significant operational issue of the DMCI addressed in this paper is the presence of lower order harmonic distortion in the injected grid current. It is shown that lower order odd and even harmonic voltages are generated with this topology. This problem is accentuated due to the low damping offered by the grid to harmonic voltages. A systematic low-complexity control design is proposed to address this issue. It is shown experimentally that the DMCI operates stably with effective attenuation of the lower order harmonics using the proposed design. Practical operational issues of the DMCI with fast switching GaN field-effect transistor (FET) devices are analyzed and solutions are proposed. It is shown that there can be significant HF noise generation in the DMCI with a frequency range higher than the switching frequency. Practical solutions for resolving HF issues using a combination of circuit layout design and additional passive components are proposed and validated. All of the experimental results are demonstrated on a 500-W GaN-FET-based microinverter prototype.
Testing Effects of Chronic Chemogenetic Neuronal Stimulation on Energy Balance by Indirect Calorimetry

The fundamental of neuroscience is to connect the firing of neurons to physiological and behavioral outcomes. Chemogenetics enables researchers to control the activity of a genetically defined population of neurons in vivo through the expression of designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug (DREADD) in specific neurons and the administration of its synthetic ligand clozapine N-oxide (CNO) (Sternson and Roth, 2014). Using stimulatory Gq-coupled DREADD (hM3Dq) in mice, we showed that leptin receptor (LepRb)-expressing neurons in the preoptic area (POA) of the hypothalamus are warm-sensitive neurons that mediate warm-responsive metabolic and behavioral adaptations by reducing energy expenditure and food intake (Yu et al., 2016). We also used DREADD technology to test effects of chronic stimulation of POA LepRb neurons on energy expenditure, food intake, and body weight with the TSE indirect calorimetry system. Here we describe the detailed protocol of how we used indirect calorimetry to study the outcome of chronic stimulation of POA LepRb neurons. This protocol can be adapted to study long-term metabolic and behavioral consequences of other neuronal modulations, with possible modifications to the type of DREADD, duration of CNO treatment, or method of CNO delivery.
Human infection with arenaviruses in the Americas.

Numerous arenaviruses exist in the Americas as parasites of rodents belonging to the family Muridae, subfamily Sigmodontinae, 14 have been described (Buchmeier et al. 2001; Bowen et al. 1997). Little is known about how these viruses interact with their rodent hosts and what diseases are caused when the viruses spill over into humans. In addition, the Americas host one Old World arenavirus, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, which was introduced in post-Columbian times with its host, Mus musculus.
Modeling Variation in Production Planning Artifacts.

Production planning and variation modeling are interdependent parallel activities critical to the success of a software product line. Software product line organizations design a production capability to satisfy their business goals. That production capability is dependent on and must support the full range of product variation. Current techniques for variation modeling identify and handle variations among products but fail to recognize variations that result from business goals such as rapid time to market which are satisfied by how products are built. In this paper we present a view of our production planning technique and describe our preliminary research into its relation to variation modeling.
One Leadership Style Does Not Fit All

Women do not have an exclusive claim to traits that make for effective leadership in the contemporary context.
AME Learning Inc.

Justin Joffe is about to graduate from HBS in Spring 2009. He must decide whether to join his father's company, Toronto-based AME Learning, as president working alongside his father who will be CEO. AME has been in business for 12 years, mostly as a small consulting firm doing financial literacy training. Recently, it shifted strategy to provide textbooks for college accounting courses. The Joffes are trying to raise private equity financing but market conditions have made it difficult and the company is at risk of exhausting the senior Joffe's savings. The case explores the challenges of creating an intergenerational working relationship and asks students to evaluate the alternatives facing the two Joffes as they consider the future for themselves and AME Learning.
Number Systems and Data Communication

In order to understand network technology it is important to know how information is represented for transmission from one computer to another. Information can be transferred between computers in one of two ways: an analog signal or a digital signal.
Reconceptualizing Liaisons: A Model for Assessing and Developing Liaison Competencies to Guide Professional Development

In an effort to reconceptualize its liaison program, the FSU Libraries initiated a three-phase, grassroots effort to develop a set of core values and competencies, conduct a self-assessment based upon those competencies, and create a strategic training program based upon the results. We determined that our defining values guide our practice, particularly with our hybrid model of liaisons collaborating with functional experts to engage users. The results of the self-assessment indicated that liaisons felt competent in teaching and research services, but less confident engaging faculty members in areas related to scholarly communication and digital tools. Our core competencies and best practices provide benchmarks for superior service and structure for an intentional training program.
Pregnancy-associated growth factor: I. A proliferative agent which expands adult and cord T4 cells in unfractionated cultures☆

Abstract Experiments were designed to examine the effects of pregnancy-associated growth factor (PAGE), a substance found in commercial preparations of crude human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), on unfractionated human cord blood cells (CBC) and adult peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) cultured in 5% fetal calf serum (FCS). Comparisons of PAGF-induced [ 3 H]TdR incorporation in nine pairs of simultaneously cultured CBC and PBL with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and tetanus toxoid (TT) showed that all CBC and PBL responded to PAGF and PHA whereas all PBL and one CBC responded to TT. The rank order of potency for CBC and PBL was PHA > PAGF > TT. To examine phenotypic changes induced by PAGF, flow cytometry was performed on precultured cells, control cultures, and PAGF-stimulated cultures at 2, 5, 7, and 9 days. The monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) included T3, T4, and T8 (T cells), T9 (transferrin receptor), Tac (IL-2 receptor), I2 (Ia or DR-framework antigen), and T10 (putative activation and/or maturation antigen). PAGF-stimulated cultures had statistically significant increased percentages of T3, T4, T9, T10, and Tac but not T8 when compared to precultured cells and control cultures. PAGF also increased PBL but not CBC Ia. In PAGF-stimulated cultures, CBC had more T3 and T4 cells with increased fluorescence intensity than PBL. Maximal expression of phenotypes usually occurred at Days 7 and 9, 2 days after maximal [ 3 H]TdR incorporation. In comparison to PAGF, PHA-stimulated PBL had earlier expression of these phenotypes but included T8. These data indicate PAGF induces proliferation, activation antigens, and T3 expansion predominantly confined to the T4 subset in both CBC and PBL.
Technique of Oncologic Sacrectomy

En bloc sacrectomy is a necessary aspect of the curative treatment of many sacral malignancies. This chapter presents the pre-operative considerations, decision-making, and technical execution of oncologic sacrectomy. Many patients can be approached from an all-posterior procedure, although proximal and locally advanced tumors will often require anterior/posterior procedures. Bony reconstruction is generally needed in patients undergoing high or total sacrectomy procedures. Complications remain frequent, and oncologic outcomes vary by surgical margin and tumor histology.