cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliability study of wafer bonding for micro-electro-mechanical systems

Wafer bonding has attracted significant attention in applications that require integration of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) with Integrated Circuits (IC). The integration of monolithic MEMS and electronic devices is difficult because of issues such as material compatibility, process compliance and thermal budget. It is important to establish a wafer bonding process which provides long-term protection for the MEMS devices yet does not affect their performance. The attentions for such integration are at the die level and wafer level. Recently, the trend is toward wafer-level integration as a cost effective solution to combine sensing, logic, actuation and communications on a single platform. This paper describes the development of low temperature bonding techniques for post-CMOS MEMS integration in system-on-chip (SOC) applications. The bonding methods discussed in this paper involve Benzocyclobutene polymer (BCB) as glue layer to joint two 200 mm wafers together. The bonding temperature is lower than 400°C. Four-point bending and stud-pull methods were used to investigate the mechanical properties of the bonding interfaces. These methods can provide critical information such as adhesion energy and bonding strength of the bonded interfaces. Initial test results at room temperature showed that the BCB bond stayed intact up to an average stress of 50 MPa. It was observed that the BCB bond strength decreased with increasing temperatures and the energy release rate decreased with decreasing BCB thickness.
Uncertainties in 4He abundance determinations in extragalactic H II regions

Abstract In order to provide a useful constraint on standard big bang nucleosynthesis predictions, the primordial helium abundance must be determined with an accuracy of a few percent. Here we investigate the estimation of errors in deriving and reporting nebular helium abundances from optical emission line spectra of H II regions. We first show that while an estimation of reddening and underlying stellar absorption in H Balmer emission lines can be made by solving for these quantities simultaneously, a minimization routine may underestimate the true errors in the solution due to the degeneracy of the sensitivities of the individual lines. We show that Monte Carlo modeling allows for a better estimate of the errors in underlying absorption and reddening which need to be propagated to all of the data. We emphasize that a comparison of the corrected Balmer line strengths relative to their theoretical values provides a robust test of the magnitude of their associated errors. We conduct a detailed examination of “self-consistent” methods for determining not only the 4He abundance from H I and He I emission line ratios, but also other physical parameters. We show that there are strong degeneracies in the sensitivity of the 4He abundance to various physical parameters. Because of this, Monte Carlo simulations of the data are required to derive accurate estimates of both the 4He abundance and the appropriate errors. Typically, we find that the uncertainties derived from the Monte-Carlo simulations are a factor of ∼2 larger than those obtained from a straight minimization procedure. This translates into a similar increase in the size of the uncertainty of the derived primordial abundance. For the first time, we demonstrate how to quantify the effects of stellar absorption underlying the He I emission lines (as opposed to assuming that the effects are negligible). We further show that He I λ4026 is a sensitive diagnostic of underlying He I absorption, and we recommend adding it to minimization methods. Finally, we demonstrate that solving for physical parameters via a minimization routine opens up the possibility of incorrect solutions if there are any systematic problems with even one observed He I emission line.
SciFlow: A dataflow-driven model architecture for scientific computing using Hadoop

Many computational science applications utilize complex workflow patterns that generate an intricately connected set of output files for subsequent analysis. Some types of applications, such as rare event sampling, additionally require guaranteed completion of all subtasks for analysis, and place significant demands on the workflow management and execution environment. SciFlow is a user interface built over the Hadoop infrastructure that provides a framework to support the complex process and data interactions and guaranteed completion requirements of scientific workflows. It provides an efficient mechanism for building a parallel scientific application with dataflow patterns, and enables the design, deployment, and execution of data intensive, many-task computing tasks on a Hadoop platform. The design principles of this framework emphasize simplicity, scalability and fault-tolerance. A case study using the forward flux sampling rare event simulation application validates the functionality, reliability and effectiveness of the framework.
Dynamic and statistical thermodynamic properties of electrons in a thin quantum well in a parallel magnetic field

We carry out a theoretical analysis of quantum well electron dynamics in a parallel magnetic field of arbitrary strength, for a narrow quantum well. An explicit analytical closed-form solution is obtained for the retarded Green's function for Landau-quantized electrons in skipping states of motion between the narrow well walls, effectively involving in-plane translational motion, and hybridized with the zero-field lowest subband energy eigenstate. The dispersion relation for electron eigenstates is examined, and we find a plethora of such discrete Landau-quantized modes coupled to the subband state. In the weak field limit, we determine low magnetic field corrections to the lowest subband state energy associated with close-packing (phase averaging) of the Landau levels in the skipping states. At higher fields the discrete energy levels of the well lie between adjacent Landau levels, but they are not equally spaced, albeit undamped. Furthermore, we also examine the associated thermodynamic Green's function for Landau-quantized electrons in a thin quantum well in a parallel magnetic field and construct the (grand) thermodynamic potential (logarithm of the grand partition function) determining the statistical thermodynamics of the system.
Non-enzymatic Imidazole-catalysed Acyl Transfer Reaction and Acetylcholine Synthesis

On the basis of detailed kinetic and inhibitory studies of the enzyme choline acetyltransferase, White and Cavallito have proposed that a catalytic imidazole group is involved in the acyl transfer reaction1. Their studies and those of others2 have also shown that imidazole seems to stimulate the enzymatic synthesis of acetylcholine (ACh) from acetyl-CoA and choline. This stimulation was dependent on the presence of the enzyme preparation and non-enzymatic formation of ACh was not observed1, 2.
The Effects of Collective Devaluation on Commodity Prices and Exports

Because measures to stimulate export production are often part of economic adjustment programs, the possible repercussions in particular commodity markets of collective actions by producers to encourage exports merit study. A simplified model is developed and used to simulate supply-side policies in the world market for a primary commodity to explore the policies' effects on prices, volumes, and export receipts over a decade. Although the potential for adverse effects exists, this finding is not an argument against devaluation, since the beneficial effects of such a policy in other areas might outweigh the short-run effect on major commodity exports.
Using a dynamic training environment to acquire laparoscopic surgery skill

Current physical laparoscopic surgical simulators provide training only for static tasks, which do not develop the more advanced hand–eye coordination skills needed to navigate the dynamic surgical environment. A novel dynamic minimally invasive training environment (DynaMITE) was developed to address this need. This study aimed to evaluate further the utility of the system as a training and skill assessment tool. Two studies were performed with a second-generation design. The authors hypothesized that the dynamic task environment would be challenging to novices and would differentiate experienced surgeons from the inexperienced by emphasising the dynamic skills gained through surgical experience. The participants in the first study were 42 novice and experienced surgeons attending the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) 2007 Learning Center, whereas the second controlled laboratory study had 16 participants (5 novices and 11 experienced surgeons). The participants performed two tasks: an aiming task and an object manipulation task. Both tasks were positioned on a dynamic platform that moved in five different trajectories. The subjective feedback from the surgeons at the SAGES Learning Center was positive. The results from the controlled study showed significant performance deterioration in the fast diagonal task compared with the task of aiming and manipulating in the static environment for both experience groups but no performance differences between the groups. Dynamic tasks are challenging, and surgeons need to be trained specifically for these tasks. The DynaMITE system can provide training benefits for dynamic skill development, even for expert surgeons who may have had no opportunity to gain these skills through their surgical practice.
Efficient spoken term discovery using randomized algorithms

Spoken term discovery is the task of automatically identifying words and phrases in speech data by searching for long repeated acoustic patterns. Initial solutions relied on exhaustive dynamic time warping-based searches across the entire similarity matrix, a method whose scalability is ultimately limited by the O(n2) nature of the search space. Recent strategies have attempted to improve search efficiency by using either unsupervised or mismatched-language acoustic models to reduce the complexity of the feature representation. Taking a completely different approach, this paper investigates the use of randomized algorithms that operate directly on the raw acoustic features to produce sparse approximate similarity matrices in O(n) space and O(n log n) time. We demonstrate these techniques facilitate spoken term discovery performance capable of outperforming a model-based strategy in the zero resource setting.
Disturbance and trajectory of change in a stream fish community over four decades

Communities can change gradually or abruptly, and directionally (to an alternate state) or non-directionally. We briefly review the history of theoretical and empirical perspectives on community change, and propose a new framework for viewing temporal trajectories of communities in multivariate space. We used a stream fish dataset spanning 40 years (1969–2008) in southern Oklahoma, USA, emphasizing our own 1981–2008 collections which included well-documented, extreme drought and flood events, to assess dynamics of and environmental factors affecting the fish community. We evaluated the trajectory of the Brier Creek community in multivariate space relative to trajectories in 27 published studies, and for Brier Creek fish, tested hypotheses about gradual versus event-driven changes and persistence of shifts to alternate states. Most species were persistent, qualitatively, across the four decades, but varied widely in abundance, with some having unusually strong reproduction after extreme droughts. The community had an early period of relatively gradual and directional change, but greater displacement than predicted at random after two consecutive extreme droughts midway through the study (1998 and 2000). But, the community subsequently returned toward its former state in the last decade. This fish community is characterized by species that are tolerant of environmental extremes, and have life history traits that facilitate population recovery. The community appears “loosely stable” about a long-term average condition, but the impacts of the two consecutive droughts were substantial, and may foretell future dynamics of this or other communities in a changed global climate if disturbance events become more frequent or severe.
Burkean transcendence and ultimate terms in rhetoric by and about James Watt

The essay examines some Burkean theory to show how governments should rhetorically manage the distribution of scarce resources. Interior Secretary James Watt's rhetoric is shown to be flawed because it is based on dialectical rather than ultimate frames of acceptance, and because his persona is inconsistent with his rhetoric.
Reproductive toxicity of a single dose of 1,3-dinitrobenzene in two ages of young adult male rats

These studies evaluated the reproductive response and the possible influence of testicular maturation on the reproductive parameters, in male rats treated with 1,3-dinitrobenzene (m-DNB). Young adult male rats (75 or 105 days of age) were given a single oral dose of 0, 8, 16, 24, 32, or 48 mg/kg of m-DNB and killed at 14 days post-treatment. Mortality and neurotoxicity were observed at 48 mg/kg, but only in the older animals. Epididymis weight, testicular sperm head counts, cauda sperm reserves, and sperm morphology were affected at 16 and 24 mg/kg and higher in the older and younger animals, respectively. Testis weight and sperm motility were affected at 24 mg/kg and higher in both age groups. Histologic changes included maturation depletion of mid and late spermatids at 16 mg/kg and higher, atrophy of a few to many seminiferous tubules at 24 mg/kg and higher, and immature germ cells in the epididymis. The movement and/or mixing of luminal elements in the epididymis appeared to be influenced by severe testicular effects. In separate groups given only the 48 mg/kg dosage, fertilizing ability was lost by 5-6 weeks post-treatment and several animals failed to recover in 5 months. In the breeder males, minimal to extensive degrees of seminiferous tubule atrophy and sloughed germ cells in the epididymis were still present after 175 days. The studies indicated that the lowest dosage to produce reproductive changes was 16 mg/kg with a no-effect level of 8 mg/kg. A few animals suffered protracted or permanent reproductive damage. Since the older animals were more susceptible to both the general and the reproductive toxicity of m-DNB, the less severe reproductive changes in the younger animals cannot be attributed solely to maturational differences in the testis.
Acceptance of misleading information by children and adults

A total of 294 subjects from Grades 1, 3, 6, and college viewed a videotape of a birthday party and heard misleading information embedded in three of nine questions they answered about what they had seen. Two days later, the subjects answered six additional questions which tested whether they had accepted the misleading information. Half the subjects had heard misleading information about three of the questions and half heard misleading information about the other three questions. The results indicated that a significant number of both children and adults accepted the misleading information embedded in three of the six questions. For only one question was there any difference in the likelihood that subjects in different grades would accept misleading information.
Effects of excessive magnesium in irrigation waters on wheat and corn growth

Abstract The effect of Mg/Ca ratio in irrigation water on growth of plants has not been studied to any extent. The objective of the experiments reported herein was to study such an effect. Corn (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) were grown in the greenhouse in a noncalcareous clay loam soil. They were irrigated with tap water (EC = 0.080 dS/m, SAR = 0.1, Mg/[Ca + Mg] = 20%) as the “check”; treatment and 18 synthetic waters prepared using three levels of salinity (2, 4, and 6 dS/m) and 6 ratios of Mg/[Ca + Mg] (30, 50, 70, 90, 95, and 100%) for corn and wheat grown in fall and winter, respectively, or 30, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90% for corn grown in summer. Two‐thirds of anion equivalents in the waters was sulfate and the balance Cl. The soils were equilibrated with their respective irrigation waters before planting. A 50% leaching fraction (drainage water quantity: irrigation water quantity) was applied on the corn grown in the fall. A 25% leaching fraction was applied on the wheat grown in winter and ...
Combined XRD and XAS

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) are complementary techniques for investigating the structure of materials. XRD probes long range order and XAFS probes short range order. We have combined the two techniques at one synchrotron beamline, X18A at the NSLS, allowing samples to be studied in a single experiment. This beamline will allow for coordinated measurements of local and long range structural changes in chemical transformations and phase transitions using both techniques.
Brick Structure Improved by Using Cement Mortar Containing Short Carbon Fibers

The addition of short carbon fibers in the optimum amount of 0.5% of the cement weight to mortar increased the brick-to-mortar bond strength by 150% under tension and 110% under shear when the gap between the adjoining bricks was fixed, and by 50% under tension and 44% under shear when the gap between the adjoining bricks was allowed to freely decrease due to the weight of the brick above the joint. This effect is attributed to the decrease of the drying shrinkage by the fiber addition. The drying shrinkage decrease was particularly large at 2 to 24 h of curing. At 24 h, the shrinkage was decreased by 50% by the addition of fibers in the amount of 0.5% of the cement weight. Fibers in excess of the optimum amount gave less bond strengthening due to increased porosity in the mortar.
Implementing diabetes self-management training programs: breaking through the barriers in primary care.

ABSTRACT Objective To review issues, examples, and recommendations for the delivery of diabetes self-management training (DSMT) services in the primary care setting. Methods Barriers to provision of DSMT at the point of care and strategies to overcome such challenges are discussed. In addition, new avenues to support continuing diabetes education are presented. Results Diabetes is a complex disease that requires education, monitoring, and medication adjustment to achieve treatment goals. Unfortunately, adequate support is seldom available for the increased time and effort needed for optimal management of diabetes. Health-care delivery systems are designed to provide a response to acute illnesses and are poorly configured to meet the needs of patients with complex chronic illnesses. Although team care and DSMT have proved to be effective, they have infrequently been integrated in primary care offices, where most patients with diabetes receive treatment. It is encouraging that the studies conducted to date have generally found office-based counseling and educational strategies to be effective for the vast majority of patients with diabetes. Community-based programs that extend DSMT have also been successful. Conclusion Diabetes is a chronic disease that requires providers to deliver multifaceted care and patients to be proficient in many self-care skills. Team care and DSMT approaches have been found to yield beneficial results, yet such strategies are seldom used in the primary care office. Thus, models that support the team approach to delivery of diabetes care and self-management education interventions should be explored and encouraged. (Endocr Pract. 2006;12[Suppl 1]:124-130)
Therapy of refractory pemphigus vulgaris with monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody (rituximab)

Three patients with refractory pemphigus vulgaris improved after rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody directed against B cells. Treatment was well tolerated immediately, but one patient developed fatal pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Serious infections have occurred in several pemphigus patients treated with rituximab and immunosuppressive medications, warranting further evaluation of risk-benefit ratio.
Depressed cardiac sarcoplasmic reticular function from diabetic rats.

Previous studies have demonstrated impaired contractile performance and delayed relaxation of hearts of diabetic rats. Male and female rats were made diabetic with intravenous streptozotocin and their hearts were studied 4 to 5 or 9 weeks later. Plasma glucose in female diabetics averaged 453 mg100 ml and in male diabetics 615 mg100 ml. Calcium uptake by isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum in the absence of oxalate were significantly lower in preparations from hearts of diabetic males and females than from controls. Rats pretreated with 3-0-methyl glucose before streptozotocin also had normal calcium binding by SR in the absence of oxalate. Sarcoplasmic reticulum Mg2+ ATPase and Ca2+Mg2+ (total) ATPase activities were significantly depressed in preparations from the diabetic animals. The results may partially explain the abnormalities in contraction and relaxation previously observed in hearts of diabetic animals.
Bioactivation of the nasal toxicant 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile: an assessment of metabolic activity in human nasal mucosa and identification of indicators of exposure and potential toxicity.

The herbicide 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCBN) is a potent nasal toxicant in rodents; however, it is not known whether DCBN causes similar nasal toxicity in humans. The tissue-selective toxicity of ...
How do I vote the scoundrels out? Why voters might not punish corrupt politicians at the polls

While we frequently hope electoral democracy can serve as an important constraint on corruption, there are good reasons to think that such might not be the case. This paper analyzes two closely-related questions: should we expect voters to punish corrupt politicians or parties at the polls, and should we expect such influences to check corruption generally? While there have been clear-cut cases in which such punishments have been massive and decisive, they are much the exception. Indeed, a variety of factors having to do with corruption as a concept and as a political issue, the nature of competitive electoral politics, and more recent economic and political trends reshaping important aspects of liberal democracy, all point toward a pessimistic assessment. Ideas for changing that state of affairs are few, because the difficulties reside less at the level of fixable “problems” and more with the inherent workings of liberal political and economic systems. Efforts to improve the quality of news coverage and civic education, however, and any prospects for strengthening and deepening civil society, may hold out some hope for the longer term.
Prognostic significance of flow cytometric DNA analysis in node-negative breast cancer patients

Flow cytometric DNA analysis using paraffin-embedded tumor blocks was done retrospectively on 155 node-negative breast cancers. The median duration of follow-up in patients still alive at the time of analysis was 10 years. Tumor aneuploidy was correlated significantly with increased tumor size (P = 0.003) and higher tumor grade (P less than 0.001). No significant correlation between tumor ploidy and patient age was found. Patients with diploid tumors had a significantly improved relapse-free and overall survival compared with patients with aneuploid tumors (P = 0.0001). In a Cox multivariate model with parameters including ploidy, histologic grade, tumor size, and patient age, ploidy (P = 0.02) and tumor size (P = 0.05) emerged as significant independent predictors of overall survival. Only ploidy was independently significant in the analysis of relapse-free survival. In conclusion, the current study indicates that flow cytometric measurement of DNA ploidy is a powerful prognostic indicator in node-negative breast cancer patients.
Detection of cellular retinoic acid-binding protein in chick embryonic tissues by monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract We describe the production of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against cellular retinoic acid-binding protein (CRABP) and their application for the quantitation and localization of CRABP during the development and growth of chick embryo. Three MAbs, classified as D-10 and H-6 (IgG 1 -isotype), and G-4 (IgM-isotype), exhibited the highest degree of immunoreactivity for chick embryo CRABP. The antibodies showed partial reactivity to CRABP from rat testis. None of the MAbs showed cross-reactivity with cellular retinol-binding protein or fatty acid-binding protein which are structurally similar to CRABP. The antigen-specificity was confirmed by immunoblot analysis as well as by fast protein liquid chromatographic analysis. The radioimmunoassay developed for MAb (D-10) provided a detectability range of 0.5-5.0 ng of CRABP in the standard displacement curves. An abundance of CRABP was found in embryonic skin, brain, testis and eye. Several other tissues (heart, lung, liver), previously reported to have undetectable levels of CRABP, showed significant amounts of the binding protein. The levels of CRABP peaked in early (4–6-day-old) and late (11–14-day-old) stages of embryo development. Immunolocalization of CRABP in chick embryo skin demonstrates a specific intense staining for the antigen in the dense areas of mesenchyme cells (mesodermal layers); little or no staining was apparent in the differentiated cells of epidermis and peridermis as well as in the loose connective tissues. The MAbs are useful not only in the purification of CRABP as an affinity absorbent, but also in the elucidation of the possible role of CRABP in the transfer of the ligand to its nuclear receptors and in the morphogenetic gradient formation of RA in chick embryo tissues.
Towards a compositional analysis of multi-machine power systems transient stability

With this paper we initiate a compositional analysis of multi-machine power systems consisting of the interconnection of generators, loads, and transmission lines. We provide sufficient conditions for transient stability that do not rely on the overall model of the multi-machine power system which can be very complex. Instead, we provide simple conditions that each machine should independently satisfy. These conditions depend only on the machine parameters, the desired equilibrium currents, and the value of one of the loads (typically the largest) in the power system. Our compositional approach offers several advantages over existing alternatives: there is no need for a detailed model of the power system, transmission lines can be lossless or lossy, and we provide a natural Lyapunov function for the power system.
Transitions in thermal convection with strongly variable viscosity

One of the most important material properties influencing the style of convection in the mantles of terrestrial planets is the extreme temperature-dependence of viscosity. Three-dimensional numerical convection calculations in a wide (8 × 8 × 1) cartesian box and in a spherical shell (ratio of inner to outer radius of 0.55, characteristic of terrestrial planets) both display two fundamental transitions as the viscosity contrast is progressively increased from unity to a factor of 105. These transitions not only mark changes in the style of deformation in the upper boundary layer from mobile-lid to sluggish-lid to stagnant-lid but also have dramatic effects on the style, planform, and horizontal length scales of convection in the entire domain. Vertical variations of viscosity are the most important for determining the horizontal length scales of the convective patterns while lateral viscosity variations play a role in shaping the relative structures of the upwelling and downwelling flows. Convection in Venus appears to be represented most closely by the sluggish-lid regime of convection, whereas the Earth, with plate tectonics, more closely resembles the mobile-lid style of convection. Forcing plate-like characteristics onto the convective flows in the form of imposed weak zones and prescribed surface velocities results in flow patterns dominated entirely by the form used to enforce the plate-like behavior and tells us little about why the mantle exhibits long-wavelength heterogeneity.
Magnetic measurement of transport critical current density of granular superconductors.

Abstract We describe two magnetic techniques that may be used to determine the transport critical current density Jct of granular superconductors by measuring the intergranular magnetization of a sample. In the first method, magnetization critical current density Jcm is used to estimate Jct by isolating the intergranular magnetization and applying the critical state model. In the second method, magnetic detection is used to measure Jct directly: intergranular magnetization hysteresis loops are obtained while increasing a transport current through a sample. The critical current density Jct is that value of transport current density which causes the intergranular magnetization to collapse at a given magnetic field and temperature. Both methods give values of Jct in fair agreement with values obtained from conventional transport measurements of Jct. Magnetization was measured with both extraction and Hall probe magnetometers.
Comparison of the Responsiveness of the SF-36 and WOMAC in Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty

This study examines the responsiveness of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Short Form-36 (SF-36) in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Eighty-nine patients completed the WOMAC and SF-36 preoperatively and postoperatively. Standardized response means (SRMs) and effect sizes (ES) were used to measure responsiveness. Mean follow-up was 17 months. The SRMs for the WOMAC ranged from -0.93 to -1.49, and the ES ranged from -1.02 to -1.53. The SRMs for the SF-36 ranged from 0.22 to 1.64, and the ES ranged from 0.20 to 1.97. The highest values occurred with the physical functioning, bodily pain, and Physical Component Summary Scales. This study demonstrates a similar level of responsiveness of the WOMAC and several components of the SF-36. This suggests that the isolated use of the SF-36 may be adequate to monitor outcomes after total hip arthroplasty. There may still be a role for the WOMAC when comparing outcomes of specific designs or techniques of total hip arthroplasty.
HDL Remodeling During the Acute Phase Response

Objective— The purpose of this study was to examine the interactive action of serum amyloid A (SAA), group IIA secretory phospholipase A 2 (sPLA 2 -IIA), and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) on HDL remodeling and cholesterol efflux during the acute phase (AP) response elicited in humans after cardiac surgery. Methods and Results— Plasma was collected from patients before (pre-AP), 24 hours after (AP-1 d), and 5 days after cardiac surgery (AP-5 d). SAA levels were increased 16-fold in AP-1 d samples. The activity of sPLA 2 -IIA was increased from 77.7±38.3 U/mL (pre-AP) to 281.4±57.1 U/mL (AP-1 d; P 2 -IIA, and CETP in vitro markedly remodeled HDL with the generation of lipid-poor apoA-I from both pre-AP and AP-1 d HDL. The net result of this remodeling was a relative preservation of ABCA1- and ABCG1-dependent cholesterol efflux during the acute phase response. Conclusions— Our results show that the many and complex changes in plasma proteins during the acute phase response markedly remodel HDL with functional implications, particularly the relative retention of cholesterol efflux capacity.
Prolonged Storage of Marrow and Its Use in the Treatment of Radiation Injury

Marrow was removed from the femurs. f dogs and frozen in 15% glycerol at 1 deg C per minute. Marrow from one dog was stored at -80 deg C and from the other at -180 deg C for a period of 14 months. Each dog was then given 1200 r of wholebody irradiation followed by infusion of his own thawed marrow. Recovery was rapid, and the dogs were living and well two months later. (auth)
Economic System Operation Considering the Cost of Wear of Cables

The aim of this paper is to add a new principle in power system operation: the economic use of equipment. Economic use of equipment guides system operation, so that the cost of equipment wear is considered during the minimization of overall system running cost. To achieve this, a mathematical description of the connection between wear and use of equipment is needed. In this work, a methodology of expressing wear of cables as a function of their operating point is presented. A cost is attached to the wear of each cable system, which is augmented to the overall system running cost. The interconnected network of the Ionian Islands in Greece is used as a study case, which demonstrates the impact of the wear cost of cables during economic dispatch.
Fourier domain closed-form formulas for estimation of kinetic parameters in reversible multi-compartment models.

Compared with static imaging, dynamic emission computed tomographic imaging with compartment modeling can quantify in vivo physiologic processes, providing useful information about molecular disease processes. Dynamic imaging involves estimation of kinetic rate parameters. For multi-compartment models, kinetic parameter estimation can be computationally demanding and problematic with local minima. This paper offers a new perspective to the compartment model fitting problem where Fourier linear system theory is applied to derive closed-form formulas for estimating kinetic parameters for the two-compartment model. The proposed Fourier domain estimation method provides a unique solution, and offers very different noise response as compared to traditional non-linear chi-squared minimization techniques. The unique feature of the proposed Fourier domain method is that only low frequency components are used for kinetic parameter estimation, where the DC (i.e., the zero frequency) component in the data is treated as the most important information, and high frequency components that tend to be corrupted by statistical noise are discarded. Computer simulations show that the proposed method is robust without having to specify the initial condition. The resultant solution can be fine tuned using the traditional iterative method. The proposed Fourier-domain estimation method has closed-form formulas. The proposed Fourier-domain curve-fitting method does not require an initial condition, it minimizes a quadratic objective function and a closed-form solution can be obtained. The noise is easier to control, simply by discarding the high frequency components, and emphasizing the DC component.
Quantization on the Grassmann Manifold

The problem of quantization in an Euclidean space with unitary constraints can be formulated as an unconstrained problem on a Grassmann manifold. Such constraints arise in areas such as wireless communication with multiple antennas at the transmitter and at the receiver. Due to the constraints, the distortion rate analysis developed for Euclidean spaces cannot be applied directly. This paper extends Gersho's asymptotic (large rate, small distortion) distortion bounds to the case when the source is distributed on the complex Grassmann manifold. The special structure of the Grassmann manifold and the distortion measures defined on it differentiate this problem from the traditional vector quantization in Euclidean spaces.
Single-molecule FRET and linear dichroism studies of DNA breathing and helicase binding at replication fork junctions

DNA “breathing” is a thermally driven process in which base-paired DNA sequences transiently adopt local conformations that depart from their most stable structures. Polymerases and other proteins of genome expression require access to single-stranded DNA coding templates located in the double-stranded DNA “interior,” and it is likely that fluctuations of the sugar–phosphate backbones of dsDNA that result in mechanistically useful local base pair opening reactions can be exploited by such DNA regulatory proteins. Such motions are difficult to observe in bulk measurements, both because they are infrequent and because they often occur on microsecond time scales that are not easy to access experimentally. We report single-molecule fluorescence experiments with polarized light, in which tens-of-microseconds rotational motions of internally labeled iCy3/iCy5 donor–acceptor Forster resonance energy transfer fluorophore pairs that have been rigidly inserted into the backbones of replication fork constructs are simultaneously detected using single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer and single-molecule fluorescence-detected linear dichroism signals. Our results reveal significant local motions in the ∼100-μs range, a reasonable time scale for DNA breathing fluctuations of potential relevance for DNA–protein interactions. Moreover, we show that both the magnitudes and the relaxation times of these backbone breathing fluctuations are significantly perturbed by interactions of the fork construct with a nonprocessive, weakly binding bacteriophage T4-coded helicase hexamer initiation complex, suggesting that these motions may play a fundamental role in the initial binding, assembly, and function of the processive helicase–primase (primosome) component of the bacteriophage T4-coded DNA replication complex.
Apparel and Furniture Attribute Importance as a Function of Self‐Monitoring

This study investigated the relationship between perceived consumer product- attribute importance and individual levels of self-monitoring. In accord with pre vious research findings, it was predicted that (a) people scoring high on the construct of self-monitoring would perceive apparel and furniture product at tributes to be of higher importance than people scoring low on the construct of self-monitoring, if the attributes addressed appearance or style characteristics. It was also predicted that (b) people scoring low on the construct of self-monitoring would perceive apparel and furniture product attributes to be of higher impor tance than people scoring high on the construct of self-monitoring, if the at tributes addressed functional or quality characteristics. Finally, it was predicted that (c) self-monitoring would be related to store patronage. A sample of 160 female undergraduates participated in a study of consumer decision making. Subjects viewed slides of either apparel or furniture products and rated the im portance of 19 different product attributes, some of which addressed appearance and others of which addressed function and quality. The results of a multivariate analysis of variance supported the last two predictions. Results are discussed in terms of implications for designers, consumer specialists, merchandisers, and educators.
Internal and external referents as predictors of pay satisfaction among employees in a two-tier wage setting

Two-tier wage structures occur when employees hired after a certain date are placed on a substantially lower pay schedule than the schedule for previously hired ernployees. This study examined how internal and external pay comparisons related to attitudes toward pay among low- and high-tier employees in a retail food chain with two-tier wage structure. For the low-tier group, comparisons with low- and high-tier referents, and to a lesser extent, part-time referents and referents at other places where the respondents might obtain work predicted pay satisfaction. For the high-tier group, comparisons with high-tier referents and referents in heavy industries (automobile or steel) predicted pay satisfaction. The results are consistent with the notion that both groups were concerned with pay equity relative to referents with similar earnings, and with deprivation relative to referents with higher earnings.
Neural signals in cortex and thalamus during brain injury from cardiac arrest in rats

Previous research has shown that a characteristic burst-suppression (BS) pattern appears in EEG during the early recovery period following cardiac arrest (CA). To study cortical and subcortical neural activity underlying BS, extracellular activity in the parietal cortex and the centromedian nucleus of the thalamus and extradural EEG were recorded in a rodent CA model. Preliminary results show that during the BS, the cortical firing rate is extraordinarily high, and that bursts in EEG correlate to dense spikes in cortical neurons. An unexpected and novel observation is that 1) thalamic activity reappears earlier than cortical activity following CA, and 2) the correlation coefficient of cortical and thalamic activity rises during BS period. These results will help elucidate the mechanism of brain recovery after CA injury.
Need to Knowledge (NtK) Model: an evidence-based framework for generating technological innovations with socio-economic impacts

Background: Traditional government policies suggest that upstream investment in scientific research is necessary and sufficient to generate technological innovations. The expected downstream beneficial socio-economic impacts are presumed to occur through non-government market mechanisms. However, there is little quantitative evidence for such a direct and formulaic relationship between public investment at the input end and marketplace benefits at the impact end. Instead, the literature demonstrates that the technological innovation process involves a complex interaction between multiple sectors, methods, and stakeholders. Discussion: The authors theorize that accomplishing the full process of technological innovation in a deliberate and systematic manner requires an operational-level model encompassing three underlying methods, each designed to generate knowledge outputs in different states: scientific research generates conceptual discoveries; engineering development generates prototype inventions; and industrial production generates commercial innovations. Given the critical roles of engineering and business, the entire innovation process should continuously consider the practical requirements and constraints of the commercial marketplace. The Need to Knowledge (NtK) Model encompasses the activities required to successfully generate innovations, along with associated strategies for effectively communicating knowledge outputs in all three states to the various stakeholders involved. It is intentionally grounded in evidence drawn from academic analysis to facilitate objective and quantitative scrutiny, and industry best practices to enable practical application. Summary: The Need to Knowledge (NtK) Model offers a practical, market-oriented approach that avoids the gaps, constraints and inefficiencies inherent in undirected activities and disconnected sectors. The NtK Model is a means to realizing increased returns on public investments in those science and technology programs expressly intended to generate beneficial socio-economic impacts.
Interactions in computer aided instruction systems to meet the changing goals of higher education

Goals and challenges in higher education have been changing. There are more interests in employment-oriented majors such as computer science and bio-technology. More employers want their employees to go back to school to refresh their knowledge in fast changing fields. With these changes, our students are becoming more aware of the importance of developing specific skills and knowledge that employers require. I expect these changes to continue well into the future. This position paper discusses how computer aided instruction (CAI) systems with "high-quality" interactions centered around a reasoning tool will help us meet the changing goals of higher education.
δPKC Participates in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Response in Cultured Cardiac Myocytes and Ischemic Heart

The cellular response to excessive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress includes the activation of signaling pathways, which lead to apoptotic cell death. Here we show that treatment of cultured cardiac myocytes with tunicamycin, an agent that induces ER stress, causes the rapid translocation of deltaPKC to the ER. We further demonstrate that inhibition of deltaPKC using the deltaPKC-specific antagonist peptide, deltaV1-1, reduces tunicamycin-induced apoptotic cell death, and inhibits expression of specific ER stress response markers such as CHOP, GRP78 and phosphorylation of JNK. The physiological importance of deltaPKC in this event is further supported by our findings that the ER stress response is also induced in hearts subjected to ischemia and reperfusion injury and that this response also involves deltaPKC translocation to the ER. We found that the levels of the ER chaperone, GRP78, the spliced XBP-1 and the phosphorylation of JNK are all increased following ischemia and reperfusion and that deltaPKC inhibition by deltaV1-1 blocks these events. Therefore, ischemia-reperfusion injury induces ER stress in the myocardium in a mechanism that requires deltaPKC activity. Taken together, our data show for the first time that deltaPKC activation plays a critical role in the ER stress-mediated response and the resultant cell death.
Seasonal Fluctuations and Phenology of Prosapia Spittlebugs (Homoptera: Cercopidae) in Upland Pastures of Costa Rica

Seasonal fluctuations in Prosapia (Homoptera: Cercopidae) abundance were docu- mented over 4 yr in 3 upland dairy pastures of Costa Rica. P. nr bicincta (Say) completed only 1 relatively long-lived generation each year between May and September. First instars appeared in May at the start of the wet season, progressed through 5 instars and peaked in abundance in mid-June. Densities as high as 277 spittlebugs per square meter were reached. Adult populations peaked late June to early July and achieved densities up to 260 froghoppers per 50 sweeps of an insect net. Distinct peaks of adult males generally occurred 3—4 wk in advance of the maturation of 5th instars and the principal adult peaks. Males outnumbered females 5.6:1 in sweep net surveys. Nymph and adult abundance fluctuated widely among paddock-years in no clear pattern with respect to paddock or predominant forage. Phenological analyses based on cumulative insect-days did not detect differences in population initiation or development rate across paddock-years. Teneral and adult males peaked earlier than their respective females (protandry). In 5 of 8 and 4 of 9 paddock-years, adult males and females, respectively, peaked in abundance before same sex tenerals, indicating colonization of local pastures. Additional evidence for immigration was the abrupt appearance of male P. simulans (Walker) at the same time in all paddocks each year. This species did not complete its life cycle in local pastures because females and nymphs were absent from surveys. Explorations of pastures at varying elevation and distance from survey paddocks demonstrated that within 10 km P. nr bicincta populations matured 2.5 wk earlier. Adults derived from those populations may become available as colonists to local pastures. The nearest breeding populations of P. simulans to sites where males were recovered were 485 m lower in elevation and 3.4 km distant.