cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase activity in seminal plasma from the bull, stallion, rabbit, and rooster.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase, which inactivates PAF, has been detected in human and bovine seminal plasma and may represent a mechanism for regulating sperm-derived PAF. This study was designed to characterize further PAF acetylhydrolase in seminal plasma from domestic animal species. Sperm-free seminal plasma from the bull, stallion, rabbit, and rooster was assayed for acetylhydrolase activity based on the release of [3H]acetate from PAF. As reported previously for bull seminal plasma, activity in stallion, rabbit, and rooster seminal plasma was linear with both time and protein concentration, with specific activities of 97.4, 1.2, and 0.33 nmol PAF hydrolyzed/mg protein/min, respectively. Activity in seminal plasma from the bull, rabbit, and rooster was calcium-independent whereas activity in stallion seminal plasma increased with added calcium (p or = 60 degrees C). Very little activity was associated with bull seminal plasma lipoproteins isolated by KBr flotation or by precipitation with polyanions. These results demonstrate that PAF acetylhydrolase activity is present in seminal plasma from different species, with large differences in specific activity among species. These differences may be related to species differences in the physiological role of PAF and its regulation in sperm and male tract fluids.
A new synthesis of α-functionalized unsubstituted sulfonamides

Abstract Reaction of electrophiles with the dianion of camphorsulfonimines affords α-functionalized unsubstituted sulfonamldes in good to excellent yield following hydrolysis.
Secondary adoption of technology standards: The case of PREMIS

While archival scholars have identified some of the most important steps for deciding to use and implement metadata standards in archives, very little systematic empirical investigation within the archival science literature regards either how implementation processes actually unfold or the factors affecting implementation. This article analyzes the organizational factors and processes that come into play during implementation of metadata standards, using PREservation metadata: implementation strategies (PREMIS) as an exemplar. Adapting a theoretical framework for secondary adoption of technologies from Gallivan (Database Adv Inf Syst 32(3):51, 2001), the authors apply their model to the PREMIS technology standard and investigate PREMIS implementation by projects/programs on the Library of Congress PREMIS Implementation Registry. Using data from a series of in-depth semi-structured interviews, the authors develop a model for the secondary adoption of PREMIS and outline implications for the secondary adoption of technology standards based on the results of this study.
Effect of divided calcium intake on calcium metabolism.

ABSTRACT Administration of milk to normal individuals in 6 divided doses during the day produced greater 24-hr urinary calcium excretion than the same amount of milk given in a single daily dose. To further study the effect of divided calcium doses on calcium metabolism, we performed radiocalcium kinetics and metabolic balance studies in 3 normal subjects. We found an increase in the efficiency of calcium absorption on the divided-dose regimen. This increase in absorbed calcium produced homeostatic changes in bone resorption as well as in urinary calcium excretion. Although the effect on calcium absorption may be due to hormone-induced changes on the gastrointestinal tract, a more likely explanation is that calcium in divided doses is less likely to saturate gastrointestinal absorption mechanisms. Therefore, calcium can be absorbed at a greater efficiency on the divided-dose regimen.
Design of a passively balanced spatial linkage haptic interface

This paper describes the design and implementation of a compact high fidelity desktop haptic interface that provides three-degree-of-freedom point-force interaction through a handheld pen-like stylus. The complete haptic device combines a spatial linkage, actuation, power amplification, and control electronics in a standalone package with a footprint similar to that of a notebook computer (33 cm X25 cm ×10 cm). The spatial linkage is composed of one planar and two spherical subloops. Two versions of the spatial linkage were designed: a lightweight polycarbonate plastic version suitable for inexpensive mass production, and an aluminum and stainless steel linkage that offers greater reliability and higher stiffness. Both linkages were designed to be statically balanced over their full workspace.
Dynamic situation assessment and prediction (DSAP)

The face of war has changed. We no longer have the luxury of planning campaigns against a known enemy operating under a well-understood doctrine, using conventional weapons and rules of engagement; all in a well-charted region. Instead, today's Air Force faces new, unforeseen enemies, asymmetric combat situations and unconventional warfare (Chem/Bio, co-location of military assets near civilian facilities, etc.). At the same time, the emergence of new Air Force doctrinal notions (e.g., Global Strike Task Force, Effects-Based Operations, the desire to minimize or eliminate any collateral damage, etc.)- while propounding the benefits that can be expected with the adoption of such concepts - also impose many new technical and operational challenges. Furthermore, future mission/battle commanders will need to assimilate a tremendous glut of available information, and still be expected to make quick-response decisions - and to quantify the effects of those decisions - all in the face of uncertainty. All these factors translate to the need for dramatic improvements in the way we plan, rehearse, execute and dynamically assess the status of military campaigns. This paper addresses these crucial and revolutionary requirements through the pursuit of a new simulation paradigm that allows a user to perform real-time dynamic situation assessment and prediction.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Simultaneous exposure of transformed cells to SRC family inhibitors and CHK1 inhibitors causes cell death.

The present studies were initiated to determine in greater molecular detail the regulation of CHK1 inhibitor lethality in transfected and infected breast cancer cells and using genetic models of transformed fibrobalsts. Multiple MEK1/2 inhibitors (PD184352, AZD6244 [ARRY-142886]) interacted with multiple CHK1 inhibitors (UCN-01 [7-hydroxystaurosporine], AZD7762) to kill mammary carcinoma cells and transformed fibroblasts. In transformed cells, CHK1 inhibitor-induced activation of ERK1/2 was dependent upon activation of SRC family non-receptor tyrosine kinases as judged by use of multiple SRC kinase inhibitors (PP 2, Dasatinib; AZD0530), use of SRC/FYN/YES deleted transformed fibroblasts or by expression of dominant negative SRC. Cell killing by SRC family kinase inhibitors and CHK1 inhibitors was abolished in BAX/BAK−/− transformed fibroblasts and suppressed by overexpression of BCL-XL. Treatment of cells with BCL-2/BCL-XL antagonists promoted SRC inhibitor + CHK1 inhibitor-induced lethality in a BAX/BAK-dependent fashion. Treatment of cells with [SRC + CHK1] inhibitors radio-sensitized tumor cells. These findings argue that multiple inhibitors of the SRC-RAS-MEK pathway interact with multiple CHK1 inhibitors to kill transformed cells.
Are regional variations in bone growth related to mechanical stress and strain parameters

A three-dimensional finite element analysis was used to quantify the patterns of mechanical stresses within the rabbit distal femur growth plate, and test the hypothesis that these patterns are correlated to measured patterns of bone growth rates. This investigation of normal development is the first step toward improving our understanding of the role of mechanical factors in bone growth abnormalities. Rabbits from five age groups ranging from 1 to 42 days were evaluated, and four different loading conditions were analyzed, representing specific time points in the normal gait cycle. Finite element models generated directly from micro-computed tomography images of the distal femurs identified regional variations in stress and strain parameters, similar to the variations in bone growth rates measured using fluorochrome labeling. A linear regression analysis supports the hypothesis that high compressive stresses are correlated with lower bone growth rates. However, for the loading conditions considered in this study, the variations in mechanical stress and strain parameters explain no more than 15% of the overall variations in bone growth rates. The greatest variations in both growth rates and mechanical stresses were present in the anterior frontal plane from the 42 day age group, in which correlations between reduced bone growth rates and compressive stresses were much stronger (r2 up to 0.80).
A signals processing and big data framework for Monte Carlo aircraft encounters

Developing a collision avoidance system that can meet safety standards required of commercial aviation is challenging. A dynamic programming approach to collision avoidance has been developed to optimize and generate logics that are robust to the complex dynamics of the national airspace. The current approach represents the aircraft avoidance problem as Markov Decision Processes and independently optimizes a horizontal and vertical maneuver avoidance logics. This is a result of the current memory requirements for each logic, simply combining the logics will result in a significantly larger representation. The “curse of dimensionality” makes it computationally inefficient and infeasible to optimize this larger representation. However, existing and future collision avoidance systems have mostly defined the decision process by hand. In response, a simulation-based framework was built to better understand how each potential state quantifies the aircraft avoidance problem with regards to safety and operational components. The framework leverages recent advances in signals processing and database, while enabling the highest fidelity analysis of Monte Carlo aircraft encounter simulations to date. This framework enabled the calculation of how well each state of the decision process quantifies the collision risk and the associated memory requirements. Using this analysis, a collision avoidance logic that leverages both horizontal and vertical actions was built and optimized using this simulation-based approach.
The necessity and utility of abuse liability evaluations in human subjects.

Assessments of the abuse potential of psychoactive drugs in preclinical and clinical studies are used in regulatory decision making process in the United States under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD & C Act). Two types of drugs are evaluated in abuse potential studies, those being developed for a therapeutic indication by the pharmaceutical industry and illicitly manufactured «street drugs» of abuse. Only the former will be considered here
teacher and student perceptions regarding the academic needs of gifted students: similarities, differences and recommendations

The relationship between the perceptions of teachers and those of gifted students regarding gifted curriculum and instructional methods was investigated in this study. An instrument was developed that examined these perceptions related to various methods in gifted education. It was noted that the strongest agreement was found in the promotion of accelerated or advanced classes where both the students and the teachers agreed (average score of 5.1 out of 6). Likewise, it was also noted that students and teachers did not feel that work should be completed more quickly (average score 2.62 out of 6). It was found that encouragement toward advanced studies and increased opportunities to explore topics of interest would also be beneficial while forced acceleration of work would not.
Ultra-high precision mid-IR spectrometer I: Design and analysis of an optical fiber pumped difference-frequency generation source

We report the results of a systematic characterization of various optical fiber pumping schemes for difference-frequency sources employing periodically poled LiNbO3. Theoretical and practical considerations to achieve performance improvements for ultra-sensitive trace gas detection applications are discussed. As a result, we report a new mechanically robust and miniaturized mixing module employing a hybrid fiber with a plano-convex lens, reducing the size of previous DFG configurations by 65%. We also show pump, signal, and idler beam cross-sections before and after passing through a 100-m effective pathlength astigmatic Herriott multi-pass cell.
The prostate anesthetic block for outpatient prostate surgery.

With the emergence of minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia and the need to reduce health care costs, a simple and effective prostate anesthetic block may allow more procedures to be done in an outpatient or office setting. As based on neuroanatomy studies of the prostate, the perineal approach appeared to be the best way to anesthetize the prostate. This technique was used in 43 patients who underwent interstitial laser coagulation an outpatient or office setting. The perineal prostatic block was effective for pain control whether lidocaine or lidocaine/bupivacaine was used as determined by visual analog scale, linear pain scale, or global pain questionnaire. The use of intravenous (i.v.) sedation did not influence the efficacy of the prostate anesthetic block. Thus, the perineal prostate anesthetic block may be employed in patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia in the outpatient/office location.
Cytidine-Diphosphate Diacylglycerol Labeling as an Index of Inositol Lipid-Mediated Signal Transduction in Brain and Neural Cells

Abstract A method for assessing stimulated phosphoinositide turnover by measurement of the liponucleotide CDP-diacylglycerol is presented. The phosphoinositide signal transduction pathway consists of a sequence of reactions in which the second messengers Inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate and diacylglycerol are recycled back to phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns), which then serves to replenish the initial hydrolyzed substrate, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bis-phosphate. Receptor-stimulated inositol lipid turnover is most commonly assessed by measurement of the accumulation of [ 3 H]inositol-labeled inositol phosphates in the presence of Li + . The latter blocks Inositol monophosphatase and thus can lead to a depletion of intracellular inositol. Because inositol is required for resynthesis of PtdIns, the immediate precursor of PtdIns, CDP-diacylglycerol, also accumulates in the presence of agonist and Li + . Measurement of radiolabeling of this liponucleotide following Incorporation of [ 3 H]cytidine thus forms the basis for an alternative assay for Inositol lipid turnover. The general applicability of this method may be limited, since, In brain slices, not all receptors exhibit CDP-diacylglycerol responses that are consistent with their inositol phosphate responses. In addition, in cultured neural cells, growth in inositol-free, chemically defined medium is required to maximize the Li + -dependent CDP-diacylglycerol response. A major advantage of this method may be its ability to provide insight Into the regulation of phosphoinositide turnover since this method uniquely reflects slowing of the regenerative cycle. Such in vitro studies may have relevance to the in vivo action of Li + as a psychotherapeutic agent.
Chunking parallel loops in the presence of synchronization

Modern languages for shared-memory parallelism are moving from a bulk-synchronous Single Program Multiple Data (SPMD) execution model to lightweight Task Parallel execution models for improved productivity. This shift is intended to encourage programmers to express the ideal parallelism in an application at a fine granularity that is natural for the underlying domain, while delegating to the compiler and runtime system the job of extracting coarser-grained useful parallelism for a given target system. A simple and important example of this separation of concerns between ideal and useful parallelism can be found in chunking of parallel loops, where the programmer expresses ideal parallelism by declaring all iterations of a loop to be parallel and the implementation exploits useful parallelism by executing iterations of the loop in sequential chunks.Though chunking of parallel loops has been used as a standard transformation for several years, it poses some interesting challenges when the parallel loop may directly or indirectly (via procedure calls) perform synchronization operations such as barrier, signal or wait statements. In such cases, a straightforward transformation that attempts to execute a chunk of loops in sequence in a single thread may violate the semantics of the original parallel program. In this paper, we address the problem of chunking parallel loops that may contain synchronization operations. We present a transformation framework that uses a combination of transformations from past work (e.g., loop strip-mining, interchange, distribution, unswitching) to obtain an equivalent set of parallel loops that chunk together statements from multiple iterations while preserving the semantics of the original parallel program. These transformations result in reduced synchronization and scheduling overheads, thereby improving performance and scalability. Our experimental results for 11 benchmark programs on an UltraSPARC II multicore processor showed a geometric mean speedup of 0.52x for the unchunked case and 9.59x for automatic chunking using the techniques described in this paper. This wide gap underscores the importance of using these techniques in future compiler and runtime systems for programming models with lightweight parallelism.
Par-1 promotes a hepatic mode of apical protein trafficking in MDCK cells

Simple (i.e., nonstratified) epithelial cells use two different routes to target their newly synthesized luminal plasma membrane proteins to the cell surface: a direct route from the Golgi complex, as in the kidney-derived MDCK cell line, or an indirect route that involves a intermediate stop at the ab-luminal (basolateral) membrane, as in hepatocytes. The mechanisms or proteins responsible for these different protein targeting strategies are not known. Here, we show that increased expression of EMK1, a mammalian ortholog of Caenorhabditis elegans Par-1, in MDCK cells promotes a switch from a direct to a transcytotic mode of apical protein delivery and other trafficking changes typical of hepatocytes. These results, together with our recent demonstration that PAR-1 promotes morphological features of hepatocytes in MDCK cells, indicate that Par-1 modulates the developmental decision to build a columnar versus a hepatic epithelial cell. To our knowledge, Par-1 is the first gene assigned to this task in epithelial morphogenesis.
Signaling Pathways Regulating Gliomagenesis

The astrocytomas represent the most common primary tumors of the brain. Despite efforts to improve the treatment of astrocytomas, these tumors and in particular the high-grade astrocytoma termed glioblastoma multiforme still carry a poor prognosis. In recent years, there has been an intensive effort to gain an understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of astrocytomas as a first step toward the development of better treatments for these devastating tumors. Here, we will review our current understanding of the signaling pathways that underlie glial transformation. Studies of astrocytomas have led to the identification of two major groups of signaling proteins whose abnormalities contribute to gliomagenesis: the cell cycle pathways and the growth factor-regulated signaling pathways. Among the cell cycle proteins, the p16-cdk4-pRb and ARF-MDM2-p53 cell cycle arrest pathways play a prominent role in glial transformation. In addition, deregulation of polypeptide growth factors acting via receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and of intracellular signals, including the lipid phosphatase PTEN, that regulate cellular responses to RTKs plays a critical role in gliomagenesis. In addition to the identification of the signaling proteins targeted in glial transformation, the cell-of-origin of astrocytomas has been investigated. Genetic modeling of astrocytomas in mice suggests that neuroepithelial precursor cells represent preferred cellular substrates of gliomas or that either astrocytes or precursor cells constitute potential cells-of-origin of astrocytomas. During normal brain development, neuroepithelial precursor cells, including neural stem cells, differentiate into astrocytes. As the mechanisms that control gliogenesis during normal brain development become better understood, it will be important to determine if deregulation of these mechanisms might contribute to the pathogenesis of astrocytomas. The elucidation of the molecular underpinnings of astrocytomas holds the promise of improved treatment options for patients with these devastating brain tumors.
Reliability of Various Empirical Potential Methods

The use of the Wedepohl potential or the use of the vacancy formation energy as auxiliary conditions for an empirical potential derived from phonon data are examined. A pair potential for aluminum, derived from a non-local pseudopotential model, is used as a benchmark. These auxiliary conditions are found to be unreliable. Reasons for this are discussed within a more general framework. Es wird die Benutzung des Wedepohl-Potentials oder der Leerstellenbildungsenergie als Hilfsbedingungen fur ein aus den Phononendaten abgeleitetes empirisches Potential uberpruft. Zur Eichung wird ein von einem nichtlokalen Pseudopotentialmodell abgeleitetes Paarpotential fur Aluminium benutzt. Es wird gefunden, das diese Hilfsbedingungen unzuverlassig sind. Grunde dafur werden in einem allgemeineren Rahmen diskutiert.
The Effectiveness of Training to Improve Person Perception Accuracy: A Meta-Analysis

Making accurate perceptions of others is a valuable skill. This meta-analysis examines whether accurate person perception is a skill amenable to training in nonclinical adult populations and, if training can increase accuracy, what are the most effective training methods. Across person perception domains, training interventions significantly increased accuracy. Training approach mattered more than length of training. Practice and feedback were more effective approaches than instruction alone; however, a combination of training approaches was the most effective intervention. Results of this meta-analysis advance person perception theory and offer practical advice for future development of trainings to increase person perception accuracy.
Stein's identity, Fisher information, and projection pursuit: A triangulation

Two separate structure discovery properties of Fisher's LDF are derived in a mixture multivariate normal setting. One of the properties is related to Fisher information and is proved by using Stein's identity. The other property is on lack of unimodality. The properties are used to give three selection rules for choice of informative projections of high-dimensional data, not necessarily multivariate normal. Their usefulness in the two group-classification problem is studied theoretically and by means of examples. Extensions and various issues about practical implementation are discussed.
Why Do Migrants Return to Poor Countries? Evidence from Philippine Migrants%U2019 Responses to Exchange Rate Shocks

This paper distinguishes between target-earnings and life-cycle motivations for return migration by examining how Philippine migrants%u2019 return decisions respond to major, unexpected exchange rate changes in their overseas locations (due to the Asian financial crisis). Overall, the evidence favors the life-cycle explanation: more favorable exchange rate shocks lead to fewer migrant returns. A 10% improvement in the exchange rate reduces the 12-month return rate by 1.4 percentage points. However, some migrants appear motivated by target-earnings considerations: in households with intermediate foreign earnings, favorable exchange rate shocks have the least effect on return migration, but lead to increases in household investment.
The effect of temperature on osmotic responses of the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus say

Abstract 1. 1. Groups of six hermit crabs with shells, Pagurus longicarpus Say, were exposed to one of 30 different temperature-salinity conditions. 2. 2. At low temperatures of 2 and 6°C, the osmolarity of the blood of the hermit crabs was isosmotic to the medium, while at higher temperatures of 10, 14 and 18 C, the osmolarity of the blood ranged from 200–450 mOsm/1 above that of the medium at most salinities. 3. 3. We hypothesize that at the higher temperatures, the hermit crabs sustained metabolic rates high enough to support hyperosmotic regulation while at the lower temperatures they did not. 4. 4. Low temperature-low salinity conditions were most stressful as evidenced by high mortality, swelling and motor impairment.
Optical-transition radiation measurements for the Los Alamos and boeing free-electron laser experiments

Abstract Optical-transition radiation (OTR) measurements of the electron-beam emittance have been performed at a location just before the wiggler in the Los Alamos free electron laser (FEL) experiment. Beam profiles and beam divergence patterns from a single macropulse were recorded simultaneously using two intensified charge-injection device (CID) television cameras and an optical beam splitter. Both single-foil OTR and two-foil OTR interference experiments were performed. Preliminary results are compared to a reference variable quadrupole, single-screen technique. New aspects of using OTR properties for pointing the e-beam on the FEL oscillator axis, as well as measuring e-beam emittance are addressed.
The effect of experience on perceptual spaces when judging synthesized voice quality: a multidimensional scaling study.

Summary Objectives/Hypothesis The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of experience on the perceptual space of listeners when judging voice quality. Study Design This was a within-subjects group design. Method Speech-language pathologists, singing voice teachers, speech-language pathology graduate students with and without experience with a voice client, graduate students who have completed a voice pedagogy course, and inexperienced served as listeners. Each participant rated the similarity of pairs of synthesized stimuli with systematically altered measurements of jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonics ratio on a visual analog scale ranging from no similarity to extremely similar. Results Results showed that participants with different levels and types of experience used different perceptual spaces (of additive noise and perturbation measures) when judging the similarity of stimulus pairs. Conclusion The conclusion was that perceptual spaces differ among individuals with different levels and types of experience when judging the similarity of pairs of stimuli with systematically altered acoustical measurements.
Circumferential superficial fascia lift of the lower trunk: surgical technique and retrospective review of 50 cases.

Summary Background The superficial fascia of the lower trunk has been described in its functional importance as a lifting layer by Lockwood in the early 1990s. Preparation more superficially is supposed to reduce the rate of seroma formation in abdominoplasty procedures. Using the superficial fascia in circumferential bodycontouring procedures of the lower trunk is assumed to combine these benefits. Methods Between November 2008 and April 2010, 50 patients were scheduled for circumferential superficial fascia lifting of the lower trunk at our department. Nine men and 41 women underwent a central or lower bodylifting procedure. The ultrasonically activated scalpel was used for preparation. Results Only one major complication (secondary bleeding) needing revision occurred. There were few minor complications such as seroma formation (8%) and superficial wound dehiscences Conclusion The superficial fascia is an ideal layer for preparation and tissue lifting in circumferential bodycontouring of the lower trunk.
A new cytotoxic lymphocyte-defined antigen coded by a gene closely linked to the H-3 locus.

F1 complementation results indicate that a new gene, putatively controlling a minor histocompatibility antigen, is closely linked to the minor histocompatibility gene,H-3, in the fifth linkage group of chromosome 2 of the mouse. This gene controls a product that was capable of inducing as well as acting as a target for cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL). The lytic activity of CTL developed in B10.LP-H-3b mice specific for the product of the new gene of B10 was restricted to target cells possessing H-2Db antigens. This contrasts to the H-2Kb-restricted activity of H-3.1 specific CTL.
Photonic atoms and molecules: Sensing, trapping and all-optical manipulation

I will present an overview of our work on optical resonance phenomena in single and coupled micro-resonators and talk about applications of microcavity structures in pathogen detection, nanoparticle trapping, and all-optical computation.
Influence of electron traps on the phosphorescence of zinc silicate Mn phosphors

Abstract Measurements have been made of the long term phosphorescence of commercial zinc silicate:Mn and zinc silicate:Mn:As phosphors. Comparison is made with trap distributions determined from glow curve measurements.
The nonhuman primate model of the relationship between gonadal steroids and coronary heart disease

Experimental data derived from studies using cynomolgus macaque females provide strong evidence that estrogen influences both premenopausal and postmenopausal coronary artery atherosclerosis. Because the monkey studies are not hampered by selection bias, the data are supportive of the tentative conclusions from epidemiological studies indicating that the association between postmenopausal estrogen use and reduced coronary artery atherosclerosis is real. Present forms of HRT are not sufficiently acceptable to women to result in a compliance rate likely to affect the adverse impact of estrogen deprivation on coronary artery atherosclerosis. Nutritional supplementation may provide a more acceptable alternative.
Gain adaptation of networked DC motor controllers based on QoS variations

Connecting a complex control system with various sensors, actuators, and controllers as a networked control system by a shared data network can effectively reduce complicated wiring connections. This system is also easy to install and maintain. The trend is to use networked control systems for time-sensitive applications, such as remote DC motor actuation control. The performance of a networked control system can be improved if the network can guarantee quality-of-service (QoS). Due to time-varying network traffic demands and disturbances, QoS requirements provided by a network may change. In this case, a network has to reallocate its resources and may not be able to provide QoS requirements to a networked control application as needed. Therefore, the application may have to gracefully degrade its performance and perform the task as best as possible with the provided network QoS. This paper proposes a novel approach for networked DC motor control systems using controller gain adaptation to compensate for the changes in QoS requirements. Numerical and experimental simulations, and prototyping, are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed adaptation scheme to handle network QoS variation in a control loop. The effective results show the promising future of the use of gain adaptation in networked control applications.
Some consumer aspects of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.

: Twenty-five women who tried in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF/ET) at six hospitals were interviewed. All expressed satisfaction with the procedure, but some voiced concerns about the way they were treated. Their comments, together with a review of IVF clinic promotional literature and the medical literature, suggest the need to investigate the way this technology is marketed, particularly the way success rates are calculated and communicated to patients, hospitals sell experimental procedures to patients, and physicians disclose the risks and disappointing possibilities during attempts at IVF/ET.
Diffusion Boundary Determination and Zone Control Via Mobile Actuator-Sensor Networks (MAS-net) - Challenges and Opportunities

This paper presents challenges and opportunities related to the problem of diffusion boundary determination and zone control via mobile actuator-sensor networks (MAS-net). This research theme is motivated by three example application scenarios: 1) The safe ground boundary determination of the radiation field from multiple radiation sources; 2) The nontoxic reservoir water surface boundary determination and zone control due to a toxic diffusion source; 3) The safe nontoxic 3D boundary determination and zone control of biological or chemical contamination in the air. We focus on the case of 2D diffusion process and on using a team of ground mobile robots to track the diffusion boundary. Moreover, we assume that there are a number of robots that can carry and move networked actuators to release a neutralizing chemical agent so that the shape of the polluted zone can be actively controlled. These two MAS-net applications, i.e., diffusion boundary determination and zone control, are formulated as model-based distributed control tasks. On the technological side, we focus on the node specialization and the power supply problems. On the theoretical side, some recently developed new concepts are introduced, such as the regional/zone observability, regional/zone controllability, regional/zone Luenberger observer etc. We speculate on possible further developments in the theoretical research by noting the combination of diffusion based path planning and regional analysis of the overall MAS-net distributed control system.
Analysis of depletion edge translation lightwave modulators

Presents a complete analysis of waveguide phase modulators based on the depletion-edge-translation concept. The phenomena taking place inside the depletion region which contribute to changing the refractive index there are studied. It is shown that the behavior of these modulators can be understood in terms of two electric field-related and two carrier-related effects: linear electrooptic, electrorefractive, plasma, and band filling. The sum of the refractive index variations produced by each one of these effects, taking into account the waveguide geometry, accounts quantitatively for the experimental phase shifts measured in the devices. No fitting parameters are used and a very good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained. Based on this theory, an analysis of the device is made in terms of the optimum values for the doping in the waveguide, and also in terms of the wavelength dependence of the device phase modulation properties. >
Inhaled nitric oxide and neuroprotection in preterm infants.

Although inhaled nitric oxide–mediated decreases in chronic lung disease and severe intraventricular hemorrhage/periventricular leukomalacia undoubtedly contribute to improved neurodevelopmental outcomes, inhaled nitric oxide has an independent neuroprotective effect. Although these data are encouraging, additional studies are required before recommending the routine use of inhaled nitric oxide for neuroprotection in preterm infants.
A 16b 400MS/s DAC with <-80dBc IMD to 300MHz and <-160dBm/Hz noise power spectral density

A current-output DAC with on-board calibration engine guarantees 16b monotonicity and achieves better than -160dBm/Hz noise power spectral density. Well bootstrapping, local bias generation and constant data activity techniques are combined to achieve better than -80dBc IMD to 300MHz at 400MS/s.
Imaging Findings in Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of Jaws

Purpose Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) is a well-described clinical condition with consistent radiographic findings. The purpose of this report was to review these findings in an attempt to offer important diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic information associated with BRONJ. Materials and Methods The findings of studies assessing the radiographic landmarks on plain films, intraoral films, orthopantograph, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear bone scans in patients with BRONJ were analyzed. Results The radiographic findings in patients with BRONJ include osteosclerosis, osteolysis, dense woven bone, a thickened lamina dura, subperiosteal bone deposition, and failure of postsurgical remodeling. Conclusions Consistent imaging findings are noted in the BRONJ patient. Imaging is an essential part of the clinical assessment of the BRONJ patient and might be an additional tool for tracking the progression of the disease.
Bioorthogonal Approach to Identify Unsuspected Drug Targets in Live Cells

A proteomics method to pull down secondary drug targets from live cells is described. The drug of interest is modified with trans-cyclooctene (TCO) and incubated with live cells. Upon cell lysis, the modified drug bound to the protein is pulled down using magnetic beads decorated with a cleavable tetrazine-modified linker. Samples are then run on an SDS-PAGE gel and isolated bands are submitted for mass spectrometry analysis to identify drug targets.
LYMANTRIA DISPAR NUCLEOPOLYHEDROVIRUS HRF-1 EXPANDS THE LARVAL HOST RANGE OF AUTOGRAPHA CALIFORNICA NUCLEOPOLYHEDROVIRUS

The gypsy moth ( Lymantria dispar ) is nonpermissive for Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcNPV) infection. We previously isolated a gene, host range factor 1 ( hrf-1 ), from L. dispar nucleopolyhedrovirus that promotes AcNPV replication in Ld652Y cells, a nonpermissive L. dispar cell line (S. M. Thiem, X. Du, M. E. Quentin, and M. M. Berner, J. Virol. 70:2221–2229, 1996). In the present study, we investigated the ability of hrf-1 to alter the larval host range of AcNPV. Bioassays using recombinant AcNPV bearing hrf-1 were conducted with insect larvae by use of oral infection. AcNPV bearing hrf-1 was infectious for neonate L. dispar larvae, with a 50% lethal concentration of 1.2 × 10 5 polyhedral inclusion bodies/ml of diet, which is similar to that of wild-type AcNPV for permissive hosts. AcNPV can kill neonate L. dispar larvae at high doses, but it does not kill third-instar larvae. However, electron microscopy studies of AcNPV-inoculated third-instar larvae revealed virus replication in the midgut cells. PCR analyses indicated that the virus was AcNPV. These results suggest that the block for AcNPV infection of L. dispar larvae is its inability to spread systematically from primary infection sites in the midgut epithelium and that this barrier is leaky in neonates. hrf-1 allows AcNPV to overcome this barrier. AcNPV recombinants bearing hrf-1 were also significantly more infectious for Helicoverpa zea , a resistant species, suggesting that the blocks for AcNPV infection of L. dispar and H. zea larvae may be similar.
Isolation of the human gene that complements a temperature-sensitive cell cycle mutation in BHK cells.

Abstract We have cloned the human genomic DNA and the corresponding cDNA for the gene which complements the mutation of tsBN51, a temperature-sensitive (Ts) cell cycle mutant of BHK cells which is blocked in G1 at the nonpermissive temperature. After transfecting human DNA into TsBN51 cells and selecting for growth at 39.5 degrees C, Ts+ transformants were identified by their content of human AluI repetitive DNA sequences. Following two additional rounds of transfection, a genomic library was constructed from a tertiary Ts+ transformant and a recombinant phage containing the complementing gene isolated by screening for human AluI sequences. A genomic probe from this clone recognized a 2-kilobase mRNA in human and tertiary transformant cell lines, and this probe was used to isolate a biologically active cDNA from the Okayama-Berg cDNA expression library. Sequencing of this cDNA revealed a single open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 395 amino acids. The deduced BN51 gene product has a high proportion of acidic and basic amino acids which are clustered in four hydrophilic domains spaced at 60- to 80-amino-acid intervals. These domains have strong sequence homology to each other. Thus, the tsBN51 protein consists of periodic repetitive clusters of acidic and basic amino acids.
Some Policy Effects in Developing Economies with Dual Labor Markets

A central feature of developing economies is the existence of dual labor markets, with an organized formal sector usually subject to a binding wage floor, and an informal sector which pays lower wages and where entry is free. It has also been observed in the literature that the preponderance of tradable and non-tradable goods are produced in the formal and informal sectors, respectively. This paper highlights the role played by these stylized structural features in determining policy outcomes in developing economies. We consider an economy where workers employed in the informal sector face some probability of being offered a job in the high-wage formal sector but this probability increases if they do not work but actively search for such a job, i.e., there exists a job search premium. We show that the job search premium and relative size of the informal sector are key elements that affect the results of policy changes with regard to sectoral wage differentials, argue that devaluation reduces the trade balance and may be contractionary, and that policies to increase the efficiency of labor exchange have an independent effect on the real exchange rate.
Advancing Quality Health Care through Continuing American Board of Medical Specialties Board Certification

Quality is a core value of the medical profession. Board certification, morbidity and mortality conferences, and participation in hospital quality committees are just a few of the many ways in which the medical profession has evidenced its commitment to quality throughout the decades. Despite this
The functions of anionic phospholipids during clathrin-mediated endocytosis site initiation and vesicle formation

Anionic phospholipids PI(4,5)P2 and phosphatidylserine (PS) are enriched in the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane where endocytic sites form. In this study, we investigated the roles of PI(4,5)P2 and PS in clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) site initiation and vesicle formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Live-cell imaging of endocytic protein dynamics in an mss4ts mutant, which has severely reduced PI(4,5)P2 levels, revealed that PI(4,5)P2 is required for endocytic membrane invagination but is less important for endocytic site initiation. We also demonstrated that, in various deletion mutants of genes encoding components of the Rcy1-Ypt31/32 GTPase pathway, endocytic proteins dynamically assemble not only on the plasma membrane but also on intracellular membrane compartments, which are likely derived from early endosomes. In rcy1Δ cells, fluorescent biosensors indicated that PI(4,5)P2 only localized to the plasma membrane while PS localized to both the plasma membrane and intracellular membranes. Furthermore, we found that polarized endocytic patch establishment is defective in the PS-deficient cho1Δ mutant. We propose that PS is important for directing endocytic proteins to the plasma membrane and that PI(4,5)P2 is required to facilitate endocytic membrane invagination.
The briefing, intraoperative teaching, debriefing model for teaching in the operating room.

r he need for a more deliberate approach to operating room eaching becomes more imperative as duty hour restricions limit the exposure residents have to the operating oom. A good model for deliberate teaching in the operatng room would focus the teacher on setting objectives for he learner’s performance, providing immediate and speific feedback, and providing guidance for future practice. he ideal model would allow surgeons to achieve these ducational goals within the context of their already existng practice. We propose a model for teaching in the operting room that fosters good educational practice, takes dvantage of the naturally existing observation and teachng opportunities available to the teaching surgeon, and fits asily into the surgeon’s existing routine. Surgical residency, as Atul Gawandedescribed it, coninues to depend on “the wonderful, time-honored, throatonstricting method of learning-by-doing on the job trainng . . ..” Reznick and MacRae concurred, stating that olume is the hallmark of surgical training. “Learning by oing” rests on the belief that experience alone will lead to earning. This is a pure discovery model of learning, preised on the idea that through practice and self directed earning, students will develop appropriate rules and unerstandings to guide future practice. Mayer made the onvincing case that pure, unguided discovery learning is neffective and inefficient, does not guarantee that students ill even come in contact with the needed learning opporunities, and does not guarantee that students will learn the ules that guide future practice. He reviewed three lines of esearch in which students were called on to learn, either hrough pure discovery learning or through guided discovry learning. In guided discovery learning, an expert proides the novice with preparatory information before the xperience and offers verbal and perhaps manual guidance uring the experience and feedback afterward. In each case, he students using guided discovery learning learned more uickly, more accurately, and were more likely to remember
The demography of fine roots in response to patches of water and nitrogen

SUMMARY Fine root demography was quantified in response to patches of increased water and nitrogen availability in a natural, second-growth, mixed hardwood forest in northern Michigan, USA. As expected, the addition of water and water plus nitrogen resulted in a significant overall increase in the production of new fine roots. New root production was much greater in response to water plus nitrogen when compared with water alone, and the duration of new root production was related to the length of resource addition in the water plus nitrogen treatments; the average difference in new root length between the 20 vs. 40 d additions of water plus nitrogen amounted to almost 600%. Roots produced in response to the additions of water and water plus nitrogen lived longer than roots in the control treatments. Thus, additions of water and water plus nitrogen influenced both the proliferation of new roots and their longevity, with both proliferation and longevity related to the type and duration of resource supply. Results suggest that root longevity and mortality may be plastic in response to changes in soil resource availability, as is well known for root proliferation.
Turbo equalization utilizing soft decision feedback

In this paper, we discuss an efficient soft decision feedback (SDF) scheme that alleviates error propagation. Error burst statistics observed at the output of the outer decoder indicate that error propagation is successfully suppressed. Sector error rate analysis is also performed under the assumption that a Reed Solomon (RS) code is used to clean up the errors that remain after concatenation of a channel detector and a recursive systematic convolutional (RSC) code decoder. Results indicate that compared to a reference system where the optimal BCJR algorithm is used both to detect the generalized E2PR4 (GE2PR4) target and to decode the outer RSC code, performance is comparable if, we replace the BCJR-based ISl detector in the reference system with a CD detector with SDF. The relative complexity savings of the proposed scheme is very large compared to the reference system.