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Facets
Kinds of Facets Terms modified by Facets Selected AbstractsThe Random-Facet simplex algorithm on combinatorial cubes,RANDOM STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMS, Issue 3 2002Bernd Gärtner The RANDOM -FACET algorithm is a randomized variant of the simplex method which is known to solve any linear program with n variables and m constraints using an expected number of pivot steps which is subexponential in both n and m. This is the theoretically fastest simplex algorithm known to date if m , n; it provably beats most of the classical deterministic variants which require exp(,(n)) pivot steps in the worst case. RANDOM -FACET has independently been discovered and analyzed ten years ago by Kalai as a variant of the primal simplex method, and by Matous,ek, Sharir, and Welzl in a dual form. The essential ideas and results connected to RANDOM -FACET can be presented in a particularly simple and instructive way for the case of linear programs over combinatorialn - cubes. I derive an explicit upper bound of (1) on the expected number of pivot steps in this case, using a new technique of "fingerprinting" pivot steps. This bound also holds for generalized linear programs, similar flavors of which have been introduced and studied by several researchers. I then review an interesting class of generalized linear programs, due to Matous,ek, showing that RANDOM -FACET may indeed require an expected number of pivot steps in the worst case. The main new result of the paper is a proof that all actual linear programs in Matous,ek's class are solved by RANDOM -FACET with an expected polynomial number of pivot steps. This proof exploits a combinatorial property of linear programming which has only recently been discovered by Holt and Klee. The result establishes the first scenario in which an algorithm that works for generalized linear programs "recognizes" proper linear programs. Thus, despite Matous,ek's worst-case result, the question remains open whether RANDOM -FACET (or any other simplex variant) is a polynomial-time algorithm for linear programming. Finally, I briefly discuss extensions of the combinatorial cube results to the general case. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 20:353,381, 2002 [source] Private Regulation of the Public Sector: A Neglected Facet of Contemporary GovernanceJOURNAL OF LAW AND SOCIETY, Issue 1 2002Colin Scott The centrality of regulation among the tools deployed by governments is well established in the social science literature. Regulation of public sector bodies by non-state organizations is an important but neglected aspect of contemporary governance arrangements. Some private regulators derive both authority and power from a legal mandate for their activities. Statutory powers are exercised by private regulators where they are delegated or contracted out. Contractual powers take collective (for example, self-regulatory) and individuated forms. But a further important group of private regulators, operating both nationally and internationally, lack a legal mandate and yet have the capacity to exercise considerable power in constraining governments and public agencies. In a number of cases private regulators operate more complete regulatory regimes (in the sense of controlling standard setting, monitoring, and enforcement elements) than is true of public regulators. While private regulators may enhance the scrutiny given to public bodies (and thus enhance regimes of control and accountability), their existence suggests a need to identify the conditions under which such private power is legitimately held and used. One such condition is the existence of appropriate mechanisms for controlling or checking power. Such controls may take the classic form of public oversight, but may equally be identified in the checks exercised by participation in communities or markets. [source] The Prevalence of Facet Joint-Related Chronic Neck Pain in Postsurgical and Nonpostsurgical Patients: A Comparative EvaluationPAIN PRACTICE, Issue 1 2008Laxmaiah Manchikanti MD ,,Abstract Background: Facet (zygapophysial) joints may be clinically important sources of chronic cervical spinal pain. Previous studies have demonstrated the value and validity of controlled, comparative local anesthetic blocks in the diagnosis of facet joint pain, and reported an overall prevalence of 36% to 67% facet joint involvement in cervical spinal pain. The reports of lumbar facet joint-involvement in postsurgery syndrome have been shown to be highly variable with prevalence ranging from 8% to 32%. To date, however, the prevalence of postsurgical facet joint-related pain in the cervical spine has not been evaluated. In light of this, the present retrospective study was conducted to assess and compare the prevalence of chronic postsurgical facet joint cervical spinal pain to nonsurgical, chronic cervical facet joint pain. Methods: Patients presenting with chronic neck pain were studied. The procedures were performed by a single physician in an interventional pain management ambulatory surgery center. The prevalence of cervical facet joint pain in postsurgical patients was assessed and compared to nonsurgical patients. Results: A total of 251 patients (45 postsurgery vs. 206 nonsurgical patients) with chronic persistent neck pain were evaluated using controlled, comparative local anesthetic blocks in accordance with IASP criteria. The prevalence of the cervical facet joint pain and false-positive rate of single blocks in postsurgical patients were 36% and 50% compared with 39% and 43% in nonsurgical patients. Conclusions: Cervical facet joints are clinically important pain generators in a significant proportion of patients with chronic persistent neck pain after surgical intervention(s). The prevalence of cervical facet joint pain was similar in both postsurgical and nonsurgical patients.,, [source] ChemInform Abstract: An Unusual, Mild and Convenient One-Pot Two-Step Access to (E)-Stilbenes from Hydroxy-Substituted Benzaldehydes and Phenylacetic Acids under Microwave Activation: A New Facet of the Classical Perkin Reaction.CHEMINFORM, Issue 6 2008Arun K. Sinha Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] Facets on the psychopathy checklist screening version and instrumental violence in forensic psychiatric patientsCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2010Jenny Laurell Background,There is a recognised relationship between psychopathy and instrumental violence, but not all violence by people who meet the criteria for psychopathy is instrumental. Aims,Our aims were to compare offence types among forensic psychiatric patients with and without the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) criteria for psychopathy. Our specific questions were whether factor 1 , the interpersonal affective dimension , was related to instrumentality and on severity of the violent crime. Our hypothesis was that the relationship between psychopathy and instrumental violence would be dependent on the severity of the violent crime. Methods,Sixty-five male patients at the forensic psychiatric hospital in Sundsvall, all with a violent criminal history, were assessed for psychopathy through interview and records using the PCL: SV. Severity and the instrumentality of their previous violence were coded using the Cornell coding guide for violent incidents. Results,The interpersonal features of psychopathy (the interpersonal facet), and only the interpersonal features were significantly associated with instrumentality and severity of violence. Instrumentality was also significantly related to the severity of the violence, independent of psychopathy score. Conclusions,The results indicated that, at least among forensic psychiatric patients, planning is more likely than not with respect to serious crimes. The specific link between interpersonal features of psychopathy and instrumental and severe violence suggests potential clinical value in recognising subtypes of psychopathy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Personality profiles of cultures: Patterns of ethos,EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2009Robert R. McCrae Abstract Culture and the human mind are deeply interdependent, because they co-evolved. Personality traits were a preexisting feature of the primate mind and must have left an imprint on forms of culture. Trait taxonomies can structure ethnographies, by specifying institutions that reflect the operation of traits. Facets of ethos can be assessed by expert ratings or objective indicators. Ratings of ethos in Japan and the US were reliable and yielded plausible descriptions of culture. However, measures of ethos based on the analysis of stories were not meaningfully correlated with aggregate personality traits or national character stereotypes. Profiles of ethos may provide another axis that can be used with aggregate personality trait levels to predict behaviour and understand the operation of culture. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Facets of private and public self-consciousness: construct and discriminant validityEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 2 2002Lars Nystedt The construct and discriminant validity of proposed facets of private self-consciousness (Self-Reflectiveness and Internal State Awareness) and public self-consciousness (Style Consciousness and Appearance Consciousness) was examined in two studies. In study 1 an exploratory factor analysis of 367 subjects' responses to a translated version of the Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS) of Fenigstein, Scheir, and Buss confirmed the existence of two factors of private and public self-consciousness. Confirmatory factor analysis of 199 university students' responses to the SCS confirmed the results from study 1. A two-dimensional model of private and public self-consciousness respectively represented a significant improvement in fit to data over single-factor models. Further, the two facets of private and public self-consciousness were related differently to measures representing different aspects of adjustment/maladjustment. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Facets of heat shock protein 70 show immunotherapeutic potentialIMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Stephen M. Todryk Summary Amongst the families of intracellular molecules that chaperone and assist with the trafficking of other proteins, notably during conditions of cellular stress, heat shock protein (hsp) 70 is one of the most studied. Although its name suggests that expression is exclusively induced during cellular hyperthermia, members of the hsp70 family of proteins can be constitutively expressed and/or induced by a range of other cellular insults. The ubiquitous presence of hsp70 in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, combined with its high degree of sequence homology and intrinsic immunogenicity, have prompted the suggestion that inappropriate immune reactivity to hsp70 might lead to pro-inflammatory responses and the development of autoimmune disease. Indeed, hsp70 has been shown to be a potent activator of innate immunity and aberrant expression of hsp70 in certain organs promotes immunopathology. However, studies also suggest that hsp70 might have immunotherapeutic potential, as hsp70 purified from malignant and virally infected cells can transfer and deliver antigenic peptides to antigen-presenting cells to elicit peptide-specific immunity and, in contrast to its reported pro-inflammatory effects, the administration of recombinant hsp70 can attenuate experimental autoimmune disease. This review focuses on the immunoregulatory capacity of hsp70 and its potential therapeutic value. [source] Facets of lupus erythematosus: panniculitis responding to thalidomideJOURNAL DER DEUTSCHEN DERMATOLOGISCHEN GESELLSCHAFT, Issue 3 2008Simone Wienert Summary Lupus erythematosus profundus or lupus panniculitis is a rare clinical variant of lupus erythematosus, which involves the deep dermis and subcutaneous fat. Diagnosis may be difficult in cases with isolated involvement. Further manifestations of lupus erythematosus may thus be essential for diagnosis, which depends on the clinical picture, histopathology and a positive lesional lupus band test. We report a severe, mutilating case of lupus panniculitis, which responded well to thalidomide. [source] Sociability and Positive Emotionality: Genetic and Environmental Contributions to the Covariation Between Different Facets of ExtraversionJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2003Michael Eid The relation between sociability and positive affect is one of the most often replicated results of research on personality and subjective well-being. It is shown how behavior genetics can contribute to our understanding of the covariance between sociability and positive emotionality. The results of a multimethod behavior-genetic study with 158 monozygotic and 120 dizygotic twins are reported. In this study, sociability and two components of positive emotionality (positive affect, energy) were assessed by self-report and other report. Additionally, positive state affect was assessed in five situations and aggregated across situations. The results showed that there are strong genetic correlations between all variables. Furthermore, there are substantive correlations between the nonshared environmental components of the different variables. Shared environmental influences, however, seemed to be unimportant for explaining the correlations between sociability and the different components of positive emotionality. The results are discussed with respect to their implications for future research on sociability and positive emotionality. [source] The clique partitioning problem: Facets and patching facetsNETWORKS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2001Maarten Oosten Abstract The clique partitioning problem (CPP) can be formulated as follows: Given is a complete graph G = (V, E), with edge weights wij , , for all {i, j} , E. A subset A , E is called a clique partition if there is a partition of V into nonempty, disjoint sets V1,,, Vk, such that each Vp (p = 1,,, k) induces a clique (i.e., a complete subgraph), and A = , {{i, j}|i, j , Vp, i , j}. The weight of such a clique partition A is defined as ,{i,j},Awij. The problem is now to find a clique partition of maximum weight. The clique partitioning polytope P is the convex hull of the incidence vectors of all clique partitions of G. In this paper, we introduce several new classes of facet-defining inequalities of P. These suffice to characterize all facet-defining inequalities with right-hand side 1 or 2. Also, we present a procedure, called patching, which is able to construct new facets by making use of already-known facet-defining inequalities. A variant of this procedure is shown to run in polynomial time. Finally, we give limited empirical evidence that the facet-defining inequalities presented here can be of use in a cutting-plane approach for the clique partitioning problem. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Brief communication: Identification reassessment of the isolated tooth Krapina D58 through occlusal fingerprint analysisAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Luca Fiorenza Abstract High variability in the dentition of Homo can create uncertainties in the correct identification of isolated teeth. For instance, standard tooth identification criteria cannot determine with absolute certainty if an isolated tooth is a second or third maxillary molar. In this contribution, using occlusal fingerprint analysis, we reassess the identification of Krapina D58 (Homo neanderthalensis), which is catalogued as a third maxillary molar. We have hypothesized that the presence/absence of the distal occlusal wear facets can be used to differentiate second from third maxillary molars. The results obtained confirm our hypothesis, showing a significant difference between second and third maxillary molars. In particular we note the complete absence of Facets 7 and 10 in all third molars included in this analysis. The presence of these facets in Krapina D58 eliminates the possibility that it is a third maxillary molar. Consequently it should be reclassified as a second molar. Although this method is limited by the degree of dental wear (i.e., unworn teeth cannot be analyzed) and to individual molars in full occlusion, it can be used for tooth identification when other common criteria are not sufficient to discriminate between second and third maxillary molars. Am J Phys Anthropol 143:306,312, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Social contextual links to emotion regulation in an adolescent psychiatric inpatient population: do gender and symptomatology matter?THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 11 2009Molly Adrian Background:, The regulation of emotion is essential for adaptive functioning. However, delineating the pathways of emotion regulation (ER) processes that lead to psychological adaptation remains under-studied, with mixed evidence for the specificity vs. generality of ER deficits in relation to specific forms of psychopathology. To examine this issue, this study investigated links among ER, social-contextual factors (family, peer), and psychological adjustment (internalizing, externalizing). Method:, Participants were 140 adolescents (71% female, 83.3% Caucasian, M age = 16.03 years) who were consecutive psychiatric admissions over a one-year period. Adolescents completed measures on family environment and peer relationship experiences. Both adolescents and parents reported on adolescents' characteristic patterns of ER and psychopathology. Results:, Discriminant analyses revealed that two functions, ER skills and impulsivity/lability, differentiated among adolescents who were elevated in internalizing symptoms only, in externalizing symptoms only, in both domains, or in neither domain. Regarding social contextual variables, family cohesion was associated with adaptive ER behaviors for girls along the internalizing dimension and all adolescents reporting externalizing behaviors. Relational victimization predicted difficulties with ER in both symptom domains for all adolescents. Within the internalizing domain, friendship support was related to adaptive ER. Conclusion:, Facets of ER do differentiate between global indices of internalizing and externalizing behaviors and suggest that both general and specific factors contribute to adolescents' unique learning history with emotions and characteristic patterns for managing emotions. [source] Low-Symmetry Iron Oxide Nanocrystals Bound by High-Index Facets,ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE, Issue 36 2010Jingzhou Yin Gut in Form: ,-Fe2O3 -Tetrakaidekaeder (siehe Bild, links) und abgeschrägte ,-Fe2O3 -Parallelepipede (rechts) mit exponierten hochindizierten Flächen wurden in hohen Ausbeuten erhalten. Die magnetischen Eigenschaften beider Proben unterscheiden sich, offenbar aufgrund ihrer unterschiedlichen Formen und hochindizierten Flächen. [source] Synthesis of Tin Dioxide Octahedral Nanoparticles with Exposed High-Energy {221} Facets and Enhanced Gas-Sensing Properties,ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE, Issue 48 2009Xiguang Han Selektiv exponierte und durch eine einfache Hydrothermalsynthese erzeugte energiereiche {221}-Facetten mit vielen nichtabgesättigten Oberflächenbindungen, (111)-Terrassen und (110)-Stufen (unteres Bild) auf oktaedrischen SnO2 -Nanopartikeln (oben) machen diese zu besseren Gassensoren als Partikel mit anderen Formen. Die Sensoraktivität ist proportional zum Anteil an {221}-Facetten auf den zugänglichen Oberflächen. [source] Facets of psychopathy, Axis II traits, and behavioral dysregulation among jail detaineesBEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 4 2007Richard Rogers Ph.D. Forensic evaluations of offender populations often consider psychopathy as an integral component of these consultations. Vexing issues remain of whether psychopathic traits should be evaluated consistently irrespective of demographic characteristics (e.g. gender), comorbidity (e.g. other Axis II pathology), or setting (e.g. jail or community). The current study examined gender differences for psychopathy and Axis II traits in a nonreferred jail sample of predominantly nonviolent offenders. Participants with moderate to high levels of psychopathy evidenced substantial comorbidity, especially with Cluster B personality disorders. Facets of psychopathy and Axis II traits varied substantially across both genders. In addition, the research evaluated Lynam's Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, and Attention difficulties (HIA) model of psychopathy. These initial data found little support for the HIA model in this jail sample. In testing competing hypotheses, the HIA model was substantially better at predicting Cluster B traits than psychopathy per se. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Facets of the therapeutic alliance and perceived progress in psychotherapy: relationship between patient and therapist perspectivesCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 6 2005A. Jill Clemence This study investigates the facets of the alliance and their relationship with estimated effectiveness of psychotherapy using a measure called the Combined Alliance Short Form (CASF; Hatcher, 1999; Hatcher & Barends, 1996; Hatcher, Barends, Hansell, & Gutfreund, 1995). Because the CASF has both patient and therapist versions, it was possible to compare ratings of various facets of the alliance from each perspective. Data were collected from 125 patient,therapist dyads, and all participants completed the CASF as well as measures of perceived progress during therapy. Convergence was examined for each alliance subscale for the patient,therapist dyads. Both the patient and therapist Confident Collaboration factors were found to be primary predictors of perceived improvement in psychotherapy. Number of psychotherapy sessions was related to patient estimates of improvement and therapist ratings of the amount of help received by their patients as well. Confident Collaboration, a factor that reflects the level of confidence and commitment a patient experiences regarding the therapy as well as the degree to which the therapy is experienced as worthwhile, is discussed in relation to previous research. Implications regarding the presence of this factor during psychotherapy are considered in detail.,Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Control of Feature-point-driven Facial Animation Using a Hypothetical FaceCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 4 2001Ming-Shing Su A new approach to the generation of a feature-point-driven facial animation is presented. In the proposed approach, a hypothetical face is used to control the animation of a face model. The hypothetical face is constructed by connecting some predefined facial feature points to create a net so that each facet of the net is represented by a Coon's surface. Deformation of the face model is controlled by changing the shape of the hypothetical face, which is performed by changing the locations of feature points and their tangents. Experimental results show that this hypothetical-face-based method can generate facial expressions which are visually almost identical to those of a real face. [source] The essential stakeholder dialogueCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2002Peter R. Downey Sheffield Hallam University for the last 15 years, I suspect in common with many organizations, has been on a journey. There has been a progression from a serious concern about the institution's impact upon the environment and a sincere wish to minimize that impact to today's position with the recognition that environmental concern alone is not enough. Now it is seen as only one facet of the overall role the university plays in society and, in particular, the immediate regional community. Indeed, the very jargon has changed. There has been a movement from talking about the environment and being ,green' to recognition of the full definition of what is meant and required by ,sustainability'. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [source] Facets on the psychopathy checklist screening version and instrumental violence in forensic psychiatric patientsCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2010Jenny Laurell Background,There is a recognised relationship between psychopathy and instrumental violence, but not all violence by people who meet the criteria for psychopathy is instrumental. Aims,Our aims were to compare offence types among forensic psychiatric patients with and without the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) criteria for psychopathy. Our specific questions were whether factor 1 , the interpersonal affective dimension , was related to instrumentality and on severity of the violent crime. Our hypothesis was that the relationship between psychopathy and instrumental violence would be dependent on the severity of the violent crime. Methods,Sixty-five male patients at the forensic psychiatric hospital in Sundsvall, all with a violent criminal history, were assessed for psychopathy through interview and records using the PCL: SV. Severity and the instrumentality of their previous violence were coded using the Cornell coding guide for violent incidents. Results,The interpersonal features of psychopathy (the interpersonal facet), and only the interpersonal features were significantly associated with instrumentality and severity of violence. Instrumentality was also significantly related to the severity of the violence, independent of psychopathy score. Conclusions,The results indicated that, at least among forensic psychiatric patients, planning is more likely than not with respect to serious crimes. The specific link between interpersonal features of psychopathy and instrumental and severe violence suggests potential clinical value in recognising subtypes of psychopathy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Synthesis and crystal structure investigation of pyridine-2-(3,-mercaptopropanoic acid)- N -oxideCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 10 2007R. Ramasubramanian Abstract Pyridine-2-(3,-mercaptopropanoic acid)- N -oxide (I), is a higher homologue of 1-oxopyridinium-2-thioacetic acid (II) [1]. It crystallizes in monoclinic space group P21 with a = 9.2168(2) Å, b = 4.1423(2) Å, c = 11.3904(4) Å, , = 98.65(2)°, V = 429.93(3) Å3 and Z = 2. The least-squares refinement gave residual index R = 0.024 for 1070 observed reflections. The introduction of an additional methylene group in (II) causes a flip in the carboxylic acid group of (I) that facilitates the molecules to align infinite antiparallel chains through strong C,H···O interactions. The molecules are interlinked by O,H···O hydrogen bonding across the chains and forming an infinite screw chain along y-direction. The molecular packing is stabilized by O,H···O and C,H···O hydrogen bonding and ,-, electron interactions. This is an important facet of the crystal packing. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Globalization from Below: Free Software and Alternatives to NeoliberalismDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 6 2007Sara Schoonmaker ABSTRACT This article explores one of the central struggles over the politics of globalization: forging alternatives to neoliberalism by developing new forms of globalization from below. It focuses on a unique facet of this struggle, rooted in the centrality of information technologies for global trade and production, as well as new forms of media and digital culture. The analysis has four main parts: examining the key role of software as a technological infrastructure for diverse forms of globalization; conceptualizing the contradictory implications of three software business models for realizing the utopian potential of digital technology to develop forms of globalization from below; exploring how three free and open source software business models were put into practice by Red Hat, IBM and the Free Software Foundation; and analysing Brazilian software policy as a form of globalization from below that challenges the historical dominance of the global North and seeks to develop new forms of digital inclusion and digital culture. [source] vrille is required to ensure tracheal integrity in Drosophila embryoDEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION, Issue 5 2010Sébastien Szuplewski The Drosophila bZIP transcription factor Vrille (VRI) is required for growth, circadian clock regulation and metamorphosis. We identified here a new facet of vrille (vri) function and show that it is required for tracheal development. We show that, in the embryo, VRI is expressed in a complex and dynamic pattern and is found in amnioserosa, subdomains of the developing gut and in trachea cells. We also show that, as expected, the protein is nuclear. We then asked whether VRI was involved in morphogenetic processes such as gut and tracheal development. We therefore investigated the development of these tissues in vri mutants, and although we did not observe any defects in gut morphology, we identified differentiation defects that affect tracheal integrity. Most of the defects were observed after stage 14 and affect all branches, resulting in branch breaks, abnormal branching and elongation. [source] Analysis of GaInAsP laser diodes degraded by light absorption at an active layer of the facetELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATIONS IN JAPAN, Issue 2 2010Hiroyuki Ichikawa Abstract Electrostatic discharge-induced degradation is one of the serious reliability problems of GaInAsP/InP laser diodes. The authors have conducted an analysis of electrostatic discharge-induced degradation, and have elucidated the principal degradation mechanism. The main cause of degradation is heating by light absorption at the active layer of the facet. This phenomenon is similar to the catastrophic optical damage that occurs in GaAs-based high-power laser diodes. The problem has become more serious with the recent tendency to high power demand. Therefore, technology to suppress against degradation is extremely important. Focusing on facet coating, which is one of the key processes to suppress facet degradation, we demonstrated that facet degradation can be successfully suppressed by inserting an ultrathin aluminum layer between the semiconductor and the dielectric coaling films. This effect is caused by a reduction of surface recombination. This degradation suppression technology has the potential to be applied not only to GaInAsP/InP laser diodes, but to any InP-based laser diodes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 93(2): 32,38, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10196 [source] CD40L-expressing CD8 T cells prime CD8,+ DC for IL-12p70 productionEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 8 2008Loon Wong Abstract CD8,+ DC are implicated as the principle DC subset for cross-presentation and cross-priming of cytotoxic CD8 T cell responses. In this study, we demonstrate another unique facet of the CD8,+ DC and CD8 T cell relationship, by showing that CD8 T cells reciprocally activate CD8,+ DC, but not CD8,, DC, for IL-12p70 production, the key Th1-promoting cytokine. This effect was observed during an antigen-specific interaction between DC and activated CD8 T cells, along with secondary TLR stimulation of DC by LPS. Activated CD8 T cells use a combination of IFN-, and CD40L, which is rapidly up-regulated post-stimulation, to prime DC for IL-12p70 production during an antigen-specific response. Our results suggest that the interaction between CD8,+ DC and antigen-primed CD8 T cells may form an important component of Th1-mediated immunity through the induction of IL-12p70. [source] How apoptosis got the immune system in shapeEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue S1 2007Christine Feig Abstract The discovery that apoptosis is an integral component of normal development has facilitated the widespread recognition that cell death is not at all inimical to life. For much of our lifetime the body maintains a cellular homeostasis persisting until, ultimately, it is broken during the aging process. However, unlike the body as a whole, fluctuations at any age in this cellular balance are frequent in the immune system, which responds to infections via massive clonal expansions and elimination of reactive T and B cells. Moreover, cell death also plays a key, and essential, role in the education of immune cells in the thymus and the bone marrow, where autoreactive cells are eliminated, thereby establishing tolerance to self tissues. Furthermore, the mechanism by which cytotoxic T and NK cells kill virus infected or transformed target cells is by inducing apoptotic cell death. Thus, cell death, and in particular apoptosis, is an integral facet of almost all aspects of immune function. Failure to execute apoptosis appropriately has dire consequences leading to the development of autoimmune disease and malignant growth. This narration provides a historical overview of the impact that the discovery of apoptosis had on the understanding of the function of the immune system. [source] Qualitative difference between the cytotoxic T,lymphocyte responses to melanocyte antigens in melanoma and vitiligoEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 11 2005Belinda Palermo Abstract Vitiligo is a skin disorder characterized by depigmented macules secondary to melanocyte loss. An unusual facet is its relation to melanoma: Cytotoxic T,lymphocytes directed to melanocyte antigens are found in both conditions and imply a breakdown of tolerance, yet the resulting immune reaction is the opposite. The mechanisms at the basis of these opposite effects are not known. Here, we performed a direct comparison of whole melanocyte-specific T,cell populations in the two diseases. We demonstrate that neither precursor frequencies of Melan-A/MART-1-specific T,lymphocytes nor their status of activation differ significantly. However, by using a tetramer-based T,cell receptor down-regulation assay, we documented a higher affinity of vitiligo T,cells. We calculated that the peptide concentration required for 50% of maximal receptor down-regulation differed by 6.5-fold between the two diseases. Moreover, only vitiligo T,cells were capable of efficient receptor down-regulation and IFN-, production in response to HLA-matched melanoma cells, suggesting that this difference in receptor affinity is physiologically relevant. The differences in receptor affinity and tumor reactivity were confirmed by analyzing Melan-A/MART-1-specific clones established from the two diseases. Our results suggest that the quality, and not the quantity, of the melanocyte-specific cytotoxic responses differs between the two pathologies. [source] Control of eye orientation: where does the brain's role end and the muscle's begin?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 1 2004Dora E. Angelaki Abstract Our understanding of how the brain controls eye movements has benefited enormously from the comparison of neuronal activity with eye movements and the quantification of these relationships with mathematical models. Although these early studies focused on horizontal and vertical eye movements, recent behavioural and modelling studies have illustrated the importance, but also the complexity, of extending previous conclusions to the problems of controlling eye and head orientation in three dimensions (3-D). An important facet in understanding 3-D eye orientation and movement has been the discovery of mobile, soft-tissue sheaths or ,pulleys' in the orbit which might influence the pulling direction of extraocular muscles. Appropriately placed pulleys could generate the eye-position-dependent tilt of the ocular rotation axes which are characteristic for eye movements which follow Listing's law. Based on such pulley models of the oculomotor plant it has recently been proposed that a simple two-dimensional (2-D) neural controller would be sufficient to generate correct 3-D eye orientation and movement. In contrast to this apparent simplification in oculomotor control, multiple behavioural observations suggest that the visuo-motor transformations, as well as the premotor circuitry for saccades, pursuit eye movements and the vestibulo-ocular reflexes, must include a neural controller which operates in 3-D, even when considering an eye plant with pulleys. This review summarizes the most recent work and ideas on this controversy. In addition, by proposing directly testable hypotheses, we point out that, in analogy to the previously successful steps towards elucidating the neural control of horizontal eye movements, we need a quantitative characterization first of motoneuron and next of premotor neuron properties in 3-D before we can succeed in gaining further insight into the neural control of 3-D motor behaviours. [source] Major depression, chronic minor depression, and the five-factor model of personalityEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 4 2002Kate L. Harkness Fifty-eight outpatients with major depression completed the NEO Personality Inventory at intake (time 1) and after up to three months of anti-depressant treatment (time 2). Within this group, 26 patients met additional Research Diagnostic Criteria for chronic minor depression. Repeated-measures analyses revealed significant decreases in Neuroticism scores, and significant increases in Extraversion and Conscientiousness scores, from time 1 to time 2 for both patient groups. In addition, despite similar symptom severity at time 2, the patients with major depression+chronic minor depression scored significantly higher on the Angry Hostility facet of Neuroticism and significantly lower on Agreeableness than those with major depression alone. We suggest from these findings that Angry Hostility and low Agreeableness may represent a trait vulnerability in individuals with chronic minor depression that persists even following remission of the major depressive state, and that this may help to explain their high rates of relapse and recurrence. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Cultural Mainstreaming Clause of Article 151(4) EC: Protection and Promotion of Cultural Diversity or Hidden Cultural Agenda?EUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 5 2006Evangelia Psychogiopoulou The cultural cross-sectional clause of Article 151(4) EC, by calling for a reshaping of EC decision-making in other policy areas, which have to give due consideration to the impact they might have on cultural matters, enables the attainment of cultural objectives under EC headings other than Article 151 EC. In an attempt to inquire into this less-widely discussed facet of EC cultural action, the analysis highlights the principal characteristics of Article 151(4) EC and explores the influence it has exerted on both judicial and legislative Community practice. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||