cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Backscatter factors in the mammographic energy range

Backscatter factors for kVps and half‐value layers typical of mammographic beams have been determined as a function of beam diameter and half‐value layer. The method utilized thin TLD‐100 chips with the scattering medium alternately present and absent. Results indicate that the field‐size dependence of the backscatter factor for lower half‐value layers is less than that shown in the B r i t i s h J o u r n a l o f R a d i o l o g y S u p p l e m e n t 11.
Housing markets, government behaviors, and housing choice: a case study of three cities in China

Housing reform in urban China has introduced market mechanisms into a previously welfare-oriented housing system. Although microlevel factors such as household characteristics begin to shape housing behavior in urban China as is the case in the West, macrolevel constraints and opportunities defined by not only housing stocks and housing markets but also local government behaviors continue to be crucial. By studying housing choice in Beijing, Chongqing, and Jiangyin, I find that local governments in different cities behave differently in reforming the housing system, which in turn create different housing stocks and housing markets and thus lead to different patterns of housing behavior. A housing stock dominated by public housing, a tight housing market, and a conservative local government all encourage households to choose public housing and rental, as is the case in Beijing, while a diverse housing stock with affordable housing prices, and an aggressive local government often encourage households to choose private housing and homeownership, indicated by the case of Jiangyin.
Rising Multinationals: Law and the Evolution of Outbound Acquisitions by Indian Companies

India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is predicted to become the third-largest economy in the world after the United States and China. India's economic transformation has allowed Indian firms to gain significant attention in the world economy, particularly as acquirers of non-Indian firms. In the past decade, Indian companies have launched multimillion and multibillion dollar deals to acquire companies around the globe, with a significant concentration of targets in developed economies, in particular the United States and the United Kingdom.Finance and business scholars have addressed outbound acquisitions by Indian multinationals, emphasizing the business and economic motivations for such transactions. However, there has been little analysis from a legal perspective of the significance of India's legal norms and rules, including recent shifts in the country's regulatory and legal regimes, in the rapid expansion of Indian multinationals. This Article fills this void by analyzing the role of India's post-liberalization legal reforms in outbound acquisitions by Indian companies. This examination not only presents a more complete picture of the legal environment and legal rules that have facilitated outbound acquisitions by Indian multinationals, but also reveals how limitations in India’s legal reforms have constrained these deals.This Article argues that Indian corporate law plays a number of important roles in the emergence of Indian multinationals. First, legal reforms since economic liberalization have set the stage for outbound acquisitions by Indian multinationals. Second, Indian legal reforms and legal history have shaped outbound acquisitions both in terms of transaction structure and transaction size. Third, legal constraints on Indian firms' mergers and acquisition activity impose substantial restrictions not only on the methods that Indian multinationals use in pursuing outbound acquisitions, but also on the future potential of Indian multinationals.
Fatal Pulmonary Embolism in Spinal Cord Injury

Fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) is a major cause of mortality in patients with spinal cord injury. In order to ascertain those characteristics that might predict this event, we reviewed the records of all patients with autopsy-proven massive PE admitted to a regional spinal cord care center over a 5-year period. The information analyzed included patient age, sex, race, height, weight, type of accident, prior use of tobacco, alcohol, or narcotic drugs, level of injury, presence of spasticity, surgical procedures, infections, transfusions, and type of anticoagulant prophylaxis. Forty-two concurrently hospitalized patients with spinal cord injury served as control subjects. Significant differences between cases and control subjects were observed for level of injury (fewer thoracic and lumbar injuries in cases, p=0.04), less spasticity in cases (p=0.01), and greater body mass index in cases (p=0.01). There was also a trend toward more advanced age in the cases (p=0.1) and more frequent serious infections (p=0.08). Lastly, low molecular weight heparin had been used as thromboprophylaxis in a greater proportion of control subjects than cases (60 percent vs 22 percent, p=0.07), suggesting that low molecular weight heparin may he more effective in preventing fatal PE than unfractionated heparin.
A quantitative determination of organophosphate pesticides in organic solvents

An amperometric acetylcholinesterase AChE biosensor based on thiocholine-hexacyanoferrate reaction was developed for the . analysis of OPCs in pure organic solvents. The enzyme AChE was co-immobilized with an electron mediator, Prussian Blue, on the surface of a graphite electrode. The effect of organic solvents on acetylcholinesterase activity was estimated in the presence of polar . . hydrophilic and non-polar hydrophobic organic solvents in the range of 0.01-100%. The ability of the AChE biosensor to detect pesticides was demonstrated by quantitative determination of dichlorvos, fenthion and diazinon in ethanol solvent. The assay allows determination of OPCs in sub-micromolar concentration ranges with an overall assay time of 10 minutes. The sensing elements of the amperometric AChE biosensor can be stored in dry state for more than 2 months. The AChE biosensor possesses distinct advantages, including monitoring of hydrophobic substrates, elimination of microbial contamination, and relative ease of enzyme immobilization. Potential application areas include food analysis and environmental monitoring. q 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.
The Hadean Crust: Evidence from >4 Ga Zircons

A review of continental growth models leaves open the possibilities that Earth during the Hadean Eon (∼4.5–4.0 Ga) was characterized by massive early crust or essentially none at all. Without support from the rock record, our understanding of pre-Archean continental crust must largely come from investigating Hadean detrital zircons. We know that these ancient zircons yield relatively low crystallization temperatures and some are enriched in heavy oxygen, contain inclusions similar to modern crustal processes, and show evidence of silicate differentiation at ∼4.5 Ga. These observations are interpreted to reflect an early terrestrial hydrosphere, early felsic crust in which granitoids were produced and later weathered under high water activity conditions, and even the possible existence of plate boundary interactions—in strong contrast to the traditional view of an uninhabitable, hellish world. Possible scenarios are explored with a view to reconciling this growing but fragmentary record with our knowledge of conditions then extant in the inner solar system.
Contcat stress minimization by contour design

A sequential linear programming method is developed for contour design of elastic bodies to minimize contact stresses when two bodies are pressed together by extrenally applied loads. Constraints on the amount of acceptable contour modification are imposed, based on kinematic functions to be performed by the two mating bodies. The teachique is illustrated through solution of a simple example and a more practical bearing contact design problem.
Measuring Household Food Insecurity: Why It's So Important and Yet So Difficult to Do

Food insecurity is a daily reality for hundreds of millions of people around the world. Although its most extreme manifestations are often obvious, many other households facing constraints in their access to food are less identifiable. Operational agencies lack a method for differentiating households at varying degrees of food insecurity in order to target and evaluate their interventions. This chapter provides an overview of a set of papers associated with a research initiative that seeks to identify more precise, yet simple, measures of household food insecurity. The overview highlights three main conceptual developments associated with practical approaches to measuring constraints in access to food: 1) a shift from using measures of food availability and utilization to measuring "inadequate access"; 2) a shift from a focus on objective to subjective measures; and 3) a growing emphasis on fundamental measurement as opposed to reliance on distal, proxy measures. Further research is needed regarding 1) how well measures of household food insecurity designed for chronically food-insecure contexts capture the processes leading to, and experience of, acute food insecurity, 2) the impact of short-term shocks, such as major floods or earthquake, on household behaviors that determine responses to food security questions, 3) better measurement of the interaction between severity and frequency of household food insecurity behaviors, and 4) the determination of whether an individual's response to survey questions can be representative of the food insecurity experiences of all members of the household.
Instability of Steady States for nonlinear parabolic and damped hyperbolic equations

We consider steady solutions of semi-linear hyperbolic and parabolic equations of the form ∂ttu+ a(t)∂tu+ Lu = f(x, u) and a(t)∂tu+ Lu = f(x, u) with a damping coefficient a(t) that is possibly sign-changing and determine precise conditions for which linear instability implies nonlinear instability. More specifically, we prove that linear instability with a positive eigenfunction gives rise to nonlinear instability by either exponential growth or finite-time blow-up. We then discuss a few examples to which our main theorem is immediately applicable, including equations with supercritical and exponential nonlinearities.
Destruction of Yersinia enterocolitica by Lactobacillus sake and Pediococcus acidilactici During Low‐temperature Fermentation of Turkish Dry Sausage (sucuk)

Effects of starter cultures, Lactobacillus sake and Pediococcus acidilactici, on the survival of Yersinia enterocolitica were studied in Turkish dry sausage (sucuk). Inoculated Y. enterocolitica (approximately 5.0 log CFU/g) was eliminated completely in sausages by L. sake (about 7.0 log CFU/g) and P. acidilactici (about 7.0 log CFU/g) by the 3rd d of fermentation but was not totally eliminated in natural fermentation without starter(s) after completion of 4 d of fermentation and 12 d drying (p < 0.05). pH decreased from 6.3 to about 4.7 in starter culture treatments and from 6.3 to 5.6 in natural fermentation after completion fermentation and drying (p < 0.05).
To Run or Not to Run for Office: Explaining Nascent Political Ambition

In this article, we develop the concept of nascent political ambition and offer the first empirical assessment of potential candidates' initial interest in seeking elective office. Our analysis is based on the Citizen Political Ambition Study—our national survey of nearly 3,800 individuals in the four professions that most frequently precede a career in politics. We find that a general sense of efficacy as a candidate, as well as a politicized upbringing, motivate well-situated potential candidates' inclinations to run for office. Alternatively, status as a member of a group historically excluded from politics depresses the likelihood of considering a candidacy. These findings shed light not only on the prospects for political representation and democratic legitimacy in the United States, but also the means by which to study candidate emergence and conceptualize political ambition.
On designing intelligent hypertext systems for information management in software engineering

Information management in large scale software engineering is a challenging problem. Hypertext systems are best suited for this purpose because of the diversity in information types that is permitted in the nodes of a hypertext. The integration of a hypertext system with software engineering tools results in a software hypertext system. We describe the design of such a system called DIF. Based on our experiences in using DIF, we recognized the need and the potential for developing a hypertext system that could utilize knowledge about its users and their software tasks and products. Such a system might then be able to act as an active participant in the software process, rather than being just a passive, albeit useful storage facility. As such, we define an Intelligent Software Hypertext System (I-SHYS1) as a software hypertext system which is knowledgeable about its environment and can use such knowledge to assist in the software process. This knowledge is partly embedded in the design of an I-SHYS (in terms of the 'agents' that I-SHYS supports) and partly defined during the use of I-SHYS (in terms of tasks that agents perform). We present a framework GOT defining and organizing this knowledge, describe potential uses of such knowledge, identify limits of our approach, and suggest methods for circumventing them.
The Association Between Chronic Diseases and Depressive Symptomatology in Older Mexican Americans

Background Among the elderly population, the risk for psychological distress increases with the number of chronic diseases and accompanying functional disability. The prevalence of chronic medical conditions and functional disability varies substantially across ethnocultural groups, however. Using data from the Hispanic EPESE, we previously reported that among older Mexican Americans, the total number of chronic medical conditions and the presence of functional impairment are strong predictors of depressive symptoms. Methods Using multiple regression, we examined the association between specific chronic diseases, individual functional disabilities, and depressive symptoms in this group of ethnic elders. Results Multiple regression models indicated that diabetes (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.03-1.56), arthritis (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.17-1.72), urinary incontinence (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.46-2.59), bowel incontinence (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.15-4.55), kidney disease (OR = 3.11, 95% CI = 1.13-8.58), and ulcers (OR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.23-5.29) were predictive of high levels of depressive symptoms. Hip fracture, although recognized as having a substantial impact on functional status, was not found to be associated with depressive symptoms. History of stroke was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms in bivariate or multivariate analyses, but history of stroke with residual speech problems was predictive (OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.01-4.79). Among specific activities of daily living, only impaired ability to walk across a room (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.04-2.73) or to bathe oneself (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.12-3.12) proved to be predictive in multivariate analyses. Conclusions This constellation of chronic medical conditions and functional disabilities is very different from those reported to be associated with depressive symptoms in older non-Hispanic White and African Americans, and appears to comprise those conditions most associated with substantial physical impairment, pain, and discomfort.
Suppression of an Hsp70 Mutant Phenotype in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through Loss of Function of the Chromatin Component Sin1p/Spt2p

The Ssa subfamily of Hsp70 molecular chaperones in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has four members, encoded by SSA1, SSA2, SSA3, and SSA4. Deletion of the two constitutively expressed genes, SSA1 and SSA2, results in cells which are slow growing and temperature sensitive. In this study, we demonstrate that an extragenic suppressor of the temperature sensitivity of ssa1 ssa2 strains, EXA1-1, is a loss-of-function mutation in SIN1/SPT2, which encodes a nonhistone component of chromatin. Loss of function of Sin1p leads to overexpression of SSA3 in the ssa1 ssa2 mutant background, at a level which is sufficient to mediate suppression. In a strain which is wild type for SSA genes, we detected no effect of Sin1p on Ssa3p expression except under conditions of heat shock. Existing data indicate that expression of SSA3 in the ssa1 ssa2 mutant background as well as in heat-shocked wild-type strains is mediated by the heat shock transcription factor HSF. Our findings suggest that it is HSF-mediated induction of SSA3 which is modulated by Sin1p. The EXA1-1 suppressor mutation thus improves the growth of ssa1 ssa2 strains by selectively increasing HSF-mediated expression of SSA3.
Iterative channel estimation and decoding of pilot symbol assisted turbo codes over flat-fading channels

A method for coherently detecting and decoding turbo-coded binary phase shift keying (BPSK) signals transmitted over frequency-flat fading channels is discussed. Estimates of the complex channel gain and variance of the additive noise are derived first from known pilot symbols and an estimation filter. After each iteration of turbo decoding, the channel estimates are refined using information fed back from the decoder. Both hard-decision and soft-decision feedback are considered and compared with three baseline turbo-coded systems: (1) a BPSK system that has perfect channel estimates; (2) a system that uses differential phase shift keying and hence needs no estimates; and (3) a system that performs channel estimation using pilot symbols but has no feedback path from decoder to estimator. Performance can be further improved by borrowing channel estimates from the previously decoded frame. Simulation results show the influence of pilot symbol spacing, estimation filter size and type, and fade rate. Performance within 0.49 and 1.16 dB of turbo-coded BPSK with perfect coherent detection is observed at a bit-error rate of 10/sup -4/ for normalized fade rates of f/sub d/T/sub s/=0.005 and f/sub d/T/sub s/=0.02, respectively.
Is a New Evolutionary Synthesis Necessary

The current (synthetic) theory of evolution has been criticized on the grounds that it implies that macroevolutionary processes (speciation and morphological diversification) are gradual. The extent to which macroevolution is gradual or punctuational remains to be ascertained. Macroevolutionary processes are underlain by microevolutionary phenomena and are compatible with the synthetic theory of evolution. But microevolutionary principles are compatible with both gradualism and punctualism; therefore, logically they entail neither. Thus, macroevolution and microevolution are decoupled in the important sense that macroevolutionary patterns cannot be deduced from microevolutionary principles.
Elemental composition of ions associated with low mass carbon clusters generated by UV laser ablation of polyimide

Abstract Previously, it has been shown that three types of C clusters, characterized by mass range and relative intensities, are produced upon laser ablation of polyimide. The low mass clusters, C n 9 n n H 2 , rather than C n -1 N, which is allowed since polyimide contains 5 at% N. These results establish the positive ion spectrum of polyimide to be composed of C and H with little contribution from heteroatoms, and show that low mass C clusters preferentially add 2 H atoms in the high energy, multi-element plasma induced by the laser.
Multiple intestinal anastomoses to avoid short bowel syndrome and stimulate bowel maturity in type IV multiple intestinal atresia and necrotizing enterocolitis

To the Editor, Multiple intestinal atresias and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) can lead to short bowel syndrome. The challenge in the neonatal period is to avoid surgical procedures that result in short bowel syndrome. Romao et al [1] have described the use of a transluminal stent and multiple intestinal anastomoses to preserve bowel length in such patients with favorable outcomes. In 1999, we reported our experience with multiple intestinal anastomoses without use of stenting in 6 patients [2]. All very short (b3 cm) and cordlike intestinal segments without a lumen were resected, and multiple anastomoses between the intervening intestinal segments and a side-to-end proximal chimney jejunojejunostomy, as described by Santulli and Blanc [3], were performed in 5 neonates with a type IV intestinal atresia and 1 with a NEC in an attempt to preserve bowel length. Without use of this technique of intestine salvage, the remaining length of small intestine would have been 28, 27, 40, 58, 70, and 7 cm. The procedure enabled an intestinal length of 49, 54, 96, 107, 92, and 93 cm, respectively, to be achieved. The ileocecal valve was present in all 5 cases of multiple intestinal atresias but was resected in the case with NEC. Early sham feeding was initiated in all 6 cases. The enterostomy was reversed after an average of 6 weeks (30-51 days) by end-to-end anastomosis with tapering of the dilated proximal segment in 3 cases. All 6 patients were weaned from parenteral nutrition after a mean time of 90 days (48-163 days). The prognosis was good with regard to growth and development, and length of time required before adaptation to normal enteral feedings and stools, with a mean follow-up of 31 months (14-57 months). Performing a Santulli-type enterostomy allowed progressive transanastomotic enteral feeding by slight flow of luminal nutrients, which had a trophic influence on the distal gut and stimulated maturity of bowel motility and function. These effects could similarly be observed by transluminal stenting as reported by Romao et al [1]. We believe that a potential advantage of transluminal stenting is that it obviates the need for stomas, as has been described by Yardley et al [4], avoiding the well-recognized risks of an enterostomy and the need for a second operation to reestablish intestinal continuity.
An In Vitro System to Model the Establishment and Reactivation of HIV-1 Latency

HIV-1 establishes latency primarily by infecting activated CD4(+) T cells that later return to quiescence as memory cells. Latency allows HIV-1 to evade immune responses and to persist during antiretroviral therapy, which represents an important problem in clinical practice. The lack of a valid cellular model to study HIV-1 latency has hindered advances in the understanding of its biology. In this study, we attempted to model HIV-1 latency using human primary CD4(+) T cells infected in vitro with HIV-1 after activation with Ag-loaded dendritic cells and then brought back to quiescence through a resting phase in the presence of IL-7. During the resting phase, expression of cellular activation markers disappeared and cell proliferation and viral replication ceased, but resumed following restimulation of rested cells with Ag or mAbs directed to CD3/CD28. In addition, higher cell death rates were observed in HIV-1-infected than uninfected cultures during secondary but not primary stimulation. Thus, this system may allow us to study the biology of HIV-1 latency, as well as the mechanisms of CD4(+) T cell death following HIV-1 reactivation.
Bounding performance and suppressing intercarrier interference in wireless mobile OFDM

While rapid variations of the fading channel cause intercarrier interference (ICI) in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), thereby degrading its performance considerably, they also introduce temporal diversity, which can be exploited to improve performance. We first derive a matched-filter bound (MFB) for OFDM transmissions over doubly selective Rayleigh fading channels, which benchmarks the best possible performance if ICI is completely canceled without noise enhancement. We then derive universal performance bounds which show that the time-varying channel causes most of the symbol energy to be distributed over a few subcarriers, and that the ICI power on a subcarrier mainly comes from several neighboring subcarriers. Based on this fact, we develop low-complexity minimum mean-square error (MMSE) and decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) receivers for ICI suppression. Simulations show that the DFE receiver can collect significant gains of ICI-impaired OFDM with affordable complexity. In the relatively low Doppler frequency region, the bit-error rate of the DFE receiver is close to the MFB.
Bcl‐2 enhances Ca2+ signaling to support the intrinsic regenerative capacity of CNS axons

At a certain point in development, axons in the mammalian CNS undergo a profound loss of intrinsic growth capacity, which leads to poor regeneration after injury. Overexpression of Bcl-2 prevents this loss, but the molecular basis of this effect remains unclear. Here, we report that Bcl-2 supports axonal growth by enhancing intracellular Ca2+ signaling and activating cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and extracellular-regulated kinase (Erk), which stimulate the regenerative response and neuritogenesis. Expression of Bcl-2 decreases endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ uptake and storage, and thereby leads to a larger intracellular Ca2+ response induced by Ca2+ influx or axotomy in Bcl-2-expressing neurons than in control neurons. Bcl-xL, an antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family that does not affect ER Ca2+ uptake, supports neuronal survival but cannot activate CREB and Erk or promote axon regeneration. These results suggest a novel role for ER Ca2+ in the regulation of neuronal response to injury and define a dedicated signaling event through which Bcl-2 supports CNS regeneration.
Evaluation of mosquito responses to pyrethroid insecticides topically applied to sheep.

Abstract A rise in the incidence of mosquito-transmitted Cache Valley virus (CVV) in lambs in 2011 prompted a study to evaluate on-animal pyrethroid insecticides to reduce mosquito attacks on sheep. Using enclosure traps for 1 night per wk for 6 wk, we compared engorgement rates of mosquitoes given the opportunity to feed on untreated sheep and sheep treated with 1 Python® insecticide ear tag (containing 10% zeta-cypermethrin and 20% piperonyl butoxide) per animal or 2 synergized permethrin body spray treatments (containing 2.5% permethrin and 2.5% piperonyl butoxide). During the 6-wk study, 18,920 mosquitoes were collected in the animal-baited enclosure traps. Thirteen species were identified from these collections with the floodwater species Aedes increpitus and Ae. idahoensis making up 68% of the total. Potential CVV vector species, making up 25% of the samples, included Ae. vexans, Ae. dorsalis, Culex tarsalis, and Culiseta inornata. Traps baited with untreated sheep collected 9,701 mosquitoes with 65...
Thyroid cancer stem-like cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in thyroid cancers

Cancer stem-like cells are a subpopulation of self-renewing stem cells in cancers that are more resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Evidence supporting the existence of cancer stem-like cells in thyroid and in many other solid tissue cancers is rapidly accumulating. These cells have been studied using specific biomarkers such as CD133, CD44, and aldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes. Putative cancer stem-like cells can be studied in vitro using serum-free media supplemented with basic fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor grown in nonadherent culture (ultra-low attachment plates) or in extracellular matrix leading to cell spheres formation in vitro. Cancer stem-like cells can also be separated by fluorescent cell sorting and used for in vitro or in vivo studies. Injection of enriched populations of cancer stem-like cells (also referred to as tumor initiating cells) into immunodeficient mice often results in rapid growth of xenografts, which express cancer stem-like cell biomarkers. Human cancer stem-like cells have been identified in thyroid cancer cell lines including papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic carcinoma cell lines. They have also been identified in primary thyroid cancers and have been shown to have similar properties as the cancer stem-like cells in thyroid cancer cell lines. Immunohistochemical staining with CD133 and other biomarkers has been used to characterize thyroid cancer stem-like cells in paraffin sections of thyroid cancers. Recent studies of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in which cells lose their epithelial features and acquire mesenchymal phenotypes have shown that these changes are present in thyroid cancers. Biomarkers used to characterize epithelial-mesenchymal transition have also been studied in primary thyroid cancers. A close relationship between epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stem cell features of cancers has been identified in recent studies. New discoveries in this field may lead to more effective therapies for highly aggressive and lethal thyroid cancers.
Perceived social support networks and prosocial outcomes among Latino youth

This study examines the perceived sources and types of social support among Latino adolescents in the US, and links between social support and prosocial tendencies. Latino adolescents ( n =126) participated in the study. Respondents of higher generational status reported broader social support networks and a higher amount of overall social support compared to peers of lower generational status. Youth perceived the highest amount of social support from immediate family, followed by extended family, and lastly from non-kin individuals. Path analysis indicated that overall social support was directly and positively associated with altruistic prosocial tendencies, and directly and negatively associated with public prosocial tendencies. Social support was indirectly related to altruistic, public, dire and emotional prosocial tendencies variably mediated by empathy, perspective taking and self-efficacy.
Empirical Models for Commercial Vehicle Brake Torque from Experimental Data

This paper introduces a new series of empirical mathematical models developed to characterize brake torque generation of pneumatically actuated Class-8 vehicle brakes. The brake torque models, presented as functions of brake chamber pressure and application speed, accurately simulate steer axle, drive axle, and trailer tandem brakes, as well as air disc brakes (ADB). The contemporary data that support this research were collected using an industry standard inertia-type brake dynamometer, routinely used for verification of FMVSS 121 commercial vehicle brake standards.
Negotiable Bidding Process

In this case, a government official of a developing country interferes with a company that is in the process of awarding a contract for a project.
Gaussian Beam Coupling

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Axially Aligned Beams Tilted Beams Offset Beams Bibliographic Notes
Increasing Follow-Up Rates in Longitudinal Studies of Women with Alcohol Use Disorders

Follow-up rates of longitudinal studies are of particular concern for persons with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) as many have transient lifestyles. This article summarizes barriers to follow-up, as well as strategies to increase follow-up rates in a pilot randomized clinical trial for reducing HIV/STD risks in women with AUDs. Participants were 32 women enrolled in residential substance abuse treatment with an AUD diagnosis with follow-up interviews conducted at 2 and 6 months postresidential care discharge. The initial 2-month follow-up rate was lower than expected at 65%, so researchers implemented 6 strategies to improve future follow-up rates. Two-month follow-up rates improved from 65% to 86.6%. Only 1 participant was lost between 2-month and 6-month follow-up (95.8% completion rate), with 71.8% for the entire sample. Findings support the usefulness of these procedures to improve follow-up.
Where are library consortia going? Results of a 2009 survey

Cooperative efforts among libraries are not new in the United States but date back at least 130 years. Historically, the creation of cooperative catalogs, inter-library loan (ILL), and cooperative acquisitions have been of paramount importance. Currently, library consortia are growing worldwide.A survey of members of the International Coalition of Library Consortia conducted in March 2009 revealed that the highest priorities are changing.While cooperative catalogs, ILL and acquisitions are still at the top of the list for many consortia, the highest ranked issues for the immediate future are renegotiating licenses and budget management, two topics that may not have been included in a list of issues had this survey been conducted prior to the economic crisis that began in the fall of 2008.
Spinal codes

Spinal codes are a new class of rateless codes that enable wireless networks to cope with time-varying channel conditions in a natural way, without requiring any explicit bit rate selection. The key idea in the code is the sequential application of a pseudo-random hash function to the message bits to produce a sequence of coded symbols for transmission. This encoding ensures that two input messages that differ in even one bit lead to very different coded sequences after the point at which they differ, providing good resilience to noise and bit errors. To decode spinal codes, this paper develops an approximate maximum-likelihood decoder, called the bubble decoder, which runs in time polynomial in the message size and achieves the Shannon capacity over both additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and binary symmetric channel (BSC) models. Experimental results obtained from a software implementation of a linear-time decoder show that spinal codes achieve higher throughput than fixed-rate LDPC codes, rateless Raptor codes, and the layered rateless coding approach of Strider, across a range of channel conditions and message sizes. An early hardware prototype that can decode at 10 Mbits/s in FPGA demonstrates that spinal codes are a practical construction.
Effects of airway anaesthesia on the ability to detect added inspiratory resistive loads.

1. The effects of airway anaesthesia on the ability to detect added inspiratory resistive loads were studied in normal subjects. A 4% solution of lignocaine hydrochloride was used for anaesthesia of the airways. 2. After anaesthesia of the mouth and upper always to the level of the vocal cords there was a significant deterioration in the detection ability expressed in terms of the absolute added resistance (Δ R ), with a concomitant increase in pulmonary resistance ( R int. ). However, there was no significant change in the detection ability expressed in terms of the ratio of Δ R to the sum of R int. and the minimal resistance of the apparatus (Δ R / R 0 ). 3. After combined anaesthesia of the upper and lower airways there was no significant change in pulmonary resistance or in the detection ability expressed either as Δ R or as Δ R / R 0 . 4. We conclude that, in normal subjects, the main site of detection of added inspiratory resistive loads does not lie in the upper or lower airways. Our results and those of previous studies suggest that the diaphragm is the most likely site of detection of added resistive loads.
Synthesis and Insertion Chemistry of a Cyclooctatetraenyl Uranium “Tuck-in” Metallocene, (η8-C8H8)(η5:η1-C5Me4CH2)U

[(C5Me5)(C8H8)U(μ-OTf)]2, 1 (OTf = OSO2CF3), reacts with LiMe to form the metathesis product (C5Me5)(C8H8)UMe, 2, as well as the product of a methyl C−H activation, (C8H8)(C5Me4CH2)U, 3. Methane was observed in the 1H NMR spectrum of the reaction mixture, which is consistent with the metalation of a (C5Me5)− ligand by the uranium methyl group in 2. Complex 2 was identified in this reaction mixture by addition of iPrN═C═NiPr to form the previously reported (C5Me5)(C8H8)U[iPrNC(Me)NiPr-κ2N,N′], 4. The reactions of 1 with LiEt and LiCH2CMe3 similarly form mixtures at room temperature that contain 3 and compounds with 1H NMR spectra consistent with (C5Me5)(C8H8)UEt, 5, and (C5Me5)(C8H8)U(CH2CMe3), 6, respectively. Complexes 2, 5, and 6 convert to 3 after 24 h at 100 °C. Complex 3 can also be synthesized at 100 °C from (C5Me5)(C8H8)UPh, 7, and was characterized as the THF adduct of a “tuck-in” complex, (η8-C8H8)(η5:η1-C5Me4CH2)U(THF), 8, by X-ray crystallography. Complex 3 allowed the insertion chemistry of an...
Use of recombinant bone morphogenetic protein is associated with reduced risk of reoperation after spine fusion for adult spinal deformity

Study Design. Retrospective review. Objective. This study follows the inpatient-stay administrative data that were collected for a cohort of thousands of patients who had spine fusion surgery in the state of New York. We sought to examine adult spinal deformity (ASD) for reoperation events with and without the use of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP). Summary of Background Data. Randomized controlled trials have suggested that BMP may increase the likelihood of solid arthrodesis in spinal surgery. This would imply fewer reoperations for pseudarthrosis, but small cohort sizes are inadequate to monitor these events. Methods. The 2008–2011 New York State Inpatient Database was queried using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Patients age 21 years and older with a diagnosis of scoliosis and an index fusion of greater than 2 spinal motion segments were included. Patient identifiers and linkage variables were used to identify revisits. The relative risk of reoperation was calculated. The use of BMP at the initial inpatient stay was used to define the 2 cohorts for relative risk assessment. Results. A total of 3751 patients of ASD were identified in 2008. The use of BMP at the initial visit was performed at a rate of 37.6% for ASD. For posterior fusion cases longer than 8 levels, the rate of reoperation for a pseudarthrosis was 23.4%. For ASD fusions greater than 8 levels, the rate of reoperation for pseudarthrosis after using BMP at the index surgery was 5% and 33.9% when BMP was not used, a relative risk of 7.5 (P Conclusion. Using relevant inhospital patient records from the New York State Inpatient Sample, we found a 7.5-fold decrease in the risk of reoperation for pseudarthrosis after long fusions when using BMP. Decreased reoperation rates are caused by the improved fusion with the use of BMP. If subsequent unnecessary hospitals stays can be avoided, the economics of BMP use should be reexamined. Conclusion. Level of Evidence: 4
Reynolds stress analysis of controlled wall-bounded turbulence

We analyze five numerical data bases from spectral element simulations of turbulent channel flow with one of the walls subject to either geometric modification or covered by streamwise electro-magnetic strips. Two of the cases correspond to drag decreasing and the other three to drag increasing states, compared to the smooth unpertubed wall. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of Reynolds stress gradients, which are decomposed into contibutions associated with vortex transport, vortex stretching, and spanwise variations of the stress component u'w] the latter is caused by a secondary mean flow induced by the the wall modification and the Lorentz forcing. Changes in the Reynolds stress gradients are correlated with changes in the mean shear stress at the wall.
Scaling up Online Question Answering via Similar Question Retrieval

Faced with growing class sizes and the dawn of the MOOC, educators are in need of tools to help them cope with the growing number of questions asked in large classes since manually answering all the questions in a timely manner is infeasible. In this paper, we propose to exploit historical question/answer data accumulated for the same or similar classes as a basis for automatically answering previously asked questions via the use of information retrieval techniques. We further propose to leverage resolved questions to create test collections for quantitative evaluation of a question retrieval algorithm without requiring additional human effort. Using this evaluation methodology, we study the effectiveness of state of the art retrieval techniques for this special retrieval task, and perform error analysis to inform future directions.
Circular and rectangular folk silos in the Andes of Southern Bolivia

This paper documents the presence, characteristics, and distribution of folk silos (crop storage structures) in the southern portion of the department of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Known locally as trojes or silos, these silos are constructed in circular and rectangular plans from adobe and local plant materials. Circular silos are used primarily to store com, while a wider variety of crops, including potatoes, peanuts, wheat, and barley are stored in the rectangular silos. A review of the literature on crop storage structures in the Andean region suggests that the design and use of these present-day silos is likely of Inca origin.
Parallel Majorization Minimization with Dynamically Restricted Domains for Nonconvex Optimization

We propose an optimization framework for nonconvex problems based on majorizationminimization that is particularity well-suited for parallel computing. It reduces the optimization of a high dimensional nonconvex objective function to successive optimizations of locally tight and convex upper bounds which are additively separable into low dimensional objectives. The original problem is then broken into simpler parallel sub-problems while still guaranteeing the monotonic reduction of the original objective function and convergence to a local minimum. Due to the low dimensionality of each sub-problem, secondorder optimization methods become computationally feasible and can be used to accelerate convergence. In addition, the upper bound can be restricted to a local dynamic convex domain, so that it is better matched to the local curvature of the objective function, resulting in accelerated convergence.
Balanced and Safe Weighted Clustering Algorithm for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks

The main concern of clustering approaches for mobile wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is to prolong the battery life of the individual sensors and the network lifetime. In this paper, we propose a balanced and safe weighted clustering algorithm which is an extended version of our previous algorithm (ES-WCA) for mobile WSNs using a combination of five metrics. Among these metrics lie the behavioral level metric which promotes a safe choice of a cluster head in the sense where this last one will never be a malicious node. The goals of the proposed algorithm are: offer better performance in terms of the number of re-affiliations which enables to generate a reduced number of balanced and homogeneous clusters, this algorithm, coupled with suitable routing protocols, aims to maintain stable clustering structure. We implemented and tested a simulation of the proposed algorithm to demonstrate its performance.
Could chekhovian humanism help us today

In 1884 Anton Pavlovich Chekhov graduated from the Medical School and started working as a physician in a suburban Moscow hospital. Eight years later he set up a general practice in Melikhovo, 70 km south of Moscow, where he spent seven years as a country doctor and a writer. There, Chekhov saw hundreds of patients, made over 1,000 house calls, fought against cholera and illiteracy, wrote many stories and two plays: The Seagull and Uncle Vanya. He started his day at five in the morning at his office where he examined patients and performed minor surgical procedures. Chekhov was an idealist and hardworking doctor driven by his dedication to serve patients in rural Russia where corruption and incompetence ruled at all levels. He did not charge his patients although he ran a private practice. He frequently even bought for his patients needed medications and gave them useful non-medical advice and financial help. Thus, the peasants called him “an unusual doctor” [1]. Today, Russia and other Eastern European countries are subjected to the period of rapid transition from a socialistic to a capitalistic economy. A fraction of the population hurries to privatize some property that used to belong to the state. Greed dominates in this race, and even some physicians participate in this contest; while working in the state health system, they ask for bribes. The most aggressive of them hope to purchase, overnight, some property, open private clinics or even a hospital. Bribery and other ethical lapses among medical doctors and other professionals show us that human nature is still flawed. We need contemporary Chekhovian examples to inspire mankind. The Germans do not in vain have a saying: Nur ein guter Mensch kann ein guter Arzt sein (Only a good man can be a good medical doctor). Doctor-Writer
A suspended dive-net technique for catching territorial divers

ABSTRACTA variety of methods such as night-lighting and lift nets have been used to catch divers (Gavidae), although 24-hour daylight in the Arctic summer and the remote nature of field sites can make the use of these traditional methods impossible. Our research required capture of adult divers at remote locations in northern Alaska. Here we describe a suspended dive-net technique that we used to safely capture territorial White-billed Gavia adamsii and Pacific Divers G. pacifica and that is lightweight and easy to set up. We also were able to capture divers with chicks, and failed breeders, and suggest that this method could be used to catch other territorial aquatic diving birds, especially other diver species.
Sovereign and bank Interdependencies—Evidence from the CDS market

Abstract This paper investigates the bidirectional relationship between banking and sovereign debt crises. An extended model of Bolton and Jeanne (2011) with financial intermediaries and a government sector shows that sovereign default may induce a banking crisis as banks hold a large amount of government bonds. Nevertheless, a significant amount of outright bailouts or explicit bank guarantees may constrain the short-term liquidity of the government sector and trigger a sovereign debt crisis. Empirical analyses using the credit default swap (CDS) spreads of 11 European countries and 26 commercial banks from 2006 to 2012 support the theoretical findings. First, there was minimal comovement between bank and sovereign CDS spreads at the country level before the financial crisis. The correlation has increased significantly after the outbreak of the subprime crisis but notably dropped until the Greek debt crisis. Secondly, the same set of global risk factors could explain variations in both bank and sovereign CDS spreads after 2007 with higher sensitivity to the financial sector. Lastly, the study of price dynamics reveals that bank CDS spreads assumed the leading role prior to the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy but was gradually replaced by sovereign CDS spreads during the course of the Eurozone debt crisis. This suggests that investors have interpreted the sovereign credit risk as the main source of bank risk and traded sovereign CDS contracts to hedge financial risk. Bank guarantees and bailout programs prompted deteriorating fiscal conditions that ultimately led to a reverse spillover effect from the sovereign to the financial sector.
Borderline Personality Disorder Psychological Treatment: An Integrative Review

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex and at times debilitating mental disorder, treatment of which has eluded effective pharmacotherapy (Gunderson, 2007). Although once considered untreatable, psychodynamic therapy and cognitive therapy (two types of psychological therapies) have provided hope for better lives for patients with this diagnosis (Gunderson). The author performed an integrative review of the literature pertaining to the present role of evidence-based practice (EBP) using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) definition of BPD to identify symptoms of the disorder. Thirty-eight peer reviewed articles, mostly quasi-experimental, three meta-analyses, two books, and two national psychiatric guideline websites were reviewed. BPD treatment may be successful with a variety of psychological therapies. Application of empirical studies is only part of BPD treatment considerations. Heterogeneous symptom presentation requires much professional interpersonal interaction and the literature is scant on inductive research for BPD. This review is limited to psychological aspects of BPD treatment.