cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical implementation of rapid CYP2C19 genotyping to guide antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention

The CYP2C19 nonfunctional genotype reduces clopidogrel effectiveness after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Following clinical implementation of CYP2C19 genotyping at University Florida (UF) Health Shands Hospital in 2012, where genotype results are available approximately 3 days after PCI, testing was expanded to UF Health Jacksonville in 2016 utilizing a rapid genotyping approach. We describe metrics with this latter implementation. Patients at UF Health Jacksonville undergoing left heart catheterization with intent to undergo PCI were targeted for genotyping using the Spartan RX™ system. Testing metrics and provider acceptance of testing and response to genotype results were examined, as was antiplatelet therapy over the 6 months following genotyping. In the first year, 931 patients, including 392/505 (78%) total patients undergoing PCI, were genotyped. The median genotype test turnaround time was 96 min. Genotype results were available for 388 (99%) PCI patients prior to discharge. Of 336 genotyped PCI patients alive at discharge and not enrolled in an antiplatelet therapy trial, 1/6 (17%) poor metabolizers (PMs, with two nonfunctional alleles), 38/93 (41%) intermediate metabolizers (IMs, with one nonfunctional allele), and 119/237 (50%) patients without a nonfunctional allele were prescribed clopidogrel (p = 0.110). Clopidogrel use was higher among non-ACS versus ACS patients (78.6% vs. 42.2%, p < 0.001). Six months later, among patients with follow-up data, clopidogrel was prescribed in 0/4 (0%) PMs, 33/65 (51%) IMs, and 115/182 (63%) patients without a nonfunctional allele (p = 0.008 across groups; p = 0.020 for PMs versus those without a nonfunctional allele). These data demonstrate that rapid genotyping is clinically feasible at a high volume cardiac catheterization facility and allows informed chronic antiplatelet prescribing, with lower clopidogrel use in PMs at 6 months. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02724319; registered March 31, 2016; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02724319?term=angiolillo&rank=7
The development and validation of an instrument to assess acute sinus disease in children.

Our goal was to produce a reliable, responsive instrument to quantify disease burden in children with acute sinusitis for use in clinical trials. In a cross sectional survey of 1611 community pediatric patients, parents rated the burden attributable to 13 sinus symptoms. Using logistic regression, we identified five symptoms that predicted the clinical diagnosis of sinusitis. The S5 is the average symptom score for nasal obstruction, daytime and nighttime coughing, headache and colored nasal discharge (range 0–3). The S5 was high in children with acute sinusitis (mean = 1.54, SD = 0.77, N = 93), and low in well children (mean = 0.42, SD = 0.56, N = 1019). We assessed reliability and responsiveness of S5 in a prospective cohort study of 41 children with sinusitis. Parents completed a questionnaire at the office visit, at 12h and 3, 7, 10 and 14 days. Intra-subject reliability at 12 h was excellent (ICC=0.94). The S5 score was responsive in 24 patients followed for 14 days who improved (mean change = 1.52, SD = 0.12, p = 0.0062). The S5 score is standardized, reliable, responsive, easily obtained, and can be used to determine study eligibility and assess treatment effects without a physician's evaluation.
THE USE OF HISTORICAL DATA IN ACCOUNTING RESEARCH: THE CASE OF THE AMERICAN SUGAR REFINING COMPANY

In 1908, the American Sugar Refining Company (ASR) reversed its long-held policy of secrecy as to its financial condition and performance. Prior work, applying contemporary capital market methods to ASR security price data of that period, has suggested a value to ASR shareholders of this policy reversal. This paper examines the historical record of that time and presents additional evidence on this matter, particularly in terms of identifying potentially confounding events occurring during the period under study. The results of this analysis suggest a difficulty in attributing observed abnormal returns to ASR's secrecy policy reversal on the basis of the results obtained from applying capital markets methods. This analysis is useful for scholars interested in applying modern capital market methods to historical data. It highlights the significance of the possible effects of contemporaneous historical events, focuses attention on the importance of a deep understanding of the historical period studied, and ...
The Passion of Apprehension: The Soul’s Activity as the Agent Intellect in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

James Joyce was interested in those most minute details of experience and language that indicate a character’s habits, that transform a character’s will power or understanding, or that reveal to the readers the conditions, especially the’ habits, of a character’s will power, understanding, or ability to change. In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, these practical, worldly concerns with habits, will power, and understanding embody a less-apparent narrative of the development of the soul of Stephen Dedalus. Stephen’s chronological “material” development is inseparable from and fused with his “transcendent” soul; his passions and actions occur in time, in words that are chosen carefully, are repeated with varying kinds of stress, and are ordered to correspond simultaneously with each other as if in a single portrait of his soul. The joining-point between the “temporality” of the everyday and the “eternity” of his soul is the developmental progress of the soul; the soul-in-time is teleologically at one with the complete soul. That spiritual progress in strict sequence gives the novel its structure, controlling all its small-scale events of gestures and phrases and organizing the large-scale units of the chapters and their subdivisions.
The impact of photometric redshift errors on lensing statistics in ray-tracing simulations

Weak lensing surveys are reaching sensitivities at which uncertainties in the galaxy redshift distributions n(z) from photo-z errors degrade cosmological constraints. We use ray-tracing simulations and a simple treatment of photo-z errors to assess cosmological parameter biases from uncertainties in n(z) in an LSST-like survey. We use the power spectrum and the abundance of lensing peaks to infer cosmological parameters, and find that the former is somewhat more resilient to photo-z errors. We place conservative lower limits on the survey size at which different types of photo-z errors degrade LCDM (wCDM) parameter constraints by 50%. A residual constant photo-z bias of |dz| < 0.003(1+z), satisfying the current LSST requirement, does not significantly degrade constraints for surveys smaller than ~1300 (~490) square degrees using lensing peaks and ~6500 (~4900) square degrees using the power spectrum. Adopting a recent prediction for LSST's full photo-z probability distribution function (PDF), we find that simply approximating n(z) with the photo-z galaxy distribution directly computed from this PDF would degrade surveys as small as ~60 (~65) square degrees using lensing peaks or the power spectrum. Assuming that the centroid bias in each tomographic redshift bin can be removed from the photo-z galaxy distribution, using lensing peaks or the power spectrum still degrades surveys larger than ~200 (~255) or ~248 (~315) square degrees. These results imply that the expected broad photo-z PDF significantly biases parameters, which needs to be further mitigated using more sophisticated photo-z treatments.
Origins of error in the localized virial stress

Abstract Continuum stress fields have become a routine analysis for molecular simulations of heterogeneous materials and processes, including crystalline defects, voids, interfaces, and shock waves. Such stress fields are often computed as a localized measure of the virial tensor. Here, we study the sources of error in the local virial relative to the Hardy stress, and show how the error is altered by the size and shape of the region over which the stress is localized. An analysis reveals two sources of error, both of which can be greatly reduced by making an informed choice of the embedding region.
The Impact of AGB Stars on Galaxies

At the end of their evolution, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars undergo strong pulsation, mass loss, and dust production. Their mass loss results in substantial chemical and dust enrichment of the interstellar medium. Dust evolution models and isotope abundances in presolar grains suggest that AGB stars play a key role in both dust evolution and the star formation process. They are also the brightest stars in galaxies, potentially dominating in the near-infrared. As a result, AGB stars have a significant influence on the evolution and appearance of their host galaxies and thus must be accounted for when interpreting a galaxy’s integrated light. I will highlight new results that describe the impact AGB stars have on galaxies, including how AGB stars are used to probe galaxy evolution.
Assessing the risk of stroke development following retinal artery occlusion.

Abstract Background Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) can cause acute, painless, and irreversible loss of vision. Using a large sample population database, we investigated the possible impact of RAO and numerous other clinical and non-clinical factors on the risk of developing a subsequent cerebrovascular accident. Methods Cases of RAO were obtained from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2002 and 2013 using ICD-9 codes. Associated morbidities and procedures were assessed in these cases with a primary hospital admitting diagnosis of stroke. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out in RAO cases to determine risk factors for stroke. The Bonferroni correction method was applied. Results The RAO group consisted of 19,809 cases that were separated into stroke (n=1,157, 55% male, mean age: 69±0.4 years) and non-stroke (n=18,652, 55% male, mean age: 68±0.1) cohorts. Age groups associated with reduced risk of stroke with respect to were 20-39 (OR: 0.391), 40-59 (OR: 0.842), and 60-79 (OR: 0.837). No cases of stroke were present for ages Conclusions A large patient population was used to determine that RAO patients with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, tobacco usage, valvular disease, or non-stroke cerebrovascular disease had an increased risk of stroke. Patients below the age of 40 had significantly reduced the odds of stroke. Carotid stenosis, coronary artery disease, transient ischemic attacks, cardiac catheterization, and septicemia were all independently associated with a decreased risk of stroke development in RAO patients.
Development of a colorimetric paper fluidic dipstick assay for measurement of glycated albumin to monitor gestational diabetes at the point-of-care

Abstract Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects between 2 and 14% of pregnant women in the United States every year. Currently, glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are the standard biomarkers used to monitor GDM but HbA1c is representative of 2–3 months of glycemic data and is too infrequent for managing clinical impact of GDM while glucose provides multiple daily readings which arguably are not entirely necessary for mild to moderate GDM and often result in non-compliance from the patient's side. Thus, there is a need for an intermediate biomarker which can be used effectively to monitor the glycemic status of GDM patients. Serum albumin, the most abundant protein in blood, undergoes non-enzymatic glycation in the bloodstream. Owing to its half-life of ~21 days, it can effectively be used as an intermediate biomarker. Normal level of glycation of albumin is between 10 and 16% whereas in diabetic patients it is much higher, between 16 and 40%. Thus, a point-of-care (POC) monitoring system to detect glycated albumin (GA) as a % of total serum albumin has been developed here. Specifically, a dipstick paper fluidic test to measure % glycated albumin has been developed that used an aptamer assay with gold nanoparticles to produce colorimetric measurements. Both the glycated and unglycated versions of albumin were measured in their relevant physiological concentration ranges – 50 μM–300 μM with a limit of detection (LoD) of 6.5 μM for glycated albumin and 500 μM–750 μM with a LoD of 21 μM for unglycated serum albumin. The use of aptamers as recognition elements, instead of commonly used antibodies, not only provided the required sensitivity, specificity, and dynamic range but they also have the added advantage of being stable at room temperature for an extended period of time providing the potential for these dipstick tests to be used for GDM monitoring at the point-of-care (POC).
Updates to a Modern Dilemma: a Practical Approach to the Workup and Management of Low-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis Using Transvalvular Flow Rate

To provide a new and practical approach for clinicians assessing and managing patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis (AS) using recent data highlighting the importance of transvalvular flow rate in AS assessment. Recent data have highlighted the unifying underpinning of low-gradient severe AS to be low transvalvular flow rate, and shown the impact that flow rate has on diagnostic and prognostic utility in AS. Additional developments in echocardiographic measurement technique and non-echocardiographic modalities have also been made which can help tackle this clinical conundrum. Low-gradient severe AS is a challenging condition to diagnose and manage. Here we provide a new approach using transvalvular flow rate, with a practical clinically oriented guide, and a summary of recent evidence.
Case 4 Anna’s Dreams (Breast Cancer)

Anna phoned her therapist from the hospital. She was very upset. She had been having disturbing dreams following her surgery, dreams that were so intense she feared she might be losing her mind. Dr. R came to the hospital as soon as she could.
The Role of International Law in Economic Migration

This article analyzes the economic and political dimensions of liberalization of national rules of migration through international legal agreements, and on the basis of this analysis develops proposals for new international legal rules in this field. Proposals for international law can only be sustained where the proposed law is expected to increase welfare, and where the distribution of the benefits and detriments of the proposed law is politically supportable. There are great welfare gains to be achieved by freeing-up international economic migration, just as there have been or are great gains available by freeing-up international trade in goods, services and money. The welfare gains from liberalization of migration would be shared by developed and developing countries. But perhaps more importantly, migration can, if it is managed carefully, help to raise the living standards in poor countries. In order to achieve these gains, it is necessary to overcome obstacles to bargaining, and to assist political processes in realizing the magnitude of the potential gains. With so much welfare improvement to be gained, states will endeavor to overcome these obstacles to bargaining. The role of international law is to provide mechanisms by which one state may reciprocally induce another to take its interests into account in decision-making. International legal commitments allow states, through the give and take of negotiations and through the exchange or pooling of authority implicit in international law, to achieve this state of affairs as closely as possible.
Abstract 2676: Inhibition of bmp signaling suppresses metastasis in mammary cancer

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are secreted cytokines/growth factors that play differing roles in cancer. BMPs are overexpressed in human breast cancers, but loss of BMP signaling in mammary carcinomas can accelerate metastasis. We show that human breast cancers display active BMP signaling, which is rarely downregulated or homozygously deleted. We hypothesized that systemic inhibition of BMP signaling in both the tumor and the surrounding microenvironment could prevent tumor progression and metastasis. To test this hypothesis, we used DMH1, a BMP antagonist in MMTV.PyVmT expressing mice. Treatment with DMH1 reduced lung metastasis and the tumors were less proliferative and more apoptotic. In the surrounding tumor microenvironment, treatment with DMH1 altered fibroblasts, lymphatic vessels and macrophages to be less tumor promoting. These results indicate that inhibition of BMP signaling may successfully target both the tumor and the surrounding microenvironment to reduce tumor burden and metastasis. Citation Format: Philip Owens, Michael W. Pickup, Sergey V. Novitskiy, Jennifer M. Giltnane, Agnes E. Gorska, Corey R. Hopkins, Charles C. Hong, Harold L. Moses. Inhibition of bmp signaling suppresses metastasis in mammary cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2676. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2676
Compressive sampling based interior reconstruction for dynamic carbon nanotube micro-CT

In the computed tomography (CT) field, one recent invention is the so-called carbon nanotube (CNT) based field emission x-ray technology. On the other hand, compressive sampling (CS) based interior tomography is a new innovation. Combining the strengths of these two novel subjects, we apply the interior tomography technique to local mouse cardiac imaging using respiration and cardiac gating with a CNT based micro-CT scanner. The major features of our method are: (1) it does not need exact prior knowledge inside an ROI; and (2) two orthogonal scout projections are employed to regularize the reconstruction. Both numerical simulations and in vivo mouse studies are performed to demonstrate the feasibility of our methodology.
Physician Communication with Children and Parents

The way physicians communicate with patients has been shown to affect physiologic measurements, adherence to therapeutic regimens, and satisfaction with medical care. The purpose of this study was to document the content of medical interviews in routine pediatric visits and to identify demographic and situational characteristics that influenced the extent of communication between doctor and child. One hundred fifteen office visits to 49 physicians were videotaped and analyzed. Children studied were 4 to 14 years old with a mean age of 8.5 years. Verbal transactions were coded according to direction of communication, transaction type, and content category. Coder reliability for this system was 0.84. A considerable amount of the total communication, 45.5%, was between doctor and child. Doctors interacted differently with parents and children. More information about the current problem was obtained from children; physicians provided feedback primarily to parents. Parents received 4.4. times as much information as children about the nature and prognosis of a condition. The extent to which doctors talked to children in "substantive" areas was primarily associated with a child's age (r = .52, P less than .001) but was partly influenced by family size (r = .20, P less than .05) and family utilization (r = .22, P less than .02). Race, socioeconomic status, type of problem, and previous encounter with the examining physician did not alter communication patterns. Boys were given more information than girls (6.5% vs 4.0%, P less than .01). We suggest a theoretical framework for future investigation and teaching that identifies the child as an active participant in the medical process.
Changes in trunk and spine biomechanics during repetitive fatiguing exertions

The objective of this study was to document trunk motions, muscle activity and spinal load during repetitive fatigueing lifting tasks. Ten warehouse employees transferred twelve pallets of 23 kg. boxes at a rate of 125 lifts per hour. Prior to transferring the load on each pallet, controlled "test" exertions were performed. Results from test exertions indicated lifts performed under more fatigued conditions were accomplished with greater pelvic flexion and reduced trunk angle. Compressive load on the spine decreased but shear loads increased significantly with fatigue. These findings may help explain how fatigue increases the risk of LED during repetitive lifting.
Contagious Yawning in Autistic and Typical Development.

The authors tested susceptibility to contagious yawning in 120 children, 1-6 years, to identify the time course of its emergence during development. Results indicated a substantial increase in the frequency of contagious yawning at 4 years. In a second study, the authors examined contagious yawning in 28 children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), 6-15 years. Children with ASD showed diminished susceptibility to contagious yawning compared with 2 control groups matched for mental and chronological age, respectively. In addition, children diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) a milder variant of autism, were more susceptible to contagious yawning than were children diagnosed with full Autistic Disorder. The authors explore the implications of these findings for theories about the development of mimicry and emotional contagion.
Exchange Rate Volatility, Global Market Exposure and Operational Efficiency among US Commercial Banks

This study investigates how specific macroeconomic conditions/variables influence operational efficiency dynamics among US Commercial banks at the aggregate level. Empirical approach adopted in this study examines both the short and long run effects of modeled explanatory variables on operational efficiency. Utilizing net interest margin as a proxy for operational efficiency among US commercial banks, short and long run effects of modeled macroeconomic conditions/variables on bank operational efficiency are estimated. Ensuing empirical results show that conditions such as macroeconomic uncertainty, exchange rate volatility, global market exposure etc. have significant and varying impact on operational efficiency among US commercial banks in both the short and the long run. For instance, this study finds that macroeconomic uncertainty has negative impact on operational efficiency among US commercial banks in the short run; the effect however, tends to dissipates in the long run. Test estimates further suggest that exchange rate volatility rather augments operational efficiency among these commercial banks in both the short and long run; whereas financial liberalization restricts growth in operational efficiency.
Article 138 of the Mineral Code: A Reasonable Cause for Nonpayment of Royalties

Louisiana courts have had difficulty with suits involving untimely payment or nonpayment of mineral leases, which ordinarily do not fix a specific date for the payment of production royalties. The Mineral Code makes it incumbent upon a lessor to put his lessee in default prior to seeking judicial relief for the latter's failure to pay royalties. The use of more properly drafted leases containing clauses granting lessees authority to withold production royalties under certain circumstances may avoid much litigation and dispute. Otherwise the courts must determine whether the lessee had a reasonable cause for nonpayment. Lease cancellation should be eliminated entirely as a remedy in royalty nonpayment disputes since the Mineral Code provides an alternative and adequate remedy. 123 references.
Ultrasonographer experience does not impact outcomes following ultrasound-guided embryo transfer.

Objective To determine the effect of sonographer experience during ultrasound guided embryo transfer on pregnancy outcomes. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting A university-based academic practice. Patient(s) A total of 319 women who underwent in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) from the site-specific clinic. A total of 118 women (37%) underwent embryo transfers with a medical assistant (inexperienced ultrasonographer) performing ultrasound guidance, and 201 women (63%) underwent embryo transfers by an REI fellow (experienced ultrasonagrapher) performing the US guidance. Intervention(s) Real-time transabdominal ultrasound guidance during IVF-ET. Main Outcome Measure(s) Respective biochemical, clinical, and live birth rates following ultrasound-guided IVF-ET performed by either experienced or nonexperienced sonographers. Result(s) The two groups were similar in baseline characteristics or treatment response. Pregnancy outcomes were similar in both groups, with the MA cohort demonstrating clinical pregnancy rate of 43.2% and a live birth rate of 35.6%, and the REI fellow group yielding a clinical pregnancy rate of 44.8% and a live birth rate 35.8%, respectively. Conclusion(s) The clinical experience of the person performing ultrasound guidance during IVF-ET does not have an effect on clinical outcome. Thus, the use of an assistant without formal ultrasound training during IVF-ET is a reasonable option.
Global Existence of Solutions for Shear Flow of Certain Viscoelastic Fluids

We prove the global existence in time of solutions to time-dependent shear flows for certain viscoelastic fluids. The essential point in the proof is an a priori estimate for the shear stress. Positive definiteness constraints for the stress play a crucial role in obtaining such estimates.
Osteoporosis screening of postmenopausal women in the primary care setting: a case-based approach.

Abstract Background: Despite the facts that approximately half of postmenopausal women will sustain an osteoporosis-related fracture and 15% will sustain a hip fracture in their lifetime, 75% of American women between the ages of 45 and 75 years have never discussed osteoporosis with their physician. Objective: This case-based review addresses screening for osteoporosis in the primary care setting. Topics include epidemiology, assessment of fracture risk, bone mineral density testing, primary prevention of osteoporosis, and thresholds for treatment. Methods: Relevant articles were identified through a search of MEDLINE (1980–2004) using the terms osteoporosis, fractures, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) , and epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis , and treatment of osteoporosis . Clinical guidelines on osteoporosis were also reviewed. Conclusions: Osteoporosis is a prevalent disease in postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis-related fractures are a cause of major morbidity and mortality in older adults. Increased awareness of osteoporosis is necessary to stem the mounting number of complications.
Stagnant film model of the effect of natural convection on the dendrite operating state

Abstract We develop a simple model of the influence of natural convection on the selection of the operating state (dendrite tip velocity, V , and tip radius, ϱ) for dendritic growth of a pure material. We hypothesize that the important aspects of natural convection can be accounted for by considering the global convection that would occur in the vicinity of a sphere of radius R that characterizes the size of a dendritic array that is growing from a point source. We estimate the thickness, δ, of a stagnant boundary layer surrounding this sphere by matching the value of the Nusselt number obtained from the heat transfer literature. We solve the steady-state problem of a paraboloidal dendrite at temperature T M growing toward a confocal paraboloid at temperature T ∞ located at a distance δ from the tip. This results in a new transcendental equation, that depends on the gravitational acceleration, g , and transport properties of the melt, for the dimensionless supercooling, S , in terms of the Peclet number, Pe. By assuming that the selection parameter σ is not directly affected by natural convection, we are able to compute values of V and ϱ as functions of the supercooling, Δ T , for various values of g . Results are quite insensitive to the precise choice of R and in remarkably good agreement with the data of Glicksman et al. for growth of succinonitrile on Earth and in microgravity. The value of g at which our model indicates that convective effects become significant has a much stronger dependence (∼ Δ T 9.5 ) on supercooling than that (∼ Δ T 5.5 ) calculated by using the analogy of Gill et al. between natural convection and forced convection.
Temperature-engineered growth of low-threshold lasers on nonplanar substrates

The temperature engineered growth (TEG) technique for the single step fabrication of buried heterostructure lasers is reviewed. GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well lasers and strained InGaAs/GaAs quantum well lasers have been fabricated with threshold current of 2 mA and 3 mA for the GaAs and InGaAs systems, respectively. We show that the use of strained quantum wells resulted in better collection of carriers and higher external quantum efficiency (88%). The growth of strained InGaAs/GaAs lasers integrated with Bragg reflectors utilizing the TEG technique is shown to be a promising technique for obtaining low threshold current surface emitting lasers incorporating a folded cavity.
Probabilistic fatigue life prediction using AFGROW and accounting for material variability

The fatigue performance of components contains significant amounts of scatter, and variability has been characterized in initial crack sizes, crack growth rates, and material properties. Probabilistic methods have recently been gaining acceptance as an approach to account for uncertainty in various sources to predict component fatigue life. However, computation time associated with the accepted standard Monte Carlo method can be prohibitive during design phase evaluations. Accordingly, the objectives of the current study were to develop a probabilistic interface for the AFGROW life prediction software and to demonstrate the use of efficient probabilistic methods, as an alternative to Monte Carlo analysis, to accurately predict fatigue lives for three verification cases. The verification cases were based on experimental data for compact tension, single edge notched tension, and single lap joint specimens from the literature. Based on experimentally determined distributions of crack growth rate, material properties, and initial crack size, predicted distributions of fatigue life agreed closely with replicate experimental test results. Computation time with the Advanced Mean Value (AMV) and FORM methods were reduced by 100-fold compared to Monte Carlo, promoting the notion of utilizing probabilistic assessments within the design process.
Design and simulation of microelectromechanical transducer using uncoupled finite element models

Due to the increased complexity demands and precision requirements of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), there is a need for reliable and accurate simulation methods to model physical behavior involved. In particular, the design of improved MEMS transducers can be facilitated by simulating the interaction between the electrostatic and structural domains associated with these devices. In this work, several computational mechanics issues involving electrostatic and structural coupling for MEMS are presented and discussed, including the trade-off between cost and accuracy. Several uncoupled finite element (FE) models are presented and simulated to optimize the design and fabrication of a combdrive based electrostatic microactuator. The benefits and limitations of these uncoupled FE models are then discussed. The asymmetric structural response of the combdrive actuator is further analyzed and a simplified closed-form analytical model is presented for a basis of comparison for the FE results. Based on differences between FE and analytically calculated values, the contribution of fringing electrostatic fields to the mechanical forces produced in the combdrive are discussed.
Multi-channel 180pJ/b 2.4GHz FBAR-based receiver

A three-channel 2.4GHz OOK receiver is designed in 65nm CMOS and leverages MEMS to enable multiple sub-channels of operation within a band at a very low energy per received bit. The receive chain features an LNA/mixer architecture that efficiently multiplexes signal pathways without degrading the quality factor of the resonators. The single-balanced mixer and ultra-low power ring oscillator convert the signal to IF, where it is efficiently amplified to enable envelope detection. The receiver consumes a total of 180pJ/b from a 0.7V supply while achieving a BER=10−3 sensitivity of −67dBm at a 1Mb/s data rate.
Bias temperature stress analysis of ZnO thin film transistors with HfO 2 gate dielectrics

ZnO thin film electronics have received much attention due to the relatively high electron mobility of ZnO thin films in comparison to amorphous silicon (a-Si) and organic thin films. There is significant interest in using ZnO thin film transistors (TFTs), or similar oxides such as InGaZnO and zinc tin oxide, to replace a-Si TFTs in large area display technologies such as active matrix liquid crystal display devices and active matrix organic light-emitting displays where transparency in the visible range and high carrier mobilities are significant advantages. In addition, the integration of high dielectric constant (high-k) dielectrics in ZnO TFTs has demonstrated performance advantages including reduced operating voltage, increased I on /I off ratios, and larger transconductance. HfO 2 has emerged as a high-k dielectric of choice for both silicon microelectronics and thin film electronics due to the high dielectric constant (e r ∼ 25e 0 ), low leakage current, and low synthesis temperature. Voltage stability is an important figure of merit for many TFT applications and much work has been done to characterize the voltage stability of a-Si and poly-crystalline silicon (p-Si) TFTs. Extensive Bias-Temperature-Stress (BTS) studies have been carried out on a-Si and p-Si TFTs to track the threshold voltage (V TH ), subthreshold slope (S), mobility (μ), and grain boundary trap creation (N TG ) over time and to correlate TFT parameter instabilities with physical mechanisms that include charge trapping in the gate oxide and charge state creation in the oxide, interface, and p-Si grain boundaries. Prior studies on the stability of ZnO TFTs have indicated threshold voltage shifts (ΔV TH ) with the same polarity as the stress voltage (V STR ) that increase with time and that S remains unchanged below a certain V STR , but will degrade with time above this value [1–3]. Ability to recover pre-stress characteristics with and without post-stress treatments has also been reported. Further investigation is desired to both understand the device instability behavior dependence on temperature and gate-bias and to determine the physical origins governing the instabilities in this important material system. In this work, the instabilities of HfO 2 /ZnO TFTs are studied by BTS investigation.
STING-Dependent Cytosolic DNA Sensing Promotes Radiation-Induced Type I Interferon-Dependent Antitumor Immunity in Immunogenic Tumors

Summary Ionizing radiation-mediated tumor regression depends on type I interferon (IFN) and the adaptive immune response, but several pathways control I IFN induction. Here, we demonstrate that adaptor protein STING, but not MyD88, is required for type I IFN-dependent antitumor effects of radiation. In dendritic cells (DCs), STING was required for IFN-β induction in response to irradiated-tumor cells. The cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS) mediated sensing of irradiated-tumor cells in DCs. Moreover, STING was essential for radiation-induced adaptive immune responses, which relied on type I IFN signaling on DCs. Exogenous IFN-β treatment rescued the cross-priming by cGAS or STING-deficient DCs. Accordingly, activation of STING by a second messenger cGAMP administration enhanced antitumor immunity induced by radiation. Thus radiation-mediated antitumor immunity in immunogenic tumors requires a functional cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway and suggests that cGAMP treatment might provide a new strategy to improve radiotherapy.
Food Amylose Content Affects Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses

ABSTRACT Beneficial reduction in glycemic response has been observed after consumption of some high-amylose foods. This study examined the effect of varying the moisture content and the particle size of the starch in a test food. Twelve men and 12 women consumed corn chips or corn muffins made with starch or starch plus cornmeal from standard corn (30% amylose, 70% amylopectin) or high amylose (70%) corn. Half of the subjects were hyperinsulinemic based on a prestudy glucose challenge. No gender differences were observed. The hyperinsulinemic subjects had significantly higher insulin and glucose responses and area under the curve as compared with the normal responders. Average glucose, insulin and glucagon were usually lower after muffins compared with chips or foods containing cornmeal. Insulin and glucose responses, but not glucagon, were significantly lower after the consumption of foods made with high-amylose compared with standard corn starch and in control versus hyperinsulinemic subjects. Average p...
Second thoughts on psychedelic drugs

Psychedelic drugs are making a comeback. Proponents of psychedelics point to the widespread medical experimentation with mescaline and lysergic acid diethylamide-125 (LSD) in the 1950s as proof of their safety and efficacy. However, a review of the private and published writings of Sidney Cohen, MD, who conducted the first study of the safety of psychedelics, reveals that serious medical concerns about psychedelics arose before the public backlash against the drugs in the 1960s. The story of psychedelic research is a reminder of the inevitable complications involved in testing drugs on human subjects.
The Urban Side of the Gracchan Economic Crisis

THE critical period for the Roman Republic, it is often recognized, began in I33 B.C., the year of the tribuneship of Tiberius Gracchus. The measures which he and after him his brother Gaius (tribune in I23 and I22 B.C.) forced, over the opposition of most of the reluctant senatorial aristocracy, exposed the weaknesses of the Roman constitution with its dual development and divided responsibility and created new, irreconcilable factions whose strife eventually overthrew the Republic. The modern, who is likely to think of the English example of progress toward democracy through a series of concessions by the ruling classes, will perhaps conclude that the Gracchi only checked what might have been a similar evolution in Roman government. On the other hand, it is quite possible that Gaius Gracchus intended to foster development toward democracy, but along Greek lines, that is, by setting himself up as a tyrant, a popular champion, who would ally himself with the merchant class to destroy the power of the aristocratic families. Uncompromising nobles like Scipio Nasica and Lucius Opimius, who did not hesitate to use violence against the Gracchi and their followers, must certainly be held chiefly accountable for the vicious nature of the subsequent factional strife which racked the state until Augustus. In any case, the Gracchan period was the beginning of the end for the Republic and is consequently worth careful study. It is the thesis of this paper that the most pressing problems, those which precipitated the disastrous political tug of war, were economic and that they were of a peculiarly urban nature not before fully recognized by historians of Rome. These conclusions are based partly on new evidence but depend primarily upon heretofore overlooked negative evidence and a fresh look at the traditional sources. In their discussions of the economic crisis of this period, the historians, following Appian, Plutarch, and Tiberius Gracchus himself, have emphasized the rise of the slave-operated latifundia, the decline of the small farmer, and
Friendship network position and salivary cortisol levels

We employed a social network analysis approach to examine the associations between friendship network position and cortisol levels. The sample consisted of 74 first-year students (93% female, ages 22–38 years, M = 27) from a highly competitive, accelerated Nursing program. Participants completed questionnaires online, and the entire group met at one time to complete a series of sociometric nominations and donated a saliva sample. Saliva was later assayed for cortisol. Metrics derived from directed friendship nominations indexed each student's friendship network status regarding popularity, gregariousness, and degree of interconnectedness. Results revealed that (1) individuals with lower gregariousness status (i.e., lowest number of outgoing ties) had higher cortisol levels, and (2) individuals with higher popularity status (i.e., higher numbers of incoming ties) had higher cortisol levels. Popularity and gregariousness-based network status is significantly associated with hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal ax...
Exploring the relations between competitive intelligence, IS support, and business change

The increase in business competitiveness forces companies to adopt new technologies to redesign business processes, improve products, and support organizational changes necessary for better performance. The literature on Competitive Intelligence (CI) touts its importance in providing corporate strategic vision to improve company competitiveness and success. To implement their strategic vision (take advantage of strategic opportunities and address problems) companies have to implement changes to their business processes, products, and/or to the organization itself. The voluminous body of literature on the management of change, including subareas such as Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Total Quality Management (TQM), and product improvement, implicitly or explicitly propose that company strategic intelligence is a prerequisite for change, and that effective Information Systems (IS) support is a critical requirement for implementing change. While these two hypotheses are exceedingly important, the existing literature contains no empirical evidence supporting them. Mostly superficial analyses and personal opinions have been published in this basic area. A field test of how effectively business organizations are identifying strategic problems and opportunities, how effectively they implement business changes, and use IS technology to do so, was undertaken to empirically test their relationships. Despite the relatively small sample size, the results provide clear evidence about the importance of competitive intelligence and IS support for effectively implementing business change. The items used for measuring the main constructs provide further insights into how managers should go about acquiring competitive intelligence and managing IS technology to effectively support business improvements. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cladistic analysis of New World monkey sulcal patterns: Methodological implications for primate brain studies

Abstract Data on New World monkey sulcal patterns are summarized and subjected to the cladistic method of analysis. The problem of allometry is discussed and controlled. Seven derived cortical features are identified and used to construct three alternative cladograms for the bigger brained ceboid taxa. Using Saimiri as an example, it is shown that preconceived ideas of allometric and phylogenetic relationships influence the construction of cladograms. The relationship between brain size, number of sulci and number of derived cortical features is explored for ceboid monkeys. In addition to a greater number of sulci, bigger brained ceboids exhibit a greater number of obviously specialized cortical features than do smaller brained ceboids. It is concluded that cladistic analysis of neurological features must be conducted cautiously since primate brain studies show that parallel evolution should be carefully considered as an alternative to the hypothesis of descent from a common ancestor.
Bottom seismometer observation of airgun signals at Lopez Island

First arrival compressional wave signals from an airgun source, as detected by a variety of seismometers in a shallow bay, are remarkably uniform. However, minor variations in wavelet appearance imply some combination of the instrument response and coupling to the bottom. Signal spectra show typically a spectral peak at 12 Hz and an envelope very similar to that expected from an airgun source. Those instruments with a decoupled geophone package have spectra most like the theoretical spectrum but spectra for the other instruments are not significantly different. Little variation exists in spectra between tripod-mounted and inverted-pendulum OBS configurations for the low amplitude P-waves observed here. The signal source is the principal influence on the resulting spectra rather than OBS configuration or bottom coupling.
National Environmental Policy Act at 35

1 January 2005 was the 35th anniversary of the signing into law of the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It has since been copied and enacted in many local U.S. jurisdictions and around the world, so we believe this is the proper time to list some of its accomplishments and continuing
Effects of ozone on yield of two field-grown barley cultivars

Abstract Barley Hordeum vulgare L. is grown in some regions of the USA with potentially phytotoxic concentrations of ozone (O 3 ), yet relatively little is known of the growth and yield responses of this crop species to O 3 . A two-year study was conducted in the Central Valley of California to determine yield responses of two cultivars of spring barley grown in open-top chambers to a gradient of O 3 concentrations. Ozone concentrations were maintained in chambers in proportion to ambient levels. Exposure levels ranged from charcoal-filtered air to twice ambient concentrations. Results indicated that neither Poco, grown in 1982, nor CM-72, used in 1983, was injured or reduced in growth by the relatively low ambient O 3 concentrations (0·03–0·05 μl litre −1 ) found in late winter or spring in the Central Valley. Twice ambient concentrations of O 3 also had no effect on the growth and yield of these cultivars. These results suggest that the threshold for an effect of O 3 on the yield of these cultivars of spring barley is above a seasonal 7 h (0900–1600) mean of 0·06 μl litre −1 .
Jensen on `Jensenism'

Abstract Though “Jensenism” is a term listed in several dictionaries. Arthur Jensen has produced a more extensive body of work than suggested by the dictionary entry. To the public, he is mainly known for his work on the genetics of intelligence. This article discusses the work that is publicly less well known. Work discussed includes studies in learning, memory, the cumulative deficit hypothesis, Spearman's hypothesis, and speed of information processing, to name a few. The publicly better known work is also discussed. A bibliography of Jensen's publications is included in an appendix. (Abstract written by D. Detterman)
Management practices in U.S. affiliates of foreign‐owned firms: Are “they” just like “Us”?

Despite considerable debate about foreign direct investment in the United States, little research has examined the inner workings of U.S. affiliates of foreign-owned firms. This study examines the management practices in 249 U.S. affiliates of foreign-owned firms. Findings show that practices in marketing, human resource management, and manufacturing tend to more closely resemble the practices of local competitors than those of the foreign parent, whereas for practices in financial control the dominant resemblance is to the parent. Furthermore, findings reveal that affiliates are comprised overwhelmingly of Americans, not only at lower levels of the organization but also in key executive positions, although affiliates of Japanese firms stand apart in their greater reliance on expatriates. Foreign affiliates of multinational firms are revealed as differentiated sets of practices, shaped by the interplay of local responsiveness and internal consistency. The findings also make plain that U.S. affiliates of foreign-owned firms are in many ways very much like American firms. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.