cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Successful management of female urethral carcinoma with radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy.

Carcinoma of the female urethra is a rare neoplasm that accounts for less than 0.1% of all cancer types in women (Johnson and O'Connell, 1983). A standard treatment regimen has yet to be established due to the relative scarcity and variability of this neoplasm. The location and clinical stage of the disease dictate the method(s) of treatment used. In the past, distally located and early stage tumors had been managed with surgery or single modality radiotherapy alone. However, when single modality approaches have been used for female urethral carcinoma, local recurrences ranged from 36 to 60% and three year survival 0–29% (Foens et al., 1991). Therefore, distal lesions not amenable to surgical resection with negative margins are now managed with external beam radiation therapy followed by brachytherapy. Likewise, proximally located and more advanced tumors often are treated in a similar manner in an effort to preserve anatomy and maintain urinary function. The concurrent use of radiation therapy and chemotherapy for female urethral carcinoma has led to improvements in local control, systemic control and overall survival (Libby et al., 2010; Nicholson et al., 2008). We describe the successful treatment of two patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the female urethra, both treated with external beam radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy followed by low dose rate interstitial brachytherapy.
Modeling of trickle-bed reactors with exothermic reactions using cell network approach

Abstract One-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) cell network models were developed to simulate the steady-state behavior of trickle-bed reactors employed for the highly exothermic hydrotreating of benzene. The multiphase mass transfer-reaction model and novel solution method are discussed in this report. The 1D model was shown to satisfactorily simulate the axial temperature field observed experimentally for multiphase flow with exothermic reactions. The 2D reactor modeling provided valuable information about local hot spot behavior within the multiphase reactor, identifying situations in which hot spots may form. The model took into consideration the heterogeneous nature of liquid distribution, including radial liquid maldistribution and partial external wetting. This approach was proven to be stable and efficient in dealing with the complex interaction of phase vaporization and temperature rise. Through analysis and discussion, this report established the cell network model as a valid representation of the flow environment produced in a trickle bed with exothermic reactions.
BDNF enhances dendritic Ca2+ signals evoked by coincident EPSPs and back-propagating action potentials in CA1 pyramidal neurons.

Abstract BDNF, a member of the neurotrophin family, is emerging as a key modulator of synaptic structure and function in the CNS. Due to the critical role of postsynaptic Ca2+ signals in dendritic development and synaptic plasticity, we tested whether long-term exposure to BDNF affects Ca2+ elevations evoked by coincident excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and back-propagating action potentials (bAPs) in spiny dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons within hippocampal slice cultures. In control neurons, a train of 5 coincident EPSPs and bAPs evoked Ca2+ elevations in oblique radial branches of the main apical dendrite that were of similar amplitude than those evoked by a train of 5 bAPs alone. On the other hand, dendritic Ca2+ signals evoked by coincident EPSPs and bAPs were always larger than those triggered by bAPs in CA1 neurons exposed to BDNF for 48 h. This difference was not observed after blockade of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) with D,L-APV, but only in BDNF-treated neurons, suggesting that Ca2+ signals in oblique radial dendrites include a synaptic NMDAR-dependent component. Co-treatment with the receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor k-252a prevented the effect of BDNF on coincident dendritic Ca2+ signals, suggesting the involvement of neurotrophin Trk receptors. These results indicate that long-term exposure to BDNF enhances Ca2+ signaling during coincident pre- and postsynaptic activity in small spiny dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons, representing a potential functional consequence of neurotrophin-mediated dendritic remodeling in developing neurons.
On limiting or encouraging rivalry in technical progress: The effect of patent scope decisions

Abstract This essay is on the effects of the scope of a patent - e.g., how broad its allowed claims - on subsequent inventing in a field. It is argued that this depends on the topography of technical advance in a field, in particular on how inventions are linked to each other and in the extent to which rapid technical advance requires a diversity of actors and minds, as contrasted with being facilitated by express coordination of inventive activity. Technical advance is examined in several different fields, with a focus on how patents influenced the pace and quality of development. The authors conclude that allowing and enforcing broad patent claims tends to hinder technical progress.
A new contribution to the D± − Do mass splitting☆

Abstract It is noted that isospin violations in the vacuum may have a significant effect on the predicted D± − Do mass difference.
Periodic Flows to Chaos Based on Discrete Implicit Mappings of Continuous Nonlinear Systems

This paper presents a semi-analytical method for periodic flows in continuous nonlinear dynamical systems. For the semi-analytical approach, differential equations of nonlinear dynamical systems are discretized to obtain implicit maps, and a mapping structure based on the implicit maps is employed for a periodic flow. From mapping structures, periodic flows in nonlinear dynamical systems are predicted analytically and the corresponding stability and bifurcations of the periodic flows are determined through the eigenvalue analysis. The periodic flows predicted by the single-step implicit maps are discussed first, and the periodic flows predicted by the multistep implicit maps are also presented. Periodic flows in time-delay nonlinear dynamical systems are discussed by the single-step and multistep implicit maps. The time-delay nodes in discretization of time-delay nonlinear systems were treated by both an interpolation and a direct integration. Based on the discrete nodes of periodic flows in nonlinear dynamical systems with/without time-delay, the discrete Fourier series responses of periodic flows are presented. To demonstrate the methodology, the bifurcation tree of period-1 motion to chaos in a Duffing oscillator is presented as a sampled problem. The method presented in this paper can be applied to nonlinear dynamical systems, which cannot be solved directly by analytical methods.
Diagnostic arthroscopy and longitudinal open lateral release A four year follow-up study to determine predictors of surgical outcome

The purpose of this study was as follows: 1) to review our previous findings regarding surgical outcome fol lowing open retinacular release but now at a mean followup of 4 years, 2) to test the validity of the correc tion of patellar "overhang" by Merchant views at 4 years and correlate this with outcome, 3) to correlate arthros copic findings of lateral overhang, patellofemoral carti lage disease, preoperative Q-angle measurements, and duration of symptoms with outcome at 4 years postre lease. The surgical technique of diagnostic arthroscopy and open longitudinal release has been described pre viously by the author, emphasizing the specific anatom ical structures to be divided. The synovium was never incised and the retinacular structures were freed to allow reduction of the patella medially. Sixty patients comprising 76 knees were reviewed at a mean followup of 4 years postrelease. Followup included evaluation of Merchant views and Q angles, physical examination, and determination of patient satisfactio...
White Blood Cell Count Predicts All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Suspected Peripheral Arterial Disease

Abstract Objective We investigated whether markers of inflammation—white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2—are associated with mortality in patients referred for noninvasive lower-extremity arterial evaluation. Methods Participants (n = 242, mean age 68 years, 54% men) were followed for a median of 71 months. Ankle-brachial index (ABI), WBC count, plasma CRP, and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 were measured at the start of the study. Factors associated with all-cause mortality were identified using Cox proportional hazards. Results During the follow-up period, 56 patients (25%) died. Factors associated with higher mortality were greater age, history of coronary artery disease/cerebrovascular disease, lower ABI, higher serum creatinine, and higher WBC count/plasma CRP. In stepwise multivariable regression analysis, ABI, serum creatinine, WBC count, and CRP were associated significantly with mortality. Patients in the top tertile of WBC count and CRP level had a relative risk of mortality of 3.37 (confidence interval [CI], 1.56-7.27) and 2.12 (CI, 0.97-4.62), respectively. However, only the WBC count contributed incrementally to prediction of mortality. Inferences were similar when analyses were limited to patients with peripheral arterial disease (ABI Conclusion WBC count, but not plasma CRP level, provides incremental information about the risk of death in patients referred for lower-extremity arterial evaluation and in the subset of these patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Memory sub-banking scheme for high throughput MAP-based SISO decoders

The sliding window (SW) approach has been proposed as an effective means of reducing the memory requirements as well as the decoding latency of the maximum a posteriori (MAP) based soft-input soft-output (SISO) decoder in a Turbo decoder. In this paper, we present sub-banked memory implementations (both single port and dual port) of the SW SISO decoder that achieves high throughput, low decoding latency, and reduced memory energy consumption. Our contributions include derivation of the optimal memory sub-banked structure for different SW configurations, study of the relationship between memory size and energy consumption for different SW configurations and study of the effect of number of sub-banks on the throughput/decoding latency for a given SW configuration.
Ultrafast energy transfer in chlorosomes from the green photosynthetic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus.

Energy transfers between the bacteriochlorophyll c and a antennae in light-harvesting chlorosomes from the green bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus have been studied in two-color pump-probe experiments with improved sensitivity and wavelength versatility. The BChl c {yields} BChl a energy transfers are well simulated with biexponential kinetics, with lifetimes of 2-3 and 11 ps. They do not exhibit an appreciable subpicosecond component. In the context of a kinetic model for chlorosomes, these lifetimes suggest that both internal BChl c processes and the BChl c {yields} BChl a energy-transfer step contribute materially to the empirical rod-to-baseplate energy-transfer kinetics. 11 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Observation of the reaction O18(p, n)F18 initiated by protons in water irradiated in a linear accelerator

Abstract Triply distilled water was irradiated in a bremsstrahlung beam at 23 and 30-MeV maximum energy. F 18 was detected in the samples irradiated at 30 MeV, while no F 18 was observed at 23 MeV. It was concluded that the most likely source of the F 18 is the reaction O 18 (p, n)F 18 with the initiating protons coming from the reaction O 16 (γ, p)N 15 .
Polarization of neutrons in scattering from light nuclei and in the Li7 (p, n) Be7 reaction

Abstract The left-right asymmetries of polarized neutrons scattered from Li6, Li7, Be9, B, C12, O16 and Mg were measured at scattering angles of 45° and 90° for neutron energies from 0.1 to 2.4 MeV. Polarized neutrons were obtained from the Li7(p, n)Be7 reaction at an emission angle of 51° (lab.). In energy intervals near certain resonances, Li7, O16 and Mg scatters were used as analyzers to determine the polarization in the reaction. A clearly defined peak in the polarization is observed near Ep ≈ 2.2 MeV. Its width is about 0.15 MeV. These results are compared with earlier measurements and with previous calculations based on level parameters in Be8. These results for the Li7(p, n)Be7 reaction were combined with previous measurements at higher energies to obtain the polarization in the scattering from the various light nuclei investigated. Of particular interest are (1) the large polarization observed in scattering from Mg, (2) the persistence of the polarization at an almost constant value of 0.35 in the scattering from Li7 (at 45°) at neutron energies up to 2.4 MeV and (3) the observation that the polarizations for the nuclei with spin (Li6, Be and B) are usually smaller than those for the zero-spin nuclei in the vicinity of resonances for the nuclei involved. The results for some of the nuclei are compared with calculations based on analyses in terms of level parameters.
Inverse propensity weighting to adjust for bias in fatal crash samples

Abstract Background The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) has data from all areas of the United States, but is limited to fatal crashes. The National Automotive Sampling System–General Estimates System (NASS–GES) includes all types of serious traffic crashes, but is limited to a few sampling areas. Combining the strengths of these two samples might offset their limitations. Methods Logistic regression (allowing for sample design, and conditional upon selected person-, event-, and geographic-level factors) was used to determine the propensity ( P FC ) for each injured person in 2002–2008 NASS–GES data to be in a fatal crash sample. NASS–GES subjects injured in fatal crashes were then reweighted by a factor of W FC = (1/ P FC ) to create a “pseudopopulation”. The weights ( W FC ) derived from NASS–GES were also applied to injured subjects in 2007 FARS data to create another pseudopopulation. Characteristics and mortality predictions from these artificial pseudopopulations were compared to those obtained using the original NASS–GES sample. The sum of W FC for FARS cases was also used to estimate the number of crash injuries for rural and urban locations, and compared to independently reported data. Results Compared to regression results using the original NASS–GES sample, unadjusted models based on fatal crash samples gave inaccurate estimates of covariate effects on mortality for injured subjects. After reweighting using W FC , estimates based upon the pseudopopulations were similar to results obtained using the original NASS–GES sample. The sum of W FC for FARS cases gave reasonable estimates for the number of crash injuries in rural and urban locations, and provided an estimate of the rural effect on mortality after controlling for other factors. Conclusions Weights derived from analysis of NASS–GES data (the inverse propensity for selection into a fatal crash sample) allow appropriate adjustment for selection bias in fatal crash samples, including FARS.
Isotopes as tracers of the sources of the lunar material and processes of lunar origin

Ever since the Apollo programme, isotopic abundances have been used as tracers to study lunar formation, in particular to study the sources of the lunar material. In the past decade, increasingly precise isotopic data have been reported that give strong indications that the Moon and the Earth9s mantle have a common heritage. To reconcile these observations with the origin of the Moon via the collision of two distinct planetary bodies, it has been proposed (i) that the Earth–Moon system underwent convective mixing into a single isotopic reservoir during the approximately 10 3 year molten disc epoch after the giant impact but before lunar accretion, or (ii) that a high angular momentum impact injected a silicate disc into orbit sourced directly from the mantle of the proto-Earth and the impacting planet in the right proportions to match the isotopic observations. Recently, it has also become recognized that liquid–vapour fractionation in the energetic aftermath of the giant impact is capable of generating measurable mass-dependent isotopic offsets between the silicate Earth and Moon, rendering isotopic measurements sensitive not only to the sources of the lunar material, but also to the processes accompanying lunar origin. Here, we review the isotopic evidence that the silicate–Earth–Moon system represents a single planetary reservoir. We then discuss the development of new isotopic tracers sensitive to processes in the melt–vapour lunar disc and how theoretical calculations of their behaviour and sample observations can constrain scenarios of post-impact evolution in the earliest history of the Earth–Moon system.
Nontraumatic spine disorders: part I

This article discusses several critical nontraumatic emergencies that involve the spine. Metastatic disease, infection of the disc and epidural space, acute disc herniation, epidural hematoma, and epidural lipomatosis may all present with symptoms ranging from localized pain to more severe neurologic sequelae. Several of these entities may progress to irreversible myelopathy or death if the diagnosis is not made in a timely manner. Appropriate radiologic evaluation and accurate interpretation are required to guide necessary treatment for these entities. Clinical presentation, etiology, radiologic findings, and pitfalls of interpretation of these conditions and related entities will be presented.
Fabrication and Characterization of Metal Oxide Nanowire Sensors

Trace detection of chemicals and biological species like industrial gases, proteins, drug molecules, and chemical warfare agents, is an important issue to human health and safety. Central to this issue is the development of high sensitivity, high selectivity, high stability and rapid detection chemical and bio-sensors. With special geometry and chemical and physical properties, one-dimensional (1-D) metal oxide nanostructures have become the promising candidates for chemical and biosensing applications in recent years. Here, we intend to provide an overview on this interesting and important field. In the first part, the patents for rational synthesis of 1-D metal oxide nanostructures on a large scale will be introduced. The patents on chemical and biosensors built on 1-D metal oxide nanostructures are then introduced in the second part. Finally, we provide a review of the recent development of electronic nose systems using 1-D metal oxide nanostructures, which show great potential for the improvement of sensing abilities.
Multi-modal treatment for metastatic renal cancer: the role of surgery

Surgical intervention in the patients with metastatic renal cancer can occur in two settings: (1) to render a patient clinically free of all sites of primary disease and metastases, termed nephrectomy/metastasectomy, or (2) to resect the primary tumor in the face of unresectable metastatic disease prior to the initiation of systemic therapy, termed cytoreductive nephrectomy. Carefully selected patients with good performance status undergoing nephrectomy and subsequent metastasectomy may experience prolonged survival in the range of 30 months, which could be attributed to a combination of patient selection factors and the surgical resections. Randomized clinical trials from the United States and Europe have demonstrated a small but significant survival benefit to cytoreductive nephrectomy and cytokine therapy versus cytokine therapy alone which is measured in the range of 3-6 months and associated with overall survival of approximately 12 months. The precise mechanism by which cytoreductive nephrectomy improves survival is not known but may relate to reduction in the large primary immunosuppressive burden. Patient selection factors including performance status and serum factors (Hgb, corrected Ca++, LDH) stratify metastatic patients into risk groups, which are strongly associated with survival time in both medically and surgically treated patients with metastatic renal cancer. The development of multi-kinase and mTOR inhibitors has markedly improved survival in treatment naive and previously treated patients with metastatic renal cancer , and these agents are currently under active clinical investigation in the neo-adjuvant and adjuvant setting.
Chemotherapy for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal carcinoma is the most common gastrointestinal tract malignancy, and the second most common cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Based on the American Cancer Society's estimates, there will be 138,900 (68,800 in men and 70,100 in women) new cases diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2001, and 57,200 deaths will be caused by this disease. Of the new cases, nearly 60% present with lymph node involvement or metastatic disease. Overall survival for colorectal cancer has improved over the past several decades. This is probably because of increased screening, resulting in stage migration with more patients being diagnosed with early, localized disease. Better preoperative staging, improved surgical techniques and pathologic evaluation of resected specimens have also contributed to the improvement of the overall outcome for these patients. Survival has also been improved by the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer and combined modality therapy with chemotherapy and radiation in rectal cancer. Recent advances in chemotherapeutic approaches include novel cytotoxic chemotherapy agents. Biological and molecular targeting agents may impact survival even further.
The magnetic field in some prominences measured with the He I, 5876 Å line

Observations of the longitudinal magnetic field of several prominences were made with the D3, Hα, and Hβ lines. There is no significant difference in the magnetic field measured with the helium and hydrogen lines. The possibility of a true difference in the fields on a scale much finer than that of our observations is not excluded.
Physical Activity and Physical Function in Individuals Post-bariatric Surgery

Background A better understanding of the physical activity behavior of individuals who undergo bariatric surgery will enable the development of effective post-surgical exercise guidelines and interventions to enhance weight loss outcomes. This study characterized the physical activity profile and physical function of 40 subjects 2–5 years post-bariatric surgery and examined the association between physical activity, physical function, and weight loss after surgery.
Understanding Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Colorectal Resections

After a period of relatively slow uptake, laparoscopic colorectal surgery is now broadly implemented, and novel tools and approaches continue to be introduced into specialty practice. Oncological and functional outcomes of laparoscopic colectomy appear to be equivalent to those of open surgery. Laparoscopy offers short-term recovery benefits, including less pain, earlier return of bowel function, and shorter hospital stay. In certain settings, it may even reduce costs. Unfortunately, validated metrics of technical performance, to enable meaningful credentialing or detailed comparisons of techniques, are lacking. In this review, we discuss the best outcome data available, and suggest avenues for future assessment of technical quality in minimally invasive colorectal surgery.
Determination of Mercury in Fish: A Low-Cost Implementation of Cold-Vapor Atomic Absorbance for the Undergraduate Environmental Chemistry Laboratory

Mercury is a known neurotoxin that is particularly harmful to children and unborn fetuses. Consumption of contaminated fish is one major route of mercury exposure. This laboratory experiment gives students an opportunity to measure mercury concentrations in store-bought seafood and compare the results to suggested exposure limits. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended method for determination of mercury concentrations is cold-vapor atomic spectroscopy. We propose a method of adapting an existing flame atomic absorbance spectrometer for this technique with little additional cost, thus allowing students to learn about this important technique. Students measured mercury concentrations in swordfish and tuna purchased at a local supermarket. Mercury levels in both fish were within the range found by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Students gained experience with sample digestion, cold-vapor analysis, and data analysis.
GaN/AlGaN UV photodiodes and phototransistors

Using MOCVD grown GaN and AlGaN alloys and heterostructures, we realized heterojunction UV photodiodes and phototransistors. We achieved photovoltaic internal quantum efficiency in excess of 90 percent and large UV-visible rejection ratio in the GaN/AlGaN PIN photodiodes. The results indicate high quality heterojunction interface and efficient carrier collection. We demonstrated an n-p-i-n GaN/AlGaN heterojunction bipolar phototransistor with gain in excess of 105, and 360 nm to 400 nm rejection ratio of 108. The phototransistor features a rapid electrical quenching of photoconductivity therefore can be operated without DC drift, an option not available in unipolar photoconductors. The electrical bandwidth of the phototransistor can be changed to accommodate particular applications by simply adjusting the repetition rate of the quenching pulses. The operation and evaluation of these devices are compared with alternative devices including SiC photodiode and GaN photoconductors.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A simple synthesis of dihydrojasmonea

Abstract Acetalization of a λ-substituted α,β-unsaturated ketone, followed by acid hydrolysis gave a cyclopentenone.
Identification of the Transition States in the Inversion of 1,4-Benzodiazepines with the Ab Initio Replica Path Method

The inversion of four 1,4-benzodiazepines was investigated with the ab initio “replica path method” with density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. The reaction path constructed with this method for the inversion provides an approximate transition state (TS) geometry, which, upon further TS optimization, leads to the TS geometry characterized by a single vibrational frequency. 1,4-Benzodiazepines lacking a 5-phenyl ring have a single reaction path for the inversion with Cs symmetry at the TS. In contrast, the inversion of benzodiazepines with a 5-phenyl ring, such as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor ligand 4‘-chlorodiazepam (Ro5-4864) and its N1-desmethyl analog (Ro5-2752), can proceed through multiple reaction paths having a TS with or without Cs symmetry. Notably, the replica path method found a path connecting two asymmetric TSs of 4‘-chlorodiazepam via a symmetrical TS, suggesting that these inversion paths can be readily crossed from one to another. The stabilization energies gained b...
The Influence of Realistic Dissipation on Planetary Normal Structures

Abstract The effect of realistic dissipation on the rotational normal modes of a barotropic atmosphere is investigated. Vertical growth of amplitude of the Lamb(10km equivalent depth)modes is found to diminish with increasing meridional index n. The fastest traveling modes are most sensitive to radiative-photo-chemical damping above 4 scale heights. However, with increasing n, thermal and viscous diffusion dissipate more of the energy below this level. The energy flux is virtually attenuated by 8 scale heights. Thus the particular details above this level should have little bearing on the nature of the modes below. Damping time scales (relaxation periods) are estimated for several modes. These are smallest for wavenumber 1, roughly 10 wave periods, and increase with zonal wavenumber. The role of dissipation in determining these relaxation periods is more than just the local damping of energy. It significantly enhances the “vertical leakage” and thus allows energy to flow more readily to levels of greater ...
Platoon-based multi-agent intersection management for connected vehicle

As wireless communication advances, multi-agent system (MAS) approaches to intersection traffic management have received increased attention. In this paper, we propose an improved multi-agent intersection management system where vehicle agents may form platoons using connected vehicles technologies. Traffic performance measures in terms of mobility and environmental sustainability were evaluated through a series of simulation studies, along with an analysis of the communication load of the system. Compared to the conventional traffic signal control system, the proposed platoon-based multi-agent intersection management system can shorten the average travel time by as much as 30% and reduce the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by around 23%, when the traffic volume is high. In comparison with a non-platoon-based multi-agent intersection management system, the proposed system can reduce the communication loads of an intersection management agent by up to 90% and exhibits strong robustness against the variation of traffic volumes.
Evaluation of test statistics in split-mouth clinical trials.

This study was undertaken to examine the appropriateness of test statistics used for split-mouth clinical trials. Twenty-two published trials were reviewed and the primary test statistics were labeled as appropriate, inappropriate, or absent. Only 5 of the 22 trials reported an appropriate test statistics. Of the remaining 17 (rials, 12 used an inappropriate lest statistics, and 5 did not report or did not use statistical tests. A serious problem is that more than half of the reviewed trials have reported the use of a one-way analysis of variance or a two-sample t test to investigate the data of the split-mouth trial. This mistake may have led to a large increase of the Type II errors due to the correlated nature of split-mouth data. Failure to detect genuine therapeutic differences because of inadequate attention to the data analysis can occur with inappropriate use of test statistics. It is concluded that there should be more concern for the use of appropriate test
Enhanced centrifugal percolating thermal underfills based on neck formation by capillary bridging

We present a methodology for the formulation of percolating thermal underfills (PTUFs) with enhanced thermal conductivity for efficient heat dissipation between dies in 3D chip stacks. The methodology is based on the centrifugal filling of micron-sized powders in a confined space (defined by a solder ball array) to form a percolating particle bed, and on the formation of enhanced thermal contacts between particles and contacting surfaces, through the directed self-assembly of nanoparticles around the contacts (i.e. neck formation). The resulting composite material is characterized in terms of the fill fraction and its corresponding thermal conductivity with and without the formation of enhanced particle contacts. For underfills (UFs) formulated without enhanced contacts and using boron nitride, graphite or diamond powders, we have found thermal conductivity values ranging from 1.8 to 2.5 ± 0.1 W/m-K. The formation of enhanced particle contacts using silver nanoparticles dispensed in a 4.8 vol% suspension further increases the thermal conductivity to 3.8 ± 0.3 W/m-K; representing an increase of nearly one order of magnitude compared to silica laden capillary underfills (i.e. ∼ 0.4 W/m-K). The thermal conductivity of all samples was measured using our in-home thermal conductivity tester. The increase in the thermal conductivity is related to thermal percolation resulting from the very high volumetric fill fractions (i.e. > 60 vol%) reached with the proposed approach and to the reduction in the thermal resistance at contact locations by the silver necks. Furthermore, the present methodology is relatively insensitive to the shape and size of particles used, offering a great flexibility in material selection and quality (not acceptable for capillary-based underfills); and could enable efficient heat removal in future 3D chip stacks, flip-chip on board assemblies for mobile applications.
Contract Length and the Return to Performance in Major League Baseball

This article focuses on the relationship between contract length and compensation in Major League Baseball. Because the best players receive both the highest salaries and the longest contracts, wage regressions that omit length can lead to misleading inferences. Although contract duration is positively related with salaries, the authors find evidence of a negative relationship between contract length and a player’s return to performance. These results indicate some type of trade-off going on in the negotiation process that has not been identified in the previous literature on compensating wage differentials.
Experimental Status of the AC Josephson Effect in Liquid Helium.

The presence of an ac sound field causes several distinct effects in a system of two baths of superfluid liquid helium which are coupled by a small orifice. The primary effects of the sound field can be classified as a “Z-ΔT structure,” “steps,” and “anomalies.” Each of these three effects has been subjected to various criteria which are necessary for an interpretation in terms of the ac Josephson effect. These three effects failed the criteria which were applied, and therefore they are not due to the Josephson effect. However, it is shown that the properties of these three effects correlate quite well with the expected properties of first-sound resonances within one of the two liquid baths.
Internal dynamics of atomic clusters

The combined application of supersonic jet methods and laser spectroscopic techniques has created an outpouring of experimental studies of the internal dynamics of atomic clusters. This article reviews highlights of this work for the special case of metal atomic clusters. Examples include the dynamical Jahn-Teller effect in X 3 systems (X = Na, Cu), and analogous effects (shape isomerization) in larger Group I clusters. Certain "magic" metal clusters with closed electron shells are of special interest, because semiclassical descriptions of their interatomic motions may be valid. Finally, we comment on the metal evaporative cooling processes, using analogies to ongoing molecular cluster work.
A finite-difference method for the Falkner-Skan equation

We present a finite-difference method for the solution of the Falkner-Skan equation. The method uses a coordinate transformation to map a semi-infinite physical domain to the unit interval [0, 1]. After using a suitable change of variables, the transformed third order boundary value problem for this domain is solved using a finite-difference scheme. The numerical solutions obtained by the present method are in agreement with those obtained by previous authors.
Initiation of a pediatric mock code program at a children's hospital.

Background: Pediatric cardiopulmonary arrests are rare. Mock codes were instituted to bridge the gap between opportunity and reality.Aim: The goal was to improve medical caregivers’ skills in pediatric resuscitation.Methods: All pediatric and internal medicine/pediatric (med/peds) residents were anonymously surveyed pre- and post-intervention about confidence level about codes and code skills. Twenty mock codes were conducted during the 1 year intervention period. Statistical comparisons were made between each resident pre- and post-survey, graduating third-year residents (PGY3s) prior to intervention versus PGY3s with mock codes and pediatric versus med/peds residents.Results: All residents significantly improved in their perception of overall skill level during the study (p < 0.0001). PGY3s were significantly more confident in their skills than PGY2s or PGY1s and PGY2s were significantly more confident than PGY1s both pre- and post-mock codes (p < 0.0001). Med/peds residents were significantly more conf...
Community and organizational influences on voluntary turnover in law enforcement

A small but growing body of research focuses on police officer turnover. Most of these studies are limited to measuring the experiences, views, and intentions of officers at one or a handful of agencies. Using the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) national survey of police agencies and data on community factors, this study examined the effects of organizational and community variables on voluntary municipal police officer turnover rates at small, medium, and large departments. For small departments, pay incentives had a negative relationship with voluntary turnover, while violent crime rate and mean temperature for the area had positive relationships. For medium-sized agencies, only a measure of concentrated disadvantage had a positive relationship with voluntary turnover. Finally, for large departments, concentrated disadvantage, the county's suicide rate, and mean temperature for the area all had significant positive relationships, while the violent crime rate for the area...
The qualitative difference in information systems research and practice

Since the Manchester conference on research methods in Information Systems (IS) more than ten years ago, qualitative IS researchers have made great strides toward acceptance both within the IS field and in broader academic communities. This is a major collective achievement of which we all should be proud. Yet, we may well have reached the point of diminishing returns in this direction. While incremental improvement is possible and desirable, many of us are motivated by more ambitious goals. Therefore, I invite you to join me in undertaking three ambitious ventures: celebrating diversity in qualitative methods, converging on content in our field, and pursuing practicality in IS research. These complementary activities are worthy in their own right and promise important instrumental benefits to our community of research practice.
Constrained Rate-Maximization Scheduling for Uplink OFDMA

In this paper, we study the sum rate maximization algorithms with and without proportional fairness for uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). For fair scheduling, we propose a selective multiuser diversity (SMuD) scheme with normalized channel signal-to-noise ratio (n-SNR) ranking for user selection at each carrier to achieve a long term access fairness. To achieve rate maximization without access fairness, we propose a transmission power-SNR-product (PSP)-ranking based SMuD scheme, which takes into account different users' unequal transmission powers and channel SNRs, and provides a near-optimal sum-rate. For both schemes, the transmit power of each user is allocated to the assigned carriers using either equal power allocation (EPA) or waterfilling (WF). Analytical throughput and fairness metrics for both n-SNR and PSP SMuD schemes over Rayleigh channels are derived and verified via simulations. These results put new insight into the achievable uplink OFDMA performance with and without proportional fairness and the effects of various system and channel parameters.
A scalable architecture for improving the timeliness and relevance of cyber incident notifications

The current mechanics of cyber incident notification within the United States Air Force rely on a broadcast “push” of incident information to the affected community of interest. This process is largely ineffective because when the notification arrives at each unit, someone has to make a decision as to who should be notified within their unit. Broadcasting the notification to all users creates noise for those who do not need the notification, increasing the likelihood of ignoring future notifications. Selectively sending notifications to specific people without a priori knowledge of who might be affected results in missing users who need to know. Neither of these approaches addresses the passing of notifications to downstream entities whose missions may be affected by the incident. In this paper, we propose a modular, scalable, cyber incident notification system concept that makes use of a “publish and subscribe” architecture to assure the timeliness and relevance of incident notification. Mission stakeholders subscribe to the status of mission critical information resources (external and internal) and publish their own mission capability allowing other units to maintain real-time awareness of their own dependencies. We contend that this architecture is a significant improvement over current methods by making direct connections between mission stakeholders and their dependencies and eliminating multiple levels of human processing, thereby reducing noise and ensuring relevant information gets to the right people.
Jekyll and Hyde of HDL: a lipoprotein with a split personality

This editorial refers to ‘Lack of protective role of HDL-C cholesterol in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting’[†][1], by E. Angeloni et al. , on page 3557 and ‘High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, angiographic coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular mortality’[‡][2], by G. Silbernagel et al. , on page 3563 Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeRobert Louis Stevenson 1886 Epidemiological data that showed the inverse relationship between HDL- cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and coronary heart disease (CHD) events led to the labelling of HDL-C as the ‘Good Cholesterol’.1 Recent analyses have provided conflicting results regarding whether the inverse relationship between HDL-C and CHD risk is retained in statin-treated patients with low LDL-C levels; some studies showing persistence of this relationship2 whereas others failed to show such a relationship.3,4 Although epidemiological associations do not necessarily imply causality, the known biological functions of HDL and its constituents in vitro and in vivo ( Figure 1 ), as well as the vascular benefits of direct administration or overexpression of HDL-related proteins, specifically Apo A-I, have supported such a causality.5 Despite these seemingly concordant data, the notion that higher HDL-C is better has been turned upside down by the results from several clinical trials, seriously challenging the conventional dogma or the so-called HDL hypothesis.4,6−8 These trials have failed to show CHD or mortality benefits from raising HDL-C levels by inhibiting cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), using two different compounds (torcetrapib and dalcetrapib)4,6 or by using extended release niacin (ER-niacin) with or without a flushing inhibitor [niaspan and niaspan–laropiprant combination (tredaptive)].7,8 In fact, increased cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular death rates observed with torcetrapib suggested actual harm which was attributed, in part, to activation of the aldosterone pathway and increase in … [1]: #fn-3 [2]: #fn-4
Pair correlations in solid lead near the melting temperature

Abstract The scattering of X-rays by an assemblage of randomly orientated small crystallites is expressed in terms of an average pair correlation function. Fourier transforms of the intensity function are calculated by means of a digital computer program, and these provide data on the nearest neighbor distance, the mean square amplitude of vibration, the near neighbor vibrations and the mean potential function. Experimental results have been obtained for lead at 325°C, just below its melting point. The lattice parameter is 5.013 ± 1.0 A, and the mean square amplitude of vibration, u 2 s , is 0.088 A 2 , corresponding to a Debye temperature of 69°K. The vibrational coupling factors for the first six shells are 0.47, 0.59, 0.68, 0.73, 0.76 and 0.79. The anharmonicity of the vibrations is indicated by the difference between the peak position of the first shell, 3480 A and the mean position, 3.544 A. The mean potential function shows a minimum at the nearest neighbor position of −0.066eV.
The ecological correlates of right–wing extremism in Western Europe

This study traces the evolution of right-wing extremism, conceptualized as latent electoral support for extreme right-wing parties (i.e., vote intention), in six Western European countries (i.e., Belgium, France, the Netherlands, West Germany, Denmark, and Italy) between 1984 and 1993. Employing a pooled time-series cross-sectional research design, the author examines the relative strength of three popular explanations of contemporary right-wing extremism: the impact of economic conditions (unemployment and inflation), social developments (immigration), and political trends (public's dissatisfaction with the political regime). Evidence is presented in support of the last two explanations. Rising levels of immigration and public dissatisfaction with the political regime significantly facilitate right-wing extremism. Contrary to the initial hypothesis however, results suggest that a declining national economy (unemployment in particular) diminishes the electoral appeal of extreme right-wing parties.
Extra-pericardial tamponade following Wolf Mini-Maze procedure: a case report

Extra-pericardial tamponade is a rare life threatening condition that has not previously been reported in association with Wolf Mini-Maze procedures. In this case, atypical presentation of cardiac tamponade caused by postoperative anticoagulation resulted in a second hospitalization, a second surgery, and delayed recovery time. The goal of this case report is to increase awareness about a life threatening complication that can occur following minimally invasive cardiac surgery. A 60 year old male with long standing essential hypertension, who was recently treated for atrial fibrillation utilizing the Wolf Mini-Maze procedure, experienced a postoperative international normalized ratio increase from 3.6 to 5.3 over the course of six days. Fifteen days postoperatively, the patient experienced mild exercise intolerance, his condition rapidly progressed to a constellation of symptoms including severe exercise intolerance, dyspnea, hypotension, and near syncope. A diagnosis of cardiac tamponade was made, and the patient was re-admitted to the hospital. Attempts to reverse his warfarin anticoagulation with fresh frozen plasma and vitamin K were unsuccessful after 24 h. Video-assisted thoracotomy was performed to relieve the tamponade, and during surgery he was diagnosed with extra-pericardial tamponade caused by an extensive hematoma. Complications due to anticoagulation therapy required this re-admission, additional surgery, and delayed recovery. The patient has since recovered completely with no long term morbidities and is asymptomatic three years following initial presentation. This case marks the first time extra-pericardial tamponade has been reported post cardiothoracic intervention in English literature. Many surgical procedures require postoperative anticoagulation; in the past, warfarin has been the standard of care due to its purported reversibility. This case provides an example of the challenge presented when anticoagulating with warfarin, and the reversal of this anticoagulation.
gbase: an efficient analysis platform for large graphs

Graphs appear in numerous applications including cyber security, the Internet, social networks, protein networks, recommendation systems, citation networks, and many more. Graphs with millions or even billions of nodes and edges are common-place. How to store such large graphs efficiently? What are the core operations/queries on those graph? How to answer the graph queries quickly? We propose Gbase, an efficient analysis platform for large graphs. The key novelties lie in (1) our storage and compression scheme for a parallel, distributed settings and (2) the carefully chosen graph operations and their efficient implementations. We designed and implemented an instance of Gbase using Mapreduce/Hadoop. Gbase provides a parallel indexing mechanism for graph operations that both saves storage space, as well as accelerates query responses. We run numerous experiments on real and synthetic graphs, spanning billions of nodes and edges, and we show that our proposed Gbase is indeed fast, scalable, and nimble, with significant savings in space and time.