cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barrow surface aerosol: 1976–1986

Abstract Measurements at Barrow during the first Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program (AGASP-I), conducted in March–April 1983, showed a series of aerosol events detected at the ground that coincided with rapid long-range transport paths from Eurasia to the vicinity of Barrow. These events were strongly correlated with aerosol loading in the vertical column (optical depth). Aerosol and meteorological measurements at Barrow during the second AGASP (AGASP-II), conducted in April 1986, indicate no rapid long-range transport from lower-latitude source regions to the vicinity of Barrow, and only limited vertical transport from above the boundary layer to the surface. Aerosol size distribution measurements in the 0.005–0.1 μm diameter size range using a Nuclepore-filter diffusion battery apparatus showed a median diameter of about 0.01 μm during times of high condensation nucleus (CN) concentrations and 0.05 μm during low concentrations. Aerosol black carbon concentrations exceeding 200 ng m −3 were detected at the surface and were more strongly correlated with CN concentrations than with aerosol scattering extinction ( σ sp ), suggesting that aerosol carbon was generally associated with small particles rather than large particles. A continuous record of CN and σ sp measurements is available from 1976 to the present. The σ sp data show a strong annual cycle, having a maximum exceeding 10 −5 m −1 in the winter and spring (the Arctic haze), and a minimum of about 10 −6 m −1 in the summer and fall. The CN data show a semiannual cycle, having a maximum of several hundred per cubic centimeter coinciding with the maximum in σ sp in early spring, and a secondary maximum in August. Minima in CN concentration of about 100 cm −3 occur in summer and late fall. No significant diurnal cycle appears in either the CN or σ sp long-term records.
Rodent species and strain specificities for sister-chromatid exchange induction and gene mutagenesis effects from ethyl carbamated, ethyl N-hydroxycarbamate, and vinyl carbanate

Abstract Ethyl carbamate (EC) and two related carcinogens, ethyl N -hydroxycarbamate (ENHC) and vinyl carbamated (VC), caused species-specific increase in sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) formation in the bone marrow cells of rodents. Mice exposed to 400 mg/kg of EC had SCE increases of 6-times-baseline, while rats, Chines hamsters, and golden hamsters showed 3- to 4-times-baseline increases in response to this dose. Lesser, but still significant, differences were found for ENHC and VC; the severest effects consistently occured in mice. Control bone marrow cell-cycle kinetics among the rodent species were similar. Mouse strains A and C57BL/6, which have high and low susceptibilities to EC induction of lung adenomas, respectively, showed nearly identical levels of SCE induction after in vivo exposure to these carbamate. However, testing of VC, a possible metabolite of EC, in vitro revelaed strain-dependent liver enzyme (Aroclor-induced S-9 fraction) capabilities to convert VC to genotoxic products. SCE induction, gene mutation for 6-thioguanine and ouabain resistance, and cytotoxicity in Chinese hamster V79 cells were significantly greater when A strain S-9 enzymes were used as compared with C57BL/6 strain S-9 enzyme preparations. No effect of SCE of reseeding, compared with no reseeding, of VC-treated V79 cells was observed. At a concentration of 25 μg/ml, VC cause 6-times-baselin induction of SCE in the presence of A strain S-9 mix and 4-times-baseline induction in the presence of C57BL/6 strain S-9 mix. These in vitro strain-dependent patterns of response are relevant to the current theory that VC amy be a proximate carcinogenic metabolite of EC.
A Bayesian network approach to feature selection in mass spectrometry data

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) has the potential to provide non-invasive, high-throughput screening for cancers and other serious diseases via detection of protein biomarkers in blood or other accessible biologic samples. Unfortunately, this potential has largely been unrealized to date due to the high variability of measurements, uncertainties in the distribution of proteins in a given population, and the difficulty of extracting repeatable diagnostic markers using current statistical tools. With studies consisting of perhaps only dozens of samples, and possibly hundreds of variables, overfitting is a serious complication. To overcome these difficulties, we have developed a Bayesian inductive method which uses model-independent methods of discovering relationships between spectral features. This method appears to efficiently discover network models which not only identify connections between the disease and key features, but also organizes relationships between features--and furthermore creates a stable classifier that categorizes new data at predicted error rates. The method was applied to artificial data with known feature relationships and typical TOF-MS variability introduced, and was able to recover those relationships nearly perfectly. It was also applied to blood sera data from a 2004 leukemia study, and showed high stability of selected features under cross-validation. Verification of results using withheld data showed excellent predictive power. The method showed improvement over traditional techniques, and naturally incorporated measurement uncertainties. The relationships discovered between features allowed preliminary identification of a protein biomarker which was consistent with other cancer studies and later verified experimentally. This method appears to avoid overfitting in biologic data and produce stable feature sets in a network model. The network structure provides additional information about the relationships among features that is useful to guide further biochemical analysis. In addition, when used to classify new data, these feature sets are far more consistent than those produced by many traditional techniques.
Simultaneous anterograde fast-slow atrioventricular nodal pathway conduction after procainamide.

Abstract Three patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia underwent electrophysiologic studies that included His bundle recordings, incremental atrial and ventricular pacing and extrastimulation before and after intravenous infusion of 500 mg of procainamide. In all three patients the tachycardia was induced during atrial pacing or premature atrial stimulation, or both. Two of the three patients had discontinuous atrioventricular (A-V) nodal curves with induction of a slow-fast tachycardia during failure in anterograde fast pathway conduction and one patient had a smooth A-V nodal curve with induction of a slow-fast tachycardia at critical A-H interval delays. After procainamide: (1) in all three patients atrial pacing induced A-V nodal Wenckebach periodicity (cycle length 300 to 400 ms) resulting in simultaneous anterograde fast and slow pathway conduction (one atrial beat resulting in two QRS complexes) and retrograde fast pathway conduction initiating an echo response or a slow-fast tachycardia, or both; (2) in all three patients there was enhanced conduction and shortening of refractoriness of the anterograde fast pathway and depressed conduction and lengthening of refractoriness of the retrograde fast pathway; and (3) in two patients there was inability to sustain tachycardia because of selective block within the retrograde fast pathway. In conclusion: (1) procainamide altered conduction and refractoriness of the anterograde fast and slow pathways so that simultaneous conduction could occur during atrial pacing, resulting in a double ventricular response and a slow-fast echo or tachycardia, or both; and (2) the differential effects of procainamide on anterograde fast and retrograde fast pathways suggests two functional A-V nodal fast pathways, one for anterograde and the other for retrograde conduction.
The Role of Compliant Joint and Flexibility on the Propulsive Performance of a Self Propelled Caudal Fin

Caudal fin plays an important role in the thrust generation of fish locomotion. Recent studies on the role of body flexibility in propulsion show that fish have a remarkable ability to control or modulate the stiffness of the fin for optimized propulsive performance. Along with the fin stiffness, the stiffness of the joint connecting the caudal peduncle and the fin also plays a major role in the generation of thrust. Since thrust and efficiency are dependent on various parameters, a detailed investigation would be required to understand the combined effect of fin and joint flexibility over a wide range of parameters for optimized performance. The present study provides a parametric study on the effect of flexibility of fin and the compliant joint on propulsive performance. For this investigation, fluid structure interaction of the fin has been modeled considering unsteady slender wing theory coupled with the nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The compliant joint has been modeled as a torsional spring at the leading edge of the fin. A comparison of Self–propelled speed (SPS) and efficiency with parameters such as heaving and pitching amplitude, oscillation frequency, flexibility of the fin and the compliant joint is reported. The model predicts the optimized stiffnesses of the compliant joint and the fin for maximum efficiency. These optimal stiffnesses vary with the motion parameters suggesting the benefits of active stiffness modulation in bio-inspired underwater robotics.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Sudden Painless Unilateral Vision Loss Caused by Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion: Implications for the Primary Care Physician

We report a case of sudden onset visual loss caused by branch retinal artery occlusion. Systematic search for the cause of branch retinal artery occlusion revealed Factor V Leiden mutation and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome as the cause. Implications for diagnosis and management are discussed.
Cultural Values, U.S. Neighborhood Danger, and Mexican American Parents' Parenting

To begin accounting for cultural and contextual factors related to child rearing among Mexican American parents we examined whether parents' Mexican American cultural values and perceptions of neighborhood danger influenced patterns of parenting behavior in two-parent Mexican-origin families living in the U.S. To avoid forcing Mexican American parents into a predefined model of parenting styles, we used latent profile analysis to identify unique patterns of responsiveness and demandingness among mothers and fathers. Analyses were conducted using parent self-reports on parenting and replicated with youth reports on mothers' and fathers' parenting. Across reporters, most mothers and fathers exhibited a pattern of responsiveness and demandingness consistent with authoritative parenting. A small portion of parents exhibited a pattern of less-involved parenting. None of the patterns were indicative of authoritarianism. There was a modicum of evidence for no nonsense parenting among fathers. Both neighborhood danger and parents' cultural values were associated with the likelihood of employing one style of parenting over another. The value of using person-centered analytical techniques to examine parenting among Mexican Americans is discussed.
Consistent linear model selection

In this note we derive the rate of divergence of the penalty term for consistent model selection in the linear regression model under a general error structure.
Localization of intravenously administered [3H]-testosterone and its metabolites in the brain of the male rat: the absence of a major effect related to the time of day of the injection.

Abstract Different groups of three castrated male rats were injected with 40μCi [3H]-testosterone at each of six time points at 4 h intervals throughout the light-dark cycle. One half hour after the administration of the hormone, testosterone and its metabolites were extracted from several brain regions and isolated by t.l.c. Particular attention was given to testosterone and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Testosterone was concentrated to a greater extent in the hypothalamus and cerebral peduncles than in the cortex and plasma. This effect was not altered significantly by the time of day of the injection. More DHT was found in the posterior hypothalamus and cerebral peduncles than in the cortex. There was more testosterone than DHT in all brain samples examined. There was a small time of day effect in the amount of DHT present but not in the ratio of DHT to testosterone. The DHT to testosterone ratio was greater in the posterior hypothalamus, cerebral peduncles, and cerebellum than in the cerebral cortex, the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic areas. Although too small to be statistically significant, changes in the amount of testosterone found in the brain appeared to parallel the fluctuations in DHT. It was concluded that changes in the amount of substrate present may have been responsible for the observed differences in DHT. The time of day effect seemed most obvious as a decrease in DHT in the posterior hypothalamus two to six hours after the onset of the dark phase of the light-dark cycle.
Tooth pulp stimulation potentiates the adrenocorticotropin response to hemorrhage in cats.

Stimulation of the maxillary tooth pulp nerve (TP), a predominantly nociceptive afferent fiber system, was assessed for its effect on peripheral plasma ACTH in chloraloseurethane anesthetized cats. These results were compared to those after a transient 10 ml/kg hemorrhage (H), a submaximal neurogenic stressor for ACTH release, and to H plus TP in combination. TP alone for 3 min had no significant effect on ACTH. However, TP during H greatly potentiated the increase in plasma ACTH concentration compared to that seen after H alone. The TP potentiation of the H-induced rise in ACTH was not accompanied by altered cardiovascular responsiveness nor by differences in plasma norepinephrine or glucose relative to that seen after H alone. The data indicate that nociceptive and baroreceptor afferents share a common neural substrate for selective facilitation of ACTH release, but do not interact to potentiate several other physiological responses, such as sympathetic efferent activity. Furthermore, under the conditio...
Called and Gifted: Charism and Catholic Social Teaching

This essay explores the formulation of Catholic social teaching as a form of ministry structured in relation to charism. After situating the concept of charism theolgically, it addresses the significance of charism as an organizing principle for the ministry of Catholic social teaching, referring in particular to the experiences of Oswald von Nell-Breuning and Dorothy Day. Finally, it suggests a form of ecclesial participation, such as the retrieval of mystagogy, that would facilitate the free and full exercise of charisms by all those called and gifted to serve the church in the formulation of Catholic social teaching.
F. A. Vening Meinesz—A geodesist's contribution to geoscience

No history of science and scientists in the Netherlands East Indies would be complete without on account of the explorations of Vening Meinesz with the splendid cooperation of the Netherlands Navy. Among scientists Vening Meinesz is classified as a geodesist. He was born at 's-Gravenhage (The Hague) on July 30, 1887, as the son of S. A. Vening Meinesz, Burgomaster of Rotterdam, and later of Amsterdam. He attended the “Hoogere Burgerschool” and afterwards the Technical College at Delft, from which he graduated in 1910 as a civil engineer. In 1915 he obtained the degree of Doctor of Science from the University of Utrecht, where in 1927 he was appointed Professor of Geodesy. In 1937 he became chairman of his Government's Committee for Geodesy. In 1933 he had been elected President of the Association of Geodesy of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics.
Listening Comprehension in a Bilingual Community

PSYCHOLOGISTS have developed several methods for the measurement of degree of bilingualism, or relative proficiency in two languages. For the most part, these techniques are "indirect."' That is, the performances they describe, such as speed of naming picturess or the number of discrete words produced within time limits3 have a less than obvious relationship to the criterion behavior of relative linguistic proficiency. Furthermore, with the notable exception of a measure devised by Lambert, who compared the speed of responding to directions given in each of two languages, most of these techniques have described various aspects of verbal production, although relative proficiency can also vary along other dimensions, such as listening, reading, and writing. The technique which is described in the present paper was designed to yield not only a more direct estimate of bilingual proficiency than those reported in the past but also a measure of bilingual listening comprehension ability. It differs from other listening comprehension techniques not only in offering a measure of relative proficiency (instead of a score in one language or the other) but also in being devised to reflect bilingual proficiency in varying types of social context. The attempt to construct a listening comprehension test in terms of differing social contexts was made on the assumption that speakers vary with respect to the number and kinds of social situation in which they can communicate effectively.5 It was believed that a technique which was designed to reflect cornmunicative competence would provide a more ad quate estimate of the bilingual person's rel-
Resonance raman spectra of galvinoxyl free radical

Abstract Reported are Raman spectra of the galvinoxyl free radical in the resonance and preresonance regions. A tentative vibrational assignment has been proposed. The resonance Raman spectrum of galvinoxyl as low as ≈ 10 −7 M is obtainable. The possibility of using galvinoxyl Raman bands as a probe for radical scavenging in pulse radiolysis and flash photolysis is discussed.
Ornithine Decarboxylase Activity in the Artificially Stimulated Decidual Cell Reaction in the Mouse Uterus

Changes in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in the mouse uterus following stimulation of the decidual cell reaction (DCR) have been examined. ODC activity in the stimulated horn increased sixfold over sham-operated controls 6 h afterintraluminalinjectionof oil.Six hours after trauma stimulation, the activity of ODC in the stimulated horn increased fourfold over contralateral control horns. Indomethacin pretreatment, previously shown to block the oil-stimulated DCR, blocks the increase in ODC activity in the oil-stimulated horn. These results suggest that increased ODC activityisan early event following stimulationof the DCR and may be causally relatedto the cellular proliferation which occurs as part of the process. BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 24, 528-533 (1981)
Never events and related quality measures following total hip and total knee replacement.

As a result of reading this article, physicians should be able to: 1. Discuss the burden of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing total joint replacement surgery and explain the role of thromboprophylaxis in reducing VTE events. 2. Enumerate obstacles to VTE prevention in the post-surgical setting and propose responses to these challenges. 3. Describe the "never events" decision that relates to VTE events occurring in hospital and discuss how it may reduce the incidence of these events. 4. Define current and emerging options for thromboprophylaxis.
Mussel-designed Protective Coatings for Compliant Substrates

The byssus of marine mussels has attracted attention as a paradigm of strong and versatile underwater adhesion. As the first of the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (Dopa)-containing byssal precursors to be purified, Mytilus edulis foot protein-1 (mefp-1) has been much investigated with respect to its molecular structure, physical properties, and adsorption to surfaces. Although mefp-1 undoubtedly contributes to the durability of byssus, it is not directly involved in adhesion. Rather, it provides a robust coating that is 4-5 times stiffer and harder than the byssal collagens that it covers. Protective coatings for compliant tissues and materials are highly appealing to technology, notwithstanding the conventional wisdom that coating extensibility can be increased only at the expense of hardness and stiffness. The byssal cuticle is the only known coating in which high compliance and hardness co-exist without mutual detriment; thus, the role of mefp-1 in accommodating both parameters deserves further study.
Ecomorphology of the giant bear-dogs Amphicyon and Ischyrocyon

Giant bear-dogs of the genera Amphicyon and Ischyrocyon (Carnivora, Amphicyonidae, Amphicyoninae) were the largest carnivorans in North America during middle and late Miocene (17.5–8.8 Mya) with a dental and skeletal morphology that combined features found in living Ursidae, Canidae, and Felidae. This study tests previously proposed models of diet and hunting behaviour of these extinct carnivorans. Relative grinding area (RGA) of lower molars and wear pattern on upper molars suggest that bear-dogs were carnivorous. Amphicyon and Ischyrocyon possessed skeletal features of both ambush (short distal limb segments) and pursuit (caudally bent olecranon process of ulna) living predators. Therefore, bear-dogs probably pursued their prey (mediportal ungulates) for a longer distance but at a slower speed than do living ambush predators. Upon catching up to its prey a bear-dog probably seized it with powerfully muscled forelimbs and killed it by tearing into its ribcage or neck with canines set in a narrow rostrum.
Effects of contact, conflict, and social identity on interethnic group hostilities

Abstract This study examines the effects of three major (contact, conflict, and social identity) theories of intergroup hostilities on three outgroup hostility components (behavioral intentions, affective reactions, and cognitive evaluations) across three ethnic “ingroup” samples (Whites, Blacks, and Asians). Each of 484 subjects participating in this study took two forms of the survey concerning two other “outgroups.” The general proposition of each theory was tested separately for three ethnic groups, as well as for the total sample. In general, each theory was validated to some degree for one or more ethnic groups, and some theories exhibited more power than others, depending on the types (components) of hostility and ethnic groups. Specifically, only for the White sample, the three theories were upheld on all three hostility components. Comments were made regarding the need of comparative cross-cultural and cross-theory studies of intergroup hostilities for future theory development, empirical research, and practical applications.
Structures for prioritized fusion of fuzzy information

Abstract We consider the conjunction of fuzzy subsets in situations in which a priority relationship exists between the sets being aggregated. Prioritization is manifested by the fact that the influence of some of the arguments is determined by its compatibility with higher priority argument. Two approaches to constructing these types of operators are considered. In the first we use the weighted conjunction of fuzzy sets as our bases for developing these operators. In the second approach we use fuzzy modeling to build the desired operator.
Non-orthogonal binary subspace and its applications in computer vision

This paper presents a novel approach that represents an image or a set of images using a non-orthogonal binary subspace (NBS) spanned by box-like base vectors. These base vectors possess the property that the inner product operation with them can be computed very efficiently. We investigate the optimized orthogonal matching pursuit method for finding the best NBS base vectors. It is demonstrated in this paper how the NBS based expansion can be applied to speed up several common computer vision algorithms, including normalized cross correlation (NCC), sum of squared difference (SSD) matching, appearance subspace projection and subspace-based object recognition. Promising experimental results on facial and natural images are demonstrated in this paper.
Circuit-Switched Coherence

Our characterization of a suite of commercial and scientific workloads on a 16-core cache-coherent chip multiprocessor (CMP) shows that overall system performance is sensitive to on-chip communication latency, and can degrade by 20% or more due to long interconnect latencies. On the other hand, communication bandwidth demand is low. These results prompt us to explore circuit-switched networks. Circuit-switched networks can significantly lower the communication latency between processor cores, when compared to packet-switched networks, since once circuits are set up, communication latency approaches pure interconnect delay. However, if circuits are not frequently reused, the long setup time can hurt overall performance, as is demonstrated by the poor performance of traditional circuit-switched networks - all applications saw a slowdown rather than a speedup with a traditional circuit-switched network. To combat this problem, we propose hybrid circuit switching (HCS), a network design which removes the circuit setup time overhead by intermingling packet-switched flits with circuit-switched flits. Additionally, we co-design a prediction-based coherence protocol that leverages the existence of circuits to optimize pair-wise sharing between cores. The protocol allows pair-wise sharers to communicate directly with each other via circuits and drives up circuit reuse. Circuit-switched coherence provides up to 23% savings in network latency which leads to an overall system performance improvement of up to 15%. In short, we show HCS delivering the latency benefits of circuit switching, while sustaining the throughput benefits of packet switching, in a design realizable with low area and power overhead.
Social Network Analysis of Video Bloggers' Community

Video blogs (or vlogs) have become increasingly popular in recent years. As the main motivation for vlogging is to interact with other vloggers, it is important to investigate the structure of the videobloggers' community and the interactions among vloggers. This research conducted a quantitative analysis using social network analysis. A list of personal vloggers was identified from VlogDIR and linking patters of vlogs were analyzed. The results suggest that video bloggers' community is highly decentralized and exhibits a core/periphery structure.
Adaptable and Autonomic Mission Manager for Dependable Aerospace Computing

As NASA and other agencies continue to undertake ever challenging remote sensing missions, the ability of satellites and space probes to diagnose and autonomously recover from faults will be paramount. In addition, a more pronounced use of radiation-susceptible components in order to reduce cost makes the challenge of ensuring system dependability even more difficult. To meet these and other needs, a processing platform for space is currently under development at Honeywell Inc. and the University of Florida for an upcoming NASA New Millennium Program mission. Among other features, the platform deploys an autonomic software management system to increase system dependability. In addition, a mission manager has been investigated and developed to provide an autonomous means to adapt to environmental conditions and system failures. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the management system philosophy with a focus on the adaptable mission manager. A case study is presented that highlights the dependability and performance improvement provided by the mission manager and autonomic health monitoring scheme.
The Role of the Scientific Elite in the Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb

In his recent book, The Power Elite, C. Wright Mills makes important use of the concept "pivotal moment"-the moment at which important and far-reaching decisions are made by the small in-group of the power elite, institutional leaders of the military, corporations, and the state. (8) If Mills wants to clarify the governmental decision-making process by this concept, it seems to us that he succeeds only in oversimplifying the process to the point of serious distortion. Political decisions have histories: the history of any given decision is a series of prior decisions, which, depending on the matter dealt with, are often made by individuals entirely outside of the institutional network Mills considers. It may well be that many significant decisions concern only the big corporations, the state, and the army. To rule out consideration of other groups, institutionalized or not, that affect the political order, on such an implicit, quasi-statistical basis, however, does no service to the conceptual problems confronting the developing field of political sociology. This point can be made clear by an analysis of one of Mill's own illustrations of a pivotal moment-the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The implication of Mills' cursory, dramatic treatment of this decision is that the decision was selfcontained. Once the resource-the atomic bomb-became available, the decision about whether and when to drop it was the significant political decision, and one in which only members of the power elite participated. An examination of the history of this decision, however, reveals a complex series of prior, consciously political decisions, made by men who were by no means members of Mills' power elite. These decisions relate not only to the final use of the bomb, but also to the early mobilization of the primary resource, the creative capacities of physicists, and their organization to produce the bomb.
ENDOSCOPIC SEPTOPLASTY IN REVISION SEPTOPLASTY AND FUNCTIONAL SEPTORHINOPLASTY

Endoscopic septoplasty is described as a minimally invasive approach to the isolated deviation or spur. However, the literature has focused little attention on its usefulness in difficult revision nasal surgeries in which persisting, obstructing septal deviation exists despite prior septoplasty. In these cases, typical surgical dissection planes are obliterated. The ability to directly address a persisting deviation, which involves elevating the mucosal flap directly over the offending deviation by using endoscopic techniques, greatly facilitates treatment. In this report we describe the importance of endoscopic septoplasty in the armamentarium of the rhinologic surgeon when faced with difficult problems of the nasal septum.
The use of synthetic diets in surgical patients.

The young child is capable of adapting to extensive gut resection. This paper describes in detail the design of various synthetic diets, together with balance studies, in one illustrative case. Further experiences with synthetic diets are briefly discussed. Adequate nutrition by the oral route may be possible, even in the early postoperative months, providing care is taken with the diet. Guidelines for the composition of synthetic diets, which may be used for a variety of gastrointestinal abnormalities are discussed. Such diets are, we feel, a useful part of the successful treatment of a variety of intestinal disorders.
Wire delay variability in nanoscale technology and its impact on physical design

Current technology scaling trends are changing the character of wire delay variability. The distribution of wire delay is asymmetric, with a long positive tail which can be as much as 2X longer than the negative tail. This is due to the geometry of these wires, where the aspect ratio is biased towards tall thin wire cross-sections, as well as manufacturing induced variations particularly from lithography. These trends are important for timing closure, whether done via corner-based or statistical analysis. In this paper, we explore these trends, demonstrate their impact in a modern 32nm CMOS design, and suggest ways in which this trend can be managed and reduced. Particularly, through physical synthesis optimization on industrial designs, we show how these trends/observations can be utilized to produce more reliable designs. As the interconnect scaling lags behind the device scaling, the importance of wire variability will grow further in the future technology nodes.
Exploring alexithymia, depression, and binge eating in self-reported eating disorders in women.

TOPIC: Binge eating is often a way of life for many women even if the diagnostic criteria for the tentative DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of binge eating disorder is not met. METHODS: Binge eating was conceptualized as a problem in affect regulation. Affective indices of alexithymia and depression were measure with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), the Alexithymia-Provoked Response Questionnaire (APQR), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively. This study was an exploratory study of 65 subjects, 35 of whom self-reported as eating disordered and 30 as non-eating disordered. FINDINGS: Of the eating-disordered subjects, 95% scored significantly on the Eating Habits Checklist as binge eaters, 18% as anorexic, and 23% as bulimic. Significant relationships were found between alexithymia and binge eating and depression. A stepwise logistic regression found that both alexithymia and depression discriminated between women with and without binge eating at .001 and .002, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that alexithymia was more highly correlated with binge eating than with either anorexia or bulimia. In addition, a significant history of trauma and health problems for those who reported as binge eaters was reported. Implications for practice are discussed.
Role of catecholamines in photoperiodically-induced gonadal development in Coturnix quail.

The involvement of central biogenic amines in the mechanisms controlling photoperiodically-induced testicular development in Coturnix quail were studied employing pharmacological approaches. Daily administration of alpha-methyltyrosine (MT), which blocks catecholamine (CA) biosynthesis, to 6-week-old quail exposed to long daily photoperiods markedly depleted brain dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E). This was associated with a partial suppression of testicular growth 7 days after light stimulation. Combined treatment with MT and L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), a precursor of DA, NE and E, elevated the monoamine levels in the brain and prevented the blocking effect of MT on testicular growth. Selective blockade of NE and E biosynthesis with diethyl-dithiocarbamate (DDC) depleted both NE and E, while it elevated DA level. Furthermore, such treatment reduced testicular weight. In DDC-treated birds, D,L-dihydroxyphenylserine (DL-DOPS) administration, which bypasses the DDC block, restored only brain NE level and reversed the blocking action of DDC on testicular weight. It is concluded that central NE plays a role in transformation of the photoperiodic information affecting gonadal development in Coturnix quail.
Roads and Trade in Colombia

I estimate the effect of major roads within and between cities on the level and composition of trade for Colombian cities. I confirm that road distance between cities is a major impediment to trade. In addition, major roads within cities have a large effect on a city׳s exports and imports with an elasticity of approximately 0.20 estimated with ols and up to 0.50 with iv. If anything, the effects are stronger for the value than for the weight of exports. I interpret these results as city roads shifting economic activity in cities towards the production of tradable and somewhat lighter goods.
Treatment of cutaneous metastases of Merkel cell carcinoma with surface-mold computer-optimized high-dose rate brachytherapy.

e19010 Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma with great propensity for locoregional recurrence and distant metastases. Despite surgery and radi...
Plasma Membrane Ca2+ Pump Isoforms 2a and 2b Are Unusually Responsive to Calmodulin and Ca2+

The full-length a and b variants of the rat plasma membrane calcium pump, isoform 2 (rPMCA2a and rPMCA2b), were constructed and expressed in COS-7 cells. To characterize these isoforms, calcium transport was determined in a microsomal fraction. Both rPMCA2a and rPMCA2b had a much higher affinity for calmodulin than the corresponding forms of hPMCA4, and rPMCA2b had the highest affinity among the isoforms that have been tested so far. When analyzed at a relatively high calmodulin concentration, rPMCA2b and, to a lesser extent, rPMCA2a showed higher apparent calcium affinity;i.e. they were more active at lower Ca2+concentrations than hPMCA4b. This indicates that these two variants of rat isoform 2 will tend to maintain a lower free cytosolic Ca2+ level in cells where they are expressed. Both variants also showed a higher level of basal activity (in the complete absence of calmodulin) than hPMCA4b, a property which would reinforce their ability to maintain a low free cytosolic Ca2+concentration. Experiments designed to determine the source of the higher apparent Ca2+ affinity of rPMCA2b showed that it came from the properties of the carboxyl terminus, rather than from any difference in the catalytic core.
Regulation of synaptic activity by snapin-mediated endolysosomal transport and sorting.

Abstract Recycling synaptic vesicles (SVs) transit through early endosomal sorting stations, which raises a fundamental question: are SVs sorted toward endolysosomal pathways? Here, we used snapin mutants as tools to assess how endolysosomal sorting and trafficking impact presynaptic activity in wild‐type and snapin −/− neurons. Snapin acts as a dynein adaptor that mediates the retrograde transport of late endosomes (LEs) and interacts with dysbindin, a subunit of the endosomal sorting complex BLOC‐1. Expressing dynein‐binding defective snapin mutants induced SV accumulation at presynaptic terminals, mimicking the snapin −/− phenotype. Conversely, over‐expressing snapin reduced SV pool size by enhancing SV trafficking to the endolysosomal pathway. Using a SV‐targeted Ca 2+ sensor, we demonstrate that snapin–dysbindin interaction regulates SV positional priming through BLOC‐1/AP‐3‐dependent sorting. Our study reveals a bipartite regulation of presynaptic activity by endolysosomal trafficking and sorting: LE transport regulates SV pool size, and BLOC‐1/AP‐3‐dependent sorting fine‐tunes the Ca 2+ sensitivity of SV release. Therefore, our study provides new mechanistic insights into the maintenance and regulation of SV pool size and synchronized SV fusion through snapin‐mediated LE trafficking and endosomal sorting.
Mitral annulus size links ventricular dilatation to functional mitral regurgitation.

We compared the impact of annulus size and valve deformation (tethering) on mitral regurgitation in the animal dilated cardiomyopathy model, and assessed if acute left ventricular volume changes affect mitral annulus dimensions. We performed 3-dimensional echocardiography in 30 open-chest dogs with pacing-induced cardiomyopathy. Mitral annulus area was calculated from its two orthogonal diameters, whereas valve tethering was quantified by valve tenting area measurement. Mitral valve regurgitant volume showed the highest correlation with annulus area ( r = 0.64, P r = 0.40, P r = 0.37, P r = 0.35 and r = 0.31, P r = 0.68, P = .002). Mitral annulus dilation is the strongest predictor of functional mitral regurgitation in this animal dilated cardiomyopathy model.
Diuresis and reduced urinary osmolality in rats produced by small-molecule UT-A-selective urea transport inhibitors

Urea transport (UT) proteins of the UT-A class are expressed in epithelial cells in kidney tubules, where they are required for the formation of a concentrated urine by countercurrent multiplication. Here, using a recently developed high-throughput assay to identify UT-A inhibitors, a screen of 50,000 synthetic small molecules identified UT-A inhibitors of aryl-thiazole, γ-sultambenzosulfonamide, aminocarbonitrile butene, and 4-isoxazolamide chemical classes. Structure-activity analysis identified compounds that inhibited UT-A selectively by a noncompetitive mechanism with IC50 down to ∼1 μM. Molecular modeling identified putative inhibitor binding sites on rat UT-A. To test compound efficacy in rats, formulations and administration procedures were established to give therapeutic inhibitor concentrations in blood and urine. We found that intravenous administration of an indole thiazole or a γ-sultambenzosulfonamide at 20 mg/kg increased urine output by 3-5-fold and reduced urine osmolality by ∼2-fold compared to vehicle control rats, even under conditions of maximum antidiuresis produced by 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP). The diuresis was reversible and showed urea > salt excretion. The results provide proof of concept for the diuretic action of UT-A-selective inhibitors. UT-A inhibitors are first in their class salt-sparing diuretics with potential clinical indications in volume-overload edemas and high-vasopressin-associated hyponatremias.
Palliative transurethral prostate resection for bladder outlet obstruction in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer.

ABSTRACTPurpose: The outcome of patients with advanced prostate cancer undergoing palliative transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is not well defined in the literature. We determined the preoperative characteristics, operative morbidity and postoperative outcomes of patients with advanced prostate cancer undergoing palliative TURP and compared these outcomes to those of patients undergoing TURP for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of all patients with prostate cancer undergoing palliative TURP at a single institution between 1994 and 2001 was performed. Operative reports, and outpatient and inpatient records were reviewed. Serum prostate specific antigen, and cancer grade and stage at cancer diagnosis were compared with findings at TURP. Operative statistics, postoperative outcomes and complication rates were compared between the palliative prostate cancer TURP group and a large cohort of 520 patients undergoing TURP at our institution for BPH duri...
Validation of HPLC analysis method of a novel antihypertensive agent MS23 in rat plasma

MS23 is a vasodilator with unique dual action pharmacological profile to inhibit type 4 PDE and antagonize L-type calcium channels. We validated an analytical protocol for MS23 in rat plasma using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A C18 column and a phosphate/acetonitrite buffer were used for chromatographic separation. UV detection was performed at 307 nm. The calibration curve for MS23 was linear in the range from 50 to 10,000 ng/ml. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 50 ng/ml. The results demonstrate that the method has linearity (R = 0.9989), specificity, and acceptable precision/accuracy. This method is simple, economic, and sufficient for in vivo pharmacokinetic studies on the compound.
Ti/Al ohmic contacts to n-type GaN nanowires

Titanium/aluminum ohmic contacts to tapered n-type GaN nanowires with triangular cross-sections were studied. To extract the specific contact resistance, the commonly used transmission line model was adapted to the particular nanowire geometry. The most Al-rich composition of the contact provided a low specific contact resistance (mid 10-8 Ωcm2) upon annealing at 600 °C for 15 s, but it exhibited poor thermal stability due to oxidation of excess elemental Al remaining after annealing, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. On the other hand, less Al-rich contacts required higher annealing temperatures (850 or 900 °C) to reach a minimum specific contact resistance but exhibited better thermal stability. A spread in the specific contact resistance from contact to contact was tentatively attributed to the different facets that were contacted on the GaN nanowires with a triangular cross-section.
Exploration Of Accounting Software Usage: An Empirical Research Applied On The Pennsylvania Home Building Industry

The purpose of this study was to investigate the utilization of information technology in accounting functions, related to the scale of operations, by Pennsylvania’s home building contractors. The researchers examined whether differences in firm size played a factor in how often accounting or project management software was used for job costing, whether or not the primary accounting function was computerized, and if computerized, the primary program used for the accounting functions by home builders. According to the findings, the researchers concluded that there are significant differences among and between firm sizes in the use of accounting and project management software for job costing by Pennsylvania home building firms. Secondly, the data showed significant differences existed among firm sizes between the use of a computerized accounting system or manual accounting system. Finally, the data revealed that there are significant differences among firm sizes in the primary program used for estimating when a firm is computerized.
Building Collective Knowledge Through Design: The Making of the Contrada Nicolò Riparian Garden Along the Simeto River (Sicily, Italy)

AbstractInsurgent movements advocating environmental protection have garnered attention from design disciplines for their capacity to envision sustainable powerful transformations of human environments. In the last twenty years, the recognition of this potential has entered into research agendas, which have mainly focused on explaining through case studies how these phenomena have been able to affect institutional planning efforts in relation to environmental issues. Following a Participatory Action Research approach, this article presents a design experience carried out by a partnership established between a grass-roots association and university researchers in the Simeto River Valley (Sicily, Italy). It shows how design research techniques, borrowed from place making and community design approaches, can be used as instruments to promote goals of community-based organisations and advance their capacity in conceiving actions to transform local environments.
Casework Treatment of Depression Viewed as an Interpersonal Disturbance

■ Psychological depression is described as a consistently manipulative interpersonal process through which the client seeks to offset partially the effects of disturbed inner communication and a sense of powerlessness. The treatment plan described in this paper —contrary to an approach that recommends supportive treatment—calls for active social re-education of the client to help him acquire a more adaptive social behavior. ■
Legal Ethics and Fugitive Slaves: The Anthony Burns Case, Judge Loring, and Abolitionist Attorneys

The Anthony Burns case paralyzed Boston for a week while lawyers debated Burns's fate before United States Commissioner Edward G. Loring, and stimulated a revolution in public antislavery sentiment in Massachusetts.This Article explores the issues of legal ethics through an analysis of the rendition of Anthony Burns, the most famous return of a fugitive slave in American history, and the key figures in the legal proceedings.