cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Taxing Sin and Saving Lives: Can Alcohol Taxation Reduce Female Homicides?

With costs exceeding $5.8 billion per year, violence against women has significant ramifications for victims, their families, the health care systems that treat them, and the employers who depend on their labor. Prior research has found that alcohol abuse contributes to violence against both men and women, and that stringent alcohol control policies can reduce alcohol consumption and in turn some forms of violence. In this paper, we estimate the direct relationship between an important alcohol control measure, excise taxes, and the most extreme form of violence, homicide. We use female homicide rates as our measure of severe violence, as this measure is consistently and accurately reported across multiple years. Our results provide evidence that increased alcohol taxes reduce alcohol consumption and that reductions in alcohol consumption can reduce femicide. Unfortunately, a direct test of the relationship does not have the power to determine whether alcohol taxes effectively reduce female homicide rates. We conclude that while alcohol taxes have been shown to effectively reduce other forms of violence against women, policy makers may need alternative policy levers to reduce the most severe form of violence against women.
Mysteries of Hypnosis and the Self Are Revealed by the Psychology and Neuroscience of Empathy

This article reviews a growing body of research and theory in hypnosis and neuroscience that supports the empathic involvement theory (EIT) of hypnosis (Wickramasekera II, 2001; Wickramasekera II & Szlyk, 2003; Wickramasekera II, 2007c). The EIT is a unified transpersonal theory of hypnosis and the self, which weaves together empathic elements of Dzogchen, neodissociative, neuroscience, psychoanalytic, sociocognitive, and other theories by proposing that hypnotic phenomena are inherently characterized by their deep involvement with processes of empathy and the self. The EIT proposes that the experience of hypnosis is embodied in a system of neural networks in the brain that utilizes empathy-related processes, adaptive resonance between perceptual input and top-down expectancies, and connectionist learning algorithms to (a) empathically enact the affect, cognition, body language, response expectancies, social roles, sensations, etc. that are presented to them during hypnosis in accordance with socio-cognit...
Current status of radiation therapy for bladder cancer

The role of radiation therapy in the management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer has evolved tremendously over the past several decades. Early on, radiation therapy alone was utilized as the preferred method of bladder preservation. Unfortunately, the results with this approach have been suboptimal. More recently, several protocols have been developed using a combined modality approach with chemotherapy. This has opened the door once again to the concept of bladder conservation as a potentially equivalent approach to radical cystectomy. While it is unlikely that a randomized trial comparing radical cystectomy with bladder preservation and chemoradiotherapy will be performed, the latter treatment strategy is gaining more support among practitioners. In selected patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, bladder-preservation approaches can achieve high rates of complete response, acceptable disease control and excellent long-term bladder function. The key to success for such programs is the careful sele...
Transistor Shift Registers

Three different types of high-speed transistor shift registers are discussed. The high speed (3 to 5 microseconds per shift pulse) is made possible by the use of nonsaturating bistable circuits. Two general shift registers are described making use of respectively one and two transistors per stage. The third register is of a specialized variety capable of shifting a single digit. In addition, an analysis is made of the triggering requirements of the register using a single transistor per stage.
Quality of Life, Social Challenges, and Psychosocial Support for Long-Term Survivors After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation

Over the last two decades quality of life (QoL) and the social challenges of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) survivors have been emerging as subjects of extensive research and are now considered as very important aspects in the pretransplant evaluation and management of allo-HSCT recipients. Recognition of QoL challenges in allo-HSCT survivors allows timely interventions leading to improvement of post-transplant outcomes. It needs to be recognized that long-lasting life changes associated with survivorship after allo-HSCT also significantly affect QoL of partners of allo-HSCT survivors. Currently, resources should be focused on how research findings can be used by patients, their partners, and physicians to optimize QoL and psychosocial adjustment.
Theory Change via View Application in Instructionless Learning

IE is a model of learning by experimentation in the domain of complex devices. In this paper we describe view application,the principal component of that model. This mechanism combines abstract knowledge structures into the learner's theory of the device. View application organizes complex changes in the learner's theory, thus ensuring that the space of theories is searched rapidly and that only coherent theories are tried. We evaluate the mechanism along three dimensions – its psychological validity, its generality, and its ability to constrain search. We also compare view application to other knowledge-rich learning techniques.
VENDOR-OWNED INVENTORY MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS IN RETAIL: AN AGENCY THEORY PERSPECTIVE

The authors discuss two related tasks for current understanding augmentation in the retail industry implementation of vendor-owned inventory management (VOIM) arrangements. The first task identifies three discriminating dimensions (i.e., Shrink Responsibility, Timeliness of Information Release, and Relevant Data Visibility) among three prevalent VOIM arrangement forms (i.e., Scan-Based Trading, Pay-On-Scan, and Consignment) that have been formally juxtaposed to one another. The second task uncovers differing characteristic profiles, using an Agency Theory lens, in what underlies, across Scan-Based Trading, Pay-On-Scan, and Consignment arrangements, retailer-vendor relationships. The authors conclude that in retail industry VOIM arrangement science and practice, these conceptual results have implications and make contributions.
Light-scattering characterization of poly(ethylene terephthalate)

By using a closed-circuit filtration system, we have succeeded in clarifying poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) dissolved in hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). Such static properties as the radius of gyration Rg, the weight-average molecular weight Mw, and the second virial coefficient A2 and such dynamic properties as the translational diffusion coefficient D, or its equivalent hydrodynamic radius Rh, and the second (diffusion) virial coefficient kd were determined for several PET samples of different molecular weights by using light-scattering intensity and linewidth measurements. An empirical relation between Do (or Rh) and Mw was established: Rh = (1.77±0.15)X10−2M with Rh and Mw expressed in units of nanometers and grams per mole, respectively. The empirical exponent αD(ca. 0.58±0.01) is in good agreement with the less precisely determined intrinsic viscosity/molecular weight exponent αη (ca. 0.71±0.02). Several intensity correlation functions were measured very precisely using long accumulation times. A Laplace inversion was performed using the singular-value decomposition technique. The approximate molecular weight distribution (MWD) determined by light-scattering spectroscopy was in reasonable agreement with a completely independent determination of MWD using gel permeation chromatography (GPC). It was interesting to note, though not surprising, that GPC showed emphasis on lower-molecular-weight fractions, while light-scattering emphasized higher-molecular-weight fractions. The agreement further strengthens some complementary aspects of the two techniques.
SU‐GG‐J‐108: Validation Study of a Software Tool for Consensus Analysis of Experts' Contours for Generating Atlases of Radiotherapy Target and Normal Structures

Purpose: To analyze and validate the ability of a newly developed software tool to estimate and analyze consensus contours from manually delineated structures by panel of expert radiation oncologists for building reference atlases for radiotherapy and dosimetry practitioners. Method and Materials: Several statistical methods and a graphical user interface were developed as an integral part of an in‐house research treatment planning system. For evaluation purposes, we used three breast cancerCT scans from the RTOG Breast Cancer Atlas Project labeled A, B, and C. All participating physicians contoured specific structures before and after the consensus panel met without the software aid. Differences in the contours were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using metrics based on apparent agreement, kappa statistics, and STAPLE estimates by the developed consensus software tool. Estimates of the consensus contours were analyzed for the different structures before consensus and compared with the experts' manual consensus contour. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was used for comparative evaluation between the software and the experts' results. Results: Dice similarity calculations for all pre‐consensus STAPLE estimates and the final consensus panel structures reached 0.80 or greater for the heart, left breast, right breast, case A lumpectomy, case B lumpectomy, and the chest wall. The heart, case A lumpectomy, left breast, and right breast all exhibited a DSC greater than 0.90. The highest Dice coefficients were seen in the comparison of the STAPLE estimated left breast contours, which almost reached 0.96 at 100% confidence level. DSCs were in the range of .70 to .79 for the supraclavicular and internal mammary nodes. Conclusion: Using the consensus software tool incorporating several statistical methods allowed excellent ability to create contours similar to the ones generated by expert physicians and provided metrics for the confidence levels of agreement.
Performance characteristics for delivering Ethernet private line service in a multi-vendor SONET environment

Ethernet-based services continue to grow in popularity as customers use the technology for wide area network connectivity. To meet customer demand for Ethernet private line (EPL) services, Verizon has developed a comprehensive approach that uses existing legacy SONET and NG-SONET equipment to deliver a less expensive and more efficient alternative to DS3 for WAN connections to customer sites. Verizon's customers expect its EPL service to perform similar to existing TDM-based private line services, with all the transmission characteristics of a SONET network. However, Verizon's NG-SONET vendors have different Ethernet over SONET (EoS) implementations, and these differences have made it difficult for Verizon to establish performance benchmarks and guarantee service levels. To address this challenge, Verizon is defining a set of standard EPL service attributes that will be used to benchmark Ethernet and NG-SONET performance in a multi-vendor EoS environment.
Sunflower alcohol dehydrogenase: ADH1 genetics and dissociation-recombination

The composite alcohol dehydrogenase zymogram of sunflowers, Helianthus annuus, consists of 12 distinct bands. Genetic studies suggest that the slowest-moving three bands are allozymic dimers. They are controlled by a gene designated Adh1 having two codominant alleles, Adh1F and Adh1S. The heterozygote produces three bands as expected with a dimer molecule, while the homozygotes produce but one band each, consisting of FF or SS homodimers. The genetic evidence is supported by dissociation-recombination experiments in which the homodimers were separated and allowed to rejoin as parental homodimers and the hybrid heterodimer. Adh1FS was found in only three of 422 cultivar seeds of one collection out of about 70 (over 6000 individual seeds tested) and was seen only infrequently in the seven wild collections examined. Adh1SS has never been found in the cultivar collections studied and but rarely in the wild populations sampled.
Role of anatomical region and hypoxia on angiogenic markers in adipose-derived stromal cells.

Background Recent research into adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) suggests that anatomical location has a major impact on the metabolic profile and differentiation capacity of ASCs. By having a better understanding of how various ASCs respond to cellular stressors such as hypoxia, which are induced during routine surgical procedures, we can facilitate future development of cell-based therapies to improve wound healing. Patients and Methods Human ASCs were isolated from the superficial and deep adipose layers of four patients undergoing elective abdominoplasty. ASCs were cultured in hypoxic (1% O2, 5% CO2, and 94% N2) conditions. After 12 and 48 hours, ASCs were assessed for markers of angiogenesis by mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B), and hypoxia inducible factor 1 α (HIF-1α). Western blot analysis was performed to assess levels of VEGF-A, p-NF-κB, and NF-κB. In addition, in vitro analysis of angiogenesis was performed using Matrigel assay (BD Biosciences, Franklin Lakes, NJ). Results We observed significant increases in deep ASC's VEGF-A, VEGF-B, and HIF-1α mRNA expression compared with the superficial layer after 24-hour hypoxia (p Conclusion Our results suggest that significant variations exist in the angiogenic profile of superficial and deep ASCs. We demonstrate that superficial ASCs are less prone to transcribe potent chemokines for angiogenesis, such as VEGF-A, VEGF-B, and HIF-1α and are less likely to translate VEGF-A and NF-κB. This may help with the selection of specific stem cell donor sites in future models for stem cell therapy.
Scan order and quantization for 3D-DCT coding

Two types of coders dominate the field of video compression research today: well-established hybrid coders, that are in the core of all MPEG and H.26X standards, and emerging three-dimensional (3D) subband coders, largely inspired by the success of wavelet-based still image compression. However, there are surprisingly few results reported on 3D Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) based transform coders. Even while exploiting all the benefical properties of the DCT itself (forward/inverse symmetry, fast separable implementation, and excellent energy compaction), these coders under-perform when compared to competing hybrid coders primarily due to ineffcient quantization, scanning and entropy coding used. In this paper, we study means of improving 3D-DCT coding by proposing adaptive scanning order and quantization of coeffcients that are better matched to 3D-DCT spectrum of a motion sequence. Our results show signifcant improvement in performance over previously reported techniques.
Utility of oral nicardipine and magnesium sulfate infusion during preparation and resection of pheochromocytomas

Background Calcium channel blockade with nicardipine (NC) is an alternative to phenoxybenzamine (PB) preparation for resection of a pheochromocytoma. Intraoperative magnesium sulfate infusion (+MgSO 4 ) is often used for its cardiovascular stabilizing properties. We hypothesized that preparation with NC would be similar clinically to PB for resection of a pheochromocytoma, and MgSO 4 infusion would not affect intraoperative stability. Methods This retrospective review included 64 patients undergoing resections of a pheochromocytoma from 2003 to 2011. PB or NC was used preoperatively, with MgSO 4 use distributed equally in the population. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative hemodynamics and outcomes were compared. Results There was no difference in NC ( n = 7) versus PB ( n = 57) or +MgSO 4 ( n = 33) versus −MgSO 4 ( n = 31) groups for demographics with the exception of age. The NC group had smaller median tumor size and lesser plasma baseline levels of normetanephrine than the PB group, but subgroup analysis of all neoplasms 4 versus −MgSO 4 groups. Conclusion NC use may be an equivalent alternative to PB in preoperative preparation, especially for smaller pheochromocytomas. Intraoperative MgSO 4 use does not seem to have a substantive effect on hemodynamic stability.
The Loading Module of Mycosubtilin: An Adenylation Domain with Fatty Acid Selectivity

We report the cloning and characterization of the loading domain of mycosubtilin A synthetase responsible for the biosynthesis of mycosubtilin, a lipopeptide natural product from Bacillus subtilis. A truncated form of mycA was cloned and overexpressed and found to activate free fatty acids though an acyl−adenylate intermediate and loaded on the adjacent thiolation domain independently of coenzyme A, contradicting the literature proposal that the loading module is a coenzyme A ligase. The activation and loading of free fatty acids was characterized with a combination of traditional biochemical assays and electrospray ionization-Fourier transform mass spectrometry.
3DVIEWNIX: an open, transportable software system for the visualization and analysis of multidimensional, multimodality, multiparametric images

3DVIEWNIX, is a data-, machine-, and application-independent software system, developed and maintained on an ongoing basis by the Medical Image Processing Group. It is aimed at serving the needs of biomedical visualization researchers as well as biomedical end users. 3DVIEWNIX is not designed around a fixed methodology or a set of methods packaged in a fixed fashion for a fixed application. Instead, we have identified and incorporated in 3DVIEWNIX a set of basic imaging transforms that are required in most visualization, manipulation, and analysis methods. The result is a powerful exploratory environment that provides not only the commonly used standard tools but also an immense variety of others. In addition to visualization, it incorporates a variety of multidimensional structure manipulation and analysis methods. We have tried to make its design as much as possible image- dimensionality-independent to make it just as convenient to process 2D and 3D data as it is to process 4D data. It is based on UNIX, C, X-Window and our own multidimensional generalization of the 2D ACR-NEMA standards for image data representation.
ETS‐lung cancer epidemiology: Supportability of misclassification and risk assumptions

Abstract The NAS Committee on Passive Smoking used epidemiologic data to estimate the risk of lung cancer associated with ETS exposure. Mathematical models were used to assess the influence of smoking‐ and exposure‐status misclassification. These models and the database for their application are thoroughly examined. For smoking status misclassification, the model is technically sound; for exposure misclassification, the model is empirically logical, but mathematically can require very precise data. Further effort is necessary to compensate for the paucity of data to which the models can be applied.
Traveler Information Delivery Mechanisms: Impact on Consumer Behavior

Advanced traveler information systems (ATISs) help individuals make informed travel decisions. Current ATIS applications encompass a variety of delivery mechanisms, including the Internet, telephone, television, radio, variable message signs, and in-vehicle navigation devices to support decisions about destinations, travel mode, departure time, routes, parking, and trip cancellation. It is important for researchers and practitioners to review the status of ATIS technologies and to understand travelers' access and response to current ATIS deployment. Focusing on largely public-sector delivery mechanisms, this study answers two fundamental questions: whether accessing more information sources is associated with a higher likelihood of travel decision adjustments and which technologies are more likely to elicit substantive adjustments to routine travel. These questions are answered by using a comprehensive and recent behavioral data set, collected in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. The study gen...
Complete and exact identification of self-sustained oscillations in relay sampled-data systems

A simple and systematic approach is presented to obtain the complete, exact, and exhaustive description of limit cycles that may exist in a relay sampled-data control system. The final expression in its closed form is obtained by simple substitution. There is no restriction on the order of the plant, nor does the feedback have to be unity. The period of the oscillation poses no problem in the approach presented. Clear and explicit relations between the self-sustained oscillations and system parameters have been established.
Digi-teens: Media Literacies and Digital Technologies in the Secondary Classroom

This article explores the impact on learning of digital technologies and media practices across the secondary curriculum, with a particular emphasis on non-linear video editing in a specialist media technology school. It observes the making of a trailer for Psycho by a group of Year 11 girls, asking how the advent of this very new technology enables new kinds of reading of visual texts, as well as new kinds of textual production dependent upon new IT-based literacies. It suggests that we need to find an adequate language of the visual, and to understand how this relates to other ‘grammars’ and semiotic systems; to understand how these competencies are rooted in wide-ranging cultural allegiances and pleasures, embracing popular as well as ‘classic’ texts; and to understand the classroom as a site both of encounter with popular culture, and of increasingly professional audiovisual production.
ECG J waves.

Osborne waves, also referred to as J waves, were Þ rst described by Tomaszewkski in 1938. The J wave is a positive convex des ection that occurs at the junction of the QRS complex and ST segment, the J-point. They occur most prominently in the inferior leads: II, III, and aVF and the precordial leads: V5V6 when the core body temperature falls below 32°C (89.6°F). The magnitude of the des ection above the isoelectric line varies inversely with the fall in core body temperature below 32°C. Computer interpretation of ECG has been found to be unreliable in hypothermia, with the J waves in some cases being mistaken for myocardial injury current. When J waves are seen the differential diagnosis includes hypercalcemia, sepsis, CNS lesion, cardiac ischemia, and Brugada syndrome.
The morphology of strike‐slip faults: Examples from the San Andreas Fault, California

The dilatational strains associated with vertical faults embedded in a horizontal plate are examined in the framework of fault kinematics and simple displacement boundary conditions. Using boundary element methods, a sequence of examples of dilatational strain fields associated with commonly occurring strike-slip fault zone features (bends, offsets, finite rupture lengths, and nonuniform slip distributions) is derived. The combinations of these strain fields are then used to examine the Parkfield region of the San Andreas fault system in central California.
Chronic Ethanol Exposure Inhibits Insulin and IGF-1 Stimulated Amino Acid Uptake in Cultured Human Placental Trophoblasts

Maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy can lead to abnormalities in fetal development, sometimes manifested as the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Although intrauterine growth retardation is a hallmark of FAS, the pathophysiology is not fully understood. A contributing factor may be altered placental function. In this study, the effect of long-term exposure to ethanol on subsequent amino acid uptake by the cultured human placental trophoblasts was examined. Both Na(+)-dependent and Na(+)-independent pathways for AIB uptake were measured. As reported previously, insulin and IGF-1 enhanced Na(+)-dependent AIB uptake. Exposure to ethanol had no effect on basal (nonhormone treated) AIB uptake. However, 72-hr ethanol pretreatment of trophoblasts inhibited Na(+)-dependent AIB uptake under stimulation by insulin or IGF-1 in the absence of ethanol. Na(+)-independent uptake was not affected. Ethanol treatment had no effect on insulin or IGF-1 binding to cultured trophoblasts. These findings suggest that 72-hr ethanol treatment in cultured trophoblasts may affect postreceptor signal transduction in the insulin or IGF-1 pathways. Such changes have implications for the effect of ethanol on normal function of the human placenta, the major interface for maternal/fetal transfer of nutrients.
Identification and characterization of neuronal precursors and their progeny from human fetal tissue.

We have examined primary human neuronal precursors (HNPs) from 18-22-week-old fetuses. We showed that E-NCAM/MAP2/beta-III tubulin-immunoreactive neuronal precursors divide in vitro and could be induced to differentiate into mature neurons in 2 weeks. HNPs did not express nestin and differentiated slowly compared to rodent neuronal restricted precursors (NRPs, 5 days). Immunocytochemical and physiological analyses showed that HNPs could generate a heterogeneous population of neurons that expressed neurofilament-associated protein and various neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter synthesizing enzymes, voltage-gated ion channels, and ligand-gated neurotransmitter receptors and could fire action potentials. Undifferentiated and differentiated HNPs did not coexpress glial markers. Only a subset of cells that expressed GFP under the control of the Talpha1 tubulin promoter was E-NCAM/beta-III tubulin-immunoreactive, indicating nonexclusive overlap between these two HNP cell populations. Overall, HNPs resemble NRPs isolated from rodent tissue and appear to be a neuronal precursor population.
Detailed analysis of a canonical structure in electromagnetic radiation problems

A canonical structure devised previously to simplify the computation of radiation from small table-top products and their peripherals is reconsidered. Though this structure contains only the salient features of actual products, it has previously defied accurate analysis by available tools. The authors calculate the current distribution on the structure using a powerful analysis code they developed, and compare their results with previous measurement data. They then include a finite-sized dielectric to serve as the substrate for the microstrip transmission line contained in the structure and repeat the analysis. For both structures, the nature of the observed resonances in the current is discussed, and insight into the radiation process is gained. >
Review of a Geriatric Health Literacy Workshop for Medical Students and Residents.

The �Geriatric Health Literacy Workshop for Medical Students and Residents� developed by Seema Limaye, MD, introduces medical students and residents to important concepts in communicating with older adults with low health literacy through a variety of teaching modalities. The workshop is available on the Portal of Geriatric Online Education (POGOe) and includes a didactic session, role-playing exercises, and a critique of patient education handouts. A preworkshop health literacy module and postworkshop clinical observation sessions reinforce the workshop content. The activity is designed to take approximately 2.5 hours to administer to small groups of three to five learners and is also suitable for interdisciplinary teams of health professions trainees. This POGOe product review highlights important features of the workshop and suggests opportunities for improvement.
Intraoral molluscum contagiosum

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) presenting as a self-limiting disease of the skin is not uncommon. To date, however, documented cases of MC of the oral cavity have been rare. A case of MC of the palate of a 52-year-old man is reported. The clinical and histopathologic features of this uncommon oral lesion are discussed, and the literature is reviewed.
Parametrizations of inclusive cross sections for pion production in proton-proton collisions. II. Comparison to new data

A set of new, precise data have recently been made available by the NA49 Collaboration for charged pion production in proton-proton and proton-Carbon reactions at 158 GeV. The current paper compares this new data to five currently available arithmetic parameterizations. Although a precise fit is not expected, two of the parameterizations do not work very well but the other three are able to provide a moderately good, but not precise fit to the proton-proton data. The best two of these three parameterizations are scaled to the proton-Carbon data and again provide a moderately good, but not precise fit.
The existence of periodic solutions of nonlinear wave equations on Sn

We are concerned with the existence of time periodic solutions of nonlinear wave equations on n-dimensional spheres. The existence of nontrivial periodic solution in case 0 is a solution is proved. the existence of multiple, especially infinitely many, time periodic solutions is established for several classes f nonlinear terms which satisfy some symmetry properties such as time translation invariance or oddness. Furhermore, this paper also studies the effect of perturbations which are not small and which destroy the symmetry, and shows how multiple solutions persist despite the nonsymmetric perturbations if the growth of nonlinear term at infinity is suitable controlled.
Styles of evidence-based practice in the child welfare system.

The use of evidence-based practice (EBP) has been advocated as a means by which to improve the outcomes of services delivered to children and families in the child welfare system. However, the term “evidenced-based practice” has been used to describe several different approaches to using evidence or research findings to improve practice. These approaches differ significantly in several important ways, including their assumptions, how data concerning programming should be collected and used, and who sets the agenda concerning the usage of research findings. In order to clarify the various approaches to evidence-based practice, the authors developed a framework for distinguishing different styles of EBP in child welfare. Two implications of the framework for the production and utilization of knowledge to improve programming are discussed. Different styles of EBP should be implemented when their underlying assumptions are valid for a particular system or situation. Elements of different styles of EBP are oft...
Changes in the rates of joint surgery among patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in California, 1983-2007

Background Treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has improved markedly over the past 25 years. Objective To investigate whether rates of joint surgery, a long-term consequence of poorly controlled RA, have changed over this period. Methods In this population-based, serial cross-sectional study of patients with RA aged ≥40 years in California, trends in annual rates of total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, total ankle arthroplasty or arthrodesis and total wrist arthroplasty or arthrodesis from 1983 to 2007 were examined. Results Rates of joint surgery peaked in the 1990s and since have decreased. Among patients aged 40–59 years, rates of knee surgery in 2003–2007 were 19% lower than in 1983–1987 (adjusted rate ratio 0.81; 95% CI 0.74 to 0.87, p Conclusions Rates of joint surgery in RA peaked in the 1990s and have declined thereafter, suggesting that longterm outcomes of RA are improving.
Resolution of a phase ambiguity in a calibration procedure for polarimetric radar systems

A cross-pol/co-pol phase ambiguity in a previously published calibration procedure for polarimetric radar systems is discussed. The original procedure is modified to resolve the ambiguity while still retaining insensitivity to calibration target orientation. The modified form is then generalized and applied to an ultrawideband radar system for which the ambiguity in the original procedure is particularly evident. >
CRITICAL ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: THEORY, POLITICS, AND PRACTICE. Sarah Benesch. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2001. Pp. xiv +162. $39.95 cloth, $18.50 paper.

In this short volume, Benesch makes a timely and useful contribution to emerging debates about future directions for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and for ESL classes in university settings. The book is divided into two parts. The first, consisting of the opening four chapters, deals with historical, theoretical, and political issues; the second, entitled “Practice,” offers four case studies of Benesch's attempts to develop a critical EAP pedagogy in the New York area, followed by a closing “Implications” chapter.
Generalized degrees of freedom of the (noisy) X channel

We provide outer bounds on the capacity region of the two-user Gaussian X channel, i.e. a generalization of the two-user interference channel where there is an independent message from each transmitter to each receiver. We identify the conditions under which operating the X channel as the interference channel is optimal from the perspective of generalized degrees of freedom (GDOF) and sum capacity. Specifically, we first extend the bound on the sum rate of the interference channel obtained by Etkin, Tse, and Wang in to the X channel. This bound provides insights into the operating regimes in which two channels have the same GDOF. We then extend the noisy interference capacity characterization previously obtained for the interference channel to the X channel. Therefore, we show that the X channel associated with noisy (very weak) interference channel has the same sum capacity as the noisy interference channel.
Viper: virtual pipelines for enhanced reliability

The reliability of future processors is threatened by decreasing transistor robustness. Current architectures focus on delivering high performance at low cost; lifetime device reliability is a secondary concern. As the rate of permanent hardware faults increases, robustness will become a first class constraint for even low-cost systems. Current research into reliable architectures has focused on ad-hoc solutions to improve designs without altering their centralized control logic. Unfortunately, this centralized control presents a single point of failure, which limits long-term robustness. To address this issue, we introduce Viper, an architecture built from a redundant collection of fine-grained hardware components. Instructions are perceived as customers that require a sequence of services in order to properly execute. The hardware components vie to perform what services they can, dynamically forming virtual pipelines that avoid defective hardware. This is done using distributed control logic, which avoids a single point of failure by construction. Viper can tolerate a high number of permanent faults due to its inherent redundancy. As fault counts increase, its performance degrades more gracefully than traditional centralized-logic architectures. We estimate that fault rates higher than one permanent faults per 12 million transistors, on average, cause the throughput of a classic CMP design to fall below that of a Viper design of similar size.
Comparison of Aquarius measurements and radiative transfer models at L-band

Spaceborne radiometric measurements at L-band from the Aquarius instrument are compared to numerical model simulation. A calibration bias is estimated: of the order of 3K to 5K in vertical polarization, and of the order of 1.5 K or less in horizontal polarization. A bias temporal drift of about 1 K over five months is identified for all beams and polarizations. Measurements/model comparisons are also performed to assess the uncertainty of various aspects of the data processing that are critical for retrieving Sea Surface Salinity, such as the correction for Faraday rotation and the impact of sea surface roughness on the surface signal. Errors in the antenna pattern models are identified, that lead to significant biases in Faraday rotation angle. The precision of the model for surface roughness impact is estimated to be of the order of 0.25K over a large range of wind speeds, but is less accurate at the low and high end of the wind speed range, particularly for wind speeds much larger than 15 m/s.
Linear and Nonlinear Thinking: A Multidimensional Model and Measure.

Building upon previously developed and more general dual-process models, this paper provides empirical support for a multidimensional thinking style construct comprised of linear thinking and multiple dimensions of nonlinear thinking. A self-report assessment instrument (Linear/Nonlinear Thinking Style Profile; LNTSP) is presented and preliminarily tested across three studies with an overall sample of 778 respondents comprised of business students and managers. The results indicate that nonlinear thinking style consists of seven distinct, yet interrelated dimensions: intuition, creativity, values, imagination, flexibility, insights, and emotions. Convergent and discriminant validity estimates vis-a-vis a multidimensional creative thinking index and an emotional intelligence measure provide support for further development of the instrument. The implications of these results for future managerial cognition research are discussed, as well as potential practical applications of the LNTSP for management education and business practice.
Synergy Between Trehalose and Hsp104 for Thermotolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We isolated a mutant strain unable to acquire heat shock resistance in stationary phase. Two mutations contributed to this phenotype. One mutation was at the TPS2 locus, which encodes trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase. The mutant fails to make trehalose and accumulates trehalose-6-phosphate. The other mutation was at the HSP104 locus. Gene disruptions showed that tps2 and hsp104 null mutants each produced moderate heat shock sensitivity in stationary phase cells. The two mutations were synergistic and the double mutant had little or no stationary phase-induced heat shock resistance. The same effect was seen in the tps1 (trehalose-6-phosphate synthase) hsp104 double mutant, suggesting that the extreme heat shock sensitivity was due mainly to a lack of trehalose rather than to the presence of trehalose-6-phosphate. However, accumulation of trehalose-6-phosphate did cause some phenotypes in the tps2 mutant, such as temperature sensitivity for growth. Finally, we isolated a high copy number suppressor of the temperature sensitivity of tps2, which we call PMU1, which reduced the levels of trehalose-6-phosphate in tps2 mutants. The encoded protein has a region homologous to the active site of phosphomutases.
A 2GHz 52 μW Wake-Up Receiver with -72dBm Sensitivity Using Uncertain-IF Architecture

A wake-up receiver (WuRx) is used in wireless sensor networks (WSN) to detect wireless traffic directed to a node's receiver and activate it upon detection, improving network latency and energy dissipation by maximizing data transceiver sleep time. The always-on nature of the WuRx sets a power dissipation floor for the entire system. In realistic WSN scenarios, the adoption of a WuRx leads to energy savings only if it can be realized with about 50muW of power dissipation in Lin, E.Y., et al, (2004), testing the limits of low-power receiver design. While diode detectors provide for the simplest detector structure, such receivers are strongly gain-limited due to the thresholding effect of the nonlinear detector in Pletcher, N., et al, (2007) and adding gain at RF to improve sensitivity only increases power consumption. A more attractive approach is to adopt a heterodyne architecture, where the extra gain needed for robust energy detection can be obtained at an intermediate frequency (IF) with a much lower power cost. However, a survey of previous receiver designs for WSN reveals that the power requirements of the required local oscillator (LO) exceed the total power budget of the WuRx in Otis, B., et al, (2005).
Pilates for Fragile Backs

Stanton AF, Hiatt-Coblentz R. Oakland, CA, 94609, New Harbinger Publications, Inc, 2006, paperback, 155 pp, illus, ISBN: 978- 1-57224-466-5, $18.95. Pilates for Fragile Backs is a self-help book written by a social worker (Stanton) and a Pilates instructor (Hiatt-Coblentz), both of whom have experienced debilitating back pain that persisted and even worsened after surgery. These authors have tapped into 2 popular and lucrative concepts: the concept of the self-help book and the currently trendy exercise called Pilates. Dramatic physical and emotional change, or “transformation,” often is a conceptual goal of self-help books. This is clearly the authors’ experience, and the goal of this book is to share the transformative experience with the reader and then provide the reader with the basic Pilates exercises to help …
A single-system interpretation of dissociations between recognition and categorization in a task involving object-like stimuli.

In previous research (Reed, Squire, Patalano, Smith, & Jonides, 1999), amnesic patients performed at near normal levels in a categorization task involving stimuli with discrete features, but showed impaired recall of the features. These results were taken as evidence of the existence of separate memory systems for categorization and recall/recognition. The present research addresses a single-system account of this dissociation. In Experiment 1, results closely matching the dissociation pattern were obtained when normal participants' classification and recognition performance was tested either immediately or after a week delay. In addition, formal modeling of the data suggested that participants use only a few of the dimensions in the categorization task, whereas they must use many dimensions in the cued-recall task. In Experiment 2, we found that many participants could perform the categorization task without any exposure to the training sequence. These results suggest that different memory demands across the two tasks may be responsible for the observed dissociation—separate memory systems are not necessarily involved.
Correlation of intracranial pressure and transcranial Doppler resistive index after head trauma.

PURPOSE To investigate the usefulness of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in the evaluation of intracranial pressure changes after head injury. METHODS Transcranial Doppler examinations and intracranial pressure measurements using intraparenchymal monitors were performed in 12 cases of closed head injury. Twenty-four sets of data, including the Glasgow Coma Scale, intracranial pressure, transcranial Doppler, and carbon dioxide pressure were compared. The side-to-side difference in the resistivity index was also assessed. RESULTS There was a significant correlation between increased pressure values and resistivity index when comparing measurements from the same side. There was no correlation between carbon dioxide pressure and any transcranial Doppler parameter or intracranial pressure measurement. No significant correlation was found between the resistivity index and the Glasgow Coma Scale. End diastolic velocity was a stronger determinant of resistivity index than peak systolic velocity. CONCLUSION The relationship of ipsilateral measurements of intracranial pressure to resistivity index is valid. The resistivity index must be analyzed within the context of the particular disease studied, especially with respect to the hemodynamic alterations. Initial findings suggest that intracranial pressure monitoring cannot be replaced by serial transcranial Doppler measurements in the treatment of the patient with acute head injury.
Central nervous targets for the treatment of bladder dysfunction.

Background The functions of the lower urinary tract, to store and periodically release urine, are dependent on the activity of smooth and striated muscles in the urinary bladder, urethra, and external urethral sphincter. This activity is in turn controlled by neural circuits in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral ganglia. Aims This paper will review recent advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of voiding disorders, especially focusing on the central nervous system. Methods Various neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, excitatory and inhibitory amino acids, adenosine triphosphate, nitric oxide, and neuropeptides, have been implicated in the neural regulation of the lower urinary tract. Results Injuries or diseases of the nervous system, as well as drugs and disorders of the peripheral organs, can produce voiding dysfunctions such as urinary frequency, urgency, or incontinence. Conclusion We discuss the potential targets in the central nervous system and new modalities for the treatment of voiding dysfunction. Neurourol. Urodynam. 33:59–66, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Frequencies of a truncated circular waveguide-method of internal matching

The frequencies of a truncated circular waveguide are determined using the method of internal matching; both TE and TM modes are considered. As the aspect ratio increases, the modes change continuously from those of a long rectangle to those of a circular waveguide; the TM modes also describe vibrating membranes.
CloudSat W-Band Radar Measurements of Surface Backscatter

The authors examine the characteristics of the W-band surface backscatter cross section using data from the 94-GHz cloud profiling radar on the CloudSat mission. These data from CloudSat represent the first global measurements of surface properties at 94 GHz. The authors use these data to investigate seasonal changes in surface backscatter over both land and ocean. The authors also make use of a limited set of off-nadir data to investigate behavior of W-band backscatter from the ocean versus wind speed for incidence angles up to 17°.
Apoptosis Overview Emphasizing the Role of Oxidative Stress, DNA Damage and Signal- Transduction Pathways

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a central protective response to excess oxidative damage (especially DNA damage), and is also essential to embryogenesis, morphogenesis and normal immune function. An understanding of the cellular events leading to apoptosis is important for the design of new chemotherapeutic agents directed against the types of leukemias and lymphomas that are resistant to currently used chemotherapeutic protocols. We present here a review of the characteristic features of apoptosis, the cell types and situations in which it occurs, the types of oxidative stress that induce apoptosis, the signal-transduction pathways that either induce or prevent apoptosis, the biologic significance of apoptosis, the role of apoptosis in cancer, and an evaluation of the methodologies used to identify apoptotic cells. Two accompanying articles, demonstrating classic apoptosis and non-classic apoptosis in the same Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoid cell line, are used to illustrate the value of employing multiple criteria to determine the type of cell death occurring in a given experimental system. Aspects of apoptosis and programmed cell death that are not covered in this review include histochemistry, details of cell deletion processes in the sculpting of tissues and organs in embryogenesis and morphogenesis, and the specific pathways leading to apoptosis in specific cell types. The readers should refer to the excellent books and reviews on the morphology, biochemistry and molecular biology of apoptosis already published on these topics. Emphasis is placed, in this review, on a proposed common pathway of apoptosis that may be relevant to all cell types.
Inferring Macroeconomic Complexity from Country-Product Network Data

We present a simple method to infer the relative numberof non-tradable inputs available in a country from tradedata connecting countries to the products they export.We show that countries approaches over the long run alevel of income that is determined by the diversity ofinputs available in the country, as approximated by themeasures introduced here.