cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Responsibility for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety: Hospital Board and Medical Staff Leadership Challenges

Concern about the quality and safety of health care persists, 10 years after the 1999 Institute of Medicine report To Err is Human. Despite growing awareness of quality and safety risks, and significant efforts to improve, progress is difficult to measure. Hospital leaders, including boards and medical staffs, are accountable to improve care, yet they often address this duty independently. Shared responsibility for quality and patient safety improvement presents unique challenges and unprecedented opportunities for boards and medical staffs. To capitalize on the pressure to improve, both groups may benefit from a better understanding of their synergistic potential. Boards should be educated about the quality of care provided in their institutions and about the challenges of valid measurement and accurate reporting. Boards strengthen their quality oversight capacity by recruiting physicians for vacant board seats. Medical staff members strengthen their role as hospital leaders when they understand the unique duties of the governing board. A quality improvement strategy rooted in synergistic efforts by the board and the medical staff may offer the greatest potential for safer care. Such a mutually advantageous approach requires a clear appreciation of roles and responsibilities and respect for differences. In this article, we review these responsibilities, describe opportunities for boards and medical staffs to collaborate as leaders, and offer recommendations for how boards and medical staff members can address the challenges of shared responsibility for quality of care.
Modeling of microstructure evolution in austenitic stainless steels irradiated under light water reactor condition

A model for microstructure development in austenitic alloys under light water reactor irradiation conditions is described. The model is derived from the model developed by Stoller and Odette to describe microstructural evolution under fast neutron or fusion reactor irradiation conditions. The model is benchmarked against microstructure measurements in 304 and 316 SS irradiated in a boiling water reactor core using one material-dependent and three irradiation-based parameters. The model is also adapted for proton irradiation at higher dose rate and higher temperature and is calibrated against microstructure measurements for proton irradiation. The model calculations show that for both neutron and proton irradiations, in-cascade interstitial clustering is the driving mechanism for loop nucleation. The loss of interstitial clusters to sinks by interstitial cluster diffusion was found to be an important factor in determining the loop density. The model also explains how proton irradiation can produce an irradiated dislocation microstructure similar to that in neutron irradiation.
Double Beta Decays of Mo-100 and Nd-150

The double \ensuremath{\beta} decays of ${}^{100}\mathrm{Mo}$ and ${}^{150}\mathrm{Nd}$ were studied in a time projection chamber located 72 m underground. A 3275-h exposure of a 16.7-g sample of metallic Mo enriched to 97.4% in ${}^{100}\mathrm{Mo}$ resulted in a two-neutrino half-life, ${T}_{1/2}^{2\ensuremath{\nu}}{=(6.82}_{\ensuremath{-}0.53}^{+0.38}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.68)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{18}\mathrm{y}.$ Similarly, a 6287-h exposure of 15.5 g of ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ enriched to 91% in ${}^{150}\mathrm{Nd}$ yielded ${T}_{1/2}^{2\ensuremath{\nu}}{=(6.75}_{\ensuremath{-}0.42}^{+0.37}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.68)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{18}\mathrm{y}.$ Lower limits on half-lives for neutrinoless decay with and without majoron emission also have been measured.
Adh-n5: a temperature-sensitive mutant at the Adh locus in Drosophila.

Individuals of an alcohol dehydrogenase-negative strain of Drosophila melanogaster designated Adh n5 are resistant to ethanol poisoning at low but not at high temperatures. The basis for this behavior is that Adh n5 flies contain a mutant form of alcohol dehydrogenase which is less heat stable than that of wild-type flies. The mutation in Adh n5 maps at, or very close to, the presumptive structural locus and is not complemented by any of 11 other alcohol dehydrogenase-null mutants.
Synthesis and Use of Tris(trimethylsilyl)antimony for the Preparation of InSb Quantum Dots

A straightforward experimental procedure was developed for the synthesis of highly crystalline InSb quantum dots (QDs). Spherical QDs were obtained via transsilyation of In(O2CCH3)3 with tris(trimethylsilyl)-antimony in the presence of coordinating ligands.
Deformation kinetics of steady-state creep in metals

Abstract The phenomenological constitutive equation given below, for uniaxial steady state creep, i.e. ϵ ˙ = K 1 0 e − ϵ 0 / k T sinh K 2 ( σ − σ 0 ) log 16 ϵ 0 k T − log K 2 ( σ − σ 0 ) , has been derived from first principles and applied to AISI316 stainless steel, pure polycrystalline aluminum and copper. A single micromechanism has been found sufficient to predict the data throughout the entire test temperature and stress range. The equation above has an intrinsically atomic basis as it has been obtained through the notion of intermal variables in the context of the absolute reaction theory of Eyring. The physical meaning of the internal variables and the foundation of their associated evolution equations are established clearly in terms of averages of atomic motions over the energy barriers, under application of an external stress field. It is this concept that gives one hope that a sound thermodynamic and physical foundation of irreversible thermodynamics with internal variables has been found from microscopic considerations.
Biosynthetic assembly of the Bacteroides fragilis capsular polysaccharide A precursor bactoprenyl diphosphate-linked acetamido-4-amino-6-deoxygalactopyranose.

The sugar capsule capsular polysaccharide A (CPSA), which coats the surface of the mammalian symbiont Bacteroides fragilis, is a key mediator of mammalian immune system development. In addition, this sugar polymer has shown therapeutic potential in animal models of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders. The structure of the CPSA polymer includes a rare stereoconfiguration sugar acetamido-4-amino-6-deoxygalactopyranose (AADGal) that we propose is the first sugar linked to a bactoprenyl diphosphate scaffold in the production of CPSA. In this report, we have utilized a heterologous system to reconstitute bactoprenyl diphosphate-linked AADGal production. Construction of this system included a previously reported Campylobacter jejuni dehydratase, PglF, coupled to a B. fragilis-encoded aminotransferase (WcfR) and initiating hexose-1-phosphate transferase (WcfS). The function of the aminotransferase was confirmed by capillary electrophoresis and a novel high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) m...
Regional socioeconomic impacts of declining net energy

Abstract Net energy is declining as nonrenewable energy resources are depleted. OPEC's market control affirmed this by unveiling diminishing returns in energy development elsewhere. Declining net energy can be expected to effect major changes in the regional distributions of economic activity and population in industrialized societies. Economic theory is argued to be generally static and growth-contingent, hence incapable of treating the human ecological processes involved in this transition. A scenario details changes that can be anticipated at the scale of regions. Research on historical and contemporary instances of relatively costly nonrenewable energy is proposed as an aid to planning the future.
Impacts of residential development on vegetation cover for a remote coastal barrier in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA

Coastal barrier environments are heavily influenced by human activities yet there are few examples of landscape ecological work investigating human dimensions of settlement disturbance patterns and processes. We investigated the impacts of residential development on vegetation cover for a remote roadless coastal barrier in Carova, North Carolina that is subject to policies from the federal to local levels and addressed three research questions: How has the region’s the policy history influenced patterns of residential parcel development? What are the spatial and temporal patterns of parcel development? How has development impacted patterns of barrier vegetation cover? We traced the influences of the federal 1982 Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) designed to discourage development in risky coastal areas as well as state/local coastal policies and employed remote sensing change detection, NDVI analysis and spatial analysis and regression techniques. Results showed an acceleration of new housing structures since 1990, contrary to the intended effects of CBRA. An estimated vegetation cover loss of 437 m2 was associated with each newly developed parcel. NDVI varied along spatial and temporal gradients with more recent development having lower NDVI than older development. Recently developed parcels were larger in area, closer to the beach, and contained houses with larger footprints compared to older developed parcels. Our approach represents a place-based analytical framework for coastal barrier landscapes. Beyond the Carova case study, adopting such an approach coupling natural and human systems for the entire eastern US barrier system requires defining a comprehensive set of coastal barrier spatial units to enable typological classification and subsequent systematic investigation to inform debates regarding coastal ecosystem services and sustainability.
The safety and efficacy of regional anesthesia in an office-based setting.

Abstract Study Objective To determine the safety and efficacy of regional anesthesia techniques when administered in the office-based setting. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Free-standing orthopedic office with an operating room suite. Measurements A total of 238 patients underwent 242 anesthetics. Types of anesthetics delivered were quantified. Regional anesthetics were further divided into specific nerve blocks. Times from anesthetic start to surgical start and from surgical end to anesthetic end were calculated. Adverse outcomes were ascertained and followed. Main Results Of the 242 anesthetics administered, 123 were peripheral nerve blocks, two were neuraxial blocks, 140 were monitored anesthesia care cases, and 17 were general anesthetics (14 Laryngeal Mask Airway cases, two mask ventilation cases, and one endotracheal intubation). The average times from anesthesia start to surgery start were as follows: monitored anesthesia cases, 19 ± 7 min (median, 20 min); regional anesthesia cases, 29 ± 11 min (median, 30 min); and general anesthesia cases, 31 ± 11 min (median, 30 min). The average time from surgery end to anesthesia end for monitored anesthesia cases was 9 ± 3 min (median, 10 min); regional anesthesia, 9 ± 3 min (median, 10 min); and general anesthesia, 12 ± 4 min (median, 20 min). Two transient nerve injuries occurred, both of which resolved. Conclusions On the basis of our experience, we believe that regional anesthesia can be delivered efficiently and safely for orthopedic procedures in the office-based environment, and we encourage its wider use.
“Don't Use Balloons on Windy Days”: Elementary Education Majors' Perceptions of Teaching Physical Education

Abstract Elementary teachers are frequently expected to provide physical education in addition to classroom instruction. Because of this, many institutions require that elementary education majors take a physical education methods course, though the impact of such courses has not been studied. This study explored the reflective insights of elementary education majors following their first field experience teaching physical education. Areas of reflection included their understanding and attitudes about children, themselves as teachers, and of teaching physical education. Four hundred and twenty-four preservice elementary teachers participated in this qualitative study. Findings indicated that these preservice teachers appeared to have increased their teaching skill, understanding of children, and awareness of physical education as a content area.
Synthesis of photolabile transcription initiators and preparation of photocleavable functional RNA by transcription

Two new photolabile adenosine-containing transcription initiators with terminal thiol and amino functionalities are chemically synthesized. Transcription in the presence of the transcription initiators under the T7 phi2.5 promoter produces 5' thiol- and amino-functionalized RNA conjugated by a photocleavable (PC) linker. Further RNA functionalization with biotin may be achieved through acyl transfer reactions from either biotinyl AMP to the RNA thiol group or biotin NHS to the RNA amino group. Photocleavage of the PC linker displays relatively fast kinetics with a half-life of 4-5 min. The availability of these transcription initiators makes new photolabile RNA accessible for affinity purification of RNA, in vitro selection of functional RNAs, and functional RNA caging.
Population dynamics in canopy gaps: nonlinear response to variable light regimes by an understory plant

Gap-dependent species are typically understood to have higher population growth rates (λs) when they are exposed to higher light transmittance. I investigated the relationship between both diffuse light and direct light transmittance and λ for the gap-dependent plant Trollius laxus using 5 years of data from 20 subpopulations (11 in created, experimental canopy gaps; 9 in intact canopy control areas). There was a nonlinear (unimodal) relationship between diffuse light and λ for T. laxus under the wide range of light levels encountered at the gap and control subpopulations [4–58 % diffuse photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD)]. There was no relationship between direct light and λ. However, in the gaps, where light levels were generally greater than 20 % PPFD, both diffuse light and direct light had strong negative linear relationships with λ. Therefore, under wide-ranging light regimes, plant populations may show complicated, nonlinear responses to gap formation. Furthermore, gap-dependent plant populations may even decline in the brightest gaps. These results demonstrate that future studies on forest plant population dynamics should strive to include populations from a wide variety of light regimes, and avoid broadly categorizing light regimes as simply “gap” or “non-gap.”
Correction to "A three-dimensional universal controller for the adaptive stabilization of any strictly proper minimum-phase system with relative degree not exceeding two"

A three-dimensional "universal" controller is developed which can adaptively stabilize any process with scalar input u and scalar output y , provided the process can be modeled by a finite-dimensional, strictly proper, minimum-phase linear system with relative degree not exceeding two.
Analysis of pulse propagation in coupled transmissions

A model describing transient propagation in multiconductor strip transmission lines supporting transverse electromagnetic waves travelling at different velocities has been implemented. The model uses a transform approach to derive the closed-form expressions for the line voltages and currents in the time domain and assumes linearity of the terminations as well as frequency independence of the electrical parameters of the lines. These relations are easily used for computer modeling and the simulations show good comparison with experiments.
A simple a priori determination of optical transmission gaps in photonic crystals of weak symmetry

Pair correlation and radial distribution functions of a disordered SiO2 colloidal photonic crystal (PC) were generated directly from binary color scale rendering of a focussed ion beam milled cross-section that was imaged by common electron microscopy techniques. The bandwidth and mid-gap frequency of the optical band gap are calculated to within 6% and 30%, respectively, of their measured values by considering a simple variation of the Ioffe–Regel conditions and symmetries derived from the experimentally determined correlation functions. This work provides a simple a priori approach to a first-order prediction of the structure/optical property relationships in PCs directly from standard microstructural imaging techniques. 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A new role for Notch and Delta in cell fate decisions: patterning the feather array

Chick embryonic feather buds arise in a distinct spatial and temporal pattern. Although many genes are implicated in the growth and differentiation of the feather buds, little is known about how the discrete pattern of the feather array is formed and which gene products may be involved. Possible candidates include Notch and its ligands, Delta and Serrate, as they play a role in numerous cell fate decisions in many organisms. Here we show that Notch-1 and Notch-2 mRNAs are expressed in the skin in a localized pattern prior to feather bud initiation. In the early stages of feather bud development, Delta-1 and Notch-1 are localized to the forming buds while Notch-2 expression is excluded from the bud. Thus, Notch and Delta-1 are expressed at the correct time and place to be players in the formation of the feather pattern. Once the initial buds form, expression of Notch and its ligands is observed within each bud. Notch-1 and -2 and Serrate-1 and -2 are expressed throughout the growth and differentiation of the feathers whereas Delta-1 transcripts are downregulated. We have also misexpressed chick Delta-1 using a replication competent retrovirus. This results in induction of Notch-1 and-2 and a loss of feather buds from the embryo in either large or small patches. In large regions of Delta-1 misexpression, feathers are lost throughout the infected area. In contrast, in small regions of misexpression, Delta-1 expressing cells differentiate into feather buds more quickly than normal and inhibit their neighbors from accepting a feather fate. We propose a dual role for Delta-1 in promoting feather bud development and in lateral inhibition. These results implicate the Notch/Delta receptor ligand pair in the formation of the feather array.
Lack of association of VEGF promoter polymorphisms with sporadic ALS

The authors tested the association of three vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promoter polymorphisms with sporadic ALS (SALS) to verify the results of a previous study and to investigate their modifier effects on the subphenotypes of SALS in a large family-based and case-control cohort of North American white subjects (N = 1,603). They did not find any association of the VEGF promoter polymorphisms with SALS or its subphenotypes, suggesting that they do not have a direct causal role in ALS.
COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY OF CURRENT GPSG THEORY

An important goal of computational linguistics has been to use linguistic theory to guide the construction of computationally efficient real-world natural language processing systems. At first glance, generalized phrase structure grammar (GPSG) appears to be a blessing on two counts. First, the precise formalisms of GPSG might be a direct and transparent guide for parser design and implementation. Second, since GPSG has weak context-free generative power and context-free languages can be parsed in O(n3) by a wide range of algorithms, GPSG parsers would appear to run in polynomial time. This widely-assumed GPSG "efficient parsability" result is misleading: here we prove that the universal recognition problem for current GPSG theory is exponential-polynomial time hard, and assuredly intractable. The paper pinpoints sources of complexity (e.g. metarules and the theory of syntactic features) in the current GPSG theory and concludes with some linguistically and computationally motivated restrictions on GPSG.
Genetic and functional analyses of the øX174 DNA binding protein: the effects of substitutions for amino acid residues that spatially organize the two DNA binding domains.

The oX174 DNA binding protein contains two DNA binding domains, containing a series of DNA binding basic amino acids, separated by a proline-rich linker region. Within each DNA binding domain, there is a conserved glycine residue. Glycine and proline residues were mutated and the effects on virion structure were examined. Substitutions for glycine residues yield particles with similar properties to previously characterized mutants with substitutions for DNA binding residues. Both sets of mutations share a common extragenic second-site suppressor, suggesting that the defects caused by the mutant proteins are mechanistically similar. Hence, glycine residues may optimize DNA-protein contacts. The defects conferred by substitutions for proline residues appear to be fundamentally different. The properties of the mutant particles along with the atomic structure of the virion suggest that the proline residues may act to guide the packaged DNA to the adjacent fivefold related asymmetric unit, thus preventing a chaotic packaging arrangement.
A conceptual framework for international Web design

We develop a conceptual framework for exploring significant differences in how people from diverse cultural backgrounds and with diverse individual characteristics might perceive and use Web documents. This is the first stage of a large multistage empirical study of user satisfaction and effectiveness of various Web designs based on cultural and individual factors. We identify six cultural factors and six individual factors that could impact the effectiveness of Web documents. The six cultural factors include: power distance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, anxiety avoidance, long-term versus short-term orientation, and polychronic versus monochronic time orientation. The six individual factors include: demographics (age and gender), professional knowledge, information technology knowledge, flexibility, information processing abilities, and cultural knowledge. Based on the conceptual model proposed, we develop a number of testable, specific propositions on how Web document effectiveness could be impacted by the cultural and individual factors in various Web designs. In order to measure document effectiveness of each design, we identify components of Web document effectiveness as perceived usability, reliability, clarity, and comprehension that, in turn, influence readers' overall satisfaction with Web documents. Using the propositions presented, one can measure and analyze how cultural and individual factors influence users' satisfaction, which will assist researchers, educators, and communicators working with various Web designs.
Narratives of Suffering of South Asian Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence

This article examines the narratives of suffering expressed by a group of South Asian immigrant survivors of domestic violence who accessed a mental health clinic in New York City. These accounts illustrate women's own perceptions of their suffering and symptoms and provide a window into the South Asian immigrant community's ideologies and moral domains regarding gender, violence, and sickness, as well as how individuals vary in their endorsement of these ideologies. The women's narratives illustrate how migration and culture interact with the deeply personal experience of suffering caused by domestic and sexual violence.
Impact of a health literacy presentation during an Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience

Abstract Objectives To identify the influence of an educational health literacy presentation by student pharmacists on community pharmacist preceptors participating in an Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) focused on the identification and assistance of patients with low health literacy skills. Methods One-hundred thirty-four second-year Doctor of Pharmacy students spent 20 hours completing a health literacy module in community pharmacies as part of their required curriculum. At the conclusion of the module, students provided pharmacy staff with an educational presentation on health literacy and suggestions for the staff to improve the identification and assistance of limited health literacy patients. Preceptor pharmacists were subsequently invited to complete an online survey to identify changes made to their practice based on student presentations and to assess their own understanding of health literacy. Results After completion of the IPPE student health literacy presentation, 61% of pharmacists reported making at least one change to better identify or care for patients with low health literacy. The most common changes implemented were decreasing the amount of medical jargon spoken during medication consultations and increasing the number of open-ended question asked to patients. Conclusions IPPE students may be used to influence the practice habits of community pharmacists to identify and assist patients with low health literacy. Similar IPPE health literacy modules may be applied to other schools and colleges of pharmacy.
Diameter Thresholds for Distinguishing Between Red Wolf and Other Canid Scat

Differentiation between scats of sympatric canid species is important for determining species- specific presence and movements, but distinction in the field is difficult. We calculated upper and lower thresholds of scat diameters to distinguish between scats of red wolves (Canis rufus) and scats of coyotes (C. latrans) and coyote-wolf hybrids in the field, in North Carolina, USA, from February 2009 to March 2010. We used DNA genotyping to identify scats collected in the field and took diameter measure- ments of those scats. Based on normal-distribution probability functions of scat diameters, scats � 29 mm in diameter were � 95% certain to be of red wolf origin. Conversely, scats � 14 mm in diameter were 95% certain to be of coyote or hybrid origin. Scats >14 mm and <29 mm in diameter could not be identified by diameter alone. We suggest these upper and lower thresholds of scat diameters be used in concert with other methods (e.g., DNA genotyping) to monitor for red wolf, coyote, and hybrid activity to help conserve a lone, free- ranging population of wild red wolves. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
The diabetes gene Hhex maintains δ-cell differentiation and islet function

The homeodomain transcription factor HHEX (hematopoietically expressed homeobox) has been repeatedly linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using genome-wide association studies. We report here that within the adult endocrine pancreas, Hhex is selectively expressed in the somatostatin-secreting δ cell. Using two mouse models with Hhex deficiency in the endocrine pancreas, we show that Hhex is required for δ-cell differentiation. Decreased somatostatin levels in Hhex-deficient islets cause disrupted paracrine inhibition of insulin release from β cells. These findings identify Hhex as the first transcriptional regulator specifically required for islet δ cells and suggest compromised paracrine control as a contributor to T2DM.
The thermodynamics of vinca alkaloid-induced tubulin spirals formation

Abstract Vinca alkaloids are antimitotic, anticancer agents that induce tubulin to form spiral polymers at physiological protein concentrations. We used sedimentation velocity to investigate the effects of six vinca alkaloids on tubulin spiraling. Fitting to a Wyman linkage model reveals a drug dependent change of over two orders of magnitude in spiraling potential, K 1 K 2 . Thermodynamic analysis of Ln K 1 K 2 data demonstrates large and positive Δ S values, indicating that tubulin spiral formation is entropically-driven. From the curvature in van't Hoff plots of vinblastine data, we estimate Δ C p for GTP and GDP conditions to be − 439 and − 396 cal/mol K. Partitioning of Δ S into the hydrophobic effect, Δ S HE , change in rotational/translational freedom, Δ S RT and change in protein conformation, Δ S other , demonstrates that the major driving force for tubulin spiral formation is burial of hydrophobic surfaces and that protein conformational changes do not make a significant contribution. Spiraling potential is an indicator of antimitotic activity in vivo , although turbidity studies indicate that there is no correlation between spiraling potential and microtubule inhibition in vitro . Mechanisms that explain this discrepancy are discussed.
Participation in Trauma Research: Is There Evidence of Harm?

Few studies have examined the impact of trauma research participation upon trauma survivors. Empirical data regarding reactions to research participation would be very useful to address the question of whether it is harmful for trauma survivors to participate in trauma studies. We examined participant reactions to different trauma assessment procedures in domestic violence (N = 260), rape (N = 108), and physical assault (N = 62) samples. Results indicated that participation was very well tolerated by the vast majority of the trauma survivors. Participants generally found that the assessment experience was not distressing and was, in fact, viewed as an interesting and valuable experience. The findings suggest that trauma survivors are not too fragile to participate in trauma research even in the acute aftermath of a traumatic experience.
Qualitative modeling and simulation: promise or illusion

In this panel discussion, questions shall be addressed relating to the potential usefulness of qualitative modeling and simulation. When might qualitative versus quantitative modeling/simulation be justified? What types of qualitative models if any are useful and under which conditions? What can qualitative simulations reveal that quantitative simulations cannot? Under what conditions are combined quantitative/qualitative models feasible/meaningful? In this article, some basic definitions are presented that may serve as a basis for the discussion. After all, we must first agree on some common ground before particular properties can be explored.
Scaling network-based spectrum analyzer with constant communication cost

We propose a spectrum analyzer that leverages many networked commodity sensor nodes, each of which samples its portion in a wideband spectrum. The sensors operate in parallel and transmit their measurements over a wireless network without performing any significant computations such as FFT. The measurements are forwarded to the backend of the system where spectrum analysis takes place. In particular, we propose a solution that compresses the raw measurements in a simple random linear projection and combines the compressed measurements from multiple sensors in-network. As a result, we achieve a substantial reduction in the network bandwidth requirement to operate the proposed system. We discover that the overall communication cost can be independent of the number of sensors and is affected only by sparsity of discretized spectrum under analysis. This principle founds the basis for a claim that our network-based spectrum analyzer can scale up the number of sensor nodes to process a very wide spectrum block potentially having a GHz bandwidth. We devise a novel recovery algorithm that systematically undoes compressive encoding and in-network combining done to the raw measurements, incorporating the least squares and I1-minimization decoding used in compressive sensing, and demonstrate that the algorithm can effectively restore an accurate estimate of the original data suitable for finegrained spectrum analysis. We present mathematical analysis and empirical evaluation of the system with software-defined radios.
Product Purchase Decision Making Process among Urban Married Working Women in Tiruchirappalli District-An Analysis

Urban women play a significant role in domestic and socio- economic life of the society. In India, over the years, both female and male roles have been changing. Many women are placing an increasing value on independence and the freedom to do what they want. Being aware of the dual responsibility at home and office, working wives are pressurized for time. As they enjoy economic freedom, it may appear that they make independent decisions. More women are also rejecting traditional roles related to submissiveness and home making. The rise in the importance of Information Technology has given rise to a variety of new professions. They have spawned a taste for a cosmopolitan lifestyle among the emerging middle class. Break-up of joint families, rise in the number of nuclear families and greater urbanization has increased the dependence on household appliances and labour - saving gadgets. In this scenario, women are becoming more visible in the markets and are emerging as the new decision makers at home.
Prevalence, geographic distribution, and fitness effects of Microphallus turgidus (trematoda: Microphallidae) in grass shrimp (Palaemonetes spp.) from coastal Georgia.

Grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio Holthuis and P. vulgaris (Say), were collected at 11 localities along the coast of Georgia and surveyed for digenetic trematode metacercariae. The effect of trematode infection on grass shrimp fitness was also examined. Microphallus turgidus (Leigh) was the only trematode observed. The prevalence of metacercarial cysts of this parasite in P. pugio (75%) was higher than in P. vulgaris (24%), as were the mean intensity, abundance, and population density (no. cysts/cm host body length) of the parasite. Infected shrimp were found at every collection locality and parasite prevalence and density were greatest in P. pugio from higher salinity localities (≥20 parts per thousand [ppt]). There was no relation between host body size and parasite density in P. vulgaris, and parasite density increased with host body size in P. pugio, suggesting that the parasite does not affect host survival. There was no relation between parasite density and shrimp egg mass, but nonovigerous female P....
Indeterminacy in Two Sector Models with Factor Market Distortions: The Role of VIPIRs

Previous literature has shown that local indeterminacy and local instability can arise in two sector models when factor market distortions create a divergence between capital intensity ranking of the sectors on a physical basis and on a value basis. We identify a previously unnoticed source of indeterminacy that arises when there are such value intensity - physical intensity reversals (VIPIRs), which is the existence of multiple static production equilibria. Specifically, there is a region of the phase plane that is consistent with three production equilibira, one with incomplete specialization in production and two other equilibria with specialization in the respective goods. We show how this multiplicity of equilibria can be used to construct compound paths in which the economy switches between production patterns over time. We show that in an open economy model with VIPIRs, there will exist compound paths that reach the steady in finite time. We also establish conditions for the existence of cyclical equilibria that alternate forever between specialization in the consumption and specialization in the investment good. Consideration of the compound paths can expand the range of parameter values for which the economy has a multiplicity of equilibrium paths and can generate paths to the steady in examples where the steady state is locally unstable.
Indices of Arterial Stiffness in African American and African Caribbean Subjects

Background African American and African Caribbeans have high cardiovascular morbidity/mortality. Increased arterial stiffness is a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, predicts higher cardiovascular risk, and causes isolated systolic hypertension. The objectives of the study were to compare arterial stiffness indices in African Americans and African Caribbeans and obtain reference values. Methods/Results We prospectively studied 449 African Americans and 454 African Caribbeans. Using applanation tonometry, mean augmentation index and carotid-to-radial pulse-swave velocity were similar between the 2 groups (23 ± 15 vs 24 ± 14%, p = .20) and (9.0 ± 1.9 vs 9.0 ± 2.0 m/s, p = .86). On multivariate analysis, age, weight, gender, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and family history of coronary artery disease were independently associated with augmentation index in African Americans (R 2 , 0.46) and African Caribbeans (R 2 , 0.49). Among 94 African American and 98 African Caribbean healthy subjects without cardiovascular risk factors/disease, augmentation index (20 ± 14 vs 18 ± 16%, p = .43) and pulse-wave velocity (8.9 ± 1.9 vs 9.0 ± 1.5 m/s, p = .92) were similar. Age-based normative values were determined. Conclusion Augmentation index and pulse-wave velocity and their related clinical factors are similar between African Americans and African Caribbeans. Age, weight, female gender, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and family history of coronary artery disease are independent predictors of higher augmentation index in African Americans and African Caribbeans. Whether increased arterial stiffness improves risk stratification in these populations merits further study.
The influence of plant water deficit on distribution of 14C-labelled assimilates in cacao seedlings.

Ces experiences permettent d'evaluer la relation entre l'evolution de la teneur en eau et la repartition du carbone marque 14 C chez les feuilles de jeunes plants de cacaoyer recoltes 24 heures et 72 heures apres etablissement du stress hydrique
Immunological Reaction of the Hamster to Inoculations with the Virus of St. Louis Encephalitis.

SummaryHumoral antibodies against the virus of St. Louis encephalitis can be demonstrated in the sera of hamsters inoculated by subcutaneous, intracerebral, intranasal and oral routes provided the animals survive the infection 7 days or more.After subcutaneous inoculation, antibodies may appear in the serum within 48 hours after inoculation. They persist at high titer for many weeks. When inoculated intranasally or intracerebrally, some animals fail to develop antibodies prior to death and others which develop a high protective titer still succumb to the infection. Animals dying as long as 6 days after intracerebral or intranasal inoculation may fail to show neutralizing antibodies. No animal inoculated subcutaneously has failed to show humoral antibodies after the second day. The presence of humoral antibodies does not insure immunity against the disease.
Special-Effects Cinematography: A Bibliography

The Resources of the special-effects cinematographer have always been highly valued in the Hollywood industry. Generally, such special effects offer visuals which are otherwise impossible to achieve, or which are too difficult, dangerous, time-consuming or expensive to produce by routine methods.
Genetic Variation within and among Geographic Populations of Diabrotica barberi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Adult enzymatic and chromatic variation data were compiled and compared for geographic populations of Diabrotica barberi Smith and Lawrence. Genetic distance values, computed between populations based on electromorph frequencies, ranged from 0.001 to 0.063 (avg = 0.013). There was an approximate relation between the magnitude of given values and the geographic distance separating sampling units. Multidimensional scaling of the genetic distance matrix produced a spatial plot of populations that approximated their actual geographic distribution. Correlation coefficients calculated between populations ranged from 0.865 to 0.988 and provided additional evidence of a close correspondence between paired isozyme data sets. Recorded population heterozygosities ranged from 0.053 to 0.123 and heterozygosity averaged 0.081 over all populations. Observed levels of heterozygosity did not vary significantly among populations nor were there significant differences between observed and expected heterozygosities. Variation partitioning based on heterozygosity estimates indicated that 90.2% of the total species variation could be found in given populations. Significant correlations were recorded between electromorph heterozygosities and color variation scores of adult morphological structures. The data support the idea that chromatically varying beetle populations represent geographic races of D. barberi , despite the existence of complex color patterns over given regions of the species distribution.
Interethnic differences in Cyp3A4 inhibition by ketoconazole on docetaxel pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD)

2526 Background: Use of concomitant medications that inhibit drug metabolizing enzymes such as Cyp3A4 is common and may affect chemotherapy PK/PD. We studied the effects of Cyp3A4 inhibition with ketoconazole on docetaxel PK/PD in 3 Asian ethnic groups. Methods: Two cohorts of chemonaive breast cancer patients were compared. The first cohort comprised of 95 patients (62 Chinese, 26 Malay, 7 Indian) treated with 75mg/m2 docetaxel unmodulated by ketoconazole, while the second cohort comprised of 31 patients (14 Chinese, 14 Malay, 3 Indian) treated with docetaxel 70mg flat dose modulated by oral ketoconazole, a regimen we previously reported to result in comparable docetaxel AUC as 75mg/m2 docetaxel. Plasma docetaxel concentrations were obtained at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 7 and 24 hours, and blood counts monitored on days 8 and 15 of cycle 1. Results: No significant differences in docetaxel PK or neutropenia between the races were observed in response to 75mg/m2 docetaxel unmodulated by ketoconazole (docetaxel clea...
The absence of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in the placental blood of a woman with a peripheral parasitaemia.

(1992). The absence of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in the placental blood of a woman with a peripheral parasitaemia. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology: Vol. 86, No. 2, pp. 191-192.
Predictive Methods in the Assessment of Alloy 600 PWSCC Failures in Operating Pressurized Water Reactors

This paper reviews the role of fundamental factors such as stress, temperature and material microstructure in contributing to the PWSCC susceptibility in Alloy 600 components of operating PWRs. The effect of residual stresses from fabrication, cold work and welding as well as cyclic work hardening are considered. The influence of fabrication practice and the resulting microstructural parameters such as grain size, carbide distribution and ghost boundaries are considered. The paper considers the development of deterministic and probabilistic PWSCC susceptibility models to predict failures in the components and explain how these are applied to operating units. Investigation of service failures in the base metal and welds are considered.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
On-chip memory efficient data layout for 2D FFT on 3D memory integrated FPGA

3D memories are becoming viable solutions for the memory wall problem and meeting the bandwidth requirements of memory intensive applications. The high bandwidth provided by 3D memories does not translate to a proportional increase in performance for all applications. For an application such as 2D FFT with strided access patterns, the data layout of the memory has a significant impact on the total execution time of the implementation. In this paper, we present a data layout for 2D FFT on 3D memory integrated FPGA that is both on-chip memory efficient as well as throughput-optimal. Our data layout ensures that consecutive accesses to 3D memory are sufficiently interleaved among layers and vaults to absorb latency due to activation overheads for both sequential (Row FFT) and strided (Column FFT) accesses. The current state-of-the-art implementation on 3D memory requires O(√cN) on-chip memory to reduce the strided accesses and achieve maximum bandwidth for an N × N FFT problem size and c columns in a 3D memory bank row. Our proposed data layout optimizes the throughput of both the Row FFT and Column FFT phases of 2D FFT with O(N) on-chip memory for the same problem size and memory parameters without decreasing the memory bandwidth thereby achieving a √c× reduction in on-chip memory. On architectures with limited on-chip memory, our data layout achieves 2× to 4× improvement in execution time compared with the state-of-art 2D FFT implementation on 3D memory.
Queen Anne: Patroness of Arts. By James Anderson Winn. (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2014. Pp. xxi, 792. $39.95.)

Queen Anne was the last Stuart ruler. For a certain generation, she is perhaps best known as played by Margaret Tyzack in the BBC's late 1960s The First Churchills. For history buffs, too often she...
FReAD: A Multimodal Interface for Audio Assisted Identification of Everyday Objects

Visually-impaired persons (VIPs) have employed tactility as a rich medium of interaction, exemplified by the ubiquity of braille and tactile boards. Yet, identifying everyday objects with tactility can still be challenging. We aim to augment a VIP's tactile faculties with modern computer vision, allowing users to touch and explore physical objects while receiving contextual, appropriate machine assistance. We present FReAD (Feature Reading Accessibility Device), a wearable device that provides audio assistance during tactile manipulations of everyday objects. The device can recognize the general taxonomy, printed text, and dominant colors of an object. Moreover, FReAD recognizes hand gestures, allowing objects to be classified automatically as soon as they are grasped. This information is then voiced to the user via a Bluetooth headset. FReAD employs a "belt-style" form factor that allows for hands-free interaction with objects and an unobstructed view of the user's frontal zone, while still encouraging seamless integration within the user's daily life.
Odd Ball, Abstract, Olfactory Learning in Laboratory Rats

This study demonstrated that hooded rats could learn the abstract relation of oddity while control Ss could not when they were not supplied the olfactory stimuli. Olfactory stimuli provide a good fit to the rat’s abilities, allowing 69% correct responses on the first trial of a problem and 93% correct on the second trial after 29 problems.
Decreased Hepatitis B vaccine response in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and morphea

Multiple groups of patients have been recognized for having high rates of non-responders to the Hepatitis B vaccine including those with HIV, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic kidney disease. These patients are at increased risk for infection due to both the nature of their underlying diseases and the immunosuppressive drugs they are commonly prescribed. Identification of groups with high non-response rates is essential in order to establish vaccination guidelines and prevent serious infections in already susceptible patients. We thus aimed to assess the rate of antibody response to the HBV vaccine in patients with psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, or morphea prior to starting immunosuppressive therapy.
Vascular Normalization in Cerebral Angiogenesis: Friend or Foe?

Current antiangiogenic therapies have led to the observation that such agents can lead to improved tumor vessel structure and function termed “vascular normalization” which reduces tumor burden. However, vessel normalization is a transient process, and patients often develop resistance/poor response to anti-vascular strategies that remains an important clinical challenge. Therefore, increasing effort has been made to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of vascular normalization and its contribution to immunomodulation. Herein, we summarize the recent effort to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of vascular normalization with a focus on preclinical genetic models. These studies remain important directions for a mechanistic understanding of the complexities of the maintenance of BBB integrity and the impact of its breakdown on tumor dissemination and pharmaco-distribution of therapeutics.