cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Level-set topology optimization for effective control of transient conductive heat response using eigenvalue

Abstract Designing thermally efficient devices for an instantaneous heating condition is a challenging task, since a structure that simultaneously satisfies a lower peak temperature as well as a slower thermal response time must be achieved. In order to design a structure for both of the requirements, a transient analysis-based structural topology optimization method can be usually employed. However, the overall thermal response time of a heat conduction system can be modelled simply via the fundamental thermal eigenvalue, which is a physical quantity. This suggests that a thermal eigenvalue analysis can be adopted instead of transient analysis for an effective design of the structure controlling its thermal response time. In this study, we aim at developing a level-set topology optimization method to effectively optimize the overall response time of heat conduction systems using the thermal eigenvalue. The proposed level-set thermal eigenvalue topology optimization updates the structural boundary based on the common fixed grid approach, and the adjoint variable method is applied to compute shape sensitivity. Numerical examples clearly show the controllability of overall heat response time through the thermal eigenvalue, and especially, it is demonstrated that the proposed method is useful in designing an effective cooling structure for an instantaneous heating.
Case report of metastatic prostate cancer masquerading as squamous cell carcinoma on the tip of the penis.

Abstract We present a 76-year old man with a two year history of Gleason 9 prostate cancer (PCa) presenting with penile pain, erythema, and a fungating mass on the glans. Imaging at initial PCa diagnosis revealed confined disease. His prostate cancer was previously treated with radiation and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with initial laboratory response via prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, however his PSA began to rise six months following cessation of ADT. Shared decision making resulted in partial penectomy for symptomatic management. Computed tomography (CT) and bone scan performed after surgery were not definitive for metastatic disease.
Falling Through the Cracks: UK Health Professionals’ Perspective of Diagnosis and Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) describes an eating disturbance associated with weight loss or faltering growth in children, significant nutritional deficiency, reliance on oral s...
Repeated and Reversed Loading in Reinforced Concrete

THREE BEAMS TESTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, DURING 1959-61 WERE SUBJECTED TO REVERSAL IN THE DIRECTION OF LOADING AND 18 OTHERS WERE SUBJECTED TO REVERSAL OF LOADING IN ONE DIRECTION. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE THREE BEAMS SUBJECTED TO REVERSAL OF LOADING IS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL. THE REDUCTION IN STIFFNESS OF A REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM WITH PROGRESSIVE DAMAGE RESULTING FROM REPEATED LOADING IS EXAMINED. THE THREE BEAMS WITH REVERSAL OF LOADING WERE FOUND TO POSSES LOAD-DEFLECTION CAPABILITY SIMILAR TO THAT FOR COMPANION BEAMS NOT SUBJECTED TO REVERSAL OF LOADING. ENVELOPE CURVES FOR COMPANION BEAMS SHOW THIS COMPARISON. ULTIMATE MOMENT FOR THE BEAMS SUBJECTED TO REVERSAL OF LOADING WAS FOUND TO BE PRACTICALLY UNAFFECTED BY THE PREVIOUS REVERSAL OF LOAD IN THESE TESTS. SOME LOSS IN DUCTILITY WAS OBSERVED, BUT LARGE PLASTIC ROTATION CAPACITY WAS OBSERVED IN ALL OF THESE BEAMS WHICH WERE DOUBLY REINFORCED. /ASCE/
Ngos, the International Criminal Court, and the Politics of Writing International Law

The creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) necessarily involves a modification of state sovereignty norms. Analytically, there are three dimensions to this modification. First, establishing a permanent ICC involves expanding the accountability of individuals under international law, lessening the ability of political and military leaders to hide behind the corporate personality of the state. Second, from the perspective of states-as-actors, an ICC imposes effective constraints on the ability of states to use force. Finally, the ICC limits the ability of powerful states to define what conduct violates international criminal law. Instead, the ICC creates an international prosecutor and judges to decide whether or not specific actions violate the laws of war. Left to their own devices, sovereign states likely would not have created an ICC that reduces their effective decision-making power in these ways.
Unique Ring Signatures: A Practical Construction

We propose unique ring signatures that simplify and capture the spirit of linkable ring signatures. We use new techniques to provide an instantiation which can be tightly related to the DDH problem in the random oracle model, leading to the most efficient linkable/unique ring signature.
Remote welding equipment for TPX

Remote welding equipment and techniques are necessary for maintenance of the Tokamak Physics Experiment (TPX) Plasma Facing Components (PFCs). The processes identified for this application includes inside diameter (i.d.) and outside diameter (o.d.) Gas Tungsten Arc (GTA) welding of titanium and stainless steel alloys. Welding equipment developed for this application includes some unique features due to the specialized environment of the TPX vessel. Remote features of this equipment must include the ability to acquire and align the parts being welded, perform all welding operations and visually inspect the weld area. Designs for weld heads require the integration of industry proven hardware with the special features necessary to accomplish remote operations. Such features include compact size, remote manipulation, remote clamping and alignment, remote vision, full inert gas coverage, arc voltage control, wire feed, programmable weld schedules and failure recovery.
Further studies on the previously proposed saturable high affinity site for D-glucose in renal brush border membrane preparations.

Abstract Measurements of the stereospecific uptake of micromolar concentrations of d-glucose by rabbit renal brush border preparations suggested saturation at a "high affinity site" only when incubations at 20° were prolonged, but not when the incubation period was ½ min. This prompted a renewed effort to ascertain whether the apparent saturability at the longer incubation periods was due to bacterial contamination. The following precautionary measures were taken: (a) brush border suspensions were cultured for 24 to 72 hours at 37°, and little or no bacterial growth was found; (b) all incubations were carried out in the presence of penicillin and streptomycin; and (c) preincubation of the membrane suspensions at 37° decreased the uptake of d-glucose. Although these observations seemed to argue counter to bacterial contamination as a causative factor, subsequent studies revealed the presence in reagent solutions of a temperature (37°) sensitive, antibiotic resistant, bacterium of the genus Pseudomonas. These bacteria, isolated from the reagent solutions, cultured at 20°, and incubated at 20° with glucose showed a stereospecific uptake of d-glucose, with saturation kinetics at micromolar concentrations and sensitivity to preincubation at 37°. With the use of essentially bacteria-free brush border preparations and reagent solutions, saturation was not evident in the high affinity concentration range of 0.67 to 50 µm d-glucose. It is suggested that there is now no convincing evidence for the presence of the saturable high affinity site for d-glucose in renal brush borders and that only the Na+-dependent transport of the sugar saturable at higher concentrations is indicated. It is suggested, additionally, that the high affinity binding of d-glucose to intestinal brush border preparations, reported by others, warrants re-examination. Essentially, sterile renal brush borders bind phloridzin at a high affinity site, with a Kphloridzin of 7 µm, confirming reports of this site with other renal preparations.
TBA: a hybrid of logic and extensional access control systems

Logical policy-based access control models are greatly expressive and thus provide the flexibility for administrators to represent a wide variety of authorization policies. Extensional access control models, on the other hand, utilize simple data structures to better enable a less trained and non-administrative workforce to participate in the day-to-day operations of the system. In this paper, we formally study a hybrid approach, tag-based authorization (TBA ), which combines the ease of use of extensional systems while still maintaining a meaningful degree of the expressiveness of logical systems. TBA employs an extensional data structure to represent metadata tags associated with subjects and objects, as well as a logical language for defining the access control policy in terms of those tags. We formally define TBA and introduce variants that include tag ontologies and delegation. We evaluate the resulting system by comparing to well-known extensional and logical access control models.
Pulsars — the new celestial clocks

Pulsating radio sources, or pulsars, are rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars. A pulsar emits beams of radio emission along its dipole magnetic field axes. The star's rotation sweeps one of the beams past the Earth to create the observed pulse if the axis is tilted with respect to the rotation axis. New classes of pulsars - including ones with millisecond rotation periods - have been discovered in the last decade. The rotations of pulsars are extremely stable. This stability allows pulsars to be used as probes of the interstellar plasma, for tests of General Relativity in the case of binary pulsars, and for detection of a cosmic background of gravitational radiation from the early universe.
Productivity controls food-chain properties in microbial communities

Food webs provide a framework for integrating population dynamics, community structure and ecosystem processes, but the causes of many food-web patterns remain controversial1. An unresolved issue concerns the factors that limit food-chain length in natural ecosystems, although theory predicts that length could be limited by inefficient energy transfer between trophic levels2 orby the instability of longer food chains3. Experiments provide qualitative support for the instability of longer food chains4, but, according to theory, this relationship may depend on the assumptions used to model food chains5. Here we show that experimental manipulations of productivity determine the length of microbial food chains in laboratory microcosms. Food-chain length is also predicted to determine how productivity influences population densities within trophic levels. If trophic levels consist entirely ofedible prey, and if consumers feed only on the next-lower trophic level6, population densities should alternate between increasing and constant values as food-chain length increases (Fig. 1). We find that food-chain length determines population-level responses to productivity, which is consistent with predictions from models. These results indicate that the impacts of human alterations of productivity will depend crucially on the structure of the affected food chains.
Optimization of (112¯0) a-plane GaN growth by MOCVD on (11¯02) r-plane sapphire

A-plane GaN (112¯0) epilayers have been grown on r-plane (11¯02) sapphire by MOCVD, and investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). This particular orientation is non-polar, as opposed to the c-direction, and avoids polarization charge and the associated screening charge, and the consequent band bending. Our results showed that low pressure, low ammonia flow rate (namely low V/III ratio), high-temperature conditions lead to fully coalesced and relatively high crystalline-quality a-plane GaN films. Both low-temperature GaN buffer and high-temperature AlN buffer were used for a-plane GaN growth on r-plane sapphire, and produced similar crystalline quality and surface morphology. Surface morphological evolution during early stages of a-plane GaN growth revealed behavior different from that of c-plane GaN growth. The possible reasons for striped features and surface undulations of a-plane GaN are discussed.
Fast and dense embedded arrays for microprocessors in CMOS-technology

Abstract As the speed of microprocessors has increased considerably by wider dataflow (32 bits), increased parallelism, and faster technologies, memory access time becomes a key variable in overall processor performance. The concept of a hierarchical memory structure for closing the performance gap between internal logic and main memory leads to the requirement of an on-chip Cache for highly integrated microprocessors. The technology used for the chip is 1 μm CMOS with one level poly-silicon and three levels of metal.
Consequences of contact resistance in very-small-geometry CML gates

The effects of contact resistance on the performance of very-small-geometry, CML gates are investigated. Relationships among specific contact resistivity, logic swing, noise margin, and power consumption per gate are derived. From these relationships, it is shown that the principal design consequence of contact resistance is an increase in minimum power consumption per gate.
Maximal Tongue Strength in Typically Developing Children and Adolescents

Evaluating tongue function is clinically important as the generation of adequate pressure by the anterior tongue against the hard palate is crucial for efficient oropharyngeal swallowing. Research in the evaluation of tongue function in pediatric populations is limited due to questions about the reliability of children's performance on objective measures of tongue strength and the lack of comparative data from typically developing children. The present study examined tongue strength in 150 children and adolescents, 3-16 years of age, with no history of speech or swallowing disorders using the Iowa Oral Pressure Instrument (IOPI). Children as young as 3 years of age were able to tolerate the IOPI standard tongue bulb and were reliable performers on measures of tongue strength with an unconstrained mandible. Tongue strength measurements were elicited in blocks of three trials with a 30-s rest between the trials and a 20-min rest between blocks. Tongue strength increased with age with no consistent best trial across ages and participants. Males showed a slight increase in tongue strength over females at ages 14 and 16. This study suggests maximum pediatric tongue strength may be reliably evaluated using commercially available equipment and provides a limited sample comparative database.
Crystal growth and fluorescent properties of rare earth-doped calcium fluorovanadate

Abstract Ca 5 (VO 4 ) 3 F, crystallizing in the P6 3 m space group of the hexagonal apatite structure, has been grown into large single crystals by the Czochralski technique. The compound was used as a host for the rare earths Sm, Eu, Tb and Dy; fluorescent emission properties of these were measured.
On stochastic majorization of the eigenvalues of a Wishart matrix

Abstract In multivariate statistical analysis, orthogonally invariant sets of real positive definite p × p matrices occur as acceptance regions for tests of invariant hypotheses concerning the covariance matrix Σ of a multivariate normal distribution. Equivalently, orthogonally invariant acceptance regions can be expressed in terms of the eigenvalues l 1 (S), …, l p (S) of a random Wishart matrix S ∼ W p ( n , Σ ) with n degrees of freedom and expectation nΣ . The probabilities of such regions depend on Σ only though λ 1 ( Σ ), …, λ p ( Σ ), the eigenvalues of Σ. In this paper, the behavior of these probabilities is studied when some λ i increase while others decrease. Our results will be expressed in terms of the majorization ordering applied to the vector μ ≡ ( μ 1 ( Σ ), …, μ p ( Σ )), where μ i ( Σ ) = log λ i ( Σ ), and have implications for the unbiasedness and monotonicity of the power functions of orthogonally invariant tests.
Regarding several points of doubt of the structure of the olfactory bulb: as described by T. Blanes.

In order to complement the studies on the fila olfactoria completed by Dr. Santiago Ramon y Cajal, we have included a translation of "Sobre Algunos Puntos Dudosos de la Estructura del Bulbo Olfatorio" by T. Blanes, a student of Dr. Cajal. This work describes in stunning detail additional morphological aspects of the olfactory pathway, including what was at the time the modestly studied neuroglia. The neuroglia of the olfactory system has been revisited in the last several decades for its importance in the field of regenerative neuroscience. Olfactory ensheathing glia has the unique quality of providing ensheathment to neurons which traverse from the central to the peripheral nervous system and are being used as a candidate in present-day transplantation studies to mimic this phenomenon at the dorsal root entry zone after a central nervous system injury. Although this fine work has passed its centennial anniversary since initial publication, it has been widely cited throughout the years, and of recent when Pressler and Stowbridge reported Blanes cell electrophysiological recordings (Neuron V 49, 6; p 889-904, 2006). An English translation the details of what Blanes initially documented with unduplicated precision can now be made available to a wider audience in the field of neuroscience, and is especially important now that more and more present-day studies require a precise and complete understanding of the anatomical structures contained within the olfactory system.
Mining non-model genomic libraries for microsatellites: BAC versus EST libraries and the generation of allelic richness

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are tandemly repeated sequence motifs common in genomic nucleotide sequence that often harbor significant variation in repeat number. Frequently used as molecular markers, SSRs are increasingly identified via in silico approaches. Two common classes of genomic resources that can be mined are bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries and expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries. 288 SSR loci were screened in the rapidly radiating Hawaiian swordtail cricket genus Laupala. SSRs were more densely distributed and contained longer repeat structures in BAC library-derived sequence than in EST library-derived sequence, although neither repeat density nor length was exceptionally elevated despite the relatively large genome size of Laupala. A non-random distribution favoring AT-rich SSRs was observed. Allelic diversity of SSRs was positively correlated with repeat length and was generally higher in AT-rich repeat motifs. The first large-scale survey of Orthopteran SSR allelic diversity is presented. Selection contributes more strongly to the size and density distributions of SSR loci derived from EST library sequence than from BAC library sequence, although all SSRs likely are subject to similar physical and structural constraints, such as slippage of DNA replication machinery, that may generate increased allelic diversity in AT-rich sequence motifs. Although in silico approaches work well for SSR locus identification in both EST and BAC libraries, BAC library sequence and AT-rich repeat motifs are generally superior SSR development resources for most applications.
Distal oxidative metabolic responses induced by epidermal injury.

Gingival wounds were created at the left maxillary molar region in young rats. Following injury, contralateral and gingival wound specimens were removed over a 7 day experimental period. Distal (contralateral) and wound gingival oxidative metabolism was activated within two days' after injury. Cytochrome oxidase (mitochondrial), NADH cytochrome c reductase (mitochondrial, microsomal) and NADPH cytochrome c reductase (soluble) activities were significantly greater at the distal site two days after injury than at the control sham site. Similar trends were also noted at the wound site at the same time intervals. The enzymatic activities returned to normal levels between the (2-3) days postoperatively at the distal site and between (2-5) days postoperatively at the wound site.
Assessment of Comfort and Particle Containment In Cleanroom Hood Assemblies

The objectives of this pilot study were to (a) develop and test an instrument and methodology to assess subjectively cleanroom garment comfortand (b) evaluate comfort and particle containment of a traditionalfabric hood and complete coverage hood with remote breathing device. A female subject wearing coveralls, boots, gloves, and either a fabric or complete coverage hood assembly used a subjective comfort instrument to identify garment wearing sensations, thermal comfort, and perceived physical state. The subject was able to distinguish between the level of thermal comfort of the two hoods with the complete coverage hood being more comfortable than the fabric hood. She identified heaviness as a sensation that differed between the two hoods; the complete coverage hood was felt to be heavier than the fabric hood. The subject was less likely to feel energetic, interested, and attentive while wearing the complete coverage hood Early evidence indicates that a human perception approach can provide useful inform...
Validation of a time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy apparatus in a rabbit atherosclerosis model

Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (tr-LIFS) has been studied as a potential tool for in vivo diagnosis of atherosclerotic lesions. This study is to evaluate the potential of a compact fiber-optics based tr-LIFS instrument developed in our laboratory for in vivo analysis of atherosclerotic plaque composition. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy studies were performed in vivo on fifteen New Zealand White rabbits (atherosclerotic: N=8, control: N=7). Time-resolved fluorescence spectra were acquired (range: 360-600 nm, increment: 5 nm, total acquisition time: 65 s) from normal aorta wall and lesions in the abdominal aorta. Data were analyzed in terms of fluorescence emission spectra and wavelength specific lifetimes. Following trichrome staining, tissue specimens were analyzed histopathologically in terms of intima/media thickness and biochemical composition (collagen, elastin, foam cells, and etc). Based on intimal thickness, the lesions were divided into thin and thick lesions. Each group was further separated into two categories: collagen rich lesions and foam cell rich lesions based on their biochemical composition. The obtained spectral and time domain fluorescence signatures were subsequently correlated to the histopathological findings. The results have shown that time-domain fluorescence spectral features can be used in vivo to separate atherosclerotic lesions from normal aorta wall as well discrimination within certain types of lesions.
Experiments on the wind tunnel simulation of atmospheric boundary layers

Abstract The simulation of atmospheric boundary layers using spires, a barrier wall, and a fetch of roughness elements is discussed in the light of experiments carried out to reproduce the characteristics of a boundary layer for urban terrain conditions. Comparisons of wind tunnel and atmospheric data are presented, including mean-velocity profiles, turbulence intensities, turbulence spectra, and turbulence length scales, in particular integral and inertial subrange scales. The selection of model scales is discussed. The experimental errors in the evaluation of Reynolds and wall shear stresses, roughness lengths, and integral length scales are analyzed, together with their effect on model scale values.
Scale‐dependent angle of alignment between velocity and magnetic field fluctuations in solar wind turbulence

scale t of the fluctuations and to look for the scaling relation hq(t)it 1/4 predicted by Boldyrev. We find that the angle hq(t)i appears to scale like a power law at large inertial range scales, but then deviates from power law behavior at medium to small inertial range scales. We also find that small errors in the velocity vector measurements can lead to large errors in the angle measurements at small time scales. As a result, we cannot rule out the possibility that the observed deviations from power law behavior arise from errors in the velocity measurements. When we fit the data from 2 � 10 3 st o 2 � 10 4 s with a power law of the form hq(t) i/ t p , our best fit values for p are in the range 0.27-0.36.
On the two preceding papers

Commentaires sur deux experiences d'epithelioma de la corticosurrenale chez l'enfant mettant l'accent sur la rarete de la tumeur et le risque qu'elle fait courir par son extreme friabilite lorsqu'elle forme un thrombius dans la veine cave
Electrical resistivity in metallic rare earth sesquisulfides

Abstract The electrical resistivities for several rare earth sulfides (R3−x V xS4, R ≡ rare earth, 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1 3 , V ≡ rare earth vacancy) are reported between 1.5 and 300 K. Most of these materials are found to be magnetic semiconductors exhibiting magnetic scattering of conduction electrons. The results of the resistivity measurements are discussed with special reference to the electron localization and magnetic effects. Conduction mechanisms are found to be dependent on rare earth concentrations.
Separation of conjoined twins in the newborn period

Abstract Our experience in the emergency separation and management of omphalopagous conjoined twins with ruptured omphaloceles and with bowel and urogenital anomalies is described. Nine additional cases from the literature are reviewed. Indications for separation in the newborn period included circumstances when one twin was stillborn or in critical condition threatening the life of the other, when a correctable congenital anomaly not compatible with life was present, when there was important damage to the connecting bridge and electively when studies were deemed adequate. Prognosis was not only related to the complexity of attachment and degree and type of organ sharing, situations over which we have no control, but also to infection and birth trauma. The latter could be improved by antenatal diagnosis or by early intrapartum diagnosis and the application of appropriate management.
A performance analysis of the gamma database machine

This paper presents the results of an initial performance evaluation of the Gamma database machine. In our experiments we measured the effect of relation size and indices on response time for selection, join, and aggregation queries, and single-tuple updates. A Teradata DBC/1012 database machine of similar size is used as a basis for interpreting the results obtained. We also analyze the performance of Gemma relative to the number of processors employed and study the impact of varying the memory size and disk page size on the execution time of a variety of selection and join queries. We analyze and interpret the results of these experiments based on our understanding of the system hardware and software, and conclude with an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of Gamma.
Breakpoints and junctional regions of intragenic deletions in the HPRT gene in human T-cells

DNA sequences of the deletion breakpoints of 24 human T-lymphocytehprt gene mutations are reported. These independent deletions ranged in size from 18 to 15655 base pairs. Seven of the 21 in vivo mutations arose in normal adults, three in normal children, eight in radioimmunotherapy patients and three in platinum chemotherapy patients. One in vitro mutation was isolated after 93cGy radon exposure and two after 300cGy γ radiation. The breakpoints were found to be non-random and a cluster of small deletions in exon 6 is reported. Ten of the mutations has 2–5bp direct repeats at the breakpoints. There was no excess of “deletion-associated” motifs over that expected by chance. Some breakpoints do occur at consensus topoisomerase II cleavage sites and the centromeric end of a Donehower sequence occurs exactly at a telomeric breakpoint. Three mutants had breakpoints at hairpins expected by the model of Glickman and Ripley (1).
Coulomb excitation of beta- and gamma-vibrational states in Sm152

Abstract A Sm152-target made by electromagnetic isotope separation has been bombarded with 7.5–8.5 MeV deuterons and 8.6 MeV protons. Inelastic scattered groups corresponding to Coulomb excitation of the level at 122 keV have been observed in every case, and in one run with 8.5 MeV deuterons Coulomb excitation of levels at 807 keV and 1079 keV has been seen. The reduced transition probabilities to these states are measured as 4.1±0.1, 0.07±0.02 and 0.12±0.02 respectively, in units of e2 × 10−18 cm4. The reduced transition probabilities for the two highest excited states are several times the single particle values. This is a strong indication of the collective nature of both these states. Accordingly, these levels are interpreted as beta-and gamma-vibrational states. The partial lifetime and the nuclear strength parameter for the E0-transition between the 807 keV and the 122 keV levels have been calculated from the experimental data and are found to be in poor agreement with the theoretical values.
Discrimination between bromouracil and thymine for uptake into DNA in drm− and dra− mutants of Escherichia coli K12

Abstract The relative efficiency of bromouracil and thymine for uptake into DNA was measured in various thymine-requiring strains of Escherichia coli K12. It was found that: 1. 1. Mutants with genotype thyA− dra− discriminate against bromouracil to much greater extent than do mutants with genotype thyA− drm−. 2. 2. The discrimination in dra− mutants is dependent on thymine concentration, whereas discrimination in drm− mutants is almost independent of thymine concentration. It is suggested that the intracellular level of deoxyribose 5-phosphate affects the efficiency of uptake into DNA of bromouracil relative to thymine.
Making It Work: Setting up a Regional Anesthesia Program that Provides Value

Regional anesthesia offers many benefits for the patient, surgery center, anesthesiology practice, and hospital. Unfortunately, there are no evidence-based guidelines to follow when starting a new service aimed at providing peripheral nerve blocks. A regional anesthesia program adds value by improving the quality of postoperative analgesia and recovery after surgery. Specialized training in regional anesthesia is necessary when using advanced techniques, such as ultrasound guidance and continuous peripheral nerve blockade. A regional anesthesia service may shorten postanesthesia recovery time in ambulatory surgery and duration of hospital admission for some surgeries. A successful regional anesthesia service promotes effective communication among all members of the perioperative team.
A New March Test for Process-Variation Induced Delay Faults in SRAMs

Process variations are growing with technology scaling towards nano-scale. This brings new challenges to the design of memory modules, which are often the first circuits to be fabricated using a new technology and usually designed with critical timing. We observed that several delay faults, which are dependent on address transitions, may escape traditional march tests. This paper presents a new march test WT that targets such delay faults. Through Monte Carlo simulations and analytical studies on SRAM designs using an industrial 65nm process, we have demonstrated that WT provides a faulty-chip-coverage that is close to 100%. Most importantly, this is the first march test with test length that targets address-dependent delay faults and hence the first delay test which can be used in practice.
The Effect of Legal and Extralegal Factors on Statutory Exclusion of Juvenile Offenders

The study describes implementation of legislation that excludes youth offenders from juvenile court jurisdiction and examines two elements of deterrence theory that underscored the legislation’s ra...
3x+1 search programs

Abstract Algorithms for computing peaks of certain statistics related to the 3x+1 problem are described, along with data on such peaks up to 56 trillion (5.6×1013). The data result from several years of computation. The design of the algorithms used illustrates several techniques for program optimization.
Physiological Glucose is Critical for Optimized Neuronal Viability and AMPK Responsiveness In Vitro

Understanding the mechanisms that govern neuronal responses to oxidative and metabolic stress is essential for therapeutic intervention. In vitro modeling is an important approach for these studies, as the metabolic environment influences neuronal responses. Surprisingly, most neuronal culture methods employ conditions that are non-physiological, especially with regards to glucose concentrations, which often exceed 20 mM. This concentration is a significant departure from physiological glucose levels, and even several-fold greater than that seen during severe hyperglycemia. The goal of this study was to establish a physiological neuronal culture system that will facilitate the study of neuronal energy metabolism and responses to metabolic stress. We demonstrate that the metabolic environment during preparation, plating, and maintenance of cultures affects neuronal viability and the response of neuronal pathways to changes in energy balance.
Insulin-induced cell-substratum adhesion.

Abstract The effect of insulin on cell-substratum adhesion was examined using clonal cell lines from the nervous system, myoblasts, and lymphoid cells. Insulin increases adhesion in nerve cells, myoblasts, and lymphomas, but not in the glial and myeloma cell lines examined. In a myoblast variant, M3A, the reaction is specific for insulin and its analogues, and is energy and temperature dependent.
Regional taste sensitivity to NaCl: relationship to subject age, tongue locus and area of stimulation.

Using a signal detection procedure and a microprocessor-controlled gustometer, sensitivity to three concentrations of NaCI (0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 M) was measured on the tongue tip, and on a region 3.0 cm posterior to the tongue tip in 12 young (20-29 years of age) and 12 elderly (70-79 years of age) subjects. Stimulus duration was 2 s ; the sizes of the tongue areas stimulated were 12.5, 25 and 50 mm 2 . On average, the young subjects were more sensitive to NaCI on the tongue tip than on the more posterior stimulation site and exhibited, at both tongue loci, an increase in detection performance as stimulus concentration increased. The elderly subjects, on the other hand, performed at chance level at both tongue loci for all three stimulus sizes and concentrations tested. No sex differences were observed. In the young subjects, the mean R-index increased monotonically as a function of stimulus size for the two highest NaCI concentrations at both tongue loci. A hyperbolic function provided the best fit to these data at the tongue tip, and an exponential function at the more posterior tongue region, implying a different pattern of spatial summation at these two sites. Overall, this study demonstrates that marked age-related changes in regional taste sensitivity to NaCI are present in elderly persons. Chem. Senses 20 : 283-290, 1995.
Particle-mediated gene transfer to rat neurons in primary culture

Gene transfer into neuronal cells provides an important approach to study their function. Particle-mediated gene delivery was used to transfect rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and hippocampal neurons in primary culture with the genes for the enhanced blue and green fluorescent proteins (EBFP and EGFP) under control of the cytomegalovirus promoter. Quantitative analysis of marker protein fluorescence detected expression at 3 h that continued to increase for 48 h. For DRG neurons the optimal expression efficiency of 8±2% was obtained 24 h following transfection. In contrast, approximately 2±1% of hippocampal neurons in culture expressed EGFP at 3 h which subsequently declined. Co-transfection of DRG cultures with two plasmids produced reliable expression of both genes. Transfected DRG neurons exhibited normal electrophysiological properties, and resting and stimulated intracellular Ca2+ concentrations were unchanged. After transfection, 44% of hippocampal neurons remained in functional synaptic networks as indicated by glutamatergic Ca2+ spiking activity. Particle-mediated gene delivery provided a straightforward, reproducible and efficient method for transfection of neurons in primary culture. Transfected cells were easily identified by EGFP fluorescence, enabling subsequent physiological analysis. Biolistic particle bombardment was well tolerated by peripheral neurons, although caution was required when this method was applied to CNS cultures.
Forms approach to requirements specification for database design

One of the most difficult tasks in database design is the collection of relevant information needed for database design. This information can be separated into two categories: information about the processes which use, modify or produce the data, and information about the data which is used, modified, or produced by the processes. This paper describes a "forms" oriented requirements specification facility as a formal means for capturing the information crucial for database design. Both kinds of information are expressible by the proposed structured forms specification. Furthermore, not only the application usage, but also the integrity constraints that must be maintained in the database can be captured in a concise, unambiguous and machine manipulable manner. The concepts underlying the forms approach are few and simple, hence it is easy to use for the database designer and can be understood by non-computer specialists. This facilitates the cooperation from users to participate in the specification of database application requirements.
Phase transfer catalyzed intramolecular cycloalkylation of phenylacetonitrile with α,ω-dibromoalkanes in supercritical ethane

Abstract An intramolecular cycloalkylation of phenylacetonitrile (PAN) with different α,ω-dibromoalkanes in supercritical fluids under phase transfer catalysis (PTC) conditions is reported. In particular, the cycloalkylation of PAN with an excess of 1,4-dibromobutane has been studied in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide and potassium carbonate as a base in supercritical ethane at 70 °C and 11.0 MPa. The reaction was complete in less than 6 h yielding selectively the desired cycloadduct in the presence of a PTC, but conversion in the absence of catalyst was low. A cycloalkylation methodology has been developed using several dibromoalkanes, viz., 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,3-dibromopropane, 1,4-dibromobutane, 1,5-dibromopentane, 1,6-dibromohexane and 1,10-dibromodecane. When the cycloalkylation was performed in the presence of supercritical CO 2, mono- and di-alkylated products were observed in addition to the cycloadduct. To compare the effect of SC ethane solvent, reactions were also carried out using different conventional solvents such as hexane, tert -butyl methyl ether, ethyl acetate and chlorobenzene. Use of SC ethane gave considerably better yields of products than the other solvents.
The electrochemical aspects of some biochemical systems—VII. The current-generating site in metabolizing E. coli systems☆

Abstract Studies have been conducted to determine the mechanism by which the current and coulombic output are obtainable from an electrochemical cell of which the anolyte is an E. coli suspension and an oxidizable substrate. Such data for a prime substrate and various of its metabolic intermediates have previously been shown to be useful in the elucidation of metabolic pathways and the effects of antimetabolites on biological systems. The observed electrical phenomena may be due directly to electron release by the micro-organism to the electrode or indirectly by electron transfer as a result of the oxidation of microbial secretion products at the electrode surface. In systems in which the micro-organisms are prevented from coming in contact with the anode by insertion of a dialysis membrane separator, no current is obtained; however, the anode potential, at least in part, is due to the presence of a product or products secreted by the micro-organisms. Therefore, the currents obtained when E. coli reacts with an oxidizable substrate are a direct indication of the activity of the micro-organism and cannot be attributed to the oxidation of microbial secretion products. A probable mechanism for electron production from the terminal oxidizable substrate, formate, is also described and an experimental demonstration is presented to explain the relatively low electrical efficiencies obtained. This is attributed to the competition between the reduction of the hydrogen ions to hydrogen gas and the transfer of electrons from the micro-organism to the anode.
On the character of the cyclic ionic H-bond in cryogenically cooled deprotonated cysteine

The gas phase structure of deprotonated cysteine (Cys-H(+))(-) has recently gained attention because of its counterintuitive calculated minimum energy structure in which it appears that deprotonation occurs at the -SH moiety rather than at the nominally more acidic carboxylic acid group. Because previous experimental efforts have not yielded to a consensus regarding the structure of the anion, we report the cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation (CIVP) spectra of its cryogenically cooled H/D isotopologues in an effort to clarify the situation. The unexpected isotope dependence of key features in the spectrum and the similarity of the band pattern to that displayed by the intramolecular H-bonded linkage in a deprotonated diacid (HCO2(CH2)10CO2(-)) indicate that the dominant form of the anion occurs with a strongly shared proton between the thiolate (-S(-)) and carboxylate (-CO2(-)) groups. An interesting aspect of this (-S(-)···H(+)···(-)O2C-) linkage is that, although the global minimum places the shared proton closer to the oxygen atom, the soft potential energy curve calculated for displacement of the bridging proton would likely support sufficient zero-point motion both to blur the distinction between thiolate- and carboxylate-based structures and to account for the unusual isotope effects.
Rheumatoid arthritis in 2003: where are we now with treatment?

The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has changed considerably over the course of the century. It is difficult to fathom that 100 years ago it was directed towards removing potential sources of infection, with dental extractions and tonsillectomies. Despite appreciable advances, many of the tenets that we currently hold for the management of RA were originally proposed over 70 years ago. Russell Cecil in his Textbook of medicine published in 1931 advocated early treatment of RA “ . . . perhaps the most important factor in prognosis is the application of rational therapy early in the disease.” In 2003, we advocate early intervention with disease modifying treatment. Many of the treatments we use today have been developed over 50 years, including gold salts, sulfasalazine, and corticosteroids. In 2003, methotrexate treatment, early institution of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), combination DMARDs, and the tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α inhibitors generate the greatest amount of interest for the treatment of RA. Despite over 20 years of research and use, there remain problems with methotrexate treatment. Rheumatologists still use doses that are subtherapeutic. In 1990, for 231 patients enrolled in long term prospective studies, the mean dose of methotrexate after 12 months’ of treatment was 10.5 mg a week, and at year 4 it was 12 mg a week.1 At year 7, the mean dose was up to 14 mg a week. These data from more than a decade ago illustrate that an increase in methotrexate dose may be required for clinical response. It is important to note that, in the initial randomised trials of methotrexate, patients were all started on a dose of 7.5 mg a week, which was increased to 15 mg a week on the basis of clinical response.2,3 Most patients had their dose increased to 15 mg …
TU-C-T-6E-07: Monte Carlo Investigation of Dosimetric Differences Between SMLC and DMLC IMRT Delivery Techniques in Heterogeneous Media

Purpose: To investigate dosimetric differences between SMLC and DMLC IMRT delivery techniques in heterogeneous media using MC. We hypothesize that subtle differences in the energy spectra between SMLC and DMLC, which may not be detected in water, will be accentuated in inhomogeneous, patient-like tissues. With the ability to account for MLC design details and perform accurate transport in heterogeneous media, MC provides a powerful means to evaluate IMRT delivery methods and may be useful as a tool for IMRT QA. Method and Materials: The BEAMnrc code was used to simulate patient independent components of a Varian 21EX linac. The resultant Phase space file was then used as input for the DPM MC code which simulates the jaws, 120-leaf MLC geometry, and the patient or phantom. Transport through the jaws and MLC is accomplished using multiple scatter photon transport. Sampling algorithms have been developed for SMLC and DMLC by randomly sampling leaf segments based on the MU index. Accuracy of the simulations was assessed in a homogeneous media when compared to measurements in a solid water phantom. To assess the impact of MLC design and delivery technique in heterogeneous media, dose was calculated in a phantom consisting of material slabs ranging in density from lung to cortical bone using SMLC and DMLC leaf sequences. Results: Excellent agreement was seen between the Monte Carlo models for SMLC and DMLC sequencing when compared to the respective film measurements in homogenous media. Significant differences, up to 10%, were seen between the delivery techniques in lung equivalent media when calculated in heterogeneous slab geometry. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that heterogeneous tissue may exacerbate energy differences between SMLC and DMLC delivery methods. Such differences may be clinically important considering that they will not be detected during QA which is typically conducted using homogeneous phantoms.
Prostate cancer and QOL: impact of treatment, disease burden and psychosocial interventions

Prostate cancer is highly prevalent and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in American men. Treatment of localized prostate cancer is highly effective but can result in urinary, bowel and sexual dysfunction, undermining quality of life. Within 5 years of treatment, approximately a third of men will have a rising prostate-specific antigen level necessitating hormonal therapy which has a broad range of detrimental side effects. Moreover, the impact of hormonal therapy may overlay existing issues (e.g., comorbid illness) common to older men. Men with advanced disease experience significant disease- (e.g., metastasis) and treatment-related impairments, which may further compromise quality of life. A substantial amount of literature indicates that cancer patients benefit significantly from psychosocial interventions, and psychosocial factors may serve to buffer prostate cancer patients from some disease- and treatment-related decrements in quality of life. While very few randomized clinical tria...
Recognizing primes in random polynomial time

This paper is the first in a sequence of papers which will prove the existence of a random polynomial time algorithm for the set of primes. The techniques used are from arithmetic algebraic geometry and to a lesser extent algebraic and analytic number theory. The result complements the well known result of Strassen and Soloway that there exists a random polynomial time algorithm for the set of composites.