cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unique Factors Rural Veterans’ Affairs Hospitals Face When Implementing Health Care-Associated Infection Prevention Initiatives

Purpose Health care-associated infection (HAI) is costly to hospitals and potentially life-threatening to patients. Numerous infection prevention programs have been implemented in hospitals across the United States. Yet, little is known about infection prevention practices and implementation in rural hospitals. The purpose of this study was to understand the infection prevention practices used by rural Veterans’ Affairs (VA) hospitals and the unique factors they face in implementing these practices. Methods This study used a sequential, mixed methods approach. Survey data to identify the HAI prevention practices used by rural VA hospitals were collected, analyzed, and used to inform the development of a semistructured interview guide. Phone interviews were conducted followed by site visits to rural VA hospitals. Findings We found that most rural VA hospitals were using key recommended infection prevention practices. Nonetheless, a number of challenges with practice implementation were identified. The 3 most prominent themes were: (1) lack of human capital including staff with HAI expertise; (2) having to cultivate needed resources; and (3) operating as a system within a system. Conclusions Rural VA hospitals are providing key infection prevention services to ensure a safe environment for the veterans they serve. However, certain factors, such as staff expertise, limited resources, and local context impacted how and when these practices were used. The creative use of more accessible alternative resources as well as greater flexibility in implementing HAI-related initiatives may be important strategies to further improve delivery of these important services by rural VA hospitals.
PROSTATIC SARCOMA WITH RAPID TUMOR PROGRESSION AFTER NERVE SPARING RADICAL CYSTOPROSTATECTOMY

Prostate sarcomas are rare but aggressive neoplasms presenting unique therapeutic challenges. We report a case of prostate sarcoma, and discuss disease control and preservation of quality of life. CASE REPORT A 51-year-old healthy male with normal prostate specific antigen was referred to our institution for evaluation of an asymmetrically enlarged nodular prostate and progressive obstructive voiding symptoms. Transrectal ultrasound revealed a multilocular cystic mass replacing the left side of the prostate (fig. 1, A). Pathological examination of the biopsy cores and subsequent chips from transurethral resection of the prostate for acute urinary retention revealed an indeterminate subtype of prostatic sarcoma. Further diagnostic evaluation included pelvic magnetic resonance imaging which demonstrated a complex multilocular solid mass of the left peripheral prostatic lobe displacing the seminal vesicles but without evidence of local invasion (fig. 1, B). Computerized tomography of the chest, abdomen, pelvis and brain, bone scan and fluorodeoxyglucose whole body tumor scan revealed no evidence of metastatic disease. The patient subsequently elected to undergo radical cystoprostatectomy with unilateral sparing of the neurovascular bundle and continent urinary diversion. Pathological examination of the cystoprostatectomy specimen revealed 5 5.5 cm. high grade prostatic sarcoma with focal chondroid differentiation arising from the left prostatic lobe. All surgical margins were negative. The patient presented with bloody urethral discharge 2 months postoperatively. Urethroscopy and biopsy revealed recurrent sarcoma at the level of the external urethral sphincter. Repeat computerized tomography further demonstrated interval development of multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules. The patient was subsequently started on systemic chemotherapy with dacarbazine, ifosfamide, doxorubicin and mesna. DISCUSSION
Using Visual Stimuli in Ethnography

In this article, the work of George and Louise Spindler is reviewed with visual stimuli ranging from the Rorschach technique and Thematic Apperception Technique to inventions of their own, the Cross-Cultural Sensitization Technique, the Instrumental Activities Inventory, and the Cross-Cultural, Comparative, Reflective Interview Technique. The sites of the various researches, the methods of application, and a brief analysis of the results are included. [interview techniques, culture and personality, ethnography and education]
Observation of the Josephson plasma mode for a superfluid 3 He weak link

The quantum phase difference across a superfluid Josephson-like weak link may exhibit periodic motion describable by a nonlinear equation identical to that of a rigid pendulum. We have directly observed this mode and find that the phase oscillation frequency decreases toward zero as the phase amplitude increases toward $\pi$. We also find that the low amplitude frequency is a direct measure of the weak link's critical current in quantitative agreement with theory.
Genetic differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responsiveness to acute ethanol and acute ethanol withdrawal

Abstract There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that corticosteroids contribute to the increased neural excitability observed during ethanol withdrawal. In the present study, this was further investigated using mouse strains which differ in ethanol withdrawal severity. DBA/2 (DBA) mice were found to display more severe acute ethanol withdrawal seizures than C57BL/6 (C57) mice. Additionally, DBA mice showed a greater stress response than C57 mice, as measured by higher plasma concentations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone, to an acute dose of ethanol. Mimicking withdrawal plasma corticosterone levels by administering corticosterone to ethanol-naive mice resulted in increases in handling-induced convulsions in the range observed during withdrawal. There did not appear to be a strain difference in sensitivity to the excitatory effects of corticosterone. In summary, the greater stress response to ethanol by DBA mice may account, in part, for the more severe ethanol withdrawal syndrome of this strain.
Effect of parental R-rated movie restriction on adolescent smoking initiation: a prospective study.

Objective. To determine if young adolescents who report that their parents restrict viewing R-rated movies have a lower risk of trying smoking in the future. Design. Prospective observational study. Students from 15 schools in New Hampshire and Vermont, randomly selected from all middle schools with >150 students, were surveyed in 1999. Baseline never-smokers were surveyed again by telephone 13 to 26 months later to determine smoking status. Outcome Measure. Trying smoking during the follow-up period. Results. The majority of the 2596 students were white, with ages ranging from 10 to 14 years. Nineteen percent reported that their parents never allowed them to view R-rated movies, 29% were allowed once in a while, and 52% were allowed sometimes or all the time. Ten percent of students tried smoking during the follow-up period. Smoking-initiation rates increased as parental restriction of R-rated movies decreased (2.9% for adolescents reporting that their parents never allowed them to view R-rated movies, 7.0% for those allowed to view them once in a while, and 14.3% for those allowed to view them sometimes or all the time). There was a strong and statistically significant effect of parental R-rated movie restriction on adolescent smoking even after controlling for sociodemographics, social influences (friend smoking, receptivity to tobacco promotions), parenting style (maternal support and control, parental disapproval of smoking), and characteristics of the adolescent (school performance, sensation seeking, rebelliousness, self-esteem). Compared with adolescents whose parents never allowed them to view R-rated movies, the adjusted relative risk for trying smoking was 1.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1, 3.1) for those allowed to watch them once in a while and 2.8 (95% CI: 1.6, 4.7) for those allowed to watch them sometimes or all the time. The effect was especially strong among adolescents not exposed to family (parent or sibling) smoking, among whom the adjusted relative risk for smoking was 4.3 (95% CI: 1.4, 13) for those allowed to view R-rated movies once in a while and 10.0 (95% CI: 3.6, 31) for those allowed to view them sometimes or all the time. Conclusions. Parental restriction from watching R-rated movies strongly predicts a lower risk of trying smoking in the future. The effect is largest among adolescents not exposed to family smoking. By exerting control over media choices and by not smoking themselves, parents may be able to prevent or delay smoking in their children.
Climbing up Hegel's ladder

Presentation du commentaire de la «Phenomenologie de l'esprit» de Hegel developpe par H. S. Harris dans son recent ouvrage intutile «L'echelle de Hegel» (1997). Adoptant une perspective post-kantienne, Harris met en evidence la science de l'experience a l'oeuvre dans la phenomenologie hegelienne.
SU-GG-T-535: The Impact of Imaging Frequency on Intrafraction Setup Corrections in Frameless Image Guided Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Purpose: The BrainLAB Novalis™ system allows for the delivery of image guided frameless stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS). At our institution, we use the Novalis Body ExacTrac™ to image the patient and make appropriate setup corrections prior to each treatment arc. Due to mechanical limitations, some arcs cannot be imaged — potentially decreasing treatment accuracy. The goal of this work is to assess the impact of our inability to image these arcs using setup correction data. Method and Materials: Thirty patients treated with intra‐cranial, frameless SRS at our institution were randomly selected for analysis. Patients' had 1–5 isocenters and were treated using 4–24 dynamic‐conformal arcs (DCAs). A total of 264 DCAs were delivered with 166 imaged. Setup correction data based on these images were acquired and differential corrections taken over intervals of either one or two DCAs (corresponding to time intervals of approximately 2.5 or 5 minutes) were obtained. Data were also separated based on treatment isocenter to gain a time series representation of the observed setup corrections. Results: Distributions of one and two arc interval corrections were compared using a two‐sample Kolmogorov‐Smirnov test and found to be similar (5% significance level) with mean values (± SD) for lateral, longitudinal, and vertical offsets of 0.2±1.1mm, −0.1±1.4mm, −0.1±1.2mm (one arc), and 0.1±0.9mm, 0.1±1.2mm, −0.2±1.2mm (two arc) respectively. The distribution of 3D vector displacements for all setup corrections indicated the mean 3D offset after a 2.5–5 minute interval to be 1.6±0.1mm (± SE). No clear trend in mean 3D vector displacements over the course of treatment was evident. Conclusion: Failure to image a DCA on the Novalis system is likely to have little impact on the overall setup accuracy when the time interval between corrections does not exceed 5 minutes. Our data suggests this fact is independent of the total treatment length.
Free trade and semi‐closed borders: Symmetries, consistencies and contradictions

This paper examines the inter‐relationship between migration of persons and international trade in goods and services. Trade and immigration policies, their effects and inter‐dependence are examined from a variety of viewpoints across several disciplines, and an attempt is made to offer the outline of a synthesis. The relationship between trade and migration policies is of immediate relevance to policy‐makers. Unless such policies were coordinated, lawmakers might find that the desired effects of say, immigration policy might well be undone by independently chosen trade policy and conversely.
Maternal race/ethnicity and predictors of pregnancy and infant outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine predictors of pregnancy and infant outcomes, including maternal race/ethnicity. DESIGN: Prospective and observational follow-up of high-risk pregnancies and births. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred fifty-four mothers and their preterm and/or high-risk live-born neonates were closely followed in three tertiary care centers from the prenatal to postnatal periods for potential high-risk and/or preterm births that required neonatal resuscitations. MAJOR OUTCOME MEASURES: Pregnancy complications, birth complications, and infant outcomes were examined in conjunction with maternal factors, including preexisting health problems, health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, prenatal visits), and the birth setting (tertiary care centers or community hospitals). RESULTS: About 22% of these infants were transferred into the tertiary care centers from the community hospitals right after birth; the rest were born in the centers. According to regression analyses, predictors of the birth setting were race (White vs. non-White), maternal health behaviors, pregnancy complications, fetal distress, and the presence of congenital defects for infants (p < .001). Predictors for fetal distress included race (Whites) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (p < .003). Predictors for lower birth weight included race (non-Whites), maternal cigarette smoking, pregnancy complications, fetal distress, and congenital defects (p < .001). Infant mortality rate was 3.9% for these high-risk infants, with the highest rate in infants born to Black mothers (8%). CONCLUSIONS: There are obvious health disparities among White and non-White women experiencing high-risk pregnancies and births. Future studies are needed to develop interventions targeted to different racial/ethnic groups during pregnancy to reduce preterm and high-risk births.
Cooperative run-time management of adaptive applications and distributed resources

This paper presents Q-fabric, which is a set of lightweight, kernel-level abstractions for cooperative, distributed resource management and system/application adaptation. The basis of Q-fabric is its kernel-level, anonymous, asynchronous event service. With this mechanism, (1) applications can monitor and manage the local and remote resources they are using, (2) system-level resource managers can customize their actions to meet the needs of individual applications, and (3) policies can be developed that combine application adaptation with distributed resource management. Results presented in this paper demonstrate the Q-fabric's ability to effectively adapt and manage the resources of a distributed multimedia application. In this application, media streams are adapted at application-level via data down-sampling, and their resources are managed at system-level (e.g., task scheduling) to cope with run-time variations in resource availability. The Q-fabric is implemented as kernel modules on standard Linux platforms.
Synthesis of [18F]fluoroethoxy-benzovesamicol, a radiotracer for cholinergic neurons

Full experimental details are given for the preparation of [18F]fluoroethoxy-benzovesamicol, (−)-(2R, 3R)-trans-2-hydroxy-3-(4-phenylpiperidino)-5-(2-[18F]fluoroethoxy)-1,2,3,4-tetralin, a new fluorine-18 labeled cholinergic neuron mapping agent for use in positron emission tomography (PET). This radiotracer was made by nucleophilic radiofluorination of tosyloxyethoxy-benzovesamicol, followed by reverse phase HPLC purification, in decay corrected radiochemical yield exceeding 60%.
A study of the influence of tropical weather on output of volume, work, and power by the right and left ventricles of man at rest in bed.

Abstract Studies of 5 volunteer patients without congestive heart failure at rest in bed in the hospital showed a 37 per cent increase in the mean cardiac output in the tropical weather during mid-summer in New Orleans (August, 1957) over that in a comfortably cool air-conditioned atmosphere. The calculated time-course curves of the pressure-volume diagram, work, and power revealed the superiority of such recordings over the conventionally obtained mean volumes of cardiac output as indices of cardiac work. These curves indicate the need of a reliable method for recording the time course of volume change of each chamber of the heart during a single cardiac cycle. If it is desirable to maintain the heart at rest in the treatment of patients with heart disease, the atmosphere of the patient's sickroom should be cool and comfortable.
Congenital aortic atresia

Summary A case of congenital atresia of the aortic orifice, with widely patent foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus, and hypoplastic left auricle, ventricle, and ascending aorta is presented and the pathogenesis discussed.
Mechanism of DNA Replication

Bacterial cells seem to differentiate between thymine and thymidine, using them separately for replication and repair synthesis respectively. These two processes thus seem to draw their precursors from separate pools.
HIV pathogenesis: the first cut is the deepest.

HIV pathogenesis is thought of as a chronic infection involving slow degradation of immunity that ultimately leads to AIDS. This scenario, however, could reflect the decay of an immune system mortally wounded during acute HIV infection.
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS STUDY OF HIGH-TEMPERATURE GRAIN-BOUNDARY STABILITY IN A (100) Σ = 29 BICRYSTAL MODEL

A new molecular dynamics program for the investigation of planar bicrystalline interfaces at high temperature and finite external stress has been developed. The constant-stress (Parrinello-Rahman) method is combined with a Region I-Region II treatment of the borders, thus avoiding (1) 3d-periodic border conditions (and therefore the presence of two interfaces in the computational unit cell) and (2) unphysical constraints arising from fixed borders. The usefulness of this new ''semi-periodic border'' treatment is illustrated in an investigation of the high-temperature stability and structure of the ..sigma.. = 29 (100) twist grain boundary. 7 refs., 5 figs.
Special Educators' Competencies and Preparation for the Delivery of Sex Education.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the adequacy of preservice and inservice preparation and the competence of inservice special educators to deliver sex education to youth with disabilities. In the survey, 200 inservice special educators were requested (a) to describe the adequacy of their preservice and inservice training programs and (b) to rate their level of proficiency for 17 competencies necessary to provide sex education instruction. A majority of the 79 respondents indicated that their preservice and inservice programs provided inadequate preparation to deliver sex education. Generally, the educators described their knowledge and instructional skills to provide sex education to be within the slightly below average to average range. Implications for future research and training are discussed.
Neutron acceleration in uniform electromagnetic fields

The question as to whether neutron acceleration can occur in uniform electromagnetic fields is examined. Although such an effect has been predicted using the canonical equations of motion, some doubt has been raised recently as to whether it is in principle observable for a spin-1/2 particle. To resolve this issue a gedanken experiment is proposed and analyzed using wave-packet construction for the neutron beam. By allowing an arbitrary orientation for the neutron spin as well as for the electric and magnetic fields, a nonvanishing acceleration of the center of the neutron wave packet is found that confirms the predictions of the canonical formalism.
Buoy monitors ocean acidification

A new Gulf of Alaska buoy installed on 7 June is the first to provide data that will help scientists study ocean acidification caused by the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Sensors attached to the buoy are measuring key climate indicators in the atmosphere and ocean, including surface acidity and the air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide. The buoy was installed in collaboration with the Line P program, which has provided decades of continuous measurements from a series of oceanographic stations along line P which extends from the mouth of the Juan de Fuca Strait south of Vancouver Island to Pacific Ocean Station Papa, where the new buoy was installed.The buoy is part of a project conducted by scientists from NOAAs Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory; the University of Washington, Seattle; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; and the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sydney, British Columbia.
Soil particle-size dependent partitioning behavior of pesticides within water-soil-cationic surfactant systems.

Cationic surfactants have been proposed for enhanced sorption zones to contain hydro- phobic organic compound (HOC) contamination. Benzalkonium chloride (BC), a cationic surfactant, was selected to study the particle-size dependent sorption behavior of the surfactant and its role in the immobilization of two hydrophobic pesticides (atrazine and diuron) within soil-water-surfactant systems for this application. Five different soils were considered in this study. Our results showed significant particle-size dependent behavior for surfactant sorption and pesticide immobilization in the presence of the sorbed cationic surfactant. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the bulk soils and their size fractions (clay, silt, and sand fractions) determined BC sorption capacity. In the absence of BC the sand fractions were the least effective sorbent for the pesticides compared with silts and clays. However, at relatively low BC mass sorbed (<10,000 mg/kg) to any of the soil fractions, well below sorption saturation, the sand fractions became more effective sorbents for either pesticide than the clay and silt fractions. The pesticide partitioning coefficient onto sorbed BC (Kss) was not constant. Particle CEC, availability of CEC sites for sorption of the cationic surfactant, and the amount of the BC sorbed determined the phase of Kss. The maximum Kss occurred before BC saturation sorption capacity was reached and at different % CEC occupancy for the different size fractions. For the clay fractions, the maximum Kss occurred at lower % CEC occupancy (w30-40%) than for the silt and sand fractions. The maximal Kss for the sand fractions occurred at the highest % CEC occupancy among all fractions (w50-60%). These findings suggest that for an in situ surfactant-enhanced sorption zone it may be better to operate well below the saturation sorption of the cationic surfactant. This would enhance sorption of the HOCs onto the immobile fractions (silt and sand fractions) rather than the potentially mobile clay fractions.
Multiscale Shock Heating Analysis of a Granular Explosive

A multiscale model is formulated and used to characterize the duration and amplitude of temperature peaks (i.e., hot spots) at intergranular contact surfaces generated by shock compaction of the granular high explosive HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine). The model tracks the evolution of both bulk variables and localized temperature subject to a consistent thermal energy localization strategy that accounts for inelastic and compressive heating, phase change, and thermal conduction at the grain scale (grain size ∼50μm). Steady subsonic compaction waves having a dispersed two-wave structure are predicted for mild impact of dense HMX (porosity ∼19%), and steady supersonic compaction waves having a discontinuous solid shock followed by a thin compaction zone are predicted for stronger impact. Short duration hot spots having peak temperatures in excess of 900K are predicted near intergranular contact surfaces for impact speeds as low as 100m∕s; these hot spots are sufficient to induce sustained combustion as determined by a two-phase thermal explosion theory. Thermal conduction and phase change significantly affect hot-spot formation for low impact speeds (∼100m∕s), whereas bulk inelastic heating dominates the thermal response at higher speeds resulting in longer duration hot spots. Compressive grain heating is shown to be largely inconsequential for the range of impact speeds considered in this work (100⩽up⩽1000m∕s). Predictions for the variation in inelastic strain, pressure, and porosity through the compaction zone are also shown to qualitatively agree with the results of detailed mesoscale simulations.
Time-dependent functional theory of coupled electron and electromagnetic fields in condensed-matter systems

It is shown that a time-dependent external four-vector potential ${\mathit{a}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{\mathrm{ext}}$(r\ensuremath{\rightarrow}t) and a conserved external four-current ${\mathit{j}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{\mathrm{ext}}$(r\ensuremath{\rightarrow}t), with a given fixed initial state of the combined condensed-matter--electromagnetic system, lead, respectively, to a conserved self-consistent four-current density ${\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}$(r\ensuremath{\rightarrow}t) and a self-consistent four-vector field ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}$(r\ensuremath{\rightarrow}t), such that a map (${\mathit{a}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{\mathrm{ext}}$,${\mathit{j}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{\mathrm{ext}}$)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}(${\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}$,${\mathit{A}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}$) is invertible under certain simple conditions. With this as a basis, the stationary action principle is used to derive the self-consistent equations for the electron and the electromagnetic fields appropriate for a description of the combined condensed-matter and electrodynamic systems, where real or virtual pair creation is ignored.
Carnosinase: A fluorometric assay and demonstration of two electrophoretic forms in human tissue extracts☆

Abstract An assay of carnosinase activity has been developed based upon the fluorometric determination of histidine in reaction with o-phthalaldehyde. Normal human sera and tissue extracts have been examined by means of starch block electrophoresis at pH 7.0; two forms of carnosinase-hydrolysing activity have been detected. No differences were observed between these two forms in substrate specificity as indicated by rates of hydrolysis of various dipeptides. Sephadex G-100 gel filtration of human tissue extracts indicated a molecular weight of approximately 90000 but did not reveal any differences in size between the two electrophoretic forms of the enzyme.
Individual differences in executive functions are almost entirely genetic in origin

Recent psychological and neuropsychological research suggests that executive functions--the cognitive control processes that regulate thought and action--are multifaceted and that different types of executive functions are correlated but separable. The present multivariate twin study of 3 executive functions (inhibiting dominant responses, updating working memory representations, and shifting between task sets), measured as latent variables, examined why people vary in these executive control abilities and why these abilities are correlated but separable from a behavioral genetic perspective. Results indicated that executive functions are correlated because they are influenced by a highly heritable (99%) common factor that goes beyond general intelligence or perceptual speed, and they are separable because of additional genetic influences unique to particular executive functions. This combination of general and specific genetic influences places executive functions among the most heritable psychological traits. These results highlight the potential of genetic approaches for uncovering the biological underpinnings of executive functions and suggest a need for examining multiple types of executive functions to distinguish different levels of genetic influences.
Comparison of embolization protection device-specific technical difficulties during carotid artery stenting.

Background Embolic protection devices (EPDs) consisting of an internal carotid artery (ICA) filter or balloon occlusion are typically used during carotid artery stenting (CAS). This study compares the technical difficulties encountered using these two types of EPD. Methods A retrospective review was conducted of patients undergoing CAS using a balloon occlusion EPD (balloon group: PercuSurge GuardWire) or filter EPD (filter group: Accunet, AngioGuard, or FilterWire). Complications were defined as minor stroke, National Institutes of Health (NIH) stroke scale Results CAS (n = 141) was performed in 133 patients (82% men) with a mean age of 72 of years. Comorbidities included diabetes, 35%; coronary artery disease, 75%; hypertension, 82%; and renal insufficiency, 15%. Indication was previous cerebrovascular accident in 10%, TIA in 29%, and asymptomatic >80% stenosis in 61%. Primary lesions were treated in 83% vs restenosis in 17%. The 30-day event rate was 1.4% major stroke, 2.1% minor stoke, 1.4% myocardial infarction, and 0.7% death. The overall combined 30-day stroke, death, and myocardial infarction rate was 5.6%. The 30-day stroke and death rate was 4.0% in the balloon group (n = 99) and 4.6% in the filter group (n = 42, P = .51). EPD-related technical difficulties occurred in 15% of the balloon group and 31% of the filter group ( P P = .002) and 12% incidence of inability to cross the lesion before predilation in the filter group compared with 0% in the balloon group ( P = .001). Conclusions During CAS, both balloon occlusion and filter devices provide acceptable results and appear complimentary. Filters can be used preferentially to avoid a 10% incidence of reversible neurologic compromise associated with balloon occlusion, except in critically narrowed or tortuous lesions when balloon occlusion may be preferred because of a 12% need for unprotected predilatation with filters.
Renormalization group analysis of generalized Coulomb systems in two dimensions

Abstract We present a renormalization group analysis of a two dimensional Coulomb gas with internal degrees of freedom. The specific model considered has a global O(3) internal symmetry. The behavior of this system in the low temperature region is found to differ appreciably from that of the XY model.
Ion irradiation effects in nanocrystalline TiN coatings

Nitride materials and coatings have attracted extensive research interests for various applications in advanced nuclear reactors due to their unique combination of physical properties, including high temperature stability, excellent corrosion resistance, superior mechanical property and good thermal conductivity. In this paper, the ion irradiation effects in nanocrystalline TiN coatings as a function of grain size are reported. TiN thin films (thickness of 100 nm) with various grain sizes (8-100 nm) were prepared on Si substrates by a pulsed laser deposition technique. All the samples were irradiated with He ions to high fluences at room temperature. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM on the ion-irradiated samples show that damage accumulation in the TiN films reduces as the grain size reduces. Electrical resistivity of the ion-irradiated films increases slightly compared with the as-deposited ones. These observations demonstrate a good radiation-tolerance property of nanocrystalline TiN films.
The Allocational Effects of the Precision of Accounting Estimates

This paper studies the allocational effects associated with the precision of accounting estimates when the precision of estimates is a choice variable for firms. One part of the paper considers the effects of the observability of precision choices. We show that, generally, making precision choices private increases firms' equilibrium precision choices and also, as a by-product, their equilibrium investment choices. We further show that, when firms' precision choices are private, there may be a “disclosure trap,” in which, unless investors conjecture the owner has chosen an estimate with the highest possible precision, the owner will respond to investors' conjecture by choosing an estimate whose precision is higher than investors' conjecture. In a multifirm version of the model with endogenous investment, we show that the equilibrium investment by the firm increases in the precision of the firm's own estimate and decreases in the precisions of other firms' estimates. Finally, we show that, in a setting where the firm's initial owner sells his stake in the firm over the course of two periods, with disclosures of estimates of the firm's value occurring prior to each sale of shares, if the precisions of the estimates are public, the equilibrium precisions of the estimates increase over time when the owner sells a sufficiently large fraction of the firm in the first period, and otherwise the equilibrium precisions of estimates remain constant over time.
Optimization search effort over the control landscapes for open quantum systems with Kraus-map evolution

A quantum control landscape is defined as the expectation value of a target observable Θ as a function of the control variables. In this work, control landscapes for open quantum systems governed by Kraus map evolution are analyzed. Kraus maps are used as the controls transforming an initial density matrix ρi into a final density matrix to maximize the expectation value of the observable Θ. The absence of suboptimal local maxima for the relevant control landscapes is numerically illustrated. The dependence of the optimization search effort is analyzed in terms of the dimension of the system N, the initial state ρi and the target observable Θ. It is found that if the number of nonzero eigenvalues in ρi remains constant, the search effort does not exhibit any significant dependence on N. If ρi has no zero eigenvalues, then the computational complexity and the required search effort rise with N. The dimension of the top manifold (i.e., the set of Kraus operators that maximizes the objective) is found to positively correlate with the optimization search efficiency. Under the assumption of full controllability, incoherent control modeled by Kraus maps is found to be more efficient in reaching the same value of the objective than coherent control modeled by unitary maps. Numerical simulations are also performed for control landscapes with linear constraints on the available Kraus maps, and suboptimal maxima are not revealed for these landscapes.
Dose‐dependent effects of nectar alkaloids in a montane plant–pollinator community

Summary Although secondary metabolites are prevalent in floral nectar, the ecological consequences for pollinators and pollination remain relatively unexplored. While often deterrent to pollinators at high concentrations, secondary metabolite concentrations in nectar tend to be much lower than secondary metabolite concentrations in leaves and flowers; yet, they may still affect the maintenance of pollination mutualisms. Delphinium barbeyi, a common montane herb, contains norditerpene alkaloids in its nectar but at concentrations that are substantially lower than those found in its leaves or flowers. By manipulating nectar alkaloid concentrations in the field and laboratory, we assessed the degree to which varying concentrations of alkaloids in nectar influenced pollinator behaviour and activity and plant reproduction. In the field, nectar alkaloids significantly reduced both the number of flower visits and the time spent per flower by free-flying bumblebee pollinators, but we only observed effects at alkaloid concentrations 50 times that of natural nectar. When we supplemented D. barbeyi nectar with alkaloids at concentrations almost 15 times that of natural nectar, we found no evidence for direct or pollinator-mediated indirect effects on female plant reproduction. In the laboratory, the direct consumptive effects of nectar alkaloids on bumblebee pollinators were also concentration dependent. Bumblebees exhibited reduced mobility and vigour but only at alkaloid concentrations more than 25 times higher than those found in natural nectar. Synthesis. We found that nectar alkaloids have dose-dependent effects on pollinator behaviour and activity. While concentrations of nectar alkaloids rivalling those found in leaves would negatively affect pollinator behaviour and pollination services, the natural concentrations of nectar alkaloids in D. barbeyi have no negative direct or pollinator-mediated indirect effects on plant reproduction. These results provide experimental insight into the dose-dependent ecological consequences of nectar secondary metabolites for pollinators and pollination, suggesting that low nectar alkaloid concentrations incurred no ecological costs for D. barbeyi.
Inferences about eye movement control from the perceptual span in reading.

Subjects’ eye fixations in a target region were examined as a function of how far the eye was from the beginning of a target word on the previous fixation. Prior to fixation of the target word, a letter string in the target location (which was then in the parafovea) was either visually similar or visually dissimilar to the target word. The results indicated that letter information was extracted from the target location when the eyes were at least nine characters from it. However, at such far distances, the parafoveal information extracted affected only the gaze duration on the target word, whereas at nearer distances, it affected both the gaze duration and the first-fixation duration. These data indicated that the decision to adjust the length of a saccade can be made after the decision to move the eye. In addition, the lengths of saccades and times to examine words were positively correlated: a longer saccade onto the target word was associated with longer gaze durations on both the target word and the prior word, and skipping the target word was associated with a longer last fixation on the previous word.
Spatio-temporal analysis for smart grids with wind generation integration

In this paper, we propose a spatio-temporal analysis approach for short-term forecasting of wind farm generation. Specifically, using extensive measurement data from an actual wind farm, the probability distribution and the level crossing rate (LCR) of wind farm generation are characterized by using tools from graphical learning and time-series analysis. Based on these spatial and temporal characterizations, finite state Markov chain models for wind farm generation are developed. Point-forecast of wind farm generation is derived using the Markov chains and integrated into power system economic dispatch. Numerical study on economic dispatch using the IEEE 30-bus test system demonstrates the significant improvement compared with conventional wind-speed-based forecasting methods.
Determination of the thermal conductivity of composite low-k dielectrics for advanced interconnect structures

Abstract The increasing use of low- k dielectrics as inter/intralevel insulation materials and the aggressive scaling of advanced interconnects generate new challenges for thermal and electromigration (EM) solutions. Accurate specification of design rules and EM reliability modeling for interconnect systems require knowledge of the thermal behavior of the systems. A key parameter that characterizes thermal behavior is the thermal conductivity of the inter/intralevel dielectric (ILD). In practical, very large scale integration (VLSI) applications, the metal interconnects are fully embedded in a stacked, composite ILD media, which present challenges for the accurate determination of thermal conductivity. This article uses the “effective thermal conductivity” concept to model such complicated composite media, and to introduce a simple methodology that accurately measures effective and bulk thermal conductivities of various thin dielectric layers in integrated circuits (IC). We present measured effective conductivities of several composite media, including various Cu/low- k dielectric configurations: Cu/SiCOH, Cu/spin-on organic dielectric (SOD), Cu/fluorinated silicate glass (FSG), and a hybrid stack with Cu lines in SOD and Cu vias in undoped silicate glass (USG). Recorded temperature measurements ranged from 30 to 120 °C using a unique combination of fully embedded Cu lines as heater/thermometers, wafer-level temperature–voltage–power measurements, and the Harmon–Gill (H–G) quasi-analytical heat conduction model. We demonstrated optimal agreement between an experimental method and a finite element simulation, which suggests that this unique technique yields accurate and simple thermal conductivity measurements for complicated systems. Our observations show that thermal conductivities of all films in this study increased with rising substrate temperature.
Adolescents' soap opera viewing and relational perceptions

A sample of 230 middle‐school children completed questionnaires that examined the links between soap opera viewing and their perceptions of the nature of relationships. Mediating variables such as motives for viewing, experience with peer relations, and family structure were examined. Direct, mediated, and interactive effects of soap opera viewing on adolescent perceptions of relational fragility and the importance of talk in managing relationships were discussed.
Human c-myc transcription factor PuF identified as nm23-H2 nucleoside diphosphate kinase, a candidate suppressor of tumor metastasis

A human gene encoding the c-myc purine-binding transcription factor PuF was identified by screening of a cervical carcinoma cell complementary DNA library with a DNA fragment containing PuF binding sites. The 17-kilodalton bacterially produced PuF was shown to have biological activity and properties similar to that of human PuF. DNA sequence analysis of recombinant PuF revealed perfect identity with the human nm23-H2 nucleoside diphosphate kinase gene, a potential negative regulator of cancer metastasis. These results provide a link between nm23 and the c-myc oncogene and suggest that the nm23 protein can function in vitro in the transcriptional regulation of c-myc expression.
Scale-up of a cluster jet laser plasma source for extreme ultraviolet lithography

A high-average-power extreme UV (EUV) source based on a laser plasma cluster jet is being developed for EUV lithography. The source employs a cooled supersonic nozzle expansion to produce a dense beam of Xe clusters as the plasma source target. The cluster beam is irradiated with a pulsed laser to create a high-temperature plasma radiating efficiently in the EUV spectral region. To accommodate drive laser repetition rates of up to 6000 Hz, a continuous jet expansion with full Xe gas recycling is employed, rather than earlier pulsed jet expansions. The continuous jet employs an efficient high-throughput pumping scheme to minimize the ambient pressure highly-attenuating Xe gas. Source power scale-up is achieved by increasing laser repetition rate, keeping laser pulse parameters nominally fixed. In the first phase of EUV power scale-up, the continuous cluster jet source has been integrated with a 200 W laser driver operating at repetition rates up to 500 Hz. With this system, a laser-to-EUV conversion efficiency of 0.69 percent is achieved. In the second phase, the jet is being integrated with a 1700 W diode-pumped solid sate laser driver operating at repetition rates up to 6000 Hz. A brief description of the 1700 W laser system and its integration with the continuous cluster jet are discussed.
Olfactory dysfunction in fragile X tremor ataxia syndrome.

Fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of a CGG repeat to 55–199 in the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome. Male premutation carriers above age 50 are at higher risk of developing this syndrome, compared to women carriers. FXTAS is characterized by slowly progressive intention/action tremor, gait ataxia, variable frontal-subcortical neuropsychological deficits, and characteristic neuroimaging findings.1–3 In other trinucleotide repeat disorders, such as the spinocerebellar ataxias, and in multiple systems atrophy-C (MSA-C),4,5 olfactory identification defects, as measured by the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT),6 are an established early finding, even in the absence of significant motor or cognitive symptoms. 7–11 The pathophysiologic explanation of these defects remains unclear. Nonetheless, the potential importance of hyposmia as an early marker of neurodegeneration is highlighted by ongoing studies in PD.12 Olfaction defects in degenerative ataxias tend to be less severe than those found in PD and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but noteworthy compared to age-matched controls.13 Given this coincidence across different forms of neurodegeneration, we examined olfaction identification capacity as a potential clinical marker of neurodegeneration in FXTAS. Olfactory function can be measured by threshold, a function of the integrity of the olfactory bulb, and by the ability to identify and discriminate odorants that also relies on the entorhinal cortices, amygdala, and hippocampus.9,14 The UPSIT has been used extensively in the evaluation of olfaction in patients with different forms of neurodegeneration and levels of cognitive impairment.11,15–17 In this study, we used the UPSIT as a measure of above-threshold central olfactory processing and as a possible window into central neural substrates underlying FXTAS.6
Closed-form solutions for forces on conical-nosed penetrators into geological targets with constant shear strength☆

Abstract Closed-form solutions of several elastic-plastic models which predict forces on conical-nosed penetrators into geological targets are developed. The constitutive description of the targets is guided by triaxial material test data for concrete and sea ice. These target materials are described by a linear hydrostat, a Tresca yield criterion with a tension cutoff and material density. The analyses are simplified by employing the cylindrical cavity approximation, which idealizes the target as thin, independent layers normal to the penetration direction and simplifies the analyses to one-dimensional wave propagation in the radial direction. The governing equations are then reduced to nonlinear ordinary differential equations with a similarity transformation, linearized and solved in closed-form. These approximate linearized solutions are compared with exact results from nonlinear analyses, and excellent agreements are shown for a wide range of practical parameters. Finally, predictions from the theory are compared with the deceleration histories of several penetrators which were air-dropped into sea ice.
GROUP TREATMENT OF TRAUMA SURVIVORS FOLLOWING A FATAL BUS ACCIDENT: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRACTICE

This article reviews current thought and practice in the application of group interventions with survivors of trauma. Recent studies concerning group treatment with trauma survivors are also reviewed, and a case study involving a fatal bus accident during a college international studies program in India is presented. A 14-month follow-up is included with the case study. Observational outcomes and future research directions for group interventions are discussed.
A CROSS-LEVEL INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING UNSAFE BEHAVIORS AND ACCIDENTS

Several recent reviews of industrial accidents have given increased attention to the role of organizational factors as antecedents to the accident sequence. In the current study, three group-level factors (i.e., group process, safety climate, and intentions to approach other team members engaged in unsafe acts) and one individual-level factor (i.e., perceptions of role overload) were hypothesized to influence the frequency of reported unsafe behaviors using a cross-level research strategy. Data were collected from 21 teams and 222 individuals in a Midwestern chemical processing plant. Both the individual and group-level variables were significantly associated with unsafe behaviors, thereby supporting the cross-level hypotheses. There was also initial evidence suggesting that the group process-unsafe behavior relationship was mediated by intentions to approach other team members engaged in unsafe acts. At the team level of analysis, safety climate and unsafe behaviors were significantly associated with actual accidents. Group process and approach intentions were marginally related to actual accidents (p < .10). The implications for a cross-level approach to safety and interventions is discussed.