cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of power supply ramp time on SRAM PUFs

In this paper, for the first time, it is demonstrated that the start-up value of an SRAM PUF could be different depending on the SRAM power supply rising time. An analytical model has been developed to determine the range for the power supply ramp time that affects the SRAM PUF start-up value. It has been found that there are two regions of operation. As a result, the generated key could possibly be different from one region to another. An SRAM test chip was designed and fabricated using Tower Jazz's 180 nanometer Silicon Germanium (SiGe) Bipolar/CMOS (BiCMOS) process. Based on our measured data, using the appropriate rising time can decrease the number of flipping bits by 5%. Both simulation and silicon results confirms the analytical model.
An ECG chopper amplifier achieving 0.92 NEF and 0.85 PEF with AC-coupled inverter-stacking for noise efficiency enhancement

This paper presents an ultra-low power chopper-stabilized amplifier intended for portable or implantable ECG applications. A new technique to fundamentally improve the noise efficiency of such amplifiers is introduced that is based on Gm-boosting by AC-coupling up-modulated signals onto stacked inverters. Designed and simulated in a 65 nm CMOS process, the amplifier consumes 17.7 nW from a 1 V supply. An efficient current-reuse and better utilization of the supply voltage using the proposed technique by stacking three inverters leads to a best-reported Noise Efficiency Factor (NEF) of 0.92 and Power Efficiency Factor (PEF) of 0.85.
Ice-associated norovirus outbreak predominantly caused by GII.17 in Taiwan, 2015.

On 5 March 2015, Taiwan Centers for Disease Control was notified of more than 200 students with gastroenteritis at a senior high school during excursion to Kenting. We conducted an outbreak investigation to identify the causative agent and possible vehicle of the pathogen. We conducted a retrospective cohort study by using a structured questionnaire to interview all students for consumed food items during their stay at the resort. Students were defined as a gastroenteritis case while having vomiting or diarrhea after the breakfast on 4 March. We inspected the environment to identify possible contamination route. We collected stool or vomitus samples from ill students, food handlers and environmental specimens for bacterial culture for common enteropathogens, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for norovirus and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for rotavirus. Norovirus PCR-positive products were then sequenced and genotyped. Of 267 students enrolled, 144 (54%) met our case definition. Regression analysis revealed elevated risk associated with iced tea, which was made from tea powder mixed with hot water and self-made ice (risk ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval 1.22–1.98). Ice used for beverages, water before and after water filter of the ice machine and 16 stool and vomitus samples from ill students were tested positive for norovirus; Multiple genotypes were identified including GI.2, GI.4 and GII.17. GII.17 was the predominant genotype and phylogenetic analyses showed that noroviruses identified in ice, water and human samples were clustered into the same genotypes. Environmental investigation revealed the ice was made by inadequate-filtered and un-boiled water. We identified the ice made by norovirus-contaminated un-boiled water caused the outbreak and the predominant genotype was GII.17. Adequately filtered or boiled water should be strongly recommended for making ice to avoid possible contamination.
A colour variation of Clibanarius virescens (Krauss, 1843) (Decapoda, Anomura) collected from Amami Oshima Island and Okinawa, Japan

During our survey on the intertidal hermit crab fauna on Amami Oshima Island and Okinawa Island, southwestern Japan, we collected specimens identified as Clibanarius species by their morphological features, but that had an unknown coloration for the genus: they have whitish ambulatory legs and a whitish shield. For species identification of these specimens, we observed their coloration and morphology and also performed phylogenetic analyses using the genes mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and nuclear histone H3. The analysis has shown that these specimens are to be identified as Clibanarius virescens (Krauss, 1843).
First Record of the Large-Scale Loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus (Cobitidae) in the United States

Abstract Exotic species have been implicated as a major threat to native freshwater fish communities in the Unites States. The San Francisco Estuary watershed has been recognized as one of the most invaded systems where exotics often dominate the fish community. On October 6, 2014, members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service detected a previously unknown exotic fish in a disconnected pool immediately upstream from the Chowchilla Bifurcation Structure in the San Joaquin River, a major tributary of the San Francisco Estuary. A member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initially identified the fish as an Oriental Weatherfish Misgurnus anguillicaudatus using external morphological characteristics. We conducted additional fish sampling near the Chowchilla Bifurcation Structure in November 2014 and collected a total of six additional specimens in disconnected pool habitats. Unexpectedly, genetic and meristic techniques revealed that these specimens were Large-Scale Loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus. To our kno...
Improved energy generation with insect-inspired wind turbine designs: Towards more durable and efficient turbines

With increasing energy demand and the ever looming threat of global climate change, renewable energy, especially wind energy, is a recurring solution. Although wind energy faces challenges of efficiency and durability, insect wings can serve as an example for wind turbine structures that may increase energy harvesting efficacy. This paper illustrates how two designs, one inspired by the cicada, bee, and wasp, and the other by the mosquito and fly, both have the potential to yield higher energy outputs, achieving a higher rotation per minute value than the control counterpart. However, the traditional control design was still more durable, indicating that additional fine-tuning is required to achieve optimal designs.
Psychosocial Considerations for Cancer Patients in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at a Large, Freestanding Children’s Hospital

Children and their families/guardians admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) experience barriers in communication, exposures to environmental stressors, and challenges in their continuity of care. The admission profiles and psychosocial issues of a pediatric oncology population admitted to a high-volume pediatric tertiary care facility were explored from 2012 to 2015 (N = 187), as a series of independent admission events. The results indicate that the mean age of patients at admission was 9 years old, predominantly male, Caucasian, and admitted with a neurological, hematological, or bone/tissue cancer diagnosis. Patients’ mean length of stay (LOS) varied according to cancer diagnosis. A wide range of cancers was represented, with half of the admissions primarily due to their cancer. Clinical implications include the need to optimize relational continuity and patient/family involvement utilizing cooperative communication. Future research could include investigation of satisfaction scores of families, in relation to PICU LOS as a likely risk factor for adverse psychosocial issues for the family.
Picosecond Interferomatric Studies of CO2 Laser Produced Plasmas

It has recently become apparent that the interaction of intense, shortpulse, CO2 laser radiation with matter is dominated by collisionless absorption processes which couple energy primarily into fast electrons. This quickly leads to the formation of a two component plasma system with a relatively long lifetime, high density, thermal plasma adjacent to the solid target, surrounded by a much more transient collisionless superthermal plasma which rapidly propagates out of the interaction region. The diagnosis of these two regimes with high spatial and temporal resolution can provide considerable insight into the interaction physics relevant to current laser fusion studies.
The Involvement of Callose and Elicitors in Ethylene Production Caused by Mechanical Perturbation

When plants are mechanically perturbed (MP) by wind, rubbing, flexing or other means, they undergo thigmomorphogenesis (10). This reaction, which is ubiquitous, usually consists of a retardation of elongation of the stem coupled with a thickening of the stem (10), Both terrestrial and aquatic plants are subject to perturbation by fluid flow: The former by wind and the latter by currents of water (25). It is probable that thigmomorphogenesis arose in response to fluid flow in the environment. In earlier papers (10,13,14), I have proposed the thigmomorphogenetic hypothesis: namely that mild or moderate MP causes plants to be more resistant to rupture due to subsequent more severe MP, Thus, if a stand of trees are sheltered from the wind by the perimeter trees, and the perimeter trees are cut down, the sheltered trees will be susceptible to stem rupture (falling) by the first strong wind that occurs (9), This hypothesis now has enough experimental support to be called the “Thigmomorphogenetic Theory” (17,22). The present paper will describe some of these data, together with what is known of the hormonal mechanism of thigmomorphogenesis.
Biochemistry of Trypanosoma cruzi

Publisher Summary Studies on metabolic pathways in T. cruzi have in some cases revealed the reason for their susceptibility to drugs effective in vivo against this parasite. That is, for example, the case of nifurtimox and benznidazole, the drugs currently used in the treatment of Chagas disease. These studies have also helped in understanding the effect of antifungal azoles, which have been tested or will be tested soon in clinical trials against Chagas disease. In other cases, studies on the metabolism of T. cruzi have shed light on potential targets for drug action or have helped in the identification of compounds that could be of potential use against this disease. It should be expected that the use of some of these compounds could result in an adequate treatment for the acute and chronic forms of Chagas disease. The advantage of some of these compounds is that many of them are under development for other uses by pharmaceutical companies and some are already FDA-approved. The usefulness of specific anti- T. cruzi treatment of acute and chronic chagasic patients suggests that treatment is always beneficial. Even if the situation exists that cardiopathy or megas are not prevented in all those treated, the eradication of parasitemia will prevent transmission by blood transfusion and, in female children, congenital transmission years later.
An Overview of LPV Systems

The framework of Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) systems concerns linear dynamical systems whose state-space representations depend on exogenous nonstationary parameters. Since its introduction by Shamma and Athans in 1988 to model gain-scheduling, the LPV paradigm has become a standard formalism in systems and controls, with many papers devoted to analysis, controller synthesis, and system identification of LPV models. This chapter reviews basic concepts and presents a representative selection of analytical approaches for LPV systems.
Crowdsourced cyber defense: lessons from a large-scale, game-based approach to threat identification on a live network

Today, the responsibility for U.S. cyber defense is divided asymmetrically between a large population of cyber-naive end-users and a small cadre of cyber-savvy security experts in government and the private sector. We foresee the rise of "Cyber Civil Defense" driven by the perception of vulnerabilities in our present over-reliance on professionals and propelled by two additional factors: crowdsourced cyber offense and crowdsourced innovation. To explore crowdsourcing cyber defense, we developed an online game called Flux Hunter and deployed the game on a large-scale live network at APL, attracting over 700 players. In this paper, we discuss the concept of crowdsourced cyber defense, describe our online game, present our results, and analyze the performance and behaviors of players individually and collectively, looking for the "wisdom of crowds".
Salience Network Disruption in US Army Soldiers with PTSD

BACKGROUND: Better understanding of the neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be critical to developing novel, effective therapeutics. Here, we conducted a data-driven investigation using a well-established, graph- based topological measure of nodal strength to determine the extent of functional dysconnectivity in a cohort of active duty US Army soldiers with PTSD compared to controls. METHODS: 102 participants with (n=50) or without PTSD (n=52) completed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at rest and during symptom provocation using subject-specific script imagery. Vertex/voxel global brain connectivity with global signal regression (GBCr), a measure of nodal strength, was calculated as the average of its functional connectivity with all other vertices/voxels in the brain gray matter. RESULTS: In contrast to during resting-state, where there were no group differences, we found a significantly higher GBCr, in PTSD participants compared to controls, in areas within the right hemisphere, including anterior insula, caudal- ventrolateral prefrontal, and rostral-ventrolateral parietal cortices. Overall, these clusters overlapped with the ventral and dorsal salience networks. Post hoc analysis showed increased GBCr in these salience clusters during symptom provocation compared to resting-state. In addition, resting-state GBCr in the salience clusters predicted GBCr during symptom provocation in PTSD participants but not in controls. CONCLUSION: In PTSD, increased connectivity within the salience network has been previously hypothesized, based primarily on seed-based connectivity findings. The current results strongly support this hypothesis using whole-brain network measure in a fully data-driven approach. It remains to be seen in future studies whether these identified salience disturbances would normalize following treatment.
Enhancing Consumer Involvement in Health Care: The Dynamics of Control, Empowerment, and Trust:

The author presents a value-based model of consumer involvement and preventive health care behavior. Through in-depth interviews, consumer views were elicited on three health care policy issues—hea...
Encouraging Volunteering in Nonprofit Organizations: The Role of Organizational Inclusion and Volunteer Need Satisfaction

Using self-determination theory as a framework, this study examined the relationship between perceived organizational inclusion, volunteer need satisfaction, and future behavioral intentions. A nat...
Integration of the Community-Based Academic Radiologist With the Academic Radiology Department: A Strategic Imperative.

Abstract Academic radiology departments are expanding into the community with deployment of community-based academic radiologists (CBARs). The remote practice locations, unique workplace challenges, and limited opportunities for meaningful collegial interactions can become drivers for radiologist isolation, dissatisfaction, and burnout. Integration of CBARs with the academic radiology department with which they are affiliated is a strategic imperative to mitigate radiologist isolation and potential burnout. Committed physician leadership by the academic radiology department can support integration. Strategies to strengthen integration include bidirectional clinical coverage systems, pairing new CBARs with established academic radiologist mentors at the academic center, encouraging CBARs to serve on academic committees and collaborate on research projects with radiologists at the academic center, and recognizing CBARs for their achievements in the areas of clinical productivity, practice development, community outreach, collegiality, and innovation.
Mutual Information as a Function of Moments

We introduce a mutual information estimator based on the connection between estimation theory and information theory. By combining a polynomial approximation of the minimum mean-squared error estimator with the I-MMSE relationship, we derive a new formula for the mutual information I(X; Y) that is a function of only the marginal distribution of X, the moments of Y, and the conditional moments of Y given X. Estimating the moments in this new formula by sample moments provides an estimator of mutual information that captures desirable properties, such as being invariant under affine transformations.
TADs for Life: Chromatin Domain Organization Regulates Lifespan in C. elegans

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Anderson et al. (2019) show that chromatin domain structure on the X chromosome in C. elegans is dispensable for dosage compensation but regulates longevity and thermotolerance. This study sheds light on the mechanisms of domain formation in C. elegans and how these features affect physiology.
Using video to explore programming thinking among undergraduate students

Phenomenography is a qualitative method that primarily has employed interviews of students to explore variations in how they experience some phenomenon. This study is an experiment in phenomenography in which the basic data (the interview) is replaced by video of students working on a computer science project with the goal of exploring variations in how students approach programming activities and laying the groundwork for more extensive study. While this is a preliminary study, early analysis shows that the addition of videos enriches the conclusions that can be made and further exploration of this technique is warranted.
Who Deserves to Eat Well? An Analysis of Equality and Efficiency in U.S. Food Assistance Policy

Many U.S. residents employed full-time experience food insecurity without access to safety nets. U.S. food assistance policies define equality and efficiency based on neo-liberal free market assump...
Opposition to Ethnic Territorial Autonomy in the Indian Parliament

Why do central governments resist regional ethnic autonomy? Is it nationalism? A fear of lost revenues? Scholars rarely investigate these questions with fine-grained data on elite behavior. The aut...
Characterization of Fatty Acid Profiles in Infants With Intestinal Failure-Associated Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to characterize fatty acid profiles (FAPs) in parenteral nutrition (PN)-dependent infants with intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD) receiving soybean oil-based lipid emulsion (SO) doses of ∼3 and ∼1 g/kg/d. METHODS Prospectively collected data were retrospectively reviewed. Serum FAPs of patients <1 year old who experienced development of IFALD while receiving standard PN with SO were examined before transitioning to a fish oil-based lipid emulsion for IFALD treatment. Time on SO, dose, gestational age, and weight- and length-for-age z scores were also reviewed. RESULTS Among the 49 patients analyzed, there were no differences in demographics or anthropometrics between patients who received standard SO (SO-S) (n = 14, range of dosage 2.06-3.31 g/kg/d) and reduced SO (SO-R) (n = 35, range of dosage 0.90-1.34 g/kg/d). Patients received SO for a median of 53 days (interquartile range 39, 73) before FAP measurement. Patients who received SO-R had significantly higher Mead acid and lower α-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, linoleic, stearic, total ω-3, and total ω-6 fatty acid levels than patients who received SO-S (P < .01). Triene:tetraene ratios were higher in patients who received SO-R (P = .0009), and no patients experienced biochemical essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD). CONCLUSION PN-dependent infants with IFALD receiving SO-R have different FAPs than patients receiving SO-S. No patients in either group had biochemical EFAD.
Managing flood flow connectivity to landscapes to build buffering capacity to disturbances: An ecohydrologic modeling framework for drylands.

Abstract Increased flooding, droughts, and sediment transport are watershed-scale problems negatively impacting agriculture and ecosystems in drylands worldwide. Vegetation loss in upland watersheds is leading to scouring floods, which in turn decreases infiltration, soil moisture levels, and downstream groundwater recharge. Management to confront these intractable problems has been hindered by a lack of accessible decision support tools for both land and water managers that synthesize the watershed processes that buffer against dryland disturbances. Flood flow connectivities across the landscape create buffer zones through replenishing soil moisture and reducing flood energy, which in turn support multiple functions. This study developed a decision support tool, the Flood Flow Connectivity to the Landscape (FlowCon) framework that quantifies the most efficient management efforts to increase the key watershed buffering functions of increasing infiltration and reducing flow energy. FlowCon links three spatially explicit, process-based, and predictive models to answer two critical management questions: what key processes acting in what optimal areas are drivers of infiltration dynamics and what roles do peak flows of differing scales of energy play. The spatial models delineated the buffer zone to characterize the heterogeneous and optimal infiltration dynamics across the landscape. The hydrologic process model, using a curve number technique, identified the key ecohydrologic processes that affect infiltration and characterized peak flows and flow regime variability. The predictive flood routing model quantified the potential management benefits. We calibrated the models with measured runoff and the corresponding rainfall events for a six-year period, which included thirty-six flow events. The synthesized ecohydrologic indicators provided critical calibrations, improving the relationship between the hydrologic modeling results and observed data by 12% for the linear regression R2 and 69% for the root mean square error (RMSE). Implementation of prioritized management is estimated to reduce peak flow by half, with interventions focused on 24% of floodplains that infiltrate three times the flow volume per area than the floodplain average. FlowCon provides an efficient assessment framework that integrates watershed process understanding in an accessible decision support tool to achieve tangible improvements in dryland watershed management.
A body without a head: Lacan’s understanding of body and its application

Along with the recent development of various theories of the body, Lacan’s body theory aligns with postmodern thinkers such as Michel Foucault and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, who consider the body to be social and not biological. Lacan emphasizes the body for the Real, the passive condition of the body in terms of formation, identity, and understanding. This condition of the body is further evident in the condition of bodies of women and laborers under patriarchy and capitalism, respectively. Lacan’s ‘not all’ position, which is envisioned in the logical square diagram, allows women a way to question the system of patriarchy and opens up alternative sexual identities. Lacan’s approach to feminine sexuality, when applied to women’s spirituality, emphasizes multiple narratives of body, gender roles, and sexualities. In the social discernment and analyses of liberation theology, the capitalist discourse can be applied as a tool to understand how people are manipulated by late capitalist society without being aware of it. Lacan’s theory of a ‘body without a head’ reflects the current condition of the human body, existing in a state of lack, but including possibilities for transforming society.
Improving Reliability Estimation for Individual Numeric Predictions: A Machine Learning Approach

Numerical predictive modeling is widely used in different application domains. Although many modeling techniques have been proposed, and a number of different aggregate accuracy metrics exist for e...
Out of Egypt: Did Israel’s Exodus Include Tales?

Known as the home of the short story ancient Egyptian narratives have entertained many people for millennia, and, not surprisingly, a number of these narratives resonate with various biblical narratives. Indeed the Bible states that as the Israelites left Egypt in the Exodus, they took borrowed objects with them (Exod 12:35) which logically would have included intangible items like loanwords and concepts gained from living in the Egyptian intellectual and moral environment. Perhaps the most notable of these, and possibly the best known to biblical scholars, is the 19th dynasty “Tale of Two Brothers” from the Papyrus d’Orbiney (BM 10183) due to its similarities with the narrative of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39. Other tales also appear to be reflected in various biblical materials. Given, however, the worldwide appearances of similar tales and tale motifs to those of these two cultures, one must ask if the similarities between the Egyptian and biblical really represent direct borrowing from or influence of Egypt. Whatever the answer may be, the significance of the Joseph story lies in its incorporation of a memory of the Israelites’ descent into Egypt.
High incidence of post-operative infection after 'sinus tarsi' approach for treatment of intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus: a 5 year experience in an academic level one trauma center.

Background The optimal management of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures remains a topic of debate among trauma surgeons. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of the sinus tarsi approach in regard to the incidence of deep infection and amputation following open reduction and internal fixation intra-articular calcaneal fractures.
The Obvious War

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon render its decision on what makes an invention obvious--a decision that will likely have significant effects.
An Analysis of the Market Reward and Torpedo Effect of Firms that Consistently Meet Expectations

The goal of meeting analyst expectations has developed into a standard benchmark for firms. This goal extends to consistently meeting analyst expectations in consecutive fiscal quarters. Using a sample of firms that consistently meets expectations, I find evidence that akin to the market reward associated with consistently meeting expectations, there is a matching large negative stock price reaction when the firm eventually misses expectations. The market reward is proportionate to the number of quarters in which the firm consistently meets expectations. Furthermore, the negative reaction to a break in the string is inversely related to the number of quarters in which it met expectations. This torpedo effect reverses some of the premium accumulated from consistently meeting the forecast. While the majority of firms do not resume the string of meeting expectations, I find that, consistent with the emphasis placed by managers on maintaining the string, the likelihood that a firm resumes the string increases with the length of the previous string and also with the firm's growth. These findings provide additional insight into the motivations and mechanisms of firms that consistently meet analyst expectations.
Revisit rates and associated costs after an emergency department encounter: a multistate analysis.

Background Return visits to the emergency department (ED) or hospital after an index ED visit strain the health system, but information about rates and determinants of revisits is limited. Objective To describe revisit rates, variation in revisit rates by diagnosis and state, and associated costs. Design Observational study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project databases. Setting 6 U.S. states. Patients Adults with ED visits between 2006 and 2010. Measurements Revisit rates and costs. Results Within 3 days of an index ED visit, 8.2% of patients had a revisit; 32% of those revisits occurred at a different institution. Revisit rates varied by diagnosis, with skin infections having the highest rate (23.1% [95% CI, 22.3% to 23.9%]). Revisit rates also varied by state. For skin infections, Florida had higher risk-adjusted revisit rates (24.8% [CI, 23.5% to 26.2%]) than Nebraska (10.6% [CI, 9.2% to 12.1%]). In Florida, the only state with complete cost data, total revisit costs for the 19.8% of patients with a revisit within 30 days were 118% of total index ED visit costs for all patients (including those with and without a revisit). Limitation Whether a revisit reflects inadequate access to primary care, a planned revisit, the patient's nonadherence to ED recommendations, or poor-quality care at the initial ED visit remains unknown. Conclusion Revisits after an index ED encounter are more frequent than previously reported, in part because many occur outside the index institution. Among ED patients in Florida, more resources are spent on revisits than on index ED visits. Primary funding source Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Sexual Impulsivity in Women Diagnosed With Borderline Personality Disorder: A Review of the Literature

Women affected by borderline personality disorder (BPD) are at heightened risk for engaging in sexually impulsive high-risk behaviors, rendering them vulnerable to a wide range of physical health maladies, including sexually transmitted infections and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). While the majority of existing studies have focused on impulsivity in general, we sought to describe and extrapolate findings to sexual impulsivity in particular. Neurocognitive factors have been demonstrated to contribute to decision-making and engaging in high-risk impulsive sexual behaviors among populations with BPD, but the mechanisms underlying these associations have received less clinical attention in recent years. Thus, this article provides a review of select empirical findings using Marsha Linehan's biosocial theory as the foundational framework in order to synthesize information from disparate fields to present a cohesive understanding of mechanisms underlying the impuls...
Comparative measurements of precision radar cross section (RCS) calibration targets

Precise radar cross section (RCS) measurements of an arbitrary target require the measurement radar system to be calibrated with a highly accurate "known" RCS target. To minimize calibration errors, RCS calibration "targets" generally meet two demanding criteria: (1) the RCS must be precisely known; (2) the calibration target must have realistic and affordable fabrication tolerances. Surprisingly, the commonly used conducting calibration sphere is generally a poor calibration object (see Kent, B.M. et al., Proc. 18th Annual Symposium, Antenna Measurement Techniques Association, p.383-8, 1996). We review recent Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) research which successfully produced several precision RCS calibration targets. Our measured calibration performance has been validated through a carefully controlled program of inter-range comparison measurements, whose results are presented here. AFRL's improved RCS calibration standards have reduced typical calibration errors from /spl plusmn/1.3 dB to /spl plusmn/0.25 dB for many RCS measurement systems.
Comparison of the effect of high-latitude and equatorial ionospheric scintillation on GPS signals during the maximum of solar cycle 24

Radio signal scintillation caused by electron density irregularities in the ionosphere affects the accuracy and integrity of Global Navigation Satellite Systems, especially in the equatorial and high-latitude regions during solar maxima. Scintillation in these two regions, nevertheless, is usually influenced by different factors and thus has different characteristics that cause different effects on GNSS signals. This paper compares the characteristics of high-latitude and equatorial scintillation using multifrequency GPS scintillation data collected at Gakona, Alaska, Jicamarca, Peru, and Ascension Island during the 24th solar maximum. Several statistical distributions are established based on the data to characterize the intensity, duration, and occurrence frequency of scintillation. Results show that scintillation in the equatorial region is generally more severe and longer lasting, while high-latitude scintillation is, in general, more moderate and usually dominated by phase fluctuations. Results also reveal the different impacts of solar activity, geomagnetic activity, and seasons on scintillation in different geographic locations.
Anxious-depression among Hispanic/Latinos from different backgrounds: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

Anxious-depression is a constellation of symptoms, frequently encountered among patients in primary care centers. There is a need to study how anxious-depression presents among Hispanic/Latinos of different backgrounds. To study the construct of anxious-depression among 16,064 Hispanic/Latinos of different backgrounds participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. We hypothesized that Hispanic/Latinos will cluster in 3 classes: low anxiety/high depression, high anxiety/low depression and a combined anxious-depression construct. Using latent profile analysis, symptoms of depression and anxiety measured by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and 10-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were evaluated to determine if an anxious-depression typology would result. A multinomial logistic regression analysis explored the association of the 3-class solution with different Hispanic/Latino backgrounds controlling for age, gender, language, education and income. A 3-class mixed anxious-depression structure emerged with 10 % of Hispanic/Latinos in the high, 30 % in the moderate and 60 % in the low anxious-depression category. After adjusting for age, gender, language preference, income and education, individuals of Puerto Rican background were more likely to experience high (OR = 1.79, p < 0.05) and moderate (OR = 1.36, p < 0.05) (vs. low) anxious-depression symptomatology compared to those of Mexican background. Individuals of Central American and South American background were less likely to experience high (OR = 0.68, p < 0.05) and moderate (OR = 0.8, p < 0.05) (vs. low) anxious-depression compared to those of Mexican background. Anxious-depression symptomatology varied among this sample of Hispanic/Latino groups. These classes should be investigated as to their relationship with different health outcomes relevant to the Hispanic/Latino of different backgrounds.
Do published tolerance ratings and dispersal factors predict species distributions in bottomland hardwoods

Abstract Species flood and shade tolerances are commonly used to explain regeneration and distribution of canopy trees in bottomland hardwood forests. Restoration planning and management decisions for these highly threatened forests often match canopy species to site conditions based on published tolerance ratings. We identified ‘regeneration strategies’ by combining flood and shade-tolerance ratings with plant colonization traits, specifically seed size and dispersal mode, and asked if they predict field regeneration patterns of floodplain canopy species. From the literature, we identified four groups of species with theoretically similar regeneration strategies. We then used empirical evidence from three floodplain datasets to test whether the a priori groups were useful predictors of regeneration responses to gradients in canopy openness, flooding, and distance from forest edge. Species with different published tolerance levels overlapped substantially; minimum and maximum positions along each gradient overlapped, and the medians alone were useful in the empirical tests of three of the four defined strategy groups. Predicted responses for the strategy groups and fidelity of species to the groups were not always met over flooding or canopy openness and distance-to-seed-source gradients in the field. However, responses of species within the groups, and the groups themselves, suggest that flood and shade tolerances are coarse filters, or that they filter species establishment following a dispersal filter on species colonization. Thus, regeneration strategies based on a suite of characters related to colonization and species sorting over elevation and canopy openness heterogeneity have implications for BLH management and restoration. More empirical work is needed to evaluate the full range of species responses to multiple environmental gradients.
Pharmacological Treatment of Insomnia

Insomnia is a widespread condition which affects approximately one-third of the general population. It is especially prevalent in the elderly. The treatment modalities of insomnia are varied and include nonpharmacological and pharmacological techniques. Insomnia is a symptom of an underlying condition. Before starting treatment, it is imperative to carefully assess the possible causes of insomnia, since the aetiology of the insomnia determines the treatment. Pharmacotherapy is indicated in transient insomnia which occurs in otherwise healthy, normal sleepers, and in the treatment of intermittent insomnia in the elderly. Pharmacotherapy is not indicated in chronic insomnia, except perhaps on an intermittent basis and as adjunctive treatment. If adjunctive pharmacotherapy is to be used in chronic insomnia, the possibility of a primary sleep disorder must be ruled out prior to the use of a sedative hypnotic. When using sedative hypnotic agents, the lowest possible dose should be used for the shortest possible time. Special care should be exercised when treating the elderly, because altered pharmacokinetics in this age group may impair tolerability. Benzodiazepines remain the recommended hypnotic agents, although newer, non-benzodiazepine agents may also be utilised. Despite the relative safety of benzodiazepines, the most common adverse effects include residual daytime sleepiness, rebound insomnia and anterograde amnesia. Short-acting benzodiazepines are more commonly associated with rebound insomnia and withdrawal symptoms, whereas the long acting benzodiazepines are more likely to produce residual daytime sleepiness. Anterograde amnesia may be seen with all benzodiazepines. Use of alcohol for its sedative properties, and over-the-counter preparations, are not recommended for the treatment of insomnia.
Measurement and Estimation of Henry's Law Constants of Chlorinated Ethylenes in Aqueous Surfactant Solutions

Henry's law constants of tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, cis-dichloroethylene, and trans-dichloroethylene in air−aqueous surfactant systems were experimentally determined by the equilibrium partitioning in closed systems method. Polyoxyethylene (10) octylphenol, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were used as surfactants. The effects of temperature and surfactant concentration were investigated, and the results demonstrated that the Henry's law constants increased as temperature was increased and decreased as surfactant concentration was increased. The decrease in the Henry's law constants became obvious above the critical micelle concentration. The effect of surfactant addition on the Henry's law constant was larger for the more hydrophobic species. The micelle−water partitioning coefficients (Kmw) for the chlorinated ethylene-surfactant pairs were estimated from the Henry's law constants. The values of Kmwestimated from the Henry's law constants at high surfactant concent...
Effect of a new monophasic oral contraceptive on perimenstrual symptoms

Introduction: Drospirenone (DRSP) is a novel progestin with antimineralocorticoid and antiandrogenic activities. Methods: In this open-label, multicenter study, 322 healthy women aged 18 to 35 years used a monophasic oral contraceptive consisting of 30 μg ethinyl estradiol (EE) and 3 mg DRSP for six cycles. Subjects completed a 23-item Women’s Health Assessment Questionnaire (WHAQ) at baseline and at the end of the sixth cycle. The WHAQ scored symptoms on a five-point scale during the premenstrual and menstrual phases and during the rest of the cycle (postmenstrual phase). Results: At baseline, mean scores for negative affect, water retention, and impaired concentration were higher during the premenstrual and menstrual phases than during the postmenstrual phase. At the end of cycle 6, premenstrual and menstrual symptom scores of negative affect and water retention were reduced significantly relative to baseline (P <0.001), with similar improvements seen among women who were new users of hormonal contraceptives (P <0.01) and those who switched from their previous contraceptives (P <0.001). Impaired concentration scores were not significantly reduced from baseline. Conclusions: These results suggest that an oral contraceptive containing DRSP/EE may reduce perimenstrual symptoms, notably those related to negative affect and water retention. A controlled, prospective trial in women with more severe perimenstrual symptoms is needed to confirm these findings.
XVII. MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA

SUMMARY The species listed below have been discussed and described on the foregoing pages. All of them were collected by the Percy Sladen Expedition in the lakes and rivers of the High Andes, most of them in the basin of Lake Titicaca: Thus five new genera, fourteen new species, and one new variety were contained in the material collected by the Percy Sladen Expedition. All of the new genera, are apparently endemic to the lakes of this area, while the new species of Anisancylus and Littoridina seem to be endemic species of genera which occur also in rivers and in ponds. The high number of new species in Littoridina, seven out of twelve represented in the material, is quite remarkable. Of the other families of fresh-water gastropods, which are known to occur in South America, and which therefore might have been expected to live in the region explored by the Percy Sladen Expedition, the Lymnaeidae and the Physidae among the pulmonates and the Thiaridae among the prosobranchiates are not represented. The local distribution of the twenty-four species listed above is shown in the Appendix.
Effect of actinomycin D and halogenated deoxyuridines on the replication of Bittner virus in vitro.

THE mouse mammary tumour virus (MTV)—or Bittner virus—is an RNA virus containing lipid1 which seems to multiply in the cytoplasm of infected cells and to be released by a budding process of the plasma membrane. Virus is released continuously without causing death of the cells. It appears that in its interaction with the cell, the virus becomes part of a steady-state complex of the type defined by Dulbecco2. It was of interest to determine whether viral replication, under the conditions in the steady-state interaction, required the participation of functional DNA—such as appears to occur with the Rous sarcoma virus3,4, a moderate, lipid-containing RNA tumour virus—or whether, as with most RNA viruses, replication was not dependent on DNA.
Spectral Distribution of Atomic Oscillator Strengths

Information on the spectrum of oscillator strength for neutral atoms in their ground states is surveyed with particular regard to recent progress in the far uv-soft x-ray range and to the theoretical interpretation of data from experiments and from numerical calculations. The analysis brings out numerous aspects of atomic mechanics and problems that remain unsolved. An effort is made to interconnect different theoretical approaches within the framework of the theory of atomic spectra.
One pool to insure them all? Age, risk and the price(s) of medical insurance

Asymmetric information can lead to adverse selection and market failure. In a dynamic setting, asymmetric information also limits reclassification risk. This certainty offsets the costs of adverse selection. Using a dynamic model of endogenous insurance choice and price calibrated to the U.S. medical insurance market, I find that asymmetric information is Pareto improving when information is fully asymmetric. However, when insurers can discriminate by age group, but not within age groups, the young benefit by paying less for insurance. The insurance market for the near elderly collapses because it is no longer implicitly subsidized by the participation of the young.
'After Not Many Days' in Acts 1.5 and Its Hellenistic Context:

The strange phrase 'after these not many days' has been claimed as a Latinism or Semitism. Searching TLG with Ibycus, I found close Greek parallels. The litotes with prepositive negative can be par...
Prognosis of Patients With Acute Renal Failure in the Intensive-Care Unit: A Tale of Two Eras

Objective To determine whether any changes occurred in the complexity of illness or survival of Mayo intensive-care unit (ICU) patients with acute renal failure (ARF) who required hemodialysis between the 1977 through 1979 period and the 1991 and 1992 era. Design A retrospective comparison was done of 71 consecutive ICU patients with ARF during 1977 through 1979 and 71 similar consecutive patients from the 1991 and 1992 period. Material and Methods Each patient was scored for the three components of the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II system (acute physiology score, age, and preexisting chronic health problems). Patient gender, postoperative status, presence of diabetes mellitus, presence of chronic renal insufficiency, and factors contributing to ARF were recorded for each patient. Patient survival and renal function at time of hospital dismissal and 12 months after initiation of hemodialysis were determined. Results In comparison with patients in the earlier study period, those in the later study period had a significantly improved rate of hospital survival (52% versus 32%) and 1-year survival (30% versus 21 %). At 1 year, 96% and 78% of survivors in the earlier and later study groups, respectively, had recovery of renal function. The mean total APACHE II score was the same in both study periods, but patients in the later group were older and had more APACHE II points for chronic health problems. In the earlier and later study groups, patients with an APACHE II score of 21 or lower had a mortality rate of 36% and 11%, respectively, and survival among those with a score of 34 or greater was 0% and 15%, respectively. In 1991 and 1992, more patients had two or more factors contributing to the development of ARF, and intravenous administration of a contrast agent and preexisting cardiac prerenal compromise were more frequent causes of ARF than in 1977 through 1979. The occurrence of sepsis and preexisting lung disease were associated with a dismal prognosis in both study periods. In 1991 and 1992, survival was improved for patients with preexisting diabetes mellitus, postoperative status, and contrast-induced renal failure. Conclusion The prognosis of ICU patients with ARF has improved in more recent years, despite the fact that patients are now older, have more preexisting chronic health conditions, and have an increasing number of conditions contributing to development of ARF. The APACHE II scoring system demonstrated utility for quantifying the complexity of illness in these patients, but several important shortcomings may limit its usefulness as a comparative or prognostic tool in patients with ARF.