cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microtubule Motor Traffic Jams

In the cell, microtubules spread throughout the cytoplasm, creating an intracellular highway system, with plus ends pointing towards the periphery. Kinesin-1 uses energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to walk towards microtubule plus ends to deliver cargoes, such as organelles or mRNA to the cell periphery. Multiple motors often work together to transport a single cargo. Transport properties of both single kinesin motors and single cargoes carried by multiple motors have been characterized. However, these studies are typically done in dilute conditions that do not accurately represent the cellular environment, where crowding or motor exchange on cargoes can occur. To address crowding and motor exchange, we use quantum dots, known to spontaneously bind kinesin-1, as cargo in our experiments and high concentrations of kinesin-1 to mimic crowded conditions on microtubules. Our system allows cargoes to self-assemble with exchanging kinesin-1 motors as the cargo is transported. Using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy, we tracked individual cargoes over a wide range of kinesin-1 concentrations to mimic varying degrees of crowded conditions. We found that while the velocity of cargoes decreased as conditions became more crowded, the run length and total association time of cargoes increased. We observed that cargoes paused more frequently in crowded conditions. Interestingly, we also observed cargo reversal events during runs, which were more likely to occur in crowded conditions. We believe these reversals occur when multiple motors are bound to a single cargo. If the leading motor is stretched and under strain, if it detaches, the cargo will rock backwards. Using coarse-grained Brownian dynamics simulations combined with model convolution microscopy, we can recapitulate velocity reduction, increased pausing, and reversals in silico.
Reducing the threat: an experiential exercise to introduce role play to student nurses

Abstract Role play is regarded as being a useful learning method for assisting student nurses to improve their interpersonal skills. It can provoke strong feelings in students both for and against its use, and the participation rate in role play exercises tends to be low. This paper describes an experiential exercise designed to introduce the concept of role play to students in a way that is hopefully less threatening than role play ‘proper’, with the aims of encouraging students to discuss the issues around the use of role play, and to reach a decision as to whether they will participate in role play in the future, and on what terms. It is hoped that the opt-out rate from role playing will be reduced, through students becoming more familiar with the method.
Electronic structures of intermolecular charge-transfer states in fast electron transfers with tetrathiafulvalene donor. Thermal and photoactivation of [2 + 4] cycloaddition to o-chloranil acceptor

Tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) spontaneously forms a series of unusual charge-transfer complexes with various quinonoid acceptors such as o-chloranil (CA) that show pronounced near-IR absorption (λCT = 1100 nm). The successful isolation of the corresponding [1 : 1] donor–acceptor complex from solution and X-ray crystallographic analysis at low temperatures reveal the polarized charge-transfer state: [TTFq+,CAq−] with high degree of charge-tranfer (q = 0.6), which is spectrally and crystallographically distinguished from the separate redox (ion-pair) state: [TTF+˙ + CA−˙]. The unique interconversion of charge-transfer and electron-transfer states is theoretically well-accommodated by Mulliken theory using semi-empirical valence-bond and molecular-orbital methodologies. Mechanistic implications are discussed of both the thermally activated and the photochemically promoted processes via fast (intracomplex) electron transfer followed by collapse of the adiabatic and the non-adiabatic (vibrationally-excited) ion-pairs, respectively, to the [2 + 4] cycloadduct of tetrathiafulvalene and o-chloranil.
Mechano-electric suppression of cardiac alternans

The annihilation of cardiac alternans is believed to be the first preventive action to halt the onset of ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. In this series of simulation studies, by means of boundary and spatially-distributed control, the alternans annihilation in a ID cable of cardiac cells is realized. The boundary control input is associated with a proportional perturbation feedback pacing-based controller input which is obtained by perturbation of basic pacing period through consecutive action potential duration (APD) measurements at the pacing site. The spatially-distributed actuation is associated with mechanically-based stimuli that modulate the internal calcium concentration of cells along the cable. Additionally, the amplitude of alternans nonlinear parabolic PDE with the full state feedback control associated with the ionic ID cardiac cell cable model is explored and analyzed. The alternans amplitude annihilation by a full state feedback in the nonlinear parabolic PDEs is in agreement with numerical results obtained from an ionic model of the ID cable of cardiac cells. Taken together, results from these simulation and analytical studies suggest a new mechano-electric based approach to the cardiac alternans annihilation.
Consensus Clustering for Detection of Overlapping Clusters in Microarray Data

Most clustering algorithms are partitional in nature, assigning each data point to exactly one cluster. However, several real world datasets have inherently overlapping clusters in which a single data point can belong entirely to more than one cluster. This is often the case with gene microarray data since it is possible for a single gene to participate in more than one biological process. This paper deals with a novel application of consensus clustering for detecting overlapping clusters. Our approach takes advantage of the fact that results obtained by applying different clustering algorithms to the same dataset could be different and a consensus across these results could be used to detect overlapping clusters. Moreover we extend a popular model selection approach called X-means (Pelleg and Moore, 2000) to detect the inherent number of overlapping clusters in the data
Jump tails, extreme dependencies, and the distribution of stock returns

We provide a new framework for estimating the systematic and idiosyncratic jump tail risks in financial asset prices. Our estimates are based on in-fill asymptotics for directly identifying the jumps, together with Extreme Value Theory (EVT) approximations and methods-of-moments for assessing the tail decay parameters and tail dependencies. On implementing the procedures with a panel of intraday prices for a large cross-section of individual stocks and the S&P 500 market portfolio, we find that the distributions of the systematic and idiosyncratic jumps are both generally heavy-tailed and close to symmetric, and show how the jump tail dependencies deduced from the high-frequency data together with the day-to-day variation in the diffusive volatility account for the “extreme” joint dependencies observed at the daily level.
Modeling thermal history of subducting crust in Nankai Trough: Constraints from in situ sediment temperature and diagenetic reaction progress

[1] Values of borehole temperature and %-smectite in illite/smectite mixed-layer clay provide important information about the basal heat flux history of the Nankai Trough subduction zone. Numerical simulations of sediment accumulation, heat conduction, and illite/smectite diagenesis permit comparisons of various thermal-history scenarios for ODP Site 1173. In our preferred models, basal heat flux during the first 10 Ma of sedimentation was near typical values for conductively cooling crust. During the last 5 Ma, basal heat flux was higher than expected. The anomalous heat flux was likely influenced by both off-axis volcanism and hydrothermal circulation.
The effect of public commitment on resistance to persuasion: The influence of attitude certainty, issue importance, susceptibility to normative influence, preference for consistency and source proximity

Abstract This study investigates the effect of public commitment on resistance to persuasion and on the roles played by attitude certainty, issue importance, susceptibility to normative influence (SNI), preference for consistency (PFC), and the proximity of the source of counter-attitudinal information in influencing the relationship between public commitment and resistance to attitude change. Using two studies based on experimental design, we confirm the moderating roles of SNI and reference group proximity as well as the mediating roles of attitude certainty and issue importance. Marketing implications are also discussed.
Promoting student involvement with environmental laboratory experiments in a general microbiology course.

This is a descriptive study of a series of laboratory exercises on environmental microbiology carried out by students in a general microbiology course during eight of the twelve weeks of the semester. The revised laboratory component is predicated upon seawater and sediment samples collected by student pairs using marine sampling equipment on a field trip aboard a research vessel. Two longitudinal studies were performed: assay for antibiotic production from isolated actinomycetes and construction and observation of Winogradsky columns. Two additional experiments: culturing microalgae and water testing for coliforms also used the samples collected by the students. The advantages of long-term, challenging laboratory experiences actively involving the students in group process, self-direction, and scientific practices are discussed. Also considered are development of laboratory skills, scientific competencies, and students’ self-confidence in carrying out such environmental investigations. Plans for future assessment of student learning are presented.
Peginterferon Pharmacokinetics in African American and Caucasian American Patients With Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 Infection

Background & Aims: The relationship between serum peginterferon pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and the early virologic response (EVR) to peginterferon and ribavirin therapy was assessed in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. Methods: A total of 333 patients (160 African Americans [AA] and 173 Caucasian Americans [CA]) who received peginterferon alfa-2a (180 μg/wk) without a dose modification during the initial 4 weeks of therapy were analyzed. Peginterferon and 2,5-oligoadenylate synthetase (2,5-OAS) serum levels were measured on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56, 84, and 168 of treatment. The EVR (≥2-log10 decline in HCV RNA levels by week 12 of therapy) was the primary virologic end point. Results: Peginterferon pharmacokinetics after the first dose were similar in AA and CA, but AA had greater peginterferon concentrations at days 1, 3, 14, and 28 (P
Western Coordinating Committee-204 goals and why they are important to the future of animal production systems

There are scientists who believe that science is value-free and that social and ethical issues are not their concern. The birth of Dolly, the cloned lamb, greatly increased public and scientific awareness of ethical issues raised by molecular biology as they intersect with human experience. There are many other issues involving animal production systems, including animal welfare, rural community issues, and environmental concerns. Last year Germany became the first European nation to grant animals a constitutional right. Several European nations ban the use of traditional battery cages for laying hens and gestation crates for sows. In the US, 37 states have recently passed animal anticruelty laws. Times are changing, and if animal production systems are to be part of the future, animal scientists must join with society to solve these ethical issues. The Western Coordinating Committee-204 (WCC-204), Animal Bioethics, has as its goals to 1) create a forum in which animal scientists and nonanimal scientists may work together to examine and discuss contentious social issues, 2) provide a means of encouraging the development of research projects dealing with bioethics of the animal sciences, 3) develop mechanisms of outreach that would allow animal scientists to respond directly to consumers and critics, and 4) provide the means for ongoing critical analysis of the animal science professions in the context of their ability to address moral and sociopolitical issues. Animal scientists can no longer ignore social ethics, and by realizing the goals of Western Coordinating Committee-204, we can help maintain the future of animal production systems.
The Internet of Things as an Enabler to Supply Chain Innovation

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects physical world to the cyber-world, which may impose predicable and unpredictable changes to enterprise business models and our everyday life. In this paper, we propose a model to describe the impact of IoT on the material, information and capital flowas well as carbon footprint through the supply chain, and further support the model with possible business scenarios. Besides, we raise several issues that may interest scholars and practitioners.
Simulating order fulfillment and supply planning for a vertically aligned industry solution business

We model supply chain of an industry solution equipment manufacturer, where the merchandise is sold worldwide, but suppliers are mostly located in Asia. The preferred shipment of supply is the ocean shipment, and it takes about 5 weeks. Premium air shipment can be used to expedite delivery, but it costs substantially higher. To hedge against variability of demand and to satisfy customer service level, a certain level of safety stock is needed but inventory carrying cost can be high. Therefore, a careful fulfillment strategy is very important to balance serviceability and cost. A supply chain simulation model is developed to analyze the order fulfillment and supply planning process for the business to identify efficient supply chain strategy. The model simulates and evaluates three key performance metrics; serviceability, inventory costs and premium transportation costs, and their interactions.
A new technique for imaging mineralized fibrils on bovine trabecular bone fracture surfaces by atomic force microscopy

High resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of bovine trabecular bone fracture surfaces reveal individual fibrils coated with extrafibrillar mineral particles. The mineral particles are distinctly different in different regions. In some regions the particles have average dimensions of (70 ± 35) nm along the fibrils and about half that across the fibrils. In other regions they are smaller and rounder, of order (53 ± 14) nm both along and across the fibrils. In other regions they are smaller and rounder, of order (25 ± 15) nm both along and across the fibrils, with more rounded top surfaces. Significantly, we rarely observed bare collagen fibrils. If the observed particles can be verified to be native extrafibrillar mineral, this could imply that the fractures which created the observed areas propagated within the mineralized extrafibrillar matrix.
Image data compression-encryption using G-scan patterns

This paper presents an efficient image compression-encryption methodology by using fractals. The methodology is based on the principles and ideas reflected by the family of fractal based languages (Scan) and is mainly motivated for the compression and encryption of 2D digital images. Scan represents a family of special purpose context free languages which access sequentially or process the nxn data of a 2D array, by describing and generating a wide range of (nxn)! algorithms (space filling curves, or permutations) from a short set of simple ones. The compression part of the Scan method uses the algorithmic accessibility of a 2D image and applies a region searching coding criterion for the compression of the image data based on colors or gray levels. Scan produces several compressed versions, where the best of them (the one with the smallest number of bits/image) could be used for compression. The encryption part of the Scan method is coming directly from the nature of the Scan methodology, since it uses one of the (nxn)! permutations to compress the image. The Scan methodology can be used either as lossy or lossless compression scheme.
Properties of positive resists. III. The dissolution behavior of poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐maleic anhydride)

The dissolution characteristics of model positive resists were investigated through the use of various copolymers of methyl methacrylate and maleic anhydride. Dissolution in methyl ethyl ketone was found to be dependent on the radiation dose and on the composition of the copolymers. The Lee–Peppas dissolution model was used to calculate important parameters of this dissolution process. It was shown that the overall dissolution rate was initially controlled by the swelling process whereas the true disentanglement/dissolution process predominated during the latter portion of the overall phenomenon. In addition, the thickness of the formed gel layer was a function of the square root of time.
Dynamic performance of PWM DC-DC boost converter with input voltage feedforward control

Small-signal characteristics are studied for a pulse-width modulated (PWM) boost converter with input voltage feedforward control. The characteristics are valid for the continuous conduction mode (CCM). A small-signal circuit model is used to derive the input-to-output voltage transfer function (audio-susceptibility), the input impedance, and the output impedance. A response of the output voltage to a step change in the input voltage is also computed. The measured Bode plots of the input-to-output voltage transfer function agreed with that predicted theoretically. It is shown that the feedforward control may reduce the magnitude of the input-to-output voltage transfer function by 40 dB. The input resistance of the converter with feedforward control is negative at low frequencies. The output impedance is not affected by feedforward control.
A multi-layer Petri net model for deregulated electric power systems

This paper proposes a hybrid multilayer Petri net model for electric power systems. The base layer is the physical layer, which represents the physical flow in a power system. On top of it are information layers to model information flows, which schedule the physical flow via discrete tokens. In between, there is an interface layer coded as programs and functioning as a control agent. An extension of continuous Petri nets, called a variable arc weighting Petri net (VAWPN), is introduced to simulate the physical layer, in which vector tokens are used to match the information flows to the physical flows. The operation of a VAWPN is presented. A three-zone example of a power system dispatch model is used to illustrate the concepts.
The role of intertask and intratask processing in acquisition and retention of motor skills.

Abstract This study examined the role of intratask and intertask processing on retention of three motor skills acquired in a practice condition invoking low contextual interference. Forty-eight subjects were randomly assigned to four experimental conditions. All conditions experienced blocked practice, which was supplemented with either intertask processing, additional intratask processing, or no additional processing. Acquisition consisted of 18 trials on each of three barrier knock-down tasks. Retention performance was assessed after a 10-min filled retention interval. Results indicated that providing the opportunity to engage in intertask processing not afforded by the acquisition practice schedule enhanced access, implementation, and memorability of movement action plans. In contrast, whereas supplemental intratask processing did not appear to interfere with acquisition performance achieved when experiencing blocked practice, it did little to enhance subsequent retention performance.
3D Floorplanning with Thermal Vias

3D circuits have the potential to improve performance over traditional 2D circuits by reducing wirelength and interconnect delay. One major problem with 3D circuits is that their higher device density due to reduced footprint area leads to greater temperatures. Thermal vias are a potential solution to this problem. This paper presents a thermal via insertion algorithm that can be used to plan thermal via locations during floorplanning. The thermal via insertion algorithm relies on a new thermal analyzer based on random walk techniques. Experimental results show that, in many cases, considering thermal vias during floorplanning stages can significantly reduce the temperature of a 3D circuit.
Urinary Chemokines as Noninvasive Predictors of Ulcerative Interstitial Cystitis

Purpose: Based on basic research findings an increase in chemokines and cytokines (CXCL-1 and 10, nerve growth factor and interleukin-6) is considered responsible for inflammation and afferent sensitization. In this cross-sectional study we tested the hypothesis that select chemokines are increased in the urine of patients with ulcerative and nonulcerative interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.Materials and Methods: Midstream urinary specimens were collected from 10 patients with ulcerative and nonulcerative interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, respectively, and from 10 asymptomatic controls. Urinary levels of 7 cytokines were measured by a human cytokine/chemokine assay. Nerve growth factor was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: Urinary levels of most chemokines/cytokines were tenfold to 100-fold lower in asymptomatic controls vs patients with ulcerative and nonulcerative interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. Univariate comparison of 8 tested proteins in ...
Dopant Distributions in PbTe-Based Thermoelectric Materials

Atom-probe tomography (APT) is utilized to characterize the dopant distribution in two thermoelectric materials systems: (1) PbTe-2 mol.%SrTe-1 mol.%Na2Te, and (2) codoped PbTe-1.25 mol.%K-1.4 mol.%Na. We observe the presence of Na-rich precipitates of a few nanometers in diameter in both systems. Both concentration frequency distribution analyses and partial radial distribution functions are employed to analyze the tendency for dopant clustering detected by APT. In the codoped sample, K accumulates significantly in Na-rich precipitates, while in the Sr-containing sample, Sr is homogeneously distributed. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy also reveals the presence of precipitates having platelet morphology, which are oriented parallel to the {001} planes.
Introducing sweep features in modeling with subdivision surfaces

In recent times, subdivision surfaces have been considered a powerful representation for shape design. They have been successfully introduced in character animation software packages. In the last few years they have obtained greater attention also from CAD applications due to their potential in overcoming some of the problems intrinsic of spline-based modeling. Anyhow, their major drawbacks are related to the difficulty in constraining the shape of the limit surface and to the limited high level modeling tools to manipulate the shape. In this paper, we propose a feature-based approach to extend the modeling capabilities of subdivision surfaces and to allow users to deal with this new modeling technique closer to the way they are used to. In particular, features obtainable by means of generalized sweep operations are formalized and treated. This type of feature has been chosen because it covers a large set of shapes commonly appearing in industrial products (e.g. car door internal panel cavities, stiffeners, …).
Bacterial Community Profiling of the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica): Comparison of Culture-Dependent and Culture-Independent Outcomes

ABSTRACT Tissue-associated bacterial community profiles generated using a nested polymerase chain reaction—denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approach and culture-dependent and culture-independent isolation techniques were compared. Oyster samples were collected from 2 harvest areas along the coast of Maine, in the United States. Profiles from both isolation strategies were evaluated using Sorensen's index of similarity and cluster analysis of gel banding patterns. Culture-independent profiles were further evaluated using the Shannon diversity index. In general, the culture-dependent strategy resulted in a greater number of bands within a profile. Bacterial DGGE profiles were found to be highly similar within an isolation strategy, with a higher degree of unrelatedness between culture-dependent and -independent techniques. Cluster analysis identified bands present in the culture-dependent strategy and not the total DNA technique, and vice versa. Significant differences in community profiles be...
Myostatin Neutralization Results in Preservation of Muscle Mass and Strength in Preclinical Models of Tumor-Induced Muscle Wasting

Skeletal muscle wasting occurs in a great majority of cancer patients with advanced disease and is associated with a poor prognosis and decreased survival. Myostatin functions as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass and has recently become a therapeutic target for reducing the loss of skeletal muscle and strength associated with clinical myopathies. We generated neutralizing antibodies to myostatin to test their potential use as therapeutic agents to attenuate the skeletal muscle wasting due to cancer. We show that our neutralizing antimyostatin antibodies significantly increase body weight, skeletal muscle mass, and strength in non-tumor-bearing mice with a concomitant increase in mean myofiber area. The administration of these neutralizing antibodies in two preclinical models of cancer-induced muscle wasting (C26 colon adenocarcinoma and PC3 prostate carcinoma) resulted in a significant attenuation of the loss of muscle mass and strength with no effect on tumor growth. We also show that the skeletal muscle mass- and strength-preserving effect of the antibodies is not affected by the coadministration of gemcitabine, a common chemotherapeutic agent, in both non-tumor-bearing mice and mice bearing C26 tumors. In addition, we show that myostatin neutralization with these antibodies results in the preservation of skeletal muscle mass following reduced caloric intake, a common comorbidity associated with advanced cancer. Our findings support the use of neutralizing antimyostatin antibodies as potential therapeutics for cancer-induced muscle wasting.
Axisymmetric thermal stress in a thin spherical shell by the method of matched asymptotic expansions

Abstract A solution of the equations of linear Thermoelasticity is presented for a closed shell with constant material properties. The solution is constructed by matching asymptotic expansions in the thinness parameter ( h/a = thickness/radius of curvature) in the various regions of the shell. For clamped conditions at the (meridional opening angle-constant) edge ( θ = θ 0 ), the solution has the character expected of a thin shell, i.e. a membrane region in the interior with a “thin shell” boundary layer near θ = θ 0 . For the stress-free condition, however, an “Elasticity” layer of meridional width of order h must be introduced between the “thin-shell” layer and the edge ( θ = θ 0 ). This solution is also compared with an asymptotic solution of the thin-shell equations and shown to agree through two orders of magnitude of h/a 1/2 .
A hybrid camera for motion deblurring and depth map super-resolution

We present a hybrid camera that combines the advantages of a high resolution camera and a high speed camera. Our hybrid camera consists of a pair of low-resolution high-speed (LRHS) cameras and a single high-resolution low-speed (HRLS) camera. The LRHS cameras are able to capture fast-motion with little motion blur. They also form a stereo pair and provide a low-resolution depth map. The HRLS camera provides a high spatial resolution but also introduces severe motion blur when capturing fast moving objects. We develop efficient algorithms to simultaneously motion-deblur the HRLS image and reconstruct a high resolution depth map. Our method estimates the motion flow in the LRHS pair and then warps the flow field to the HRLS camera to estimate the point spread function (PSF). We then deblur the HRLS image and use the resulting image to enhance the low-resolution depth map using joint bilateral filters. We demonstrate the hybrid camera in depth map super-resolution and motion deblurring with spatially varying kernels. Experiments show that our framework is robust and highly effective.
Simultaneous Comparison of Antegrade and Collateral Coronary Blood Flows

Comparison of the antegrade and retrograde (collateal) coronary free flows showed that the retrograde flow was less than 10 per cent of the antegrade flow in 48 per cent of animals and above 20 per cent in 11 per cent of animals.
The Effects of Proton Irradiation on 90 nm Strained Si CMOS on SOI Devices

The effects of 63 MeV proton irradiation on 90 nm strained silicon CMOS on insulator is examined for the first time. The devices show no observable degradation in DC performance up to an equivalent total dose of 600 krad(Si). The performance of the strained pFETs is identical to unstrained pFETs and demonstrates the immunity of strain to displacement damage. There is no significant enhancement observed in back channel leakage for the maximum dose. Passive exposure to 2 Mrad(Si) using 4 MeV protons doesn't induce any significant performance degradation.
Beam Stabilization by External Beam-Phase Feedback

The phase of the external beam with respect to the R.F. accelerating voltage of the Michigan State University Cyclotron is measured using a capacitive phase probe located in the beam line. The beam is stabilized with a feedback-circuit that reduces phase variations by adjusting the main magnetic field of the cyclotron. The damping factor of the system is about 20.
A Comparative Approach to Treaty Law and Practice

Traditionally, scholars and practitioners have viewed the study of treaties primarily through the lens of international law - considering how treaties constitute a source of law or obligation and analyzing the formation, interpretation, and application of such laws/obligations as between the various subjects of international law. At the same time, others have taken a more national approach, examining how a particular state's domestic legal system regards treaty obligations assumed by that state. This chapter, and the book - "National Treaty Law & Practice" - that it introduces, advances a third, comparative perspective on treaty law and practice. In it, I argue that if we only examine treaties from the traditional perspectives, we gain an incomplete, and at times inaccurate, account of treaty law and practice. As treaties proliferate in both numbers and subjects, a comparative view offers alternative insights, experiences, legislative approaches and practices for dealing with treaties. By comparing how different states negotiate, conclude and implement their treaty obligations, we necessarily respond to those concerned with a national perspective by obtaining views on how individual states relate to treaties. More importantly, the comparative approach can inform the international law of treaties. By analyzing a representative group of states, we can compile evidence of what state practice is, which, in turn, informs the content of the customary international law of treaties. To demonstrate how the comparative approach operates, this chapter analyzes a representative group of nineteen states - Austria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It compares the surveyed states' treaty laws and practices with respect to four core questions: (1) How do states define treaties as a matter of domestic law and practice? (2) What is the scope of the executive's authority over treaty making? (3) What role does the legislature play in treaty making? and (4) How are treaties incorporated into national law?
Young Adults in Alcohol-Other Drug Treatment: An Understudied Population

A sample of 98 young adults, ages 18-25, was drawn from an alcohol treatment sample of 1,022 from two large metropolitan urban settings and was compared with the remainder of the sample to describe...
Characterization of copper-ceramic interfaces

The interfacial zones in copper-magnesium aluminosilicate materials were characterized by several microscopic and microchemical techniques. Interfaces between copper-glass, copper-partially crystallized glass, and copper-fully crystallized glass were studied with the specific goal of determining the oxidation state of copper in various locations in the microstructure of the reaction zones. Optical microscopy, cathodoluminescence, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), SEM, TEM, and other microtechniques were used. The presence of copper in various oxidation states can be attributed to the thermodynamics and kinetics of the system. Results correlating the observed interfacial microstructure and the thermochemistry of the system are presented.
Theory of Feedback Cooling of an Optically Trapped Nanoparticle into the Quantum Ground State

Development of a quantum master equation describing an optically trapped and cooled nanoparticle is presented. Using this model, we describe how the center of mass motion can be cooled to the quantum ground state.
SCOUR DETECTION AND RIVERINE HEALTH ASSESSMENT USING INFRASOUND

Scour and river system health monitoring are serious problems for monitoring of civil infrastructure, bridge capacity and performing military route assessments in remote regions. Knowledge of how the overall system behaves over time is crucial for assessment of bridge foundations and barge navigation. This research focuses on the use of infrasound for remote scour detection and river system health monitoring. Previous research on a steel, through truss railroad bridge at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO proved the feasibility of acoustically detecting the fundamental modes of a bridge from tactical distances (> 20 km) using infrasound monitoring without on-site inspection of the structure. While bridges are periodically inspected as per requirement by law, these inspections only provide a discrete data point without addressing the cyclical nature of scour. Scour decreases the overall stiffness of the structure by weakening the foundation and changing the vibrational modes proportionally to the degree of scour. The scour portions of this research focuses on the same steel-truss bridge and analyzes 3D and 2D substructure models coupled with the superstructure reaction loads to assess the modal deformations within the infrasound bandwidth and the correlation to scour of embedment material. The 3D models indicate that due to the modal deformations 2D modeling can accurately determine the change in low infrasonic fundamental frequency passband of the coupled superstructure/substructure. Therefore 2D plain strain models of the Interstate 20 Bridge in Vicksburg, MS and Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, steel-truss were investigated, for two different subsurface soil types, as a representative deep foundation and shallow foundation cases, respectively. These results illustrate the degree of scour correlates well with changes in low fundamental frequencies and with measured field data indicating that remote scour detection using infrasound is viable for the dominant, lower-frequency bridge modes. In addition to the scour assessment, the research illustrates the use infrasound to investigate river system health during periods of record flooding. Events of the 2011 Mississippi River flood are presented herein in which the same infrasound arrays were able to not only detect and localize a barge collision with the Interstate 20 Bridge but also identify vortex eddies and changes to the river current not observed by seismic methods. Further, regions of increased force against the eastern bank related to changes in river flow were identified with direct impact to channel navigation and embankment erosion.
Game-Theoretic Framework for Cooperative Sensing and Fair Spectrum Access in Multichannel Cognitive Radio Networks.

In cognitive radio (CR) networks, secondary users (SUs) sense the spectrum to identify and possibly transmit over temporarily unoccupied channels licensed to primary users (PUs). When the received PU signal is weak, spectrum sensing by individual SUs becomes unreliable. To improve the sens- ing accuracy, SUs can cooperate to discover idle time slots. However, fair payoff (spectrum access) allocation has not been investigated for cooperative sensing in multichannel CR networks with heterogeneous PU signal quality at different SU sensors although such scenarios are prevalent in practice. In this paper, a two-layer coalitional game model is investigated, in which the coalition formation and the payoff allocation problems are decoupled: in the top-layer hedonic game, SUs form disjoint coalitions over potentially available channels while in the bottom- layer game, SUs negotiate over the payoff allocation within each coalition. The cooperatively detected spectrum opportunities are then shared among the coalition members in a coordinated man- ner according to their binding agreement on payoff allocation. The proposed game is decentralized and fosters cooperation by providing each SU with the transmission opportunities it deserves. Moreover, we propose a new physical-layer approach to distribute the network-level miss-detection (MD) constraints fairly among the interfering SUs for guaranteed PU protection. We demonstrate the performance advantages of the AND-rule combining of spectrum sensing results for heterogeneous SUs. Numerical results show that the proposed game outperforms previously investigated collaborative sensing and multichannel access approaches in terms of energy efficiency, throughput, SU fairness, and computational complexity. Finally, the effect of mobility on the computational complexity of the proposed game is discussed.
Research and thinking of the new health care reform under the condition of strengthening health services

In the condition that medical reform is in implementation,multiple participation is in forming,and doctorpatient relationship is becoming complex,based on literature review and empirical analysis,this paper empolyes the perpective of public management to discuss how China improves its capacity on medical service regulation,and establish a comprehensive and efficiency regulation system.In conclusion,this paper suggests that China should learn from the principle in guaranteeing fair accessibility to medical service and the establishment of multiple-level,comprehensive,independent,and strong medical service systems in other countries.Meanwhile,Chinese medical service should respect local condition,and improve regulation capacity based on current institutional arrangements to faciliate the development of new medical reform and adapt to the expectation of the government and the public.
Cardiovascular perfusion: Evolution to allied health profession and status 1986

The occupation of cardiovascular perfusion has evolved from a technical to a professional status during the past 25 years. The national thoracic surgical organizations, The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, have supported this process of development through participation on various boards and committees of the perfusionist organizations. The rapid growth of cardiac surgical services in the past decade produced concern about the availability of perfusionist manpower. This concern was exacerbated by creation of formal processes for the certification of perfusionists and the accreditation of perfusion educational programs. Today, these issues are largely resolved and cardiovascular perfusion is recognized as an allied health profession.
Through the Eyes of Women: The Sexual and Psychological Responses of Women to their Partner’s Treatment with Self-Injection or External Vacuum Therapy

AbstractWe prospectively delineated and contrasted the sexual, marital and psychological responses of women to their partner’s use of 2 treatments for erectile dysfunction: 1) self-injection of papaverine and phentolamine, and 2) vacuum tumescence therapy. The women were assessed at 5 points during a 12-month period with psychometric questionnaires and clinical interviews. Statistical analysis indicated that the women responded equally well to both treatments. They demonstrated significant increases in frequency of intercourse, sexual arousal, coital orgasm and sexual satisfaction. No significant changes were noted on the psychometric questionnaires. The women reported feeling more at ease in their relationships and characterized sex as more leisurely, relaxed and assured. Negative responses focused on the lack of spontaneity and hesitation about initiating sex. Selfinjection and vacuum pump therapy restore potency in men and secondarily facilitate improved sexual function in women.
Nerve Compression/Entrapment Sites of the Lower Limb

The nerves innervating the lower extremities arise from the lumbosacral plexus. They are vulnerable along their course to compression from common sites of anatomic entrapment to a trauma and iatrogenic injury. The major nerves supplying the lower extremities are the ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, genitofemoral, femoral, obturator, lateral femoral cutaneous, sciatic (with its major divisions, the fibular and tibial nerves), and the superior and inferior gluteal. The anatomical course and distribution of these nerves are discussed with common areas of entrapment, etiologies, and clinical presentation. Imaging studies and electrophysiological studies are useful in detecting or confirming these injuries and may predict prognosis. Management consists of symptomatic and supportive measures, injections, and surgical interventions.
Embedded Model Predictive Control for System-on-a-Chip Applications

We propose a framework for embedding model predictive control for Systems-on-a-Chip applications. In order to allow the implementation of such a computationally expensive controller on chip, we propose reducing the precision of the operations coupled with using logarithmic number system arithmetic. Two particular control problems are examined. We provide the methodology for choosing the design parameters; we emulate the performance of the embedded controller for the examined cases and we give the microprocessor architecture details.
l -Arginine-Incorporated Albumin Mesospheres: A Drug Delivery System for Cancer Therapy

Arginine (2-amino-5-guanidinopentanoic acid), the cationic amino acid that carries most nitrogen atoms per molecule in humans, is the most common amino acids among the 20 amino acids that can be found naturally in vegetables and mammals. Arginine is considered as a semi-essential or conditionally essential amino acid because although it can be synthesized in humans, endogenous arginine biosynthesis is insufficient to compensate for depletion when cells are under stress or in different development stages (Appleton. Altern Med Rev 7:512–522, 2002). It has been identified as a precursor for initiation of various metabolic pathways in human body. The arginine through diet has to be uptaken by intestinal epithelial cells and transported through the cell membrane via the cationic amino acid transporters (CAT) (Closs et al. J Nutr 134:2752S–2759S, 2004). Half of arginine ingested in human body can be efficiently absorbed and converted to ornithine by arginase in urea cycle, as shown in Fig. 41.1 (Castillo et al. Am J Physiol 268:E360–E367, 1995; Wheatley. Anticancer Drugs 15:825–833, 2004). Then the arginine-derived ornithine can be metabolized to glutamate and proline, enzymatically degraded into polyamines, or converted to citrulline by ornithine transcarbamyl transferase (OCT). Through endogenous biosynthesis, besides the recycling of citrulline that is derived from ornithine, most arginine is converted from the citrulline produced in glutamine metabolism and released into circulation. Argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) and argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) are the cytosolic enzymes catalyzing the two-step sequential conversion of citrulline to arginine. The conversion takes place in kidneys.
BASS: Improving I/O Performance for Cloud Block Storage via Byte-Addressable Storage Stack

In an Infrastructure-as-a-Service cloud, cloud block storage offers conventional, block-level storage resources via a storage area network. However, compared to local storage, this multilayered cloud storage model imposes considerable I/O overheads due to much longer I/O path in the virtualized cloud. In this paper, we propose a novel byte-addressable storage stack, BASS, to bridge the addressability gap between the storage and network stacks in cloud, and in return boost I/O performance for cloud block storage. Equipped with byte-addressability, BASS not only avails the benefits of using variable-length I/O requests that avoid unnecessary data transfer, but also enables a highly efficient non-blocking approach that eliminates the blocking of write processes. We have developed a generic prototype of BASS based on Linux storage stack, which is applicable to traditional VMs, lightweight containers and physical machines. Our extensive evaluation with micro-benchmarks, I/O traces and real-world applications demonstrates the effectiveness of BASS, with significantly improved I/O performance and reduced storage network usage.
Predictors of Exceptional Longevity: Gender Differences in Effects of Early-Life and Midlife Conditions

Knowledge of strong longevity predictors is important for improving population health. This study compared over 700 American centenarians born in 1890–1891 with their short-lived peers (living 65 years) born in the same time period. The records are taken from computerized family histories, which were then validated and linked to 1900 and 1930 U.S. censuses. Parental longevity was the only common longevity predictor for both men and women. Some early-life characteristics (birth in North East region and birth in the second half of year) turned out to be significant predictors of exceptional longevity for men but not women. We found strong positive effect of farmer occupation at middle age on exceptional longevity for men. Only two factors were related to exceptional longevity of women: parental longevity and availability of radio in household in 1930. This study suggests that men are more sensitive to the effects of early-life conditions on longevity.
Front end electronics and readout system for a gas radiator ring imaging Cherenkov detector using multi-anode photomultiplier tubes

We describe the design and performance of a novel custom made front end ASICs and their associated data acquisition (DAQ) system that we developed to process charge signals from an array of 53 Hamamatsu multi-anode photomultiplier tubes (MAPMTs) used as photon detectors for a ring imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detector. This system was tested as part of a gas radiator RICH prototype in the test beam facility at Fermilab. The VA MAPMT ASIC has 64 readout channels with built-in discriminator and parallel binary readout; features low noise, high dynamic range and is suitable for data driven architecture. We characterized a second iteration of this design that features higher dynamic range and optimum performance for large signals in our electronics laboratory test-setup