cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of street network connectivity on pedestrian volume

This paper investigates the impact of street network connectivity on pedestrian volume. Street network connectivity measured in most current studies captures only the metric characteristics of streets or physical connectivity. A whole different type of connectivity, visual connectivity, is largely ignored. Described in basic terms, higher physical connectivity means shorter travel time to reach the same number of destinations while higher visual connectivity means fewer turns to see the same number of destinations. Despite the correlation of these two connectivity constructs, studying both physical and visual connectivity is essential to better understand the role of street network on pedestrian activity. Using pedestrian counts of 302 street segments in Buffalo, New York, structural equation modelling highlights the multiple relationships between street network connectivity, built environment characteristics, and pedestrian volumes. Our findings suggest that both the conventional metric-based measure of ...
Comparison of Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1α Expression before and after Transcatheter Arterial Embolization in Rabbit VX2 Liver Tumors

Purpose To test the hypothesis that transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) induces expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) within the same rabbit VX2 liver tumor. Materials and Methods Seven VX2 tumors were grown in the livers of five New Zealand white rabbits. Ultrasonography–guided biopsy was performed before and 10 minutes after TAE in all tumors. Pre- and post-TAE tumor biopsy specimens along with post-TAE whole liver tumor sections were stained with HIF-1α antibody and analyzed for percentage of HIF-1α–positive nuclei by using a spectral unmixing system mounted on a high-powered microscope. Statistical data comparisons were performed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (α = 0.05). Results TAE of liver tumors resulted in a statistically significant increase in the mean percentage of HIF-1α expression. The mean percentage of HIF-1α–positive stained nuclei increased from 23% ± 3.5 in pre-TAE biopsy specimens to 41% ± 8.7 in post-TAE biopsy specimens ( P P Conclusions The results of this study revealed that hypoxia caused by TAE of VX2 liver tumors activates HIF-1α, a transcription factor that in turn regulates other pro-angiogenic factors.
High-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of chlorine-terminated GaAs(111)A surfaces.

Oxide-terminated and Cl-terminated GaAs(111)A surfaces have been characterized in the As and Ga 3d regions by high-resolution, soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Cl-terminated surface, formed by treatment with 6 M HCl(aq), showed no detectable As oxides or As^0 in the As 3d region. The Ga 3d spectrum of the Cl-terminated surface showed a broad, intense signal at 19.4 eV and a smaller signal at 21.7 eV. The Ga 3d peaks were fitted using three species, one representing bulk GaAs and the others representing two chemical species on the surface. The large peak was well-fitted by the bulk GaAs emission and by a second doublet, assigned to surface Ga atoms bonded to Cl, that was shifted by 0.34 eV from the bulk GaAs 3d emission. The smaller peak, shifted by 2.3 eV in binding energy relative to the bulk GaAs Ga 3d signal, is assigned to Ga(OH)_3. The data confirm that wet chemical etching allows for the formation of well-defined, Cl-terminated GaAs(111)A surfaces free of detectable elemental As, that can provide a starting point for further functionalization of GaAs.
The Distribution of Electron Trapping in DNA: One-Electron-Reduced Oligodeoxynucleotides of Adenine and Thymine

A series of single- and double-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides of adenine and thymine, 8 to 12 nucleotides in length, were one-electron-reduced at 10 K in a >8 M ${\rm LiCl}/{\rm H}_{2}{\rm O}$ glass. The Q-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of these radicals show that thymine is the dominant trapping site for mobile electrons in these oligomers. The spectra of the reduced oligomers in the series ${\rm pd}({\rm A}_{{\rm n}}{\rm T}_{10-{\rm n}})\cdot {\rm pd}({\rm A}_{10-{\rm n}}{\rm T}_{{\rm n}})$ with n = 5→10 showed a trend which is interpreted as either an increase in the probability of trapping at an adenine base in tracks of adenine >7 base pairs in length, or the presence of different protonated states of the one-electron-reduced bases due to the adoption of a different conformational state for longer tracks of adenine, or a combination of these two possibilities. Analysis of the trends in the EPR spectra of the radicals as a function of seque...
Social capital and health in Indonesia

Summary This paper empirically examines the role of community social capital in the individual’s health production function. We focus on health measures relating to physical as well as mental health. In addition to exploring the relationship between social capital and health, we test for interrelationships between social and human capital in the production of health. Data come from more than 10 000 adults surveyed in the Indonesian Family Life Surveys of 1993 and 1997. We identify a robust positive empirical association between community-level social capital and good health. We find weak evidence for an interrelationship between human and social capital and mental health.
High-temperature carrier transport in n-type epitaxial GaAs

Abstract Resistivity and Hall coefficient have been measured in the temperature range 300-1250 K on samples of n -type epitaxial GaAs from which the substrates have been removed to eliminate substrate conduction at high temperatures. These data are useful for determining energy band parameters as well as for modeling epitaxial growth and other high temperature phenomena. The mobilities of electrons in the Γ 6 c minimum and L 6 c minima and the mobility of holes in the Γ 8 v maxima were calculated for the temperature range 300-970 K. From these calculations the mobility in the L 6 c minima was found to decrease faster with increasing temperature than the mobility in the Γ 6 c minimum. Using the temperature dependence of the mobilities, the Γ 6 c − L 6 c − X 6 c ordering of the conduction band minima, and a calculated intrinsic carrier concentration, a self-consistent model for four-band carrier transport was obtained.
Spin correlations of 2D quantum antiferromagnet at low temperatures and a direct comparison with neutron-scattering experiments

Correlation functions of the spin-1/2 2D Heisenberg antiferromagnet at low temperatures are computed via a large-scale Monte Carlo simulation on 128\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}128 lattices. The correlation length is found to be accurately described by the exponentially divergent form typical of classical Heisenberg spins in two dimensions. The large correlation lengths measured are directly compared with the neutron-scattering experiments on ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$. The excellent fit provides a first-principles determination of the exchange coupling: J=1450 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}30 K.
Holographic characterization of chain photopolymerization

A holographic characterization technique is developed in accordance with a general photopolymerization model. The technique allows detailed quantification of the chemical parameters, including their variation from the Trommsdorff effect. The holographic procedure is especially suited for studying the diffusion of the chemical reactants.
The Evolving Role of High‐Density Lipoprotein in Reducing Cardiovascular Risk

In many patients with coronary artery disease, a low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), rather than substantially elevated lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), is often the predominant lipid abnormality. Although the National Cholesterol Education Program treatment guidelines include HDL-C concentration as a major risk factor for primary prevention, the guidelines' emphasis on LDL-C as the primary target of therapy may cause uncertainty as to whether risk reduction strategies should focus on lowering LDL-C or raising HDL-C in high-risk patients with low HDL-C. Recent clinical trial evidence and epidemiologic data suggest that HDL-C should play a more important role in risk assessment, and that the definition of low HDL-C may need adjustment from the current National Cholesterol Education Program definition of <35 mg/dL to perhaps <40 mg/dL in men and <45 mg/dL in women. Patients with low HDL-C should receive aggressive risk factor modification, and more emphasis on increasing HDL-C may be warranted in addition to lowering LDL-C.
A detailed infrared and far-infrared spectral investigation of the alkyl- and (non-alkyl)cobalt(III) complexes of 3,8-dimethyl-5,6-benzo-4,7-diazadeca-3,7-diene-2,9-dione dioxime and a study of ground state trans-effect in tetragonally distorted octahedral cobalt(III) complexes by far-infrared and electronic absorption spectroscopy

Abstract The tetraaza quadridentate chelate, 3,8-dimethyl-5,6-benzo-4,7-diazadeca-3,7-diene-2,9-dione dioxime [(DOH) 2 bzo], forms stable tetragonally distorted octahedral cobalt(III) complexes with monodentate ligands such as halogens, pseudohalogens and Lewis bases in the axial sites besides forming pseudooctahedral alkylcobalt(III) complexes. A detailed IR and far-IR spectral investigation has been made for nine alkyl- and nineteen (non-alkyl)cobalt(III) complexes, reported recently. These complexes exhibit IR absorptions such as ν(OH), ν(CH), ν(NO), ν(CN), ν(CC), ν(CN), ν(CC) and CCH 3 symmetric and asymmetric deformation vibrations characteristic of the (DO)(DOH)bzo ligand framework and absorptions characteristic of the axial ligands. In the case of the complexes of aromatic Lewis bases vibrations such as ring deformation, ring breathing mode, ring stretchings and ring torsion characteristic of the aromatic rings are observed. Spectral evidence is obtained for the formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond. The effect of hyperconjugative electron release and π-backbonding are manifested in the spectra of the complexes of 4-methylpyridine and triphenylphosphine, respectively. The far-IR spectra show vibrations such as ν(CoN), ν(CoBr), ν(CoC) and ν(Co-base) (Lewis base in the axial site). The ground state trans -effect in a series of tetragonally distorted octahedral (non-alkyl)cobalt(III) complexes of the type [LCo((DO)(DOH)bzo)Br] + (where L=a Lewis base such as pyridine, imidazole, methylimidazole, 4-methylpyridine, benzimidazole, 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole, ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, 2-aminopyridine, triphenylphosphine) is studied by following the variation of the CoBr stretching frequency on the field strength, Dq z , of the Lewis base in the axial site, trans to Br − . A plot of ν(CoBr) frequency versus Dq z is linear and as the Dq z increases ν(CoBr) frequency decreases. As the electron donating power of the axial Lewis base increases it transmits more electron density to Co 3+ with a concomitant transmission of electron density to Br − , trans to the Lewis base, thereby weakening the CoBr bond. This is the first report of the ground state trans -effect being studied using a quantitative measure of the electron donating ability of a series of test ligands on the ground state property of a probe ligand involving a heavy atom in six-coordinate cobalt(III) complexes.
Flow localization and neck formation in a superplastic metal

Abstract Experiments were conducted on the superplastic Zn22% Al eutectoid alloy to investigate the extent of flow localization and neck formation in the three regions of plastic flow. The results show that the behavior is qualitatively similar in the low stress region I and the high stress region III, but there are very significant differences in the superplastic region II. Deformation is essentially uniform in region II up to at least ~800% and quasi-uniform thereafter, whereas there are marked deviations from uniform flow in regions I and III at ~200%. Failure occurs by the formation and catastrophic growth of a sharp neck in regions I and III, whereas necking is diffuse at high elongations in region II. The results are consistent with a genuine decrease in the value of the strain rate sensitivity at low strain rates in region I.
Woolly hair nevus

Abstract Woolly hair nevus is a rare, nongenetically determined condition in which unruly and tightly curled hair is localized on one or several areas of the scalp. We report the first case of woolly hair nevus with onset during adolescence. Marked improvement was evident 5 years after onset. Light microscopic examination of a biopsy specimen from the scalp showed a curved hair follicle. Scanning electron microscopic examination revealed slight fluting and marked flattening of the hair shafts. A discussion of these results and a comparison with those of the previously reported cases suggest that woolly hair nevus correlates with a variety of structural changes in the hair.
The physical properties of some transition metal compounds of the ABX3 type

Abstract Although cooperative phenomena in the solid state are most commonly two dimensional, [2], or three dimensional, [3] in nature, it is from one dimensional, [1], systems that the most information can be garnered. The physical properties of a class of compounds of the formulation ABX 3 which display [1] structures are reviewed.
A developmental analysis of the relationship between response strength and punishment

Two levels of training (100 vs. 500 trials) and two ages of rats (young and adult) were used in a developmental analysis of the relationship between response strength and the effects of punishment. The apparatus was a Y maze with three discriminably different arms. After 100 or 500 reinforced trials, subjects were shocked each time they responded in one arm. The recovery sessions followed the punishment session. Results from the punishment day indicated that: (a) young rats received a greater amount of shock, and (b) additional training increased the amount of shock received by the young but decreased it in the adults. The recovery data showed that: (a) the suppressive effects of punishment were greater for the adults than for the young, and (b) the recovery scores were not influenced by degree of overtraining. The Age by Overtraining interaction suggested that the relationship between response strength and punishment is age dependent. The age differences found with the amount-of-shock and recovery measures provided additional support for the position that younger rats are less competent than adult rats in inhibiting responses.
Evidence that intermittent treatment with parathyroid hormone increases bone formation in adult rats by activation of bone lining cells

Previous studies demonstrated that intermittent treatment with PTH increases osteoblast number and bone formation in growing and adult rats. The cellular mechanism for this increase in osteoblast number was investigated in 16-month-old female rats. Continuous [3H]thymidine infusion over a 1-week intermittent PTH [human PTH-(1-34)] treatment period was performed to determine the percentage of newly formed osteoblasts that originate from progenitor cells. To verify increases in bone formation, we performed histomorphometry and Northern blot analysis of selected bone matrix proteins. PTH treatment resulted in dramatic increases in fluorochrome-labeled perimeter (727%), osteoid perimeter (735%), osteoblast number (626%), and steady state mRNA levels of osteocalcin (946%) and type 1 collagen (> 1000%). Autoradiographic analysis of metaphyseal sections revealed no difference in the percentage of [3H]thymidine-labeled osteoblasts between PTH- and vehicle-treated groups (4.3 +/- 1.3% vs. 5.7 +/- 2.7%, respectively). Similar changes were observed in PTH-treated ovariectomized rats. As the PTH-induced increase in osteoblast number did not require proliferation of progenitor cells we carried out an additional experiment in adult ovariectomized rats to determine the onset of PTH action. Incorporation of [3H]proline in the distal femoral epiphysis of PTH-treated adult ovariectomized rats was increased within 24 h. We conclude that the rapid PTH-induced rise in bone formation did not require cell proliferation and was most likely due to activation of preexisting bone lining cells to osteoblasts.
Down with the Old Canoe: A Cultural History of the Titanic Disaster

An exploration of the "Titanic" as a cultural icon, this book recalls the moment, in April 1912, when the "Titanic" struck an iceberg and sank. The disaster was the signal for many people, such as reformers, radicals and extremists of all kinds, to exploit it: suffragettes and their opponents, radicals, reformers and capitalists, critics of technology and modern life; racists and xenophobes, and champions of racial and ethnic equality; editorial writers and folk singers, preachers and poets. Even today, the "Titanic" echoes in the headlines and in everyday speech. This text analyzes how and why the disaster happened, and why it took shape as one of the great mythic events of the 20th century.
Ensuring the comparability of comparison groups: is randomization enough?

Abstract Background It is widely believed that baseline imbalances in randomized trials must necessarily be random. In fact, there is a type of selection bias that can cause substantial, systematic and reproducible baseline imbalances of prognostic covariates even in properly randomized trials. It is possible, given complete data, to quantify both the susceptibility of a given trial to this type of selection bias and the extent to which selection bias appears to have caused either observable or unobservable baseline imbalances. Yet, in articles reporting on randomized trials, it is uncommon to find either these assessments or the information that would enable a reader to conduct them. Nevertheless, there have been a few published reports that contain descriptions of either this type of selection bias or indicators that it may have occurred. Objective To document that the same type of selection bias has been described in numerous randomized trials and therefore that it represents a problem deserving of greater attention. Study selection Computerized searches were not useful in locating trials with one or more elements that contribute to or are indicative of selection bias in randomized trials. We limit our treatment to trials that were previously questioned for susceptibility to selection bias or for large baseline imbalances. Results We found 14 randomized trials that appear to be suspicious for selection bias. This may represent only the tip of the iceberg, because the status of other trials is inconclusive. Conclusions Authors of clinical trial reports should be required to disclose sufficient details to allow for an assessment of both allocation concealment and selection bias. The extent to which a randomized study was susceptible to selection bias should be considered in determining the relative contribution it makes to any subsequent meta-analysis, policy or decision.
Contribution of Kv4 channels toward the A-type potassium current in murine colonic myocytes.

A rapidly inactivating K+ current (A-type current; IA) present in murine colonic myocytes is important in maintaining physiological patterns of slow wave electrical activity. The kinetic profile of colonic IA resembles that of Kv4-derived currents. We examined the contribution of Kv4 α-subunits to IA in the murine colon using pharmacological, molecular and immunohistochemical approaches. The divalent cation Cd2+ decreased peak IA and shifted the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation to more depolarized potentials. Similar results were observed with La3+. Colonic IA was sensitive to low micromolar concentrations of flecainide (IC50= 11 μM). Quantitative PCR indicated that in colonic and jejunal tissue, Kv4.3 transcripts demonstrate greater relative abundance than transcripts encoding Kv4.1 or Kv4.2. Antibodies revealed greater Kv4.3-like immunoreactivity than Kv4.2-like immunoreactivity in colonic myocytes. Kv4-like immunoreactivity was less evident in jejunal myocytes. To address this finding, we examined the expression of K+ channel-interacting proteins (KChIPs), which act as positive modulators of Kv4-mediated currents. Qualitative PCR identified transcripts encoding the four known members of the KChIP family in isolated colonic and jejunal myocytes. However, the relative abundance of KChIP transcript was 2.6-fold greater in colon tissue than in jejunum, as assessed by quantitative PCR, with KChIP1 showing predominance. This observation is in accordance with the amplitude of the A-type current present in these two tissues, where colonic myocytes possess densities twice that of jejunal myocytes. From this we conclude that Kv4.3, in association with KChIP1, is the major molecular determinant of IA in murine colonic myocytes.
Electro-optical implementation of lateral inhibition

This paper describes a proposed electro-optical implementation of the lateral inhibition function and its simulation. Lateral inhibition is the most important adaptation property in sensory systems and with this mechanism, weak inputs to neurons are suppressed (inhibited) by strong inputs to neighboring neurons. The purpose of lateral inhibition is to enhance and emphasize boundaries. Two types of lateral inhibition filters were studied, both symmetric and antisymmetric. The antisymmetric are direction dependent and thus, four different directions were chosen. Since the electro-optic implementation relies on filtering input images in the Fourier plane, the inhibition filters used in the simulation are phase-only. The simulation takes into consideration performance of specific optical hardware components and was tested on signals that have very sharp directional edges in addition to a facial image with many contour line edges.
World shipping, UNCTAD, and the New International Economic Order

The New International Economic Order (N1EO) seeks fundamental change in international relations. World shipping has experienced substantial pressure for reforms associated with NIEO goals: controversy focuses around the operation of the liner conferences, the use of flags of convenience, which retain beneficial ownership in developed nations, and the demands of developing countries for a major share in the carriage of their imports and exports. UNCTAD, and in particular its Shipping Division headed by Adib al-Jadir, has become increasingly active in world shipping. The reforms urged through UNCTAD will have a significant impact on the fleets, maritime practices, and interests of the developed world. This study examines UNCTAD's aims in world shipping–the policies being urged, the factors under consideration, and the trends emerging from the operation of UNCTAD. It further examines developed states' attempts to shape, and their reactions to, UNCTAD policies, and the interests perceived to be at stake in the current debate on world shipping.
Comments on extended pressure-strain correlation models

The importance of including additional terms for rapid distortion and return to isotropy in the modeling of the pressure-strain correlation in turbulent shear flows under the influence of external body forces is examined. Simplications of the Reynolds-stress equations are made by invoking the two-dimensional boundary layer approximations and assuming that production of turbulence energy balances viscous dissipation. Results indicate that for small external body forces a Monin-Oboukhov formula for the mixing-length is again obtained. However, the effects of the additional rapid distortion and return to isotropy terms on the formula are negligible when compared with the use of the simple return to isotropy term proposed by Rotta. In view of this, significant improvement on mixing-length closure models could not be obtained by refining the simple Rotta model for the pressure-strain correlation.
The perils of permanent punctal plugs

Purpose To describe previously unreported complications associated with permanent lacrimal punctal plugs. Method Five oculoplastic practices reviewed patients referred to them over the preceding 2 years for permanent lacrimal punctal plug complications. Results In 12 patients, 14 lacrimal punctal plugs migrated distally within the lacrimal drainage system, causing symptoms and necessitating surgical removal. Conclusion Luxation of permanent punctal plugs into the distal lacrimal drainage system can occur, sometimes requiring complex surgical intervention.
Technical Feasibility of an Online Decision Support System for Acute Coronary Syndromes

Wide variability presently exists in how patients are treated for suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in the United States. Among the 6 million Americans presenting to the emergency department (ED) for evaluation of chest pain annually,1 of whom half are hospitalized,2 only 20% are found to have a heart attack.3 Moreover, 2% of ED patients actually having an acute myocardial infarction (MI) are mistakenly discharged home.4,5 Accordingly, 100 patients having chest pain must be evaluated in the ED, and 50 must be hospitalized, to diagnose the 10 who are having an acute MI, but this approach further fails to identify 1 additional patient discharged from the ED whose chest pain represented a heart attack. Thus, all patients reporting chest pain are treated as if they were at high risk, potentially resulting in overtreatment and higher costs. Guidelines developed by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA)6,7 permit many patients reporting symptoms of chest pain to be classified as having a low risk for death or nonfatal MI. However, decision support tools that might reliably establish this classification are not presently incorporated into the clinical workflow of EDs and other treatment settings, including urgent care clinics and other outpatient settings. To address the need for decisional support in the triage of patients reporting cardiovascular symptoms, we developed an online Decision Support System (DSS) that standardizes the initial evaluation of patients. The system incorporates 2 key functions: (1) It assists physicians and other health care professionals to comprehensively and accurately elicit patients' symptoms, irrespective of the patient's location; and (2) it transforms patients' symptoms of chest pain into a preliminary or “provisional” diagnosis linked to categories of high, moderate, and low risk for death or nonfatal MI based …
CH Bond Arylation in the Synthesis of Aryltetralin Lignans: A Short Total Synthesis of Podophyllotoxin

A short total synthesis of podophyllotoxin, the prototypical aryltetralin lignan natural product, is reported. Key to the success of this synthetic pathway is a Pd-catalyzed C(sp3)–H arylation reaction enabled by a conformational biasing element to promote C–C reductive elimination over an alternative CN bond-forming pathway. This strategy allows for access to the natural product in five steps from commercially available bromopiperonal, and sheds light on subtle conformational effects governing reductive elimination pathways from high-valent palladium centers.
How many bits of information does an independent variable yield in a multiple regression

Abstract A simple measure from statistical information theory is proposed to measure the contribution of each independent variable in a multiple regression.
Some channel‐storage studies and their application to the determination of infiltration

Results of studies of recent major floods have emphasized the practical value of analyses of the relation between rainfall and resultant runoff. Analyses that are directed toward appraising the respective values of the soil and the river-channel as agencies for disposing of potential flood-waters are especially pertinent. If evaporation-losses from non-infiltrated water may be neglected as inconsequential, as during prolonged storms of winter, the difference between rainfall and the associated runoff may be ascribed to such edaphic influences represented by infiltration, interception, and surface-storage. The problem in the analyses is therefore one of correlating rainfall and resultant runoff. The procedures described in this paper resulted from studies of the rainfall and runoff relations of the Ohio River flood of January 1937 [see 1 of References at end of paper].
Multi-rate short-seeking control of dual-actuator hard disk drives for computation saving

This paper is concerned with multi-rate shortseeking control for a dual-actuator hard disk drive (HDD). Multi-rate control has been proposed to reduce the real time computation in HDD servos, and it has been shown that in track following control of HDDs, computation can be saved greatly without performance degradation by using multi-rate controllers. In this paper, we propose a novel short-seeking control method for dual-actuator HDDs based on multi-rate track following control and initial value adjustment. This method, which utilizes the same multi-rate controllers and same servo structure as track following, adjusts the initial values of the track-following controller for short seeking. Real time computation is greatly saved in two ways: (1) computation is saved by multi-rate scheme; (2) initial value adjustment of the feedback controller makes the use of the feedforward controller and reference trajectory unnecessary, which implies no real time computation for feedforward control is needed. Simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Design of Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloy Composites

Ferromagnetic shape memory alloy (FSMA) composites composed of a ferromagnetic material and a shape memory alloy (SMA) are key material systems for fast-responsive and compact actuators.The function of ferromagnetic material is to induce magnetic force which is then used to induce the stress in the SMA, resulting in the stress-induced marten site transformation (SIM), i.e. change in the Young’s modulus, stiff (austenite) to soft (martensite). This SIM-induced phase change causes larger deformation in the SMA, which is often termed as “superelastic”.This paper discusses a simple model by which the stress and strain field in the FSMA composites subjected to bending and torsion loading are computed with the aim of identifying the optimum geometry of FSMA composites. The results of the present analytical study are utilized to design torque actuator (bending of FSMA composite plate) and spring actuator (torsion of helical FSMA composite spring).
APPLYING THE ORDERED PROBIT MODEL TO INJURY SEVERITY IN TRUCK-PASSENGER CAR REAR-END COLLISIONS

Collisions between heavy trucks and passenger cars are a major concern because of the severity of injuries. This research has two objectives. One is to examine the impact of various factors on injuries to passenger car occupants involved in such collisions. Due to the complex interaction of factors influencing injury levels in truck-car collisions, the ordered probit model is used to identify specific variables significantly influencing levels of injury in two-vehicle rear-end involvements on divided roadways. Another objective is to demonstrate the use of the ordered probit in this complex highway safety problem. A set of vehicle, occupant, roadway, and environmental factors expected to influence injury severity was developed. Given two-vehicle passenger car-truck rear-end collisions, the variables that increase passenger vehicle occupant injury severity include darkness; high speed differentials; high speed limits; grades, especially when they are wet; being in a car struck to the rear (as opposed to being in a car striking a truck to the rear); driving while drunk; and being female. The interaction effects of cars being struck to the rear with high speed differentials and car rollovers were significant. Variables decreasing severity include snowy or icy roads, congested roads, being in a station wagon struck to the rear (as opposed to a sedan), and using a child restraint. With injuries ordered in five classes from no injury to fatalities, the marginal effects of each factor on the likelihood of each injury class are reported.
Mapping a Local Web Domain

In this study, we crawled a local Web domain, created its graph representation, and analyzed the network structure. The results of network analysis revealed local scale-free patterns consistent with previous research on the Web. To discover topical communities of the local domain, link- based co-citation analysis was performed to measure pair-wise similarities. Based on the co-citation graph, a visualization was produced to map the networked domain semantically. All of this offers a way to investigate a local Web structure and to make it more intuitively understandable.
Scalable coded image transmissions over peer-to-peer networks

In this paper, we study the transmission of scalable coded images over peer-to-peer networks. Scalable coded images share common prefix of their resulted bit streams even when coded using different bit rates. This property implies two important consequences on the peer-to-peer system when compared to transmission of non-scalable coded images: (1) there exists a many-to-one relationship between supplying and requesting peers as multiple peers with the code images in different bit rates become eligible as supplying peers; and (2) the set of supplying peers is dynamic over time as the peers in the supplying set may finish transmission at different times. When we transmit the requested image from multiple supplying peers to a requesting peer, it is very important to design optimal peer assignment algorithms to minimize the overall transmission time for the requesting peer. For this purpose, we first establish a sufficient property for the optimal peer assignment vector, and then design an optimal media segmentation algorithm based on the sufficient property. Finally, we compare the performance of the proposed optimal media segmentation algorithm with two heuristics and verify its superior performance.
Does Morality Condition the Deterrent Effect of Perceived Certainty Among Incarcerated Felons

Deterrence researchers have long considered the extent to which perceived certainty and severity inhibit offending. More recently, scholars have encouraged more specific investigations about the conditions under which sanction threats may deter offending. This study contributes to and extends this line of research by exploring whether morality conditions this relationship among a large sample of incarcerated felons. Results show that while certainty and morality are independently associated with a lower likelihood of offending, perceived certainty relates to offending only among those persons with high—but not low—moral beliefs.
Anomalous bistable behavior of a dye laser

We report the observation of bistability and hysteresis in a dye laser at low excitation when the pump power is varied slowly in the neighborhood of the oscillation threshold. We also find that the laser exhibits an unusual memory effect lasting several minutes if the pump beam is blocked and unblocked, in that the laser then returns to the original on or off branch of the hysteresis cycle. By contrast the laser remains off if the dye-laser beam is blocked briefly and then unblocked. A possible explanation in terms of thermally induced desorption of moisture upon a multilayer mirror is discussed.
Automatic Image Analysis of Histopathology Specimens Using Concave Vertex Graph

Automatic image analysis of histopathology specimens would help the early detection of blood cancer. The first step for automatic image analysis is segmentation. However, touching cells bring the difficulty for traditional segmentation algorithms. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm which can reliably handle touching cells segmentation. Robust estimation and color active contour models are used to delineate the outer boundary. Concave points on the boundary and inner edges are automatically detected. A concave vertex graph is constructed from these points and edges. By minimizing a cost function based on morphological characteristics, we recursively calculate the optimal path in the graph to separate the touching cells. The algorithm is computationally efficient and has been tested on two large clinical dataset which contain 207 images and 3898 images respectively. Our algorithm provides better results than other studies reported in the recent literature.
Parallel sorting on heterogeneous platforms

We present a method for load balancing parallel sorting on heterogeneous networks of workstations and clusters. Load balancing is achieved by exploiting information about the available throughput of the processors. First, the problem is partitioned into subproblems such that the times taken by the processors to solve the subproblems are balanced. Determining the partition involves solving a nonlinear system for finding the subproblem sizes. Second, the data are sorted by each process and are merged by choosing a processor topology which minimizes the critical path.
Partial Purification of an Antioxidizing Component in Raw Cow Milk

Gel filtration was used to partially purify the antioxidizing component of a centrifuged serum of raw cow milk, and its properties were studied. The antioxidizing effect did not decrease after dialysis or heating. The finding of no change after dialysis suggested that the compound was of high molecular weight, estimated at 38,000 by gel filtration. The antioxidizing effect decreased with irradiation, accompanied by a parallel decrease in the riboflavin content. The antioxidizing component of this serum fraction may be a protein-bound riboflavin.
The pain of residents with terminal cancer in USA nursing homes: family members' perspectives.

Cancer pain continues to be poorly treated despite efforts aimed at improvement. This causes considerable distress to both patients and their families. The purpose of this research is to explore the perspectives of family members of nursing home residents with terminal cancer, about pain and pain management. Participants who believed their pain could be better managed viewed their family member’s pain and illness differently than those who believed the pain could not be managed better. The family members who believed better pain management was possible often took on the role of advocate and saw to it that the pain was addressed. Those who believed that their relative did not have adequate pain relief, but felt better management was not possible, expressed no concerns about this aspect of their relatives’ care; they could not separate their relatives’ pain from their illness. The interpretation and presence of adequate pain management is critical for family members to construct meaning around their relativ...
PSNR r,f -MOS r : An easy-to-compute multiuser perceptual video quality measure

In this paper, we propose a new statistical objective perceptual video quality measure PSNR r,f -MOSr. PSNR r,f is defined as the PSNR achieved by f% of the frames in each one of the r% of the transmissions over a network. This quantity has the potential to capture the performance loss due to damaged frames in a particular video sequence (f%), as well asto indicate the probablity of a user experiencing a specified quality over the channel (r%). The percentage of transmissions also has the interpretation as what percentage out of many video users who access the same channel, would experience a given video quality. A subjective experiment is conducted to establish a linear equation connecting PSNR r,f=90% and MOS r , the mean opinion score (MOS) achieved by r% of the transmissions. It is shown from this subjective experiment that PSNR f=90% correlates much better with the delivered perceptual video quality than the average PSNR across all frames of a video, and is a good representation of perceptual quality of a video transmitted over networks with possible transmission errors.
Effects of Expanded California Health Coverage on Hospitals: Implications for ACA Medicaid Expansions

Objective To assess the effects on hospitals of early California actions to expand insurance coverage for low-income uninsured adults after passage of the Affordable Care Act. Data Sources/Study Setting Data from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and the California Department of Health were merged with U.S. census data for 294 short-term general hospitals during the period 2009–2012. Study Design A difference-in-difference analysis was conducted with hospitals in counties that did not implement insurance expansions used as a comparison group. Variables examined included payer mix, costs of unreimbursed care, and hospital operating margin. Sensitivity analyses were conducted as well as a triple difference analysis. Effects were estimated for hospitals overall and by ownership type. Principal Findings California insurance expansions primarily benefited for-profit hospitals, with these facilities experiencing significant decreases in self-pay patients, increases in county-covered patients, and reductions in charity care. Most models yielded no significant change in payer mix and conflicting changes in unreimbursed care for nonprofit hospitals. Conclusions California hospitals that treated the most uninsured prior to insurance expansions did not as a group experience substantial benefit in terms of reduced uninsured burden or better financial performance after program expansions occurred.
Modification to the Luminosity Distance Redshift Relation in Modified Gravity Theories

We derive an expression for the luminosity distance as a function of redshift for a flat Robertson-Walker spacetime perturbed by arbitrary scalar perturbations possibly produced by a modified gravity theory with two different scalar perturbation potentials. Measurements of the luminosity distance as function of redshift provide a constraint on a combination of the scalar potentials and so they can complement weak lensing and other measurements in trying to distinguish among the various alternative theories of gravity.
Regulation of MAP kinase by calcium-sensing receptor in bovine parathyroid and CaR-transfected HEK293 cells

Regulation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway by the extracellular calcium (Cao 2+)-sensing receptor (CaR) was investigated in bovine parathyroid and CaR-transfec...
"First, do no harm"--the fiction of legal parental consent to genital-normalizing surgery on intersexed infants.

Medical professionals recognize the Latin mantra Primum, non nocere, "First, do no harm," as the first principle of medicine.1 Yet, between one hundred and two hundred times a year in America,2 pediatrie surgeons do harm when they surgically "correct" the ambiguous genitalia of intersexed infants. These surgeries, which I call "genital-normalizing surgeries," are unjustifiably performed on an emergency basis and supported only by questionable science. For at least two intersex conditions clitoromegaly (large clitoris) and micropenis (small penis) both the diagnosis of the condition and the ultimate result of the surgery are based on subjective notions of what doctors, parents, and society believe to be "normal-looking" genitals. The benefits of genitalnormalizing surgery have yet to be documented. The physically and psychologically harmful effects have been all but ignored despite the outraged cries of the procedures' victims. This Note exposes these surgeries as lacking legally necessary informed consent. Part I provides background information about the current medical diagnosis and treatment of intersexed infants in America. The scientific roots of the current model of treatment of intersexed infants are identified, and its principle assertions are critiqued. Part II reviews the doctrine of informed consent to medical treatment and considers whether the emergency exception to this doctrine can reasonably be applied to the birth of an intersexed infant. After consideration of the emergency exception to the general requirement of informed consent, this section discusses the legal fiction of parental consent to medical treatment for minor children. Part III analyzes the current model of treatment of intersexed infants to determine whether or not it can fairly be characterized as "experimental" treatment and thus outside of the bounds of that to which the parents of an intersexed infant can legally consent.
Dry eye: An inflammatory ocular disease

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or dry eye, is a common ocular disease prompting millions of individuals to seek ophthalmological care. Regardless of the underlying etiology, dry eye has been shown to be associated with abnormalities in the pre-corneal tear film and subsequent inflammatory changes in the entire ocular surface including the adnexa, conjunctiva and cornea. Since the recognition of the role of inflammation in dry eye, a number of novel treatments have been investigated designed to inhibit various inflammatory pathways. Current medications that are used, including cyclosporine A, corticosteroids, tacrolimus, tetracycline derivatives and autologous serum, have been effective for management of dry eye and lead to measurable clinical improvement.
Effect of Knee Varus Mobilization Applied to Patients with Imaging Evidence of Degenerative Meniscus Tear: A Case Series

Changes in stumble recovery following orthopaedic manual physical therapy intervention in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a prospective case seriesBackgroundPatients with knee osteoarthritis (OA...
Caste-ethnic disparity in vaccine use among 0- to 5-year-old children in Nepal: a decomposition analysis.

To examine what factors, if any, could account for caste/ethnic disparities in vaccine utilization between upper caste and indigenous, and upper caste and low caste (Dalit) groups in Nepal. Using the Institute of Medicine (IOM) approach to calculate disparity, we estimate the disparity between upper caste and indigenous, and between upper caste and Dalit 0- to 5-year-old children in Nepal. Then we use Fairlie’s non-linear regression-based decomposition technique to account for those disparities in immunization. Using nationally representative data (the Nepal Living Standard Survey II and III), we construct a pooled cross-sectional series and calculate the disparity between upper caste and indigenous (8.047 %), and between upper caste and Dalit (7.215 %). Both of these comparisons are significant at less than 1 % significance level. Decomposition results show that a major portion of the disparity can be attributed to the difference in access to immunization services, followed by differences in household income and parental education. Nepal’s national vaccine programs should increase focus on reaching geographically distant populations, and continue to develop vaccination-related education efforts.