cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analyzing Public and State Reactions to Global Surveillance Disclosures: Using Ethical Frameworks to Gain Understanding

Secretive surveillance activities are carried out by government agencies in an effort to protect national security. Upon discovery, however, there can sometimes be significant ramifications on diplomatic relations, potentially impacting international cooperation and security. In the wake of the Snowden leaks, various levels of reaction have been observed from nation states and the public. This work attempts to understand the differences observed in reactions to recent intelligence leaks and explore theories around intelligence ethics. Ethical standards used by intelligence officials differ from those applied by the general public. Following the surveillance disclosures by Edward Snowden, the rhetoric among public officials was heated. Global opinions strongly view NSA surveillance activities of foreign citizens or heads of state as “unacceptable” (unless specifically targeting a terrorist). However, the magnitude of action taken by a nation-state in response to the leaks correlated with the level of public opposition to surveillance activity in that country.
Polyharmonic Splines, Multiscale Analysis, and Entire Functions

Two applications of cardinal polyharmonic splines are considered. First, the notion of multiscale analysis in the sense of R. Coifman and Y. Meyer is defined and it is shown that certain subclasses of polyharmonic splines generate such analyses. Next, it is shown that polyharmonic sphnes can be used in a summability method for the recovery of a large class of entire functions of exponential type from samples taken on the integer lattice.
School psychologists’ perceptions of neuropsychological assessment: A pilot study

ABSTRACTSchool psychologists are often given the task of reviewing the reports from clinical neuropsychologists to translate them into school-based supports and services. In order to explore the pr...
A SIMPLE MARKET MECHANISM FOR RENEWABLE POWER PRODUCERS ACHIEVES ASYMPTOTIC SOCIAL EFFICIENCY

A price-making two-settlement power market where both conventional generators and renewable power producers (RPPs) participate is studied. It is proved that, as the number of RPPs increases, the Nash Equilibrium (NE) of the market converges to the social optimum. As a result, social efficiency is asymptotically achieved with a simple market mechanism for integrating RPPs, without the need for an independent system operator (ISO) to perform a centralized stochastic optimization.
AKLT models on decorated square lattices are gapped

The nonzero spectral gap of the original two-dimensional Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki (AKLT) models has remained unproven for more than three decades. Recently, Abdul-Rahman et al. (arXiv:1901.09297) provided an elegant approach and proved analytically the existence of a nonzero spectral gap for the AKLT models on the decorated honeycomb lattice (for the number $n$ of spin-1 decorated sites on each original edge no less than 3). We perform calculations for the decorated square lattice and show that the corresponding AKLT models are gapped if $n\ensuremath{\ge}4$. Combining both results, we also show that a family of decorated hybrid AKLT models, whose underlying lattice is of mixed vertex degrees 3 and 4, are also gapped for $n\ensuremath{\ge}4$. We develop a numerical approach that extends beyond what was accessible previously. Our numerical results further improve the nonzero gap to $n\ensuremath{\ge}2$, including the establishment of the gap for $n=2$ in the decorated triangular and cubic lattices. The latter case is interesting, as this shows that the AKLT states on the decorated cubic lattices are not N\'eel ordered, in contrast to the state on the undecorated cubic lattice.
Multivariate Regression Polynomial: A Versatile and Efficient Method for DC Modeling of Different Transistors (MOSFET, MESFET, HBT, HEMT and G4FET)

This work presents multivariate regression polynomial as a versatile and efficient method for DC modeling of modern transistors with very different underlying physics including MOSFET (metal-oxide-...
Implications of the Opioid Epidemic for the Clinical Gastroenterology Practice

The opioid epidemic in the USA has led to a rise in opioid-related gastrointestinal (GI) side effects that are often difficult to diagnose and treat. The aim of this report is to discuss opioid pathophysiology, opioid-related GI side effects, clinical presentation, and diagnostic criteria and to review the current pharmacotherapy available. Opioid-related GI disorders are increasingly recognized and include, but are not limited to, opioid-induced esophageal dysfunction (OIED), gastroparesis, opioid-induced constipation (OIC), narcotic bowel syndrome (NBS), acute post-operative ileus, and anal sphincter dysfunction. Treatment of these conditions is challenging. OIC has the most available pharmacotherapy for treatment, including classical laxatives, peripherally acting μ-receptor antagonists (PAMORAs), novel therapies (lubiprostone, prucalopride- 5-HT agonist), and preventative therapies (PR oxycodone/naloxone). The gastrointestinal effects of opioid therapy are variable and often debilitating. While medical management for some opioid-related GI side effects exists, limiting or completely avoiding opioid use for chronic non-cancer pain will mitigate these effects most effectively.
Brachial Plexitis After Stem Cell Transplant.

Background Brachial plexitis is characterized by acute onset pain followed by weakness due to dysfunction of the nerves constituting the brachial plexus. The exact pathophysiology of this condition remains unknown but it is known to follow acute infections, such as a viral illness. Case Description We describe a case of idiopathic brachial plexitis in a patient after a peripheral stem cell transplant. The acute denervation of nerves in the brachial plexus may be due to reconstitution of his immune system. This is a rare entity and can be a diagnostic dilemma. Conclusions Brachial plexitis may follow peripheral stem cell transplantation. Awareness of this phenomenon is helpful to clinicians involved in the care of these patients.
A Ku -Band Oscillator Utilizing Overtone Lithium Niobate RF-MEMS Resonator for 5G

This letter presents a 12.9-GHz silicon germanium (SiGe) Pierce oscillator using a third antisymmetric overtone in a lithium niobate (LiNbO3) resonator for 5G communications. Quarter-wave resonators are used to satisfy the Barkhausen oscillation conditions for the third overtone while suppressing the fundamental and higher order resonances. The oscillator achieves a measured phase noise of −70 and −111 dBc/Hz at 1 and 100-kHz offsets from a 12.9-GHz carrier while consuming 20 mW of dc power. The oscillator achieves a figure-of-merit of 200 dBc/Hz at 100-kHz offset, surpassing the state-of-the-art electromagnetic (EM) and overtone MEMS oscillators. The achieved oscillation frequency is the highest reported to date for an MEMS oscillator. The demonstrated performance shows the strong potential of microwave acoustic oscillators for 5G frequency synthesis. This work will enable low-power 5G transceivers featuring high speed, high sensitivity, and high selectivity in small form factors.
Stakeholder Experiences With Gender Identity Data Capture in Electronic Health Records: Implementation Effectiveness and a Visibility Paradox:

BackgroundAdvocates have endorsed transgender visibility via gender identity (GI) data capture with the advent of the Affordable Care Act and electronic health record (EHR) requirements. Visibility...
Beyond hemoglobin A1c: a videographic analysis of conversations about quality of life and treatment burden during clinical encounters for diabetes care.

Diabetes care has largely focused on reducing the risk of complications by achieving hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) targets; yet, whole-person care may be more effective and desirable. We sought to determine the nature of discussions about quality of life, burden of treatment, hypoglycemia, sexual function, and social support during diabetes-focused clinical encounters. We analyzed 41 previously recorded clinical encounters with patients with type 2 diabetes from the control arms of practice-based trials of shared decision-making. Two coders evaluated videos for discussions about aspects of life with diabetes: quality of life, burden of treatment, hypoglycemia, sexual function, and social supports. When an aspect was raised, coders evaluated the nature of the conversation, clinician responses, and time spent on discussing the aspect. Median length of the encounter was 15 min, 6 s (IQR: 11:16–20:23 min). Overall, 35 of 41 encounters (85.4%) included some discussion of quality of life (58.5%), burden of treatment (51.2%), social support (2.4%), or hypoglycemia (9.8%). Sexual function was not discussed. On average, 4.5% (1.4–5.5%) of the encounter time involved conversations about HbA1c, whereas 15.0% (0–25%) of the encounter time was spent on some aspect of quality of life, burden of treatment, social support, or hypoglycemia. If a topic related to quality of life was raised, clinicians most often responded by acknowledging patient’s concern without providing a solution (45.8%). A significant part of the patient–clinician encounter involves discussion of quality of life and burden of treatment, but clinicians rarely address these issues by providing solutions.
Localizations of Dystopia

The postphenomenological framework of concepts—and especially the version utilized by the founder of this school of thought, Don Ihde—has proven useful for puncturing others’ totalizing or otherwise overgeneralizing claims about technology. However, does this specialization in deflating hype leave this perspective unable to identify the kinds of technological patterns necessary for contributing to activist interventions and political critique? Put differently, the postphenomenological perspective is committed to the study of concrete human-technology relations, and it eschews essentialist and fundamentalizing accounts of technology. Do these commitments render it incapable of providing general assessments of our contemporary technological situation? It is my contention that this perspective can indeed be useful for these kinds of critical projects. To do so, we must go beyond Ihde’s personal tendency to utilize postphenomenology mostly for deflating others’ hype, and explore this perspective’s distinctive potential for identifying ways that technologies can become set within problematic patterns of usage and design. My suggestion is that the postphenomenological notion of “multistability” (i.e., the idea that technologies are always open to multiple uses and meanings) can play a helpful role in these efforts, especially when combined with a conception of local, rather than totalizing, stabilizations of human-technology relationships.
Treating High-Risk TIA and Minor Stroke Patients With Dual Antiplatelet Therapy: A National Survey of Emergency Medicine Physicians:

Background:Treatment with aspirin plus clopidogrel, dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), within 24 hours of high-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke symptoms to eligible patients is r...
Prevention of noise-induced hearing loss using investigational medicines for the inner ear: previous trial outcomes should inform future trial design

Significance. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is an important public health issue resulting in decreased quality of life for affected individuals and significant costs to employers and government...
Detection and toxicity modeling of anthraquinone dyes and chlorinated side products from a colored smoke pyrotechnic reaction.

Abstract “Green” pyrotechnics seek to remove known environmental pollutants and health hazards from their formulations. This chemical engineering approach often focuses on maintaining performance effects upon replacement of objectionable ingredients, yet neglects the chemical products formed by the exothermic reaction. In this work, milligram quantities of a lab-scale pyrotechnic red smoke composition were functioned within a thermal probe for product identification by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thermally decomposed ingredients and new side product derivatives were identified at lower relative abundances to the intact organic dye (as the engineered sublimation product). Side products included chlorination of the organic dye donated by the chlorate oxidizer. Machine learning quantitative structure-activity relationship models computed impacts to health and environmental hazards. High to very high toxicities were predicted for inhalation, mutagenicity, developmental, and endocrine disruption for common military pyrotechnic dyes and their analogous chlorinated side products. These results underscore the need to revise objectives of “green” pyrotechnic engineering.
Do Domestic Sentiment and the Spillover of U.S. Investor Sentiment Impact Mexican Stock Market Returns

We examine the relationship between sentiment and Mexican stock market returns. Results suggest a positive dynamic relationship between rational Mexican sentiment and equity market returns. Results also reveal a spillover of US sentiment on the return generating process of the Mexican stock market that is distinct from domestic sentiment. This effect may be attributed to close economic ties and ease of capital flows between the two countries. Additionally, we find that rational sentiment and market returns are inversely related to the peso/US dollar exchange rate. Our findings suggest that sentiment is a significant risk factor in the Mexican stock market.
Do Not Cut Too Close to the Clamp

Be careful not to cut too close to the clamp (Plate 11). The aortic tissue retracts considerably after it is cut. Also, as you cut toward the posterior portion of the aorta, there is a natural tendency to “drift” toward the clamp. It is helpful to angle your Metzenbaum scissors away from the clamp when cutting the posterior wall in order to avoid this (Video 11.1).
A Model of Seller-Buyer Product Development Relationships in Technology-Based, Industrial Markets

This paper develops and empirically tests a model of seller-buyer relationships during the new product development process. Our model focuses on seller-buyer interactions during NPD, which revolve around education, product knowledge generation, and joint new product development activities and how they are influenced by several situational characteristics like prior relationship history, perceived buyer knowledge, and product customization. Our model also investigates an important consequence of these activity dimensions: expectations of continuity. In general, we find good support for our hypotheses related to the antecedents. However, mixed results were found for hypotheses relating these activity dimensions to expectations of relationship continuity.
Dispersed Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Jet-Cooled 2-, 3-, and 4-Methylcyclohexoxy Radicals.

Vibrational structures of the nearly degenerate X and A states of the 2-, 3-, and 4-methylcyclohexoxy (MCHO) radicals were studied by jet-cooled dispersed fluorescence (DF) spectroscopy. The observed transitions were assigned on the basis of vibrational frequencies and Franck–Condon factors predicted by quantum chemical calculations. Intensities of vibronic transitions in the DF spectra are dependent on the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) bands pumped in the experiment, which can be explained by the difference in geometry and symmetry between the lower X/A states and the highly excited B state. All three studied isomers of MCHO have close-lying X and A states although their energy separations are affected by the position of the methyl group. It is suggested by quantum chemical calculations that the lowest-energy conformers of all three isomers have the half-filled orbital oriented perpendicular to the OCH plane, which is consistent with the observed relative intensities of the B → X and B → A orig...
Will retributivism die and will neuroscience kill it

In a widely read essay, "For the Law, Neuroscience Changes Nothing and Everything," Joshua Greene and Jonathan Cohen argue that the advance of neuroscience will eventually result in the widespread rejection of free will, and with it - of retributivism. They go on to propose that consequentialist reforms are in order, and they predict such reforms will take place. We agree that retributivism should be rejected, and we too are optimistic that rejected it will be. But we don't think that such a development will have much to do with neuroscience - it won't, because neuroscience is unlikely to show that we have no free will. We have two main aims in this paper. The first is to rebut various aspects of the case against free will. The second is to examine the case for consequentialist reforms. We take Greene and Cohen's essay as a hobbyhorse, but our criticisms are applicable to neurodeterministic anti-free-willism in general.We first suggest that Greene and Cohen take proponents of free will to be committed to an untenable homuncular account of agency. But proponents of free will can dispense with such a commitment. In fact, we argue, it is Greene and Cohen who work with an overly simple account of free will. We sketch a more nuanced conception. We then turn to the proposal for consequentialist reforms. We argue that retributivism will fall out of favor not as a consequence of neuroscience-driven rejection of free will, but rather, as a result of a familiar feature of moral progress - the expanding circle of concern. In short, retributivism can and must die, but neuroscience will not kill it - humanity will.
Predicting treatment adherence in obstructive sleep apnea using principles of behavior change.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the relative predictive utility of measures of behavior-change principles on treatment adherence in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea. METHODS: Ninety-eight participants with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea were recruited into this prospective longitudinal study. Participants were recruited from an academic sleep disorders center after having completed in-lab polysomnography and before initiating continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Participants were all treatment naive. Measurements of behavior-change principles were taken at baseline and periodically throughout the 6-month follow-up. Adherence, measured by the amount of nightly use at the proper pressure, was monitored covertly by the CPAP machines. RESULTS: Measures from 2 behavior-change theories (Transtheoretical Model and Social Cognitive Theory) were used in this study: readiness to change, perceived self-efficacy, and decisional balance. The results from the present study suggest that measures of behavior change predict CPAP adherence at 6 months posttreatment when assessed at 1 week and at 3 months posttreatment. When these measures are assessed at baseline, however, they are not predictive of CPAP use at 6-months. These measures do not improve upon the prediction of 6-month adherence provided by previous adherence. CONCLUSIONS: While the readiness, decisional balance, and self-efficacy measures were all predictive of adherence, the strongest predictive utility came from measures of readiness and self-efficacy. Those individuals who use CPAP more were more likely to rate themselves as ready and confident in their ability to use CPAP. The utility of these measures was diminished when controlling for previous use. Our intention, however, was to study modifiable risk factors for poor adherence. Principles of behavior change, which are often used in adherence research in other medical populations, are thought to be modifiable with behavioral interventions and show promise for improving adherence.
Sterol metabolism: XXXVII. On the oxidation of cholesterol by dioxygenases

Abstract The oxidation of cholesterol by plant and mammalian dioxygenases yielding cholesterol 7α- and 7β-hydroperoxides has been demonstrated. Cholesterol oxidation is coupled to the oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acid esters by soybean lipoxygenase, to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase, and to the oxidation of NADPH by the NADPH-dependent microsomal lipid peroxidation system of rat liver. The initially formed epimeric cholesterol 7-hydroperoxides are transformed in each case to the commonly encountered corresponding 7-alcohol and 7-ketone derivatives. These dioxygenase transformations thus mimic in detail the radiation-induced free radical oxidation of cholesterol by molecular oxygen. Electronically excited (singlet) molecular oxygen is not implicated in these transformations.
Canonical Equation K12 for Random Gram Matrices with Infinitely Small Entries

The aim of this chapter is to prove the principal result for random Gram matrices with asymptotically constant entries(ACE-Gram matrices). The method of martingale differences is one of the oldest tools in the theory of random matrices (see surveys and books devoted to the spectral theory of random matrices in the list of references at the end of this book). In this brief Chapter, we restrict ourselves to the analysis of convergence of solutions of the accompanying canonical equations. The detailed presentation can be found in the proof of Theorem 3.1.
On the induction of decision trees for multiple concept learning

We focus on developing improvements to algorithms that generate decision trees from training data. This dissertation makes four contributions to the theory and practice of the top-down non-backtracking induction of decision trees for multiple concept learning. First, we provide formal results for determining how one generated tree is better than another. We consider several performance measures on decision trees and show that the most important measure to minimize is the number of leaves. Notably, we derive a probabilistic relation between the number of leaves of the decision tree and its expected error rate. The second contribution deals with improving tree generation by avoiding problems inherent in the current popular approaches to tree induction. We formulate algorithms GID3 and GID3$\sp*$ that are capable of grouping irrelevant attribute values in subsets rather than branching on them individually. We empirically demonstrate that better trees are obtained. Thirdly, we present results applicable to the binary discretization of continuous-valued attributes using the information entropy minimization heuristic. The results serve to give a better understanding of the entropy measure, to point out desirable properties that justify its usage in a formal sense, and to improve the efficiency of evaluating continuous-valued attributes for cut point selection. We then proceed to extend the binary discretization algorithm to derive multiple interval quantizations. We justify our criterion for deciding the intervals using decision-theoretic principles. Empirical results demonstrate improved efficiency and that the multiple interval discretization algorithm allows GID3$\sp*$ to find better trees. Finally, we analyze the merits and limitations of using the entropy measure (and others from the family of impurity measures) for attribute selection. We argue that the currently used family of measures is not particularly well-suited for attribute selection. We motivate and formulate a new family of measures: C-SEP. The new algorithm, O-BTREE, that uses a selection measure from this family is empirically demonstrated to produce better trees. Ample experimental results are provided to demonstrate the utility of the above contributions by applying them to synthetic and real-world problems. Some applications come from our involvement in the automation of semiconductor manufacturing techniques.
Risk2: Measuring the Risk in Value at Risk

The recent derivatives disasters have focused the attention of the finance industry on the need to control financial risks better. This search has led to a uniform measure of risk called value at risk (VAR), which is the expected worst loss over a given horizon at a given confidence level. VAR numbers, however, are themselves affected by sampling variation, or “estimation risk”—thus, the risk in value at risk itself. Nevertheless, given these limitations, VAR is an indispensable tool to control financial risks. This article lays out the statistical methodology for analyzing estimation error in VAR and shows how to improve the accuracy of VAR estimates.
Review of: Advances in Forensic Taphonomy: Method, Theory, and Archaeological Perspectives

This book is an extension of and supplement to the editors' previous volume, Forensic Taphonomy. It consists of a series of chapters contributed by some of the leading lights in forensic anthropology and forensic taphonomy (if this can now be considered a distinct discipline): the editors themselves, William Haglund and Marcella Sorg, Don Brothwell, Wayne Lord, Jon Nordby, William Rodriguez, Paul Sledzik, and Douglas Ubelaker. The chapters by the less-well-known contributors are uniformly excellent. The chapters are of two types: expositions of general principles and case studies. Case studies by their very nature are narrowly focused and frequently contain unique features that cannot be generalized to other investigations. However, the case studies presented in this volume are particularly apposite and illuminate more general principles.
Optimized Speed Harmonization with Connected Vehicles for Work Zones

The effectiveness of speed harmonization relies on the accuracy of traffic data to predict state of congestion and determine a proper traffic control strategy. Connected Vehicles technology can be deployed to increase the accuracy of data and enhance the effectiveness of speed harmonization. This study develops Connected Vehicles Harmonizer (CVH) which is an optimization program to determine advisory speeds for connected vehicles in work zones. The effectiveness of the methodology is tested in a benchmark problem which showed more than 13% delay reduction when the penetration rate is 80% or higher.
Signal transduction: a new canon.

Muscle development in vertebrates relies on signals transmitted from proteins of the Wnt family. But which molecules form the relay that transfers this signal to the cell nucleus? The answer is unexpected.
Lymph mobilization following acute blood loss in the toad, Bufo marinus

Abstract 1. 1. Blood loss (3·5 ml/100 g) by the toad, Bufo marinus , results in a rapid hemodilution with falls in hematocrit of up to 50 per cent after 1 hr. 2. 2. There is no net change in total extracellular volume (inulin “space”) during this time. 3. 3. An immediate change in albumin kinetics occurs following hemorrhage with a dilution of tagged plasma protein which, along with the above findings, suggests peripheral lymph as the source of the mobilized fluid. 4. 4. Blood loss in a potent stimulus for augmenting the rate of lymph heart contraction. 5. 5. Neither the lymph hearts nor the nephrostomes are necessary for the rapid net mobilization of lymph following blood loss. 6. 6. The pituitary is unnecessary for either the lymph heart or the blood volume responses. 7. 7. The physiological importance of the large (35 per cent) extracellular space of the toad, in relation to dehydration, is discussed.
Corporate greening through prosocial extrarole behaviours – a conceptual framework for employee motivation

Scholars in environmental management have called for better grounding of research on corporate greening within established organizational theories. We propose a conceptual framework (including suggestions for operationalizing it) that embeds empirical research within behavioural intent models and the concept of value-creating prosocial behaviours. We argue that conceiving of corporate greening as a prosocial behaviour in this manner provides an improved understanding of the dominant factors that motivate employees to engage in ecoinitiatives. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
PATHWAYS LINKING RENAL EXCRETION AND ARTERIAL PRESSURE WITH VASCULAR STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

SUMMARY 1. A brief review is presented which summarizes the role of the kidney in the long-term regulation of arterial pressure and the mechanism whereby changes in body fluid volume can influence the function and structure of the systemic vasculature. 2. Studies indicate that the kidney detects changes of arterial pressure via changes of medullary blood flow which in the volume expanded state is poorly autoregulated. Elevations of renal arterial pressure raise vasa recta capillary pressure and renal interstitial fluid pressure, which in turn reduces tubular reabsorption of sodium and water. 3. The sensitivity of the pressure–diuresis relationship is controlled by renal sympathetic nerve activity and a variety of hormone and autocrine systems. 4. Evidence is also reviewed which shows that small changes of blood volume (5%) resulting from reduced renal excretion can acutely and chronically result in 25% increases of total peripheral resistance and arterial pressure. 5. Short-term increases of vascular resistance are predicted by regional autoregulatory responses while long-term elevations of vascular resistance appear to result from the structural changes of large vessel hypertrophy and microvascular rarefaction within skeletal muscle.
Effects of verapamil and nifedipine on left ventricular function at rest and during exercise in patients with prinzmetal's variant angina pectoris

Abstract To assess the effects of verapamil and nifedipine on left ventricular function at rest and during exercise in patients with Prinzmetal's variant angina pectoris, 10 patients (6 men and 4 women with a mean age of 52 years) with variant angina were each treated for 2 month periods with placebo, verapamil (400 ± 80 mg/day, mean ± standard deviation [SD]) and nifedipine (82 ± 31 mg/day). During the final week of each 2 month treatment period equilibrium gated blood pool scintigraphy was performed at rest and during exercise. At rest, heart rate during verapamil therapy was lower than during treatment with nifedipine; systolic blood pressure and left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction were similar for the three interventions. The maximal work load achieved was similar during placebo, verapamil and nifedipine therapy. At the maximal work load common to all three exercise studies, heart rate and systolic blood pressure were lower with verapamil than with placebo and nifedipine; ventricular volumes and ejection fraction were similar with the three agents. Thus, in patients with variant angina and a wide range of left ventricular function at rest, neither verapamil nor nifedipine significantly alters left ventricular volumes or ejection fraction at rest or during exercise.
A semiclassical treatment of collision induced dissociation

Abstract Transition probabilities for the collision induced dissociation reaction. A + BC a A + B + C, are calculated for a harmonic oscillator model using a semiclassical approximation. One of the unique features of this investigation is the appearance of quantum oscillations in the dissociation probability as a function of collision energy. The number of oscillations is correlated to the number of bound states of the BC molecule.
Revealing temporal features of attacks against smart grid

Protecting smart grid against malicious attacks is a major task for the power and energy community. While different initial failures could trigger cascading effects resulting in same or close final impact, the pattern of intermediate cascading process varies significantly. In this paper we propose an approach to analyze temporal features and predict critical intermediate stages to help prevent a massive cascading failure. Initial victims from most vulnerable set of nodes are tested in a topological cascading model under different fault tolerances, and the results reveal that they are usually followed by a dramatic increase of failed components at some critical point. By analyzing the processes of failure propagation, we identify important temporal features of cascading failure and predict critical moments to allow quick and proper response at an early stage. This work provides informative decision support for defense against large blackouts caused either by random contingencies or attack schemes.
The unusual cyclization of benzil monohydrazones to 4,5-diphenylimidazoles

Abstract Benzil monodisubstituted hydrazones ( 2 ) have been shown to undergo cyclodehydration to the corresponding imidazoles ( @10 ) and not to pyrazoles as previously reported.
Generalized Design of Diffractive Optical Elements Using Neural Networks

Diffractive optical elements (DOE) utilize diffraction to manipulate light in optical systems. These elements have a wide range of applications including optical interconnects, coherent beam addition, laser beam shaping and refractive optics aberration correction. Due to the wide range of applications optimal design of DOE has become an important research problem. In the design of the DOEs, existing techniques utilize the Fresnel diffraction theory to compute the phase at the desired location at the output plane. Since this process involves solving nonlinear integral equations, various numerical methods along with robust optimization algorithms have been proposed. However all the algorithms proposed so far assume that the size and the spacing of the elements as independent variables in the design of optimal diffractive gratings. Therefore search algorithms need to be called every time the required geometry of the elements changes, resulting in a computationally expensive design procedure for systems utilizing a large number of DOEs. In this work, we have developed a novel algorithm that uses neural networks with multiple hidden layers to overcome this limitation and arrives at a general solution for the design of the DOEs for a given application. Inputs to this network are the spacing between the elements and the input/output planes. The network outputs the phase gratings that are required to obtain the desired intensity at the specified location in the output plane. The network was trained using the back-propagation technique. The training set was generated by using genetic algorithm approach as described in literature. The mean square error obtained is comparable to conventional techniques but with much lower computational costs.
Predictors for Glucose Change in Hypertensive Participants Following Short-term Treatment with Atenolol or Hydrochlorothiazide

The hyperglycemia associated with the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drug classes is of growing concern to the medical community. It is well documented that β-blockers and thiazide diuretics cause adverse metabolic effects, and large-scale studies and meta-analyses provide compelling data indicating that β-blockers and thiazide diuretics increase the risk of diabetes.1–5 The ability to discern which participants are at greatest risk for hyperglycemia associated with β-blockers and thiazide diuretics or the development of diabetes would be valuable to clinicians4,6–9. Previous studies found that African ancestry, higher body mass index, left ventricular hypertrophy, higher follow-up systolic blood pressure, elevated baseline glucose, uric acid, female sex, and age are associated with the development of diabetes after long-term β-blocker and/or thiazide diuretic therapy. 3, 4, 10, 11 One study found that African ancestry, lower baseline glucose, and urinary sodium excretion were significant predictors for change in glucose after hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) monotherapy.12 To date, no studies have evaluated predictors for glucose change associated with β-blockers. Given that hyperglycemia and diabetes associated with the use of thiazide diuretics and β-blockers may offset the clinical benefit of these two drug classes,10, 13–15 it is important to identify the clinical characteristics that increase risk. If such factors could be identified, they might be useful to guide selection of antihypertensive therapy. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to determine the clinical characteristics associated with change in glucose and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) following treatment with atenolol or HCTZ.
The structural basis of yeast prion strain variants

A comprehensive structural analysis of the complete and unmodified Sup35 prion domain in two distinct infectious conformations is presented. A variety of techniques is used to provide structural details of these two prion conformations, one weakly and one strongly propagating strain. The data show that the fibril conformation of both strains share a common amyloid-like core, comprising the glutamine/asparagine rich first 40 residues. In the weaker strain this stable structure is dramatically expanded to 70 amino acids. Among the many surprises to arise from studies of prion biology, perhaps the most unexpected is the strain phenomenon whereby a single protein can misfold into structurally distinct, infectious states that cause distinguishable phenotypes1,2,3. Similarly, proteins can adopt a spectrum of conformations in non-infectious diseases of protein folding; some are toxic and others are well tolerated4. However, our understanding of the structural differences underlying prion strains and how these differences alter their physiological impact remains limited. Here we use a combination of solution NMR, amide hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange and mutagenesis to study the structural differences between two strain conformations, termed Sc4 and Sc37 (ref. 5), of the yeast Sup35 prion. We find that these two strains have an overlapping amyloid core spanning most of the Gln/Asn-rich first 40 amino acids that is highly protected from H/D exchange and very sensitive to mutation. These features indicate that the cores are composed of tightly packed β-sheets possibly resembling ‘steric zipper’ structures revealed by X-ray crystallography of Sup35-derived peptides6,7. The stable structure is greatly expanded in the Sc37 conformation to encompass the first 70 amino acids, revealing why this strain shows increased fibre stability and decreased ability to undergo chaperone-mediated replication8. Our findings establish that prion strains involve large-scale conformational differences and provide a structural basis for understanding a broad range of functional studies, including how conformational changes alter the physiological impact of prion strains.
Ethnic-specific pathways to obesity-related disease: the Hispanic vs. African-American paradox.

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for multiple chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease, and some forms of cancer. !e mechanisms of these relationships are unclear and may be speci"c for each disease. !e most likely explanations of why increased body fat causes multiple health problems include the mediating roles of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, body fat distribution, including ectopic fat deposition in peripheral tissues, and in#amma tory mediators. Prior work in this area suggests that there are distinct ethnic di$erences in these obesity-related phenotypes that are evident early in life, and may help explain ethnic di$er ences in the incidence and prevalence of obesity-related disease outcomes. !e purpose of this article is to sum marize these di$erences speci"cally in Hispanics and African Americans. !e focus on these two ethnic groups is based on (i) they are the two largest ethnic minority groups in the United States and (ii) they share a similar propensity for obesity and insulin resistance, but markedly di$erent pro"les for obesity-related disease outcome, creating an informative comparative contrast. !ese comparisons yield two di$erent pro"les that could represent di$erent pathways to obesity-related diseases.
The residual-based variational multiscale formulation for the large eddy simulation of compressible flows

Abstract The residual-based variational multiscale formulation is applied to develop a large eddy simulation (LES) model for compressible flows. In addition, a mixed model, in which a deviatoric Smagorinsky subgrid stress term is added to the RBVM terms to better model the Reynolds stresses is proposed. These models, along with the dynamic Smagorinsky–Yoshizawa eddy diffusivity model are tested in predicting the decay of homogenous turbulence. For most relevant measures, it is observed that the RBVM models are more accurate than the dynamic Smagorinsky-type model.
Toward a Feminist Conception of Politics

Throughout most of the past decade, the syllabus for a political science course in feminist theory would have included texts by feminist historians, anthropologists, psychologists, philosophers, and literary critics, but very few political theories by feminists.1 In the last two years, however, a distinctive new direction in feminist analysis has emerged with the publication of several books that introduce a feminist critical theory of politics. Early feminist social science studied gender roles and gender identity, describing gender as if it were a personal characteristic or attribute. Today the limitations of this work are evident in feminists' questioning of the validity of gender as an analytic concept,2 as well as of the possibility of specifying the identity of the group "women" that is to be liberated by the feminist movement.3 Feminist critical theory shifts the study of gender from individuals' roles and identities to the study of the interplay between gender relations and the institutional contexts within which they take shape.4 It moves beyond thinking about sexual inequality in terms of the opposition between male and female roles to examining the way it is constituted by the structures of various social institutions that gender knits into intricately patterned domination. Feminist critical theory argues that feminist politics takes shape not around women's collective identity, but rather around the public problems of a pervasively gender-structured society. This shift from identity to public problems brings a new story-line to teaching feminist and democratic theory, a story that forges a strong connection between the two that is usually only implicit in works by theorists of both.5 Michelle Rosaldo anticipated the shift I describe in an article that reconsiders early gender scholarship, including her own.6 The principal objective of early feminist social science was to differentiate between sex and gender. Feminists used object relations theory,7 and purportedly universal social structures like the distinction between public and private," and the separation of nature from culture,9 to argue that women's
Symptom Distress and Its Association With Traditional Chinese Medicine Use in Chinese American Women With Cancer

Purpose/objectives To identify symptom distress related to cancer for a group of Chinese American women in treatment, and to examine their use of various forms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and their relationships to specific symptoms they identified. Design Cross-sectional, correlational. Setting American Cancer Society Asian Initiatives support groups in the state of New York. Sample 97 Chinese American women residing in New York with a mean age of 57 years; the time since diagnosis of cancer ranged from two months to 24 years. The type of diagnosis for the majority of women was breast cancer. Methods A self-reported questionnaire including a demographic data form, a researcher-developed checklist for types of TCM, and the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS-SF) were administered. The MSAS-SF has three subscales: global distress index, psychological symptom distress scale, and physical symptom distress scale. Main research variables Symptoms, symptom distress, and types of TCM. The descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests were applied for data analysis. Findings Chinese American women with cancer in treatment reported multiple symptoms, and the three MSAS-SF distress subscale scores indicated moderate symptom distress. Symptoms were positively associated with the use of TCM. Conclusions Chinese American women in treatment for cancer reported multiple symptoms and moderate symptom distress. Participants with specific symptoms tended to use specific forms of TCM. Implications for nursing High prevalence of psychological symptoms for Chinese American women with cancer suggests that oncology nurses should work with mental health providers for symptom management of this population. Oncology nurses also need to stay informed of the growing body of evidence on the benefits of TCM for patients with cancer. Future studies should include an emphasis on the improvement in methodologic quality for studies that investigate using TCM in participants with cancer.
Scaling analysis of the temperature dependence of intrinsic viscosity

The scaling predictions for the temperature dependence of the intrinsic viscosity of flexible polymers are briefly reviewed. When the predictions are fit to a power law over a fixed range of chain length, a relation between the exponent and prefactor of the Mark-Houwink-Sakurada equation emerges. In comparing with the experimental data compilation of Rai and Rosen, we conclude that real polymer systems are nowhere near the true good solvent limit, even when the exponent matches the good solvent prediction.
On-surface and laboratory size measurements of fine lunar particles.

Measurements of particle size distribution in Apollo 12 sample 12029-8 in the laboratory and in Surveyor 3 scoop material by remote photometry. A table is compiled to summarize the data obtained by various authors from all Surveyor missions.
Abnormal regulation of de novo purine synthesis and purine salvage in a cultured mouse T‐cell lymphoma mutant partially deficient in adenylosuccinate synthetase

The isolation and characterization of a mutant murine T-cell lymphoma (S49) with altered purine metabolism is described. This mutant, AU-100, was isolated from a mutagenized populatio of S49 cells by virtue of its resistance to 0.1 mM 6-azauridine in semisolid agarose. The AU-100 cells are resistant to adenosine mediated cytotoxicity but are extraordinarily sensitive to killing by guanosine. High performance liquid chromatography of AU-100 cells extracts has demonstrated that intracellular levels of GTP, IMP, and GMP are all elevated about 3-fold over those levels found in wild type cells. The AU-100 cells also contain an elevated intracellular level of pyrophosphoribosylphosphate (PPriboseP), which as in wild type cells is diminished by incubation of AU-100 cells with adenosine. However AU-100 cells synthesize purines de novo at a rate less than 35% of that found in wild type cells. In other growth rate experiments, the AU-100 cell line was shown to be resistant to 6-thioguanine and 6-mercaptopurine. Levels of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRTase) measured in AU-100 cell extracts, however, are 50-66% greater than those levels of HGPRTase found in wild type cell extracts. Nevertheless this mutant S49 cell line cannot efficiently incorporate labeled hypoxanthine into nucleotides since the salvage enzyme HGPRTase is inhibited in vivo. The AU-100 cell line was found to be 80% deficient in adenylosuccinate synthetase, but these cells are not auxotrophic for adenosine or other purines. The significant alterations in the control of purine de novo and salvage metabolism caused by the defect in adenylosuccinate synthetase are mediated by the resulting increased levels of guanosine necleotides.