cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Planar point Location Search

One of the more fundamental problems in computational geometry is that of locating a specific point in a given two-dimensional subdivision. It is thus necessary to define a subdivision appropriately. An embedding ∈ of a graph g maps each node v of g to a point ∈(v) in E2 and each arc a = {v,w} to a simple connected curve ∈(a) with endpoints ∈(v) and ∈(w). The embedding ∈ is plane if ∈(v)≠∈(w), for any two nodes v≠w of g, and if ∈(a)∩∈(b)=O, for any two arcs a≠b of g so we assume that a curve ∈(a) does not contain its endpoints. Graph g is planar if it admits a plane embedding of itself. The embedding of a node of g is called a vertex, the embedding of an arc is called an edge, and a connected component of E2 reduced by all vertices and edges is called a region. For the sake of generality, we admit one node of g to be embedded at infinity; thus, all incident arcs correspond to unbounded edges of the subdivision, and all unbounded edges of the subdivision correspond to arcs incident upon this node. The embedding of a node at infinity is called an improper vertex. In formal terms, the point location search problem can now be defined as follows: let S be a subdivision of E2; for a given query point q, determine which of the regions, edges, and vertices of S contains point q.
Assessing Key Factors Impacting the Performance of Offshore Hydrocarbon Projects

Offshore hydrocarbon projects have many different and unique characteristics, such as a larger project size, higher number of scopes, higher complexity, etc. In fact, offshore hydrocarbon projects described as mega projects are ones that require significant assessment and acquisition methods in order to reduce risks and failures. This paper emphasizes the critical and challenging factors that affect the successful implementation of O&G offshore projects and their overall performance. Four perspectives have been identified in order to assess these factors. These perspectives are financial, technical, geopolitics and geographic. Under each perspective, there are multiple criteria that are linked to each other with complex processes and unique challenges.
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and SEER-Medicare Databases: Use in Clinical Research for Improving Colorectal Cancer Outcomes

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program is a clinical database, funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which was created to collect cancer incidence, prevalence, and survival data from U.S. cancer registries. By capturing approximately 30% of the U.S. population, it serves as a powerful resource for researchers focused on understanding the natural history of colorectal cancer and improvement in patient care. The linked SEER-Medicare database is a robust database allowing investigators to perform studies focusing on health disparities, quality of care, and cost of treatment in oncologic disease. Since its infancy in the early 1970s, the database has been utilized for thousands of studies resulting in novel publications that have shaped our management of colorectal cancer among other malignancies.
Multiscale formulation of two-phase flow at the pore scale

Abstract Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of multiphase flow yields the highest fidelity predictions of pore-scale fluid dynamics in porous media. The drawback of DNS is its high computational cost. We develop a pore-level multiscale method (PLMM) that accelerates DNS by producing successively improved approximations to the immiscible two-phase Navier-Stokes equations. PLMM starts with a binary image of the porous medium and decomposes the void space into subdomains that coincide with physical pores. For each subdomain, single-phase basis functions are constructed once. Correction functions are then computed only for subdomains containing a fluid-fluid interface. Basis and correction functions are coupled through a global problem, which yields an accurate velocity field used to propagate interfaces. By treating two-phase dynamics as local perturbations to single-phase flow, PLMM adaptively localizes computations to the displacement front. Prediction errors are additionally estimated and controlled with an iterative strategy. PLMM is parallelizable and allows for different meshes, models, and physics in each subdomain.
Properties of 249 δ Scuti Variable Star Candidates Observed During the NASA K2 Mission

In the second phase of the NASA Kepler mission (K2), the Kepler spacecraft observed fields along the ecliptic plane for about 80 days each to search for planetary transits and monitor stellar variability. We analyzed the light curves of thousands of main-sequence stars observed as part of the Kepler Guest Observer program. Here we summarize the statistics of discovery and properties of the pulsation amplitude spectra for 249 delta Scuti variable stars or candidates observed during K2 Campaigns 4 through 17. delta Scuti variables are core or shell-hydrogen burning stars about twice as massive as the Sun, pulsating in many simultaneous radial and non-radial modes, with periods of about two hours. The growing collection of long time-series high signal-to-noise photometric data from space missions such as Kepler, combined with constraints from ground and space-based data, will be useful to constrain the interior structure of these types of variables. We hope that this list of delta Sct candidates observed by Kepler may be useful as a starting point for identifying promising targets for asteroseismic investigations.
Room Temperature Photo-Luminescence Imaging of Dislocations in GaAs Wafers

To date, photo-luminescence (PL) imaging of GaAs wafers affords the only non-contact and non-destructive characterization of microscopic material inhomogeneity within a depth of less than one micrometer. Material inhomogeneity refers to spatial variations in the distribution of dopants, and native defects which usually occur unintentionally, and can cause considerable variations in transistor characteristics over a water surface. The major source of this material inhomogeneity is associated with the accumulation or depletion of these point defects around dislocation sites during boule formation and cooling. Therefore dislocation density and distribution have been of primary importance in measuring material inhomogeneity. A common way of determining the dislocation density near the surface of GaAs wafers is to etch the wafer and count pits over regions of the surface. This is laborious, destructive, and not representative of wafers from other positions in the ingot; in fact it has been shown [1] that the dislocation network in semi-insulating LEC GaAs wafers varies dramatically as a function of position along the boule. Infrared transmission images of GaAs wafers are sensitive to the distribution of near-midgap impurity states but they are taken through the entire thickness of the wafer and therefore lack sensitivity to the surface fabrication region of interest. X-ray topography can also be used to examine dislocation networks through the wafer but also lacks surface sensitivity and requires several hours of exposure in order to obtain a full wafer topograph. Neither infrared transmission nor X-ray topography can furnish any information on uniformity of epitaxial layers.
Macroscopic dark matter constraints from bolide camera networks

Macroscopic dark matter (macros) are a broad class of alternative candidates to particle dark matter. These candidates would transfer energy primarily through elastic scattering, and this energy deposition would produce observable signals if a macro were to pass through the atmosphere. We produce constraints for low mass macros from the null observation of bright meteors formed by a passing macro, across two extensive networks of cameras built originally to observe meteorites. The parameter space that could be probed with planned upgrades to the existing array of cameras in one of these networks still currently in use, the Desert Fireball Network in Australia, is estimated.
When Do Audiences Verify? How Perceptions About Message and Source Influence Audience Verification of News Headlines:

In today’s media landscape, people are encouraged to verify the news and information they encounter. Using an online experiment, this study explores audience’s intent to verify a news headline by m...
Association of insurance type with time course of care in head and neck cancer management.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To determine differences in time course of care based on major insurance types for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS Retrospective study of Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), and Medicare patients with biopsy-proven diagnosis of HNSCC referred to an academic tertiary center for tumor resection and adjuvant therapy. In addition to patient demographic information and tumor characteristics, duration of chief complaint and the following time points were collected: biopsy by referring physician, first specialty surgeon clinic appointment, surgery, and adjuvant radiation start and stop dates. RESULTS There was a statistically significant increase in time interval for HMO (n = 32) patients from chief complaint to biopsy (P = .003), biopsy to first specialty surgeon clinic appointment (P < .001), and surgery to start of adjuvant radiation (P < .001) compared to that of Medicare (n = 31) and PPO (n = 41) patients. Adjuvant radiation was initiated ≤6 weeks after surgery in 22% of HMO (mean duration of 59 ± 17 days), 48% of Medicare (44 ± 13 days), and 61% of PPO (41 ± 12 days) patients. CONCLUSIONS Compared to PPO and Medicare patients, HMO patients begin adjuvant radiation after surgery later and experience treatment delays in transitions of care between provider types and with referrals to specialists. Delaying radiation after 6 weeks of surgery is a known prognostic factor, with insurance type playing a possible role. Further investigation is required to identify insurance type as an independent risk factor of delayed access to care for HNSCC. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 130:E587-E592, 2020.
A Study on the Impact of Missing Values in Probabilistic Matching

Deterministic matching and probabilistic matching are two Entity Resolution (ER) methodologies which are widely used in the industry. Anecdotally, probabilistic matching has a reputation for being sensitive to certain data quality problems, particularly missing values and inconsistent representation of values. This paper explores the impact of missing values on probabilistic matching by comparing three methods for the treatment of missing values. The experiment has two independent variables. The first variable is the number of missing values for a particular attribute. The second is the treatment of the missing values in the calculation of the scoring weights. The results show that for the conditions of the experiment, probabilistic matching did not exhibit any higher degree of sensitivity to missing values than deterministic matching. Secondly, it demonstrated that the navie treatment of assigning a weight of zero (0) to missing value agreements resulted in much poorer performance that either the baseline treatment of ignoring missing values or treatment of calculating a probabilistic weight for missing values.
The “High Court” of Ancient Israel’s Past: Archaeology, Texts, and the Question of Priority

This study examines debates surrounding what evidence, textual or archaeological, deserves priority within matters of historical interpretation as they pertain to the history of ancient Israel. Rather than resolving this debate, however, this investigation problematizes the premises that undergird approaches that accord precedence to one type of evidence over another. Drawing on theories of assemblage, this study concludes with a sketch of how an alternative interpretive framework might be conceived.
Simulating an Immune Response with a Combined Agent-Based Model of a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Tumor and Vascular Network

Cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) are one mechanism the immune system employs to eliminate cancer cells. In this study, we expand upon a previous 3-dimensional agent-based model of triple-negative breast cancer to include an immuno-therapy in the form of a CTL insertion into the tumor. The model consists of a triple-negative breast tumor, comprised of progenitor cells, cancer stem cells, tumor-associated macrophages, as well as an expanding vascular network. We investigate the treatment effects of inserting different numbers of CTLs into the tumor microenvironment, and their overall effect on tumor size in the short and longer terms. The results show that while CTLs decrease the size of the tumor they are ineffective at completely eliminating it, leading to continued tumor proliferation in the aftermath.
International Trade and Productivity after Apartheid

International trade fell in South Africa from the 1970s to the mid-1990s, and climbed fast thereafter, coinciding with the imposition and later removal of apartheid sanctions. Productivity followed suit. This paper explores the extent to which the increase in trade can account for the increase in productivity after apartheid. I use a model of international trade with innovation and calibrate it to match key macroeconomic variables. Non-tariff barriers, mostly related to apartheid sanctions, account for over half the changes in aggregate productivity. Tariffs play a very minor role, in line with existing studies.
Shareholder-Driven Stakeholderism

For last two decades, scholars, judges, and corporations have embraced the idea that corporations should maximize benefit for shareholders. But on a lazy summer day in August of 2019, that changed. The CEOs of nearly 200 major U.S. companies released a statement embracing stakeholder theory — the idea that corporations should look after the needs of not only shareholders, but also those of employees, suppliers, community members, and others. Many applauded this as a progressive step: a way for corporations to take control back from the outsized, greedy influence of profit-driven shareholders. This Essay takes a different view, arguing that shareholders have long been advocates of the kind of progressive values that the public desires. Instead of being a step forward, stakeholder theory is another way to entrench management. This Essay draws on hand-collected data from companies in the S&P 1500 that shows that shareholders, not management, have been the driving force behind the environmental, social, and governance principles that often align with stakeholder governance. In particular, institutional investors and proxy advisory firms have taken the lead on pushing these policies through to management. This Essay contributes to both a long-standing literature on managerial and shareholder power, and to the timeliest debate in corporate law today. On the practical side, its novel argument — one that has yet to be explored by commentators in media or scholarly circles — gives public companies a roadmap to engage in policies that better promote diversity, sustainability, and community stewardship.
Association Between Mental Stress-Induced Inferior Frontal Cortex Activation and Angina in Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: The inferior frontal lobe is an important area of the brain involved in the stress response, and higher activation with acute mental stress may indicate a more severe stress reaction. H...
Systems and Information Science

Systems are created by analysts as models of real-world structures, specified at various levels. General Systems identifies such terms as open and closed systems, with an example of the latter. The Earth system models our planet in terms of geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. A variation on the Earth system is the theory of Gaia, which links the organic biosphere to the inorganic materials on which it draws, creating a rough equilibrium in temperature that has enabled life to persist on Earth. Living Systems are systems of multiple scales, ranging from cells to global society, each relying on numerous subsystems to process matter and energy, to process information, and to reproduce the system. The Human System is the sum of human communities and their institutions. World-Systems traces rise and fall of social systems. The chapter also surveys the field of information science and subfields on datasets, archives, ontology, statistics, games, and the representation of information (155).
Prevalence Rate of Coexisting Rathke Cleft Cysts and Pineal Cysts: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs) are benign sellar lesions originating from remnants of primitive ectoderm. They have not been previously linked to other cystic lesions, such as pineal cysts (PCs). Our objective was to perform a multicenter cross-sectional neuroimaging study to examine prevalence rates of coexisting RCC and PC. Methods We retrospectively queried prospectively maintained, institutional review board–approved, databases from the authors' centers. All patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for RCC between the years of 2011 and 2020 were included for analysis. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging was reviewed to identify the coexistence of a PC. Patient demographics and neuroimaging characteristics were recorded. A control cohort comprised of 100 age- and sex-matched patients with nonfunctional pituitary adenoma (NFPA) who also underwent surgical intervention was utilized. Results Eighty-four patients with RCC were identified for analysis. A coexistent PC was identified in 40.5% (n = 34) of patients with RCC compared with 14.3% (n = 12) in the NFPA cohort (P Conclusions This is the first study to report an increased prevalence of coexisting PC and RCC, possibly because of an embryologic link or other propensity for intracranial cyst formation. Additional studies in more generalizable populations can further explore the relation between RCC and PC, or other cyst formation.
Exploring the Effects on Student Learning and Engagement of COVID-19: an Innovative and Interdisciplinary Approach

Educators are tasked with developing new pedagogical, communication, and assessment strategies to ensure the delivery of quality instruction to students. The nexus that exists between student engagement and teaching methods has been a sustained and distinct focus for higher education institutions. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced institutions to adjust to distinct functionalities. With the shift to fully online models, there exists an opportunity to engage both faculty and students in innovative teaching-learning assessments and processes. Despite the myriad of challenges that COVID-19 introduces, our paper presents effective strategies, namely, the pedagogical community's focus on opportunities for student ownership in the learning process, the chance to engage students using an innovative social media strategy discussion format, and the formulation of syllabi that incorporate interdisciplinary strategies. Models that actively engage both sides of the educational spectrum will be catalysts for reform. We propose an educational structure that fosters inclusivity in the context of five focused domains: preassessments, prospective socioeconomic gaps, pedagogy, psychological health of students and faculty, and pandemic assessment.
The Debate on Cross-Cousin Marriage in Classical Hindu Law

It has long been recognized that the Indian subcontinent is home to two markedly different systems of kinship that broadly correspond to prominent linguistic and geographical divisions in the region: those of the Indo-Āryan North and the Dravidian South. Moreover, scholars have widely agreed that the most distinctive feature of Dravidian kinship is the widespread practice of cross-cousin marriage in its various forms. In the Indo-Āryan North, by contrast, a man is generally forbidden from marrying a woman to whom he is biologically related in any way within a fairly large number of generations. Nevertheless, by the close of the first millennium CE, Brāhmaṇa intellectuals throughout India shared in common both a canon of scriptural sources and a complex tradition of jurisprudence known as Dharmaśāstra. Hence, this raises the question: How did classical Brāhmaṇical jurists of the North and the South deal with the controversial issue of cross-cousin marriage? It is this question that this article aims to address in comprehensive detail. In particular, it will trace the treatment of cross-cousin marriage within Dharmaśāstra from the earliest texts of the tradition up to the two earliest and most prominent juridical defenses of the custom, composed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It will then conclude by drawing attention to a rare case where a particular Dharmaśāstra work can be seen to have influenced the marriage practices in a particular region of South India in the premodern past.
DatumKB: A Database of Biological Experimental Results

1.DatumKB is a freely accessible database of experimental results involving the function and regulation of human proteins in cultured cells. The results are manually curated from biological research literature using a shorthand language and stored as datums. Datums were originally designed to be used as evidence for rules in a Pathway Logic model of intracellular signal transduction (STM8, http://pl.csl.sri.com/online.html) (1). They are independent units that can be understood by biologists, traced back to their source, and have enough structure to be interrogated computationally. The information is expressed using a controlled vocabulary with links to well known databases such as HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC), UniProt, PubChem, and Cellosaurus. DatumKB can be searched using a query interface and the results can be downloaded in the original datum format, a simplified text format, or a JSON file. Links to detailed documentation of datum structure and a tutorial for the search engine are provided. Database URLhttps://datum.csl.sri.com
Data-Driven Strictly Positive Real System Identification with prior System Knowledge.

Strictly Positive Real (SPR) transfer functions arise in many areas of engineering like passivity theory in circuit analysis and adaptive control to name a few. In many physical systems, it is possible to conclude that the system is Positive Real (PR) or SPR but system identification algorithms might produce estimates which are not SPR. In this paper, an algorithm to approximate frequency response data with SPR transfer functions using Generalized Orthonormal Basis Functions (GOBFs) is presented. Prior knowledge of the system helps us to get approximate pole locations, which can then be used to construct GOBFs. Next, a convex optimization problem will be formulated to obtain an estimate of the SPR transfer function.
An Analysis of Free-Text Refusals as an Indicator of Readiness to Accept Organ Offers in Liver Transplantation

Racial/ethnic minorities experience higher rates of wait-list mortality and longer waiting times on the liver transplant wait list. We hypothesized that racial/ethnic minorities may encounter greater logistical barriers to maintaining "readiness" on the wait list, as reflected in offer nonacceptance. We identified all candidates who received an organ offer between 2009 and 2018 and investigated candidates who did not accept an organ offer using a free-text refusal reason associated with refusal code 801. We isolated patients who did not accept an organ offer due to "candidate-related logistical reasons" and evaluated their characteristics. We isolated 94,006 "no 801" patients and 677 "with 801 logistical" patients. Common reasons for offer decline among the 677 were 60% "unable to travel/distance," 22% "cannot be contacted," 13% "not ready/unspecified," and 5% "financial/insurance." Compared to "no 801," "with 801 logistical" patients were more likely to be Hispanic (19% vs. 15%, P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic modeling showed Hispanic (odds ratio [OR] 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-1.76, P < 0.01) and multiracial/other ethnicity (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.08-3.05, P = 0.02) were associated with "with 801 logistical" status. The "with 801 logistical" patients were listed with higher allocation (inclusive of exception points) Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores (16 vs. 15, P < 0.01) and remained longer on the wait list (median 428 days vs. 187 days, P < 0.01). Conclusion: In this analysis of wait-list candidates, we isolated 677 patients who declined an organ offer with a free-text reason consistent with a "candidate-related logistical reason." Compared with non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanics were at 1.44 odds of not accepting organ offers due to logistical reasons. These limited findings motivate further research into interventions that would improve candidates' "readiness" to accept organ offers and may benefit racial/ethnic minorities on the liver-transplantation wait list.
Regulation of NK cell maturation by the intramembrane protease SPPL3 (HEM5P.224)

Natural killer (NK) cells play an essential role in tumor surveillance through direct tumor cell lysis. Signal peptide peptidase-like 3 (SPPL3) is a highly conserved intramembrane aspartyl protease, but very little is known about its functions in vivo . We developed an SPPL3 conditional knockout mouse and found that deletion of SPPL3 within the hematopoietic system using Vav1-iCre resulted in a peripheral defect in NK cell number. The reduced NK cell population was hypofunctional in tumor clearance in vivo and direct tumor lysis in vitro . Analysis of SPPL3-deficient NK cells revealed a substantial block in terminal maturation, at the CD27+CD11b- stage. Deletion of SPPL3 in NK cells by NKp46-iCre confirmed a cell-autonomous requirement for SPPL3 in NK development and function. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing was used to create a knockin mouse expressing a protease-dead SPPL3 knockin allele, D271A. NK cells expressing SPPL3 D271A exhibited the same block in terminal differentiation as SPPL3-deficient NK cells. Our results reveal that the proteolytic function of the SPPL3 intramembrane protease is critical for normal NK cell maturation at a checkpoint that regulates the transition from CD11b- to CD11b+ cells.
NCAA: Amateurism Policies and the International Student

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has recently amended a bylaw to allow international students who have played alongside professionals to compete for University sports teams. Dr. Anastasios Kaburakis, an Attorney who had proposed such an amendment in past research, explains the background to the change, why it is needed and the potential impact that it will have for both amateur and professional sport in the US.
Laxative abuse as a cause for ammonium urate renal calculi

Nine women with laxative abuse and predominantly ammonium urate renal calculi underwent metabolic studies to identify common chemical abnormalities and determine pathophysiology. The 24-hour urine studies demonstrated marked decreases in volume (902 cm.3), sodium (28 mEq.), citrate (116 mg.) and potassium (21 mEq.). A significant elevation in ammonium urate supersaturation was found compared to control subjects when studied by the computer model EQUIL 2. Of the patients 7 had 1 or more urine specimens positive for phenolphthalein. Gastrointestinal loss of fluid and electrolytes allowed for chronic extracellular volume depletion. Intracellular acidosis was present as judged by low urinary citrate and potassium. The fact that the ion product for ammonium urate is increased significantly compared to controls reflects the stated pathophysiological changes. Laxative abuse should be suspected whenever a woman has an ammonium urate renal calculus in sterile urine.
Ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy of proteins

The advent of high-power-pulsed lasers, whose wavelength is easily shifted via nonlinear optical techniques (crystal mixers, stimulated Raman shifters) has made possible the routine acquisition of Raman spectra with excitation throughout the UV region. This development has opened the way to systematic exploration of the resonance Raman characteristics of UV chromophores, including the aromatic side chains of proteins as well as the amide bonds of the polypeptide backbone. We analyzed the Raman spectra of these chromophores obtained with 266-, 240-, 218-, and 200-nm excitation from a H2 Raman-shifted Nd:YAG laser.
Bilirubin Concentrations in Jaundiced Neonates with Conjunctival Icterus

Objectives To assess the total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels at which conjunctival icterus is observed in neonates of ≥34 weeks gestation during the first week of life. Study design Two convenience samples of neonates were examined for conjunctival icterus within 4 hours of TSB measurements. A concurrent assessment of cephalopedal cutaneous icterus was performed and the TSB characterized using the Bhutani hour-specific risk zone nomogram. Results Two hundred forty neonates were studied of which 76 had conjunctival icterus. Conjunctival icterus was always accompanied by cutaneous jaundice to at least the chest and more often than not a TSB >14.9 mg/dL (255 umol/L) consistently in the 76th%-95th% to >95th% range on the Bhutani nomogram. Only a few infants with TSB in the range of 10-14.9 mg/dL (171-255 umol/L) had conjunctival icterus. Conclusions Conjunctival icterus was observed in a subset of jaundiced neonates and associated with elevated hour-specific TSB levels frequently >95th% on the Bhutani nomogram. Conjunctival icterus is a sign of clinically relevant hyperbilirubinemia that merits a TSB measurement and evaluation of the infant.
Policyfailing: The Case of Public Property Disposal in Washington, D.C.

Public homeless shelters are at the center of a strategy for neoliberal urban development in Washington, D.C. City-level policymakers have sought to sell public property to developers who will convert the sites into luxury condos and boutique hotels, but the implementation of this policy has not been smooth. To understand the third-wave gentrification strategy of public property disposal, I argue that it is necessary to pay attention to the interruptions, exceptions, and stalled attempts at policymaking, which I call policyfailing. I contend that the growing critical policy literature on mobilities and mutations is keenly positioned to contribute to a research agenda about how policies fail to take hold evenly across space and time. Using the under-examined subject of public property disposal as an empirical vehicle, I examine some of the institutional mechanisms, ideologies, mobilizations, and regulatory practices through which public property disposal has worked in Washington, D.C. and, subsequently, how a different set of forces have created instances of policyfailing. I ultimately demonstrate how the concept of policyfailing can help geographers understand governance and its relationship to uneven development.
Evaluating indent pile-up with metallic films on ceramic-like substrates

This work focused on ascertaining the effect of pile-up during indentation of thin films on substrates. Conventional understanding has postulated that differences in contact area resulting from pile-up or sink-in significantly alter the extraction of material properties. In this work, the specific case of pile-up with compliant, plastically deforming films on stiff, nonplastically deforming substrates was studied. Several literature methods to assess pile-up were leveraged, and a new technique was developed and validated to quantify projected pile-up. Indentation testing was performed on gold films of multiple thicknesses on several ceramic-based substrates. The results indicated that the degree of pile-up was solely a function of indent depth into the film. Pile-up was not influenced by film thickness or substrate elastic modulus. In other words, the pile-up development was insensitive to the presence of the substrate and how it contributes to the composite’s elastic properties. In such case, if the elastic response of the film/substrate composite was independent of the degree of pile-up, then elastic data acquired from unloading did not require a contact area correction. The findings are confirmed using the Zhou–Prorok model for extracting film elastic properties for both gold and platinum films.
Collaborative governance in international disasters: Nargis cyclone in Myanmar and Sichuan earthquake in China cases

Systemic problems have long prevailed and plagued the international disaster relief scene. Despite the reformatory efforts of the United Nations (UN), the international disaster management system does not have a well-integrated approach to ensure successful coordination of disaster management operations among its relief and partner organisations. This paper analyses the current structure of international disaster management and the UN reform initiatives to improve the coordination structure and identifies the main actors in the international disaster management system. Comparing the May 2008 cases of the Nargis cyclone in Myanmar and the China earthquake in Sichuan province, this paper analyses the issues related to coordination and collaboration between the international relief organisations. The Myanmar cyclone and the Sichuan Earthquake cases are characterised by very different response patterns. The analytical model helps in understanding the striking differences in response from the international system to the two events.
Neutrons from Proton Bombardment of Lithium

Relative cross sections for the production of neutrons from the proton bombardment of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$ have been measured from 3 to 13 MeV bombarding energy. Time-of-flight spectrometry was used to resolve the groups of neutrons going to various states in ${\mathrm{Be}}^{7}$. The cross section for neutrons leaving ${\mathrm{Be}}^{7}$ in its ground state shows a peak at 5 MeV and then decreases rapidly as the energy is increased, while the number of neutrons leaving ${\mathrm{Be}}^{7}$ in its first excited state decreases fairly uniformly over the whole energy range. The angular distributions for both groups show considerable structure below 6 MeV but become isotropic at higher bombarding energies. From 9 to 13 MeV the zero-degree yield of neutrons leaving ${\mathrm{Be}}^{7}$ in its excited state at 4.53 MeV was measured. At the higher proton energies several breakup reactions are energetically possible, but no continuum neutrons from them were observed at 10 MeV bombarding energy.
Numerical simulation of vortex shedding flows past moving obstacles using the κ-ε turbulence model on unstructured dynamic meshes

ABSTRACT We consider the numerical solution on unstructured dynamic meshes of the averaged Navier-Stockes equations equipped with the κ-e turbulence model and a wall function. We discuss discretization issues pertaining to moving grids and numerical dissipation, and present a robust spring analogy method for constructing dynamic meshes. We validate our implementation of this two-equation turbulence model and justify its usage for a class of vortex shedding problems by correlating our computational results with experimental data obtained for a flow past a square cylinder. We also apply our solution methodology to the two- dimensional aerodynamic stability analysis of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and report numerical results that are in good agreement with observed data.
El concepto de personalidad multicultural: una perspectiva de origen etnico mestizo

Resumen es: El Movimiento de los Derechos Civiles de los Mestizos (de origen etnico mixto) en los Estados Unidos se puede dividir en cinco fases: pre-Derechos, Civ...
Factors affecting the spore form of Entomophthora gammae

Factors suspected of influencing the type of spores (conidia or resting spores) formed by Entomophthora gammae in its host Pseudoplusia includens were investigated. As epizootics of E. gammae progressed in field populations, high numbers of the conidial form gave way to high numbers of the resting spore form. Ratios of conidia to resting spores were not significantly altered when infected larvae were exposed to shortened photoperiods or to cooler temperatures. Age or size of infected larvae appeared to influence spore development; conidia were the predominant spore form in small larvae ( 2.5 cm).
An experimental test of the homogeneity of the interstellar medium

Observations of nonthermal continuum radio emission at 750 MHz and hydrogen-line emission at 1420 MHz have been compared in order to test the extent to which cosmic-ray electrons, magnetic fields, and hydrogen gas coexist in the interstellar medium. If the interstellar medium is homogeneous in the sense that its constituents are mixed together and can interact, then regions of line and continuum emission should be spatially correlated. The measurements indicate that at most 28% of continuum emission in the Galaxy comes from such a homogeneous medium. The remaining nonthermal emission agrees in magnitude with the residual emission found by Berkhuijsen after subtraction of the polarized component of nonthermal emission. In addition, the data discussed here show that the major filamentary structures found in the two forms of emission rarely coincide spatially. Consequently, both the average and the exceptional structure in the medium indicate that the synchrotron-radiating magnetoplasma and the neutral hydrogen gas are not closely interacting in the present state of the medium.
Bazedoxifene when paired with conjugated estrogens is a new paradigm for treatment of postmenopausal women.

Importance of the field: The concept of the tissue selective estrogen complex (TSEC) combining a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) with one or more estrogens, aims to provide comparable efficacy to combination estrogen and progestin therapy for symptomatic menopausal women with a uterus without the need for a progestin.Areas covered in this review: Published multi-center randomized blinded clinical trials with bazedoxifene alone and paired in combination with conjugated estrogens show an effect in hot flashes, vaginal atrophy, quality of life measures, sleep, bone density, and breast and uterine safety.What the reader will gain: A new concept for menopausal women, bazedoxifene with conjugated estrogens (BZA-CE) TSEC, appears to provide the selective benefits of a SERM with additional benefits of estrogen without the need for a progestin. Preclinical studies with bazedoxifene alone showed that it was antagonistic in the uterine and breast tissue while an agonist in the bone. Phase II and III cli...
Colonoscopy in patients with benign anorectal disease

A prospective study was performed to determine the incidence of colorectal neoplasia and inflammatory bowel disease in patients with benign anorectal disease. Over a three-year period, 102 consecutive patients who presented with hemorrhoids, fissure, fistula-in-ano, anorectal abscess, and anal condylomata and who did not have gastrointestinal symptoms underwent colonoscopy. The mean age of all patients was 535 years; males outnumbered females 1.6∶1. No patient was found to have inflammatory bowel disease. Ten of 102 (9.8 percent) were found to have a neoplastic lesion (nine adenomas and one adenocarcinoma). Patients found to have a neoplastic lesion tended to be older (61 yearsvs.52.7 years;P=0.06). Neoplasia was found in 4 of 21 (19 percent) with a family history of colorectal cancer and in 6 of 81 (7.4 percent) without a family history (P=0.24). Patients presenting with outlet-type bleeding were not found to have a higher detection of neoplasia. The specific type of anorectal disease present was not associated with an increased risk for colorectal neoplasia. Our study suggests that benign anorectal disease and colorectal neoplasia may coexist. Anorectal disease is not predictive of neoplasia. The decision to perform colonoscopy should be based on age, gastrointestinal symptoms, and other risk factors.
Copper-precipitation hardening in a non-ferromagnetic face-centered cubic austenitic steel

Copper additions are utilized for precipitation hardening of a non-ferromagnetic austenitic face-centered cubic (fcc) steel. Additions of up to 25 wt.% Mn, 15 wt.% Ni, 6 wt.% Cu, and 0.6 wt.% C are found to stabilize austenite sufficiently to prevent transformation to either α′- or e-martensite upon heavy mechanical deformation up to 75% reduction in thickness, with the alloys remaining paramagnetic. Mechanical properties are characterized and the tensile strength (447 MPa) is correlated with copper-precipitation as revealed directly by local-electrode atom-probe tomography.
Internment in the Desert: A Critical Review of Manzanar National Historic Site

At what point does a nation commemorate its own worst crimes? In the early 1900s, the western United States exuded racism and a fear of economic competition targeted at Chinese and Japanese immigra...
Solar Flare Effects in the F Region of the Ionosphere

ELEVEN years ago, Dieminger reported that the large solar flare of November 19, 1949, had a marked effect on the F region over Lindau, Germany1. A similar F-region effect was observed at Okinawa and probably at Singapore at the time of the outstanding flare of February 23, 19562,3. In addition to being very large, these flares were notable in that they were two of the five flares that had occurred up to that time during which increases in sea-level cosmic ray had been observed. Yet, because the F-region effect had been detected at so few of the sunlit ionospheric sounding stations, some doubt remained as to the correct interpretation of these observations.
Mediating Purity: Money, Usury and Interest, and Ethical Anxiety in Morocco

In this paper, I first argue that debates over what constitutes riba (usury) and interest engender what I call "the anxiety over ethical and spiritual purity." Second, I contend that this anxiety also reveals how some people are "forced" into financial bricolage to recalibrate the principles of Islamic ethics and morality with the ambiguous realities of everyday life and western banking. Finally, I claim that the concept of riba embodies an elaborating symbol and provides an example of how ethical and devotional purity imperatives mediate monetary practices and seek to create symbolically consistent social orders.
Treatment of urinary urgency and excessive frequency: a case study

Abstract A 39-year-old male presenting with a 5 year history of excessive urinary frequency and urgency was treated first with scheduling of urination, use of external urinary catheter and progressive muscular relaxation and then with a urinary retention training procedure. After the first set of procedures, urinary frequency decreased, whereas urgency increased slightly. After completion of retention training, both symptoms were alleviated. Overall, urinary frequency decreased from a baseline average of 14 urinations daily to a post-treatment average of 6.5 urinations per day. Urinary urgency decreased from a baseline average of 35 urges per day to a post-treatment average of 9.3 urges per day. Gains were maintained at 3 and 5 month follow-up.
The Sakaguchi Reaction Product Quenches Phycobilisome Fluorescence, Allowing Determination of the Arginine Concentration in Cells of Anabaena Strain PCC 7120

The filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena fixes nitrogen in specialized cells called heterocysts. The immediate product of fixation, ammonia, is known to be assimilated by addition to glutamate to make glutamine. How fixed nitrogen is transported along the filament to the 10 to 20 vegetative cells that separate heterocysts is unknown. N-fixing heterocysts accumulate an insoluble polymer containing aspartate and arginine at the cell poles. Lockau's group has proposed that the polymer is degraded at the poles to provide a mobile carrier, arginine, to the vegetative cells (R. Richter, M. Hejazi, R. Kraft, K. Ziegler, and W. Lockau, Eur. J. Biochem. 263:163–169, 1999). We wished to use the Sakaguchi reaction for arginine to determine the relative cellular concentration of arginine along the filament. At present, the methods for measuring absorption of the Sakaguchi reaction product at 520 nm are insufficiently sensitive for that purpose. However, that product quenches the fluorescence of phycobiliproteins, which we have adapted to a determination of arginine. Our results are consistent with the proposal that arginine is a principal nitrogen carrier from heterocysts to vegetative cells in Anabaena.
Listeria (Listerella) Infection in the Fowl

Abstract IN RECENT years considerable attention has been drawn to a newly recognized genus of gram-positive organisms which apparently is responsible for a variety of pathological conditions affecting several species of animals, including man. In some species the organisms of the genus Listeria show a predilection for the central nervous system where they produce an encephalitis or encephalomyelitis. The literature on this subject has been recently reviewed in several papers, one of the latest of which is by Graham, Hester, and Levine (1940). The organisms of this genus have been associated with fatal infections of the central nervous system and its coverings in man, sheep, cattle, goats, and foxes. Organisms of this genus were first described under the name of Bacterium monocytogenes by Murray, Webb, and Swann (1926) as the etiological agent of a disease of rabbits which was characterized by a monocytosis. Recently some evidence has been accumulated to indicate . . .
Is salpingostomy the surgical treatment of choice for unruptured tubal pregnancy

Salpingostomy has gradually replaced salpingectomy as the surgical procedure of choice for unruptured tubal pregnancy in women who wish to preserve fertility. There are no prospective studies and only a few retrospective reports comparing fertility rates after salpingostomy and salpingectomy. Three major retrospective studies found no significant difference in fertility or incidence of repeat ectopic pregnancy between the two procedures, but salpingostomy carries a 5-8% risk of persistent ectopic pregnancy, contributing to increased morbidity and cost. There are approximately 109,000 ectopic pregnancies per year in the United States. If half are treated by salpingostomy, 54,500 women will need serial beta-hCG testing after surgery. Approximately 3543 will have a persistent ectopic pregnancy requiring surgical or medical treatment. The additional direct costs created by persistent ectopic pregnancy is estimated to be almost $16,000,000. Fertility after ectopic pregnancy is affected much more by the status of the contralateral tube than by the procedure performed, with fertility rates exceeding 80% after salpingectomy when the opposite tube is normal. By performing salpingectomy when the contralateral tube is normal, half the additional cost and morbidity could be avoided without jeopardizing subsequent fertility.
Remark on supersymmetric bubbles and spectrum crossover

Using an exact expression for the domain wall tension in a supersymmetric model, we show that a spectrum crossover takes place in passing from weak to strong coupling. In the weak coupling regime, elementary excitations are the lightest states, while in the strong coupling regime, solitonic objects of a special type---bubbles---assume the role of the lightest states. The crossover occurs at ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2}/(4\ensuremath{\pi})\ensuremath{\sim}0.4$.