cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Internal-Distributed CDM ESD Protection

CDM ESD protection is a major ESD protection design challenge for advanced ICs, often suffering from random design failures. It was recently reported that the traditional pad-based CDM ESD protection method is fundamentally faulty, contributing to design uncertainties in CDM ESD testing and field failures. This paper reports a novel internally distributed CDM ESD protection method to overcome this major design challenge, which was validated using an internal-CDM-protected oscillator IC implemented in a foundry 45nm SPO CMOS technology. (Keywords: ESD, CDM, SOI, VFTLP, distributed)
Unilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis associated with Ipsilateral Acute Cortical Stroke: A Rare Case Presentation (P3.254)

Objective: NA Background: Vocal cords are innervated by the recurrent laryngeal nerve and superior laryngeal nerve which are branches of the vagus nerve. Nucleus ambiguous is the motor nucleus of the vagus nerve and it is located in the medulla. It receives stimuli from the cerebral cortex from both sides of the brain through the corticobulbar tracts. Design/Methods: A case report of a sixty-two-year-old female patient with a significant past medical history of hypertension and obesity presented with sudden onset right-sided weakness and aphasia. A brain CT-scan showed no bleeding but she was out of the window for thrombolytic therapy. MRI brain showed complete left middle cerebral artery occlusion and CTA head showed left ICA long segment occlusion right after bifurcation. Patient improved during the course of her stay and she was able to pronounce few words, however, she expressed severe hypophonia. Otolaryngology was consulted for vocal cords evaluation. Results: Patient underwent Flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy which showed significantly paralyzed left vocal cord in a paramedian position. The right cord was fully mobile with intact glottic opening. There were no procedures performed that can explain any injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve as well as no clear lesions or masses on imaging that would explain her symptoms. Conclusions: Injury to the motor cortex rarely causes unilateral vocal cord paralysis since vagus nerve nucleus receives cortical fibers from the corticobulbar tract bilaterally. A previous prospective study of 54 patients reported the incidence of unilateral vocal cord paralysis following acute ischemic stroke contralateral to the paralyzed vocal cord. The finding questioned the bilateral innervation of nucleus ambiguous by motor cortex. We present the first case of unilateral vocal cord paralysis ipsilateral to the cortical brain lesion. Disclosure: Dr. Sawalha has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hussein has nothing to disclose. Dr. Abd-Elazim has nothing to disclose. Dr. Greene-Chandos has nothing to disclose. Dr. Torbey has nothing to disclose.
Is MRI Overutilized for Evaluation of Knee Pain in Veterans

MRI is an essential diagnostic imaging modality for many knee conditions; however, it is not indicated in the setting of advanced knee arthritis. Inappropriate MRI imaging adds to health care costs and may delay definitive management for many patients. The primary purpose of this study was to ascertain the frequency of inappropriate MRI scans performed at one Veterans' Administration Medical Center (VAMC). We performed a retrospective chart review of all knee MRIs ordered over a 6-month period. Inappropriate MRI was defined as MRI performed prior to radiographs (XRs), or in the presence of XRs demonstrating severe osteoarthritis, without leading to a nonarthroplasty procedure of the knee. Of the 304 cases reviewed, 36.8% (112) of the MRIs were deemed inappropriate, 33 were ordered by orthopedists, and 79 were ordered by other health care providers. Of the 33 ordered by orthopedists, 25 were ordered by retired/nonsurgical orthopedists. Obtaining an MRI delayed care by an average of 29.2 days. Of the 252 cases that had XR prior to MRI, none included all four views in the standard knee XR series and only four had weightbearing images. Over a third of knee MRIs performed at this VAMC were inappropriate and delayed care. Additionally, no XRs in our study contained all the necessary views to properly assess knee arthritis. These concerning findings signify a potential opportunity for education in diagnostic strategies, to better patient care and resource utilization in the VAMC.
Dictators and Democracy in African Development: The Political Economy of Good Governance in Nigeria

What are the conditions for good governance in Africa, and why do many democracies still struggle with persistent poverty? Drawing on a historical study of Nigeria since independence, this book argues that the structure of the policy-making process explains variations in government performance better than other commonly cited factors, such as oil, colonialism, ethnic diversity, foreign debt, and dictatorships. The author links the political structure of the policy process to patterns of government performance over half a century to show that the key factor is not simply the status of the regime as a dictatorship or a democracy, but rather it is the structure of the policy-making process by which different policy demands are included or excluded. By identifying political actors with the leverage to prevent policy change and extract concessions, empirical tests demonstrate how these 'veto players' systematically affect the performance of two broad categories of public policy. This Madisonian dilemma has important implications for African countries struggling with the institutional trade-offs presented by different regimes.
Mobile Indoor Positioning for Augmented Reality Systems

MOBILE INDOOR POSISTIONING FOR AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEMS By Robert B. Glass, BS. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014. Major Director: Dr. Vojislav Kecman, Professor, Department of Computer Science This thesis explores the creation and setup of a prototype that allows users of the device to interact within an indoor real world environment and a virtual environment simultaneously using high-tech common technology. The prototype is comprised of a small mobile device such as a cellular mobile phone, Raspberry Pi computer, a battery powered handheld Pico projector, and software developed for the Android OS. The software can easily be ported to other mobile and non-mobile operating systems. The mobile device must contain accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope embedded sensors as well as 802.11 wireless network chip. The prototype software implements an indoor positioning system to track the current location and orientation of the prototype device in real time. It also displays a virtual world projection upon the surfaces of the real world in relation to the prototype’s physical location and orientation. Three different orientation estimation methods were tested and compared in this thesis. Accelerometer and magnetometer based method, gyroscope based method, and a combined method using a technique called sensor fusion were implemented. A multilateration approach was used for location estimation. Location estimates were calculated from the measured received signal strength of multiple 802.11 wireless network access points. The location of all wireless access points were known and fixed. Received signal strength data was converted to meters using a log distance propagation model, and tests were conducted to compare actual distance with converted distance. Tests were also conducted to compare multilateration estimates from unfiltered or raw RSS and filtered RSS data using a Kalman filter.
A factor that positively regulates cell division by activating transcription of the major cluster of essential cell division genes of Escherichia coli.

Abstract Cell division in Escherichia coli requires the products of the ftsQ, ftsA and ftsZ genes. It is not known how the cell regulates the cellular concentrations of these essential elements of the division system. We describe here a factor that activates cell division by specifically increasing transcription from one of the two promoters that lie immediately upstream of the ftsQAZ gene cluster. The trans-acting factor is the product of the sdiA gene, which was isolated on the basis of its ability to suppress the division inhibitory effect of the MinC/MinD division inhibitor. In addition, the sdiA gene product suppressed the action of other chromosomally encoded division inhibitors, induced minicell formation in wild type cells, and restored division activity to an ftsZ temperature-sensitive mutant grown under nonpermissive conditions. All of these properties were explained by the ability of the sdiA gene product specifically to increase transcription of the ftsQAZ gene cluster, resulting in an increase in cellular concentration of the FtsZ protein. The sdiA gene product is the first factor thus far identified that specifically regulates expression of this key group of cell division genes.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Institutions: Beyond Dodd-Frank

The financial crisis introduced a new phrase into the banking industry's lexicon - "too big to fail." "Too big to fail" describes financial institutions so important to the financial markets that their collapse or bankruptcy would disrupt the capital markets in such catastrophic ways that it would push the U.S. economy into recession or depression. The risk of failure of these financial institutions requires the federal government to intervene and manage the overall systemic risk to capital markets for all financial institutions.Government efforts to manage the collapse of financial institutions and to monitor credit risk to capital markets include enactment of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act in 2008, which infused taxpayers' dollars into financial institutions to prevent bankruptcy - the "bailout" and the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, which explicitly prohibits taxpayers' dollars from being used to bailout financial institutions in the future. The Dodd-Frank Act, among other provisions, establishes the Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council) charged with identifying risks to the financial stability of the market; promoting market discipline; and responding to emerging threats to the stability of the financial system. The article goes on to discuss corporate social responsibility, securitization and sub-prime loans as an acceleration of the financial crisis, and the necessary regulation and disclosure.
Multi-objective evolutionary optimization in time-changing environments

This research is focused on the creation of evolutionary optimization techniques for the solution of time-changing multi-objective problems. Many optimization problems, ranging from the design of controllers for time-variant systems to the optimal asset allocation in financial portfolios, need to satisfy multiple conflicting objectives that change in time. Since most practical problems involve costly numerical simulations, the goal was to create algorithmic architectures that increase computational efficiency while being robust and widely applicable. A combination of two elements lies at the core of the proposed algorithm. First, there is an anticipatory population that helps the algorithm discover the new optimum when the objective landscape moves in time. Second, a preservation of the balance between convergence and diversity in the population which provides an exploration ability to the algorithm. If there is an amount of predictability in the landscape's temporal change pattern the anticipatory population increases performance by discovering each timestep's optimal solution using fewer function evaluations. It does so by estimating the optimal solution's motion with a forecasting model and then placing anticipatory individuals at the estimated future location. In parallel, the preservation of diversity ensures that the optimum will be discovered even if the objective's motion is unpredictable. Together these two elements aim to create a well-performing and robust algorithmic architecture. Experiments show that the overall concept functions well and that the anticipatory population increases algorithm performance by up to 30%. Constraint handling methods for evolutionary algorithms are also implemented, since most of the problems treated in this work are constrained. In its final form the constraint handling method applied is a hybrid variant of the Superiority of Feasible Points, which works in a staged manner. Three different real-world applications are explored. Initially a radar telescope array is optimized for cost and performance as a practical example of a static multi-objective constrained problem. Subsequently, two time-changing problems are studied: the design of an industrial controller and the optimal asset allocation for a financial portfolio. These problems serve as examples of applications for time-changing multi-objective evolutionary algorithms and inspire the improvement of the methods proposed in this work. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
The effect of bleeding and starvation on blood volumes and peripheral hemogram of the turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans.

In assessment of some aspects of the erythropoietic system of a poikilothermic vertebrate, values were determined for red cell, white cell, reticulocyte and circulating erythroblast numbers as well as hematocrit, hemoglobin, the erythrocyte corpuscular constants and serum iron concentration in normal and in starved turtles. Starvation caused no change in the peripheral hemogram but resulted in a decrease in serum iron. Bleeding of normal turtles decreased both the red cell and plasma volumes, while starvation resulted in only a slight lowering of the plasma volume. In addition, blednormal turtles showed decreases in hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration and serum iron concentration. In the cellular response to bleeding, radioiron-labeled erythroblasts appeared in the circulation by the second day after Fe59 administration. A sudden rise occurred on the fourth day which was associated with a high spleen radioactivity. Erythroblast levels were elevated in the blood of bled-normal but not in bled-starved turtles. Indeed, the bled-starved animals appeared incapable of increased erythropoiesis as measured by any of the criteria used in these studies.
Studies on phosphomannose isomerase. I. Isolation, homogeneity measurements, and determination of some physical properties.

A method is described for the isolation of phosphomannose isomerase from dried brewers' yeast. The isolated enzyme, after 1500- to 1600-fold purification, has a specific activity of approximately 800 µmoles of substrate converted per min per mg at 30°. It was found to be homogeneous by the criteria of sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation, ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and zone electrophoresis on cellulose acetate. Concomitant with the homogeneity measurements, the following physical parameters were established: s20, w (c = 5 mg per ml), 3.86 S; D20, w (boundary spreading during velocity sedimentation, c = 5 mg per ml), 7.78 × 10−7 cm2 sec−1; D20, w (gel filtration), 7.62 × 10−7 cm2 sec−1; molecular weight, either by velocity sedimentation and diffusion or by equilibrium sedimentation, 45,000 ± 1000.
Imputed forest structure uncertainty varies across elevational and longitudinal gradients in the western Cascade mountains, Oregon, USA

Abstract Imputation provides a useful method for mapping forest attributes across broad geographic areas based on field plot measurements and Landsat multi-spectral data, but the resulting map products may be of limited use without corresponding analyses of uncertainties in predictions. In the case of k-nearest neighbor (kNN) imputation with k = 1, such as the Gradient Nearest Neighbor (GNN) approach, where the field plot with the most similar spectral signature is attributed to a given pixel, there has been limited guidance on methods of examining uncertainty. In this study, we use a bootstrapping method to assess the uncertainty associated with the imputation process on predictions of live tree structure (canopy cover, quadratic mean diameter, and aboveground biomass), dead tree structure (snag density and downed wood volume), and community composition (proportion hardwood) for a portion of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, USA. We performed kNN with k = 1 imputation with 4000 bootstrap samples of the field plot data and examined three metrics of uncertainty: the width of 95% interpercentile ranges (IPR), the proportion of bootstrap samples with no tally (i.e., forest attribute was imputed as zero), and the imputation deviations (i.e., mean prediction from the bootstrap sample minus baseline GNN prediction [no bootstrapping]). Imputed values of dead tree components and species composition exhibited greater IPR, proportion no tally near 0.5, and greater magnitudes of imputation deviations compared to live tree components, indicating greater uncertainties. Our uncertainty metrics varied spatially with respect to environmental gradients and the variation was not consistent among metrics. Geographic patterns in prediction uncertainties implicated biogeography and disturbance as major factors influencing regional variation in imputation uncertainty. Spatial patterns differed not only by forest attribute, but by uncertainty metric, indicating that no single measure of uncertainty or forest structure provides a full description of imputation performance. Users of imputed map products need to consider the pattern of and the processes that contribute to uncertainty during the early stages of project development and execution.
A Biomechanical Study of Two Postoperative Prostheses for Transtibial Amputees: A Custom-Molded and a Prefabricated Adjustable Pneumatic Prosthesis

We evaluated an adjustable pneumatic prefabricated prosthesis and a rigid custom-molded prosthesis for immediate postoperative use. Twelve transtibial amputations were performed on cadaver limbs. Differential variable reluctance transducers were placed subcutaneously across the wound edge medially and laterally. The limbs were then placed in either the pneumatic prosthesis (five limbs) or the rigid prosthesis (seven limbs). The specimens underwent static and cyclic loading to simulate weight bearing. The strain readings for static and cyclic loading were greater in the rigid prosthetic group. Only the mean medial strain measurement after cyclic loading was statistically significant. The results demonstrate that the pneumatic prosthesis places less strain across the wound than a rigid prosthesis.
Butyrate suppresses murine mast cell proliferation and cytokine production through inhibiting histone deacetylase

Beyond their nutritional impact to colonic epithelial cells, the intestinal microbiota metabolite butyrate has pleotropic effects to host cells and is known for its beneficial effects on intestinal homeostasis and metabolism. However, it remains unclear how it modulates mast cell function. Here, we demonstrate that butyrate profoundly inhibited proliferation of mouse mastocytoma P815 cells through inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, as well as decreasing c-Kit activation. In addition, butyrate increased early- and late-stage apoptotic P815 cells. In murine bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC), butyrate-suppressed FceRI-dependent tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) release without affecting β-Hexosaminidase, but that was associated with decreased mitogen-activated protein kinase extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinases activation. Butyrate treatment substantially enhanced histone 3 acetylation in both P815 and BMMC and decreased FceRI-dependent mRNA expression of tnf-α and il-6 in BMMC, mimicking the effect of Trichostatin A, a known histone deacetylase inhibitor. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that butyrate enhanced acetylation of the tnf-α and il-6 promoter regions but blocked RNA polymerase II binding to the promoters of tnf-α and il-6 genes, indicating suppressed transcription initiation. These phenotypes mimicked those of Trichostatin A treatment. In conclusion, butyrate inhibits cell proliferation and increases cell apoptosis in mastocytoma P815 cells and suppresses FceRI-dependent cytokine production in murine primary BMMC, which are likely mediated by HDAC inhibition.
Simultaneous electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging applied to epilepsy.

Among the recent advances in neuroimaging and clinical neurophysiology, simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), that is SEM, stands apart as a challenging integration of techniques with great potential to provide unique information. The benefit of this integration is the utilization of each technique’s strengths: the high temporal resolution and sensitivity to epileptic abnormalities of EEG and the high spatial resolution and noninvasive localization of cerebral metabolic change of fMRI. With SEM, electroencephalographic events that occur during fMRI may be identified and subsequently mapped with high resolution according to the hemodynamic changes that accompany them. Reaching the point of technically reliable SEM has required solutions to the many safety and electrical noise problems inherent to this technique. Recording an electroencephalogram during MRI requires special, MRI-compatible EEG equipment and a means to identify the low-amplitude electroencephalographic signal within an electrically noisy environment. With the results obtained at several institutions, SEM is now at a point in its development where the understanding of its validity as an indicator of the epileptic irritative and ictal-onset zones can be expanded. Because of its integration of both electrophysiologic and metabolic information, SEM also may be used to gain a greater understanding of cerebral physiology, in general, and fundamental aspects of epilepsy, in particular.
Gold nanoparticles on electroless-deposition-derived MnOx/C: Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic CO oxidation

Abstract Carbon materials were modified with MnO x via a novel self-limiting electroless deposition using KMnO 4 as the precursor. Gold nanoparticles were loaded onto MnO x /C via deposition–precipitation. The resulting Au/MnO x /C showed higher catalytic activity in CO oxidation than Au/C, and the conversion was stable on stream. The performance of Au/MnO x /C was compared with that of Au/C, MnO x /C, MnO x /Au/C, Au/MnO x , and Au/MnO x /TiO 2 , and relevant characterization, applying XRD, BET, ICP-OES, SEM, TEM, and EDX, was conducted.
Actinide interactions with microbial chelators: the dioxobis[pyridine-2,6-bis(monothiocarboxylato)]uranium(VI) ion.

The title complex, bis­(tetra­phenyl­phospho­nium) dioxobis(py­ridine-2,6-dicarbo­thio­ato-O,N,O′)­uranium(VI), (C24H20P)2[UO2(C7H3NO2S2)2], was prepared by reacting two equivalents of ­pyridine-2,6-bis­(mono­thio­carboxyl­ate) (pdtc) with uranyl nitrate. The geometry of the eight-coordinate U atom is hexagonal bipyramidal, with the uranyl O atoms in apical positions. This is the first reported complex in which this ligand binds a metal through the O and not the S atoms. Principal bond lengths include uranyl lengths of 1.774 (2) A, U—O distances of 2.434 (2) and 2.447 (3) A, and two U—N distances of 2.647 (3) A. The anion lies on an inversion centre.
Inhaled insulin—what went wrong

FDA approval of inhaled insulin offered the possibility of a new direction in diabetes care. Nonetheless, within a year of coming to market, the first inhaled insulin product was withdrawn by the manufacturer. Here, Mitri and Pittas examine the factors behind the failure of inhaled insulin to be adopted by patients and clinicians.
Unimpaired formation of hormone-stimulated inositol triphosphate in human mesangial cells under hyperglycemic conditions

The relationship between bulk cellular myo-inositol content and phosphatidylinositol metabolism was evaluated in a human mesangial cell line under euglycemic and hyperglycemic conditions. Mesangial cells maintained in high glucose medium displayed a concentration-dependent fall in myo-inositol as measured by gas-liquid chromatography. Measurements of phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate mass revealed slight but statistically insignificant increases in cells exposed to high glucose containing medium. CDP-diacylglycerol: myo-inositol 3-phosphatidylinositol transferase activity, measured in plasma membranes from mesangial cells grown under control and hyperglycemic conditions, was kinetically similar with Michaelis constants (Km values) for myo-inositol of 2.9 and 2.1 mM, respectively. Finally, hormone-stimulated intracellular calcium mobilization and myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate mass was measured from mesangial cells grown under normal and hyperglycemic conditions. Both intracellular calcium and inositol trisphosphate formation were unchanged in cells previously exposed to high glucose conditions (400 mg/dl) compared to cells grown under normal glucose concentration (100 mg/dl). These data indicate that bulk changes in myo-inositol induced by hyperglycemia are neither associated with alterations in basal levels of inositol containing glycerolipids nor with changes in hormone-stimulated calcium mobilization and inositol trisphosphate formation under conditions of short term changes in extracellular glucose.
Why 1984 Medalist Li Ning Lit the Flame at the Beijing 2008 Olympics: The Contribution of the Los Angeles Olympics to China's Market Reforms

After the Communist victory in 1949, the People's Republic of China was excluded from most world organisations. China withdrew from the International Olympic Committee in 1958 in protest over its continued recognition of Taiwan, and since it supported the US boycott of the Moscow 1980 Olympics, it did not return to the summer games until the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. While the diplomatic importance of those games is well known, their importance for China's economic reforms has not been discussed. The Los Angeles Games not only played an important role in the revitalisation of Chinese national identity, but also provided an eye-popping example of marketised sport and mega-events just as the economic reforms were launched. The Los Angeles Games were the first televised broadcast of the popular culture of the West to a wide Chinese audience. The deep impression they left on their Chinese viewers helped to launch China towards becoming the economic power that it became a quarter of a century later. This was ...
"Terrorism and Homeland Security: Perspectives, Thoughts, and Opinions," Edited by Dale L. June (Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2011)

This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the USF Libraries at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Strategic Security by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact scholarcommons@usf.edu. Recommended Citation Roberts, Mark J.. ""Terrorism and Homeland Security: Perspectives, Thoughts, and Opinions," Edited by Dale L. June (Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2011)." Journal of Strategic Security 4, no. 3 (2011): 69-72. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.4.3.6
Regiospecific analysis of diricinoleoylacylglycerols in castor (Ricinus communis L.) oil by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry.

HPLC fractions of diricinoleoylacylglycerols containing one non-ricinoleoyl chain from castor oil were used to identify the regiospecific location of this non-ricinoleoyl chain on the glycerol backbone using electrospray ionization−MS3 of lithium adducts. The regiospecific ions used were from the loss of α,β-unsaturated fatty acid specific at the sn-2 position. The content of 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerols (ROR) among the three stereospecific isomers, RRO, ROR and ORR, was about 91%. The contents of other 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-acyl-glycerols among the three stereospecific isomers were as follows: 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycerol, 95%; 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-linolenoyl-sn-glycerol, 96%; 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-stearoyl-sn-glycerol, 96%; 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol, 78%; and 1,3-diricinoleoyl-2-lesqueroloyl-sn-glycerol, 31%. These non-hydroxyl fatty acids were mostly at the sn-2 position of triacylglycerols in castor oil. These results suggest that phospholipase A2 hydrolysis of phos...
Tibia shaft fractures: costly burden of nonunions

Tibia shaft fractures (TSF) are common for men and women and cause substantial morbidity, healthcare use, and costs. The impact of nonunions on healthcare use and costs is poorly described. Our goal was to investigate patient characteristics and healthcare use and costs associated with TSF in patients with and without nonunion. We retrospectively analyzed medical claims in large U.S. managed care claims databases (Thomson Reuters MarketScan®, 16 million lives). We studied patients ≥ 18 years old with a TSF diagnosis (ICD-9 codes: 823.20, 823.22, 823.30, 823.32) in 2006 with continuous pharmaceutical and medical benefit enrollment 1 year prior and 2 years post-fracture. Nonunion was defined by ICD-9 code 733.82 (after the TSF date). Among the 853 patients with TSF, 99 (12%) had nonunion. Patients with nonunion had more comorbidities (30 vs. 21, pre-fracture) and were more likely to have their TSF open (87% vs. 70%) than those without nonunion. Patients with nonunion were more likely to have additional fractures during the 2-year follow-up (of lower limb [88.9% vs. 69.5%, P < 0.001], spine or trunk [16.2% vs. 7.2%, P = 0.002], and skull [5.1% vs. 1.3%, P = 0.008]) than those without nonunion. Nonunion patients were more likely to use various types of surgical care, inpatient care (tibia and non-tibia related: 65% vs. 40%, P < 0.001) and outpatient physical therapy (tibia-related: 60% vs. 42%, P < 0.001) than those without nonunion. All categories of care (except emergency room costs) were more expensive in nonunion patients than in those without nonunion: median total care cost $25,556 vs. $11,686, P < 0.001. Nonunion patients were much more likely to be prescribed pain medications (99% vs. 92%, P = 0.009), especially strong opioids (90% vs. 76.4%, P = 0.002) and had longer length of opioid therapy (5.4 months vs. 2.8 months, P < 0.001) than patients without nonunion. Tibia fracture patterns in men differed from those in women. Nonunions in TSF’s are associated with substantial healthcare resource use, common use of strong opioids, and high per-patient costs. Open fractures are associated with higher likelihood of nonunion than closed ones. Effective screening of nonunion risk may decrease this morbidity and subsequent healthcare resource use and costs.
The rank of a completion of a dedekind domain.

Let D be a Dedekind domain with quotient field K. Let Cp be the completion of the localisationDp , of D at a nonzero prime idealp, of D. Let rp be the rank of Cp as a D-module, ierp , is the dimension of the K-vector space Kp , = K⊗ DCp . The following results on rp are deduced from well-known theorems: if rp is finite for at least one prime ideal p, then D is a discrete valuation ring; and D = Cp if p = 1. If D is a discrete valuation ring, then rp = dimExt(K, D) + 1. A module M is extensionless if every extension of M by M splits. The D-module rC is an estensionless indecomposable module. If rC is infinite for every nonzero prime ideal, it is shown that an estensionless D-module of finite rank is a direct sum or certain rank one modulcs.
Dissection Methods for Solutions in Chance Constrained Programming Problems Under Discrete Distributions

Under the assumption of discrete distributions for the random variables involved, deterministic equivalent problems are derived for a general class of chance constrained but not necessarily linear programming problems. These permit the explicit solution of such problems for all or most types of optimal stochastic decision rules which are of interest, including optimal multistage rules and not restricted to the class of linear rules. The formulation given encompasses certain cases of stochastic programming with recourse, and the deterministic equivalents derived for these reduce to well-known versions available in the literature.
Characterization and understanding of performance losses in a highly efficient solution-processed CZTSSe thin-film solar cell

We present results on the characterization of a highly efficient CZTSSe solar cell fabricated using a solution-based process, aiming to gain a better understanding of its efficiency-limiting causes. Under red light illumination, we observed a red-kink in the current-density versus voltage (J-V) curve, likely due to a persistent photoconductivity in the buffer layer. Temperature-dependent J-V analysis suggests that interface recombination is the dominant loss mechanism. Defect analysis using admittance spectroscopy (AS) shows a single bulk defect level at ∼63 meV and may be attributed to copper vacancy (V Cu ). The carrier concentration of the device determined using drive-level capacitance profiling (DLCP) is ∼2.5×1016 cm−3.
Observation of Severe Weather Activities by Doppler Sounder Array

A three-dimensional, nine-element, high-frequency CW Doppler sounder array has been used to detect ionospheric disturbances during periods of severe weather, particularly during periods with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. One typical disturbance recorded during a period of severe thunderstorm activity and one during a period of tornado activity have been chosen for analysis in this note. The observations indicate that wave-like disturbances possibly generated by the severe weather have wave periods in the range 2-8 min which place them in the infrasonic wave category.
A cell line (HBL-100) established from human breast milk

A continuous cell line (HBL-100) was obtained from primary cultures of cells derived from an early lactation sample of human milk. There was no evidence of a breast lesion in the milk donor. Karyotype analysis showed that all metaphases contained human chromosomes including a large acrocentric marker chromosome. Both desmosomes and cytoplasmic tonofibrils were observed during early passage. HBL-100 cells exhibited several characteristics of transformation including the ability to form colonies in soft agar, an aneuploid chromosome complement, and continuous growth.
Selective immunotoxin-induced cholinergic deafferentation alters blood flow distribution in the cerebral cortex

Adult rats received intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of either phosphate buffer (PBS) or 192 IgG-saporin (Toxin), 3.6 micrograms rat-1, a cholinergic immunotoxin. Six to eight weeks later, the animals received a continuous intravenous (i.v.) infusion of either physostigmine (4.2 micrograms kg-1 min-1) or saline, followed by measurement of cerebral cortical blood flow (CBF) with the autoradiographic Iodo-14C-antipyrine methodology in four groups of animals: Toxin i.c.v.+saline i.v. (n=9), Toxin i.c.v.+physostigmine i.v. (n=6), PBS i.c.v.+saline i.v. (n=6) and PBS i.c.v. +physostigmine i.v. (n=6). Choline acetyltransferase activity (ChAT) was assessed with Fonnum's method in samples of cortical tissue adjacent to the sites of CBF measurement. ChAT decreased in all regions of the Toxin groups when compared to PBS (% decrease: hippocampus=93%, neocortex=80-84%, entorhinal-piriform cortex=42%, amygdala=28%). CBF decreased globally in Toxin+SAL, most severely in posterior parietal and temporal regions (24-40% decrease from PBS+saline). Physostigmine enhanced CBF predominantly in these same areas both in PBS and Toxin animals although to a lesser extent in the latter. Our results demonstrate the importance of cholinergic mechanisms in the control of CBF. The similarity between the topography of CBF decrease following administration of the immunotoxin to that observed in Alzheimer's disease suggests that the CBF pattern observed in this disease may be the result of cholinergic deafferentation.
Perspectives on the role of sequential or combination chemotherapy for first-line and salvage therapy in advanced colorectal cancer.

Abstract Metastatic colorectal cancer is a major cause of cancer-related mortality. Surgical resection of all known metastatic disease can be curative in selected patients. The majority of patients, however, require the consideration of systemic chemotherapy as optimal palliative treatment for their diseases. Using new effective chemotherapeutic agents such as irinotecan and oxaliplatin has resulted in a clear and clinically significant improvement in survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The optimal sequences and combinations of these agents as initial and salvage chemotherapy along with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin are controversial. It seems clear that it is important for all patients to have access to all 3 drugs at some point in their therapy for optimal results. Recent randomized trials of first-line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer in which patients were likely to have access to all 3 effective drugs demonstrated median survivals of 18–20 months. This compares favorably to median survivals of approximately 12 months for patients treated with 5-FU—based regimens alone prior to the availability of effective salvage therapy. A small but meaningful number of patients might develop resectable disease with curative intent as the result of significant tumor response to combination chemotherapy. Herein, we review recent developments in combination and sequential chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer and the implications for the optimal treatment in these patients.
Early results of microwave transmission experiments through an overly dense rectangular plasma sheet with microparticle injection

These experiments utilize a linear hollow cathode to create a dense, rectangular plasma sheet to simulate the plasma layer surrounding vehicles traveling at hypersonic velocities within the Earth's atmosphere. Injection of fine dielectric microparticles significantly reduces the electron density and therefore lowers the electron plasma frequency by binding a significant portion of the bulk free electrons to the relatively massive microparticles. Measurements show that microwave transmission through this previously overly dense, impenetrable plasma layer increases with the injection of alumina microparticles approximately 60 μm in diameter. This method of electron depletion is a potential means of mitigating the radio communications blackout experienced by hypersonic vehicles.
Sisomicin in urinary tract infection tolerance and wfficacy study

Twenty-one patients with gram-negative urinary tract infections were treated with sisomicin, a new aminoglycoside antibiotic. Bacteriologic cure was achieved in 62 per cent of patients, and improvement in another 33 per cent. Mild transient elevation of serum creatinine occurred in 3 patients. No other toxicity was observed. Further clinical trials with more frequent dose administration and in combination with other antibiotics is suggested.
Cryptic floral determination: stem explants from vegetative tobacco plants have the capacity to regenerate floral shoots.

The developmental fates of shoots regenerated in culture and in situ by stem tissues of Nicotiana tabacum cv. Wisconsin 38 from different positions along the main axes of plants at different ages have been characterized. It was expected that explants from vegetative plants would not have the capacity to produce floral shoots. Contrary to the expected result, a small percentage (about 0.2%) of the shoots formed from cultured stem explants taken from young, vegetative plants were floral, i.e., produced a small number of nodes and then a flower. A larger percentage (about 2%) of the shoots formed by explants from the same region of plants which had flowered were floral. The largest percentage (76%) of floral shoots arose from explants taken from the inflorescence. Internode cells which were stimulated to divide and undergo organogenesis in situ after decapitation of the plant also produced few-noded, floral shoots with apical internode tissues producing many such floral shoots and basal internode tissues producing few such floral shoots. These results indicate that the capacity to form a flower is a visible expression of a cryptic developmental state which is quantitatively but not qualitatively controlled in time and space.
Gecko-inspired combined lamellar and nanofibrillar array for adhesion on nonplanar surface.

We report the fabrication from a hard polymer of lamellar structures that act as base support planes for high-aspect ratio nanofiber arrays. We experimentally show that nanofiber arrays on lamellae can adhere to both planar and nonplanar surfaces, exhibiting 5 times greater shear strength on a 100 μm peak-to-peak grating than the arrays without the lamellar support structure. The observed behavior on nonplanar surfaces is attributed to the high compliance of the lamellar flaps. The compliance of the combined lamellae and nanofiber arrays is measured to be about 160 times higher than nanofiber arrays on a flat nonlamellar backing layer.
Role of the primary care provider in transitioning patients with juvenile arthritis.

Primary care providers are important partners in the management and transition of youth with special health care needs. This is particularly true for youth with rheumatic diseases; pediatric rheumatologists number less than 250 in the United States.1 Patients and their families often have to travel long distances for specialty visits at academic centers and pediatric rheumatologists rely on primary care providers for their knowledge of local community resources, such as physical and occupational therapists, as well as adult rheumatologists who will continue to follow rheumatology patients as they age. My experience as a pediatric rheumatology nurse practitioner has provided me with the opportunity to work closely with adolescent patients and their families as they transition to adult services. These families express that transition is an overwhelming and sometimes frightening experience. I share my observations here, with the goal of improving the care we provide to our patients during transition; it is my wish that this will ultimately transform a potentially scary experience into a hopeful opportunity for adolescents to develop skills and build on their existing strengths. Among the rheumatic diseases primary care providers (PCPs) will see in their practices, they are most likely to encoun-
Mechanical characterization of DC magnetron sputtered amorphous Ti–Al–Cr coatings

Abstract Recent research efforts have established that Laves phase reinforced gamma titanium aluminides (i.e. γ+Laves) offer significant potential as oxidation resistant coating in high-temperature structural applications. In this study TiAlCr coatings were d.c. magnetron sputtered from a Ti-51Al–12Cr alloy target onto silicon substrates. The microstructures, mechanical properties, and stress evolution have been investigated in as-deposited films and in films annealed in an argon atmosphere. The amorphous structure found in the as-deposited coatings was retained after thermal cycling to 500 °C. After annealing the coatings exhibited improved hardness, higher reduced modulus, and smaller CTE values, which likely result from densification of coatings induced by thermal cycling and surface oxidation.
Location-restricted dyadic interactions and maternal patterns.

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of infant restraint on dyadic interactions and maternal foraging patterns. Five bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) mother-infant dyads were observed under three conditions: high foraging demand for the mothers with nonrestrained contact between mothers and infants (HFD-NRC), high foraging demand with restrained contact (HFD-RC), and low foraging demand with restrained contact (LFD-RC). In the restrained contact conditions the infants lived in a nursery within the group pen that allowed dyadic nursing, contact, proximity, and grooming, but prevented the infants from being with their mothers in the remaining portions of the pen, including the foraging area. Observations began when the infants were a mean of 5.4 months old. HFD-RC resulted in decreased dyadic contact relative to HFD-NRC, but did not significantly affect foraging task engagement; there were, however, marked individual differences in the response patterns of the mothers. Dyadic contact was also decreased during the LFD-RC condition, but maternal patterns under low demand resulted in lower levels of infant contact initiation. This study demonstrated the feasibility of a nursery-restrained rearing paradigm in exploring the strategic patterns of coping with conflicting environmental and maternal demands in bonnet macaque mothers. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Deindustrialization in the Great Lakes

Deindustrialization-its nature, extent, and implications—is a widely debated public issue in the United States. In this article we review the arguments and discuss criteria for gauging deindustrialization in a locality, region, or nation. We then present findings that indicate the Great Lakes region is experiencing deindustrialization. The region is undergoing a structural decline in manufacturing; it claims a shrinking share of the nation's industrial employment; and employment growth in other sectors of the regional economy has not compensated for job loss in manufacturing. The debate about appropriate government responses to deindustrialization has subsided at the federal level, but industrial policy is still a vital issue on many state and local agendas in the Great Lakes.
Retroactive amnesia induced in chicks by the proline analog L-baikiain, without EEG seizures or depression.

Abstract L-Proline induces retroactive amnesia without causing brain seizures or isoelectric activity. L-Baikiain, a proline analog containing one more carbon atom in the ring and a double-bond, has similar amnestic effects but at one-fourth the dose. Chicks were injected intracerebrally with 5 μl/hemisphere of 150 mM L-biakiain, L-proline, or D-proline, 1 min after one-trial training to suppress the spontaneous peck response to a 3-mm stainless steel bead. The results demonstrate that L-baikiain is an effective retroactive amnestic agent compared to D-proline controls. The amnestic effect induced by 1.5 μmols of L-baikiain is comparable to that found with 6.0 μmols of L-proline in previous experiments. Electrophysiological recording of multiple-unit activity and raw integrated EEG activity showed no seizure spiking or isoelectric activity. No reliable differences in EEG and multiple-unit activity were observed betwen L-baikiain and D-proline injections. We conclude that L-baikiain is approximately 4x more potent than L-proline as an amnestic agent and that both compounds are effective at non-lethal doses which cause no marked electrophysiological changes.
Thermal dependence of the wear of molybdenum disulphide coatings

Abstract Molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) is a common constituent for vacuum and space solid lubricant coatings because of its low friction, vacuum compatibility, and insensitivity to radiation effects. In this study the effects of temperature on the tribological properties of a low wear MoS2 coating was examined. Three temperatures were analyzed, ‘cold’ (−100 °C), ‘ambient’ (22 °C), and ‘hot’ (100 °C). It was found that for all three temperatures the friction coefficient remained below μ = 0.02 and was athermal, but the wear of the coating decreased with decreasing temperature. Under the cold temperature conditions the volume of material removed was reduced by approximately half as compared to the ambient and elevated temperature experiments. Characterization of the debris was done using an environmental scanning electron microscope in conjunction with energy dispersive spectroscopy. It was found that at the lower temperatures the debris size was smaller (i.e. finer) than at the higher temperatures. As the temperature regime increased, the range of debris size increased.