cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensors to Monitor CFRP/Concrete Bond in Beams Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

The use of inexpensive electrochemical impedance spectroscopy based sensor technology for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of bond degradation between external carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) reinforcement and concrete is examined. Copper tape on the surface of the CFRP sheet, stainless steel wire embedded in the concrete, and reinforcing bars were used as the sensing elements. Laboratory experiments were designed to test the capability of the sensors to detect the debonding of the CFRP from the concrete and to study the effect of short-term (humidity and temperature fluctuations) and long-term (freeze-thaw and wet-dry exposure and rebar corrosion) environmental conditions on the measurements. The CFRP sheet was debonded from the concrete, and impedance measurements were taken between various pairs of electrodes at various interfacial crack lengths. The dependence of the impedance spectra, and of the parameters obtained from equivalent circuit analysis, on the interfacial crack length was studied. Capacitance parameters in the equivalent circuit correlated strongly with the interfacial crack length and can be used to assess the global state of the bond between CFRP sheets and concrete. Impedance measurements taken between embedded wire sensors can be used to detect the location of debonded regions.
A motion compensated shipboard precision balance system

Abstract A balance system that can rapidly (20 s) weigh to a precision (95% confidence interval) of ± 3 mg (weights below 20 g) or better than ± 0.02% (20 to 300 g) aboard moderate sized ships in moderate sea states is described. The principal factors in this design are: (1) dual electronic balance heads with the reference load matched to within 1 g of the unknown and an analog output of the difference in output between the two balances, (2) digital averaging of the difference in output between the two balances, (3) statistical testing of individual weighings to give confidence intervals for individual weighings, and (4) gimballing of the balance heads.
20 Use of Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation to Facilitate Extubation in Pediatric Patients with Neuromuscular Diseases.

Introduction: Patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) who require intubation are at risk of extubation failure due to respiratory muscle weakness and they may require tracheostomy. Purpose: To evaluate the use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) with the BiPAP® (Respironics) device to facilitate extubation of children with NMDs and poor baseline pulmonary function who have been intubated for acute respiratory failure or surgery. Methods: Retrospective chart review, IRB approved. Results: During the time period Jan 2001–Dec 2004, NPPV was used to facilitate extubation for 22 episodes of intubation in 14 patients. Diagnoses: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne MD) (7 patients); type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (2 patients); Becker MD (1 patient); congenital MD (1 patient); nemaline myopathy (1 patient); polymyositis (1 patient); acid maltase deficiency (1 patient). Mean age at time of extubation (± SD): 10.7+ 5.9 years (range: 1–20 years); 11 of 14 patients were male. Four of 22 episodes of extubation were after spinal surgery. In these patients, mean baseline vital capacity was 47.3+ 11.4% predicted. In 18 episodes, extubation was after acute respiratory illness with respiratory failure. Mean baseline vital capacity for these patients: 24.5+ 9.1% predicted (range: 11–38%) (n=10, excludes spinal muscular atrophy infants). NPPV was used successfully to facilitate extubation in all 4 episodes of post-surgical extubaton. NPPV was successful in 17 of 18 episodes of extubation during acute respiratory illnesses (94% success rate). At follow-up (mean 27.5+ 15.2 months after extubation), 2 patients have died (1 patient had Duchenne MD and refused chronic NPPV, 1 patient had acid maltase deficiency). The remaining 12 patients are alive, 9 of whom have no tracheostomy and are using chronic home NPPV. The mean vital capacity at follow-up in these patients is 27.5+ 14.2% predicted. Two patients are now ventilated with tracheostomy tubes. Conclusion: Patients with severe neuromuscular diseases who have been intubated are at risk for extubation failure and the need for tracheostomy. Our study suggests that, despite highly impaired pulmonary function, NPPV can be used to extubate many of these patients successfully. On long-term follow-up, most of our patients have avoided tracheostomy. Further study is needed to optimize the use of NPPV for patients with NMDs.
Experimental Congenital Adrenocortical Hyperplasia: Persistent Postnatal Deficiency in Activity of 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Produced in Utero

ABSTRACT Activity of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase is persistently deficient in maternal rat adrenal tissues at least as long as 10 months after a single injection of a steroidal substrate analogue (2α-cyano-4,4,17α-trimethylandrost-5-ene-17β-ol-3-one) on either the 16th or 19th day of gestation. The adrenal glands of offspring of mothers treated on either day are hyperplastic, and have deficient activity of this enzyme with reduced inhibitor titer throughout postnatal development. Testes of male offspring of mothers treated on the 16th day fail to develop maturational changes, whereas those of mature males whose mothers were treated on the 19th day have tubular atrophy and hyperplastic Leydig cells with reduced enzyme activity. Maternal and fetal pituitary glands are persistently enlarged after treatment. Similar results are obtained with the inhibitor with either propylene glycol or oil as vehicle, and with either intramuscular or amniotic routes of administration. Thus, a persistent enzymatic defect ...
Determination of the static quadrupole moment of the first 2+ states of 122Te, 124Te, and 130Te by heavy-ion coulomb excitation

Abstract A Coulomb excitation experiment has been performed on the first 2+ states of 122Te, 124Te and 130Te. The relative excitation probabilities of the first 2+ states were measured at backward and forward projectile scattering angles. Particle-γ coincidences were used to identify the inelastic events. The data were analyzed with the aid of the Winther-deBoer multiple Coulomb excitation program. Separate γ-ray angular distribution measurements were made as a function of target recoil velocity to determine the influence of the deorientation effect. The projectile and bombarding energy were chosen to minimize the effect on the experiment of higher state interference due to Coulomb excitation of the first 2+ state via the second 2+ state. For positive higher state interference the extracted quadrupole moments of the first 2+ states are Q2+ = −0.43 ± 0.08 b, −0.49 ± 0.08 b and −0.08 ± 0.08 b for 122Te, 124Te and 130Te respectively. These results and other measurements of Q2+ for the doubly even Te isotopes are used to discuss the model dependent calculations of Q2+.
Needle aspiration and endodiathermy treatment of epithelial inclusion cyst of the iris

Abstract PURPOSE: To report a case of recurrent epithelial inclusion cyst of the iris treated with needle aspiration and endodiathermy. METHODS: Case report. A 27-year-old man with a history of congenital cataracts, congenital nystagmus, cataract surgery in each eye at 3 years of age, and a long-standing iris epithelial cyst presented with decreased vision of 20/400 in the better seeing left eye. The reduced vision was diagnosed secondary to growth of the iris inclusion cyst over the pupil. RESULTS: The iris cyst, which occluded the chamber angle and pupil, was treated with aspiration, separation of the cyst wall from the cornea, and endodiathermy. Twelve months after cyst surgery, no evidence existed of epithelial cyst regrowth. The visual function was significantly improved, although Snellen visual acuity was unchanged at 20/400. CONCLUSION: The minimal invasiveness of needle aspiration and diathermy can result in a satisfactory outcome without undertaking more extensive and invasive surgical treatments for epithelial inclusion cysts of the anterior chamber.
Achieving Manufacturing Readiness for 6-Inch HgCdTe on Silicon

Six-inch HgCdTe-on-silicon wafer capability is important due to the increase in die size along with the reduction in pixel pitch. Successful manufacturing of 6-inch HgCdTe on silicon depends upon the availability of low-defect-density substrates, robust chemical processing, and in situ measuring techniques. Critical advances in wafer processing across 6-inch wafers have made the transition from development to production successful. The status of each of these steps is described in this paper, with emphasis on wafer uniformity and process reproducibility. Finally a short section is dedicated to implementation of statistical process control for optimal throughput and yield.
Fabry-Perot determinations of midlatitude F-region neutral winds and temperatures from 1975 to 1979

Abstract Fabry-Perot interferometer measurements of the Doppler shifts and widths of the nightglow 630.0 nm line at Laurel Ridge Observatory, Pennsylvania are presented for the period 1975 to 1979, covering both solar minimum and solar maximum conditions. The F-region neutral wind vectors v n and temperatures T n deduced from these measurements show both day-to-day changes and overall seasonal patterns in the nocturnal variations during geomagnetically quiet conditions. Divergence in both the meridional and zonal horizontal flow is noted on occasion. The v n results are compared with models including only solar EUV heating and those with EUV plus a high latitude heat source. The aggregate v n data for solar cycle minimum conditions agree best with model predictions for winter zonal and equinoctal meridional winds and worst for winter meridional and summer zonal winds. At solar cycle maximum the predicted, rapid transition at equinox from summer to winter wind patterns and vice-versa is observed. The T n data are in reasonable agreement with the MSIS model predictions.
NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry: A reliable test for the intraoperative diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease

Seromuscular biopsies were obtained from eight cases, at various levels, during a Swanson pull-through operation. The specimens were examined by using NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry. In the ganglionic segment of bowel, there were a large number of NADPH-diaphorase-positive nerve fibers in the circular and longitudinal muscles, and the myenteric ganglia stained strongly. In the transitional segment of bowel, there were a few NADPH-diaphorase-positive nerve fibers in the circular and longitudinal muscles, and the myenteric ganglion cells were smaller. In the aganglionic segment of bowel, there was a lack of expression of NADPH-diaphorase in the circular and longitudinal muscles. Hypertrophied nerve trunks in the myenteric plexus were stained. NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry is a simple, reliable, and rapid method for the intraoperative evaluation of the aganglionic segment of bowel. This technique allows intraoperative demonstration of innervation patterns of smooth muscle in normal and HD bowel, and provides accurate identification of ganglion cells in the ganglionic segment.
On the hole theory of viscosity, compressibility, and expansivity of liquids

A study of the concept of the “transition probability” in the theory of viscosity led to some new results on the arrangement of the holes in liquids. The resulting theory can explain the dependence of the viscosity on the temperature, the pressure, and the specific volume. The volume of a hole and the energy necessary to create a hole were determined from the pressure dependence of the viscosity for a number of liquids. This data was used in turn to calculate the compressibility and the thermal expansivity which were found to be in satisfactory agreement with experimental values.
Mechanisms of electron-ion recombination of N2H+/N2D+ and HCO+/DCO+ ions: temperature dependence and isotopic effect.

The temperature dependencies of the rate coefficients, αe, for electron-ion dissociative recombination (DR) of N2H+/N2D+ and HCO+/DCO+ ions with electrons have been measured over the range 100−500 ...
Personality, cognitive style, demographic characteristics and Internet use - Findings from the HomeNetToo project

Relationships between personality, cognitive style and Internet use were examined in a longitudinal field study. Participants were low-income African American and European American adults residing in a mid-size urban community in the United States whose Internet use was automatically and continuously recorded for 6 months. Results indicated that extraversion and neuroticism were related to Internet use, but only during the first 3 months of home Internet access. Preferences for global/relational and visual processing, and for abstract conceptualization were weakly related to Internet use at both time intervals. Strongest were relationships between race and Internet use and, to a lesser extent, between education, marital status, and Internet use. The importance of additional research to identify personal and cultural characteristics that may influence and sustain Internet use is discussed.
Habitat use by western tragopans Tragopan melanocephalus (Gray) in Northeastern Pakistan

Abstract Habitat use and selection of woody components of vegetation by western tragopans Tragopan melanocephalus (Gray) were studied at two areas (Machiara and Salkhala) in northeastern Pakistan. A total of 130 sightings of birds was obtained during the breeding seasons of 1982 and 1983; 100 were relocated for vegetation analysis. At Machiara 54% of the sightings were in an oak plant association and 30% were in coniferous plant associations. Contrastingly, 63% of the birds were found in a maple plant association at Salkhala. There was little or no consistency in selection of major plant associations or plant species between areas. Western tragopans selected shorter life-forms (shrub, short deciduous, short coniferous) and avoided taller vegetation at both study areas. We concluded that structural components influenced habitat use by western tragopans more than forest type (major plant association) or composition of plant species within major plant associations. Maintenance of relatively dense woody vegetation of the shorter life-forms is an important consideration in the conservation of this endangered pheasant.
Fabrication of a GaN p/n lateral polarity junction by polar doping selectivity

The difference in surface energy between the Ga-polar orientation and the N-polar orientation of GaN translates into a completely different behavior for the incorporation of intentional and unintentional impurities. Oxygen is found to be an impurity with higher concentration in N-polar films than in Ga-polar films and is the cause for the high carrier concentration observed in N-polar films. We fabricated a lateral p/n junction in GaN by the simultaneous growth of p- and n-type regions, utilizing the doping selectivity of the two different polar domains, which resulted in an n-type carrier concentration of 1.7x1019 cm–3 with an electron hall mobility of 99 cm2/Vs in the N-polar domains, and a p-type carrier concentration of 1.1x1017 cm–3 with a hole hall mobility of 12 cm2/Vs in the Ga-polar domains. These junctions showed the characteristics that define a p/n junction: current rectification, electroluminescence, and photo-effect. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Non-nucleoside inhibitors of the measles virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complex activity: Synthesis and in vitro evaluation.

High-throughput screening has identified 1-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)-N-[4-(pyrrolidinylsulfonyl)phenyl]-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide 16677 as a novel and potent (IC50 = 35–145 nM) inhibitor against multiple primary isolates of diverse measles virus (MV) genotypes currently circulating worldwide. The synthesis of 16677 and several analogs together with effects on MV replication is described. The most potent analog displays nanomolar inhibition against the MV and a selectivity ratio (CC50/IC50) of ca. 16,500.
ION beam observation in the MadHex helicon source

The MadHex experimental system consists of a 150 cm long, 10 cm inner diameter Pyrex tube connected to a stainless steel expansion chamber 60 cm long and 45 cm in diameter (expansion ratio R E = 4.5) with an axial magnetic field, variable up to 1 kG at the source region that can be operated in nozzle or flat field configurations. An 18 cm long, 12 cm diameter half-turn double-helix antenna is used to excite helicon waves in the source. Ion beams of energy up to E = 160 eV at 500 W RF power have been observed in a flowing argon helicon plasma formed in the expanding region of the MadHex helicon source using a magnetic nozzle (R M = 1.44). The effect of flow rate/pressure, RF power and magnetic field strength on the ion beam acceleration, plasma potential, electron density and temperature are explored. The ion energy distribution function (IEDF) is obtained by a two-grid Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA). The plasma potential is determined by a floating emissive probe and the electron density and temperature are measured by both single and double probes. The measured density decrease of ∼20 across the double layer in the magnetic expansion region does not fit a Boltzmann expansion but does agree with a conservation-of-flux calculation using the measured beam energy. Additionally, the axial ion velocities and temperatures are observed via argon 668 nm Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF). The results of fast and slow argon ion beams at lower flow rates (∼1.3 sccm) with different RF powers are reported in the transition between Pyrex and expanding exhaust regions. The variation of the IEDF in the expansion chamber is also confirmed with RPA results.
Chronic hypercapnia resets CO2 sensitivity of avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors

Avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC) are vagal sensory neurons that participate in the control of breathing. IPC action potential frequency is inversely proportional to P CO 2 , but it is uncl...
Cannabinoid-1 Receptor Blockade in Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction: Efficacy

Intra-abdominal fat mass, or central adiposity, and cardiovascular risk are strongly correlated. Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ that secretes hormones and cytokines influencing appetite, energy metabolism, and atherosclerosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) guidelines recommend that if dietary and lifestyle interventions fail to produce favorable outcomes in individuals with a body mass index >27 and weight-related comorbidities, as well as those with a body mass index >30, treatment plans may include weight loss medication. The endocannabinoid system has recently emerged as a viable target for the pharmacologic treatment of obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors. This article provides an in-depth review of efficacy results from clinical trials of rimonabant, a selective cannabinoid-1 receptor. (Recently, an FDA Advisory Committee recommended a delay in the approval of rimonabant because of safety issues that need to be addressed in further studies.) Compared with placebo, rimonabant 20 mg significantly decreased body weight and waist circumference measurements. In addition, rimonabant was associated with favorable changes in several other cardiometabolic risk factors, including significant increases in serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and adiponectin, as well as reductions in serum levels of triglycerides, small, dense low-density lipoprotein particles, C-reactive protein, insulin resistance, and glycosylated hemoglobin.
Azithromycin-Containing Regimens for Treatment of Mycobacterium avium Complex Lung Disease

Ninety-two patients were assessable in 3 consecutive, open, noncomparative, prospective, controlled, single-center trials of the use of multidrug regimens that contain azithromycin for treating pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease. Azithromycin was provided at a dose of 300-600 mg per day with oral companion drugs administered daily (regimen A, 29 patients); 600 mg 3 times weekly (t.i.w.), with oral companion drugs administered daily (regimen B, 20 patients); and 600 mg (t.i.w.), with oral companion drugs administered t.i.w. (regimen C, 43 patients). All regimens included rifabutin (or rifampin) and ethambutol as companion drugs as well as initial streptomycin. Treatment success was defined as 12 months of negative cultures while on therapy. Treatment failure was defined as sputum culture positivity after at least 6 months of therapy. Of the patients in each regimen who reached study end points, 17 of 29 (59%) were in regimen A, 11 of 20 (55%) were in regimen B, and 28 of 43 (65%) were in regimen C met the treatment success criterion. There were no statistically significant differences in outcome between the 3 regimens. These studies demonstrate the effectiveness of daily and t.i.w. regimens containing azithromycin for treatment of MAC lung disease.
Elastic stress analysis of three-dimensional solids with small holes by BEM

An advanced level development of the boundary element method is presented for the elastic stress analysis of a three-dimensional solid containing a large number of small diameter, tubular shaped holes. The formulation has been developed such that these holes can be modeled by a system of curvilinear line elements, resulting in substantial savings in both data preparation and computing costs. This is accomplished by assuming a variation in the displacement field along the circumference defined in terms of trigonometric functions together with a linear or quadratic variation of displacements along the longitudinal direction.
The telomeric protein Pot1 from Schizosaccharomyces pombe binds ssDNA in two modes with differing 3′ end availability

Telomere protection and length regulation are important processes for aging, cancer and several other diseases. At the heart of these processes lies the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding protein Pot1, a component of the telomere maintenance complex shelterin, which is present in species ranging from fission yeast to humans. Pot1 contains a dual OB-fold DNA-binding domain (DBD) that fully confers its high affinity for telomeric ssDNA. Studies of S. pombe Pot1-DBD and its individual OB-fold domains revealed a complex non-additive behavior of the two OB-folds in the context of the complete Pot1 protein. This behavior includes the use of multiple distinct binding modes and an ability to form higher order complexes. Here we use NMR and biochemical techniques to investigate the structural features of the complete Pot1-DBD. These experiments reveal one binding mode characterized by only subtle alternations to the individual OB-fold subdomain structures, resulting in an inaccessible 3' end of the ssDNA. The second binding mode, which has equivalent affinity, interacts differently with the 3' end, rendering it available for interaction with other proteins. These findings suggest a structural switch that contributes to telomere end-protection and length regulation.
Heterogeneity of Breast Cancer Metastases: Comparison of Therapeutic Target Expression and Promoter Methylation Between Primary Tumors and Their Multifocal Metastases

Purpose: A comprehensive comparison of biomarker expression between patients9 primary breast carcinoma (PBC) and their metastatic breast carcinomas (MBC) has not been done. Experimental Design: We did rapid autopsies (postmortem intervals, 1-4 hours) on 10 consenting patients who died of MBC. We constructed single-patient tissue microarrays from the patients9 archived PBC and multiple different MBCs harvested at autopsy, which were immunohistochemically labeled for multiple biomarkers. Methylation of multiple gene promoters was assessed quantitatively on dissected PBC and MBC samples. Results: Extensive heterogeneity was observed between PBC and their paired MBC, as well as among multiple MBC from the same patient. Estrogen and progesterone receptors tended to be uniformly down-regulated in metastases. E-cadherin was down-regulated in a subset of the MBC of one case. Variable overexpression in MBC compared with the PBC was observed for cyclooxygenase-2 (five cases), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR; four cases), MET (four cases), and mesothelin (four cases). No case strongly overexpressed HER-2/neu by immunohistochemistry, but eight cases showed variable protein expression ranging from negative to equivocal (2+) in different MBC. In one case, variable low-level HER-2/neu gene amplification was found. EGFR and MET overexpression were restricted to the four basal-type cancers. EGFR protein overexpression did not correlate with EGFR gene amplification. Multigene promoter hypermethylation of RASSF1a, HIN1, cyclin D2, Twist, estrogen receptor α, APC1 , and RARβ was overall very similar in the PBC and all MBCs in all cases. Conclusions: Therapeutic targets identified in the PBC or even some MBC may not reflect targets present in all metastatic sites.
Implementation on Landsat Data of a Simple Cloud-Mask Algorithm Developed for MODIS Land Bands

This letter assesses the performance on Landsat-7 images of a modified version of a cloud-masking algorithm originally developed for clear-sky compositing of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer images at northern midlatitudes. While most historical Landsat data include measurements at thermal wavelengths and such measurements are also planned for the next mission, thermal tests are not included in the suggested algorithm in order to maintain greater versatility and ease of use. The evaluation of the masking algorithm takes advantage of the availability of manual (visual) cloud masks developed at the U.S. Geological Survey for a collection of Landsat scenes. As part of the evaluation, we also include the automated cloud cover assessment (ACCA) algorithm which does include thermal tests and is used operationally by the Landsat-7 mission to provide scene cloud fractions but no cloud masks. We show that the proposed algorithm performs on par with the ACCA both in terms of scene cloud fraction and pixel-level mask agreement. Specifically, the algorithm gives an error of 0.8% for the scene cloud fraction of 156 scenes and a root-mean-square error of 7.1%, while it agrees with the manual mask for 93.1% of the pixels. These performance indicators are very similar to those of the ACCA (1.2%, 7.1%, and 93.7%).
Rotational flows for interpolation between sampled surfaces

We introduce a locally defined shape-maintaining method for interpolating between corresponding oriented samples (vertices) from a pair of surfaces. We have applied this method to interpolate synthetic data sets in two and three dimensions and to interpolate medially represented shape models of anatomical objects in three dimensions. In the plane, each oriented vertex follows a circular arc as if it was rotating to its destination. In three dimensions, each oriented vertex moves along a helical path that combines in-plane rotation with translation along the axis of rotation. We show that our planar method provides shape-maintaining interpolations when the reference and target objects are similar. Moreover, the interpolations are size maintaining when the reference and target objects are congruent. In three dimensions, similar objects are interpolated by an affine transformation. We use measurements of the fractional anisotropy of such global affine transformations to demonstrate that our method is generally more-shape preserving than the alternative of interpolating vertices along linear paths irrespective of changes in orientation. In both two and three dimensions we have experimental evidence that when non-shape-preserving deformations are applied to template shapes, the interpolation tends to be visually satisfying with each intermediate object appearing to belong to the same class of objects as the end points.
Adenovirus gene therapy for pediatric cancers: shall we gather at the liver?

Hepatoblastoma is a rare malignancy of childhood, affecting approximately 100 children in the United States each year [1]. Data collected by the United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program on patients diagnosed from 1972 through 1992 revealed a 5% annual increase in the incidence of hepatoblastoma, presumably due to improved neonatal outcomes for premature infants, which appears to be a risk factor [1,2].
Tracking the Leading Edge of Self-Regulatory Failure: Commentary on “Where Do We Go From Here? The Goal Perspective in Psychotherapy”

Michalak and Grosse Holtforth (2006) have provided a scholarly review of how personal goals link to well-being, aspects of psychological disorder, and especially to the psychotherapeutic enterprise. The present commentary elaborates on the pathogenic role of goals by defining psychopathology as dysfunctional goal-guided self-regulation, and casting goals, goal episodes, and goal-striving support processes as the key components of both effective and ineffective adjustment. The conceptual and practical implications for clinical science of what I term a “life-task engineering approach” are briefly considered.
Assessing the Impact of Mexican Nativity on Sentence Length

Discussions about race/ethnicity and crime are controversial and not surprisingly, such controversies have extended to the immigration–crime link as well. The emerging quantitative knowledge base on this relationship however suggests that immigrant status may actually serve as a protective factor against (serious) criminal involvement. Largely absent from this line of research has been a consideration of how immigrant status, especially Mexican nativity, is related to criminal justice sentencing decisions. In this article, we use data from more than 12,000 U.S. state and federal prisoners to examine sentence length disparities between Mexican- and native-born citizens. Our primary finding is that while there may be some impact of being Mexican born on sentence length, the negligible differences indicate that offenders who are Mexican born are likely to receive shorter sentences than their native-born counterparts, controlling for a variety of legal and extralegal factors. Directions for future research ar...
Low-power LC-VCO using integrated MEMS passives

Low power RF operation is often limited by the poor quality factor of the passives available in silicon-based processes. This paper reports on an LC-tank VCO, incorporating micromachined inductors and capacitors, for low power operation, without sacrificing performance. Only 2.75 mW of power is needed to achieve -122 dB/Hz phase noise at 1 MHz from a 2.84 GHz carrier.
Child Geopolitical Agency A Mixed Methods Case Study

This study examines the geopolitical agency of Palestinian children. Mixed methodology was used to identify the etiologies contributing to processes of political socialization. Both qualitative and qualitative methods are equally distributed throughout this research. Focus groups and interviews with 12 Palestinian children, aged 10 to 13 years, living in refugee camps, villages, and cities in the West Bank were used to develop a survey instrument. The survey was administrated to 1% of the students attending school, Grades 5 to 7, in the West Bank, Palestine. The use of mixed methodology revealed the interconnectedness of formal and informal political socialization that produces the geopolitical agency of Palestinian children. Findings elaborated on the processes and the relationships used to describe children's geopolitical agency.
La prensa “imparcial” y su propuesta pedracista: la elección presidencial mexicana de 1828: Discursiva propagandística y controversia

The Pedracista coalition, formed to support General Manuel Gomez Pedraza during the 1928 presidential elections, is a peripheral topic in historiography. This research seeks to fill this gap, through an in-depth study of Pedraza's candidature using the impartial publication Aguila Mejicana. It aims to answer the following question in particular: What were the journalistic arguments of Pedraza’s supporters? To this end it analyzes editorials, collaborations and leaflets to reconstruct the Pedracista discourse. This work also offers a criticism of the York opposites and some of the debates that arose between both groups. It discusses the main characteristics highlighted by the Pedracista coalition to argue the suitability of the head of the Secretariat of War and the Navy (efficiency and severity in government, impartiality and “being men of good will”) Lastly, it explains why the alliance chose specifically those aspects to face their opponents and, on the other hand, how these remained valid after the Pyrrhic victory of Vicente Guerrero.
Failure To Thrive: An Old Nemesis in the New Millennium

1. I. David Schwartz, MD* 1. 2. *Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Endocrinology/Diabetes, The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, The Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Plot growth data accurately. 2. Delineate the percentage of normal infants who experience a downward shift of growth between 3 and 18 months of life. 3. Describe the common bases for failure to thrive and the approximate percentages of patients who have these etiologies. 4. Characterize the mainstay of intervention for failure to thrive. 5. Describe the effect of failure to thrive on future development, behavior, and cognition. An early reference to an infant who “ ceased to thrive” can be traced to more than a century ago in the initial edition of The Diseases of Infancy and Childhood by L. Emmett Holt in 1897. Holt equated infantile wasting conditions with malnutrition, although he clearly recognized that this could be associated with a variety of clinical circumstances. The phrase “fail to thrive” first seems to have appeared in print in 1933 in the 10th edition of that classic text. In the late 1960s, the psychosocial aspects of failure to thrive became synonymous with maternal deprivation syndrome (more appropriately renamed the “ parental” deprivation syndrome) and earned an entry in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III) as “ reactive attachment disorder.” Thus, the long litany of metabolic, infectious, and nutritionally derived conditions were made distinct from the environmental aspects when evaluating poor growth during infancy and childhood. This article focuses on childhood aspects of failure to thrive. Considering the widespread use of the term failure to thrive, a consensus definition remains curiously elusive. By strict statistical definition, 3% of the pediatric population deviates from normal stature or weight for age and gender; indeed, some literature simply defines failure to thrive as a fall in weight below the 3rd percentile relative to age (weight-for-age). However, this definition would include children who experience transient weight …
The accuracy-through-order and the equivalence properties in the algebraic approximant

In addition to the accuracy-through-order requirement that the defining polynomials not all be divisible by z, as required for Pade and integral approximants, there is the further problem of deficiency as pointed out by McInnes. I prove a finite bound on the deficiency and also prove the accuracy-through-order property for algebraic approximants. In addition I prove the equivalence property for algebraic approximants.
The human immunodeficiency virus transactivator Tat interacts with the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) encodes a transcriptional transactivator (Tat), which binds to an RNA hairpin called the transactivation response element (TAR) that is located downstream of the site of initiation of viral transcription. Tat stimulates the production of full-length viral transcripts by RNA polymerase II (pol II). In this study, we demonstrate that Tat coimmunoprecipitates with the pol II holoenzyme in cells and that it binds to the purified holoenzyme in vitro. Furthermore, Tat affinity chromatography purifies a holoenzyme from HeLa nuclear extracts which, upon addition of TBP and TFIIB, supports Tat transactivation in vitro, indicating that it contains all the cellular proteins required for the function of Tat. By demonstrating that Tat interacts with the holoenzyme in the absence of TAR, our data suggest a single-step assembly of Tat and the transcription complex on the long terminal repeat of HIV.
A cross-layer game for energy-efficient jamming detection in ad hoc networks

The objective of jamming attacks in a network is to deny service to the communicating nodes, thus reducing network throughput and availability. In this paper, we propose a game theoretic framework for detecting jamming attacks in wireless ad hoc networks. We formulate jamming as a two-player, non-cooperative game to analyze the interaction between the attacker and the monitoring nodes in the network. We propose hybrid detection strategies at the monitor node by using cross-layer features for attack detection. We solve the game by computing the mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium and derive the optimal attack and detection strategies. Numerical results show that game theoretic analysis can be used to determine the optimal steady-state monitoring strategies to provide higher detection accuracy, while balancing the monitoring energy costs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Foucault across the disciplines: introductory notes on contingency in critical inquiry:

Foucault is one of the most widely cited thinkers across social sciences and humanities disciplines today. Foucault’s appeal, and ongoing value, across the disciplines has much to do with the power of his thought and his method to help us see the contingency of practices we take to be inevitable. It is argued in this introductory article that Foucault’s emphasis on contingency is as misunderstood as it is influential. I distinguish two senses of contingency in Foucault. A first sense, widely acknowledged, concerns Foucault’s facility at showing that a taken-for-natural practice is in fact contingently produced. A second sense, widely neglected, concerns the facility of Foucauldian methods for grasping how a given practice was contingently produced. The second sense of contingency opens up possibilities for practical transformation that the former sense of contingency largely leaves to the side.
Neuronotrophic effects of skeletal muscle fractions on spinal cord differentiation.

Soluble fractions of homogenized skeletal muscle were found to promote neuronal migration and neuritic and glial outgrowth from embryonic chick spinal cord explants. Fractions obtained from skeletal muscle immobilized by prolonged treatment with curare were significantly more effective than normal muscle in accelerating neuronal and glial development. Fractions from other tissues such as brain and lung did not enhance neuronal differentiation, but were effective in stimulating outgrowth of glial cells. Separate measurements of glial and neuronal responses indicate that tissue fractions produce independent effects on the glial and neuronal components.
La China gótica de Alfonso Hernández Catá

This article analyzes two short stories by Cuban writer Alfonso Hernandez Cata (1885-1940): "Los chinos" (1924) and "El gato" (1933). In these texts, Asian characters are described as grotesque and monstrous beings like the ones found in the Gothic genre. Moreover, this monstrosity is depicted as a contagious disease that threatens to infect and destabilize the boundaries between life and death, sanity and insanity, the familiar and the unknown, the West and the East.
21 – REACTION EQUILIBRIUM

This chapter inquires into the nature of reaction or chemical equilibrium by using the concept of extent of reaction and of de Donder's affinity that greatly simplifies the thermodynamics of chemical reactions. It also discusses the determination of the composition at equilibrium. This requires the notion of equilibrium constants. The chapter introduces the equation of van't Hoff that relates the equilibrium constants to the heat of reaction and the stability of chemical reactions and examines the effects of temperature and pressure on reaction equilibrium. Simultaneous reactions and their additivity are also discussed in the chapter.
Influence of Adrenalin on Fibrinogen.

Vosburg and Richards1 first noted that blood coagulated more rapidly in animals after administering adrenalin, and Cannon and his coworkers reasoned from their experiments with adrenalin and from other evidence that the liver furnished some factor to increase the clotting process of the blood. In a study to determine just what this factor was, Grabfield2 concluded that adrenalin decreases the coagulation time by increasing the amount of prothrombin in the circulating blood.Grabfield could find no change in the anti-thrombin or in the fibrin content of the blood following the administration of adrenalin, but he says: “The fibrin determinations were made by the heat coagulation method of Whipple and Hurwitz, an unsatisfactory and unreliable method for this work because, chiefly, the amounts of blood required for accurate results are too large to obtain from cats without introducing the factor of hemorrhage.”In reviewing the problem it seemed that fibrin instead of prothrombin may have been an active factor ...
Fishing down the food web : A case study from St. Augustine, Florida, USA

Comparing zooarchaeological data for Native American, Spanish, and British occupations with modern fisheries data from St. Johns County, Florida (USA) shows differences in the use of marine resources from 1450 B.C. through A.D. 2000. Changes in biomass contribution, diversity, types of fishes used, and trophic levels of sharks, rays, and bony fishes suggest that the pattern described as “fishing down marine food webs” (Pauly et al. 1998) may have been present in the St. Johns County area as early as the eighteenth century. A change in the size and growth habits of Atlantic croaker (Sciaenidae: Micropogonias undulatus) occurred early in this sequence, indicating an impact on this specific fish. However, overharvesting of fishes is not the only explanation for these observations. Climate and cultural changes are additional explanations for the patterns observed that should receive closer attention. Exploring these alternative explanations is made possible by a zooarchaeological record that permits us to study fishing habits and fish behavior before large-scale industrial fishing began.
Antibody Level of Measles in Population of Yuxi City in 2013

Objective To study the immunization status of measles in Yuxi city,Yunnan province,and to provide references for formulating effective control measures to eliminate measles.Methods With stratified and cluster sample methods,the content of MV-Ig G of the recruited individuals were tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay( indirect ELISA).Results Altogether 3493 participants were sampled in the city during Apr.30,to Jun.30,2013.The antibody rate was 97.62% and the protective rate was 87.72%.The geometric mean concentration( GMC) was 2764.49 Miu / ml.The positive rate of MV-Ig G and GMC in counties and districts were statistically different( χ2= 45.27,P 0.05,F = 65.86,P 0.05),and the differences among populations with different ages were also statistically different( χ2= 122.60,P 0.05,F= 17.79,P 0.05).The positive rate in those with age less than 17 months was the lowest as 90.21%,and those with age no less than 18 years old exhibited relatively low GMC level as 1902 Miu / ml.No statistical difference was found on gender regarding the aforementioned two indicators( χ2= 0.02,P 0.05,F =1.69,P 0.05).Conclusion The immunization effect of measles in Yuxi city is relatively well and the out-break of measles could be effectively controlled.Nevertheless,there is distance to overcome to extinct measles,particularly the surveillance over populations of less than 17 months and over 14 years old is yet to be strengthened,and based on which immunization strate-gies should be adjusted in time.
SU-F-T-304: Complex Multi-PTV Treatment Evaluation Using a Remotely Processed 3D Gel Dosimeter

Purpose: A new 3D gel dosimeter (ClearView™, Modus Medical Systems) was investigated for use as a QA tool for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) plans exhibiting high dose gradients and spatially separated treatment targets. The unique feature of this gel dosimeter is the remote processing service provided by Modus Medical Systems. Methods: The gel dosimeters were filled in either 10 cm diameter or 15 cm diameter clear plastic jars. The jars were then shipped in ice-cooled containers to our department for irradiation. Clinical SRS plans for treatment of multiple metastases and plans with simulated concave structures were applied to a CT scan of the gel dosimeter. The gel was irradiated in treatment position using modulated arcs and then returned in the cooled container for processing. The 3D gel dose was compared to the DICOM-RT dose from the treatment plan to assess dosimetric and geometric agreement. Results: There was no discernible difference between the planned and measured dose for dose gradients as high as 10%/mm, which was the highest gradient we evaluated. Geometric agreement for distant metastases separated by 6 cm was within 1.5 mm. Among three identically irradiated gels using a plan intended for nine metastases, the 3%/3mm gamma passing rate was 84.5% with a range of 14.7%, measured over the entire volume of the dosimeter. Regions of larger gamma values correlated with geometric offsets between the planned and measured data. Conclusion: The gel dosimeter exhibits the dosimetric and geometric characteristics necessary for 3D evaluation of treatment plan deliverability. The range of observed gamma passing rates suggests a high sensitivity to geometric registration. With proper management of geometric registration between planned and measured data, this service should enable a radiation oncology department to use 3D dosimetry in end-to-end testing or patient plan delivery QA without the expense of an in-house processing system.
Overview on Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines

This chapter provides an overview of multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS). Its main purpose is to introduce the reader to the major concepts underlying this data mining technique, particularly those that are relevant to the chapter that involves the use of this technique. This chapter includes an illustrative example and also provides guidance for interpreting a MARS model.
Kwon, Nayoung Aimee Intimate Empire: Collaboration and Colonial Modernity in Korea and Japan Durham, NC: Duke University Press 296 pp., $24.95, ISBN 978-0822359258 Publication Date: June 2015

Nayoung Aimee Kwon's examination of Korean authors during the Japanese imperial period is a richly theorized, sensitive, and engaging work of literary and colonial history. Noting the troubled lega...
Gorham disease: lymphangiomatosis with massive osteolysis

Gorham disease (also referred to as vanishing bone disease or idiopathic massive osteolysis) is a rare skeletal condition that results in the localized replacement of bone with angiomas and fibrosis. The etiology and most effective treatment for this nonhereditary condition remain controversial in the medical literature. To our knowledge, we present the first case of post-traumatic Gorham disease that includes MR imaging (before and after radiation therapy), post-radiation CT with evidence of treatment effect (sclerosis), as well as asymptomatic bilateral renal lymphangiomata.
Low voltage high speed Si-Ge Avalanche Photodiodes

We present a Si-Ge Avalanche Photodiode (APD) design and achieved a breakdown voltage of −10V, a speed of 25GHz, a gain-bandwidth product (GBP) of 276GHz and operation up to 30Gbps data rate.
Clustering with Bregman Divergences: an Asymptotic Analysis

Clustering, in particular $k$-means clustering, is a central topic in data analysis. Clustering with Bregman divergences is a recently proposed generalization of $k$-means clustering which has already been widely used in applications. In this paper we analyze theoretical properties of Bregman clustering when the number of the clusters $k$ is large. We establish quantization rates and describe the limiting distribution of the centers as $k\to \infty$, extending well-known results for $k$-means clustering.