cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity Analysis for Nonlinear Programming in CasADi

Abstract We present an extension of the CasADi numerical optimization framework that allows arbitrary order NLP sensitivities to be calculated automatically and efficiently. The approach, which can be used together with any NLP solver available in CasADi, is based on a sparse QR factorization and an implementation of a primal-dual active set method. The whole toolchain is freely available as open-source software and allows generation of thread-safe, self-contained C code with small memory footprint. We illustrate the toolchain using three examples; a sparse QP, an optimal control problem and a parameter estimation problem.
B-share discount puzzle in China: a revisit of dual-share firms

This paper revisits the B-shares discount puzzle for dual-class shares in China. The major finding shows that the Shanghai stock market experiences a greater downward correction in stock prices and the discount rate of B-shares diminishes after the B-shares’ opening, but, in the long run the price discounts of B-shares persist. The stock returns of dual-class firms in both Shanghai and Shenzhen B-share markets have negative abnormal returns during the opening event, and then reverse into positive ones markedly in the long run. The investors’ trading activities are sensitive to the number of board members and state-ownership structures. In addition, the return spillover from the sample B-share to the A-share index obviously accelerates and the impact persistence is shortened.
Update on drug safety evaluation of naltrexone/bupropion for the treatment of obesity.

The long-term management of obesity is challenging for patients and health care providers. In addition to lifestyle interventions, there are several pharmacotherapies and bariatric surgical options...
Operating Room Emergency Manuals Improve Patient Safety: A Systemic Review

The aim of this review is to highlight the latest movements surrounding Emergency Manual (EM) implementation nationally and abroad within perioperative medicine with a focus on studies linking EM to patient safety. This is a comprehensive literature review which includes a brief introduction to the definition and history of EM as well as an overview of a successful implementation strategy, international influence and correlations to patient safety. The recent changes in healthcare and healthcare reimbursement have directed the focus throughout healthcare to quality improvement and patient safety. The potential of EMs' application to improve patient outcomes has influential implications both on patient outcomes as well as reimbursements. This study includes relevant citations with the large majority published in the last five years. EM implementation in healthcare has grown within the US and internationally over the last decade. Prominent organizations have created EMs containing principles of evidence-based medicine and widely accepted protocols that have been endorsed by major entities in the medical field. Successful implementation strategies primarily focus on different forms of simulation training and have been found to increase adherence to protocols through EM use. An increasing amount of educational institutions and healthcare facilities worldwide are perpetuating such implementation and a growing number of successful cases are being published.
Model-based geostatistics for global public health: methods and applications

This is an excellent source for public health professionals so far as the needed state-of-the-art concepts and methods that are needed to analyse and interpret geostatistical data. Basic knowledge ...
Deepening the Conversation: Feminism, International Policing and the WPS Agenda

ABSTRACTScholarship on international police reform and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) has flourished in the last decade and the potential for engagement across these two bodies of literature is pr...
Insights into the catalytic mechanism of a bacterial hydrolytic dehalogenase that degrades the fungicide chlorothalonil

Chlorothalonil (2,4,5,6-tetrachloroisophtalonitrile; TPN) is one of the most commonly used fungicides in the United States. Given TPN′s widespread use, general toxicity, and potential carcinogenicity, its biodegradation has garnered significant attention. Here, we developed a direct spectrophotometric assay for the Zn(II)-dependent, chlorothalonil-hydrolyzing dehalogenase from Pseudomonas sp. CTN-3 (Chd), enabling determination of its metal-binding properties; pH dependence of the kinetic parameters kcat, Km, and kcat/Km; and solvent isotope effects. We found that a single Zn(II) ion binds a Chd monomer with a Kd of 0.17 μm, consistent with inductively coupled plasma MS data for the as-isolated Chd dimer. We observed that Chd was maximally active toward chlorothalonil in the pH range 7.0–9.0, and fits of these data yielded a pKES1 of 5.4 ± 0.2, a pKES2 of 9.9 ± 0.1 (k′cat = 24 ± 2 s−1), a pKE1 of 5.4 ± 0.3, and a pKE2 of 9.5 ± 0.1 (k′cat/k′m = 220 ± 10 s−1 mm−1). Proton inventory studies indicated that one proton is transferred in the rate-limiting step of the reaction at pD 7.0. Fits of UV-visible stopped-flow data suggested a three-step model and provided apparent rate constants for intermediate formation (i.e. a k′2 of 35.2 ± 0.1 s−1) and product release (i.e. a k′3 of 1.1 ± 0.2 s−1), indicating that product release is the slow step in catalysis. On the basis of these results, along with those previously reported, we propose a mechanism for Chd catalysis.
Spiers Memorial Lecture

The field of modern quantum inorganic chemistry is just over 50 years old, dating back to 1951, when quantitative LCAO molecular orbital theory was developed and ferrocene was discovered. This Lecture provides a survey of the development of the field through about 1980, which has led to its current state. The application of modern quantum chemical techniques are illustrated via two disparate examples from the authors' research group. First, the recent discovery of uranium-noble gas bonds is discussed including the synergy between the theoretical and experimental investigations of this phenomenon. New theoretical results using coupled-cluster [CCSD(T)] methodology is contrasted to the original scalar-relativistic density functional theory results. Second, new applications of time-dependent density functional theory to the rich photochemistry of a dinuclear organometallic complex, (eta5-C5H5)2Fe2(mu-CO)2(CO)2, are discussed.
How Violence Affects Protests

A key determinant of whether social movements achieve their policy goal is how many people protest. How many people protest is in turn partially determined by violence from protesters and state agents. Previous work finds mixed results for violence. This paper reconciles the mixed results for violence by distinguishing between the timing of repression and its severity: low levels of state repression increase protest size while high levels decrease it, conditional on preventative repression failing. It evaluates the role of violence by applying deep learning techniques to geolocated images shared on social media. Across more than 4,300 observations of twenty-four cities from five countries, we find that protester violence is always associated with subsequently smaller protests, while low (high) levels of state violence correlate with increased (decreased) protest size.
Misdiagnosis of AFM: Establishing the need for first line provider education (S45.003)

Objective: To delineate diagnoses assigned to patients at the first presentation of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). Background: AFM is defined by the acute onset of flaccid weakness in the setting of a longitudinal lesion of the spinal cord, usually in the setting of a febrile or respiratory illness. There is a risk for rapid progression to respiratory distress, particularly for patients with upper extremity or bulbar involvement, thus early recognition and close monitoring are essential to patient safety. Patients given an alternate diagnosis in the acute care setting are at risk for decompensation at home. Design/Methods: Retrospective review of medical records to identify the diagnosis at initial presentation in patients cared for at Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, or Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. All cases met clinical and spinal cord imaging criteria for AFM. Results: We identified a total of 40 patients with a diagnosis of AFM. A total of 23 patients (58%) were initially given an alternate diagnosis. Of these, 14 (61%) were discharged home from the acute care setting and later returned, requiring admission. Multiple visits prior to admission were common. Common alternate diagnoses included injury (including brachial plexus injury), toxic synovitis, non-specific viral illness, and functional neurological disorder. Of the total 40 patients with AFM at our centers, 9 (22.5%) required respiratory support. Conclusions: AFM is a serious emerging condition that is associated with significant morbidity. Misdiagnosis in the acute care setting is common. Given the high percentage of patients with AFM requiring respiratory support, a misdiagnosis with discharge home increases the chance of respiratory decompensation occurring in a non-clinical setting. Efforts focused on the education of first line providers are needed to mitigate this risk for increased morbidity and mortality. Disclosure: Dr. Hopkins has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yeshokumar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hayes has nothing to disclose. Dr. Farias-Moeller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Benson has nothing to disclose.
Current-Voltage Characteristics and Vortex Dynamics in Highly Underdoped La2−x Sr x CuO4

The temperature dependence of the nonlinear current-voltage (I–V) characteristics in highly underdoped La2−x Sr x CuO4 (x = 0.07 and 0.08) thick films has been studied in both zero and perpendicular magnetic fields H. Power-law behavior of V(I) is found for both H = 0 and H ≠ 0. The critical current I c was extracted, and its temperature and magnetic field dependences were studied in detail. The Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless physics dominates the nonlinear I–V near the superconducting transition at H = 0, and it continues to contribute up to a characteristic temperature T x (H). Nonlinear I–V persists up to an even higher temperature T h (H) due to the depinning of vortices.
Abstract 14966: Non-biased Fat Scoring System for Human Cardiac Variability and Body Mass Index Correlation Analyses

Introduction: It remains unclear if body mass index (BMI) is correlated to the amount of cardiac adipose tissue in humans. Echocardiography is typically utilized to measure epicardial fat in live p...
Health Needs and College Readiness in Autistic Students: The Freshman Survey Results

With an increase in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in the United States, many of whom have higher intellectual ability, there is a predicted increase in the number of college-bound students. Affected young adults face a "Services Cliff" as they transition into adulthood. Our study examined a nationally represented sample of freshman students and found that academic achievements in autistic students are comparable to their peers when they first enter college. The students however have more mental health and physical health problems compared to their non-autistic peers. Poor health maybe a major contributing factor to the lower graduation rates among autistic students. College-bound autistic students may continue to require services through college for them to be successful and graduate.
A 2.45-GHz Frugal Dumbbell-Shaped Rectenna Built on Recyclable Substrates

Biodegradable materials have amassed attention for frugal green electronics applications to better assist underserved communities. In this paper, we design a frugal radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting system as a low-cost power supply for low-power on-body sensors. The system involves a loaded dumbbell antenna integrated with a single diode rectifier. The dumbbell antenna is outfitted with loaded rings and a ground plane spaced A/4 away (viz. 2.45GHz). Indeed, both were fabricated using cardboard substrate and copper tape as a conductor. The measurements suggested that the rectenna exhibited an excellent RF performance as well as a good RF-to-DC conversion. That is, excellent S 11 of less than −20 dB and a realized gain of 9 dBi and $15\mu W \ \ \mathrm{for}\ \ 25\mu W/cm^{2}$ RF power density, which is the equivalent of a figure-of-merit (EFOM) of 11.7 dB. This design is very attractive due to the fact it can be used in rural area and the materials used to assemble the device can be later recycled for other purposes.
The Association Between Alpha-1 Adrenergic Receptor Antagonists and In-Hospital Mortality From COVID-19

Effective therapies for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are urgently needed, and pre-clinical data suggest alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonists (α1-AR antagonists) may be effective in reducing mortality related to hyperinflammation independent of etiology. Using a retrospective cohort design with patients in the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system, we use doubly robust regression and matching to estimate the association between baseline use of α1-AR antagonists and likelihood of death due to COVID-19 during hospitalization. Having an active prescription for any α1-AR antagonist (tamsulosin, silodosin, prazosin, terazosin, doxazosin, or alfuzosin) at the time of admission had a significant negative association with in-hospital mortality (relative risk reduction 18%; odds ratio 0.73; 95% CI 0.63-0.85; p ≤ 0.001) and death within 28 days of admission (relative risk reduction 17%; odds ratio 0.74; 95% CI 0.65-0.84; p ≤ 0.001). In a subset of patients on doxazosin specifically, an inhibitor of all three alpha-1 adrenergic receptors, we observed a relative risk reduction for death of 74% (odds ratio 0.23; 95% CI 0.03-0.94; p = 0.028) compared to matched controls not on any α1-AR antagonist at the time of admission. These findings suggest that use of α1-AR antagonists may reduce mortality in COVID-19, supporting the need for randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials in patients with early symptomatic infection.
On partial and conditional association measures for ordinal contingency tables

This paper proposes new non-model based partial/conditional association measures for ordinal contingency table where the main interest is the association between two ordinal variables of interest, ...
Miller Capacitance Cancellation to Improve SiC MOSFET's Performance in a Phase-Leg Configuration

The drain to gate capacitance (Miller capacitance) of SiC MOSFET s leads to the Miller effect during switching transients. The Miller capacitance in a phase-leg configuration causes the crosstalk, the interaction between the two complementary switches, and the Miller plateau during the switching transient. The Miller effect reduces the switching speed, reduces reliability, and increases electromagnetic interference. In this article, by injecting a mirror cancellation current, the effects of Miller capacitance are canceled. The proposed technique includes a two-stage sensing and injection network to compensate for the nonlinearity of the Miller capacitance. The proposed technique can suppress both positive and negative gate voltage spikes induced by the crosstalk and reduce the switching power loss with the increased switching speed. Because no external control signals are required in the proposed technique, it can work with almost all commercial gate drivers. The detailed design for this proposed technique is presented in this article. The proposed technique was validated with both simulations and experiments.
Observations on pyridoxine metabolism in pregnancy.

Abstract Despite the rather frequent employment of pyridoxine in obstetrics and gynecology, chiefly in the treatment of the vomiting of pregnancy, 1–4 there remains no immediate way of measuring a relative deficiency of the vitamin and no direct chemical test for B 6 is available. The evidence for the therapeutic application of pyridoxine has, of necessity, been indirect and empirical, and open to dispute. 5–6 Indirect measurements of deficiencies of this vitamin can be made, however, by observing its effect on the metabolism of tryptophan. 7–8 When tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids, is taken orally by a B 6 -deficient animal, the abnormal metabolite, xanthurenic acid, is excreted in the urine. This also occurs in the human subject, 9 and is immediately corrected by the administration of pyridoxine. Employing this test, Sprince and co-workers 10 and Wachstein and Gudaitis 8, 11 report evidences of a relative deficiency of vitamin B 6 in pregnancy. The present brief report is concerned with this test as an index of the pyridoxine status of the normal pregnant patient. Ten grams of tryptophan ∗ ∗Obtained from Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, through the courtesy of Dr. R. A. Peterman. was administered orally at night, and beginning two hours later a 10 hour specimen of urine collected. From the time of taking the tryptophan to the conclusion of the test, no other food or fluids were consumed. The xanthurenic acid excreted was determined colorimetrically, using the technique of Rosen, Lowy, and Sprince, 12 as modified by Wachstein and Gudaitis, 8 and expressing the result in milligrams of xanthurenic acid excreted per total 10 hour period. Using this technique, recovery experiments of measured amounts of pure xanthurenic acid † †Obtained from Sharpe & Dohme, Inc., West Point, Pa., and from the Ortho Research Foundation, Raritan, N. J., through the courtesy of Dr. L. E. Arnow and Dr. Fred Rosen, respectively. added to urine showed statistically reliable results with an average recovery of 107.2 per cent. A total of 48 patients were studied, the individual tests being grouped to provide controls both between the pregnant and the nonpregnant, and between the pregnant patients who received pyridoxine and those who received placebos or other B fractions.
Acyl carrier protein. IX. Acyl carrier protein hydrolase.

Abstract Acyl carrier protein hydrolase, a phosphodiesterase which catalyzes the hydrolysis of Escherichia coli acyl carrier protein to yield the prosthetic group and the apoprotein, was purified 30-fold from extracts of E. coli. Hydrolysis of acyl carrier protein by this enzyme requires manganese (or other divalent cations) and it is stimulated by sulfhydryl compounds such as dithiothreitol or 2-mercaptoethanol. The enzymatic reaction products are 4'-phosphopantetheine and the apoprotein which was isolated and identified by comparison of its molecular weight and amino acid composition to intact acyl carrier protein. Acyl carrier protein hydrolase is very specific in regard to substrate since it does not catalyze the hydrolysis of 4'-phosphopantetheine from large peptides of E. coli acyl carrier protein. It does, however, catalyze the cleavage of 4'-phosphopantetheine from E. coli acetyl acyl carrier protein and from Clostridium butyricum acyl carrier protein.
Bridging the cultural gap with Southeast Asians.

Nurses and health personnel play an important role in defining future relations between southeast Asian women and the American health care system. Values and perspectives of Asian women must be accommodated in order to promote a positive perception of the health system and to encourage future contact. Cultural practices of immigrant southeast Asian women are likely to contrast sharply with American medical practices. The discussion focuses on some of the differences and how situations can be handled to show sensitivity to womens needs. Frequently the first point of contact with the health care system is for child birth. Since health care in Cambodia Laos and Vietnam is crisis oriented women may not appear until their third trimester or show up for delivery quite late in labor. There may be misunderstandings about how to take medicine. Illness may be viewed as due to supernatural forces. Hot and cold foods are eaten at different periods pre and postpartum. Many Asians have sensitivity to milk products. Diagnostic testing including drawing blood may not be understood or may be feared. Women may feel humiliated by wearing loose gowns or having a pelvic exam. Women are responsive to other women when providing intimate details of their personal life. Male translators are inappropriate. The use of basic words and simple sentences will keep communications understandable. Family elders play an important role in decision-making. Direct questions to patients must take this into consideration. Vietnamese women are directly involved in important health decision-making while Laotian women may defer to males. Sex should not be discussed in front of spouses fathers or grown sons. Many have been taught to yield authority which makes it difficult to assess understanding. Having fathers in delivery suites may be upsetting to southeast Asian women; women consider it shameful to express pain in front of a man. Some believe that rupturing membranes prolongs labor and that cutting as in an episiotomy allows the spirit to leave the body. Squatting is preferable as a delivery position. The head of the baby should not be touched because it is considered the most sacred and honorable part of the body. Praising the baby may be considered an inducement for jealous spirits to hurt the baby. Preferred foods may be heated in a microwave or stored for later use. Culturally appropriate nursing care is possible by respecting differences.
The diagnosis of cognitive impairment associated with exposure to mold.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the existing knowledge about cognitive impairments related to exposure to mycotoxin-producing fungi. Lezak defines neuropsychology as “the area of psychology/ science that focuses on the behavioral expression of brain damage.” Clinical neuropsychology utilizes psychometric techniques to elucidate brain–behavior relationships in a systematic way. Differential diagnosis is an essential component in neuropsychological assessment, especially as it applies to persons exposed to mycotoxin-producing fungi. The process of differential diagnosis in neuropsychological evaluation is discussed in the chapter. When used for diagnostic purposes, neuropsychological testing is useful in describing the nature and extent of cognitive dysfunction, differentiating neurological from psychiatric symptoms, differentiating among neurological conditions, and describing recovery from or the outcome of a neurological disorder or event. In conducting a neuropsychological evaluation, the neuropsychologist examines diverse aspects of cognitive function—including processing speed, motor speed, attention/concentration, verbal abilities, visual perceptual abilities, intellectual function, memory, executive functions, and mood.
Evidence that Capital Markets Learn from Academic Research: Earnings Surprises and the Persistence of Post-Announcement Drift

We investigate the relation between earnings surprises and post-announcement stock returns for 1991-1997, and show that the profit opportunities previously associated with simple trading strategies designed to exploit the drift phenomenon have now been substantially eliminated. This profitability decline does not appear to be due to increased earnings "noise" from transitory items or to structural changes in the serial correlation of earnings surprises. The post-announcement drift persists where arbitrage costs are highest; that is, among small NYSE/AMEX firms, and among firms with little or no analyst following or with low stock prices. The evidence is consistent with the notion that investors used earnings surprise trading strategies to arbitrage the drift once the phenomenon had been well documented in academic research.
Role of Motor & Generator Manufacturing in the Economy of Chester & Montgomery Counties

Motor and generator manufacturing is an important part of the history and economy of Chester and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania. The industrycreates jobs and compensation for workers and generates tax revenues in the counties.
Inhibition of cAMP stimulated VAMP2 trafficking in renal epithelial cells by small molecule inhibitors (1181.13)

cAMP stimulates exocytosis in many cell types in the kidney. In juxtaglomerular cells, cAMP stimulates renin exocytosis. In thick ascending limbs and collecting ducts, cAMP stimulates exocytic deli...
Victims Versus Righteous Victims: The Rhetorical Construction of Social Categories in Historical Dialogue Among Israeli and Palestinian Youth

© 2013 International Society of Political Psychology. Informed by social identity theory and a rhetorical approach to the study of social category construction in social interaction, this study analyzed the nature and function of participant utterances in two conditions of intergroup dialogue about history between Israelis and Palestinians. Across conditions that sought to either emphasize recategorization into a common in-group identity or subcategorization into mutually differentiated identities, Palestinian and Arab Israeli utterances primarily reflected the theme of victimization, while Jewish Israeli utterances primarily reflected themes of justification and victimization. The way in which these utterances produced social competition for victim and perpetrator roles and reproduced master historical narratives of Palestinian victimization versus Jewish Israeli "righteous" victimization is illustrated. Findings are discussed in terms of the role of narrative and rhetoric about social categories in settings of intractable political conflict, and implications for dialogue-based intervention about history are addressed.
Reactive-process programming and distributed discrete-event simulation

The same forces that spurred the development of multicomputers--the demand for better performance and economy--are driving the evolution of multicomputers in the direction of more abundant and less expensive computing nodes--the direction of fine-grain multicomputers. This evolution in multicomputer architecture derives from advances in integrated circuit, packaging, and message-routing technologies, and carries far-reaching implications in programming and applications. This thesis pursues that trend with a balanced treatment of multicomputer programming and applications. First, a reactive-process programming system--Reactive-C--is investigated; then, a model application--discrete-event simulation--is developed; finally, a number of logic-circuit simulators written in the Reactive-C notation are evaluated. One difficulty in multicomputer applications is the inefficiency of many distributed algorithms compared to their sequential counterparts. When better formulations are developed, they often scale poorly with increasing numbers of nodes, and their beneficial effects eventually vanish when many nodes are used. However, rules for programming are quite different when nodes are plentiful and cheap: The primary concern is to utilize all of the concurrency available in an application, rather than to utilize all of the computing cycles available in a machine. We have shown in our research that it is possible to extract the maximum concurrency of a simulation subject, even one as difficult as a logic circuit, when one simulation element is assigned to each node. Despite the initial inefficiency of a straightforward algorithm, as the number of nodes increases, the computation time decreases linearly until there are only a few elements in each node. We conclude by suggesting a technique to further increase the available concurrency when there are many more nodes than simulation elements.
Does Routine Imaging of Patients for Progression or Relapse Improve Survival in Rhabdomyosarcoma

Background Patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) who complete therapy typically undergo 4 years of surveillance imaging despite lack of evidence that this improves outcomes. We compared overall survival (OS) between patients in whom progression or relapse was detected by routine clinical evaluation or by imaging. Procedure Children with progressive or relapsed RMS treated at Texas Children's Hospital between 1992 and 2012 were identified and their records were reviewed. Survival time after progression or relapse was compared between two groups: (1) patients in whom progression or relapse was suspected on the basis of clinical history, symptoms, laboratory evaluation, or physical exam; and (2) patients whose progression or relapse was initially detected by imaging. Results Of the 43 children with progressive or relapsed RMS, 26 (60%) had metastatic disease at diagnosis and 19 (44%) had alveolar histology. With a median follow up time of 5 years in six survivors, there was no difference in OS between patients in whom progression or relapse was diagnosed based on imaging (n = 15) or by clinical evaluation (n = 28) (3-year OS 20% vs. 11%, respectively, P = 0.38). Disease extent, primary site, and risk group at diagnosis were associated with survival after progression or relapse. Conclusions Routine surveillance imaging practice should be critically reviewed for children with RMS. Although our findings must be validated by larger studies, they do have substantive implications. Reduced imaging tailored to the risk and pattern of recurrence, associated risks and cost could improve patient quality of life and decrease health-care expenditure without compromising outcome. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pulmonary vein isolation using the Rhythmia mapping system: Verification of intracardiac signals using the Orion mini-basket catheter

Background During pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), a circular lasso catheter is positioned at the junction between the left atrium (LA) and the pulmonary vein (PV) to confirm PVI. The Rhythmia mapping system uses the Orion mini-basket catheter with 64 electrodes instead of the lasso catheter. However, its feasibility to determine PVI has not been studied. Objective The purpose of this study was to compare signals between the mini-basket and lasso catheters at the LA-PV junction. Methods In 12 patients undergoing PVI using Rhythmia, the mini-basket and lasso catheters were placed simultaneously at the LA-PV junction for baseline and post-PVI signal assessment. Pacing from both catheters was performed to examine the presence of exit block. Results At baseline, recordings of LA and PV potentials were concordant in all PVs. However, after PVI, concordance between the catheters was only 68%. Discordance in all cases resulted from loss of PV potentials on the lasso catheter with persistence of PV potentials on the mini-basket catheter. In 9 of 13 PVs (69%), these potentials represented true PV potentials that were exclusively recorded with the smaller and closely spaced mini-basket electrodes. In the other 4 PVs (31%), these potentials originated from neighboring structures and resulted in underestimation of PVI. Conclusion The use of the mini-basket catheter alone is sufficient to determine PVI. While it improves recording of PV potentials after incomplete ablation, it is also associated with frequent recording of "PV-like" potentials originating from neighboring structures. In these cases, pacing maneuvers are helpful to determine PVI and avoid excessive ablation.
Low power via reduced switching activity and its application to PLAs

In this paper a systematic study of the expected switching activity (ESA) in combinational logic circuits is presented. Based on this study, a technique for reducing the power dissipation in two-level combinational logic is presented. The paper also discusses the switching activity in multilevel circuits. >
Molecular-dynamics simulation of the growth of strained-layer lattices

Simulation of strained-layer growth of two-dimensional Lennard-Jones crystal lattices has been performed using molecular dynamics. In particular, we have studied the influences of lattice mismatch and substrate temperature on the growth, from the vapor phase, of overlayer material possessing a different bulk lattice constant than that of the substrate material. Simulation results predict that at substrate temperatures less than 50% of melting, epitaxial growth occurs for mismatch values less than 4%, whereas above this value, defective growth is observed. At temperatures above 50% of the melt temperature, mass transport occurs across the layer interface and rapid diffusion is observed in the topmost atomic layers, resulting in liquidlike behavior in a thin layer over ordered crystal.
NONATTENDING RESPONDENT EFFECTS ON INTERNAL CONSISTENCY OF SELF-ADMINISTERED SURVEYS: A MONTE CARLO SIMULATION STUDY

This research investigated the effects of types and prevalence of response patterns that might be provided by nonattending respondents on Cronbach’s alpha. Three simulated data sets, one for each value of Cronbach’s alpha .700, .800, and .900, were constructed for 100 respondents on 50 one-to-seven Likert items. Participants were replaced randomly in each population by one of eight response patterns at 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% replacement levels. Effects were greater as a function of increased prevalence in the respondent group; however, as few as 5% of certain types of nonattending patterns had strong, inflating effects on alpha. Anyone who has observed a group of teachers called to an after-school meeting to complete a survey is likely to have seen great variation in their enthusiasm for completing the task. Also, when a group of students is asked to complete a survey in a classroom setting, similar variation is often observed. Individuals with low enthusiasm for completing the survey, for whatever reason, are most likely to be nonattending respondents. When we consider the widespread use of such surveys in educational measurement, this situation needs to be examined relative to effects on commonly used survey statistics, identification of such behavior, and possible removal from the data set. The issue of error or bias associated with attitude assessment has been discussed for the past several decades. Cronbach (1970) discussed two behaviors that bias responses, faking and acquiescence. Faking behavior is characterized by a respondent consciously providing invalid information such as
Human pathologic validation of left ventricular linear lesion formation guided by noncontact mapping.

Linear Lesions Guided by Noncontact Mapping. This case report describes the histopathologic findings associated with two left ventricular, linear radiofrequency lesions in a patient who underwent cardiac transplantation shortly after an ablation procedure for ventricular tachycardia. The lesions were created with conventional ablation equipment guided by a noncontact mapping system. The findings provide pathologic validation that continuous, linear lesions are feasible using a noncontact mapping system for guidance.
Effects of communication network and load parameters on information-embedded multi-converter shipboard power systems

Information-embedded multi-converter shipboard power systems are comprised of multiple independently operated converters that work together with electromechanical equipment. Their relations can produce a large variety of dynamic and static interactions that can lead to irregular behavior of a converter, a group of converters or the whole system. This inherent cross-regulation behavior may correspond to controller limit violations, which results in harmful operational situations during system disturbances. It is significant then to monitor the system during perturbations; their underlying dynamics exhibit trajectories that not only depend on their independent operation modes. Appropriate modeling is a key issue to power system analysis and warrants primary investigation. This paper addresses aspects of modeling and simulation of multi-converter based shipboard power systems with the inclusion of power electronic equipment dynamics and network control in the overall system model. The model behavior is evaluated with respect to changes in loading conditions and control parameters (local and network) and validated through simulation of a nonlinear observability formulation of the developed system model.
Carbon-13 magnetic resonance in studies of molecular dynamics and structure

The application of computer technology in carbon-13 magnetic resonance spectroscopy has resulted in much improved signal detection through Fourier transform and time averaging techniques. These advances have compensated for the less favourable gyromagnetic ratio and relatively low (1.1 per cent) natural abundance of the carbon-13 isotope, and carbon-13 magnetic resonance methodology may now be employed in a variety of chemical studies. Two very different applications are reviewed in this paper to illustrate the diversity of the method.
The new biochemistry: in praise of alternate curricula

Abstract The problem of what to include or exclude in designing a modern biochemistry course is becoming increasingly difficult to resolve. In this article, I suggest that the focus on which topics are to be covered is misplaced. Since factual information is rapidly forgotten, whereas skills can be retained, students would be better served if we designed our courses around those skill sets we desire our students to learn.
Reactions of Sulfido-Bridged Molybdenum Dimers with Diynes as a Route to Multinuclear Dithiolene Complexes

The bridging sulfido ligands in dunuclear molybdenum complexes of the formula (Me n CpMoμ-S) 2 S 2 CH 2 , where n = 0 or 1, react with alkynes to form alkenedithiolate complexes. These reactions have been extended to a seriesof diynes, including 2,4-hexadiyne, 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiyne, 1,3-diethynylbenzene, and 1,4-bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)benzene, to form bis(alkenedithiolate) complexes. The corresponding mono-adducts have also been synthesized by the reaction of the molybdenum dimer with the diyne in a 1:1 molar ratio. The new alkyne adducts have been characterized by spectroscopic techniques and cyclic voltammetry, and both the 1:1 and 2:1 adducts of 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiyne have been identified by X-ray structural determinations. Synthetic routes to a hexanuclear complex and higher molecular weight oligomers linked by alkenedithiolate ligands are also described. Tetranuclear complexes linked by the 1,3-dialkynes show two closely spaced oxidation waves in the cyclic voltammogram, suggesting a small degree of electronic communication between the dimers.
Demo: MadApp: Dynamic content support for delay-tolerant web applications

This paper showcases MadApp, an application-level development framework that supports the expressive development and flexible deployment of applications for web applications in delay-tolerant networks. MadApp allows web applications to be developed in two pieces. First, a static piece that contains unchanging content can be downloaded from a traditional web server. This static piece may specify “holes” that designate places in which dynamically collected content can be integrated into the web application as this content is opportunistically collected from the pervasive computing environment. MadApp supports both the development of these web applications by making is easy to specify this missing content and how it is dynamically integrated and the deployment of the web applications by providing middleware support for collecting and integrating content on the fly. This demonstration showcases how MadApp can be used to support such opportunistic web applications through a webpage integrated with the demonstration event itself. Users will be able to download a web page that contains a static map and a listing of the demonstrations. As users move through the demonstration space, they can generate content, e.g., photos of demonstrations, which their app will then share opportunistically with others in the exhibition space.
Political Participation: Does Religion Matter?

Verba, Schlozman, and Brady (1995) posit that variation in ethnic group political participation, while related to socioeconomic differences among them, is derived from the acquisition of civic skills through their associational memberships and, in particular, from their experiences in church. Catholic and Protestant churches were hypothesized to develop different levels of such skills, and Verba et al. suggested that the relatively low level of Latino political participation was explained by their predominantly Catholic affiliation. If Verba et al.'s argument is true, then we should see participatory differences within ethnic groups by denomination. An alternative hypothesis is that churches matter through their role as civic associations. In that case, denominational differences should not matter, but churchgoers should be more active than non-churchgoers. Examining the 1989-90 Latino National Political Survey and the 1990 ANES, we find that while denominational differences have some limited explanatory ...
A Student of History: Perspectives on the Contributions of Estelle Brodman

Purpose: This paper is a reflection on the contributions of Estelle Brodman, PhD, as a historian through her publications and activities in the areas of medical history and history of medical librarianship.
Dimensions of disinhibited personality and their relation with alcohol use and problems

Abstract Although alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have been associated with different aspects of disinhibited personality and antisociality, less is known about the specific relationships among different domains of disinhibited personality, antisociality, alcohol use, and alcohol problems. The current study was designed to address three goals, (i) to provide evidence of a three-factor model of disinhibited personality (comprised of impulsivity [IMP], risk taking/low harm avoidance [RTHA], excitement seeking [ES]), (ii) to test hypotheses regarding the association between each dimension and alcohol use and problems, and (iii) to test the hypothesis that antisociality (social deviance proneness [SDP]) accounts for the direct association between IMP and alcohol problems, while ES is directly related to alcohol use. Measures of disinhibited personality IMP, RTHA, ES and SDP and alcohol use and problems were assessed in a sample of young adults (N = 474), which included a high proportion of individuals with AUDs. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a three-factor model of disinhibited personality reflecting IMP, RTHA, and ES. A structural equation model (SEM) showed that IMP was specifically associated with alcohol problems, while ES was specifically associated with alcohol use. In a second SEM, SDP accounted for the majority of the variance in alcohol problems associated with IMP. The results suggest that aspects of IMP associated with SDP represent a direct vulnerability to alcohol problems. In addition, the results suggest that ES reflects a specific vulnerability to excessive alcohol use, which is then associated with alcohol problems, while RTHA is not specifically associated with alcohol use or problems when controlling for IMP and ES.
Zeaxanthin inhibits hypoxia-induced VEGF secretion by RPE cells through decreased protein levels of hypoxia-inducible factors-1α.

Hypoxia is the most important stimulus leading to upregulation of VEGF in the retina and this is caused by accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factors-1α (HIF-1α) protein. The effects of zeaxanthin, a natural phytochemical, on the VEGF and HIF-1α expression in the primary culture of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were studied. An in vitro RPE cell hypoxia model was established by placing cells under 1% oxygen pressure or by adding cobalt chloride (CoCl2) to the culture medium. RPE cells and conditioned media were collected from cultures treated with and without zeaxanthin under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. VEGF and HIF-1α protein and RNA levels were measured by ELISA kits and RT-PCR, respectively. Hypoxia caused a significant increase of VEGF expression and accumulation of HIF-1α in RPE cells. Zeaxanthin at 50–150 μM significantly inhibited the expression of VEGF and accumulation of HIF-1α protein caused by hypoxia but did not affect expression of VEGF and HIF-1α under normoxic conditions. This is the first report on the effect of zeaxanthin on VEGF and HIF-1α levels in cultured RPE cells and suggests that zeaxanthin may have potential value in the prevention and treatment of various retinal diseases associated with vascular leakage and neovascularization.
The Translation Issues in the Gender Inclusive Controversy

Abstract The recently published Today's New International Versionhas received some criticism, especially from The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, which argues that the TNIVhas gone beyond translation to interpretation in order to further feminist causes. The present author argues that the differences between the TNIVand NIVare standard translation issues, highlighting three key points with illustrations, establishing a case for the superiority of “gender inclusive” translations such as the TNIV. A bibliography for study on both sides is included.
Adaptive typography for dynamic mapping environments

When typography moves across a map, it passes over areas of different colors, densities, and textures. In such a dynamic environment, the aspect of typography must be constantly adapted to provide disernibility for every new background. Adaptive typography undergoes two adaptive operations: background control and contrast control. The background control prevents the features of the map (edges, lines, abrupt changes of densities) from destroying the integrity of the letterform. This is achieved by smoothing the features of the map in the area where a text label is displayed. The modified area is limited to the space covered by the characters of the label. Dispositions are taken to insure that the smoothing operation does not introduce any new visual noise. The contrast control assures that there are sufficient lightness differences between the typography and its ever-changing background. For every new situation, background color and foreground color are compared and the foreground color lightness is adjusted according to a chosen contrast value. Criteria and methods of choosing the appropriate contrast value are presented as well as the experiments that led to them.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
PATTERNS OF SPATIAL DISPERSION IN METROPOLITAN COMMUTING

The simultaneous impact of residential and employment decentralization in the form of multinucleations on patterns of commuting concentration and dispersion is examined for the Washington metropolitan area with 1980 data. Because of the area's generally white-collar labor force, the impact of segregated occupational groups is minimized and it is possible to examine strictly the spatial dimensions of commuting dispersion. Commuting becomes increasingly more dispersed from the center of the area to about 12 miles outward. Beyond that point, the patterns of commuting become considerably more complex, responding to a wide range of sizes of employment in a widely dispersed pattern of nucleations. In some sectors, commuting dispersion remains somewhat constant. In one sector, commuting patterns revert to some level of concentration, possibly responding to a somewhat unique situation of employment concentration along a corridor. These findings contribute to the recognition that tomorrow's transit structure canno...