cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estradiol selectively reduces central neural activation induced by hypertonic NaCl infusion in ovariectomized rats.

Abstract We recently reported that the latency to begin drinking water during slow, intravenous infusion of a concentrated NaCl solution was shorter in estradiol-treated ovariectomized rats compared to oil vehicle-treated rats, despite comparably elevated plasma osmolality. To test the hypothesis that the decreased latency to begin drinking is attributable to enhanced detection of increased plasma osmolality by osmoreceptors located in the CNS, the present study used immunocytochemical methods to label fos, a marker of neural activation. Increased plasma osmolality did not activate the subfornical organ (SFO), organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), or the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in either oil vehicle-treated rats or estradiol-treated rats. In contrast, hyperosmolality increased fos labeling in the area postrema (AP), the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) in both groups; however, the increase was blunted in estradiol-treated rats. These results suggest that estradiol has selective effects on the sensitivity of a population of osmo-/Na+-receptors located in the AP, which, in turn, alters activity in other central areas associated with responses to increased osmolality. In conjunction with previous reports that hyperosmolality increases blood pressure and that elevated blood pressure inhibits drinking, the current findings of reduced activation in AP, PVN, and RVLM—areas involved in sympathetic nerve activity—raise the possibility that estradiol blunts HS-induced blood pressure changes. Thus, estradiol may eliminate or reduce the initial inhibition of water intake that occurs during increased osmolality, and facilitate a more rapid behavioral response, as we observed in our recent study.
Differentiating traumatic from nontraumatic retinal detachment

Five hundred and eighty-six phakic retinal detachments were studied to characterize the features of 111 cases with a history of trauma and to establish improved guidelines for medico-legal determinations. Twenty-eight percent of contusion detachments were myopic, nine times higher than expected. Myopes typically developed giant tears and nasal dialyses (p less than 0.001); emmetropes developed inferotemporal dialyses (p less than 0.005). Lattice degeneration did not increase post-traumatic detachments risk. Dialyses and giant tears caused 69% of traumatic detachments and 6% of nontraumatic detachments (p less than 0.001). Forty-seven percent of contusion detachments had no late objective evidence of trauma. Five percent of detachments with a history of trauma were not caused by trauma (false positives).
An arctic hydrologic system in transition: Feedbacks and impacts on terrestrial, marine, and human life

[1] The pace of change in the arctic system during recent decades has captured the world's attention. Observations and model simulations both indicate that the arctic experiences an amplified response to climate forcing relative to that at lower latitudes. At the core of these changes is the arctic hydrologic system, which includes ice, gaseous vapor in the atmosphere, liquid water in soils and fluvial networks on land, and the freshwater content of the ocean. The changes in stores and fluxes of freshwater have a direct impact on biological systems, not only of the arctic region itself, but also well beyond its bounds. In this investigation, we used a heuristic, graphical approach to distill the system into its fundamental parts, documented the key relationships between those parts as best we know them, and identified the feedback loops within the system. The analysis illustrates relationships that are well understood, but also reveals others that are either unfamiliar, uncertain, or unexplored. The graphical approach was used to provide a visual assessment of the arctic hydrologic system in one possible future state in which the Arctic Ocean is seasonally ice free.
Evaluation of Asphalt Damage and Cracking Development with Seismic Pavement Analyzer

Fatigue cracking in asphalt pavements is an indicator of structural failure, and early detection of fatigue cracking would allow for improved preventive maintenance. The evaluation of cracking relies on the distress's being visible and possibly in advanced stages. Detection of load-related cracking at an early stage or before initiation is greatly needed. The portable seismic property analyzer (PSPA), a nondestructive device that monitors the change in modulus in pavement surface layers, was used in this study to measure the change in pavement stiffness response at the same time as the development of load-associated cracking. PSPA tests were conducted at the FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center accelerated loading facility on full-scale test pavements being subjected to repeated wheel loading to induce cracking. PSPA measurements taken at a predetermined number of loading passes were evaluated to find crack initiation or propagation. The patterns for the amount of modulus reduction before and afte...
Genetic variation in supernatant malate dehydrogenase of birds and reptiles.

Electrophoretic variants of supernatant malate dehydrogenase were found within populations of a brid (Pitohui kirhocephalus) and of a reptile (Chrysemys picta). Upon starch gel electrophoresis, tissue extracts from variant individuals exhibit three equally spaced bands of supernatant malate dehydrogenase activity, whose staining intensities are approximately in a ratio of 1:2:1. Normal individuals, on the other hand, exhibit a single major band which is identical in mobility with the fastest of the variant bands. Immunological tests show that the Pitohui and Chrysemys enzymes are homologous with the well-characterized supernatant malate dehydrogenase of the domestic chicken. These results along with those obtained on other species imply that birds, reptiles, mammals, and certain invertebrates may possess a single locus coding for supernatant malate dehydrogenase. By contrast, some species of fishes and invertebrates possess multiple loci for this enzyme. A notable feature of the present investigation was the use of phenoxyethanol for extracting malate dehydrogenases from bird tissues. Extracts were prepared simply by soaking tissue in an aqueous solution of this reagent, no homogenization or centrifugation being required.
Estimating the frequency of price re-optimization in Calvo-style models

Abstract This paper assesses the empirical performance Calvo style models of price re-optimization. We first show that versions of these models in which firms update non-re-optimized prices to lagged inflation account well for the statistical behavior of post-war U.S. inflation rates. We then investigate whether these models imply plausible degrees of inertia in price setting behavior by firms. They do, but only if we depart from two standard auxiliary assumptions: monopolistically competitive firms face a constant elasticity of demand, and capital is homogeneous and can be instantaneously reallocated after a shock. We develop a version of the model in which these assumptions are relaxed and show that it is consistent with the view that firms re-optimize prices, on average, once every two quarters.
Electron microscopy study of sputtered NbN films

Abstract The microstructure of sputtered NbN thin films (1–3 μm thick) has been analyzed by transmission electron microscopy utilizing transverse sections. The micrographs reveal that the films consist of columnar grains of predominantly FCC NbN, oriented with a ang;111«ng; direction normal to the substrate. These grains are surrounded by intergranular regions of unkown composition which are 10–30 A in width, and the average grain diameter increases linearly as a function of distance from the film/sapphire substrate interface. The new and surprising result is that films grown under different sputtering conditions, which exhibit vastly different superconducting properties, have essentially identical grain size and shape. However, defects have been observed within the grains and their density correlates well with the transition temperature Tc and the slope of the upper critical field at Tc.
Fuzzy Validation and Fusion for Wireless Sensor Networks

Miniaturized, distributed, networked sensors — called motes — promise to be smaller, less expensive and more versatile than other sensing alternatives. While these motes may have less individual reliability, high accuracy for the overall system is still desirable. Sensor validation and fusion algorithms provide a mechanism to extract pertinent information from massively sensed data and identify incipient sensor failures. Fuzzy approaches have proven to be effective and robust in challenging sensor validation and fusion applications. The algorithm developed in this paper — called mote-FVF (fuzzy validation and fusion) — uses a fuzzy approach to define the correlation among sensor readings, assign a confidence value to each of them, and perform a fused weighted average. A sensor network implementing mote-FVF for monitoring the illuminance in a dimmable fluorescent lighting environment empirically demonstrates the timely response of the algorithm to sudden changes in normal operating conditions while correctly isolating faulty sensor readings.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Questionnaire Survey Nonresponse: A Comparison of Postal Mail and Internet Surveys

Rapid advances in computer technology, and more specifically the Internet, have spurred the use of the Internet surveys for data collection. However, there are some concerns about low response rates in studies that use the Internet as a medium. The question is whether the lessons learned in the past decades to improve rates in postal mail surveys can also be applied to increase response rates in Internet surveys. After all, the Internet is a completely new medium with its own “rules” and even its own (n)etiquette. This article examines 29 studies that directly compared different survey modes (postal mail, fax, e-mail, and Web-based surveys) with more than 15,000 respondents. Factors that can increase response rates and response quality when using Internet surveys, compared to mail surveys, are discussed. Finally, the research that can contribute to increase response rates in Internet surveys is examined.
Numerical study of the electrical double‐layer repulsion between non‐parallel clay particles of finite length

SUMMARY The study presented herein concerns the double-layer repulsive force that exists between clay particles in a clay-water-clectrolyte system. The objective is to examine the nature of the double-layer repulsive force between two negatively charged clay particles that are inclined to each other and have finite length. The finite element numerical technique is used first to determine the spatial distribution of the electric potential. The net repulsive force and its location are then evaluated from this known distribution of the potential on the basis of the theory of electrostatics. A systematic parametric study is performed by varying certain dimensionless system variables, particularly to investigate the effect of orientation, surface potential and particle length. It is found that for non-parallel orientation, as the value of inclination and surface potential increase, the repulsive force decreases and its location shifts towards the particle ends that are closer to each other.
THE ACTION OF SULFONAMIDES ON THE RESPIRATION OF BACTERIA AND YEAST : INHIBITION OF BACTERIAL AND YEAST CARBOXYLASES BY SULFONAMIDE DRUGS STRUCTURALLY RELATED TO COCARBOXYLASE.

The inhibiting effects of sulfonamide drugs and their derivatives on the anaerobic decarboxylation of pyruvic acid by Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, baker's and brewer's yeast, and a carboxylase preparation from brewer's yeast have been investigated. These drugs are: sulfanilamide, sulfapyridine, sulfadiazine, sulfamethyldiazine, sulfathiazole, sulfamethylthiazole, sulfanilamido-5-ethyl-4-thiazolone, 2-aminopyrimidine, 2-aminothiazole, and 2-aminopyridine. The sulfathiazole ring appears to exercise decidedly greater specific inhibiting effect on the carboxylases of Staph. aureus and E. coli. The inhibiting effect on yeast carboxylase is non-differentiable among all the substances tried, except sulfamethyldiazine which is completely ineffective on the carboxylases of the organisms studied. The specific inhibitory effect of sulfathiazole on the carboxylases of Staph. aureus and E. coli in comparison to sulfanilamide, sulfapyridine, and sulfadiazine is in harmony with in vivo and in vitro experimental results of other investigators. The results of the present investigation appear to support the hypothesis (1) that sulfonamides exert their bacteriostatic action through chemical affinity for the carrier proteins of certain respiratory enzymes of the bacterial cell, and that this affinity may in part be related to structural similarity between components of the drugs and the corresponding respiratory coenzymes.
Sebastian Platelet Syndrome: A Hereditary Macrothrombocytopenia

Sebastian platelet syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by macrothrombocytopenia with granulocyte inclusions similar to those in patients with Fechtner platelet syndrome but without evidence of hereditary nephritis and sensorineural hearing loss that characterizes the latter. Although by light microscopy the granulocyte inclusions in these disorders appear morphologically similar to those found in May-Hegglin anomaly, another autosomal dominant macrothrombocytopenia, by electron microscopy the inclusions are distinct. Studies of platelet function usually suggest normal or near-normal platelet function, although mild bleeding symptoms can be associated with each of these disorders. We describe a 38-year-old woman and her 11-year-old daughter who presented with lifelong histories of mild thrombocytopenia and easy bruising. Detailed hemostatic studies showed prolonged bleeding times in the child and the mother, with the child having absent secondary wave platelet aggregation responses to epinephrine, also reflected by testing with the platelet function analyzer (PFA-100 device). The mother's hemostatic studies were normal including platelet aggregometry, PFA-100 testing, and platelet flow cytometry. By light microscopy the blood smears of both individuals showed neutrophil inclusions, and their platelets were mildly enlarged but were not giant. Electron microscopy showed the neutrophil inclusions seen in classic Sebastian platelet syndrome or Fechtner platelet syndrome. These 2 cases expand the description of Sebastian platelet syndrome to include individuals with large but not giant platelets and mild or minimal thrombocytopenia. The differential diagnosis of hereditary thrombocytopenias is reviewed briefly.
Policy responses to stratospheric ozone depletion1

Abstract A study of the collective regulation of chemicals which threaten the stratospheric ozone layer sheds light on the questions of how states recognize problems which had not previously been clearly indicated, the politics of actual standard setting, and the role of scientific understanding. Costly choices have been made without absolute scientific confirmation of environmental risk. This process was driven by the interplay of three interrelated sets of forces: knowledge, international politics, and technological innovation. Each may be necessary but insufficient to explain the outcome. Key in this case has been the role of an ecological epistemic community — a knowledge-based transnational network of specialists — whose members shared common views about the causes of the phenomenon and the policies which should be taken to manage it. This group was largely responsible for identifying and popularizing the problem's existence, and for selecting policy choices for its management.
Dynamics of Water near a Protein Surface

In this paper, we develop a model for the dynamics of water near a protein surface and compare with experimental results obtained with femtosecond resolution. The model consists of a layer of bound and free water molecules at the surface of the protein in dynamic equilibrium with each other, coupled to bulk water away from the protein surface. A previous model (Pal et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2002, 106, 12376) considered the exchange in the layer without the coupling to the bulk. We find that water dynamics at the protein surface are described by two time scales, a fast, bulklike time scale, and a slower one more than 1 order of magnitude longer. The slow time scale, as in the previous model, is shown to be inversely proportional to the bound-to-free water conversion rate, k_2, but with a significant dependence on the free-to-bound conversion rate k_1, the diffusion of the free water molecules, and the thickness of the layer. This effect, identified as the feedback mechanism, is found to depend on the degree of orientation of the bound water molecules at the surface. The weight of the contribution of the slow component to the overall relaxation dynamics is shown to be inversely proportional to the slow decay time. For a heterogeneous surface with spatially varying k_2, the water dynamics in a probe region covering several sites is described by the cumulated effects from these water molecules, with the slow dynamics given by a sum of exponentials, with contributions inversely proportional to their respective decay times. To a very good degree, we find that this exponential behavior can be fitted to a single exponential; however, the apparent time scale does not represent that of any particular site. These conclusions are in good agreement with experimental results and provide important insight to the observed dynamical behavior.
The mediating influence of work–family conflict and the moderating influence of gender on employee outcomes

Finding a balance between work and home continues to be a challenge for many employees. The influence of work–family conflict both from work interfering with family (WIF) and from family interfering with work (FIW) on employee outcomes is not well understood. Although substantial empirical research supports the general view that work–family conflict results from employees having conflicting roles, many previous studies examine work–family conflict and outcomes in the same, or ‘matching’ domains. Some studies on work conflict also have found cross domain outcomes that are largely unexplained. This research addresses this gap in the field by developing and testing the hypothesis that cross domain relationships will be mediated by conflict in the matching domains. Specifically, this study proposes that WIF mediates the relationship between FIW and four employee work outcomes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior and task performance), and that FIW mediates the rela...
AGU Council and Other Union Leaders Meet in San Francisco

On 9 December, the chairs of the focus groups met with Union officers to discuss common concerns, in particular, ways to assure that all members can participate fully in AGU activities regardless of their primary scientific affiliation with the Union. The chairs of the policy committees joined the others and discussed programmatic priorities for the coming 6–12 months. At the Council Forum later that day, the full Council and the focus group chairs discussed the items to be considered for Council action on 14 December. During the Forum, Executive Director Fred Spilhaus reported on the surveys he had been asked to conduct related to AGU's practice of not publishing the actual election counts.
Solving minimum norm problems using penalty functions and the gradient method

Abstract We use a penalty function approach and the gradient method to solve minimum norm problems. A class of penalty functions is introduced that allows one to transform constrained optimization minimum norm problems to unconstrained optimization problems. The sharp bound on the weight parameter is given for which constrained and unconstrained problems are equivalent. We also give a computationally efficient bound on the weight parameter. Numerical examples and computer simulations illustrate the results obtained.
Study of pair correlation in three‐electron atoms

Pair correlation in the ground state of the Li isoelectronic sequence is studied through four approximate wave functions which incorporate inter- and intrashell pair correlation. Of these functions, two possess symmetry appropriate to a three-electron system, while two do not. The functions are not variational functions in the usual sense. They are instead fixed linear combinations of products of orbitals and pair functions for the appropriate states of two-electron atoms. They are considered here as zero-order approximations to the exact wave functions, and the corresponding zero-order Hamiltonians are obtained. The simplest of these functions is improved by the introduction of a screening parameter for the “outer” electron. This latter function is found to be a satisfactory compromise between accuracy and simplicity and is proposed for study via higher-order perturbation theory.
A Practical Guide to Logical Data Modeling

Provides both the seasoned and novice designer with an understanding of logical data modeling - the stepping stone to structuring viable software systems. The basics of data modeling are presented in this guide, focusing on entity-relationships - the most popular modeling approach in use today. Explanations of how to incorporate popular CASE tools into object-oriented, semantic and relational methods are also included. The author uses a best-practices approach, providing guidelines that make it possible to customize modeling to suit the specific needs of each practioner. He also provides an thorough explanation of the technique behind each methodology and tool.
Goblet cell carcinoid of the appendix

background : Over the past 15 years, a variant of appendiceal carcinoid has been recognized which is not widely known to the general surgeon. This tumor, variously labeled adenocarcinoid or goblet cell carcinoid, has a more aggressive natural history than classic appendiceal carcinoids and requires a different surgical approach. patients and methods : A survey of the tumor registries of 10 hospitals identified 7 female and 2 male patients with goblet cell carcinoid of the appendix between 1983 and 1993. The clinical data of these patients were reviewed. results : Median age was 58 years (range 31 to 73). Clinical presentation followed two distinct patterns: acute onset suggestive of appendicitis or chronic symptoms associated with a pelvic mass. In no case was the diagnosis suspected preoperatively or established intraoperatively. Four patients with discrete distal appendiceal tumors treated with appendectomy are alive without evidence of disease 2 to 11 years since their diagnoses. The 5 patients with diffuse appendiceal involvement all had intra-abdominal metastases. Four are dead of disease at intervals from 5 months to 2 years postdiagnosis. conclusions : Goblet cell carcinoids are a distinct clinical and pathologic entity with variable malignant potential. Patients with diffuse appendiceal involvement require aggressive surgery as part of multimodal therapy.
Vertically integrated waveguide polarization splitters using polymers

Design considerations, fabrication procedures, and experimental results are presented for vertically integrated waveguide polarization splitters. These devices separate the TE and TM polarizations onto different vertical levels of a three-dimensionally integrated optic circuit. This provides increased integration density for polarization diverse structures. The vertical polarization splitters utilize birefringent polymer materials to create an adiabatic structure. Experimental results yielded extinction ratios as high as 22 and 12 dB for TE and TM polarizations, respectively.
Facilitating Retention through Instruction about Text Structure

In an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of instruction in the use of text structure for comprehending and recalling textual information, ninety college students received one of three treatments. They received either a brief description of the organization of a text immediately prior to reading the text, after reading but before recalling the text, or they received no text-organization instruction. Research report and journalism structures were employed. For both text structures, subjects who received instruction prior to reading performed better on a delayed free recall test than subjects who received instruction prior to recall or than subjects who received no instruction. Subjects who received instruction prior to reading also had better recognition scores than subjects who received instruction prior to recall. Instruction prior to recall had no facilitative effect relative to the no-instruction control treatment. The research report structure led to better performance than the journalism structu...
Is fair allocation always inefficient

This paper describes the tradeoff between fairness criteria of different allocation policies and throughput in a general network. A class of utility functions parameterized by a scalar defines a bandwidth allocation policy. An allocation is fair if the scalar is large and efficient if the aggregate source rate is large. The conjecture depends on the network topology in terms of routing and link capacities. A fairer allocation is always more efficient.
Behavioral toxicologic assessment of the neurologic effect of lead in sheep.

Two experiments using adult female sheep were conducted to investigate the behavioral toxicologic effects of oral doses of lead. Eight sheep were trained to depress a pedal following the presentation of an auditory signal. Four sheep were dosed with 100 mg lead/kg daily for nine weeks and four served as unexposed controls. After four weeks the difference between the number of correct responses on successive days was significantly more variable in the lead-dosed sheep. After nine weeks, the dosed animals achieved significantly fewer percent correct responses. The performance of three groups of five sheep was tested n a fixed interval schedule of reinforcement. The mean blood lead levels were 0.064, 0.171, and 0.302 ppm for the control, low, and high lead-fed groups. There was no significant difference between the number of reinforcements achieved by the three groups. There was no significant difference between the number of pedal responses of the control versus low lead and or control versus high lead. The difference in the mean number of pedal presses between the low lead (anti x = 132) and high lead (anti x = 112) was significant at P < 0.05. This difference was attributed to chance. 19 references, 4 figures,more » 5 tables.« less
Electro-optic polymer waveguide ring resonators defined with three electron beam irradiation effects

With increasing doses, irradiation of electron beam on chromophore doped polymers has the effects of depoling, bleaching and decomposition, which were exploited to directly fabricate high quality electro-optic polymer ring resonators with submicron features.
ASKING MORE AND BETTER QUESTIONS: OLMEC ARCHAEOLOGY FOR THE NEXT KATUN

The two decades since the publication of Regional Perspectives on the Olmec have seen a great expansion of basic archaeological research in the “Olmec heartland” region of Mexico's southern Gulf lowlands as well as important new work on Formative period interregional interaction and its effects on local economies and polities. Olmec research, however, has not achieved as prominent a place as it merits in comparative research on the evolution of social complexity. In this essay I review this work and make some suggestions for future research directions.
Judicial Reform and Economic Development: A Survey of the Issues

Acknowledging the importance of sound judicial systems to good governance and economic growth, the World Bank and several other donor organizations have funded judicial reform projects in more than two dozen developing countries and transition economies during the past few years. Yet little is known about the actual effect of judicial reform on economic performance or even about what elements constitute a sound reform project. This article surveys a wide range of current studies on judicial reform and finds some surprising results. Judicial reform is part of a larger effort to make the legal systems in developing countries and transition economies more market friendly. This broader legal reform movement encompasses everything from writing or revising commercial codes, bankruptcy statutes, and company laws through overhauling regulatory agencies and teaching justice ministry officials how to draft legislation that fosters private investment.
Experiences in Creating an OSCAR Package for mpiBLAST

Allowing computationally expensive database queries to be performed in parallel, mpiBLAST is an increasingly popular software tool for researchers in biology and bioinformatics. After struggling though a manual installation of mpiBLAST on an OSCAR cluster, our group wanted to simplify the task. This paper describes the process of creating the mpiBLAST OSCAR package
Structures of Yeast ARF2 and ARL1 DISTINCT ROLES FOR THE N TERMINUS IN THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF ARF FAMILY GTPases

Next Section Abstract Structures were determined by x-ray crystallography for two members of the ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) family of regulatory GTPases, yeast ARF1 and ARL1, and were compared with previously determined structures of human ARF1 and ARF6. These analyses revealed an overall conserved fold but differences in primary sequence and length, particularly in an N-terminal loop, lead to differences in nucleotide and divalent metal binding. Packing of hydrophobic residues is central to the interplay between the N-terminal α-helix, switch I, and the interswitch region, which along with differences in surface electrostatics provide explanations for the different biophysical and biochemical properties of ARF and ARF-like proteins.
Circuit failure prediction to overcome scaled CMOS reliability challenges

Circuit failure prediction predicts the occurrence of a circuit failure before errors actually appear in system data and states. This is in contrast to traditional error detection where a failure is detected after errors appear in system data and states. Circuit failure prediction can be performed in multiple ways -the basic principle is to insert a wide variety of "sensors" at various locations inside a chip. These sensors collect information about various system parameters over time concurrently during normal system operation or during periodic on-line self-test.
Quadratic equations and applications to Chandrasekhar's and related equations

A new technique, using the contraction mapping theorem, for solving quadratic equations in Banach space is introduced. The results are then applied to solve Chandrasekhar's integral equation and related equations without the usual positivity assumptions.
Mobility Support for Geo-Encryption

We propose a protocol to support mobility for geo-encryption by allowing mobile nodes to exchange movement parameters, so that a sender is able to geo-encrypt messages to a moving decryption zone that contains a mobile node's estimated location. We also present methods for estimating the node's movement parameters to allow for geo-encryption. Finally, we evaluate our model by measuring the induced overhead to the network and its performance in terms of decryption ratio.
CONTRACT, COVENANT, CONSTITUTION

INTRODUCTION The authority that states claim for themselves is so sweeping and unaccommodating to challengers that, absent a compelling justificatory account, it verges on despotism. An imaginative story offering a less heavy-handed representation of the state will, therefore, be welcome. In the liberal tradition, the protagonist of that story has usually been social contract . There are, of course, numerous variations on the contract narrative, but in each the state is deemed to be not the master but rather the creation of individual citizens. More precisely, to the extent that the state does exercise mastery, it does so in virtue of a status freely conferred on it by those over whom rule is exercised. The social contract story yields several morals. First, it implies that private citizens are not the mere chattels of their rulers; they are not slaves or unemancipated minors or inferiors by nature. Rather, they are self-determining agents who have exited the state of nature and formed a civil order through an exercise of their own wills. Second, the state is in the service of its citizens. It owes them those performances for the sake of which it was created. Third, the bounds of obedience are not without limit. Should the regime fail to uphold the terms of the social contract, it can justifiably be cashiered. Running through the narrative, then, is a commitment to the dignity of ordinary human beings.
Stroke as a late treatment effect of Hodgkin's Disease: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

Purpose The objectives of this report are to examine the incidence of and risk factors for stroke among childhood Hodgkin's disease (HD) survivors. Patients and Methods The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study is a multi-institutional cohort study of more than 5-year cancer survivors diagnosed between 1970 and 1986 and a sibling comparison group. Incidence rates of stroke among HD survivors (n = 1,926) and siblings (n = 3,846) were calculated and compared. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios, reported as relative risks (RR), of developing stroke between HD survivors and siblings. Results Nine siblings reported a stroke, for an incidence of 8.00 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 3.85 to 14.43 per 100,000 person-years). Twenty-four HD survivors reported a stroke. The incidence of late-occurring stroke among HD survivors was 83.6 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 54.5 to 121.7 per 100,000 person-years). The RR of stroke among HD survivors was 4.32 (95% CI, 2.01 to 9.29; P = .00...
Clinician Practice Patterns: Linking to Community Resources for Childhood Aggression

Creating links to community resources for childhood aggression is one component of office-based violence prevention. Evidence is lacking regarding the effect of training clinicians to make these referrals and families' responses to them. Clinicians who received training (n=47) and parents (1093) were queried on the provision of referrals immediately after the visit. Fewer than half of clinicians (45%) reported making a community referral. A third of providers (37%) noted difficulty in identifying local resources. Training clinicians to utilize community resources for childhood aggression does not often result in creating community links for this purpose.
The multiple minimum problem in molecular modeling. Tree searching internal coordinate conformational space

A general algorithm is described which exhaustively searches conformational space using an internal coordinate tree search. Using only geometrical operations and a set of criteria for eliminating chemically unreasonable structures, the algorithm generates starting geometries for optimization by molecular mechanics. An implementation of this algorithm is exceedingly fast and finds all known minima, as well as several new ones, for four test alkanes. This method makes feasible global conformational searches for molecules with up to 109 conformational possibilities.
Development of a Unified Design, Test, and Research Platform for Wind Energy Systems Based on Hardware-in-the-Loop Real-Time Simulation

Traditionally, offline modeling and simulation has been the tool of choice for improving wind energy system control strategies and their utility system integration. This paper exploits how a newly established real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test facility, which is designed for testing all-electric ship propulsion systems, can be utilized for wind energy research. The test site uses two 2.5-MW/220-rpm dynamometers and a 5-MW variable voltage and frequency converter to emulate a realistic dynamic environment, both mechanically and electrically. The facility is controlled by a digital real-time electric power system simulator that is capable of simulating electrical networks and control systems of substantial complexity, typically with a 50-mus time step. Substantial input/output allows the feedback of measured quantities into the simulation. A 15-kW mock-up motor-generator set is used to demonstrate some critical aspects of the concept including the implementation of a proposed neural-network-based sensorless maximum wind energy capture control. From the dynamic test results presented, it is concluded that the proposed system shows great potential for the development of a unified wind energy design, test, and research platform
A taxonomy for player actions with latency in network games

The degradation of player performance in network games with latency is well documented. However, quantifying the effects of latency on player individual actions is an unmet challenge. Under constrained bitrate conditions, player actions delayed on the client add additional latency, so network game developers need tools to help prioritize the sending of player actions. This paper presents a taxonomy for player actions with latency in network games, where player actions are defined by their precision, deadline & impact. The effects of latency along each dimension of the taxonomy are analyzed through extensive experiments with a custom 2d game. Efficacy of the taxonomy in game development is illustrated by experiments that show improved player performance when prioritizing player actions based on their expected impact derived from the taxonomy dimensions.
Church News Releases

Abstract Omnipresent daily and weekly newspapers have been underutilized by churches and religious organizations when faced with the task of generating publicity for their programs. This paper provides practical guidelines that will enhance the possibility that news from such sources will get printed in the media. The advantages of preparing news releases that follow acceptable newspaper writing standards (such as accurate, complete, and objective) will be discussed. Recommendations are also made about the preparation of the actual release (always typed, double-spaced, with a contact person listed for additional information).
Rejection-band improvement for gain- and phase-constrained high-pass filters

A technique was developed for the design of digital FIR filters that are constrained in transfer gain and phase. One application of this technique is to produce a filter that selectively cancels low frequency return, such as surface clutter from a ground-based radar, and to provide a desired transfer delay that is uniform for all unattenuated frequency components (i.e., a specific linear phase in the passband). This has application, at least, to Doppler-weather radar processing with a short-burst waveform in the presence of ground clutter. In practice, the design technique requires a compromise between the control of the gain response and the minimization of distortions in the delay response. The technique can be modified, however, to provide improved gain and delay responses simultaneously. This paper describes the existing technique and the suggested improvement.
A Rapid High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Method for the Simultaneous Quantitation of Aspirin, Salicylic Acid, and Caffeine in Effervescent Tablets

A rapid reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure is developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitation of aspirin, salicylic acid, and caffeine extracted from an effervescent tablet. The method uses a Hypersil C18 column (5 micro m, 15 cm x 4.6 mm) for an isocratic elution in a water-methanol-acetic acid mobile phase at a wavelength of 275 nm. The tablets' buffering effects and acid neutralizing capacity require an extraction solvent of methanol-formic acid. The range of linearity for aspirin is 0.5-1.25 mg/mL, caffeine 0.065-0.195 mg/mL, and salicylic acid 0.4-6.0% of aspirin. The overall recovery is 100.2%, 100.7%, and 99.2% for aspirin, caffeine, and salicylic acid, respectively. Under the conditions of the method, aspirin, caffeine, and salicylic acid are adequately resolved with proper peak symmetry in less than 7 min.
Apparent competition: an impact of exotic shrub invasion on tree regeneration

Invasion of habitats by exotic shrubs is often associated with a decrease in the abundance of native species, particularly trees. This is typically interpreted as evidence for direct resource competition between the invader and native species. However, this may also reflect indirect impacts of the exotic shrubs through harboring high densities of seed predators––known as apparent competition. Here I present data from separate seed predation experiments conducted with two shrub species exotic to North America; Rosa multiflora, an invader of abandoned agricultural land, and Lonicera maackii, an invader of disturbed or secondary forest habitats. Both experiments showed significantly greater risks of seed predation for tree seeds located under shrub canopies when compared to open microhabitats within the same site. These results indicate the potential importance of indirect impacts of exotic species invasions on native biota in addition to the direct impacts that are typically the focus of research.
Effectiveness Of QuikSCAT's Ultra-High Resolution Images in Determining Tropical Cyclone Eye Location

The 25 km resolution standard wind products (L2B) are available operationally in near-real time from SeaWinds on QuikSCAT. This relatively low resolution can be enhanced to yield a 2.5 km ultra-high resolution (UHR) product that can be used to identify hurricane eye centers more accurately. A comparison is made between the analyst's choice of eye location based on UHR images and interpolated best-track position. In this analysis, the UHR images are divided into two categories based on the analyst's confidence level of finding the eye center location. In each category, statistical error quantities are computed. UHR images within the high-confidence category can provide, for a given year and basin, mean error distance as small as 15 km with a 9 km standard deviation. The use of these categories may facilitate the realization of QuikSCAT's effectiveness in helping to identify and track hurricane eye centers.
Bounds on net lengths for high-speed PCBs

In this paper, a methodology for computation of PCB and MCM net length bounds consistent with timing and noise constraints has been introduced. The length of lines and their segments is derived first from equations based on semiempirical formulas and these values of length are used as initial values for AWE-based simulation. For the simulated length of line, the delay at receivers is presented by multivariable Taylor series with respect to length of segments for multi-pin nets. Partial derivatives for this representation are computed numerically on AWE simulation step. Resulting linear delay functions are used in linear programming formulation to find maximal lengths consistent with timing bounds. This work will help to reduce a number of iterations in PCB and MCM design and thus influence a length of design cycle and quality of solutions.
Junctions: detection, classification, and reconstruction

Junctions are important features for image analysis and form a critical aspect of image understanding tasks such as object recognition. We present a unified approach to detecting, classifying, and reconstructing junctions in images. Our main contribution is a modeling of the junction which is complex enough to handle all these issues and yet simple enough to admit an effective dynamic programming solution. We use a template deformation framework along with a gradient criterium to detect radial partitions of the template. We use the minimum description length principle to obtain the optimal number of partitions that best describes the junction. The Kona detector presented by Parida et al. (1997) is an implementation of this model. We demonstrate the stability and robustness of the detector by analyzing its behavior in the presence of noise, using synthetic/controlled apparatus. We also present a qualitative study of its behavior on real images.
Hepatic Resection for Metastatic Colon and Rectal Cancer

From 1974 to 1987, 48 patients received liver resection for hepatic metastases mainly from colorectal cancer. The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 23.6% in overall cases. The subset of colorectal patients whose primary lesions and also hepatic metastases were curatively removed had a 5-year survival rate of 24.5%. No significant differences in survival rate were noted in the number and size of metastases, time interval from the initial operation to the second operation for metastases (synchronous versus metachronous) and the extent of the operation. Autopsies after unsuccessful hepatic resection for metastases from colorectal cancer showed very few localized hepatic relapses (9.5%), which indicates that surgery alone is an inadequate form of therapy and adjuvant therapy should be considered.
Abstract 1090: NR2F1 coordinates a dormancy program by inducing low self-renewal capacity and a repressive chromatin state.

Clinical studies have shown that solitary disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in distant organs can be detected years after treatment of primary tumors. This has led to the notion that these solitary DTCs must enter a non-proliferative state or cellular dormancy. This may also hold true for residual tumor cells left behind in loco-regional sites after surgery. Unfortunately, the mechanisms regulating the timing of dormancy and the awakening of DTCs to fuel recurrences are unknown. Similarly, tools to stably induce dormancy of residual disease are unavailable. Here we show that transient differentiation signals propagated by treatment (3-4 days) with retinoic acid (atRA) along with the DNA demethylating agent 5-Aza-C reprogrammed malignant cells into dormancy for remarkably long periods of time (weeks). This reprogramming was associated with upregulation of the orphan nuclear receptor NR2F1/COUP-TF1 and other genes included in a gene signature previously linked to dormancy and late metastasis in breast patients. Importantly, the reprogramming was dependent on NR2F1, which is also silenced in breast and HNSCC tumors, cell lines and mouse cancer models. NR2F1-induced dormancy was associated with a global repressive chromatin state characterized by a H3K27-/K9-me3high/H3K4-me3/H3K27aclow profile. In both breast and HNSCC models NR2F1 blocked self-renewal extinguishing tumor initiating cell subpopulations. Tracking label retaining H2B-GFP cells, gain and loss of function studies showed that NR2F1-induced quiescence occurs via upregulation of SOX9, RARβ and CDK inhibitors. Importantly, inducible shRNAmir-mediated knock down of NR2F1 revealed that it mediates dormancy of occult loco-regional, spleen and lung DTCs, but not of dormant bone marrow DTCs. We conclude that the ability of NR2F1 to limit self-renewal and promote quiescence is key to dormancy induction. Manipulation of such mechanisms via epigenetic and differentiation therapies might represent a strategy to generate induced dormant cancer cells (iDCs) and maintain or eliminate asymptomatic residual disease. Citation Format: Maria S. Sosa, Yeriel Estrada, Falguni Parikh, Almudena Bosch Gutierrez, Yang Zheng, Paloma Bragado, Esther Ekpin, Ajish George, Eduardo Farias, Julio Aguirre-ghiso. NR2F1 coordinates a dormancy program by inducing low self-renewal capacity and a repressive chromatin state. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1090. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1090