cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FOOD OF WEDDELL SEALS AT McMURDO SOUND, ANTARCTICA

Stomach contents of 44 Weddell seals taken at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, were examined. Fishes occurred in 97% of the stomachs that contained any food. Mysids, decapod crustaceans, amphipods and cephalopods were the in- vertebrate prey taken most frequently. All specimens examined were heavily in- fested with nematodes and cestodes, a condition related to the predominantly fish diet of this seal. INTRODUCrION During field studies of marine benthic invertebrates at McMurdo Sound, 1958 to 1961, the stomach contents of 44 adult Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddelli (Lesson), were examined. This report describes the items of food taken by these seals and discusses these data in terms of published knowledge of the food habits of this species. Of the four truly Antarctic pinnipeds, the Weddell seal occurs farthest south. Its principal habitat is the fast sea ice or grounded ice along the coast. The species is circumpolar (Scheffer, 1958) and is found throughout the year near the United States McMurdo Station (77?51' S, 166?39' E) at McMurdo Sound in the southwestern Ross Sea. During the summer in this region seals use open leads and holes in the sea ice. In winter they live beneath the ice and utilize small blow holes or air in pockets under pressure ice. Although considerable literature relates to Antarctic seals there is much to learn of the ecology of individual species (Turbott, 1952, 1956; Gilmore, 1961). For information about the Weddell seal at McMurdo Sound, the best general source remains Wilson's (1907) account. To date, however, there has been little specific information available on the food habits of this species. ABSTRACT: Stomach contents of 44 Weddell seals taken at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, were examined. Fishes occurred in 97% of the stomachs that contained any food. Mysids, decapod crustaceans, amphipods and cephalopods were the in- vertebrate prey taken most frequently. All specimens examined were heavily in- fested with nematodes and cestodes, a condition related to the predominantly fish diet of this seal. INTRODUCrION During field studies of marine benthic invertebrates at McMurdo Sound, 1958 to 1961, the stomach contents of 44 adult Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddelli (Lesson), were examined. This report describes the items of food taken by these seals and discusses these data in terms of published knowledge of the food habits of this species. Of the four truly Antarctic pinnipeds, the Weddell seal occurs farthest south. Its principal habitat is the fast sea ice or grounded ice along the coast. The species is circumpolar (Scheffer, 1958) and is found throughout the year near the United States McMurdo Station (77?51' S, 166?39' E) at McMurdo Sound in the southwestern Ross Sea. During the summer in this region seals use open leads and holes in the sea ice. In winter they live beneath the ice and utilize small blow holes or air in pockets under pressure ice.
SWEB: towards a scalable World Wide Web server on multicomputers

We investigate the issues involved in developing a scalable World Wide Web (WWW) server on a cluster of workstations and parallel machines. The objective is to strengthen the processing capabilities of such a server by utilizing the power of multicomputers to match huge demands in simultaneous access requests from the Internet. We have implemented a system called SWEB on a distributed memory machine, the Meiko CS-2, and networked workstations. The scheduling component of the system actively monitors the usages of CPU, I/O channels and the interconnection network to effectively distribute HTTP requests across processing units to exploit task and I/O parallelism. We present the experimental results on the performance of this system.
Optimal Jumper Insertion for Antenna Avoidance Considering Antenna Charge Sharing

Antenna effect may damage gate oxides during a plasma-based fabrication process. The antenna ratio of total exposed antenna area to total gate oxide area is directly related to the amount of damage. Jumper insertion is a common technique applied at routing and post-layout stages to avoid and to fix the problems caused by the antenna effect. This paper presents an optimal algorithm for jumper insertion under the ratio upper bound. It handles Steinbok trees with obstacles. The algorithm is based on dynamic programming while working on free trees. The time complexity is and the space complexity is , O (alpha|V|2) and the space complexity is (alpha|V|2) where |V| is the number of nodes in the routing tree and is alpha factor depending on how to find a nonblocked position on a wire for a jumper.
Molecular characterization of the lipopolysaccharide/platelet activating factor- and zymosan-induced pathways leading to prostaglandin production in P388D1 macrophages.

Abstract P388D1 cells release free arachidonic acid (AA) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) upon stimulation with platelet-activating factor (PAF) and zymosan. The response to PAF is dependent on priming of the cells with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In the LPS/PAF pathway, both AA and PGE2 release are dependent on transcription and translation, whereas in the zymosan pathway the release of these compounds appears to be largely independent of these processes. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we analyzed the expression of mRNAs that encode proteins potentially responsible for the dependency of the LPS/PAF pathway on gene expression. These include all the phospholipases A2 (PLA2) that we detected in P388D1 cells, cyclooxygenases (COX), COX-1 and COX-2, the membrane-associated prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1), the lipocalin-type prostaglandin D2 synthase (PGDS), hematopoietic PGDS and the subunit Gαi2 of heterotrimeric G-proteins. None of the mRNAs encoding PLA2s, PGDSs, or Gαi2 are substantially altered during LPS priming. However, cyclooxygenase-2 is up-regulated during LPS priming and after stimulation of the cells with zymosan. A modest but significant increase of mPGES-1 mRNA was also detected upon stimulation with zymosan. Thus, the dependency of the LPS/PAF-induced PGE2 production on gene expression can be attributed to the production of cyclooxygenase-2. The dependency of AA release on gene expression is not due to altered expression of any of the PLA2s. We suggest that an accessory regulatory protein affecting the release of AA must be responsible. Using HPLC we separated lipids that are secreted upon stimulation with LPS/PAF and zymosan and found that in both pathways PGD2 is the dominant prostaglandin produced and also detected PGE2, PGF2α and AA besides several unidentified compounds.
Multi-scale dynamics in counter-current heat exchangers

In this paper, a class of high duty counter-current heat exchangers, which are typically used in energy integrated systems, is considered. The governing dynamic equations for such exchangers are stiff first order hyperbolic PDEs, and hence show a potential towards multi-scale dynamics. Using singular perturbations, a reduced non-stiff PDE model is derived, which captures the dynamics in the slow time scale. A simulation case study is considered to illustrate these results.
Are We Them? Textual and Literary Representations of the Chinese in Twentieth-Century Thailand

King Vajiravudh famously published an essay titled Jews of the Orient in 1914 demonizing the Chinese in Siam as ingrates and parasites. The local Chinese became the “Other Within” in the Thai nation that the king was trying to establish. Whether his reaction to the local Chinese was fueled by ire over the recent strike by the Chinese which paralyzed Bangkok, or a reflection of his English education and exposure to European anti-Semitism, is not the focus of my concern. My interest for this exercise is to study how the Chinese in Siam/Thailand are portrayed in Thai language texts, that is, prose fiction and non-fiction produced in the twentieth century (I will not include related areas such as movies, television drama, music, and cartoons). This study does not involve an exhaustive review of all texts but will focus on a few well-known and popular ones. I would like to know whether King Vajiravudh’s portrayal of the Chinese is reflected in subsequent literary production or muted by other realities that existed in Thai society, and how the production of texts on the local Chinese changed over time. More importantly, I am very curious to know how this issue is played out in neighboring countries, especially the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, countries where the “assimilation” of the Chinese into the majority culture happens in varying degrees.
Financial Literacy Skills for the 21st Century: Evidence from PISA

I am delighted to be asked to give the Colston Warne Lecture at the American Council on Consumer Interests annual conference. What I want to cover in this lecture is what I consider to be one of the most important topics for consumers: financial literacy. This topic is particularly important for the young, and in this lecture, I will describe the findings from the first international survey on financial literacy among high school students: the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). I am honored to chair the financial literacy expert group that designed the financial literacy assessment in PISA. Our journey to design that assessment included meetings in many countries and lasted for several years. It is one of the works I have enjoyed the most. I hope the findings from PISA will be a catalyst for changes in education policies, including adding financial literacy to school curricula.
Axial Ligand Effects on the Structures of Self-Assembled Gallium–Porphyrin Monolayers on Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite

Monolayers of five-coordinate gallium octaethylporphyrin complexes (Ga(OEP)X; X = Cl, Br, I, O3SCF3, CCPh) on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite were studied at the solid–liquid (1-phenyloctane) interface using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to probe the dependence of their properties on the nature of the axial X ligand. Density functional theory calculations of the gas-phase structures of the free molecules reveal that the gallium atom is positioned above the plane of the porphyrin macrocycle, with this pyramidal distortion increasing in magnitude according to X = O3SCF3 (displacement = 0.35 A) < Cl, Br, I (∼0.47 A) < CCPh (0.54 A). All compounds exhibit pseudohexagonal close-packed structures in which the porphyrin is oriented coplanar with the surface and the axial ligand is oriented perpendicular to it, and with unit-cell parameters that are within experimental error of each other (a, b = 1.34 (3)–1.39 (2) nm, Γ = 66 (2)–68 (1)°). In contrast to these close similarities, the stabilities of the mo...
Position of spinothalamic tract axons in upper cervical spinal cord of monkeys.

Percutaneous upper cervical cordotomy continues to be performed on patients suffering from several types of severe chronic pain. It is believed that the operation is effective because it cuts the s...
A Laboratory Diet Containing Egg Albumin for Larval and Adult Boll Weevils

A laboratory diet for larval and adult boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, was developed by substituting 3 g of egg albumin for the casein or soybean protein and 0.5 g/100 g diet of cotton leaf powder for the acetone cotton square powder or germinated cottonseed used in other diets. One % of a cottonseed:linseed oil mixture (1:1) was used in the adult diet and 0.5% in the larval diet. All components except the leaf powder are commercially available method of shaping and handing oviposition forms in large numbers is described. Two types of commercial spray egg albumin were evaluated as inducements to ovipositor and as support for larval growth. Potassium sorbate and methyl parasept were used as inhibitors in the adult and larval diets. In excessive amounts, they reduced egg hatch and larval growth. The levels that prevented contamination but were not detrimental to propagation of the colony were determined.
Closed loop pole assignment in structural control

A technique is discussed for the selection of the closed loop poles in the output (or state) feedback problem. Each closed loop pole is placed on a circular arc whose radius corresponds to that pole's open loop natural frequency. It is shown that the damping value is the only parameter which can be changed so that the eigenvalues remain on the defined circle. The required gain matrix for pole placement can then be formulated as an unconstrained optimization problem. The Powell method and a heuristic search technique, called a genetic algorithm, are used in the optimization. A 6-DOF continuous time structural model with low damping and two closely spaced modes is used to obtain the required pole placement gain matrix. It is shown that the genetic algorithm gave overall better results than Powell's method in terms of minimizing the norm of the state and output pole placement gain. In addition, an eigenparameter sensitivity calculation was successful only in further reducing the norm in the state feedback case. Furthermore, it is shown that only velocity feedback terms need be considered. This has the advantage of a 50-percent reduction in the design space. (Author)
Raman Analysis of AlxGa1-xN Films

Raman analysis of the E2 mode of Al x Ga l-x N in the composition range 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 is presented. The lineshape was observed to exhibit a significant asymmetry and broadening toward the high energy range. The spatial correlation model is discussed, and is shown to account for the lineshape. The model calculations also indicate the lack of a long-range order in the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) alloys. These results were confirmed by X-ray scattering: the relative intensity of the superlattice line was found to be negligible. The line broadening of the E2 mode was found to exhibit a maximum at a composition x∼0.5 indicative of a random disordered alloy system. The stress state of the alloys was found to be tensile and was attributed to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of the SiC substrate and the film.
Kinetic Model of the Photocatalytic Effect of a Photosystem I Monolayer on a Planar Electrode Surface

Photosystem I (PSI), a photoactive protein complex that participates in the light reactions of natural photosynthesis, can exhibit photocatalytic capabilities when incorporated to electrochemical s...
Reduction in the number of adult Trichinella spiralis in rats after treatment with naphthoquinones.

SummaryThe oral administration of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone and 2 hydroxy-3-piperidinomethyl-1,4-naphthoquinone to rats infected with Trichinella spiralis produced a significant reduction in the number of intestinal adult trichinellae. Nine other structurally related naphthoquinones had no such effect.
Comparison of 3C-SiC Films Grown By CVD on Si(111) and Si(211) Substrates

In this study, the near-surface region of air-exposed thin 3C-SiC films grown on 50-mm (2-in.) diameter Si(111) and Si(211) substrates have been investigated. Carbonization to create the film in a radio-frequency (RF) induction-heated horizontal atmospheric-pressure chemicalvapor- deposition reactor utilized a propane-hydrogen mix (3% C3H8 in ultra-high purity hydrogen) with a hydrogen carrier. Elemental and chemical-state identification of the thin-films are presented. Several structure sensitive techniques including X-ray diffractaion (XRD) in ω -2θ as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine crystal structure, surface morphology and film thickness are included.
Renal clearance of endogenous phosphate in infants and children.

Summary1. The clearance of endogenous inorganic phosphate is relatively low in the newborn period. 2. The clearances of phosphate in older infants, children and adolescents approximate those of the adult. 3. The tubular reabsorption of phosphate was found to average 87.7% of the glomerular filtrate in children and adolescents. 4. The clearances of phosphate at all ages have a wide variation
Design of a Multi-Wavelength Time-Domain Imager Based on a Supercontinuum Laser

We developed a multi wavelength time domain imager for baseline hemoglobin measurements and functional imaging. A multiplexed supercontinuum pulsed laser and gated parallel detection on an intensified CCD camera allow for multi channel imaging.
The Effects of pH Change on Renal Ammoniagenesis in Vitro

SummaryDespite similar ammonia production at pH 7.0 and 7.8 by rat kidney slices, greater glutamate accumulation at pH 7.8 suggests that renal glutamine metabolism differs at these 2 pHs. Based on a number of observations, we conclude that there is greater glutamine deamidation at pH 7.8 which is balanced by a greater deamination of formed glutamate at pH 7.0. Since glutamine and glutamate concentrations are decreased in the kidneys of acidotic rats, other factors besides pH and HCO3 -concentrations must modify deamidation, whereas, pH and HCO3 concentrations may have a decided effect in lowering glutamate concentrations via enhanced deamination.
What can we do about vancomycin-resistant enterococci?

The article by Edmond et al. [1] in this issue illustrates many of the features common to infection or colonization by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), such as the more frequent occurrence of VRE in teaching hospitals. VRE are also more common in larger hospitals, as was shown in a 1993 survey that found vancomycin resistance in 3.6% of enterococci in hospitals with >500 beds (the hospital in the report by Edmond et al. had 542 beds), in 1.8% of enterococci in hospitals with 200-500 beds, and none in hospitals with <200 beds [2]. In addition, the patients involved in the outbreak reported by Edmond et al. are typical of those described in other studies who have been infected or colonized
Quantum Transport: Atom to Transistor: Self-consistent field

As we move from the hydrogen atom (one electron only) to multi-electron atoms, we are immediately faced with the issue of electron–electron interactions, which is at the heart of almost all the unsolved problems in our field. In this chapter I will explain (1) the self-consistent field (SCF) procedure (Section 3.1), which provides an approximate way to include electron–electron interactions into the Schrodinger equation, (2) the interpretation of the energy levels obtained from this so-called “one-electron” Schrodinger equation (Section 3.2), and (3) the energetic considerations underlying the process by which atoms “bond” to form molecules (Section 3.3). Finally, a supplementary section elaborates on the concepts of Section 3.2 for interested readers (Section 3.4). The self-consistent field (SCF) procedure One of the first successes of quantum theory after the interpretation of the hydrogen atom was to explain the periodic table of atoms by combining the energy levels obtained from the Schrodinger equation with the Pauli exclusion principle requiring that each level be occupied by no more than one electron. The energy eigenvalues of the Schrodinger equation for each value of l starting from l = 0 (see Eq. (2.3.8)) are numbered with integer values of n starting from n = l + 1. For any ( n, l ) there are (2 l + 1) levels with distinct angular wavefunctions (labeled with another index m ), all of which have the same energy.
In Roman Days

Undex the Romans the entire area from the Taurus to Sinai was incorporated into a single province, Syria. Officially Phoenicia ceased to exist. Strabo (d. A.D. 24) was the first geographer to use the term Syria in this official meaning, although Herodotus, centuries before, had used it loosely in its wide sense. As a frontier district bordering on Parthia, Rome’s only rival then and formidable enemy, the province of Syria was placed under a proconsul, seated in Antioch and in control of a strong military force of four legions. His responsibility included the security of Roman possessions throughout south-west Asia. A chain of military posts was established along the fringe of the Syrian Desert to protect the cultivated and cultured areas against nomads and other intruders. Water stations and strategic points were garrisoned.
Relationship between Task and Ego Orientation and the Perceived Purpose of Sport among High School Athletes

This study examined the relationship between an athlete's goal perspective (i.e., task or ego orientation) and the perceived purpose of sport among male and female high school athletes. The sport-specific measure of task and ego orientation was found to have a stable factor structure and high internal consistency. Factor analysis of the Purpose of Sport Questionnaire revealed seven factors: sport should (a) teach the value of mastery and cooperation, (b) show people how to be physically active for life, (c) make good citizens, (d) make people competitive, (e) help individuals obtain a high status career, (f) enhance self-esteem, and (g) show people how to get ahead and increase their social status. Results indicated that the importance placed on skill mastery and personal improvement in sport (task orientation) positively related to the beliefs that sport should enhance self-esteem and teach people to try their test, cooperate, and be good citizens. Ego orientation was a positive predictor of the view tha...
The toxicity of pyrene in the fish : Synergism by piperonyl butoxide and by ultraviolet light

A saturated solution of pyrene in water was not toxic to the fish Pimepnales promelas, even in the presence of ultraviolet light. A survival curve possessing one minimum, and therefore defining two LC50 values, was obtained when fish placed in water containing increasing amounts of a pyrene solution in dimethylsulfoxide were exposed to ultraviolet light after a short incubation period. The phototoxicity was linked to the presence of undissolved pyrene. A normal survival curve with only one LC50 value was found when pyrene was solubilized with the surfactant Tween-20. Practically no phototoxicity was produced when the pyrene mixtures were filtered before use, or when a saturated aqueous solution of pyrene was used. Piperonyl butoxide, present at a concentration where it was not toxic, synergized the toxicity of pyrene in the dark. The environmental significance of this observation may be considerable.
GaN nanowire tip for high aspect ratio nano-scale AFM metrology(Conference Presentation)

In this study we introduce Gallium Nitride (GaN) nanowire (NW) as high aspect ratio tip with excellent durability for nano-scale metrology. GaN NWs have superior mechanical property and young modulus compare to commercial Si and Carbon tips which results in having less bending issue during measurement. The GaN NWs are prepared via two different methods: i) Catalyst-free selected area growth, using Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD), ii) top-down approach by employing Au nanoparticles as the mask material in dry-etch process. To achieve small diameter tips, the semipolar planes of the NWs grown by MOCVD are etched using AZ400k. The diameter of the NWs fabricated using the top down process is controlled by using different size of nanoparticles and by Inductively Coupled Plasma etching. NWs with various diameters were manipulated on Si cantilevers using Focus Ion Beam (FIB) to make tips for AFM measurement. A Si (110) substrate containing nano-scale grooves with vertical 900 walls were used as a sample for inspection. AFM measurements were carried out in tapping modes for both types of nanowires (top-down and bottom-up grown nanowires) and results are compared with conventional Si and carbon nanotube tips. It is shown our fabricated tips are robust and have improved edge resolution over conventional Si tips. GaN tips made with NW’s fabricated using our top down method are also shown to retain the gold nanoparticle at tip, which showed enhanced field effects in Raman spectroscopy.
Metal Cationization Extractive Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry of Compounds Containing Multiple Oxygens.

Extractive electrospray ionization is an ambient ionization technique that allows real-time sampling of liquid samples, including organic aerosols. Similar to electrospray ionization, the composition of the electrospray solvent used in extractive electrospray ionization can easily be altered to form metal cationized molecules during ionization simply by adding a metal salt to the electrospray solvent. An increase in sensitivity is observed for some molecules that are lithium, sodium, or silver cationized compared with the protonated molecule formed in extractive electrospray ionization with an acid additive. Tandem mass spectrometry of metal cationized molecules can also significantly improve the ability to identify a compound. Tandem mass spectrometry of lithium and silver cationized molecules can result in an increase in the number and uniqueness of dissociation pathways relative to [M + H]+. These results highlight the potential for extractive electrospray ionization with metal cationization in analyzing complex aerosol mixtures.
Dabit, Preemption and Choice of Law

The Supreme Court's decision in Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. v. Dabit, involves the reconciliation of three significant policy goals - controlling abusive litigation, deterring securities fraud, and preserving our federal system by limiting the federal government's power. These goals seem to conflict in that controlling litigation involves expanding federal power, thereby foreclosing potential state approaches to controlling fraud. In Dabit, the Court opted to broadly interpret the federal government's preemption of state securities remedies, thereby giving momentum to the federalization of corporate law. This article shows that forcing Congress to attend more closely to the role of state law might have encouraged a better reconciliation of the three policy goals. Specifically, Congress can control abusive litigation without sacrificing the states' role in remedying fraud by preserving fraud remedies imposed under state corporation laws. Letting firms choose the applicable state law would motivate states to develop reasonable remedies rather than to invite abusive litigation. A viable state fraud remedy would, in turn, free Congress and the courts to examine the appropriate extent of federal fraud remedies.
BLITZWEED: the rise and fall of Buddleia davidii in England (1896–2008)

On Monday 10 July 1944, the Birmingham Daily Gazette writes, ‘After the lapse of three or four years since the last heavy blitzes there is no bombed site that nature has not tried to beautify; and ...
Vagotomy and Parkinson disease: A Swedish register-based matched-cohort study.

Objective: To examine whether vagotomy decreases the risk of Parkinson disease (PD).Methods: Using data from nationwide Swedish registers, we conducted a matched-cohort study of 9,430 vagotomized p ...
Neutron radiography measurements of in-situ PEMFC liquid water saturation in 2D & 3D morphology gas diffusion layers

Abstract This work uses neutron radiography to examine the through-plane liquid water distribution of an operating polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with a Sigracet SGL 25BC, a 235 μm thick, 2D straight fiber Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL). This work is performed for interdigitated flow fields at several cross flow rates, and a parallel flow field for comparison. The effect on pressure drop, effective permeability and liquid water saturation is determined. These results are compared to the previously studied Sigracet SGL 10BC, a 420 μm thick, 3D “spaghetti” fiber GDL, for comparable cross flow rates. The SGL 25BC has a higher permeability than the SGL 10BC. The 25BC has a relatively constant saturation within the GDL, from 8% to 10%, which is higher than the 10BC saturation level, between 4 and 8%. This may indicate that 2D GDLs may be better suited to low pumping power situations, while 3D GDLs may be better suited to low liquid water situations.
Does hospital ownership influence hospital referral region health rankings in the United States.

Summary Extensive evidence demonstrates that a hospital's organizational ownership structure impacts its overall performance, but little is known concerning the influence of hospital structure on the health of its community. This paper explores the association between US hospital referral region (HRR) health rankings and hospital ownership and performance. Data from the 2016 Commonwealth Fund Scorecard on Local Health System Performance, the American Hospital Association dataset, and the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing dataset are utilized to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of 36 quality measures across 306 HRRs. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the association among hospital ownership, system performance measures—access and affordability, prevention and treatment, avoidable hospital use and cost, and healthy lives—and performance as measured by value-based purchasing total performance scores. We found that indicators of access and affordability, as well as prevention and treatment, were significantly associated across all 3 hospitals' organizational structures. Hospital referral regions with a greater number of not-for-profit hospitals demonstrated greater indications of access and affordability, as well as better prevention and treatment rankings than for-profit and government hospitals. Hospital referral regions with a greater number of government, nonfederal hospitals had worse scores for healthy lives. Furthermore, the greater the total performance scores score, the better the HRR score on prevention and treatment rankings. The greater the per capita income, the better the score across all 4 dimensions. As such, this inquiry supports the assertion that performance of a local health system is dependent on its community's resources of health care delivery entities and their structure.
A survey on modeling strategies for high-speed differential Via between two parallel plates

This paper presents a survey on physics-based modeling strategies for differential via in high-speed multilayer printed circuits (PCBs). Driven by the goals of accurate and efficient design, researchers have explored several approaches for differential via modeling, include π-type RLC circuit, differential transmission line with via-plate capacitance/effective dielectric constant and parallel plate impedance model. This survey provides overviews of these modeling strategies and comparisons by correlating mixed-mode S-parameter from HFSS. In particular, this paper then aims on building a generic parameterized and SPICE-compatible circuit model for designing differential via in a frequency range up to 40GHz.
A Heterogeneously Integrated III-V/Si Colliding Pulse Mode-locked Laser with On-chip Feedback

We demonstrate a heterogeneously integrated O-band III-V/Si colliding pulse mode-locked laser with tunable on-chip external feedback for pulse stabilization. The 3-dB RF linewidth is 13.8 kHz, a reduction by a factor of 2.9× with the adjustment of external feedback.
REVIEW CENTRIC RESEARCH ON LEAN MANUFACTURING AND IMPLEMENTATION

The purpose of this article is to review Lean manufacturing strategies and implementation to understand their implications. Based on these findings an attempt will be made to create a novel method of implementing lean principles into a new organization. If a novel method cannot be identified, areas of new research or possible theory building will be highlighted. Lepine's review centric strategies will be utilized to "summarize previously established studies and concepts, pinpoint potential problems (such as factual errors), and inspire new discussions and directions for further research activity (Lepine, 2010)." Lean manufacturing implementation can be seen as dependent on four main factors; Inventory control/reduction, Alignment with organizational goals, Cost allocation, and Management accounting. Lean principles and strategies are rarely effective without some level of control in these four areas. Time is a major limitation to thoroughly completing this task. It would be preferable to have more time to thoroughly delve into the questions and concerns found during this review. In addition Real world testing of the theories explored and developed through article exploration. For example surveys, interviews, and implementation of pilot programs based on theories. The current business climate is rapidly changing and advancing. Methods of continuous improvement are becoming the standard for organizational survival. Organizations that try to implement lean strategies in a hurried non-methodical manner can be as open to poor performance as organizations that don't recognize the need for continuous improvement. This research will hopefully be a first step to helping new comers to lean principles recognize the current state of their organization. This will better enable said new comers to plan a methodical approach to implementing lean principles.
Conservation in the Context of Non-Indigenous Species

There is currently worldwide concern regarding the invasion of natural areas by non-indigenous species. Several recently published books have addressed this issue in terms of ecological interactions (Mooney and Drake 1986), resource management problems (McKnight 1993), and regulatory impact (OTA 1993). Furthermore, specific regions of the United States have been analyzed relative to invasion pressure and the threat that non-indigenous species pose to biological communities [e.g., the Pacific Northwest (Mack 1986), California (Rejmdnek and Randall 1994), and Hawaii (Stone et al. 1992)]. Relatively little effort has been devoted to understanding biological invasions of natural areas in the midwestern United States.
A method for the determination of total lipides and water in brain tissue.

Although many methods have been used for the determination of total lipides, few have been described with detailed directions for application to animal tissues, and there is none, as far as the author is aware, which is applicable to brain tissue, which permits the determination of water and lipides in the same sample of tissue, and which satisfies all of the following criteria. (a) The tissue should be so thoroughly fragmented that the sampling error in taking aliquots is negligible. This is particularly important in the analysis of brain because of the wide variation in lipide composition among the different structures of that organ. (b) Evaporation of water should be avoided during the fragmentation of the tissue and weighing of the samples. Neglect of this precaution may introduce considerable error. (c) Extraction of the lipides should be complete. (d) Non-lipide impurities should be removed from the extracts before the lipides are measured. (e) To avoid degradation of the lipides, undue exposure to air and high temperature should be avoided. (f) The procedure should be as simple as possible, and should be reasonably accurate. In addition, the determination of water in the tissue is required in many investigations so that lipide data may be related to dry weight; to conserve tissue, it is desirable that this analysis be carried out on the same sample in which the lipides are measured. A method which satisfies these criteria is described in this communication. The method was designed for analysis of the brain, but since brain lipides are more complex and difficult to extract than those of any other tissue, it should be readily applicable to any tissue which can be disintegrated under the conditions described in step (a) of the procedure. Several of the techniques, described in other steps, are generally applicable in lipide analysis.
Soviet and Muslim: the institutionalization of Islam in Central Asia

Tasar’s study of the unsteady development of organized Muslim life in post-1945 Central Asia is a valuable contribution to the literature. Using Tajik, Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Russian archives, as well a...
Language Model Comparison for Ukrainian Real-Time Speech Recognition System

This paper describes a real-time speech recognition system for Ukrainian designed basically for text dictation purpose targeting moderate computation requirements. The research is focused on language model parameter estimation. As a Slavonic language Ukrainian is highly inflective and tolerates relatively free word order. These features motivate transition from word- to class-based statistical language model. According to our experimental research, class-based LMs occupy less space and potentially outperform a 3-gram word-based model. We also describe several tools developed to visualize HMMs, to predict word stress, and to manage cluster-based language modeling.
Testing for forward-looking behaviour: evidence from the enactment of smoking restrictions

ABSTRACTThis paper develops a new test for forward-looking behaviour based on the establishment of public smoking restrictions. Given that the announcement of these restrictions effectively increases the future cost of smoking, we should expect forward-looking smokers to curb their consumption before the restriction is effective due to complementarity between present and future consumption. I perform the estimation using detailed, high-frequency household-level purchase data. The results provide evidence against the forward-looking behaviour of smokers. Households do not reduce their cigarette purchases before announced public smoking restrictions are established; they only do so once the restriction is in effect.
Common-Coil Dipole for a Very Large Hadron Collider

A dipole magnet based on the common-coil design and pre-reacted Nb3Sn cable was developed at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) for a Very Large Hadron Collider. Three technological racetrack models and a short dipole model have been fabricated and tested. This chapter summarizes the main results of this program.
Effect of Host Incompatibility and Polarity Contrast on Ion Transport in Ternary Polymer-Polymer-Salt Blend Electrolytes

We study ternary polymer-polymer-salt blend electrolytes using coarse-grained molecular dynamics. We specifically examine the influence of the polymer hosts’ incompatibility and polarity contrast o...
Just the Status Quo

As much as recent scholarship, popular outlets, and even a documentary film have asserted that we find ourselves in another “Gilded Age” since the 1980s, such a conceit has its limits. Indeed, we should proceed with caution when it comes to embracing analogies that posit a “new” or “second” Gilded Age. We might instead profitably think about the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as being a period of high capitalism and our current moment as reflecting a particular, if not peculiar, phase of capitalism. And, as much as our understanding of gender and sexuality during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries might actually be hindered by separating “Gilded Age” and “Progressive Era,” considering gendered dynamics of our current moment—a moment that has been termed late-stage capitalism—deepens our analysis of the low-wage economy. When it comes to sexuality, we should be careful in drawing parallels between the Gilded Age and the present given that contemporary understandings of sexuality began to coalesce during the late nineteenth century. Still, debates about sex and sexuality certainly shaped the Gilded Age and they continue to inform our current moment in dynamic and even unprecedented ways. We might not find ourselves in another Gilded Age, but we should arguably build upon current interest in histories of capitalism as a means think about the significance of progressive social movements within capitalist societies.
A Case of Candidal Infection of Large Biloma After CT-Guided Liver Biopsy Confirming Autoimmune Hepatitis

Bilomas are unexpected post-procedural complications of cholecystectomies, hepatic resections, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and-rarely-liver biopsies. While uncommon, this should remain high on the differential in a patient presenting with sudden postop sepsis even in the absence of significant liver injury. Diagnosis involves coordination between interventional radiology, gastroenterology, and internal medicine. This involves a precise clinical history, invasive radiological techniques, and advanced interventional endoscopic solutions for diagnosis and treatment. This is a case of a biloma that occurred as a consequence of a post-hepatic biopsy and resulted in fungal infection, rather than its more common bacterial counterpart. Due to the unusual circumstances, a more circuitous route to the correct diagnosis and treatment was undertaken.
LiBRA: learning-based link adaptation leveraging PHY layer information in 60 GHz WLANs

We conduct one of the first extensive experimental studies of the two main link adaptation mechanisms in 60 GHz WLANs, namely rate adaptation and beam adaptation. We first show, using a variety of commodity 60 GHz devices, that simple heuristics, used by these devices to determine which the two mechanisms should be triggered, can lead to wrong decisions even in seemingly simple scenarios. We then explore for first time the feasibility of leveraging PHY layer information and ML to guide link adaptation, using a large dataset collected with a 60 GHz software-define radio testbed in a variety of indoor environments and scenarios. Finally, we design LiBRA, a practical, standard-compliant link adaptation framework that leverages ML and PHY layer information to determine when to trigger link adaptation and which adaptation mechanism to use. LiBRA strikes a balance between throughput and link recovery delay, performing close to an oracle solution, and outperforming significantly two simple heuristics used by off-the-shelf devices.
Extrusion-based 3D bioprinting of alginate-based tissue constructs

Abstract Tissues engineering technology led to the development of biomedical scaffolds which are mainly used to biofabricate different artificial human organs. Bioprinting is a direct method to fabricate tissue constructs that can support cell growth. The development and formation of bioinks for 3D bioprinting is always considered as a challenge in the field of biofabrication and tissue engineering. Numerous hydrogels have been discovered to solve the problem of bioinks. An appropriate hydrogel used as bioink should have numerous properties for building scaffolds and tissue constructs. A blend of appropriate rheological and mechanical properties is desired. This paper presents comparisons of different hydrogels, their crosslinking mechanisms, an experimental procedure to investigate best proportions of alginate-based hydrogel and crosslinking solution and mathematical model to predict the process parameters of the extrusion-based 3D bioprinting process. The mathematical model gives the reader values of process parameters like average velocity, pressure ranges to obtain a definite geometry of the construct, and shear stress developed for cell viability prediction. The trials were taken using sodium alginate and cross-linking agent as calcium lactate. The process variables considered to design the experiments were nozzle diameter, pressure range, concentration of sodium alginate and concentration of crosslinking solution. The tissue constructs were evaluated based on their geometry (non-continuous, stable, aggregating and over-flowing) and increase in print area. The mathematical model used the rheological data to find out the shear thinning behavior of different concentrations of bioinks. The experimental data and theoretical data obtained from mathematical model were merged to speculate the printability of sodium alginate when used as a bioink. Taken together, these assessment techniques revealed significant insights into the requirements for printable inks and shear conditions present during the extrusion process and allow the rapid and reproducible characterization of a wide variety of inks for 3D bioprinting.
Trials of breast conservation: a critical review of all options.

The role of breast conservation in the local management of primary breast cancer is in evolution today. The first major clinical question addressed was the adequacy of therapy that spared the breast as compared with total mastectomy. A series of trials in single institutions suggested relative equivalence of local and regional control with a combination of excisional tumor surgery, axillary dissection, and breast irradiation [1]. Many breast surgeons, who remain the primary health care providers making an initial diagnosis, continued to harbor anxiety about the systemic effects and ultimate survival of patients treated with differing local therapies.
Kinetics of Phase Transformation of Indium in the Presence of Polytetrafluoroethylene: Implications for DSC Measurements on Polymers and Their Composites

The present work focuses on the influence, at nominal constant temperatures, of an inert polymer on the crystallization kinetics of a highly conductive metal as indium (In) to show not only that the presence of a polymer allows obtaining information on the In crystallization directly from differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves, but also that appropriate corrections of thermal measurements on low conductivity samples are needed.
Object Identification When Imprecise Information is Available from Multiple Sources of Unequal Reliability

In this article we consider the problem of object identification when there is imprecise and perhaps conflicting information from information sources of unequal reliability. Data is represented by fuzzy sets, and the decision set in which the value of this imprecise information is modified by its importance in the context of the specific problem at hand is a type II fuzzy set in which the memberships are themselves fuzzy sets. Three criteria are proposed for making the classification based on the information contained in this type II fuzzy set. A simple example illustrates the procedure.
Prenatal and postnatal markers of severity in congenital diaphragmatic hernia have similar prognostic ability

Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare prenatal versus postnatal markers of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) severity at a single fetal-care center. Methods A retrospective study was performed of patients having a complete prenatal evaluation and surgical repair (n = 55). Observed-to-expected lung-to-head ratio (o/eLHR), observed-to-expected total lung volume (o/eTLV), liver position (LP), a predictive dependent variable from logistic regression of o/eLHR and liver position (o/eLHR + LP), and diaphragmatic defect size per the CDH Study Group A–D classification were plotted into receiver–operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Survival and need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were primary outcomes. Results Survival was 69%, and ECMO utilization was 56%. Distribution was 80% left-sided defects. In the survival ROC curve, the area under the curve (AUC) for o/eLHR was 0.73, o/eTLV 0.74, LP 0.73, o/eLHR + LP 0.78, and defect size 0.84 (p = 0.23). The ROC curve for ECMO support showed o/eLHR had an AUC of 0.82, o/eTLV 0.89, LP 0.79, o/eLHR + LP 0.87, and defect size 0.90 (p = 0.19). The AUCs were similar when only left-sided CDH was analyzed. Conclusions These data suggest that prenatal evaluation was equivalent to the postnatal diaphragmatic defect classification for predicting survival and need for ECMO in CDH patients. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The development of an epoxy resin system for the injection molding of long‐fiber epoxy composties

The Combination of reaction injection molding and pultrusion has resulted in a new processing technique, RIM-Pultrusion, Which has been used to produce a thermoplastic epoxy prepreg. This prepreg has been used to produce a long-fiber injection molded phenoxy/carbon fiber composite with near-Zero void content. A heat-activated curing system has been developed, which allows injecton molding of the prepreg to form a thermostet long-finer epoxy/carbon finber composite. The RIM- pultrusion conditions for producing an injection moldable prepreg are described. Capillary rheomety is used to study the epoxy resin to determine the proper molar ratio for RIM-Pultrusion. The long-fiber epoxy compostie is analyzed with dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Also., the impact strength and solvent resistance of the long-fiber composite are examined. The properties of the thermoset long-fiber epoxy xomposite are compared to those of a thermoplastic injection molded long-fiber phenoxy composite.