cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The first-line use of vigabatrin to achieve complete control of infantile spasms

Vigabatrin was given as first-line therapy in 29 children with infantile spasms (IS). Vigabatrin monotherapy achieved complete control of spasms without subsequent relapse in 45% of patients. In all other patients, response was Partial or relapse occurred, and in these patients add-on therapy with tetracosactrin and/or clonazepam achieved a complete response. Side-effects with vigabatrin were mild and transient, and occurred in only four patients. The complete responses observed with vigabatrin occurred a short time after initiating treatment. These data further support the high efficacy of vigabatrin as first-line monotherapy for the treatment of IS.
Wound healing in the biliary tree of liver allografts.

An increasing need for liver transplantation requires evaluation and triage of organs harvested from “extended criteria” donors. Although there is currently no widely accepted definition, most would agree that “extended criteria” includes organs donated by individuals that are old (>65 years), obese, infected with HBV or HCV, non-heart beating (NHBD), or had an unstable blood pressure before harvesting or the organ experienced a long cold ischemic time. These organs carry a statistical risk of dysfunction early after transplantation, but in the majority of recipients, hepatic parenchymal function recovers. Later, however, a small but significant percentage of extended criteria donors develop biliary strictures within several months after transplantation. The strictures occur primarily because of preservation injury that leads to “ischemic cholangitis” or deep wounding of the bile duct wall. Subsequent partial wound healing and wound contraction, but failed restitution of the biliary epithelial cell (BEC) ...
Sharp Confidence Bands for Percentile Lines and Tolerance Bands for the Simple Linear Model

Abstract This article develops sharp confidence bands for percentiles of regression functions over finite intervals. Attention is focused on one-sided (upper) bands for these percentiles, but a simple extension allows construction of two-sided bands. These upper bands are useful for tolerance bands, since a 100-γ percent confidence band for the 100/βth percentile is also a γ coefficient β-tolerance band.
School mathematics curriculum materials for teachers’ learning: future elementary teachers’ interactions with curriculum materials in a mathematics course in the United States

This report describes ways that five preservice teachers in the United States viewed and interacted with the rhetorical components (Valverde et al. in According to the book: using TIMSS to investigate the translation of policy into practice through the world of textbooks, Kluwer, 2002) of the innovative school mathematics curriculum materials used in a mathematics course for future elementary teachers. The preservice teachers’ comments reflected general agreement that the innovative curriculum materials contained fewer narrative elements and worked examples, as well as more (and different) exercises and question sets and activity elements, than the mathematics textbooks to which the teachers were accustomed. However, variation emerged when considering the ways in which the teachers interacted with the materials for their learning of mathematics. Whereas some teachers accepted and even embraced changes to the teaching–learning process that accompanied use of the curriculum materials, other teachers experienced discomfort and frustration at times. Nonetheless, each teacher considered that use of the curriculum materials improved her mathematical understandings in significant ways. Implications of these results for mathematics teacher education are discussed.
Characterization of the Functional Domains of the SloR Metalloregulatory Protein in Streptococcus mutans

Streptococcus mutans is a commensal member of the healthy plaque biofilm and the primary causative agent of dental caries. The present study is an investigation of SloR, a 25-kDa metalloregulatory protein that modulates genes responsible for S. mutans-induced cariogenesis. Previous studies of SloR homologues in other bacterial pathogens have identified three domains critical to repressor functionality: an N-terminal DNA-binding domain, a central dimerization domain, and a C-terminal FeoA (previously SH3-like) domain. We used site-directed mutagenesis to identify critical amino acid residues within each of these domains of the SloR protein. Select residues were targeted for mutagenesis, and nonconservative amino acid substitutions were introduced by overlap extension PCR. Furthermore, three C-terminally truncated SloR variants were generated using conventional PCR. The repressor functionality and DNA-binding ability of each variant was assessed using CAT reporter gene assays, real-time semiquantitative reverse transcriptase (qRT)-PCR, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. We identified 12 residues within SloR that cause significant derepression of sloABC promoter activity (P < 0.05) compared to the results for wild-type SloR. Derepression was particularly noteworthy in metal ion-binding site 1 mutants, consistent with the site's importance in gene repression by SloR. In addition, a hyperactive SloR(E169A/Q170A) mutant was identified as having significantly heightened repression of sloABC promoter activity, and experiments with C-terminal deletion mutants support involvement of the FeoA domain in SloR-mediated gene repression. Given these results, we describe the functional domains of the S. mutans SloR protein and propose that the hyperactive mutant could serve as a target for rational drug design aimed at repressing SloR-mediated virulence gene expression.
Gap enhancement in aluminum tunnel junctions coupled to microstrip resonators

Abstract Irradiated (9.7 GHz) Al films show gap enhancement that agrees with Eliashberg's theory.
Aberrant Neural Stem Cell Proliferation and Increased Adult Neurogenesis in Mice Lacking Chromatin Protein HMGB2

Neural stem and progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs) are distinct groups of cells found in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Previously we determined that members of the High Mobility Group (HMG) B family of chromatin structural proteins modulate NSC proliferation and self-renewal. Among them HMGB2 was found to be dynamically expressed in proliferating and differentiating NSCs, suggesting that it may regulate NSC maintenance. We report now that Hmgb2−/− mice exhibit SVZ hyperproliferation, increased numbers of SVZ NSCs, and a trend towards aberrant increases in newly born neurons in the olfactory bulb (OB) granule cell layer. Increases in the levels of the transcription factor p21 and the Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), along with down-regulation of the transcription/pluripotency factor Oct4 in the Hmgb2−/− SVZ point to a possible pathway for this increased proliferation/differentiation. Our findings suggest that HMGB2 functions as a modulator of neurogenesis in young adult mice through regulation of NSC proliferation, and identify a potential target via which CNS repair could be amplified following trauma or disease-based neuronal degeneration.
Dynamic bone scanning in fractures.

Abstract In 20 cases routine static bone scans were of no value in the detection of delayed fracture healing. Using the 7.5–15 min net uptake of technetium labelled phosphate, disturbed fracture healing was detected in a series of 37 cases. Normally healing fractures had an increase of 3 per cent per month and delayed unions less than half that amount. Non-unions had no net uptake.
Advancements in modeling self-consistent core collapse supernovae with CHIMERA

We discuss advancements in modeling core-collapse supernovae with our code CHIMERA. We describe the status and details of our tracer particle method and its uses for post-processing nucleosynthesis and as a tool for broad core-collapse supernova (CCSN) model analyses. We also introduce our progress towards expanding a nuclear reaction network beyond the alphanetwork for the purpose of accurate in-situ nucleosynthesis, not only for core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) in general, but for a special sub-class of supernovae called electron capture supernovae (ECSNe), which stem from progenitors stars between 8 and 10 M⊙. By using an advanced nuclear reaction network, our 2D and 3D code will allow for unparalleled studies of CCSNe and ECSNe ejecta.
Integrated Assessment of Reduced Emission Impacts from a Biomedical Waste Incinerator. Atmospheric Characterization and Modeling Applications on Particulate Matter and Acid Gases

A composite approach involving wind sector analyses, receptor modeling, and dispersion modeling has been developed to estimate the impact of a biomedical waste incinerator (BWI). This is presented using measurements of 12-h ambient air particulate matter and acid gases from a versatile air pollutant sampler, with meteorological data obtained nearthe BWI as part of a larger short-term respiratory effects study. Monitoring was performed in the same time frame for three consecutive years, the first year being prior to installation of air pollution control devices (APCDs) at the BWI, the next year with the BWI having APCDs, and the final year with the BWI being mothballed. Use of integrated wind sector analyses and receptor/dispersion modeling provided evidence of reduced emission impacts at the monitoring site during the 3-year period. Principal component analysis combined with linear-angular correlation and regression provided further evidence of reduced BWI impacts in addition to information about the nature of emission sources. The effectiveness of applying a wind direction-based receptor/dispersion model approach to assess emission abatement plans is demonstrated.
A Test of Gibbon's Feedforward Model of Matching

Abstract Gibbon (1995) elaborated an ingenious model of matching, a feedforward model that is consistent with Heyman's (1982) suggestion that matching behavior does not depend on selection by consequences. Most models (for example, Herrnstein & Vaughan, 1980) have been feedback models, built on the law of effect. Measurements of how rapidly rats adjust to changes in the relative rates of brain stimulation reward on concurrent random interval schedules imply a feedforward process. The adjustments are, however, too fast to be consistent with Gibbon's model.
The association of intraoperative factors with the development of postoperative delirium

Abstract PURPOSE: To examine the association of intraoperative factors, including route of anesthesia, hemodynamic complications, and blood loss, with the development of postoperative delirium. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 1,341 patients 50 years of age and older admitted for major elective noncardiac surgery at an academic medical center. Data on route of anesthesia, intraoperative hypotension, bradycardia and tachycardia, blood loss, number of blood transfusions, and lowest postoperative hematocrit were obtained from the medical record. Delirium was diagnosed by using daily interviews with the Confusion Assessment Method, as well as from the medical record and the hospital's nursing intensity index. RESULTS: Postoperative delirium occurred in 117 (9%) patients. Route of anesthesia and intraoperative hemodynamic complications were not associated with delirium. Delirium was associated with greater intraoperative blood loss, more postoperative blood transfusions, and postoperative hematocrit CONCLUSIONS: Further study is required to determine whether transfusion to keep postoperative hematocrit above 30% can reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium.
Postcardiotomy Centrifugal Assist: A Single Surgeon's Experience

Because of the infrequent application of cardiac assist devices for postcardiotomy heart failure, most published reports include the results of learning curves from multiple surgeons. Between October 1986 and June 2001, a single surgeon used 35 Sarns Centrifugal Pumps as ventricular assist devices in 21 patients with severe hemodynamic compromise after open heart surgery (0.88% incidence). Patients' ages ranged from 39 to 77 (mean, 59.6 years). Three patients required right ventricular assist devices, 4 left ventricular assist devices, and 14 had biventricular assist devices. For all, the indication for application was inability to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass despite multiple inotropes and intraaortic balloon pumping. All were expected to be intraoperative deaths without further mechanical assistance. Patients were assisted from 2 to 434 h (median, 48 h). Fifteen patients (71.4%) were weaned from device(s), and 11 patients (52.4%) were hospital survivors. Actuarial survival in those dismissed from the hospital was 78% at 5 years and 39% at 10 years. Patients facing certain demise after cardiac surgery can be salvaged with temporary centrifugal mechanical assist. Results are competitive with that achieved with more sophisticated devices. Hospital survivors enjoy reasonable longevity.
BAMSE: A balanced mapping space exploration algorithm for GALS-based manycore platforms

We study the problem of mapping concurrent tasks of an application modeled as a data flow graph onto processors of a GALS-based manycore platform. We propose a mapping algorithm called BAMSE, which exploits the characteristics of streaming applications and the specifications of the target architecture to optimize the mapping solution. Different configuration parameters embedded into the algorithm enable one to strike a balance between scalability of the approach and the quality of generated solutions. Experiments with several real life applications show that our algorithm outperforms hand-optimized manual mappings up to 65% in terms of longest inter-processor communication link, and as high as 19% with respect to total length of the links, when the two criteria are used as primary and secondary optimization objectives, respectively. Additionally, our algorithm delivers superior mappings compared to ILP generated solutions after 10 days of solver runtime.
Collective Action in the Middle East? A Study of Free-Ride in Defense Spending:

This article investigates the existence of the collective action problem among the Arab countries neighboring Israel. The central issue is the time-series pattern of their military expenditures. The collective action framework (Olson, 1971) provides a theoretical guidance for hypothesis testing. The empirical analysis using the cointegration approach has yielded highly consistent evidence that, up to the late 1970s, Egypt was involved in a fierce arms race with Israel, and little evidence that such intensive competition ever existed for Jordan, Lebanon, or Syria alone. The existence of long-run equilibrium relationships and a strong reciprocal impact in such relationships have been established for Egypt and Israel; in regard to minor Front-line Countries (FLCs), long-run relationships with the Israeli expenditure generally exist but the Arab response in the relationships is relatively weak. After the size of the economy is controlled, it is found that Jordan and Lebanon, however, did not take the opportunity to have a complete free-ride of contributing nothing at all, while Syria was least responsive to the increase in the Israeli military spending. Collectively, the minor FLCs added to the equilibrium of the arms races between Israel and the FLCs as a group, especially after the size of the economy for the FLCs as a group and that for Israel are controlled. The empirical findings and conclusion in the article indicate that Olson's original analysis of collective action may be valid in the case of the FLCs.
Microstructural Analysis of Three Nb-Alloys

The as-cast microstructures obtained for three niobium-based alloys with the compositions Nb-25Cr-15Mo-15Si-15B, Nb-25Cr-15Mo-20Si-15B, and Nb-25Cr-15Mo-20Si-10B (in atomic percent) were studied. The microstructures of the alloys contain a mixture of Nb5Si3, Nb3Si, and the NbCr2 Laves phases. The alloys have been examined via metallographic analysis utilizing scanning electron microscopy with backscatter imaging and energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping, in conjunction with X-ray diffraction to determine the constituent phases.
An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation into the Thermal Performance Characteristics of a Staggered Vertical Pin Fin Array Heat Sink with Assisting Mixed Convection in External and In-Duct Flow Configurations

A theoretical and experimental study was carried out on the thermal performance of a pin fin array heat sink. A theoretical model was utilized based on the success of prior research that has the capability of predicting the influence of various geometrical, thermal, and flow parameters on the effective thermal resistance of the heat sink. An experimental investigation was carried out for measuring the thermal performance of the heat sink, and the overall convective heat transfer coefficient for the fin bundle, including the thermal and flow bundle effect. Utilizing the new empirical correlations, theoretical predictions were made and experimentally validated for a wide range of parameters for combined forced and natural convection in the assisting flow configuration. Both the theoretical model and experimental data indicated the existence of optimal fin spacing.
Computer Simulation as a Tool for Planning and Management of Visitor Use in Protected Natural Areas

The United Nations Environment Programme’s Principles on Implementation of Sustainable Tourism suggest that implementing sustainable tourism must include monitoring visitor use of protected natural areas and directing it to areas where the environmental and social impacts of tourism are minimised. Thus, sustainable tourism management requires information about the spatial and temporal flow of visitor use in protected natural areas to help identify potential tourism-related threats to the natural and cultural resources of an area and the quality of visitors’ experiences. Recent research has identified at least four ways in which simulation modelling of visitor use can facilitate more informed planning and management of sustainable tourism in protected natural areas, including (1) describing existing visitor use flows; (2) monitoring the condition of ‘hard to measure’ indicator variables; (3) testing the effectiveness of alternative visitor use management practices; and (4) guiding the design of research on...
Mach's principle and the relation GM=Rc 2

The relationGM=RC 2 is used as a definition ofG, withM andR defined by integrals of the energy-momentum and Einstein curvature tensors over a particular spacelike surface. Modified field equations then do not admit source-free solutions, in agreement with a strong form of Mach's principle.
Dopamine and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate responses of single mammalian sympathetic neurons

Acetylcholine (ACh), dopamine, and dibutyryl-adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (dbcAMP) were applied iontophoretically to the rabbit superior cervical ganglion cells from triple-barreled micropipettes, and the response was recorded by intracellular techniques. All ganglion cells tested responded to the depolarizing action of ACh, whereas less than half of the cells that responded to ACh were hyperpolarized by dopamine. This effect was blocked by low concentrations of haloperidol. None of the cells examined responded to dbcAMP applied by iontophoresis. Hence, the present result is not consistent with the concept that a cyclic AMP mechanism underlies the hyperpolarizing effect of dopamine.
Evaluation of Cell Binding Activities of Leptospira ECM Adhesins

Pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira are the causative agents of leptospirosis, a zoonotic infection that occurs globally. The bacteria colonize the renal proximal tubules of many animals and are shed in the urine. Contact with the urine, or with water contaminated with the urine of infected animals can cause infection of new host animals, including humans. Mechanisms of colonization of the proximal tubule and other tissues are not known, but specific interactions between bacterial adhesins and host substrates are likely to be critical in this process. Several extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesins have been previously identified, but more recently, it has been shown that Leptospira bind more efficiently to cells than ECM. In this work, recombinant forms of five putative Leptospira ECM adhesins, namely LipL32, Loa22, OmpL1, p31/LipL45, and LenA were evaluated for binding to cells as well as an expanded variety of ECM components. Reproducible and significant adhesin activity was demonstrated only for OmpL1, which bound to both mammalian cell lines tested and to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). While determination of biologically significant bacterial adhesion activity will require generation of site-directed mutant strains, our results suggest that OmpL1 is a strong candidate for future evaluation regarding the roles of the adhesin activity of the protein during L. interrogans infection.
Comparison of methods to verify end point cooking temperature of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fillets.

Cooking to 63C for 15 s remains an important step to ensure safe fish for human consumption. Methods for heat process verification have not been validated for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). The present research compared extractable protein quantification, lactate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and catalase activity assays for verification of internal cooking temperature of channel catfish fillets. Ground raw catfish fillet samples (fresh and frozen) were cooked to 55, 60, 62, 63, 64 and 66C. Extractable protein, acid phosphatase and catalase activities decreased as internal cooking temperature increased, but lactate dehydrogenase activity remained unchanged. Samples cooked to 63C had extractable protein concentrations between 9.11 and 10.02 mg/g (95% confidence). Catalase was rapidly inactivated between 55 and 60C and may be suitable for identification of severely undercooked product. Acid phosphatase activity was influenced by method of storage (fresh versus frozen). A method based on total extractable protein appeared to be the most promising for determining the end point cooking temperature of catfish. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The most precise and reliable method to verify maximum cooking temperature attained during heat treatment of catfish fillets was total extractable protein. This finding may be useful for critical control point verification and may be valuable where claims of foodborne illness associated with catfish consumption are being litigated or investigated. To confirm gross undercooking, an easier test would be to measure catalase activity.
Ultrasound-enhanced hydroxyl radical production from two clinically employed anti-cancer drugs, adriamycin and mitomycin C

Abstract Continuous-wave 1 MHz ultrasound at the therapeutic intensity of 1 W cm −2 was found to enhance significantly the hydroxyl radical production from two clinically employed redox cycling drugs, viz. adriamycin (doxorubicin) and mitomycin C, with respect to the control drug-free insonicated phosphate buffer suspension. Benzoic acid (Bz) was employed as a sensitive chemical probe to detect hydroxyl radicals (HO ■ ). Bz is initially non-fluorescent and upon aromatic hydroxylation becomes permanently fluorescent. A series of time course studies up to 30 min were performed on drug suspensions to characterize the HO ■ generation in the presence and absence of ultrasound at 37°C. Identical ultrasound treatments on non-redox cycling clinical drugs, 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate, did not yield any significant enhancement in the production of HO ■ in comparison to the drug-free insonicated phosphate buffer suspension. Ultrasound exposures of 30 min did not yield measurable changes in the chemical constitution of the four drugs as assessed through high-performance liquid chromatography. Identical ultrasound treatments at 3 MHz did not produce any HO ■ in the presence or absence of these four anti-cancer drugs. Free radical scavengers such as mannitol, superoxide dismutase, catalase and a transition metal chelating agent were employed independently to elucidate the chemical species and pathways involved in the production of the HO ■ . The findings strongly implicate an active role of acoustically induced cavitation in potentiating redox cycling drugs via chemical reduction and, thereafter, production of the OH ■ via Fenton's pathway.
The Headscarf Debate in Bulgaria

: Janine R Wedel is contributing editor of “Research on Policy,” the AAA Interest Group for the Anthropology of Public Policy column in Anthropology News.
Multiracialism & the civil rights future

the 1990s, the American system of racial classi1⁄2cation changed recently in a conceptually bold way. With moving reference to the self-esteem of their children, along with the moral conviction that multiracial recognition could help the entire nation beyond an impasse, multiracial advocates were astonishingly successful in the 1990s. Yet at the height of activity, the multiracial movement involved no more than a thousand individuals, mainly living on the East and West Coasts. Only a handful of leaders pushed the multiracial category effort forward, in 1⁄2ts and starts, throughout the decade. Despite its small size, the group that advanced the cause did not agree on much beyond the belief that forcing multiracial Americans into monoracial categories was inaccurate and inappropriate. Still, with only the slightest nudging by this poorly 1⁄2nanced and increasingly fractious handful of activists, six states passed legislation between 1992 and 1998 to add a multiracial category to state forms. During the same period, legislators introduced multiracial category bills in 1⁄2ve additional states, while two other states added a multiracial designation by administrative mandate. The multiracialists’ best-known campaign would have added a multiracial category to the 2000 census. While the group did not get exactly what it wanted, its efforts led to the creation of an unprecedented “mark one or more” option, allowing individual Americans to identify with as many racial groups as they saw 1⁄2t. Throughout the prolonged review by the Of1⁄2ce of Management and Budget (omb) culminating in this 1997 decision, the priorities of traditional civil rights advocates were twofold. First, they strongly opposed a stand-alone multiracial category, fearing that it would jeopardize civil and voting rights enforcement by diluting the count of minorities. Having successfully averted this outcome, but faced with no alternative to multiple check-offs, civil rights proponents secondly strove to ensure that multiple-race responses would be tabulated to a minority group. The omb met both demands. It rejected a stand-alone multiracial category and arrived at a tabulation scheme that
Curvature as a Mechanism for Biomolecule Localization in Bacterial Cells

One of the central questions in cell biology is how the temporal and spatial organization of the cell machinery within the cell is established, maintained, and replicated. In Eubacteria, an understanding of the cellular organization of proteins is just beginning to take shape. Numerous, functionally unrelated proteins have been found that localize to regions of rod-shaped bacterial cells that are characterized by a high intrinsic curvature (e.g. the poles and the division septum). Recent data suggests that there are geometric cues for the localization of proteins and lipids in bacteria. We have recently tested the hypothesis that membrane anisotropy occurs by mechanisms governed by physical and geometrical constrains. We found that microdomains of cardiolipin (CL) preferentially localize to regions of large, negative curvature. In this presentation we explore whether these domains or curvature are responsible for protein localization. We present data for the localization of two functionally bacterial division proteins, MinD (from Escherichia coli) and DivIVA (from Bacillus subtilis) that localize to regions of large curvature in vivo. We use a top-down approach that combines in vivo and in vitro experiments with E. coli and B. subtilis cells. We find that a critical difference in the radius of curvature ΔC (curvature difference between cell poles and midcell) of ∼0.5 μm−1 is required to drive the polar localization of MinD and DivIVA. Our data provides support for curvature as a general mechanism for regulating the spatial organization in bacterial membranes. This research expands our understanding of Eubacterial cell biology and provides insight into the spatial and temporal dynamics of membranes and their role in cell biology.
The Health Consequences of Industrialized Agriculture for Farmers in the United States

This article provides an overview of the inordinately high rates of health and injury problems among farmers, farm workers, and their families in the U.S. It offers a critical review of farmer health and safety research and intervention efforts which primarily focus on engineering and education. An understanding of farmer health problems rooted in social and economic conditions of industrialized agriculture is offered based on data from a series of group interviews with farmers in Iowa and Nebraska, recent survey data, and relevant social science research.
Falsification of the Guilford-Zimmerman temperament survey. II. Making a poor impression.

The Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey was administered to 100 college students, with half of the Ss following normal instructions and the other half instructed to make a poor impression. A cross-validation study was performed on an additional 64 Ss. Scores for the “Fake Bad” group were lowest on scales of Lack of Emotionality, Objectivity, and Personal Relations. None of the items in a derived “Fake Bad” scale appear on previously developed “Fake Good” scales but appear frequently on a previously derived Careless-Deviancy Scale consisting of rare responses. The “Fake Bad” scale separates on cross-validation Ss instructed to make a poor impression from those to whom the test was administered under standard instructions.
Physics and technology conditions for attaining tritium self-sufficiency for the DT fuel cycle

There is no practical external source of tritium for fusion energy development beyond ITER and all subsequent fusion systems have to breed their own tritium. To ensure tritium self-sufficiency, the calculated achievable tritium breeding ratio (TBR) should be equal to or greater than the required TBR. The potential of achieving tritium self-sufficiency depends on many system physics and technology parameters. Interactive physics and technology R&D programs should be implemented to determine the potential of realizing those physics and technology options and parameters that have large effects on attaining a realistic “window” for tritium self-sufficiency. The ranges of plasma and technology conditions that need to be met, in order to ensure tritium self-sufficiency, are identified. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Monitoring key CMP process parameters to improve manufacturing productivity

A discussion of three different methods of monitoring CMP process parameters are presented that can help lead to improved manufacturing productivity. The three methods include data capture of down force from load cell output, direct pressure uniformity measurements from wafer carrier surfaces and wafer shape measurements of pre-polished wafers.
Spectroscopic constants and potential energy curves of PbBr

Abstract Complete active space SCF followed by first-order CI and second-order CI methods which included up to 607000 configurations were used to obtain the spectroscopic properties and potential energy curves of the states of PbBr radical. The relativistic CI method was employed to evaluate the spin—orbit interactions in the PbBr molecule. The ground state corresponds to a 2Π state which splits into 2Π 1 2 and 2Π 3 2 states when spin—orbit interaction is included. The spectroscopic properties of the 2Π 1 2 state are: Re = 2.712 A, ωe = 195 cm−1, while spectroscopic constants of the 2Π 3 2 state are: Re = 2.674 A and ωe = 205 cm−1.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the kinked fetal brain stem: a sign of severe dysgenesis.

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows visualization of the fetal brainstem in a manner not previously possible. A “kinked” brainstem is a sign of severe neurodysgenesis.
Approximating stochastic biochemical processes with wasserstein pseudometrics

Modelling stochastic processes inside the cell is difficult due to the size and complexity of the processes being investigated. As a result, new approaches are needed to address the problems of model reduction, parameter estimation, model comparison and model invalidation. Here, the authors propose addressing these problems by using Wasserstein pseudometrics to quantify the differences between processes. The method the authors propose is applicable to any bounded continuous-time stochastic process and pseudometrics between processes are defined only in terms of the available outputs. Algorithms for approximating Wasserstein pseudometrics are developed from experimental or simulation data and demonstrate how to optimise parameter values to minimise the pseudometrics. The approach is illustrated with studies of a stochastic toggle switch and of stochastic gene expression in E. coli.
Managing Boundaries in American Administration: The Collaboration Imperative

Boundaries have long played a central role in American public administration. In part, this is because boundaries are central to the administrative process, as they defi ne what organizations are responsible for doing and what powers and functions lie elsewhere. It is also because of the nation’s political culture and unusual system of federalism, in which boundaries have always been the focus of confl ict. Five boundaries have historically been important in the American administrative system: mission, resources, capacity, responsibility, and accountability. New forces make managing these boundaries increasingly diffi cult: political processes that complicate administrative responses, indirect administrative tactics, and wicked problems that levy enormous costs when solutions fail. Working eff ectively at these boundaries requires new strategies of collaboration and new skills for public managers. Failure to develop these strategies — or an instinct to approach boundaries primarily as political symbolism — worsens the performance of the administrative system.
Super magnetic storm due for Earth

A super magnetic storm, which will cause unprecedented disruptions in earth's power transmissions, will probably strike in the next few years, according to a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Magnetic storms set up currents in power lines that cause overloads and cut off power. Howard Sargent of the Commerce Department's Space Environment Services Center believes power transmission systems are more vulnerable than ever to magnetic disturbances and that conditions are ripe for a storm more powerful than any of these systems have weathered. There is a class of ‘super’ magnetic storms, he said, that tends to occur after the peak in the sun's 11-year sunspot cycle. They are especially likely, he noted, in odd-numbered, active cycles. The sun is now just past the peak of a particularly spotty cycle, cycle 21.
Effect of rolling on running performance

The present work investigates the effect of rolling contact during stance phase in running by relating the variation of foot curvature radii to running efficiency, stability and forward speed. Both a conservative reduced-order running model and one with a simple motor and friction model are used to simulate running with a rolling foot. We find that having a larger foot radius implies smoother peak vertical ground reaction forces. Increased foot radius also yields, up to a point, a larger region of stable gaits for the conservative system, and more stable, fast, and efficient gaits for the actuated version. These results motivate the design of a new set of legs to test these findings on a dynamic running platform.
A systems approach to molecular electronics

Molecular electronics is an area of research in which molecules are employed to yield the active and passive device components (switches, diodes, resistors) of an electronic circuit or integrated circuit. Consider the crossbar circuits of nanowires in the electron micrograph at the left [1]. The smallest (100 element) crossbar in this image is patterned at a density approach 1012/cm2, and the wire diameter is approximately 8 nm. At a doping level (with species like Boron or Arsenic) of 1018/cm3, a similar 8 nm diameter, micrometer-long segment of silicon wires would have 20-30 dopant atoms, and a junction of two crossed wires would contain approximately 0.1-0.2 dopant atoms. Thus, field-effect transistors fabricated at these wiring densities might exhibit non-statistical, and perhaps non-predictable behavior. Related arguments, such as the gate oxide thickness, power consumption, (just from leakage currents through the gate oxide), fabrication costs, and others also highlight the difficulty of scaling standard electronics materials to molecular dimensions [2]. The point is that at device areas of a few tens of square nanometers, molecules have a certain fundamental attractiveness because of their size, because they represent the ultimate in terms of atomic control over physical properties, and because of the diversity of properties, such as switching, dynamic organization and recognition that can be achieved through such control.Molecular electronics circuits based on crossbar architectures can be utilized for both logic and memory applications [3], but in order to realize such applications, many things must be simultaneously considered. These include the design of the molecule, the molecule electrode interface, electronically configurable and defect tolerant circuit architectures, methods for bridging the nanometer-scale densities of these circuits to the sub-micrometer densities achievable with lithography, etc. [4] In this talk I will treat such circuits as a system, and discuss how all of these various properties are interrelated. I will also present experimental results of working random-access memory and configurable logic circuits, and FET-based multiplexers capable of bridging length scales.In these circuits the active device elements are molecular mechanical complexes organized at each of the junctions within the crossbar, as shown at left in the drawing. The molecules are switched via 1 or 2 electron process that results in a mechanical isomerization of the molecule, and thereby a change in the tunneling characteristics of the junction. Detailed electrical measurements on single molecule, three-terminal devices are revealing substantial information concerning how these types of devices can be better designed and optimized, and such measurements will also be presented and discussed.
Reverberation envelope statistics and their dependence on sonar bandwidth and scattering patch size

Increasing transmit waveform bandwidth in an active sonar-system results in an increase in the signal-to-reverberation power ratio in reverberation-limited environments, but also changes the probability density function of the reverberation envelope. A recent model that relates a description of the sonar system and environment to the parameters of the K-distribution predicts that the shape parameter (/spl alpha/) is proportional to range, beamwidth, and the density of scattering patches on the sea floor and is inversely proportional to bandwidth. In this paper, the bandwidth relationship is examined with real data from a low-frequency active sonar system with a towed array receiver. The inverse proportionality is observed at low bandwidths as a trend away from a Rayleigh-distributed envelope (decreasing /spl alpha/) as bandwidth increases. However, a trend back toward Rayleigh reverberation (increasing /spl alpha/) is observed as bandwidth continues to increase. Hypothesizing that the increase in /spl alpha/ arises from over-resolving scattering patches in range and not in angle, the model of is extended to account for patch size relative to that of the sonar-resolution cell. The shape parameter of a moment-matched K-distribution derived from the extended model is then seen to provide a good fit to that estimated from the data.
Cross Layer Interference Mitigation Using Spectrum Sensing

Spectrum sensing for interference mitigation is, in the broad sense, the ability to detect and interpret other signals in the band and take appropriate actions by implementing adaptive techniques in the MAC layer in addition to traditional interference cancellation techniques applied in the PHY layer. In this paper we present algorithms to detect interference to WLAN systems in the 2.4 GHz spectrum originating from microwave ovens (MWO) or frequency hopping devices like cordless phone, and methods to mitigate the interference. The concept can be extended to other coexistence issues as well as spectrum sharing between primary and secondary users of a spectrum.
Coarse meshing of smooth surfaces in the method of moments for electromagnetic scattering problems

It is shown in this paper that very accurate scattering results may be obtained using only 3 basis functions per /spl lambda/ in the smooth regions without resorting to higher order basis functions.
Interannual abundance patterns of copepods during an ENSO event in Icy Strait, southeastern Alaska

Interannual copepod abundance (number m −3 ) and sea surface temperatures (SST, 2-m depth) were examined from four stations in Icy Strait, southeastern Alaska, monthly from May to September, 1997-2002. SST was generally lowest in May (≅7°C), increased rapidly to a summer peak (≅12°C), and declined again by September. SST was relatively high in the El Nino year, 1998, and was low during a regional cold event, 2002, compared to other years. Overall, copepods constituted 18.8% of the total biomass and 88.2% of zooplankton abundance, and included >34 species. The common copepod species were grouped into two size classes by total length (TL), those >2.5 mm (11.4% biomass, 24.2% abundance) and those <2.5 mm (7.4% biomass, 64.0% abundance). In order of dominance, large species included Metridia ochotensis, Calanus marshallae, M. pacificus, and Neocalanus spp. and small species included Pseudocalanus spp., Acartia longiremis, and Centropages abdominalis. Overall, the small species were more abundant than the large species. Densities of large copepods were relatively low compared to those of small copepods during El Nino (1998) and a cold year (2002), suggesting that large copepods with long lifespans are more sensitive to ocean climate fluctuation.
After Medicare: regionalization and Canadian health care reform.

Abstract. In the immediate postwar era the primary object of health reform among the advanced industrial democracies was to expand, if not universalize, access to a broad spectrum of health services through sustained, high levels of government-mandated spending. The fiscal crises of the 1970s and 1980s ushered in a new generation of policies devoted to balancing the imperatives of guaranteeing access to basic health and social services and to improving the accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care industries. In Canada, the regionalization of health care administration emerged as the most prominent strategy for grappling with the contradictions and paradoxes of contemporary health reform. This essay traces the historical evolution of federalprovincial deliberations that elevated regionalization to the forefront of health policy-making in the new era of fiscal restraint, and further, assesses recent efforts to institutionalize regional health authorities. Resume. Parmi les avancees de la democratie dans le secteur de l’industrie, le premier objectif de la reforme de sante suite a l’apres-guerre, a ete d’elargir sinon d’universaliser l’acces a un large eventail de services de sante et d’en faire la priorite du gouvernement. Ce dernier egalement responsable de son financement. La crise economique des annees 1970 et 1980 a inaugure la mise en place de nouvelles politiques garantissant l’acces a des services sociaux et de soins de sante de base, ainsi que l’amelioration de la responsabilisation, de l'efficacite et de l'efficience des soins de sante en milieu industriel. Au Canada, la regionalisation de l’administration des soins de sante apparait comme etant la strategie la plus empreinte des contradictions et des paradoxes de la reforme en sante de cette epoque. Cette etude trace l’evolution historique des deliberations provinciales et federales qui ont conduit a l’institutionnalisation, dans le contexte des restrictions fiscales, de la regionalisation des soins de sante.
When old and new media collide: The case of WikiLeaks:

In November 2010, WikiLeaks released over a quarter of a million US State Department diplomatic cables to the world’s media, exposing private communications between diplomatic officials at US embassies across the globe and the State Department at Washington, DC. This study analyzes the WikiLeaks controversy through institutional views of the US news media. Our analysis of 83 newspaper editorials found four prominent themes in US newspaper discourse: (1) The contrast between the “discretion and maturity” of traditional journalism and the rash actions of WikiLeaks; (2) The need for “old media” in a new media landscape; (3) The tension between the public’s right to know and national security; and (4) The invocation of the Pentagon Papers as a way of drawing clear lines of difference between journalism’s past and its possible future. Our findings indicate ongoing tension between “old” and “new” media at a time when definitions of journalism are increasingly diffuse.
Valuation of wildlife resources: Rejoinder to critique, by M. D. Hooper

(1970). Valuation of wildlife resources: Rejoinder to critique, by M. D. Hooper. Regional Studies: Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 393-393.
Evaluation of the Etest GRD for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides

OBJECTIVES Continued glycopeptide-selective pressure has led to non-susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus including heterogeneously vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (hVISA). The gold standard for identification of hVISA is the population analysis profile area under the curve ratio (PAP-AUC), though this method is time-consuming and labour-intensive. The objective of this study was to compare a new method for detection of hVISA, the Etest GRD, to PAP-AUC and to macro Etest. METHODS One hundred clinical hVISA and 50 clinical fully vancomycin-susceptible S. aureus (VSSA), confirmed by PAP-AUC, were evaluated. Microtitre and Etest MICs were determined by standard testing procedures on all isolates. Macro Etest was performed according to referenced procedures. The Etest GRD was tested using a 0.5 McFarland standard on Mueller-Hinton agar + 5% blood and read at 24 and 48 h. If either the vancomycin or the teicoplanin end of the GRD strip was >or=8 and the vancomycin Etest was <or=4, the isolate was considered hVISA. RESULTS Vancomycin MIC(50)/MIC(90) for hVISA and VSSA was 1.5/2 mg/L and 1/1.5 mg/L, respectively, by Etest and vancomycin MIC(50)/MIC(90) for hVISA and VSSA was 1/2 mg/L for both by microtitre; MIC values for hVISA being significantly higher (P <or= 0.023). At 24 h, the Etest GRD was 77% sensitive and 98% specific, and at 48 h, it was 93% sensitive and 82% specific compared with PAP-AUC. Macro Etest was 83% sensitive and 94% specific at 48 h. CONCLUSIONS Etest GRD was simple to perform and may be feasible for clinical microbiology laboratories. This test may be useful for clinical detection of hVISA.