cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser Induced Stress Wave Thermometry for In-situ Temperature and Thickness Characterization of Single Crystalline Silicon Wafer: Part I—Theory and Apparatus

The feasibility of Thermo-Acousto-Photonic Nondestructive Evaluation (TAP-NDE) as an alternative to current pyrometric and ellipsometric techniques to simultaneously measure temperature and thickness during single crystalline silicon wafer processing is investigated. TAP-NDE is a non-contact, non-invasive, laser-based ultrasound technique employed to profile the thermal and spatial characteristics of the wafer using Lamb waveguide modes. A theoretical formulation viable for identifying the frequencies sensitive to temperature and thickness changes is presented. The group velocity of the frequency components and their corresponding changes with respect to temperature for different thicknesses are modeled by considering a titanium bonding layer between aluminum/copper and silicon. It is shown both theoretically and experimentally that there exists a correlation for differentiating thickness variation as a function of varying group velocities for different frequencies at different temperatures, thus establishing the groundwork for the optically generated Lamb wave thermometric methodology for silicon wafer.
Diazoxide induced cardioprotection: what comes first, KATP channels or reactive oxygen species?

See article by Carroll et al. [32] (pages 691–700) in this issue. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a phenomenon in which a sublethal stress of short duration has proved to be protective against a subsequent lethal stress [1]. The protection is biphasic in that there is an immediate phase of protection that is transient and disappears a few hours after the conditioning stimulus [2], and a late phase that occurs 24 h after the conditioning stimulus and can last up to 72 h [3,4]. The conditioning stimuli can be variable and include ischemia, stimulation of adenosine receptors [5–7], opioid receptors [8–11], physical manipulation such as heat stress [12–15], or activation of the mitochondrial ATP-dependent K-channel (mitoKATP) [16,17]. Early events appear to be linked to protein modification and translocation through activation of signal transduction pathways that are already in place. Late events are most likely contingent upon de novo protein synthesis [3,18] with nitric oxide synthase [19–24], catalase [25], superoxide dismutase [5,26–28], and heat shock proteins [13–15,29] likely induced in the late phase to facilitate protection. Recently, a flurry of investigations have focused on the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the protective mechanism of IPC. There is considerable evidence that ROS are involved in IPC since the role of ROS in both the pathogenesis and adaptation to severe damage produced by ischemia has been demonstrated. Sun et al. [30] show that repeated exposure to cycles of sublethal ischemia over many days led to an adaptation in which contractile function returned more quickly on days 2 and 3 compared to day 1. Subsequently, when the animals were treated with antioxidants in conjunction with the repeated cycles of ischemia the protective response was blocked on days 2 and 3. Recently, Pain … *Corresponding author
Statistical analysis of QT interval as a function of changes in RR interval in the conscious dog.

Abstract Introduction: The duration of cardiac ventricular depolarization and repolarization is represented as the QT interval. QT prolongation has been associated with the occurrence of arrhythmias. Both cardiovascular as well as noncardiovascular agents have caused QT prolongation and sudden death in humans. Changes in heart rate (HR) play a major, though not exclusive, role in QT variation. Considerable debate has centered on how to normalize QT for variations in HR (QTc). Methods: The most common approaches use Bazett's ( QTc = QT / RR ) or Fridericia's ( QTc = QT / RR 3 ) formulas to fit the data and establish a single coefficient to analyze QT with respect to its relationship to RR, where RR= 60/HR. These single-coefficient models do not adequately describe the QT functional relationship with RR for the dog. Therefore, any calculation of QTc for the dog is misleading and can result in a false-positive indication or mask the potential hazards of a high QT. Other investigators have proposed multicoefficient exponential regression analyses to best fit the QT–RR relationship. Results and discussion: Data presented here from dogs under resting conditions and during pharmacological maneuvers (E-4031 or cisapride intravenous infusion) support the use of such a model. In order to fully characterize drug-induced changes in the QT–RR relationship, our approach includes a statistical comparison of the regression curves for an overall effect, and quantitates the incidence and magnitude of points exceeding the upper 95% confidence interval (‘outliers’) to assess the degree of heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization.
A Comparison of Inner and Outer Spiral Rainbands in a Numerically Simulated Tropical Cyclone

AbstractThe simulated inner and outer spiral rainbands in a tropical cyclone are compared in this study. The inner rainbands are generally active immediately outside the eyewall in the rapid filamentation zone, while the outer rainbands are active in regions outside about 3 times the radius of maximum wind. The inner rainbands are characterized by the convectively coupled vortex Rossby waves. The movement of the outer rainbands follows the low-level vector winds associated with the azimuthally averaged low-level flow and the radially outward cross-band flow caused by the downdraft-induced cold pool in the boundary layer. Convective cells in outer rainbands are typical of convective systems and move cyclonically and radially outward (inward) at large (small) radii.Net upward vertical mass transports (VMTs) appear throughout the depth of the troposphere in the whole inner-rainband region, while net downward VMTs are found below 4-km height in the outer-rainband region. In the whole inner-rainband region, on...
CHLORPROMAZINE STIMULATION AND L-DOPA SUPPRESSION OF PLASMA PROLACTIN IN MAN1

ABSTRACT Plasma prolactin has been found to be elevated acutely following a single intramuscular injection of chlorpromazine in all of twelve endocrinologically normal subjects and in one patient with isolated growth hormone deficiency. The peak response occurs 1 to 2 hours following chlorpromazine injection. Two patients with panhypopituitarism showed no response. Pretreatment with L-dopa in normal subjects markedly inhibited the prolactin rise after chlorpromazine. In four patients with chronically elevated plasma prolactin, a single oral dose of L-dopa produced rapid lowering of the prolactin levels. These methods are suggested as useful, tests of pituitary function.
Impact of preoperative embolization on outcomes of carotid body tumor resections

Objective This study assessed neurovascular complications in the surgical management of carotid body tumors (CBTs), with emphasis on those treated with and without preoperative embolization. Methods We reviewed the clinical data of all consecutive patients with CBTs treated by surgical resection at our institution from 1985 to 2010. Outcomes were compared between Shamblin class II and III CBTs treated with preoperative embolization (EMB group) and with no preoperative embolization (NEMB group). Results A total of 131 patients (80 women, 51 men), who were aged 48 years (range, 16-84 years), had resection of 144 CBTs and 12 concurrent cervical paragangliomas. This included 18 patients who had bilateral resections and 29 with familial CBTs. Succinate dehydrogenase ( SDHx ) mutations were confirmed in 17 patients. Mean tumor volume was 20.5 cm 3 (range, 0.8-101.3 cm 3 ), and there were two biochemically active CBTs (1%). There were 71 Shamblin II and 33 Shamblin III. The EMB group underwent 33 CBT resections, and the NEMB group underwent 71. There were more patients in the EMB group with bilateral (48% vs 22%; P = .01) and familial (34% vs 14%; P = .01) CBT; otherwise, patient demographics, Shamblin class, and tumor diameter and volumes were similar. No strokes or other major complications occurred after preoperative embolization with polyvinyl alcohol particles 1 day before surgery. The EMB group required less extensive procedures (simple excision in 97% vs 82%, P = .03; internal carotid artery clamping in 15% vs 37%, P = .04) and had less blood loss (mean estimated blood loss, 263 vs 599 mL; P = .002) than the NEMB group. However, there were no significant differences in operative time (250 vs 265 minutes; P = .49), temporary cranial nerve injury (52% vs 38%; P = .21), clinically apparent cranial nerve deficits after 1 year (12% vs 7%; P = .46), deaths (0% vs 0%; P > .99), stroke (0% vs 1%; P > .99), or postoperative length of stay (4.1 vs 4.2 days; P = .91). Conclusions Large CBTs can be resected safely with or without preoperative embolization. Preoperative embolization may simplify the conduct of the operation and reduce blood loss but does not decrease rates of cranial nerve injury, although most are temporary.
Effect of prolonged fasting on fatty acid re-esterification in rat intestinal mucosa.

Abstract Rats subjected to a three day fast showed marked decreases in total intestinal mucosal protein, mucosal weight, sucrase, maltase and monoacylglycerol acyltransferase activities. Total microsomal protein was decreased to a lesser degree in fasted rats, and total lactase activity remained unchanged. Specific activities of sucrase and maltase were unchanged by fasting; specific activity of lactase increased. Specific activity of monoacylglycerol acyltrans-ferase, expressed per mg microsomal protein decreased. When activity of this pathway was expressed per mg of mucosal protein or mucosal weight it remained unchanged in fasted animals. The results appeared most consistent with the hypothesis of decreased cell proliferation in starvation. A change in the usual proportions of cell types during starvation is also suggested.
Visually Lossless Compression of Windowed Images

Summary form only given. Visually lossless image compression methods aim to compress images while ensuring that compression distortions are below perceptible levels. In medical imaging applications where high bit-depth images are often displayed on lower bit-depth displays, adjustments of image brightness and contrast during display are very common. In these applications, radiologists often change the display window level and width to view different ranges of intensities within the full range to better visualize diverse types of tissue in the image. However, when an image created to be visually lossless at a particular display setting is manipulated prior to display, compression distortions that were initially invisible may become visible. Similarly, compression artifacts that would be visible in certain window settings can be invisible in others, creating opportunities for the compression algorithm to allow increased compression distortion with corresponding increases in compression ratios. In this work, the effects of window level and window width adjustments on visibility thresholds were investigated. A JPEG2000 based image compression method to achieve visually lossless compression for a given window level and width was then proposed. A validation study was performed to confirm that the images obtained using the proposed method cannot be distinguished from original windowed images. The proposed compression method was also extended to a client-server setting where the server transmits incremental data to the client to ensure visually lossless representation after adjustments to the window level and width are made at the client side. The proposed incremental compression method was compared to a reference compression system where an 8-bit image corresponding to the desired window settings is created from a 12-bit CT image first at the encoder. This image is then compressed to achieve visually lossless compression using the methods described in. When the window settings are updated, a new 8-bit image corresponding to the updated window settings is created and compressed in a visually lossless manner. A comparison of the two methods illustrate that while the reference system is more efficient when the display settings are changed only once, the proposed method is advantageous when the display settings are changed more than once, requiring only 18% of the data transmitted by the reference system at the end of seven window setting adjustments.
Effect of propylthiouracil on intestinal tumor formation by azoxymethane in rats.

Treatment with propylthiouracil (PTU) resulted in a significant decrease in azoxymethane-induced intestinal tumors, total concentration of fecal bile acid as well as the fecal neutral steroids, cholesterol and coprostanol. Thus, a hypothyroid state induced by PTU treatment may affect intestinal carcinogenesis in this animal model by lowering the concentration of fecal bile acids and neutral steroids.
Crystallization Exotherms of Zirconia‐Hafnia Mixtures

This paper reports differential scanning calorimetry used to study the crystallization behavior of ZrO{sub 2}-HfO{sub 2} mixtures. The materials prepared by admixing Zr(No{sub 3}){sub 4} and Hf(NO{sub 3}){sub 4} exhibited a peak at 40 wt% Hf composition in the exothermic-heat-versus-mixed-oxide composition curve. In contrast, the materials prepared by precipitation from a solution prepared from anhydrous HfCl{sub 4} and ZrCl{sub 4} exhibited a gradual decrease in exothermic behavior with increasing Hf content. The temperature for the exotherm increased with increasing Hf content. The data indicate that the exotherm is due to the formation of a crystalline material and not due to a phase transformation.
Sensitivity of two visual reproduction tests to alcoholic brain impairment.

The Wechsler Memory Scale Visual Reproduction subtest and the Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure Test were administered to alcoholics to examine visual reproduction impairment. The initial test group was comprised of 28 inpatients in an alcohol treatment program while 16 subsequent inpatients served as the cross-validation group. The Visual Reproduction subtest correlated significantly with an average impairment index both in the initial group and the less-impaired cross validation group. The Complex Figure scores showed significant correlations with the average impairment index only in the initial group. It was concluded that the most likely reason for this outcome was the emphasis upon intentional learning in the Visual Reproduction subtest as opposed to the emphasis upon incidental learning in the Complex Figure recall task. The results were discussed in the context that alcoholics may have an impaired ability to use efficient encoding strategies spontaneously.
The Parrot Is Dead: Observing Unobservable Network Communications

In response to the growing popularity of Tor and other censorship circumvention systems, censors in non-democratic countries have increased their technical capabilities and can now recognize and block network traffic generated by these systems on a nationwide scale. New censorship-resistant communication systems such as Skype Morph, Stego Torus, and Censor Spoofer aim to evade censors' observations by imitating common protocols like Skype and HTTP. We demonstrate that these systems completely fail to achieve unobservability. Even a very weak, local censor can easily distinguish their traffic from the imitated protocols. We show dozens of passive and active methods that recognize even a single imitated session, without any need to correlate multiple network flows or perform sophisticated traffic analysis. We enumerate the requirements that a censorship-resistant system must satisfy to successfully mimic another protocol and conclude that "unobservability by imitation" is a fundamentally flawed approach. We then present our recommendations for the design of unobservable communication systems.
Persistence of the Left Superior Vena Cava in a Patient with Duplication of Chromosome 8p—A Case Report

The authors report a child born with duplication of chromosome 8p. Associated findings have included an interhemispheric cyst with hydrocephalus, persistent left superior vena cava, large secundum-type atrial septal defect, bilateral inguinal hernias, right preauricular skin tag, hypertelorism, cleft palate, cortical thumbing, syndactyly of the toes, and clinodactyly. At three years of age, the patient does not crawl, is developmentally delayed, and has a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to treat his hydrocephalus. With further reports, this case may shed light on a genetic locus related to regression of the left superior vena cava.
Biosynthesis of crustacean lipovitellin. III. The incorporation of labeled amino acids into the purified lipovitellin of the crab Pachygrapsus crassipes

Electrophoretically pure subunits were obtained from the lipovitellin (LV) of the intertidal crab, Pachygrapsus crassipes. The molecular weights of these subunits were determined. In addition, it was demonstrated that the ovaries of Pachygrapsus, incubated in vitro, incorporated 3H-leucine into the two principal subunits of lipovitellin. At the end of a 30 hour incubation the specific activity of each of the principal subunits was approximately 30,000 dpm/mg protein. It is concluded that the ovaries of Pachygrapsus crassipes are capable of synthesizing the proteinaceous yolk found in the mature egg.
Restrained and nonrestrained eaters' orienting responses to food and nonfood odors

Abstract Dietary restraint was assessed by Stunkard and Messick's (1985) three-factor eating questionnaire, using the restraint subfactor score only in normal-weight college students ( n = 41). The subjects were then assessed for skin conductance orienting responses (ORs) to food and nonfood odors when hungry and sated (after a standard breakfast and after an overnight fast). Subjects also rated their hunger and each odorant for pleasantness on separate 7-point scales. Results indicated that restrained eaters oriented less to odors than did nonrestrained subjects. Food deprivation did not differentially affect the ORs in restrained and nonrestrained eaters. The ORs, however, tended to be decreased in all of subjects who had had breakfast. Finally, nonrestrained subjects rated food and nonfood odors approximately equal in pleasantness, while the restrained eaters rated food odors as more pleasant than the nonfood odors. These results suggest that restrained eaters must certainly process odor stimuli related to foods, but also suggests that orienting to these salient (informative) cues is restricted. Perhaps in defense of the diet, restrained eaters learn methods/responses (cognitive strategies, instructional sets) to block orienting to food related cues such as odors.
Minimizing Makespan in No-Wait Job Shops

In this paper, we study polynomial time approximation schemes (PTASes) for the no-wait job shop scheduling problem with the makespan objective function. It is known that the problem is MaxSNP-hard in the case when each job is allowed to have three operations or more. We show that if each job has at most two operations, the problem admits a PTAS if the number of machines is a constant (i.e., not part of the input). If the number of machines is not a constant, we show that the problem is hard to approximate within a factor better than 5/4.
Two-photon confocal microscopy in wound healing

Advances in histopathology and immunohistochemistry have allowed for precise microanatomic detail of tissues. Two Photon Confocal Microscopy (TPCM) is a new technology useful in non-destructive analysis of tissue. Laser light excites the natural florophores, NAD(P)H and NADP+ and the scattering patterns of the emitted light are analyzed to reconstruct microanatomic features. Guinea pig skin was studied using TPCM and skin preparation methods including chemical depilation and tape striping. Results of TPCM were compared with conventional hematoxylin and eosin microscopy. Two-dimensional images were rendered from the three dimensional reconstructions. Images of deeper layers including basal cells and the dermo-epidermal junction improved after removing the stratum corneum with chemical depilation or tape stripping. TCPM allows good resolution of corneocytes, basal cells and collagen fibers and shows promise as a non-destructive method to study wound healing.
Persistent medial foot pain in an adolescent athlete

The patient was a 15-year-old adolescent male who was referred to a physical therapist for a chief complaint of worsening right medial foot pain. Given the worsening nature of the patient's right medial foot pain, palpatory findings, and a prior recommendation for computed tomography from a radiologist, the patient was referred to his physician. Subsequent computed tomography imaging of the right foot revealed a nondisplaced fracture through the dorsal-medial aspect of the navicular. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2013;43(3):194. doi:10.2519/jospt.2013.0405
Contemporary use of perioperative cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Level I evidence indicates that neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy, in combination with radical cystectomy (RC), is associated with a significant survival advantage for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Despite this, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not uniformly used. Our objective was to determine the patterns of utilization of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients undergoing RC for muscle invasive bladder cancer in a contemporary cohort in a tertiary care center. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of patients with bladder cancer who underwent RC between 2003 and 2008 at our institution. Clinical stage, pathologic stage, renal function, and perioperative chemotherapy treatments were tabulated. Primary outcome measures were the type and use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy among eligible patients. Secondary measures were the utilization patterns of adjuvant chemotherapy, renal function, pathologic outcomes, and disease specific and overall survival. Reasons for nonutilization of chemotherapy were also examined. RESULTS: Among 238 patients who underwent RC for bladder cancer, 145 had a preoperative clinical stage ≥T2. Only 17% (25 of 145) of these patients received cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The renal function was adequate (CrCl > 60 ml/min) in 97 (67%) of these patients. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy had higher p0 rates (29% vs 8%) than patients who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. Advanced patient age, comorbidities, concerns over toxicity of chemotherapy, and the modest nature of benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy may explain why this treatment is not often used. CONCLUSIONS: Despite level I evidence, neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapies continue to be underutilized in the management of bladder cancer, even at a high-volume tertiary center. A prospective evaluation of management choices, including the patient and physician factors involved in the use of perioperative cisplatin-based chemotherapy in bladder cancer, is indicated. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Measuring Success Factors of Local Employee Management in Slovakia and Bulgaria

There have been various researches for managers to make post-FDI operations successful. Areas of such researches include corporate governance, marketing, financing, production, distribution and logistics, supply chain management and human resource management (HRM). However, generally speaking, managers should focus on establishing effective organizations at the beginning of the post-FDI operations. Particularly, since FDI brings a high level of cultural diversity into organizations, knowing how to deal with local employees will be critical for expatriates as managers. This research focuses on finding implications for manages to establish good labor relations with Slovak and Bulgarian employees in the post-FDI operations. This is important for managers because (1) FDIs in these countries have increased continuously and (2) local employees in the two nations have been familiar with foreign style management in somehow someway. Our goals are (1) to find opinions of local employees in Slovakia and Bulgaria and (2) to make several suggestions for managers to create better labor relations with the local employees.
Baseline Probabilities for the Seasonal Prediction of Meteorological Drought

AbstractThe inherent persistence characteristics of various drought indicators are quantified to extract predictive information that can improve drought early warning. Predictive skill is evaluated as a function of the seasonal cycle for regions within North America. The study serves to establish a set of baseline probabilities for drought across multiple indicators amenable to direct comparison with drought indicator forecast probabilities obtained when incorporating dynamical climate model forecasts. The emphasis is on the standardized precipitation index (SPI), but the method can easily be applied to any other meteorological drought indicator, and some additional examples are provided. Monte Carlo resampling of observational data generates two sets of synthetic time series of monthly precipitation that include, and exclude, the annual cycle while removing serial correlation. For the case of no seasonality, the autocorrelation (AC) of the SPI (and seasonal precipitation percentiles, moving monthly avera...
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) is chemotactic for human monocytes and induces their expression of angiogenic activity

TGF beta stimulates human blood monocyte migration, with peak migratory response occurring consistently at a concentration of 16-100 fg/ml. Checkerboard analysis revealed both chemotactic and chemokinetic components to this response. At higher concentrations (10-100 pg/ml), TGF beta stimulated expression of angiogenic activity by monocytes. While mRNA for TNF alpha was undetectable in resting monocytes, high steady state levels of TNF alpha mRNA were rapidly induced in TGF beta-treated monocytes. TGF beta is secreted by a number of neoplastic cells as well as normal cells such as platelets and lymphocytes. TGF beta may recruit monocytes from the circulation, and subsequently activate them to express angiogenic activities such as TNF alpha, thus playing an important role in wound repair, inflammation and tumor growth.
Reaction of NO to form N2O and surface oxide on GaAs(100)

Abstract Metastable quenching spectroscopy (MQS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) were used to study the reaction of NO on GaAs(100) at 74–77 K. Adsorbed NO reacts nearly completely to form N 2 O and surface oxide. A NO dose of about 200 L saturates the reaction, forming a complete oxide layer. The MQ spectra show that the product N 2 O is adsorbed predominately with the O atom down on the oxide layer, resulting in a 30% higher saturation coverage than for N 2 O adsorbed on the clean surface. Dosing the clean surface at 300 K with 200 L NO gave no measurable NO adsorption, N 2 O production, or surface oxide formation.
Working with Individuals with Mental Illness and Developmental Disabilities: Synthesizing the Best Information for the Practicing Clinician

This issue of Psychiatric Quarterly is devoted to topics that may be of interest and practical use to people who clinically work with individuals with coexisting mental illness and developmental disabilities (DD), often also referred to as intellectual disabilities (ID). The assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders among individuals with DD is a complex area, often not very well informed by the relevant empirical data. Clinicians working in this field tackle two heterogeneous groups of conditions based on separate, though overlapping, bodies of data and clinical experiences. They search to find the common ground where the genetic, metabolic, neurological, and temperamental factors interact with social and adaptive skills in the context of biopsychosocial environments. However, they also frequently face the brain-behavior or behavior-psychiatric disorder dichotomies. In putting together this special issue, throughout our approach has remained to start with the available empirical evidence and then bridge the gaps in knowledge with experts’ opinion. In short, we have attempted to think critically and have kept our focus on synthesizing the best information for the practicing clinician. Emergence of challenging behaviors in people with DD is influenced by many genetic, metabolic, and neurobehavioral factors. These factors can also influence recognition and clinical course of mental disorders in people with DD. This calls for clinicians to redefine dichotomous thinking about boundaries between psychiatric, neurologic, and behavioral disorders and therapies. In tackling this area, Barnhill starts off this special issue with providing an overview of the field as he reviews the literature relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with mental illness and DD and attempts to synthesize the major problem areas in differential diagnosis and treatment planning. The article lays out the state of MI-DD field in broad strokes of brush and attempts to provide the reader with some insights into the broader issues related to the field.
A spiking neuromorphic design with resistive crossbar

Neuromorphic systems recently gained increasing attention for their high computation efficiency. Many designs have been proposed and realized with traditional CMOS technology or emerging devices. In this work, we proposed a spiking neuromorphic design built on resistive crossbar structures and implemented with IBM 130nm technology. Our design adopts a rate coding scheme where pre- and post-neuron signals are represented by digitalized pulses. The weighting function of pre-neuron signals is executed on the resistive crossbar in analog format. The computing result is transferred into digitalized output spikes via an integrate-and-fire circuit (IFC) as the post-neuron. We calibrated the computation accuracy of the entire system through circuit simulations. The results demonstrated a good match to our analytic modeling. Furthermore, we implemented both feedforward and Hopfield networks by utilizing the proposed neuromorphic design. The system performance and robustness were studied through massive Monte-Carlo simulations based on the application of digital image recognition. Comparing to the previous crossbar-based computing engine that represents data with voltage amplitude, our design can achieve >50% energy savings, while the average probability of failed recognition increase only 1.46% and 5.99% in the feedforward and Hopfield implementations, respectively.
Tissue distribution, elimination, and metabolism of sodium [36Cl]perchlorate in lactating goats.

Perchlorate has contaminated water sources throughout the United States but particularly in the arid Southwest, an area containing large numbers of people and few water sources. Recent studies have demonstrated that perchlorate is present in alfalfa and that perchlorate is secreted into the milk of cows. Studies in lactating cows have indicated that only a small portion of a perchlorate dose could be accounted for by elimination in milk, feces, or urine. It was hypothesized that the remainder of the perchlorate dose was excreted as chloride ion. The purpose of this study was to determine the fate and disposition of 36Cl-perchlorate in lactating dairy goats. Two goats (60 kg) were each orally administered 3.5 mg (16.5 μCi) of 36Cl-perchlorate, a dose selected to approximate environmental perchlorate exposure but that would allow for adequate detection of radioactive residues after a 72 h withdrawal period. Blood, milk, urine, and feces were collected incrementally until slaughter at 72 h. Total radioactive...
Accurate determination of the transaortic valve gradient using simultaneous left ventricular and femoral artery pressures

Accurate determination of the transaortic valve gradient has required two catheters, one in the left ventricle and one in the ascending aorta. We now report a new technique for measurement of the transaortic valve gradient from the simultaneous left ventricular (LV) and femoral artery (FA) pressure tracings. This technique was compared with the "true" gradient obtained by measurement of the simultaneous LV and central aortic pressures, and is accurate (R = 0.999) and relatively simple. Other approaches used to determine the mean transaortic valve gradient were less accurate: simultaneous LV-FA (R = 0.991); aligned LV-FA (R = 0.974); averaged simultaneous and aligned LV-FA (R = 0.981); and nonsimultaneous LV-aorta pullback (R = 0.953). Thus, this new technique provides an accurate transaortic valve gradient without requiring the use of two central catheters.
Synthesis, structural, and electron topographical analyses of a dialkylbiaryl phosphine/arene-ligated palladium(I) dimer: enhanced reactivity in Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions.

The treatment of bis(2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-2‘,6‘-dimethoxybiphenyl)PdCl2 with AgBF4 produces an air-stable phosphine/arene-ligated Pd(I) dimer with two seemingly identical Pd−arene interactions by X-ray crystallography. However, NMR and theoretical electron topographical analyses of this complex distinguish between these two interactions. One interaction is classified as an arenium-like complex, while the other is classified as a π-interaction. Additionally, this complex is a suitable precatalyst for high yielding Suzuki−Miyaura coupling reactions in short reaction times.
Kinetic theory of drift-tube experiments with polyatomic species☆

Abstract A general kinetic theory is presented for drift-tube experiments on polyatomic ions moving through molecular neutral gases. The assumptions made about the experimental conditions are discussed. The Wang Chang—Uhlenbeck—de Boer kinetic equation is used to relate the set of ion velocity distribution functions to the differential scattering and integral reactive cross sections. This kinetic equation is converted to operator equations that directly describe the measurable properties of the ion motion in a drift tube. Complete sets of cartersian and spherical basis functions are used to convert these operator equations to infinite sets of coupled algebraic equations. Truncation—parameterization schemes are developed that provide a systematic method for obtaining successively more accurate approximations to the measured transport coefficients. The first-approximation results are carefully analyzed to bring out their physical content. In many case the mathematical form of these results is not changed by the presence of inelastic collisions, and in other cases only a single new quantity enters, which does not involve the details of the inelastic scattering explicitly, but only in an average way. The possibility of manipulating the translational and internal temperatures of molecular loss independently is discussed in connection with the measurement of ion—molecule reaction rates in flow-drift tube experiments. The theory includes electron swarm experiments as a special case. Finally, some numerical tests of the theory are presented and discussed.
A thermodynamic calculation of the FeMnAl ternary system

Abstract The phase equilibria above 750°C in the Fe-Mn-Al system were examined by the thermodynamic calculation. In this system, the molar free energy for a phase is expressed by the extensive regular solution model which is separated into the paramagnetic-disordered, ferromagnetic and ordered terms and the free energies of other phases are described by the subregular solution model. Some absent thermodynamic parameters were evaluated on the basis of the experimental phase equilibria. The comparisons with the experimental results of this system were made, it is shown that the α/γ and γ/β phase equilibria in both results are in agreement with each other.
Structural characterization of a serendipitously discovered bioactive macromolecule, lignin sulfate

The herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) utilizes cell-surface glycosaminoglycan, heparan sulfate, to gain entry into cells and cause infection. In a search for synthetic mimics of heparan sulfate to prevent HSV infection, we discovered potent inhibitory activity arising from sulfation of a monomeric flavonoid. Yet, detailed screening indicated that the sulfated flavonoid was completely inactive and the potent inhibitory activity arose from a macromolecular substance present in the parent flavonoid. The active principle was identified through a battery of biophysical and chemical analyses as a sulfated form of lignin, a three-dimensional network polymer composed of substituted phenylpropanoid monomers. Mass spectral analysis of the parent lignin and its sulfated derivative indicates the presence of p-coumaryl monomers interconnected through uncondensed β-O-4-linkages. Elemental analysis of lignin sulfate correlates primarily with a polymer of p-coumaryl alcohol containing one sulfate group. High-performance siz...
Long-Term follow-up of a Phase I/II Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Palifermin to Prevent Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD) after Related Donor Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT)

Abstract We previously conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted from 2000 to 2003 of palifermin, a recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor, dosed from 240 μg/kg to 720 μg/kg, in 100 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) recipients. Treatment with palifermin showed beneficial effects on mucositis, but no significant effect on engraftment, acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), or early survival. In addition to the effect of palifermin on mucosa, other pleotrophic effects, including more rapid immune reconstitution, have been seen in experimental transplant models. Therefore, we investigated whether with longer follow-up we could detect additional differences between the palifermin-treated and placebo cohorts. We found no differences in CMV or invasive fungal infections, chronic GVHD, or long-term survival between cohorts. We conclude that the benefits of palifermin appear primarily to be limited to ameliorating mucotoxicity when given to allogeneic HCT recipients.
A Search-Efficient Architecture for Data-Centric Sensor Networks

In data-centric sensor networks, sensor data is not necessarily forwarded to a central sink for storage; instead, the nodes themselves serve as a distributed in-network storage, collectively storing sensor data and waiting to answer user queries. A key problem in designing such a network is how to map data and queries to their corresponding rendezvous nodes so that a query can find its matching data quickly and efficiently. Existing techniques are mostly aimed to address a certain type of queries. The capability to support queries of any type is desirable, yet remains a challenge. We propose a search- efficient architecture for data-centric sensor networks, that can simultaneously address range queries and top-k, the two most popular query types. Importantly, the proposed technique does not require location information, hence applicable to a wide range of sensor networks. Our theoretical findings are complemented by a simulation-based evaluation.
Dependence of intrachromosomal recombination in mammalian cells on uninterrupted homology.

Abstract Recombination between a 360-base-pair (bp) segment of a wild-type thymidine kinase gene (tk) from each of three different strains (F, MP, and 101) of herpes simplex virus type one and a complete herpes simplex virus type 1 (strain F) tk gene containing an 8-bp insertion mutation was studied. The pairs of tk sequences resided as closely linked repeats within the genome of mouse LTK- cells. The frequency of recombination between sequences exhibiting 232 bp of uninterrupted homology and containing no mismatches other than the insertion mutation was comparable to the frequency of recombination between two sequences exhibiting four additional nucleotide mismatches distributed in such a way to preserve the 232-bp stretch of contiguous homology. In contrast, the placement of only two single-nucleotide mismatches (in addition to the insertion mutation) in such a manner to reduce the longest uninterrupted homology to 134 bp resulted in a 20-fold reduction in recombination. We conclude that the rate of intrachromosomal recombination in mammalian cells is determined by the amount of uninterrupted homology available and not by the total number of mismatches within a given interval of DNA. Furthermore, efficient recombination appears to require between 134 and 232 bp of uninterrupted homology; single-nucleotide heterologies are most likely sufficient to disrupt the minimal efficient recombination target. We also observed that if recombination was allowed to initiate within sequences exhibiting perfect homology, the event could propagate through and terminate within adjacent sequences exhibiting 19% base pair mismatch. We interpret this to mean that heterology exerts most of its impact on early rather than late steps of intrachromosomal recombination in mammalian cells.
Determinants of foraging profitability in two nectarivorous butterflies

. 1 I studied flower selection and foraging energetics of Agraulis vanillae L. (Nymphalidae) and Phoebis sennae (Pieridae), two butterfly species common to north central Florida. I identified the major nectar resources exploited by several populations of these butterflies and, for each plant species, measured available nectar volumes and concentrations, corolla lengths, and density. I quantified foraging behaviour of each butterfly species at each nectar source (flower visitation rate and percentage of foraging time in flight), and used these data to estimate the net rate of energy intake of each butterfly species at each nectar source. 2 Estimated mean energy contents of individual flowers of the eleven exploited plant species spanned three orders of magnitude, ranging between 0.015 and 9.27 joules. Mean energy content of individual flowers was strongly correlated with mean foraging profit of both butterfly species. 3 Mean nectar volume strongly influenced energy content and varied widely within and among species, ranging from 0.0076 to 1.853 μ1. Nectar concentration varied between 17.1% and 40.4% sucrose-equivalents. Nectar volume was the best single predictor of foraging profitability (correlation coefficients of 0.994 and 0.984 for Phoebis and Agraulis respectively). Corolla length also strongly affected foraging profitability for both butterfly species; flower species with longer corollas were generally more profitable. 4 Flower density and nectar concentration showed weak or nonsignificant associations with foraging profitability. 5 The usefulness and limitations of these floral characteristics as bases for foraging selectivity, and the selective pressures foraging butterflies might place on the visited plants are discussed.
Effect of Composition on the Formation of Sigma during Single-Pass Welding of Mo-Bearing Stainless Steels

A series of 64 Mo-bearing stainless steel compositions ranging from 0 to 10 wt pct Mo and over a broad range of Ni and Cr contents were analyzed over a variety of cooling rates. Alloys were created using the arc button melting process, and laser welds were prepared on each alloy at constant power and travel speeds ranging from 4.2 to 42 mm/s. The presence of the σ-sigma intermetallic was observed in several primary γ-austenite alloys with Mo contents ≥2.5 wt pct Mo and in several primary δ-ferrite alloys with Mo contents ≥6 wt pct Mo. However, its formation cannot be explained by the eutectic solidification reaction previously explored in this class of materials by the present authors. Instead, σ-sigma was determined to form by the eutectoid decomposition of δ-ferrite (δ → γ + σ) in the as-solidified arc melt buttons in both primary γ-austenite and primary δ-ferrite alloys. The high cooling rates in the laser welds (estimated to range from 104 °C/s to 105 °C/s) largely prevented this transformation from occurring, resulting in the retention of metastable δ-ferrite to room temperature. A correlation was observed between the composition of the δ-ferrite in the microstructure and the calculated onset temperature of sigma stability. By combining multicomponent liquidus projections and isothermal sections, a good correlation of δ-ferrite compositions that decompose to γ-austenite + σ-sigma upon cooling is presented. It is suggested that the absence of the chi (χ) phase, often observed in a similar composition range at high Mo contents, could be attributed to the extremely low carbon content in these alloys.
The Functions of the Executive at 75 An Invitation to Reconsider a Timeless Classic

The year 2013 marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of Chester I. Barnard's classic, The Functions of the Executive, a groundbreaking contribution to management theory. We maintain that Barnard's work provides a valuable perspective on the causes and potential solutions to challenges facing capitalism, business, and management consequent to the scandals and financial crises of the early 21st century. We believe Barnard would see a systemic failure of the moral dimension of organization as a driver of these crises, and that management theory and practice need to focus on both the science and the aesthetics of management. We look back on The Functions and provide a review of key elements of Barnard's theory of organization. We then look forward from The Functions and see unique insights and solutions into the ongoing challenges of managerial morality.
Daily living skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder from 2 to 21 years of age

Daily living skills (DLS), such as personal hygiene, meal preparation, and money management, are important to independent living. Research suggests that many individuals with autism spectrum disorder exhibit impairments in daily living skills relative to their cognitive skills. This study examined predictors of daily living skills attainment and trajectories of daily living skills in a longitudinal sample referred for possible autism spectrum disorder and followed from 2 to 21 years of age. Consistent with previous studies, participants with autism spectrum disorder and nonspectrum diagnoses showed continual development of daily living skills throughout childhood and adolescence. Early childhood nonverbal mental age was the strongest predictor of daily living skills attainment for both diagnostic groups. Group-based modeling suggested two distinct trajectories of daily living skills development for participants with autism spectrum disorder. Skill levels for both groups of young adults with autism spectru...
Jointly Poisson processes

What constitutes jointly Poisson processes remains an unresolved issue. This report reviews the current state of the theory and indicates how the accepted but unproven model equals that resulting from the small time-interval limit of jointly Ber noulli processes. One intriguing consequence of these models is that jointly Poisson processes can only be positively correlated as measured by the correlation coefficient defined by cumulan ts of the probability generating functional.
Calculating Credibility: How Leaders Assess Military Threats and Deterrence by Diplomacy

Calculating Credibility: How Leaders Assess Military Threats. By Daryl G. Press. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2005. 218p. $32.50.Deterrence by Diplomacy. By Anne E. Sartori. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005. 176p. $32.50.In Cold War deterrence, nothing was more important or disturbing than the credibility problem. Success depended on conveying credible threats, yet it was hard to see how to make retaliatory threats credible in mutual nuclear deterrence, particularly in extended deterrence or to prevent conventional attacks. It was also hard to make nuclear retaliation threats credible against nonnuclear powers; nuclear use would arouse condemnation, set an awful precedent, and stimulate nuclear proliferation. In fact, how were retaliatory threats of any sort made credible?