cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Refactoring code to increase readability and maintainability: a case study

We describe a case study in refactoring-improving a program's structure without changing its behavior. The program under analysis is an educational video game that was developed over five months by a cross- functional team of eleven. The implementation consists of 2823 lines of C# code across 111 source files. Although the team held themselves to high standards of software design early in their work, production pressures led to a decrease in software quality over time. The refactoring e?ort was undertaken by two team members one year after shipping the game. There were two forces driving the refactoring: the qualitative desire for increased use of object-oriented design patterns, and quantitative results of software metrics. Refactoring proceeded in two phases. First, JetBrains' ReSharper was used to identify potential issues, and its recommendations and autofix options were followed. Second, the researchers conducted a manual analysis of all source files to identify refactoring opportunites not identified by ReSharper; however, during this phase, ReSharper was used to track changes in metrics. Significant improvements in the code quality include a 2.35% increase in the maintainability index, 7.91% reduction in average cyclomatic complexity, and 10.4% reduction in average class coupling. Many existing code quality problems were reduced to zero, including compiler warnings, constraints violations, and redundancies in code. The refactoring did not significantly impact the performance of the game as measured in frames-per-second. This case study demonstrates how tool-mediated refactoring allows even a single developer to significantly impact the design of an existing software system. We also find that the automated refactorings suggested by ReSharper are primarily superficial and that refactoring to patterns requires more careful human analysis.
Quality indicators in cervical cancer surgery: a valiant step in the right direction

Standard of care, both for clinical and surgical practice, should be based on the principle of high-quality research and consistent patterns in the management of disease. The concept of providing the same or similar management to patients diagnosed with gynecologic cancers has recently surfaced as
The Chinese World Order in Historical Perspective: Soft Power or the Imperialism of Nation-States?

I seek to grasp the genealogy of China’s Belt and Road (BRI) in relation both to the imperial Chinese world order and the historical sequence of forms of global domination, i.e., modern imperialism, the ‘imperialism of nation-states’ during the inter-war and Cold War period as well as the post-Cold War notion of ‘soft power’. While we may think of BRI as poised uncertainly between the logics of the older imperial Chinese order and the more recent logic impelled by capitalist nation-states, there are significant novelties in the new Chinese order, mostly in relation to debt, the environment and digital technology which constitute new realms of power not easily dominated by a hegemon.
Emergence of a competing stripe phase near the Mott transition in Ti-doped bilayer calcium ruthenates

We report the nanoscale imaging of Ti-doped bilayer calcium ruthenates during the Mott metal-insulator transition by microwave impedance microscopy. Different from a typical first-order phase transition where coexistence of the two terminal phases takes place, a new metallic stripe phase oriented along the in-plane crystalline axes emerges inside both the $G$-type antiferromagnetic insulating state and the paramagnetic metallic state. The effect of this electronic state can be observed in macroscopic measurements, allowing us to construct a phase diagram that takes into account the energetically competing phases. Our work provides a model approach to correlate the macroscopic properties and mesoscopic phase separation in complex oxide materials.
A survey of personal protective equipment use among US otolaryngologists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Objective Describe current practices and challenges in personal protective equipment (PPE) use among US otolaryngologists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study design Online survey. Setting Academic and non-academic healthcare institutions. Subjects and methods Subjects included US otolaryngology physicians. Emails were sent on April 17, 2020 to program coordinators at 121 residency programs, who were requested to forward the email to program directors for distribution. Further recruitment occurred through snowball recruitment. The survey was closed on June 15, 2020. Results Sixty-one participants completed the survey. 95.1% reported routine access to full PPE (N95 ± powered air purifying respirator [PAPR], gown, gloves, eye protection) for aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) in COVID-19 patients, while 68.9% had routine access to full PPE for AGPs in patients without confirmed COVID-19. 88.5% had routine access to full PPE for potential aerosol-generating procedures (pAGPs) in COVID patients, while 80.3% had routine access to full PPE for pAGPs in patients without confirmed COVID. All participants felt that they “always” or “usually” had necessary PPE to safely perform procedures and surgeries on COVID patients. 83.6% received N95 fitting in the past year, and 93.4% reported adequate PPE training. Conclusion The majority of participants reported routine access to full PPE for AGPs and pAGPs in all patients, regardless of COVID status. There was a high perception of security, as well as adequate N95 fitting and PPE training. Areas for improvement include: optimizing PPE availability for AGPs in patients without confirmed COVID and wider recognition of otolaryngologic procedures as high risk for aerosolization.
FEKO™ Simulation of Radar Scattering from Objects in Low Earth Orbit for ISAR Imaging

Objects in low earth orbit such as CubeSats and the International Space Station (ISS) move with constant velocity along a linear trajectory when viewed from a ground-based radar. The small change in attitude of the object as it flies overhead permits the generation of an inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) image. In this paper, Altair's FEKO™ software is used to model the monostatic radar scattering from the ISS as a function of frequency and aspect angle. The computed data is used for generating a simulated ISAR image from a ground-based radar. The system design requirements for the radar are calculated from the radar equation.
The analysis and prediction of pressure drop oscillation in phase-change cooling systems

Abstract Technologies utilizing flow boiling in microchannel evaporators promise high heat fluxes and system efficiencies. However, boiling in microchannels also face significant challenges due to the occurrence of critical heat flux and flow instabilities, such as pressure drop oscillations. Since several system parameters can cause these issues in a two-phase system, identifying these parameters in advance can help avoid these challenges. This study investigates pressure drop oscillation in a pumped liquid cycle using both experiments and numerical modeling. The model utilizes the moving boundary modeling approach to predict system stability and capture the oscillation characteristics. Both experiments and the model determine how different combinations of system parameters, like the valve settings, pump speed, and evaporator heat load, can affect system stability. The study also relates the change in flow oscillation characteristics to the system's supply and demand pressures. This study examines why certain combinations of system parameters induce flow instability and provide ways to mitigate this challenge. A general agreement between the model and experiments also demonstrates the accuracy of the moving boundary modeling approach. Consequently, this modeling approach can be useful in predicting instability, optimizing the system performance, and developing active control strategies for cooling technologies relying on flow boiling in microchannels.
Architecture in the Roman periodical press, 1770–1848

Papal Rome rarely figures in scholarship on the print culture revolutions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and there has been limited scholarship on the place of architecture in that cul...
Perceived social support and postpartum depression symptoms across geographical contexts: Findings from the 2016 Ohio Pregnancy Assessment survey.

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the association between perceived social support and postpartum depression symptoms (PDS) and to understand how this association may differ for urban, suburban, rural Appalachian, and rural non-Appalachian women in Ohio. Methods Data were obtained via the 2016 Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey (n = 3382), a representative sample of postpartum women in Ohio. We conducted bivariate analyses to assess the associations between self-perceived social support and PDS, and covariates. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted using a modified Poisson distribution to estimate the association between social support and PDS, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. We also examined geographical context as an independent predictor of PDS and as an effect modifier for the association between social support and PDS. Results 15.6% of survey respondents experienced PDS. Women with low levels of social support had slightly higher prevalence (aPR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0-2.1) of PDS compared to women with high social support. Geographic context was an independent predictor of PDS; women in rural Appalachia had significantly lower prevalence (aPR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9) of PDS compared to women in urban areas. We did not find that geographical context modified the relationship between social support and PDS (Wald P = .5). Conclusions Low social support was associated with increased PDS but did not reach statistical significance. Women living in rural Appalachia had a lower prevalence of PDS. Future studies should explore the reasons for lower rates of PDS in rural Appalachia.
Designing Risk-free Service for Renewable Wind and Solar Resources

Renewable generation is inherently stochastic. We develop a risk mitigation strategy by applying principles of securitization to the stochastic generation of wind and solar resources. We demonstrate the design of a risk-free tranche for the renewable assets as a risk-free service, which the renewable resource can offer in the day-ahead market. Analyzing the risk profiles of renewable power generation on different days of a year, we identify the critical determinants of the risk-free tranche and develop a valuation framework to determine the renewable resources’ bidding strategy in the day-ahead market. The risk-free tranche needs to be comparably risk-free relative to a benchmark for the power markets, against which we evaluate the tranche’s risk-reward performance. Hence, analogous to a risk-free instrument in the financial markets, we create a risk-free benchmark for power markets in terms of a combined-cycle natural gas generator. The risk-return metric of the risk-free benchmark is used to evaluate the performance of the designed risk-free tranche. We find that our risk-free tranche for renewable wind and solar assets has comparable characteristics to the risk-free benchmark in terms of its risk-return trade-off. Hence, renewable energy producers can leverage the designed risk-free tranche to place competitive bids and participate in the day-ahead market at par with the conventional generators. Adoption of such risk management strategies can help renewable producers to graduate from being mere price takers to price setters in the power markets.
The Repeal of Rent Control in Malaysia

Excerpt] Policy Background A newspaper reported that the Federal Government of Malaysia had indicated its intention of repealing the Control of Rent Act 1966 since the beginning of the 1980s (Kathirasen, 1997), when the current prime minister, Mahathir, took over that position after seeing the economic expansion of the 1970s. Throughout the decades of Mahathir era, the Malaysia Incorporated Policy1 has been intensified to achieve competitive and robust economy moving towards globalization, one that emphasizes the productive relationship between private and public sector. The key concept of this policy is to focus on the liberalization of the Malaysian economy, pursuing export-led growth in spite of the rise of protectionism, and to increase the competitiveness of Malaysian products in the global market (Rahman, 1993). Rent control had become inconsistent with this trend including pursuing deregulation, a market economy, and the full exercise of property rights. The fact that control hampered urban redevelopment and underutilized scarce land capital for a long time was considered to be problematic. Thus, repeal of rent control was expected to reactivate flows of land capital by encouraging investment in pursuit of further economic development. In terms of the ethnic problem in Malaysia, putting urban properties mostly owned by ethnic Chinese on the market after the repeal of rent control is supposed to mitigate the ethnic imbalance with Malays. Along with the nation’s policy which ensures Malay participation in the modern sectors of economy, the Federal Government of Malaysia recognized that it was important to mobilize a large amount of assets to realize certain share of Malay ownership of capital (Malaysia Prime Minister’s Department, 1991b).
Central Bank Policy Impacts on the Distribution of Future Interest Rates

The century low, near-zero short-term interest rates in the USA, Euro Area, the UK and Japan after the Great Recession of 2008/2009 and the European Sovereign Debt Crisis of 2010-2013 make the non-normality and non-lognormality of short-term interest rates quite clear. To uncover the changing implicit state prices and risk-neutral densities for future short-term interest rates, we use the prices of interest rate caps and floors with various strike rates and maturities from 2 to 10 years. We show that butterfly spreads of time spreads of cap and floor prices give sensible implied risk-neutral densities and state prices that reflect key moves made by the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England. The state prices and risk-neutral densities computed are largely distribution-free, preference-free and model-free results, building from the arbitrage-based computations of state prices from option prices that were presented in Breeden and Litzenberger (1978).
Effect of top corner rounding in BEOL to yield in advanced technologies

In advanced technologies as the dimensions shrink, even the slight change in profiles can cause issues in BEOL integration. This paper discusses the effect of dielectric profile on product yield. Even though these issues were not seen on standard monitoring structures, the issue has been observed in products of very complicated design structures. The yield losses for this failure mechanism range from 10% to 20%. The fails being more of a functional fail than a physical failure made the problem even more complicated. Here we discuss how the issue was identified by data mining, followed by in depth investigation on individual module and understanding the interactions. By understanding the interaction between process modules, an optimized and manufacturable solution was derived and implemented. The issue was addressed by optimizing the film treatment and the wet-clean optimization, as an integrated module approach. Yield was verified on this optimized process and proven.
The bicarbonate effect, oxygen evolution, and the shadow of Otto Warburg.

A short list of the twentieth century’s dominant figures in photosynthesis would unquestionably include Otto Warburg. One of his many discoveries, the ‘bicarbonate effect’ remains a lasting puzzle to his heirs in the field. Recent developments in this area of research have renewed interest and call for a re-examination of the ideas surrounding this controversial topic. Focus here will be on hypotheses developed by a small number of researchers who proposed that bicarbonate may be involved in oxygen evolution. The effect of bicarbonate on the acceptor side of Photosystem II (PS II) is discussed by Jack van Rensen (in this volume).
The Misapplication of Peer Harassment Law on College and University Campuses and the Loss of Student Speech Rights

This article argues that many colleges and universities have misapplied hostile environment harassment law to restrict students’ speech rights. Colleges and universities, in clear contravention of the case law, have both implemented constitutionally vague and over broad harassment policies and applied their policies against protected student speech. In doing so, these institutions have misinterpreted their obligations under Title IX and Title VI to prevent true hostile environment harassment of students and, crucially, have ignored the need to preserve and protect the unfettered exchange of ideas on the college campus. One major factor contributing to the problem has been the practice of conflating employment harassment law under Title VII with student-on-student (or peer) harassment law under Title IX and Title VI. This article argues that Title VII hostile environment standards should not be used to shape university policy and practice regarding student conduct, and that to the extent universities wish to regulate student interactions, they should properly follow the peer harassment standard established by the Supreme Court in Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education. Additionally, the article advocates for the elimination of institutional liability under Title IX and Title VI for peer harassment, as this would advance campus speech rights greatly by eliminating a primary motive universities have for censoring and punishing student expression.
Fiscal Decentralization in Colombia: A Work (Still) in Progress

The degree of fiscal decentralization in Colombia is impressive. In some respects, however, Colombian decentralization has hardly changed since the process first began over 40 years ago. This review of the experience of the last few decades and the challenges now facing the country shows that there have been some clear successes as a result of decentralization. However, many problems have also arisen as a result of both perverse incentives built into the system and the failure to build up central and especially local capacity to manage a more decentralized system. Unless these critical problems are resolved, fiscal decentralization in Colombia will remain a work in progress with, at best, only partially successful outcomes whether in terms of providing public services to the country’s growing population more effectively, efficiently, and equitably or in terms of improving subnational governance in general.
A 5*9 inch polysilicon gray-scale colour head down display chip

A 320000-pixel self-scanned display with CMOS-TFT (thin-film-transistor) gray-scale generators is described. Integration of the scanning-circuitry needed to drive the 400*800-pixel active-matrix liquid-crystal display was achieved by fabricating both data-line and select-line driver circuits on the 127*228.6-mm rectangular glass substrate, along with the same polysilicon thin-film pixel transistors used to improve the optical performance of the display. The scanner circuits are implemented in dynamic CMOS circuitry. The fully redundant data scanners are located at the top of the array. The select scanners are on the left and right. The circuitry is divided into 54 independent blocks to increase the effectiveness of the redundancy and laser repair procedures. The chop ramp scanning technique used to handle the 32-gray-level color display requirement is discussed. >
Tail behavior of birth-and-death and stochastically monotone processes

The possible types of tail σ-field of non-homogeneous continuous-time birth-and-death processes are described. Some weaker results are obtained for the tail behavior of stochastically monotone processes.
Air pollution forecast in cities by an air pollution index highly correlated with meteorological variables

There are many different air pollution indexes which represent the global urban air pollution situation. The daily index studied here is also highly correlated with meteorological variables and this index is capable of identifying those variables that significantly affect the air pollution. The index is connected with attention levels of NO2, CO and O3 concentrations. The attention levels are fixed by a law proposed by the Italian Ministries of Health and Environment. The relation of that index with some meteorological variables is analysed by the linear multiple partial correlation statistical method. Florence, Milan and Vicence were selected to show the correlation among the air pollution index and the daily thermic excursion, the previous day's air pollution index and the wind speed. During the January–March period the correlation coefficient reaches 0.85 at Milan. The deterministic methods of forecasting air pollution concentrations show very high evaluation errors and are applied on limited areas around the observation stations, as opposed to the whole urban areas. The global air pollution, instead of the concentrations at specific observation stations, allows the evaluation of the level of the sanitary risk regarding the whole urban population.
Pressure effects on the Raman spectra of proteins: Pressure-induced changes in the conformation of lysozyme in aqueous solutions

Abstract The Raman spectrum of pressure-denatured lysozyme in aqueous solution is reported for the first time. Only minor changes occur up to 3.6 kbar. At 5.5 kbar irreversible denaturation and precipitation occurs. The results provide new interpretations for other experimental findings on pressure-induced changes in lysozyme.
Age and susceptibility of nymphal lone star ticks to selected ixodicides.

Over a 21-week period, susceptibility of starved nymphal Amblyomma americanum (L.) increased 13,000. fold to DDT, 160-fold to malathion, 150-fold to dioxathion, and only 10-fold to carbaryl. However, when pretreatment holding conditions included a cycling temperature (21°C for 12 hr dark, 27°C for 12 hr light), susceptibility increased less rapidly than when they were held at 27°C. Change in susceptibility takes place within such a short period that field-collected nymphs (precise age and environmental situation unknown prior to collection) cannot be used to measure resistance.
Panophthalmitis due to Bacillus cereus

• A rapidly progressing panophthalmitis due toBacillus cereusdeveloped in three patients. Infection was associated with intravenous drug abuse in two patients and was traced to contaminated injection paraphernalia in one. In the third patient, infection was associated with a foreign-body injury to the eye. Anterior chamber aspiration revealed the organism on Gram's stain in one case and isolation of the bacteria in all three. Despite intravenous and intraocular antibiotic therapy, the infection progressed rapidly and resulted in enucleation in all cases.Bacillus cereusisolates were sensitive to clindamycin hydrochloride hydrate and aminoglycosides but resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins. (Arch Intern Med140:559-560, 1980)
Elasticity and movements of the cockroach tarsus in walking

Anatomical, kinematic and ablation studies were performed to evaluate the contribution of elasticity in use of the cockroach tarsus (foot) in walking. The distal tarsus (claws and arolium) engages the substrate during the stance phase of walking by the action of a single muscle, the retractor unguis. Kinematic and ablation studies demonstrated that tarsal disengagement occurs at the end of stance, in part via the action of elastic elements at the penultimate tarsal joint. In isolated legs, this joint exhibits very rapid (less than 20 ms duration) recoil to extension when released from the engaged position, and recoil is even more rapid (less than 10 ms) after removal of the retractor tendon (apodeme). The joint also possesses an enlarged cuticular condyle which is the attachment for ligaments and articular membranes, some of which fulfill morphological criteria consistent with the presence of the elastic protein resilin. Measurements of restoring forces generated by joint displacement indicate that they are graded but could readily lift the mass of the distal tarsus. This biomechanical design can facilitate efficient use of the tarsus in walking while under active control by only a single muscle and may also be highly advantageous when cockroaches very rapidly traverse irregular terrain.
Supporting engagement in asynchronous education

A key challenge for software that supports asynchronous distance education is to engage and guide students who are not interacting in real-time. We describe a first study of two approaches to adding interactive exercises to the viewing of videotaped lectures. We found individual differences, but a surprising tendency to prefer more intrusive exercises. We conclude with possible next steps.
Management provoked conflict in fisheries

Fishery management concepts incorporate a number of value judgements about what social goals are right for a fishery. These value judgements result in optimizing some goals over others. Since the public, fishermen, and consumers weight goals differently than managers, frustration and conflict result. The correspondence between social goals specified by the public and those inherent in management concepts needs to be evaluated.
Magnetic monopoles in nonabelian Kaluza-Klein theories

We consider the possibility of constructing magnetic monopole and dyon solutions to the classical field equations in nonabelian Kaluza-Klein theories. We take as model theories a six-dimensional theory compactified to M4 × S2 and a seven-dimensional theory compactified to M4 × S3. We then select ansatze and try to solve the equations of motion. For the six-dimensional theory we are unable to find a suitable ansatz; however, we are able to find a good ansatz for the seven-dimensional theory. We then present an asymptotic solution to the field equations for the seven-dimensional theory, the equations of motion being much too difficult to solve exactly.
A comparison of shoulder pressure among different patient stabilization techniques.

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pressure placed on the shoulders as a function of varying degrees of head-down tilt (the Trendelenburg position) and to compare these pressures among 3 different patient-positioning systems. Study Design Participants were placed in the dorsal-lithotomy position with arms tucked and tilted at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 degrees of head-down tilt. Using a manometer, we measured the pressure (centimeters of water) on the shoulders at each angle for 3 support devices: the Skytron shoulder support (Skytron, Grand Rapids, MI), the Allen shoulder support (Allen Medical Systems, Acton, MA), and the Allen Hug-u-Vac. Results Among 23 participants, body mass index (mean ± SD) was 24.5 ± 4.3 kg/m 2 . As the tilt angle increased, so did the shoulder pressure for all support systems. At a 30-degree Trendelenburg position, the Allen Hug-u-Vac transmitted less pressure to the shoulders than the Skytron (right and left, P P P = .434). Each participant was asked, "Which system was most comfortable?" Seventy-four percent of the participants reported that they preferred the Hug-u-Vac ( P Conclusion Shoulder pressure increases as tilt angle increases. Of the 3 support systems that were tested, the Allen Hug-u-Vac transmitted less pressure to the shoulders at a 30-degree Trendelenburg position than the Skytron and the Allen shoulder support systems.
Solubility of Petroleum in Water and Its Significance to Petroleum Migration: ABSTRACT

The aqueous solubilities of individual hydrocarbons, petroleum, and petroleum fractions increase with temperature, the rate of increase being gradual to 100°C and drastic thereafter; eventually cosolubility will be reached at high temperatures. Mass-balance calculations show that the formation of petroleum deposits can be accounted for by a molecular-solution primary-migration mechanism at temperatures greater than 180°C. Temperature decrease and salinity increase cause drastic exsolution of hydrocarbons from the aqueous phase. Thus the pronounced decrease in solubility of petroleum at higher salinities and lower temperatures present at shallow basin depths releases dissolved hydrocarbons during upward movement of deep-basinal waters. Faults provide the main pat way for this vertical movement. Eventually the fluids are collected into shallower sandstones when the fault becomes impermeable to further vertical fluid movement. The model is supported by geochemical-geologic evidence. At depths of 14,000-18,000 ft (4.27-5.49 km), 15-20 percent water remains in clastic sediments, which is more than sufficient to carry the required volumes of petroleum. Experimental and field evidence has shown the almost total conversion of "kerogen" to extractable organic matter in fine-grained rocks at temperatures greater than 300°C. On the other hand, studies in Tertiary-Mesozoic basins have shown that, at depths shallower than where these temperatures are present the "kerogen" has not thermally degraded at all, and the extractable organic matter in shales is immature and unlike crude oil. Microspore and pollen particles in crude oils are derived from sediments much deeper in the section than where the oils are found. Thermodynamic equilibrium temperatures calculated for crude oils are much higher than reservoir temperatures and are in the range predicted by this model. The model predicts specific geologic and geographic controls on petroleum occurrence. Examination of petroleum deposits and basins confirms the predictions and indicates that this model can be used as a powerful tool in petroleum exploration. The model's essence is a search for the first trap off a major fault into the area of greatest sediment thickness. The model can be used for exploration in Tertiary depocenters (Gulf Coast, Niger delta), wrench basins (Los Angeles), upthrust basins (Rocky Mountains), thrust basin (Western Canada), and shelf plays (Western Canada; Mid-Continent). Another implication of the model is the possible existence of a huge new energy resource--crude oil dissolved in hot deep waters of petroleum basins. The possibility exists of tapping these geothermal waters for heat as well as dissolved crude oil. Minimum estimates by mass-balance calculations put the reserves of this resource in range of the trillions of barrels. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2217------------
SU‐FF‐I‐51: New Combined High‐Resolution Region‐Of‐Interest Microangiographic Detector and Large Field of View Image Intensifier System: A Contrast‐To‐Noise Comparison

Purpose: To demonstrate the advantage of combining a new high‐resolution region‐of‐interest (ROI) microangiographic detector (MA) and a standard x‐ray image intensifier (II), using contrast‐to‐noise ratios (CNR) of vessel phantoms within a scattering medium. Methods and Materials: The MA was mounted onto a Toshiba Infinix 3000 C‐arm angiographic unit so that the user can switch between the MA and II during an intervention at any viewing angle. Projection images can be acquired at nearly identical geometry with either detector, allowing for accurate inter‐comparisons. CNRs were measured for vessel phantoms (50–1000μm inner‐diameter polyethylene tubing) filled with iodine‐contrast agent and placed on a uniform head‐equivalent phantom used to simulate the scatter and beam hardening effects of the head. Both detectors were operated with optimal exposure techniques (allowing the II system to choose the ‘best’ kVp and mAs settings and selecting an exposure (mAs) that provides a sufficiently high signal for the MA). The CNR provides a quantitative measure of object visibility in the image, and hence system performance. Results: Compared to the II, the MA provides consistently higher CNR for all vessel sizes, with an average improvement factor (CNRMA/CNRII) of 1.6. A clear trend is observed, with CNR improvement factors increasing with decreasing vessel diameter. Conclusion: A new MA‐II system has been developed allowing use of the high resolution MA as an alternative to a standard II and easy switching between the two during a procedure, when the imaging task demands. The MA is shown to provide increased CNR for all vessel phantoms in a uniform head‐equivalent scattering material. This combined system should lead to improved neurovascular image‐guided interventions. (Partial support from NIH Grants R01EB002873, R01NS43924, Toshiba MedicalSystems Corp., and the Frank B. Silvestro Endowment Scholarship).
Binocular deficits associated with early alternating monocular defocus. I. Behavioral observations.

To study the binocular vision deficits associated with anisometropia, monkeys were reared with alternating monocular defocus, which allowed monocular mechanisms to develop normally while binocular ...
Spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma mimicking meningitis in a 2-year-old child—a case report and literature review

We report the case of a 2-year-old boy with suspected meningitis who presented with acute onset neck pain and stiffness associated with right-sided weakness and ataxia. Despite intravenous antibiotics and antiviral treatment, his condition deteriorated. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated spontaneous cervical epidural haematoma (C4–C7) extending down to thoracic (T7) level with associated compression of the spinal cord. He was treated successfully by neurosurgical decompression and made a complete recovery. Spinal epidural haematoma is a neurosurgical emergency characterised by extravasation of blood in the spinal epidural space. The clinical presentation particularly in young children can masquerade other conditions such as meningitis. In this article, we discuss our case and review the literature on spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma with an aim to improve awareness of this condition which if not recognised and treated early can lead to significant lifelong morbidity.
Glycaemic status and cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus: re-visiting glycated haemoglobin targets for cardiovascular disease prevention

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among people with type 2 diabetes. Recent attention has focused on chronic hyperglycaemia as an additional risk factor in people with diabetes since their excess CVD risk is not entirely explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Clinical trials of intensive glucose control to reduce CVD events have been equivocal, but recent epidemiological studies have shown that HbAlc, a measure of chronic hyperglycaemia, predicts incident cardiovascular events. This review, which focuses on type 2 diabetes, summarizes (i) the epidemiological literature examining the relation between glycaemic status, as assessed by glycated haemoglobin (HbAlc) and CVD, (ii) the controversy regarding treatment goals for HbAlc in terms of preventing microvascular disease vs. macrovascular disease and (iii) on-going clinical trials of intensive glycaemic control for CVD prevention.
River profiles along the Himalayan arc as indicators of active tectonics

Abstract Longitudinal profiles along sixteen major transverse Himalayan rivers add important constraints to models of active continental subduction and its evolution. These profiles are characterized by a zone of relatively high gradient that cannot be associated with differential resistence to erosion in all cases. The base of the zone of increased gradients correlates with (1) the topographic front between the Lesser and High Himalayas, (2) the narrow belt of intermediate-magnitude thrust earthquakes, (3) the Main Central Thrust zone (MCT). These features define a small circle in the central portion of the Himalayan arc. These correlations suggest that the discontinuity in the river profiles and the other features are controlled by a major tectonic boundary between the rising High Himalayas and the Lesser Himalayas. No sharp increases in gradient are observed near the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), except on a few rivers, such as the Jhelum or Kundar, where the MBT lies close to both the MCT and the seismic belt. Thus, it is unlikely that the MBT is a major tectonic boundary. The diversion of river courses along the MBT and around anticlines in the Sub Himalayas has probably been caused by aggradation near the rosion-deposition boundary, upstream of uplifts in the Mahabharat range and Sub Himalayas. A parallel is drawn between the Himalayas and New Guinea based on the hypothesis that continent-arc collision, of the type occurring in northern Australia, preceded continent-continent collision in the Himalayas. The present sedimentary/tectonic phase in New Guinea resembles the Subathu (Paleocene-Eocene) phase in the Himalayas. Incipient counterparts of the major Himalayan structures, including the MCT and the MBT, are recognized in New Guinea. The drainage patterns in the Himalayas and in New Guinea bear a similar relation to major structures. This suggests that (1) the tectonic evolution of the Himalayas has been rather uniform since early stages of collision, and (2) the Himalayan drainage was also formed at these early stages and is therefore antecedent to the rise of the High Himalayas.
Sequential analysis methodology for a Poisson GLMM with applications to multicenter randomized clinical trials

Abstract Sequential analyses in clinical trials have ethical and economic advantages over fixed sample size methods. The sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) is a hypothesis testing procedure which evaluates data as it is collected. The original SPRT was developed by Wald for one-parameter families of distributions and later extended by Bartlett to handle the case of nuisance parameters. However, Bartlett's SPRT requires independent and identically distributed observations. In this paper we show that Bartlett's SPRT can be applied to generalized linear model (GLM) contexts. Then we propose an SPRT analysis methodology for a Poisson generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) that is suitable for our application to the design of a multicenter randomized clinical trial that compares two preventive treatments for surgical site infections. We validate the methodology with a simulation study that includes a comparison to Neyman–Pearson and Bayesian fixed sample size test designs and the Wald SPRT.
Biliary excretion of cadmium by rats: Effects of zinc, cadmium, and selenium pretreatments

The significance of bile as an excretory route for cadmium (Cd) was studied in anesthetized, bile‐duct‐cannulated Sprague‐Dawley rats during a 6‐hr collection period. Observations were made on bile flow rates, the concentrations of Cd in bile following dietary and parenteral Cd exposure, and the influences of zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and Cd pretreatments upon the biliary excretion of subsequently admilnistered Cd. The bile flow rates ranged between 1.96 and 2.89 mglg rat‐hr (22 ± 3 ppb Cd) for normal rats and between 2.68 and 4.09 mglg rat‐hr (58 ± 6 ppb Cd) for rats fed 100 ppm Cd. Less than 0.1% of the Cd administered subcutaneously at rates ranging from 0.25 to 40 mg/kg rat could be accounted for in bile collected during the 5‐hr period following the parenteral Cd injections. Subcutaneous administration of 8 mg Zn/kg rat or 0.5 mg Cd/kg rat on days 1 and 6, respectively, before the postcannulation administration of 1 mg Cd/kg rat caused a significant reduction in the biliary excretion of Cd during the...
Thermal Damage Distribution in Human Cornea Following Thermal Keratoplasty: An FTIR Study

Hyperopia (farsightedness) and presbyopia are two common eye diseases, especially seen in the elderly. In both cases, eyes lose the ability to focus on nearby objects due to change in the cornea shape or stiffening of the lens. In recent years, thermal treatment of cornea in the form of Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) procedures has been successfully utilized to reshape the cornea. In the CK treatment, a thin radiofrequency (RF) probe is inserted into the cornea and heat is delivered into the stroma [1]. The heat treatment causes collagen denaturation and mechanical shrinkage of the collagen fibers. In the CK treated region, the collagen fibers are aligned in a circular fashion. Therefore, the shrinkage of these fibers steepens the curvature of the cornea. The amount of heat delivered to the stroma during CK treatment can be controlled either by changing the applied RF power or the heating time. In this study, we utilized Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to map the thermal damage distribution in the human cornea tissue following simulated CK treatment.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Endosomal hyperacidification in cystic fibrosis is due to defective nitric oxide–cylic GMP signalling cascade

Endosomal hyperacidification in cystic fibrosis (CF) respiratory epithelial cells is secondary to a loss of sodium transport control owing to a defective form of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator CFTR. Here, we show that endosomal hyperacidification can be corrected by activating the signalling cascade controlling sodium channels through cyclic GMP. Nitric oxide (NO) donors corrected the endosomal hyperacidification in CF cells. Stimulation of CF cells with guanylate cyclase agonists corrected the pH in endosomes. Exposure of CF cells to an inhibitor of cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase PDE5, Sildenafil, normalized the endosomal pH. Treatment with Sildenafil reduced secretion by CF cells of the proinflammatory chemokine interleukin 8 following stimulation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa products. Thus, the endosomal hyperacidification and excessive proinflammatory response in CF are in part due to deficiencies in NO- and cGMP-regulated processes and can be pharmacologically reversed using PDE5 inhibitors.
A Frequency Domain Robust Model Validation Approach to Fault Detection and Isolation with Applications to Identification of Contaminants in Lubrication and Transformer oils

This paper addresses the problem of robust fault detection and isolation in dynamical systems using frequency domain data. Our main result shows that this problem can be reduced to a convex optimization problem that can be efficiently solved. The proposed method is put to test on a non-trivial, practically relevant problem: detecting the presence and estimating the composition of contaminants in lubrication and transformer oil.
Silurian continental distributions, paleogeography, climatology, and biogeography

Abstract Continental orientations during the Silurian Period have been determined using paleoclimatic in addition to paleomagnetic data. The influence of climate on lithology is particularly marked during periods like the Silurian when epeiric seas were widespread and sedimentation was dominantly autochthonous (evaporites, carbonates, reefs, authigenic minerals) and therefore reflective of climate at the depositional site. During such times, with few large land areas in low latitudes, one would expect climatic patterns to have been more zonal than cellular, and also that long river systems (capable of transporting clastic sediments from wet to dry belts) would not have existed. Therefore, even allochthonous deposits, particularly thick sequences of coarse elastics can be added to the list of paleoclimatic indicators. Silurian northern hemisphere atmospheric circulation can be modeled on present patterns in the southern hemisphere because of the lack of significant land influence on climate. The wet-hot (10°N—10°S), dry-warm (10°—30°), wet-cool (30°-60°), dry-cold (60°—pole) pattern is amply confirmed by Silurian sediment distribution on those paleocontinents whose orientations have been established from paleomagnetic measurements (Laurentia, Baltica, Siberia). Paleozoic sedimentation in these zones is as follows: 10°N—10°S, thick elastics and reefs associated with leading plate margins, and carbonates and reefs in the epeiric seas; 10°—30°, evaporites, carbonates and reefs; 30°—60°, clastics, coals and tillites; 60°—pole mostly tillites. The other paleo-continents (Kazakhstania, North China, South China, Gondwana) can be oriented by using the above lithologic associations in ways consistent with their known convergent and collision patterns in the late Paleozoic. All were in relatively low latitudes with the exception of Gondwana which was over the South Pole. A large north polar ocean existed which must have had an ameliorating effect on climate in the northern hemisphere, while the opposite was true of the southern hemisphere. The conclusion that most paleocontinents had extensive epeiric seas and were positioned in low latitudes accounts for the cosmopolitan nature of Silurian faunas. Only Gondwana in the south ( Clarkeia fauna), and Mongolia in the north ( Tuvaella fauna) shows signs of provincialism and low faunal diversities. This situation can be contrasted with the Devonian, when the collision of Laurentia and Baltica resulted in land barriers and marked provincialism.
A Wedge Test for Quantifying Fully Plastic Fracture.

A test using two wedges splitting a small, doubly grooved specimen allows measurement of stable, fully plastic crack initiation and growth under variable amounts of triaxiality. In wedge tests, 25 mm cubes of 1018 hot rolled steel in three different orientations exceeded the limit load predicted by plastic slip-line fields. The tests gave crack tip initiation displacements of 0.7–0.8 mm, regardless of orientation. Since microscopic examination of the fracture surfaces indicated that the wedges suppress blunting, the presence of non-zero initiation displacements suggests that a fracture process zone of finite thickness must be established before crack growth. During growth, a specimen with rolling direction normal to the crack plane had a crack growth ductility (minimum displacement per unit ligament reduction) of 0.006–0.009, compared to ductilities of 0.016–0.027 for specimens with rolling direction parallel to the crack front or parallel to the growth direction. The lower ductility with the crack normal to the rolling direction appears to be due to a smoother fracture surface without zigzagging between inclusion stringers.
Attention to item-specific processing eliminates age effects in false memories

One possible reason for age differences in false memory susceptibility is that older adults may not encode contextual information that allows them to distinguish between presented and non-presented but internally activated items. The present research examines whether older adults can reduce false memories when given external contextual support. In the first two experiments, semantically related lists were presented in the context of sentences that either elicited or did not elicit meanings of items that converged on a non-presented theme word. Semantically related lists were presented as the second word of cue-target pairs in Experiment 3. Results demonstrated that when gist-based processing of list items was made less accessible, older and younger adults showed similar reductions in false recall and recognition. Finally, although both groups showed reductions, measures of response latencies indicated that non-presented critical theme words were internally activated. These results have implications for encoding deficit and strategy selection as they relate to accounts of age-related deficits in memory.