cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation therapy for palliation of Eisenmenger's syndrome-associated painful splenomegaly.

Painful splenomegaly has a clinical presentation that is often associated with myeloproliferative disorders, such as acute or chronic lymphoblastic or myelogenous leukemia. In these situations low-dose radiotherapy is effective in reducing the splenomegaly and relieving pain. The potential benefi t of radiotherapy for cardiogenic splenomegaly is less well established. The present report discusses a case in which radiotherapy was employed to benefi t a patient with Eisenmenger’sassociated painful splenomegaly. Because of the patient’s high anesthesia risk, palliative surgical splenectomy was not feasible. The patient underwent three-dimensional conformal treatment planning, and a total of 42.5 Gy at 2.5 Gy per fraction was prescribed to the spleen. At 4 months following radiotherapy completion, the patient reported durable pain relief and no untoward small bowel effects; moreover, there was a 43% reduction in splenic volume on follow-up CT. Although there have been previous reports of hematological and myeloproliferative-associated splenomegaly that have been treated with a lower dose per fraction and lower total dose radiotherapy, we advocate the use of 2.0–2.5 Gy per fraction to a total dose approaching 40 Gy for adequate duration of response when treating cardiogenic-associated painful splenomegaly in patients for whom surgical splenectomy cannot be performed.
Compact NEMS FPGA design for harsh environment and low power requirement

We present implementation of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) using new NEMS devices that can be configured to implement any 2-input basic logic gates using a single structure [3]. This enables the implementation of 2 mechanical delays for 4-input compact Configurable Logic Block (CLB). These NEMS CLBs use only nine NEMS, instead of 150 switches used in CMOS, and provide a programmable interconnect that minimize power. NEMS devices are generally larger, slower, and less reliable than their CMOS counter parts. Our approach of realizing a logic gate within a single device structure reduces the number of switches needed to implement logic gates improving reliability, reducing the real estate and delay. In FPGA's the programming is usually done once and the resulting functionality constitute the desired outcome. Thus, the NEMS mechanical delay is minimized and given the reduced leakage power of NEMS, it presents a considerable advantage over CMOS.
Black-white differentials in infant mortality in the south, 1940–1970

This paper examines the trends and variations in the black-white differentials in infant mortality in ten selected Southern states during the 1940–1970 period. The patterns observed from the Southern states are compared with those observed from seven selected Northern states and the country as a whole. The ratios of black to white infant mortality rates and Fein’s “time-lag” statistics are used as measures of the extent of black-white differentials.
Integrative Oncology: Complementary Therapies for Pain, Anxiety, and Mood Disturbance

Many people with cancer experience pain, anxiety, and mood disturbance. Conventional treatments do not always satisfactorily relieve these symptoms, and some patients may not be able to tolerate their side effects. Complementary therapies such as acupuncture, mind-body techniques, massage, and other methods can help relieve symptoms and improve physical and mental well-being. Self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques help reduce procedural pain. Acupuncture is well documented to relieve chronic cancer pain. Massage and meditation improve anxiety and other symptoms of distress. Many dietary supplements contain biologically active constituents with effects on mood. However, not all complementary therapies are appropriate or useful, and even helpful complementary modalities may not be optimal under some circumstances. Situations when precaution is indicated include acute onset of symptoms and severe symptoms, which require immediate mainstream intervention. Dietary supplements are associated with serious negative consequences under some circumstances. The authors summarize the research on these modalities and discuss the rationale, expectation, and necessary precautions involved with combining complementary therapies and mainstream care. Practical clinical issues are addressed.
Quantifying synchrony among reproductive or other states.

Synchrony among reproductive or other states is a widespread phenomenon of significance in evolutionary theory. A model is presented for use in the measurement of the degree of synchrony in any set of behavioral or biological states, such as menstrual cycling, pregnancy, or lactation. At a given time, maximum group synchrony occurs when all members of a group are in a single state, minimum synchrony occurs when equal numbers are in all states, and intermediate values of synchrony occur for other proportional representations of the states. The model yields group synchrony scores ranging from 0 to 100 by standardizing the average of the absolute deviations among frequencies of occurrence in pairs of states. In addition, individual synchrony is characterized by the proportion of others who share an individual's state at a specified set of times. Properties of the model are discussed, simplified calculation procedures are presented, and the method's usefulness for comparative purposes is illustrated. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bayesian sample-size determination for one and two Poisson rate parameters with applications to quality control

Abstract We formulate Bayesian approaches to the problems of determining the required sample size for Bayesian interval estimators of a predetermined length for a single Poisson rate, for the difference between two Poisson rates, and for the ratio of two Poisson rates. We demonstrate the efficacy of our Bayesian-based sample-size determination method with two real-data quality-control examples and compare the results to frequentist sample-size determination methods.
Constitution of the lead-rich and antimony-rich regions of the indium-antimony-lead ternary system

Abstract The lead-rich and antimony-rich regions of the ternary system indium-antimony-lead have been determined by using a combination of thermal analysis, X-ray and micrographic techniques. A ternary eutectic melting at 249°C is located in this system at 0.97 wt. % indium, 87 wt. % lead, and 12.03 wt. % antimony. Indium antimonide is the primary phase which precipitates out over nearly half of the region bounded by Pb-Sb-InSb, δ (antimony-rich solid) is the primary phase precipitating out over most of the other half, and γ (lead-rich solid) is the primary phase in a very small portion of the system. No evidence of ternary intermetallic compounds was encountered, and only small terminal solid solubilities were found.
Assessing the effects of nitrogen deposition on mountain waters: A study of phytoplankton community dynamics

We assessed the phytoplankton communities and the relevant aquatic chemistry in three large lakes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. While N limitation of phytoplankton is most common, it appears that a recent regional increase in atmospheric N deposition is causing both P and Si limitation to occur to some degree. N additions in semi-continuous laboratory bioassays of mixed diatom assemblages produced a dramatic increase in biomass in two of the three study lakes. Relative abundances of species were altered relative to control treatments with both added N and Si. Higher levels of N primarily favored the alga Fragilaria crotonensis . This result is consistent with previous laboratory and field observations which suggest that F. crotonensis is not a good competitor for N, and only thrives in N rich environments. We hypothesize that continued increases in N loading will alter natural species assemblages in all the study lakes.
Method to deduce the critical size for interfacial delamination of patterned electrode structures and application to lithiation of thin-film silicon islands

Abstract Recent experiments have suggested that there is a critical size for patterned silicon (Si) thin film electrodes for delamination from a current collector during lithiation and delithiation cycling. However, no existing theories can explain this phenomenon, in spite of its potential importance in designing reliable electrodes for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. In this study, we show that the observed delamination size effect can be rationalized by modeling thin film delamination in the presence of large scale interfacial sliding. A method is proposed to deduce the critical size for delamination based on the critical conditions for the nucleation and growth of edge or center cracks at the film-substrate interface under plane strain or axisymmetric conditions. Applications to lithiation of thin-film Si islands give results in excellent agreement with experimental observations.
Perspectives in the investigation of health hazards in the chemical industry.

In 1895, Rehn reported the first three cases of cancer of the bladder among aniline workers. When additional cases of this association was identified in the next 15 years in Germany and Switzerland, it was projected that the developing chemistry industry, with its increasing number of synthetic chemicals new to the human environment, would introduce a host of problems and an unhappy harvest of cancer. This prediction seemed far from unreasonable when our laboratory colleagues demonstrated carcinogenicity of literally hundreds of chemicals in animal test programs. Yet, by and large, the prophesy was not fulfilled. in the first half of the 20th century. Even up to the present, human chemical cancers have been relatively few and seemingly restricted in type and number, almost as exceptions to the broad spectrum of human cancer, viz., betanaphthylamine and benzidine bladder cancer, radium neoplasms, coal tar skin cancers, etc. Thus, until recently, we were faced with something of a paradox: Rehn and his contemporaries had shown that human cancer could result from industrial chemical exposure, laboratory studies indicated that the agents could be varied and numerous, yet human experience had not demonstrated this to be a major problem. In recent years, the question has again been put before us in pressing terms. Do experiences with vinyl chloride, bischloromethyl ether, chromates, etc., demonstrate that the prophesies were really correct, but premature? We do not yet know, but the question is an important one and must now be addressed.
A hybrid neurocomputing/numerical strategy for nonlinear structural analysis

A hybrid neurocomputing/numerical strategy is presented for geometrically nonlinear analysis of structures. The strategy combines model-free data processing capabilities of computational neural networks with a Pade approximants-based perturbation technique to predict partial information about the nonlinear response of structures. In the hybrid strategy, multilayer feedforward neural networks are used to extend the validity of solutions by using training samples produced by Pade approximations to the Taylor series expansion of the response function. The range of validity of the training samples is taken to be the radius of convergence of Pade approximants and is estimated by setting a tolerance on the diverging approximants. The norm of a residual vector of unbalanced forces in a given element is used as a measure to assess the quality of network predictions. To further increase the accuracy and the range of network predictions, additional training data are generated by either applying linear regression to weight matrices or expanding the training data by using predicted coefficients in a Taylor series. The effectiveness of the hybrid strategy is assessed by performing large-deflection analysis of a doubly-curved composite panel with a circular cutout, and postbuckling analyses of stiffened composite panels subjected to an in-plane edge shear load. In all the problems considered, the hybrid strategy is used to predict selective information about the structural response, namely the total strain energy and the maximum displacement components only.
Assessing the elimination of user fees for delivery services in Laos

A pilot eliminating user fees associated with delivery at the point of services was introduced in two districts of Laos in March 2009. Following two years of implementation, an evaluation was conducted to assess the pilot impact, as well as to document the pilot design and implementation challenges. Study results show that, even in the presence of the substantial access and cultural barriers, user fees associated with delivery at health facilities act as a serious deterrent to care seeking behavior. We find a tripling of facility-based delivery rates in the intervention areas, compared to a 40% increase in the control areas. While findings from the control region suggest that facility-based delivery rates may be on the rise across the country, the substantially higher increase in the pilot areas highlight the impact of financial burden associated with facility-based delivery fees. These fees can play an important role in rapidly increasing the uptake of facility delivery to reach the national targets and, ultimately, to improve maternal and child health outcomes. The pilot achieved important gains while relying heavily on capacity and systems already in place. However, the high cost associated with monitoring and evaluation suggest broad-scale expansion of the pilot activities is likely to necessitate targeted capacity building initiatives, especially in areas with limited district level capacity to manage funds and deliver detailed and timely reports.
Evaluation of Paraquat Resistance Mechanisms in Conyza

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine the mechanism(s) of paraquat (1,1′-dimethyl-4, 4′-bipyridinium ion) resistance in a biotype of hairy fleabane (Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronq.). Thin-layer chromatographic analysis of leaf extracts indicated that paraquat is not metabolized in either the resistant (R) or the sensitive (S) biotype. Three in vitro studies demonstrated that electron transfer from the photosystem I (PSI) donor (FA/FB) to paraquat is similar in both biotypes as was the amount and character of the two FA/FB iron-sulfur clusters. The relative activities of the stromal enzymes superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase, which can detoxify paraquat-generated noxious oxygen species, were determined following separation by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Of these enzymes, only an increase in ascorbate peroxidase activity (28%) was observed in stromal extracts of the R (relative to S) biotype. These data indicate that the 100-fold level of paraquat resistance observed in leaves of the R biotype of Conyza is not due to metabolic detoxification, an altered (insensitive) site of action, and/or enhanced activities of stromal enzymes. Paraquat-induced chlorosis (an indicator of sensitivity) was similar in illuminated chloroplast preparations of both biotypes indicating that the resistance factor is located outside of the chloroplast′s envelope. Similar rates of paraquat-induced chlorosis were also observed in illuminated protoplast preparations of both biotypes; however, leaf sections (1 mm width) of the R biotype exhibited a degree of paraquat resistance (81-fold) very similar to that exhibited by whole leaves. These data suggest that resistance is due to a sequestration mechanism that prevents paraquat from diffusing to PSI, the site of paraquat action. The sequestration mechanism appears to require a structurally intact cell wall to be functional.
Responsibility-Based Youth Programs Evaluation: Investigating the Investigations

The personal–social responsibility model (RM), a physical activity program model orignally intended for for underserved, has been used in physical activity and other programs for a wide range of children and youth in a number of states and several other countries. While RM's presence in practice is generally acknowledged, some in the academic community have criticized its weak empirical base. We address this criticism by reviewing 26 studies that have investigated the impact of RM on underserved and/or at-risk youth since its inception. Because field research encompesses a wide array of approaches, issues related to design and methodology are explored in an effort to provide a rational basis for this work. Implications for theory, practice, and public policy are drawn from this review.
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK: TIME SAMPLING AND MEASUREMENT ERROR1

A person manufactured his in-seat behavior for 15, 30-min sessions so that there were three blocks of five sessions where the behavior occurred 20%, 50%, and 80% of the time. Whole interval, partial interval, and momentary time-sample measures of the behavior were taken and compared to the continuous measure of the behavior i.e., per cent of time the behavior occurred. For interval time sampling, the difference between the continuous and sample measures i.e., measurement error, was: (1) extensive, (2) unidirectional, (3) a function of the time per response, and (4) inconsistent across changes in the continuous measure. A procedural analysis demonstrated that the frequency and duration of behavior are confounded in interval time sampling. Momentary time sampling was found to be superior to interval time sampling in estimating the duration a behavior occurs.
Effect of vitamin E deficiency on the lipid class and fatty acid composition of rat brain gray and white matter.

Three-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were placed on a control or vitamin E-deficient diet for 9 months. The total lipid and cholesterol contents of brain gray and white matter areas in the vitamin E-deficient group did not differ from controls. The concentration of cerebrosides was lower in white matter but higher in gray matter of deficient animals. However, sulfatide was significantly (P<0.001) higher in white and gray matter of deficient animals compared with controls. Lysolecithin was not found in vitamin E-deficient gray matter but was present in control gray matter lipids. No marked differences were found in the concentrations or relative amounts of sphinogomyelin, phosphatidyl choline, phospholipids of gray or white matter of vitamin E-deficient rats as compared to controls. In addition no remarkable differences were found in the fatty acid composition of total lipid extracts of gray or white matter from vitamin E-deficient rats when compared with controls.
Ecogeography, genetics, and the evolution of human body form

Genetic resemblances among groups are non-randomly distributed in humans. This population structure may influence the correlations between traits and environmental drivers of natural selection thus complicating the interpretation of the fossil record when modern human variation is used as a referential model. In this paper, we examine the effects of population structure and natural selection on postcranial traits that reflect body size and shape with application to the more general issue of how climate - using latitude as a proxy - has influenced hominin morphological variation. We compare models that include terms reflecting population structure, ascertained from globally distributed microsatellite data, and latitude on postcranial phenotypes derived from skeletal dimensions taken from a large global sample of modern humans. We find that models with a population structure term fit better than a model of natural selection along a latitudinal cline in all cases. A model including both latitude and population structure terms is a good fit to distal limb element lengths and bi-iliac breadth, indicating that multiple evolutionary forces shaped these morphologies. In contrast, a model that included only a population structure term best explained femoral head diameter and the crural index. The results demonstrate that population structure is an important part of human postcranial variation, and that clinally distributed natural selection is not sufficient to explain among-group differentiation. The distribution of human body form is strongly influenced by the contingencies of modern human origins, which calls for new ways to approach problems in the evolution of human variation, past and present.
Evidence of Robust Recognition Memory Early in Life Even When Assessed by Reaching Behavior.

Abstract Infants of only 5-6 months prefer to look at something new when given the choice of looking at a stimulus shown earlier or something new, even after a long delay (the visual paired comparison task). However, if infants must reach and displace a stimulus to retrieve a reward, even 18-month-olds respond randomly when given the choice of reaching to the stimulus shown earlier or to something new, even after a brief delay (the delayed nonmatching to sample task). To investigate this paradox we modified the delayed nonmatching to sample task to make it more similar to visual paired comparison. Each stimulus served as its own reward; no rewards were hidden under any stimuli. Infants were habituated to a sample object, a delay was imposed, and then the sample and a new object were presented. Infants could choose to look at (in visual paired comparison) or reach for (in delayed nonmatching to sample (stimulus = reward)) either object. One hundred twenty infants were tested: 60 (20 each at 4, 6 and 9 months) on visual paired comparison and 60 (20 each at 6, 9 and 12 months) on delayed nonmatching to sample (stimulus = reward). The same 10 pairs of stimuli were used on both tasks. Each subject was tested twice at all five delays (10, 15, 60, 180 and 600 s). At even the youngest age that reaching was tested (6 months), infants showed evidence of recognition memory on the reaching task at delays at least as long as those at which they demonstrated recognition memory on the looking task. Indeed, when subjects reached, not in order to obtain something else, but to obtain the stimulus itself, they succeeded on a recognition memory task even at delays 10 min long very early in life.
Site occupation of iron in intermetallic NiAl

Abstract The site occupation of iron in two NiAl alloys of differing stoichiometries has been characterized with the atom-probe field-ion microscope (APFIM). A nickel-rich NiAl alloy containing 0.3 at% Fe and an aluminum-rich NiAl alloy containing 2.2 at% Fe were used to characterize the behavior of iron in solid solution in NiAl alloys. A nickel-rich alloy was selected so that the iron should have a slight preference for the aluminum sites, whereas an aluminum-rich alloy should favor the substitution of iron for the nickel. The site occupation was determined by measuring the compositions of the (100) plane, which alternately consist of pure nickel and pure aluminum layers, in stoichiometric NiAl. In both alloys the iron was observed to substitute preferentially for aluminum, independent of the nickel-to-aluminum ratio.
Measuring health-related quality of life and neutropenia-specific concerns among older adults undergoing chemotherapy: validation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Neutropenia (FACT-N)

Objective The present study established the psychometric properties of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Neutropenia (FACT-N), a self-report instrument to assess neutropenia-specific concerns and health-related quality of life (HRQL), in a sample of adults 65 years of age and older.
In vivo treatment with anti‐interleukin‐13 antibodies significantly reduces the humoral immune response against an oral immunogen in mice

Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is a cytokine which significantly enhances the proliferation and differentiation of B lymphocytes. We therefore evaluated its role in the formation of a humoral immune response in vivo. Upon oral immunization with the B subunit of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT-B), rapid up-regulation of IL-13 mRNA expression in the mesenteric lymph nodes of LT-B intubated mice occurred. This result suggested that IL-13 might be involved in the formation of a mucosal antibody response against LT-B if this cytokine was in fact secreted. To test this possibility, the coding region for murine IL-13 was cloned into the pFLAG-1 expression vector. Recombinant murine IL-13 was purified from bacterial lysates and used as an immunogen to produce polyclonal anti-IL-13 antibodies. Groups of BALB/c mice treated in vivo with anti-IL-13 antibody 2 days before and on the day of oral immunization with LT-B had significantly reduced intestinal IgA and serum IgG and IgA anti-LT-B antibody responses when compared to mice treated with control antibody. Furthermore, groups of mice primed with LT-B and then treated with anti-IL-13 antibody prior to oral immunization with a second dose of LT-B also had significantly reduced intestinal IgA and serum IgG and IgA anti-LT-B antibody titres compared to controls. In vitro LT-B restimulation experiments using splenic mononuclear leucocytes isolated from LT-B primed mice treated with anti-IL-13 antibody demonstrated decreased expression of IL-4 and IL-13 mRNA and decreased IL-4 secretion when compared to controls. Together these results demonstrate an important role for IL-13 in the formation of a humoral immune response at mucosal surfaces.
On the minimum gap between sums of square roots of small integers

Let k and n be positive integers, n>k. Define r(n,k) to be the minimum positive value of |a1+⋯+ak−b1−⋯−bk| where a1,a2,…,ak,b1,b2,…,bk are positive integers no larger than n. Define R(n,k) to be −logr(n,k). It is important to find tight bounds for r(n,k) and R(n,k), in connection to the sum-of-square-roots problem, a famous open problem in computational geometry. The current best lower bound and upper bound are far apart. In this paper, we prove an upper bound of 2O(n/logn) for R(n,k), which is better than the best known result O(22klogn) whenever n≤cklogk for some constant c. In particular, our result implies an algorithm subexponential in k (i.e. with time complexity 2o(k)(logn)O(1)) to compare two sums of k square roots of integers of value o(klogk). We then present an algorithm to find r(n,k) exactly in nk+o(k) time and in n⌈k/2⌉+o(k) space. As an example, we are able to compute r(100,7) exactly in a few hours on a single PC. The numerical data indicate that the root separation bound is very far away from the true value of r(n,k).
Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 p30 interacts with REGγ and ATM (Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated) to promote cell survival

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), is complex deltaretrovirus linked to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and a variety of immune-mediated disorders. HTLV-1 encodes a nuclear localizing protein, p30, which selectively alters viral and cellular gene expression, activates G2-M cell cycle checkpoints, and is essential for viral spread. p30 interacts with key cellular proteins such as CBP/p300 and Myc/TIP60 to differentially modulate host and viral gene expression. We hypothesize that interaction of p30 with host cellular proteins modulates the cellular microenvironment to favor of viral spread. Herein we used immunoprecipitation, affinity pull-down of ectopically expressed p30 coupled with mass spectrometry to identify cellular binding partners of p30. Our data indicate that p30 specifically binds to cellular ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and REGγ (a nuclear 20S proteasome activator). In conditions of genotoxic stress p30 expression was associated with reduced levels of ATM and increased cell survival. Knockdown or over expression of REGγ paralleled p30 expression suggesting an unexpected enhancement of p30 expression in the presence of REGγ. Finally, size exclusion chromatography revealed the presence of p30 in a high molecular weight complex along with ATM and REGγ. Current studies are focused on mapping regions critical for p30- REGγ binding and how this interaction may influence HTLV-1 transcription. Based on our findings we propose that HTLV-1 p30 interacts with ATM and REGγ to increase viral spread by facilitating cell survival.
Predictive control of PDEs via using adaptive reduced order modeling

This work employs adaptive reduced order models (ROMs) in the design of model predictive controllers for stabilization of processes that are mathematically expressed as parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) systems. Initially, we construct a locally valid ROM of the PDE system employing the basis functions computed by applying an adaptive model reduction methodology called APOD on a small data ensemble. This ROM is then utilized in the design of model predictive controllers (MPC) under constraints on the control action. As periodic closed-loop process data becomes available (during closed-loop operation under the constructed MPC), we recursively update the ROM by employing our computationally efficient adaptive model reduction methodology thus extending the validity of ROM over the current operating region. The effects of employing the adaptive methodology on performance of MPC is studied. The design of such MPC controllers is illustrated by employing the methodology on numerical simulations.
Assessing stability of gene selection in microarray data analysis

Background The number of genes declared differentially expressed is a random variable and its variability can be assessed by resampling techniques. Another important stability indicator is the frequency with which a given gene is selected across subsamples. We have conducted studies to assess stability and some other properties of several gene selection procedures with biological and simulated data.
On codes that correct asymmetric errors with graded magnitude distribution

In multi-level flash memories, the dominant cell errors are asymmetric with limited-magnitude. With such an error model in mind, Cassuto et al. recently developed bounds and constructions for codes correcting t asymmetric errors with magnitude no more than l. However, a more refined model of these memory devices reflects the fact that typically only a small number of errors have large magnitude while the remainder are of smaller magnitude. In this work, we study such an error model, in which at most t 1 errors of maximum magnitude l 1 and at most t 2 errors of maximum magnitude l 2 , with l 1 &#60; l 2 , can occur. We adapt the analysis and code construction of Cassuto, et al. for the refined error model and assess the relative efficiency of the new codes. We then consider in more detail specific constructions for the case where t 1 = t 2 = 1, l 1 = 1, and l 2 > 1.
Stresses Due to Temperature Gradients in Ceramic‐Matrix‐Composite Aerospace Components

Ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) are being considered as replacement materials for divergent flaps and seals in advanced aerospace turbine engines. During service, these components are subjected to severe temperature gradients across the width of the flaps. This paper discusses an analytical procedure to estimate the stresses generated in the CMC flaps due to the temperature gradients. The analytical procedure can be used for a material with nonlinear temperature-dependent stress–strain behavior. This procedure was used to predict the thermal stresses in four candidate CMC systems due to temperature gradients. The thermal stresses along the edges typically exceed the proportional limit, and sometimes the fatigue limit of the CMC.
Underfill delamination to chip sidewall in advanced flip chip packages

A number of failure mechanisms related to the underfill material in flip chip plastic ball grid array packages are well documented in the literature (underfill-to-chip passivation delamination, underfill-to-substrate soldermask delamination, chip cracking, interconnect fatigue, etc.). This paper discusses the delamination of the underfill from the chip sidewalls, another failure mechanism which has become more prevalent with component material changes, increases in die dimensions, finer C4 pitches and substrates with larger coefficient of thermal expansion. A detailed study is presented for the initiation of underfill-to-sidewall delamination, based on experimental data as well as finite element modeling. It is shown generally that both stress at the chip-underfill interface near the chip corner, and poor adhesion of the underfill to the chip sidewalls contribute to the initiation of underfill delaminations. Various parameters influencing stress (package design, underfill material thermo-mechanical properties) and adhesion (underfill base chemistry and additives, filler treatment, chip sidewall cleanliness) are discussed.
Temporal resource partitioning by bats at water holes

The temporal axis of niche (temporally based resource partitioning) is an understudied mechanism for resource partitioning in mammals even though it provides a potential means for species coexistence. Herein we evaluate species-specific use curves based upon capture times during the overlapping activity of bat species at two water holes in an arid environment where bats likely suffer high levels of evaporative water loss during roosting. During the first 75 min after sunset, intense bat activity at each water hole ensued and, although visitation times overlapped, there was a significant difference among species use curves. In addition, pairwise comparisons showed high similarity in temporal visitation patterns across sites for species in which capture numbers were comparable, whereas other species shifted to significantly earlier arrival times when their capture numbers were higher. There were no significant differences in mean roost site emergence times among species, nor in distance of roost sites from water holes. Our data provide one of the few statistically verified examples of fine-grain temporal partitioning by mammals simultaneously using the same resource. We conclude that temporal partitioning helps facilitate bat species coexistence in water-stressed environments.
Effects of Spectral Nudging in WRF on Arctic Temperature and Precipitation Simulations

AbstractSpectral (interior) nudging is a way of constraining a model to be more consistent with observed behavior. However, such control over model behavior raises concerns over how much nudging may affect unforced variability and extremes. Strong nudging may reduce or filter out extreme events since nudging pushes the model toward a relatively smooth, large-scale state. The question then becomes: what is the minimum spectral nudging needed to correct biases while not limiting the simulation of extreme events? To determine this, case studies were performed using a six-member ensemble of the Pan-Arctic Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) with varying spectral nudging strength, using WRF’s standard nudging as a reference point. Two periods were simulated, one in a cold season (January 2007) and one in a warm season (July 2007).Precipitation and 2-m temperature were analyzed to determine how changing spectral nudging strength impacts temperature and precipitation extremes and selected percentiles. R...
Campaign Advertising: Partisan Convergence or Divergence?

Prior research demonstrates that many citizens are unable to perceive differences between the two major political parties. In order to investigate whether candidate behavior in campaigns contributes to this perception, we test implications about partisan constraints on campaign rhetoric drawn from the literature on parties and policy convergence. Our results suggest that candidates of different parties do not highlight the same issues or positions in their campaign advertising. We find that campaign rhetoric is strongly motivated by party even when controlling for constituency characteristics and other factors. Thus, there is convergence among candidates of the same party across districts and states and divergence between opposing candidates within districts and states. Our results are based on a detailed content analysis of more than 1,000 campaign advertisements aired by 290 candidates in 153 elections in 37 states during the 1998 midterm elections.
Development and Validation of the Weekly Stress Inventory-Short Form

The Weekly Stress Inventory (WSI) has been used both in research and in clinical settings to measure minor stress. Although this tool offers a reliable and valid measure to assess minor stress, it lacks brevity that would make it more feasible for rapid assessments of stress needed in many research and clinical settings. The current study assessed the psychometrics of the newly developed Weekly Stress Inventory Short Form (WSI-SF), a 25-item scale to measure minor stress. Adults attending general medicine clinics (n = 171) at a public teaching hospital completed the WSI-SF and the WSI. The WSI-SF was found to have good internal consistency for both the events score (.92) and impact score (.91) and good convergent validity with the WSI. The results of the present study suggest that the WSI-SF is a reliable and valid instrument for use in assessing minor stress.
Leflunomide in dermatology

Leflunomide is an oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drug administered to patients with rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. This drug inhibits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, an enzyme critical in the production of intracellular pyrimidines, and down-regulates tumor necrosis factor-alfa activity. Leflunomide has demonstrated usefulness in treating cutaneous psoriasis along with other dermatologic and rheumatologic conditions.
In-shoe multisensory data acquisition system

Patients with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy are susceptible to unnoticed trauma on the foot that can cause skin breakdown. The authors have designed an electronic system in a shoe that monitors temperature, pressure, and humidity, storing the data in a battery-powered device for later uploading to a host computer for data analysis. The pressure sensors are located at the heel, and under three metatarsal heads. Temperature sensors are located under the medial metatarsal head and under the heel. The humidity sensor is located in the toe of the shoe. Correlations of data from pressure sensors with known values were high (r>0.85), even after extended use. Although data currently are being collected for descriptive purposes, the design potentially can be used to provide feedback to patients.
Enhanced performance of the iodine monofluoride (491 nm) laser

The impact of substituting HI for CF/sub 3/I as the iodine donor in the discharge-pumped iodine monofluoride (IF) laser at 491 nm has been investigated. More than an order of magnitude improvement in output pulse energy has been observed and is attributed to more efficient production of low-lying (v' >
Stability and heat transfer of rotating cryogens. Part 1. Influence of rotation on the onset of convection in liquid 4 He

Equipment is described for performing measurements of the Rayleigh–Benard instability in a sample of rotating liquid 4He. Data are presented on the dependence of the critical Rayleigh number for the onset of convection on Prandtl number in the range 0·49 < Pr < 0·76 and over a range of dimensionless angular velocities 0 < Ω < 200. Evidence for the existence of subcritical convection is presented.
A Psychometric Examination of English and Spanish Versions of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales

The psychometric properties of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2) are examined for English-speaking (n = 211) and Spanish-speaking (n = 194) Latino women. Internal consistency of total scale scores is satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha of .70 to .84). However, subscale alphas range from .46 to .80. Confirmatory factor analyses support five factors of negotiation, minor and severe psychological aggression, and minor and severe physical assault. In unconstrained two-group models, loadings are of similar magnitude across language of administration, with the exception of the Physical Assault scales. Unconstrained and constrained model comparisons show scale structure varied by language group for physical assault. Although results of this study show some comparability for English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Latinas, simply combining results across language groups may obscure important differences in rates of endorsement and patterns of responses reflecting cultural, educational, and economic differences.
Nanotechnology for Chemical and Biological Defense 2030 Workshop and Study

Since the beginning of World War II, the US military has been a prime mover in developing new technologies. The research and development that led to jet aircraft, radar, microelectronics, and the Internet was largely backed by military funding. Approximately 58 percent of the United States’ FY 2008 RD Turk, ch. 8) of nanotechnology and other converging technologies in relation to potential national security threats. Of note is the stated impetus for the project: What if intelligence communities came together twenty-five years ago to think strategically about future developments in biotechnology? – Eds.
Podocyte Expression of B7-1/CD80: Is it a Reliable Biomarker for the Treatment of Proteinuric Kidney Diseases with Abatacept?

The story of B7-1 (also known as CD80) and its possible association with nephrotic syndrome began with a chance observation that the gene for B7-1 is overexpressed in podocytes from mice deficient in the α 3 integrin.[1][1] The α 3 β 1 integrin is an important adhesion receptor in podocytes and
Resolving the Dilemma of Non-Justiciable Causation in Failure-to-Warn Litigation

Failure-to-warn cases represent a significant portion of product liability law, yet the core concepts of this body of law are poorly developed. In particular, the standard tort requirement that the injured party demonstrate a causal connection between the defendant’s violation of duty and the injury simply does not work in the vast majority of failure-to-warn cases. A substantial body of social science literature demonstrates that, in all but extreme cases, it is impossible for an injured party to demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence, and thus for a court to credibly conclude, that she would have acted differently had a warning been provided. Thus, a rigorous application of the causation requirement would result in defeat for most injured parties. Yet, some injuries certainly could be saved by effective warnings, even if those beneficiaries cannot be easily be identified. A legal system that would deny recovery to virtually all injured parties because it cannot be ascertained which parties’ injuries would have been prevented under-compensates victims and under-deters dangerous practices by product manufacturers and distributors and, thus, does not fulfill the goals of the tort system. Some courts and commentators have recognized this problem, and have put forth a variety of mechanisms to resolve it. Those mechanisms - such as “heeding presumptions” and enterprise liability - suffer from the opposite problem. They compensate injured parties without regard to whether there is a causal connection between the injuries and the lack of a warning. The result is over-compensation of plaintiffs, over-deterrence of manufacturers, and under-deterrence of risky consumer conduct. This, too, fails to fulfill the goals of tort law. In this article, the authors propose eliminating causation as a separate requirement in most failure-to-warn cases and instead determine an injured party’s recovery by allowing proportional recovery, taking into account both the severity of the manufacturer’s fault in failing to warn of the dangers associated with its product and the likelihood that injuries would have been saved by a warning. Such a system would recognize that some failures to warn are more egregious than others and would generate a closer match between aggregate compensation and aggregate injuries caused by a failure to warn.
Dominoes on the Durand Line? Overcoming Strategic Myths in Afghanistan and Pakistan

The death of Osama bin Laden presents an important opportunity to reassess U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. Current U.S. thinking centers on two interests. The first is preventing al Qaeda and its Taliban allies from reestablishing a safe haven. The second is preventing the violence in Afghanistan from destabilizing Pakistan, thus putting its nuclear forces at risk and increasing the likelihood of nuclear terrorism. Coalition strategy is based on the assumptions that the only way to deny al Qaeda safe haven is by building a strong central Afghan state and that Pakistan's nuclear complex will become increasingly vulnerable to militant attacks if the Taliban succeeds in Afghanistan.Both assumptions are wrong. The United States does not need to build a state in Afghanistan because the conditions that allowed al Qaeda safe haven in the 1990s have permanently changed. Moreover, the steps needed to help Pakistan secure its nuclear arsenal have nothing to do with the war in Afghanistan. Policymakers should scale back their ambitions in Afghanistan. If they do so, they could cut troop levels by 80–90 percent while defending core U.S. interests and dramatically reducing the costs to America in both blood and treasure.
Antiviral Activity of Inhibitors of Pyrimidine De-Novo Biosynthesis

Evaluation of the elevation of host cell biosynthesis of deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTP's) induced by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection as a target for antiviral therapeutics was carried out. The concentrations of all four intracellular dNTP's rose rapidly following HCMV infection, and were markedly above baseline by 8 h post infection (p.i.). All four deoxynucleoside triphosphates remained elevated above baseline for at least 72 h p.i. The effects of inhibitors of the de-novo pathway of pyrimidine biosynthesis on HCMV viral replication-were quantified by DNA dot blot. All pyrimidine biosynthesis inhibitors examined inhibited the HCMV DNA replication at concentrations that were non-toxic to the cell. These drugs were also more effective against HCMV, which is highly dependent on host denovo synthesis, than against HSV-1 which encodes enzymes capable of increasing the supply of dNTP's. The antiviral effect of brequinar, an inhibitor of one of the enzymes of the de-novo pathway (dihydroorotate deh...
Aqueous‐Phase Hydrogenation of Saturated and Unsaturated Ketones and Aldehydes over Supported Platinum–Rhenium Catalysts

The hydrogenation rates of C=C and C=O bonds in methyl vinyl ketone and crotonaldehyde were measured over a series of silica-supported Pt-Re catalysts (1:1 atomic ratio of Pt/Re) in liquid water with H2 (15 psig) at 333 K. The hydrogenation of methyl vinyl ketone did not produce any unsaturated alcohol because of the rapid hydrogenation of C=C relative to that of C=O. The addition of Re to Pt impacted the rate of C=C hydrogenation negatively in methyl vinyl ketone and crotonaldehyde, but promoted the selectivity of C=O hydrogenation in crotonaldehyde in which the unsaturated alcohol increased from 5 % on Pt to 21 % on Pt-Re. The addition of Re to Pt also promoted the rate of C=O hydrogenation in 2-butanone, whereas little effect was observed during the hydrogenation of butanal. The results of electron microscopy and H2 chemisorption on the Pt-Re catalysts showed the increasing interaction between Pt and Re with the increasing metal weight loading, and results from rate measurements suggest that oxophilic Re can be used to promote the Pt-catalyzed hydrogenation of carbonyl groups in multifunctional molecules.
Tall Tower Wind Shear Observations in the Stable Nocturnal Boundary Layer

Wind power systems are susceptible to shear in the free-stream wind. While past work in wind power systems has focused on assessing shear in wind speed, work from other disciplines has shown the existence of shear in wind direction, most often in the stable nocturnal boundary layer. Preliminary tall tower observations from Lubbock, Texas show this relationship as well. Potential meteorological causes for these phenomena are given, along with an introduction to the aerodynamic problem that arises in the presence of directional shear. The aerodynamic problem of direction shear is shown to be different from the case of turbine operation in yawed flow, and future work is outlined to quantify its impact on wind power systems.