cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caregiver stress and cultural identity in families of preschoolers with developmental delay and behavioral problems.

INTRODUCTION: Research on families of young children with developmental delay and disruptive behavior problems has failed to examine caregiver stress in the context of cultural factors. METHODS: Families of 3-year-old children with developmental delay and behavior problems were recruited from Early Intervention sites. All caregivers in the current analysis (n = 147) were from immigrant and/or cultural minority backgrounds. Regarding income-to-needs, most families (57.8%) fell into the extreme poverty, poor, or low-income categories. Caregivers reported on their own experiences of acculturation and enculturation as well as their child's problems. RESULTS: Path analyses revealed that higher caregiver acculturation was associated with less parenting-specific stress, and higher caregiver enculturation was associated with less caregiver general stress. Severity of child problems was associated with more parenting-specific stress and general stress. Exploratory analysis yielded significant differences in associations between acculturation, enculturation, and caregiver stress in Black/African American caregivers versus Hispanic White caregivers. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that among cultural minority caregivers of young children with developmental and behavioral problems, acculturation and enculturation may influence caregiver stress. While the cross-sectional nature of the study precludes causal conclusions, clinicians should consider how cultural factors can be harnessed to strengthen caregiver resiliency and improve engagement in parenting interventions.
Joint object classification and turbulence strength estimation usingconvolutional neural networks

In a recent paper, Kee et al. [Appl. Opt.59, 9434 (2020)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.405663] use a multilayer perceptron neural network to classify objects in imagery after degradation through atmospheric turbulence. They also estimate turbulence strength when prior knowledge of the object is available. In this work, we significantly increase the realism of the turbulence simulation used to train and evaluate the Kee et al. neural network. Second, we develop a new convolutional neural network for joint character classification and turbulence strength estimation, thereby eliminating the prior knowledge constraint. This joint classifier–estimator expands applicability to a broad range of remote sensing problems, where the observer cannot access the object of interest directly.
Colorectal Cancer: Management of Distant Metastases

Within the last 20 years, there have been significant improvements in the management of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Advances in chemotherapy with improved efficacy, more favorable side effect profiles, increasing targeted radiotherapy options, and the development of increasingly sophisticated surgical techniques have culminated in increased survival for the patient with advanced colorectal cancer.1,2 As the population ages, the colorectal surgeon will be increasingly faced with complex decision-making that requires multidisciplinary collaboration to develop individualized treatment schemes taking into account the patients’ goals and objectives. In this chapter, we will outline important considerations and treatment options for patients with metastatic CRC to guide management and optimize oncologic outcomes.
Teaching Public Administration Conference Update

This JPAE mini-symposium on teaching public administration is the outgrowth of papers presented at the June 2013 Teaching Public Administration Conference (TPAC) in San Francisco. The conference was sponsored jointly by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Section on Public Administration Education (SPAE) and the University of San Francisco. Following the conference, a call for conference papers was placed for submission and publication in JPAE. Two articles from TPAC 2013 form the basis for this mini-symposium on teaching public administration. Both articles describe two excellent case studies on how student learning is measured in MPA curricula.
Urban Societies in East-Central Europe, 1500–1700

Contents: Introduction: the closed society and its enemies Urbanization trends and urban landscape Urban immigration Integrity of urban society challenged I: unassimilated groups in cities Integrity of urban society challenged II: urban conflicts and city autonomy in the context of reformation Building a Leviathan: the early modern city and early modern state Urban economy: its basic parameters Conclusion Bibliography Appendices Index.
Comparative Analysis of Methods of Scoring Tests of Motor Learning

Abstract Various methods have been used to measure the improvement made by individuals during repeated trials on a specific motor skill. This study compares eight such methods, some of which differ only in the selection of the final score. Considerable variations were found among the scores yielded by the methods, particularly when comparing improvements of individuals starting with different initial scores. Of the eight methods studied, the most acceptable appear to be those that relate gain to possible gain in the computation, while the least desirable are those that interpret gain in relation to the initial score.
Race 15B Of Wheat Stem Rust-What It Is And What It Means

Publisher Summary Breeding spring wheat for resistance to stem rust and leaf rusts and other diseases has been in progress in the United States for fifty years. Resistant varieties, including durums, have been grown on a smaller or larger scale and for a longer or shorter period during a period of about forty years immediately following the past epidemics when durums largely supplanted bread whets in parts of the spring wheat area. In past, spring wheat has been reasonably well protected against rust in a total of about twenty years. Physiologic races, of which 15B is only one conspicuous example, have repeatedly transferred varieties from the resistant to the susceptible category. Everything possible should be done to reduce the number of physiologic races through eradication of alternate hosts. Extensive surveys must be continued to anticipate as much as possible the upsurge of dangerous races. The base of resistance in crop plants must be broadened. This requires a world-wide search for all of the genes that affect resistance directly and indirectly.
Using Surface-Attached Organosilanes to Control and Understand Hydrophobicity and Superhydrophobicity

The preparative aspects of three different, but overlapping research programs are reviewed. Silane monolayers prepared using monofunctional silanes and random covalent attachment reactions are described that implicate molecular topography and flexibility as important issues in wetting. Surfaces prepared using multifunctional methylchlorosilanes are discussed. Samples similar to those prepared in the 1940s are shown to be the most hydrophobic (superhydrophobic) ever prepared. The chemical reactions of linear trimethylsilyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes with the surface of oxidized silicon are described. These reactions lead to covalently attached polydimethylsiloxane polymer chains and to hydrophobized inorganic surfaces. Linear silicones of this type (silicone oils) are generally not considered to be reactive with inorganic oxide surfaces.
On the mechanisms of pH-dependent hydrogen exchange of bovine plasma albumin in the range of pH 5 to 8.5.

Hydrogen exchange rates of bovine plasma albumin vary over the range of pH 5 to 8.5. As the pH is raised, the number of very slowly exchanging hydrogens decreases and the number of rapidly exchanging hydrogens steadily increases. The rate of exchange of hydrogens of the very slowly exchanging core at pH 5 was studied at pH values from pH 5.2 to pH 8.5. The results obtained suggest that this protein is highly "motile"; that is, it fluctuates rapidly at pH 7 and above between states in which exchangeable hydrogens are accessible to bulk solvent and ones in which they are not accessible. In the range of pH 5 to 6.5, no segments of the core appear to be highly motile but compact segments may become highly motile as the pH is raised through this range. The alternative possibility, that changes in exchange behavior at pH 5.2 to 6.5 are the results of changes of the local environment of individual exchanging groups, cannot be excluded. The effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate, glycerol, and changing ionic strength were also studied at pH 5 and 7.7. The results were consistent with three possible explanations: (a) that these agents stabilize compact conformational states of segments of bovine plasma albumin; (b) that they reduce segmental conformational "motility;"; or (c) that they alter the local environment of individual exchanging groups and thus influence the rate dependencies of exchange of these units. Discrimination between these three mechanisms was not deemed possible on the basis of our experimental data.
Privacy-preserving revocation checking with modified CRLs

Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) are a popular means of revocation checking. A CRL is a signed and time-stamped list containing information about all revoked certificates issued by a certification authority. One of the shortcomings of CRLs is poor scalability, which influences update, bandwidth and storage costs. We claim that other (more efficient) revocation techniques leak potentially sensitive information. Information leaks occur since third parties (agents, servers) of dubious trustworthiness discover the identities of the parties posing revocation check queries as well as identities of the queries' targets. An even more important privacy loss results from the third party's ability to tie the source of the revocation check with the query's target. (Since, most likely, the two are about to communicate.) This paper focuses on privacy and efficiency in revocation checking. Its main contribution is a simple modified CRL structure that allows for efficient revocation checking with customizable levels of privacy.
An Orientation to the Sources and Study of Early Islamic Egypt (641–868 ce)

This article surveys the most important Christian (Coptic and Melkite) and Islamic sources for the study of Egypt from the Arab conquest (641 ce) through the mid-ninth century. Beginning with a discussion of reference works, the article turns to narrative, hagiographic, and apocalyptic texts that focus specifically on Egypt. The latter section identifies the essential print and online resources for the study of Greek, Coptic, and Arabic papyri through the ninth century.
Clausewitz and Escalation: Classical Perspective on Nuclear Strategy

Published in 1991, Clausewitz and Escalation is a valuable contribution to the field of Military & Strategic Studies.
Methane activation by cobalt cluster cations, Con+ (n=2–16): Reaction mechanisms and thermochemistry of cluster-CHx (x=0–3) complexes

The kinetic energy dependences of the reactions of Con+ (n=2–16) with CD4 are studied in a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer over the energy range of 0–10 eV. The main products are hydride formation, ConD+, dehydrogenation to form ConCD2+, and double dehydrogenation yielding ConC+. These primary products decompose to form secondary and higher order products, ConCD+, Con−1D+, Con−1C+, Con−1CD+, and Con−1CD2+ at higher energies. Adduct formation of ConCD4+ is also observed for the largest cluster cations, n≥10. In general, the efficiencies of the single and double dehydrogenation processes increase with cluster size, although the hexamer cation shows a reduced reactivity compared to its neighbors. All reactions exhibit thresholds, and cross sections for the various primary and secondary reactions are analyzed to yield reaction thresholds from which bond energies for cobalt cluster cations to D, C, CD, CD2, and CD3 are determined. The relative magnitudes of these bond energies are consistent with simp...
Linear Least-Squares Analysis and Effective Interactions

In the following we exhibit a few results from the application of the method of singular value analysis (SVA), a particular form of linear least-squares analysis,1 to two sets of experimental two-body matrix elements, the 63 Chung-Wildenthal (CW) matrix elements2 for the 1d5/2, 2s1/2, 1d3/2 shells (A ≈ 20–40) and the best 84 matrix elements from the work of Schiffer and True (ST).3 The latter cover the atomic weight range of A ≈ 40 to 200 and nine shells from 1d3/2 to 1i13/2. Our purpose is the extraction of a first-order set of strength parameters for an effective interaction of minimum rank and simple form for each set or both sets of data. The ranges, being non-linear in their effects, are investigated separately. In this work we consider mainly local potential forms. (This is not a limitation of the approach.) The SVA method is well-suited to this problem since it was developed for and extensively applied to the analysis of satellite trajectories and the like,1 where similar over-determined problems arise.
Block-level prediction for wide-issue superscalar processors

Changes in control flow, caused primarily by conditional branches, are a prime impediment to the performance of wide-issue superscalar processors. This paper investigates a block-level prediction scheme to mitigate the effects of control flow changes caused by conditional branches. Instead of predicting the outcome of each conditional branch individually, this scheme predicts the target of a sequential block of instructions, thereby allowing the superscalar processor to go past multiple branches per cycle. This approach is evaluated using the MIPS architecture, for 8-way and 12-way superscalar processors, and an improvement in effective fetch size of approximately 15% and 25%, respectively, over identical processors that use branch prediction is observed. No appreciable difference in the prediction accuracy was observed, although block-level prediction predicted one out of four outcomes. >
Serum antibody responses to the N-acetylneuraminyllactose-binding hemagglutinin of Campylobacter pylori.

We recently reported that Campylobacter pylori possesses a surface-associated fibrillar hemagglutinin which has an affinity for N-acetylneuraminyllactose; this hemagglutinin may function as a colonization factor for attachment to the gastric epithelium. In the present study we examined serum samples obtained from 65 C. pylori-infected individuals with gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, or both and from 121 asymptomatic volunteers, including 62 who were infected with C. pylori, for immunoglobulin G (IgG) specific for the C. pylori neuramin-lactose-binding hemagglutinin (NLBH). The NLBH purified from a single isolate was used as the antigen in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A positive result was obtained with serum from 81.5% (53 of 65) of the individuals with ulcers, 67.7% (42 of 62) of the C. pylori-infected volunteers, and 1.7% (1 of 59) of the C. pylori-negative volunteers. This result confirms that NLBH is produced in vivo. There are several possible explanations for the fact that only 75% of 127 C. pylori-infected individuals were positive for anti-NLBH IgG in serum. We favor the hypothesis that there are probably several antigenically distinct C. pylori NLBHs, i.e., NLBHs which would stimulate antibody that was undetectable by the antigen used in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay described here.
Regional variations of blood pressure in the United States are associated with regional variations in dietary intakes: the NHANES-III data

Compared with other regions in the United States, the southern region has had the highest stroke mortality rate and a more prevalent and resistant hypertension. We designed this analysis of the data obtained from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III (NHANES-III), which is a community-based cross-sectional survey, to describe regional variations in blood pressure and the reported consumption of nutrients, focusing on those linked to blood pressure, in the United States. We selected the following variables from the NHANES-III data for this analysis: systolic and diastolic blood pressures, protein, carbohydrates, total fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol, fiber, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, alcohol and vitamins C, E, B-6 and B-12. Of the 17,752 participants in the survey who were 18 y of age or older, the south had the highest systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P < 0.005 for each) and reported the highest consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol (P < 0.05 for all) and the least amount of fiber in the multivariate analysis (P < 0.005). The highest reported sodium consumption was in the south region (3.4 +/- 0.02 g), and the lowest was in the west (3.2 +/- 0.03 g; P < 0.05). The south also consumed the least potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, riboflavin, niacin, iron and vitamins A, C and B-6 (P < 0.005). There was no difference among the four regions in frequency of "adding salt on the table." The region of the United States that includes the "stroke belt" has dietary patterns that may contribute to the high prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Results from the Infrared Spectroscopy Experiment on Mariner 9

Over 20000 thermal emission spectra of Mars have been obtained, providing extensive diurnal, seasonal and spatial coverage of the planet. Each spectrum covers the spectral range from 200 to 2000 cm−1 with an apodized spectral resolution of 2.4 cm−1; the noise equivalent radiance of the instrument is 0.5 × 10−7 W cm−2 sr−1 (cm−1)−1.
A case for proactivity in directory services

In this paper, we argue that an exclusively inactive interface to directory services can hinder server scalability and indirectly restrict the behavior of potential applications. We propose to extend directory services' interfaces with a proactive mode by which clients can express their interest in (and be notified of) changes in the environment. These notification channels can be subsequently customized on a per-client basis through client-specified filters. Finally, in order to simplify the handling of client/server failures we adopt a leasing model for client registration to (and customization of) a notification channel. To validate our approach, we have designed and implemented the Proactive Directory Service (PDS).
Effects of simulated stuttering on listener recall

Abstract In an investigation of the effects of simulated stuttering on listener recall, a presentation was varied on two factors: degree of stuttering (mild or severe) and information value of stuttered words (low or high). A control presentation featuring non-stuttered speech also was prepared. Five groups of 16 subjects were randomly assigned to, and participated in, one of the five listening conditions. Then they completed a 20-item recall test. A one-way analysis of variance revealed sognificant differences among the five conditions. Two-way analysis of variance disclosed no main effects. However, a significant interaction showed that recall was lowest in the severe stuttering-high information condition. The results are discussed in terms of attention to critical information.
Production of DNA bifilarly substituted with bromodeoxyuridine in the first round of synthesis: branch migration during isolation of cellular DNA

Incubation of human lymphoid cells with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) for short periods produces three classes of DNA containing analog: DNAHL (hybrid DNA, density approximately equal to 1.75 g/cm3), DNAint (intermediate density DNA, density approximately equal to 1.71 g/cm3), and DNAHH (DNA with both strands containing analog, density approximately equal to 1.80 g/cm3). Preparations of DNAint yield DNAHH after extensive shearing and/or treatment with single strand specific endonuclease. Cross-linking of pulse-labeled (BrdUrd + 3HdT) DNA in cells by treatment with trioxsalen and near UV light before lysis prevents the appearance of DNAHH.Cross-linking after lysis has little effect. A large fraction of DNAHH is obtained after incubation of cells with caffeine. Extraction of DNA at high salt concentration or cross-linking with trioxsalen and near UV light drastically reduced the amount of DNAHH obtained from caffeine-treated cells. We conclude that most DNAHH arises from in vitro branch migration in isolated DNA growing points.
A framework for testing meso‐mediational relationships in Organizational Behavior

We advance a framework for testing mediational relationships that traverse levels of analysis. We differentiate mediation that functions within levels, as well as different forms of meso-mediation that operate downward across levels of analysis. We discuss the preconditions and evidential basis for these meso-mediational type relationships. We then provide an empirical example that illustrates the different types of mediation and conclude with recommendations and extensions for studying more complex meso-mediational organizational phenomena. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CONTROLLING INFLUENCES OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

Recent information about the localization of sympathetic nerves and catecholamine-containing cells suggests sites of action not usually described in the neuroscience textbooks. In this study, we focused on the autonomic controls that affect ganglia, heart, gut, and chemoreceptors. As a result of some speculation derived mainly from histochemical observations and partially from physiologic data, we concluded that at the organ level the interplay between a nerve terminal-receptor serves as a local control. Additional controls may function at the ganglion level where catecholamine-containing chromaffin cells may serve as interneurons. We suggest that all peripheral catecholamine-containing elements which function in a modulatory role are not vital to the survival of the individual but rather serve as "fine tune" adjustment that do not involve the central nervous system.
Overlapping but nonidentical binding sites on CD2 for CD58 and a second ligand CD59

The interaction of the T cell glycoprotein CD2 with one ligand, CD58, contributes to T cell function. We have identified CD59, a glycoprotein with complement-inhibitory function, as a second physiological ligand for CD2. Antibodies to CD59 inhibit CD2-dependent T cell activation in murine T cell hybridomas expressing human CD2. In an in vitro binding assay with purified CD58 and CD59, CD2+ cells bind not only immobilized CD58 but also CD59. With two complementary approaches, it was demonstrated that the binding sites on CD2 for CD58 and CD59 are overlapping but nonidentical. These observations suggest that direct interactions between CD2 and both CD58 and CD59 contribute to T cell activation and adhesion.
An experimental investigation of the degradation and buckling of circular tubes under cyclic bending and external pressure

Abstract Cyclic bending of tubes into the plastic range of the material leads to a progressive accumulation of ovalization of the tube cross-section. Persistent cycling leads to local catastrophic buckling of the tube. This paper presents an experimental study of the problem. The main objective of the study was to establish the effect of the cyclic bending history and of the external presdure on the rate of accumulation of ovalization and on the onset of instability. The cyclic loading histories examined include curvature symmetric bending, bending about a mean value of curvature and moment-controlled bending about a mean value of moment. The rate at which ovalization accumulates in curvature-controlled cyclic bending was found not to be significantly affected by a mean curvature in the cycles. Moment-controlled bending about a mean moment leads to ratcheting in curvature as well as in ovalization. External pressure accelerates the accumulation of ovalization and leads to buckling in fewer cycles than in the corresponding pure bending cases. This was found to be true for all bending histories considered. Significant similarities were observed between the response and onset of instability in the monotonic bending case and all cyclic bending cases. For a group of aluminum tubes instability was found to occur when the ovalization of the cross-section reached a critical value. This critical value was found to be relatively independent of the bending history followed.
Organizational Citizenship in Social Service Agencies

Abstract In an era of “doing more with less,” social service organizations expect workers to engage in “organizational citizenship” behaviors-extra-role activities that are not formally required by the job-that benefit both the organization and clients. Organizational citizenship is considered critical in for-profit organizations because it is related to organizational effectiveness and quality service, but it has not been examined in social service organizations. This pilot study explored organizational citizenship behavior by surveying 120 randomly selected child and family service employees. Results showed that workers' reports of organizational support, developmental experiences, quality work performance and professional education were positively related to workers' citizenship behavior. More research is needed, including examining the link between organizational citizenship and service quality in social service agencies.
Estimating temperature normals for USCRN stations

Temperature normals have been estimated for stations of the newly developed US Climate Reference Network (USCRN) by using USCRN temperatures and temperature anomalies interpolated from neighboring stations of the National Weather Service Cooperative Station Network (COOP). To seek the best normal estimation approach, several variations on estimation techniques were considered: the sensitivity of error of estimated normals to COOP data quality; the number of neighboring COOP station used; a spatial interpolation scheme; and the number of years of data used in normal estimation. The best estimation method we found is the one in which temperature anomalies are spatially interpolated from COOP stations within approximately 117 km of the target station using a weighting scheme involving the inverse of square difference in temperature (between the neighboring and target station). Using this approach, normals of USCRN stations were generated. Spatial and temporal characteristics of errors are presented, and the applicability of estimated normals in climate monitoring is discussed. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society
Performance of Zr and Ti adhesion layers for bonding of platinum metallization to sapphire substrates

Single crystal sapphire wafers with <1 nm root mean square (RMS) roughness are ideal substrates for chemiresistive sensors that utilize ultra-thin (<50 nm thick) semiconducting metal oxide (SMO) films. Platinum metallization on a highly polished sapphire platform to form electrodes, heater, and a resistive temperature device (RTD) requires the use of a very thin (<20 nm) buffer layer, such as Ti or Zr, to achieve good adhesion at the Pt/sapphire interface. Using AES, secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), XRD, and wire bond tests before and after annealing treatments, we have found that Zr has superior performance as an adhesion layer compared to Ti. At temperatures of 200–700°C, required for RTD and SMO film stabilization as well as prolonged sensor operation, there is significant migration of Ti through the Pt film, whereas the Zr layer is less mobile. The Pt/Zr/sapphire architecture also minimizes delamination failure of wire bonds to the sensor device.
Hydrophobicity of Teflon Coated Well-Ordered Silver Nanorod Arrays

From wings of flies to plant leafs, hydrophobic surfaces are well-common in nature. Many of these surfaces have micro and nano hierarchical structures coated with low surface energy layer. In this work, we mimicked similar structure by fabricating Teflon coated periodic and well-ordered silver nanorod arrays and investigated the effect of nanorod separation on water contact angle (WCA). The silver nanorod arrays were deposited on patterned and flat silicon substrates using glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. Then a thin layer of Teflon was deposited on the silver nanorods by small angle deposition (SAD) technique. A systematic increase in water contact angle was observed with increasing nanorod separation which is attributed to the decreased area fraction of solid-liquid interface.
Bending Fatigue Analysis of Sea Floor Observatory Moorings

The purpose of this paper is to provide design criteria for seafloor observatory moorings where the principle mooring line element is an electro-mechanical (EM) cable, and the primary cause for failure is the bending fatigue at terminations. A single point mooring system that consists of a discus surface buoy, an S-tether, a subsurface buoy, and an anchor is considered for this analysis. The waves are assumed random and modeled using the Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum. Raoof’s contact stress-slip parameter at the connection between the surface buoy and the EM cable is used to evaluate a particular design and to provide general guidelines to arrive at optimal design.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
The rotor revolution: conduction at the eye of the storm in atrial fibrillation.

The recent explosion of literature on rotors in human atrial fibrillation (AF) is no surprise to followers of the history of science in which return to an old paradigm paradoxically heralds incremental progress based on the emergence of new evidence. Although the rotor paradigm is neither confirmed nor universal, it does revitalize a more mechanistic approach to addressing persistence in human AF. Although determining the relevance of rotors is the current obsession, we must reach beyond this existential debate and focus on the underpinning mechanisms. Critical to this is understanding how the underlying tissue architecture governs conduction and is manifest in electrograms and their spatiotemporal distribution and how therefore the hierarchical rotor paradigm can be unified with the anarchical paradigm of diffuse, widely distributed complex microreentry. It is the challenge of unifying these apparently irreconcilable bodies of evidence that is the stimulus for reviewing the areas of mechanistic importance common to the relationship between myocardial architecture and conduction that lies at the heart of understanding persistence in human AF. The rotor revolution has focussed attention on conduction characteristics that promote drivers as the underlying mechanism of persistence and increasing refractoriness to treatment of AF. This has shifted thinking away from a purely anatomic ablation strategy to a mechanistic one based on propagation mapping. Regardless of the discussion surrounding how rotors are detected and whether therefore they exist at all, mechanisms are now in fashion again. Although rotors are the paradigm of the moment,1 the debate with proponents of multiple wavelet reentry rages with renewed vigor, but unlike previously at stake now are the procedural outcomes and the welfare of our patients. Whatever the macroscopic panoramic pattern of activation, no coherent explanation exists for how rotors may result from the causative myocardial remodeling at the cellular and tissue level. In …
Validation and evaluation of a novel time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence technique

We present a novel technique to measure time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence signals in plasma sources that have a relatively constant Fourier spectrum of oscillations in steady-state operation, but are not periodically pulsed, e.g., Hall thrusters. The technique uses laser modulation of the order of MHz and recovers signal via a combination of band-pass filtering, phase-sensitive detection, and averaging over estimated transfer functions calculated for many different cycles of the oscillation. Periodic discharge current oscillations were imposed on a hollow cathode. Measurements were validated by comparison with independent measurements from a lock-in amplifier and by comparing the results of the transfer function average to an independent analysis technique triggering averaging over many oscillation cycles in the time domain. The performance of the new technique is analyzed and compared to prior techniques, and it is shown that this new technique has a niche in measurements where the analog photomultiplier signal has a nonwhite noise spectral density and cycles of oscillation are not sufficiently repeatable to allow for reliable triggering or a meaningful average waveform in the time domain.
Assessment techniques for top executives

Presents barriers and benefits to top executive assessment. Discusses a range of techniques for top executive assessment and feedback. Explores pros and cons of psychological testing, individual competence assessment conducted by an external consultant and multi‐source assessment feedback techniques. Emphasizes the critical importance of selecting the right behaviours for assessing executive behaviour. Presents reliable approaches to identifying the right behaviours for the executive in a specific corporate culture and business strategy. Examples of competence models for executive leadership are included. Illustrates the various criteria for selecting among the available techniques and the applications of the different approaches through case studies.
Contribution of nNOS- and eNOS-derived NO to microvascular smooth muscle NO exposure.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in autocrine and paracrine manner in numerous physiological processes, including regulation of blood pressure and blood flow, platelet aggregation, and leu...
Crises in business markets: implications for interfirm linkages

In the global economy, firms link with customers and suppliers through a complex nexus of strategically critical interfirm relationships. Due to the diversity of environments and networks involved, these linkages are increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic disruptions, also referred to as “crises.” The authors offer an advanced conceptualization of crises and explicate the interplay of crises and interfirm relationships. On the basis of literature and qualitative data from 27 interviews with executives in 13 firms, the authors develop a process model of crisis that consists of five phases: (1) awareness and acknowledgment, (2) sensemaking, (3) response design, (4) response implementation, and (5) reconciliation in the aftermath. In discussing the model, the authors emphasize the influence of crisis on interfirm relationships and conversely highlight the role of the interfirm relationships in crisis management.
Background of modern comet theory

The modern understanding of comets dates from the publication in the early 1950s of three crucial ideas: that of a comet cloud around the Sun, that of the dirty-ice comet nucleus, and that of the “solar wind” to explain the comet tail. Starting from those three ideas, the observations of the past 25 years have led to the explanation of all the mysterious and sometimes spectacular phenomena associated with comets.
Back-gated MOSFETs with controlled silicon thickness for adaptive threshold-voltage control

Experimental results for back-gated thin silicon transistors that allow adaptive threshold-voltage control and exhibit low drain-induced-barrier-lowering due to improved electrostatics of the geometry are reported. The implementation of the back-gate is achieved by a low-temperature bonding process capable of tens of nanometre silicon channel thickness, good surface and bulk quality. The technology is compatible with mainstream silicon CMOS processing technology.
Gift or commodity: what changes hands in the U.S. garage sale?

The U.S. garage sale incorporates elements of both gift and commodity exchange in a dynamic tension, one that complicates traditional characterizations of gift and commodity as oppositional and mutually exclusive. Despite its apparently marketlike mechanisms, much of garage sale exchange also partakes of the character of gift giving. The elasticity in pricing in this home-based exchange allows sellers to take social relations into account, so that objects that change hands become hybrid varieties of “inalienable commodities.”
Genotypes of Helicobacter pylori obtained from gastric ulcer patients taking or not taking NSAIDs.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Whether Helicobacter pylori infection and use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are independent risk factors for ulcerogenesis remains unclear. We undertook this study to evaluate H. pylori isolates from gastric ulcer patients to determine whether the genotype of the infecting isolate could be correlated with the use or nonuse of NSAIDs. METHODS: Fifty-two patients presenting with gastric ulcer and infected with H. pylori were included; 26 patients were taking NSAIDs or aspirin (ASA) regularly at the time of ulcer diagnosis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to assess the presence and mosaicism of the following H. pylori genes: cagA, vacA, iceA, and picB. RESULTS: We found no statistical differences in the presence of these genes in H. pylori isolates from gastric ulcer patients taking or not taking prescription NSAIDs or ASA. A 297-bp fragment of the cagA gene was detected in 96% of the isolates from the NSAID and ASA users and 100% from the non-NSAID users (p = 1.0). A larger and more variable region of the cagA gene was detected more frequently among the isolates from non-NSAID users than those from NSAID users (p = 0.05). Ninety-two percent of the isolates were identified as vacA genotype s1. The dominant vacA subtype was s1b, 76.9% and 65.4% in isolates from non-NSAID–taking or NSAID–taking patients, respectively (p = 0.4). iceA1 genotype was not correlated with gastric ulcer as this allele was only detected in 17.3% of all isolates. CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in the presence of the candidate virulence genes vacA, cagA, picB, or iceA were detected in isolates from gastric ulcer patients taking prescription NSAIDs or ASA, compared with those not taking these drugs, indicating that single gene presence does not allow discrimination of isolates that may be important in NSAID-induced ulcerogenesis. A variable region of the cagA gene was more frequently detected in isolates from patients not taking NSAIDs or ASA, suggesting that this gene may be modified by NSAID- or ASA-related factors or that certain strains may be selected for in patients taking these medications.
Privacy-aware access control for message exchange in vehicular ad hoc networks

Vehicular ad hoc networks are a promising and increasingly important paradigm. Their applications range from safety enhancement to mobile entertainment services. However, their deployment requires several security issues to be resolved, particularly, since they rely on insecure wireless communication. In this paper, we propose a cryptographic-based access control framework for vehicles to securely exchange messages in a controlled fashion by integrating moving object modeling techniques with cryptographic policies. To our knowledge, this is the first time a comprehensive framework for access control in VANETs is proposed.
Modular polyketide synthases and cis double bond formation: establishment of activated cis-3-cyclohexylpropenoic acid as the diketide intermediate in phoslactomycin biosynthesis.

The majority of modular polyketide synthase (PKS) systems which generate unsaturated products do so with trans double bonds. Phoslactomycin B (PLM B) presents a class of antitumor and antiviral natural polyketide products that have unique structural features, including a linear unsaturated backbone with one trans and three cis double bonds. There is substantial evidence that trans double bonds are established by ketoreductase-dehydratase (KR-DH) didomains within a PKS module. In cases where modules containing these didomains appear to generate product containing a cis double bond there is no experimental evidence to determine if they do so directly, or if they also form a trans double bond with a subsequent isomerization step. A critical step in addressing this issue is establishing the stereochemistry of the polyketide intermediate which passes to the subsequent module. Herein, we demonstrate through a series of experiments that an activated cis-3-cyclohexylpropenoic acid is the diketide intermediate which passes from module 1 to module 2 of the PLM PKS. The trans isomer of the diketide intermediate could not be processed directly into PLM B by module 2, but could be converted to PLM B by degradation to cyclohexanecarboxylic acid and elongation by the entire PLM PKS. These observations indicate not only that module 1 with a DH-KR didomain is responsible for establishing C14–C15 cis double bond of PLM B, but that the subsequent modules of the PKS clearly discriminate between the cis and trans-diketide intermediate and do not contain domains capable of catalyzing double bond isomerization.
Joint position sense in total knee arthroplasty

Seventeen postoperative total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients were evaluated using two tests of knee joint position sense. Young controls and age-matched controls underwent identical tests. The TKA patients also underwent gait analysis, including foot switch stride analysis, and clinical evaluation using a standard scoring system. Results showed statistically significant decreases in joint position sense from young controls to old controls, and further significant decreases with joint disease; however, no further worsening was noted as a result of TKA. The abnormal gait parameters seen in TKA patients correlated as well with position sense as with clinical score. Strongest correlations were seen when a combined clinical and proprioceptive score was compared with gait parameters. In spite of alleviation of pain and correction of deformity, normal gait and function are not typically achieved after total knee replacement. Irreversible loss of joint proprioceptive function due to the disease process may be a major factor in the discrepancy between clinical and functional outcomes of total joint arthroplasty. Furthermore, loss of proprioception and the resulting abnormal gait patterns may place increased stress on components and contribute to loosening. In addition, an association between degenerative joint disease and decline in proprioception is suggested.
Comparative Efficacy of Biologic Therapy in Biologic-Naïve Patients With Crohn Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

Abstract Objective To study the comparative efficacy of biologic therapy in the management of biologic-naive patients with Crohn disease (CD). Patients and Methods We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials published from January 1, 1985, through September 30, 2013, comparing biologic agents (infliximab [IFX], adalimumab [ADA], certolizumab pegol, natalizumab, vedolizumab, and ustekinumab) with each other or placebo for inducing and maintaining clinical remission in adults with moderate to severe CD. To increase comparability across trials, we focused on a subset of biologic-naive patients for the induction end point and on responders to induction therapy for the maintenance end point. We followed a Bayesian network meta-analysis approach. Results We identified 17 randomized controlled trials of good methodological quality comparing 6 biologic agents with placebo, with no direct comparison of biologic agents. In network meta-analysis, we observed that IFX (relative risk [RR], 6.11; 95% credible interval [CrI], 2.49-18.29) and ADA (RR, 2.98; 95% CrI, 1.12-8.18), but not certolizumab pegol (RR, 1.48; 95% CrI, 0.76-2.93), natalizumab (RR, 1.36; 95% CrI, 0.69-2.86), vedolizumab (RR, 1.40; 95% CrI, 0.63-3.28), and ustekinumab (RR, 0.61; 95% CrI, 0.15-2.49), were more likely to induce remission than placebo. Similar results were observed for maintenance of remission. Infliximab had the highest probability of being ranked as the most efficacious agent for induction (86%) and ADA for maintenance of remission (48%). Conclusion On the basis of network meta-analysis, IFX may be most efficacious agent for inducing remission in CD in biologic-naive patients. In the absence of head-to-head treatment comparison, the confidence in these estimates is low. Future comparative efficacy studies are warranted.
Direct restorative resins—A comparative study

R ecently, a number of microfilled direct testotative resins have been marketed in this country. In addition, the formulations of some of the conventional composite resins have been altered. One of these composite resins, which uses strontium glass as a fillet, has been reported to be superior with respect to resistance to occlusal wear.’ The polymerization of another product is activated by visible rather than ultraviolet light. The purpose of this research was to compare some of the mechanical and physical properties of these newer commercial products with those of direct testotative resins which ate representative of systems that have been in use for an extended period of time.
Psychological impact of premature ejaculation and barriers to its recognition and treatment.

AbstractBackground:Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common male sexual dysfunction, occurring in 20–30% of men. Unlike erectile dysfunction, which increases with age, rates of PE remain constant across the adult life span.Objective:To review the prevalence of PE, its psychological sequelae and barriers to effective treatment, treatment options, and the effects of treatment on the psychological burden of PE.Methods:PubMed and Embase databases were searched to identify primary papers related to PE published between 1980 and 2010. Key words included premature ejaculation, prevalence, quality of life, interpersonal relationships, psychotherapy, drug therapy, and treatment barriers.Results:Men with PE often suffer from significant psychological distress including anxiety, depression, lack of sexual confidence, poor self-esteem, impaired quality of life, sexual dissatisfaction, and interpersonal difficulties. Due to various reasons, however, most men do not seek treatment for PE. Many physicians are unawa...
Memory systems in the many-core era: challenges, opportunities, and solution directions

The memory subsystem is a fundamental performance and energy bottleneck in almost all computing systems. Recent trends towards increasingly more cores on die, consolidation of diverse workloads on a single chip, and difficulty of DRAM scaling impose new requirements and exacerbate old demands on the memory system. In particular, the need for memory bandwidth and capacity is increasing [14], applications' interference in memory system increasingly limits system performance and makes the system hard to control [12], memory energy and power are key design concerns [8], and DRAM technology consumes significant amount of energy and does not scale down easily to smaller technology nodes [7]. Fortunately, some promising solution directions exist.In this talk, we will examine recent technology, application, and architecture trends motivating a fundamental rethinking of the memory hierarchy. Based on this motivation, we will describe requirements from an ideal memory system suitable for the many-core era. The talk will examine questions one would need to answer in approximating the ideal memory system and possible avenues that seem promising for the research community to explore. In particular, we will focus on the problem of uncontrolled inter-application interference in the memory system and draw upon our experiences in solving it by designing quality-of-service (QoS) aware memory controllers [5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12], interconnects [1 2 13], and entire memory systems. We will make a case forapplication- and QoS-aware design of memory systems and [3, 4]integrated/cooperative design of cores, interconnects, and memory components to optimize the overall system.