cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DRAM-based statistics counter array architecture with performance guarantee

The problem of efficiently maintaining a large number (say millions) of statistics counters that need to be updated at very high speeds (e.g., 40 Gb/s) has received considerable research attention in recent years. This problem arises in a variety of router management and data streaming applications where large arrays of counters are used to track various network statistics and implement various counting sketches. It proves too costly to store such large counter arrays entirely in SRAM, while DRAM is viewed as too slow for providing wirespeed updates at such high line rates. In particular, we propose a DRAM-based counter architecture that can effectively maintain wirespeed updates to large counter arrays. The proposed approach is based on the observation that modern commodity DRAM architectures, driven by aggressive performance roadmaps for consumer applications, such as video games, have advanced architecture features that can be exploited to make a DRAM-based solution practical. In particular, we propose a randomized DRAM architecture that can harness the performance of modern commodity DRAM offerings by interleaving counter updates to multiple memory banks. The proposed architecture makes use of a simple randomization scheme, a small cache, and small request queues to statistically guarantee a near-perfect load-balancing of counter updates to the DRAM banks. The statistical guarantee of the proposed randomized scheme is proven using a novel combination of convex ordering and large deviation theory. Our proposed counter scheme can support arbitrary increments and decrements at wirespeed, and they can support different number representations, including both integer and floating point number representations.
The Whole Story of the Two-Electron Bond, with the δ Bond as a Paradigm

It is shown that the δ bond, as found particularly in the Re26+ and Mo24+ cores of hundreds of compounds, provides a paradigm for the behavior of two-electron bonds of all types. By control of the angle of twist around the M−M axis, the strength of the bond can be systematically varied. By means of conventional electronic spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and two-photon excitation spectroscopy, the entire picture of the manifold of four states for two electrons bonding two atoms, as first described by Coulson and Fischer in 1949, has been confirmed.
Validity of skinfold and girth based regression equations for the prediction of body composition in obese adults.

The validity of generalized and obese population-specific body composition prediction equations for estimating percent fat was examined. Thirty-eight clinically obese women (mean ± SD, % fat = 46.4 ± 5.2%, body mass = 97.2 ± 17.7 kg, age = 41.8 ± 13.3 years) and 16 clinically obese men (% fat = 39.2 ± 3.8%, body mass = 126.7 ± 24.6 kg, age = 43.0 ± 11.6 years) had % body fat estimated by hydrostatic weighing (with RV measured) and had a series of skinfold and girth-based prediction equations applied to estimate % fat. The equations were chosen because they were said to be "generalized" or because they were "population specific" to obese samples of subjects. Results of the present study indicated that the majority of prediction equations were not valid estimators of % body fat in obese males and females. Of the equations that were valid estimators of % body fat (mean differences in % fat of < 3%, r ≥ 0.70, SE < 5%), all but one (Lohman, 1981) utilized girths as part of the prediction technique. It was concluded that generalized girth-based equations could be utilized for prediction of % body fat in obese subjects.
Automatic Extraction of Number of Lanes from Georectified Aerial Images

The number of lanes is a basic input to many transportation studies. Traditionally, these data are either collected in the field or manually extracted from aerial images. These methods of data acquisition are both resource intensive and time-consuming, especially when large study areas are involved. The availability of remotely sensed georectified aerial images provides an inexpensive alternative to acquiring these data via automatic feature extraction. This paper explored a method to automatically extract the number of lanes from high-resolution georectified aerial images. In this method, geographic coordinates of a target roadway were precisely mapped to pixels in aerial images. These pixels were first grouped into fixed-length profiles. The saturation threshold was then applied to exclude profiles covering nonpaved areas such as plants and building roofs. Lane profile candidates were then identified from the remaining profiles with the support vector machine classification technique. The number of lane...
Modeling of vascular expressions in facial animation

Most of the earlier and existing computational models for facial animation consider only muscular expressions. We address and emphasize issues related to modeling of vascular expression. The proposed model enables visual characteristics such as skin color to change with time and provide visual clues for emotions like paleness and blushing. An emotion is defined as a function of two signals in time, one for spatial changes (muscular effects) and the other for the color (vascular effects). For different regions of the face, the atomic vascular action is modeled as an image mask with its shape and the shade defined by Bezier functions to manipulate the texture image. >
A triband antenna for WLAN applications

The design and analysis of a new triband antenna have been presented. The antenna is suitable for use in hand-held or other mobile devices and offers advantages in size, cost, and performance. The antenna can be built on a double-sided printed circuit board (PCB) or stamped from thin sheet metal. The antenna can also be built as an on-board antenna to reduce the manufacturing cost. The antenna design is patent pending.
Mountaintop Removal in West Virginia An Environmental Sacrifice Zone

This article provides an analysis of one of the most ecologically and socially destructive strip-mining techniques, mountaintop removal, in one of the poorest regions in the United States, West Virginia. It is argued that West Virginia has become an environmental sacrifice zone, providing efficient, low-sulfur coal to the centers of accumulation and consumption at the expense of its own environment and community. Feeding this process is a system in which the owners of the coal corporations control the core technological forces and labor power that are used to extract this nonrenewable resource—a resource over which they also exercise ownership rights. Although the coal industry is regulated by the state and national governments, the regulators, it is argued, have been captured by Big Coal. The result is one of the most egregious and little-known instances of environmental degradation taking place in the United States today.
PERIODIC FAULT DETECTION FILTERS WITH APPLICATION TO SATELLITE SYSTEMS

In this paper, two fault detection filters (approximate unknown input observer and approximate Beard-Jones detection filter) are applied to periodic systems. For the approximate unknown input observer, the observer gain becomes periodic naturally. For the approximate Beard-Jones detection filter, an algorithm is proposed by imposing a boundary constraint on the initial and final conditions. This extension allows the periodic filter gain to be computed off-line and stored to be used repetitively. Finally, the satellite on Earth orbit is modeled as a periodic system and periodic fault detection filters are designed to detect and identify the satellite’s actuator and sensor faults.
Role for Thromboxane Receptors in Angiotensin-II–Induced Hypertension

To evaluate the role of thromboxane in hypertension and its complications, we studied mice with targeted disruption of the TXA2 receptor gene in an angiotensin-II-dependent model of hypertension. To determine whether genetic background might alter the physiological actions of the TP receptor, we studied two lines of TP knockout (Tp-/-) mice with distinct genetic backgrounds (C57BL/6 and BALB/c). During chronic angiotensin II infusion (1000 ng/kg per minute x 28 days by subcutaneous osmotic pump), TP deficiency prevented mortality in the C57BL/6 background but not in the BALB/c strain. Chronic angiotensin II infusion also caused a rapid and significant increase in blood pressure in wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 and BALB/c animals, which was significantly attenuated in Tp-/- mice on either background. After 28 days of infusion, cardiac hypertrophy only occurred in the C57BL/6 strain: heart/body weight ratio increased by 57%+/-8% in WT mice compared with 17%+/-6.5% for the Tp-/- mice (P<0.01). Chronic angiotensin II infusion caused albuminuria only in the C57BL/6 strain, and TP deficiency did not alter its development. Cyclooxygenase-1 knockout mice also had attenuated blood pressure increase during chronic angiotensin II infusion, suggesting that cyclooxygenase-1 metabolites are involved in angiotensin-II-dependent hypertension. Thus, on the C57BL/6 background, TP receptors contribute to cardiac hypertrophy but not proteinuria. However, irrespective of genetic background, the TP receptor makes a robust contribution to the pathogenesis of angiotensin II-dependent hypertension.
Using Targeted Distributed Collections to Enhance Government Depository Collections at a Regional Level: The ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program

The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries is exploring options for collaborative services and collection analysis for federal government publications in order to improve public access to those collections. The Collaborative Federal Depository Program has developed “Centers of Excellence” (COE), representing multiple complete collections of publications for each federal agency. Working together to create a distributed print retention program, southeastern depository libraries agreed to collect, maintain, and provide access to publications for specific government agencies. The authors discuss the development of the COE model and the expected impact of a regionally based distributed print archive for government documents, and provide an implementation case study.
Chemically Induced Electron Polarization of Radiolytically Produced Radicals

The study of chemically induced electron polarization of radicals produced by the radiolysis of aqueous solutions is described. The experimental arrangement necessary for pulse ESR experiments with submicrosecond time resolution is discussed. Direct detection of the ESR signal with no field modulation is preferred so that quantitative analysis is possible. The effect of the radiolysis pulse on the spectrometer is described. A brief review of the radiolytic formation of primary radicals in spurs is given to show that considerable reaction of the radicals occurs before complete separation of the pairs. Analysis of the observed time profiles of the ESR signals is by means of Bloch equations so modified to include both initial polarization and polarization by spin selective reaction. Data from direct observation of the hydrated electron and H atoms are given along with indirect data obtained by study of products of their reaction. Data for the products of OH reaction are also given. In each case it appears that the spin populations of the primary radicals can be transferred to the product. It can be concluded that eāq initially has equal populations of the two spin states to within 0.2 of the Boltzmann value while 0H appears to be relaxed to equilibrium in less than 1 nsec. Primary H atoms show a significant initial effect probably as a result of reactions before escape from the spur. Several unresolved aspects of the observations are also discussed.
A Cytoplasmic Male Sterility–Associated Mitochondrial Peptide in Common Bean Is Post-Translationally Regulated

Cytoplasmic male sterility in the common bean plant is associated with a dominant mitochondrial mutation designated pvs-orf239 (for Phaseolus vulgaris sterility sequence open reading frame 239). The sequence is transcribed in both vegetative and reproductive tissues, but the translation product, ORF239, is present only in reproductive tissues. We present evidence to support a model of post-translational regulation of ORF239 expression based on the following observations. In organello translation experiments using purified mitochondria from young seedlings demonstrated accumulation of ORF239 only when a protease inhibitor was included. Proteolytic activity against ORF239 was observed in mitochondrial extracts fractionating with the mitochondrial inner membrane. The DNA sequence encoding a serine-type protease, similar to the lon protease gene of Escherichia coli , was cloned from the Arabidopsis genome. The expression product of this sequence demonstrated proteolytic activity against ORF239 in vitro, with features resembling the activity detected in mitochondrial inner membrane preparations. Antibodies generated against the overexpressed Lon homolog reduced proteolytic activity against ORF239 when added to mitochondrial extracts. Our data suggest that ORF239 was undetected in vegetative tissue due to rapid turnover by at least one mitochondrial protease that acts against ORF239 post-translationally.
Clinical Implications of a Recent Adjustment to the High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Assay: User Beware

To the Editor: Roche Diagnostics recently issued a technical bulletin calling for an adjustment to the calibration curve for the Elecsys Troponin T hs and Elecsys Troponin T hs STAT assays. Although this bulletin was disseminated widely in some countries, it was less widely distributed in others. The Roche high-sensitivity (hs) assays are in clinical use worldwide except within the US, where they are used for research but have not yet been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. Roche has characterized this action as a “minor adjustment” to the low-end standardization of the Troponin T hs assays in order to return to the original assay specifications. The new revised lots (numbers 167345 and 167650) yield measurable cardiac troponin T concentrations in hs assays in a greater proportion of patient samples for which the concentrations were undetectable with previous lots [163704 (Troponin T hs) and 164773 (Troponin T hs STAT)] and older lots (6 lots total). Specifically, Roche has indicated that the new lots will produce higher recoveries at low concentrations (3–20 ng/L) and produce a shift upward—as much …
Vitamin B-6 Status Assessment: Past and Present

In 1934, Gyorgy established the existence of vitamin B-6 (1,2). Followijg the synthesis of vitamin B-6 in 1939 by Harris and Folkers (3), Gyorgy suggested that “In accordance with the chemical nature of vitamin B-6, which is a pyridine derivative containing several methoxyl groups, the term ‘pyridoxine’ appears appropriate” (4). Gyorgy recognized that vitamin B-6 deficiency in the rat produced lesions of the extremities that resembled those observed in human acrodynia rather than of pellagra.
Submicroscopic chromosomal copy number variations identified in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), one of the most severe types of congenital heart disease (CHD), results in significant morbidity and mortality despite surgical palliation. The etiology of HLHS is unknown, but evidence supports genetic contributors. The authors hypothesized that submicroscopic chromosomal abnormalities exist in individuals with HLHS and are more frequent in those with additional birth defects. This study sought to determine the incidence and genomic location of submicroscopic chromosomal abnormalities in HLHS and potentially to identify novel genetic loci that may contribute to the disease. For this study, 43 children with HLHS were recruited and screened together with a control population of 16 subjects using array comparative genomic hybridization, also called chromosomal microarray, for chromosomal copy number variations (CNVs). A statistically greater number of CNVs were found in the HLHS group than in the control group (p 480,000 bp) did not differ between the HLHS and control populations.
The Ouachita and Appalachian Orogenic Belts

Orogenic belts of Paleozoic age border the southeastern and southern sides of the North American continent in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The Appalachian orogenic belt extends 3700 km along the southeastern side, from Newfoundland to Alabama, plunging under the continental shelf on the northeast and under the deposits of the Gulf Coastal Plain on the southwest. The Ouachita orogenic belt begins near the southwestern terminus of the Appalachian belt and extends 1800 km across the southern United States and probably into Mexico (Fig. 1). Unlike the widely exposed Appalachian belt, the Ouachita belt is only exposed for 450 km of this distance—in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma, and in the Marathon region and several smaller areas in western Texas. The remainder is covered by Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits of the Gulf Coastal Plain, but much is known about the covered part from the records of drilling.
Institutional economics and transition economies: Some analytical issues

It is argued in literature that two schools of thoughts might have been most relevant and influential to the policy formation and implementation in transition economies, with distinguishable economic and social outcomes. While Russia and some countries in the Central and Eastern Europe have commonly been perceived as the subscribers to the Washington consensus, the transition practice in China is seen by some as a vindication of the evolutionary-institutionalist perspective. This study attempts to assess the validity of this latter argument and, on that basis, to raise some analytical issues which may warrant further scholarly investigations. These include the role of the government in transition economies, the characteristics of China's gradualist approach, the essence of an economic transition and the criteria for assessing its progress. For the benefit of a fruitful analysis, these issues need to be more carefully addressed.
Abstract 4787: MMP-2 RNA interference leads to decreased NF-κB activation and induced JNK-mediated apoptosis by modulating TRADD-TRAF2-FADD interactions in glioma

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL MMP-2 belongs to a family of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that play a pivotal role in the degradation of the ECM, thereby enhancing the invasive and metastatic potential of cancer cells. Our study unveiled a new mechanism of how MMP-2 RNA interference inhibits NF-κB activation. Essentially, siRNA against MMP-2 (pM) modulated the interactions between the adaptor protein TRADD-TRAF2 and TRADD-FADD, which consequently hindered the nuclear localization and DNA binding activity of NF-κB. This, in turn, led to apoptosis. Furthermore, pM treatment led to RIP cleavage and remarkable increases in the expression levels of FADD and activated MAP kinases, p38 MAPK and JNK. The prolonged activation of JNK resulted in phosphorylation of c-Jun. Treatments with specific JNK1 inhibitor (SP600125) reduced and significantly reversed the pro-apoptotic effect of pM, thereby suggesting a role of JNK in pM-induced cell death. Supplementation of recombinant human MMP-2 to pM-transfected cells restored the inhibited DNA binding activity of NF-κB and rescued cells from the pro-apoptotic effect of pM. Here, we demonstrate that the simultaneous inhibition of NF-κB activation and sustained activation of JNK play significant roles in pM-mediated apoptosis in human xenograft glioma cells. In addition, our results show that the specific downregulation of MMP-2 diminished intracranial tumor growth in vivo. The inhibition of tumor growth after pM treatment was associated with decreased MMP-2 expression, inhibited NF-κB activation, and enhanced phospho-JNK levels. In conclusion, the present study elucidates an underlying mechanism of pM-induced cell death in vitro as well as decreased tumor development in vivo. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4787. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4787
The effect of threat of litigation on forensic pathologist diagnostic decision making.

Background Recent litigation involving medical examiners has caused concern over certifying deaths. Methods We administered a survey of 716 medical examiners regarding the effects of the threat of litigation. Results Two hundred twenty-two medical examiners responded (31%). Of those who responded, approximately 13.5% admitted to having modified their diagnostic findings due to threat of litigation, and approximately 32.5% stated these considerations would affect their decisions in the future. Physicians who indicated they had or would modify their diagnoses expressed more concern over the possibility of litigation. Chiefs of services were less likely than staff members to indicate changing diagnoses. Practitioners whose jurisdictions included rural areas were significantly more likely to indicate that litigation considerations would affect their diagnoses in the future, although this was not true with those who had already modified their diagnoses. No correlation was found with elected versus appointed positions, accreditation status, sex, race, geographic location, or board certification. Conclusions Although very few medical examiners have actually been sued because of their diagnoses, a demonstrated threat of litigation has a substantial effect on diagnostic decision making.
Carboniferous Scaphopoda (Mollusca) and non-scaphopods from Scotland

Synopsis This study of the Palaeozoic Scaphopoda collection of National Museums Scotland (NMS) is concerned exclusively with material of Carboniferous age. A type specimen, described in 1825, is reconfirmed as a member of ‘Vermes’ rather than Mollusca. Most of the collection is in several informal groups ranging from probable worm tubes though possible worm tubes to Cephalopoda. One new species of a valid member of the Scaphopoda is identified in the collection.
Extent of medication use in U.S. long-term-care facilities.

A review of the literature on the extent of medication ordering and consumption in long-term-care facilities is presented. Studies conducted in the United States were evaluated to answer two questions: (1) What is known about how much medication, particularly p.r.n. medication, is ordered for and consumed by residents of long-term-care facilities? and (2) What factors are related to medication use in these facilities? The studies most commonly determined how much medication was being ordered or prescribed in long-term-care facilities by assessing the number of medications (or prescriptions) per resident at a given point in time or on a particular day. Most studies report that about seven medications were ordered per resident at any one point in time. However, because of the variation in indices and time frames, generalizing about the extent of actual medication consumption is not possible. Residents' characteristics, pharmacy and drug policy characteristics, and facility characteristics were studied to determine whether they are related to the ordering or use of medications in long-term-care facilities. It is notable that the effect of residents' illness was rarely examined or controlled for. The different variables under examination among the various studies make many current findings tentative. Future researchers need to apply conceptual models that allow a coherent summary of the findings.
An Update on Travel Vaccines and Issues in Travel and International Medicine.

The fields of travel and international medicine are rapidly changing and growing. The role of occupational and travel health nurses is expanding and should be a focus for the future. At the America...
A unified FOCUSS framework for learning sparse dictionaries and non-squared error

FOCUSS is an Iteratively Reweighted Least Squares approximation used to find the inverse solution of an underdetermined linear system when the source vector is assumed to be sparse. It also provides an iterative descent method used to solve for an unknown dictionary. We describe three extensions to the FOCUSS model: First a choice of generalized p-norm reconstruction error which corresponds to differing assumptions on the cost of errors. Second the use of a constraint which encourages sparsity on the dictionary atoms, and third the combination of both sparsity on dictionary atoms and generalized reconstruction error to form one unified framework for solving a wide set of sparsity requirements on sources, on loadings, and on error. Finally, we describe a practical set of algorithms for learning dictionaries and source vectors under each of these model assumptions, and show experimental results using these algorithms.
Recognizing that truth is unattainable and attending to the most informative research evidence

Wampold et al. (2017) develop arguments and critiques about a set of meta-analyses exploring the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs). Their conclusion, contrary to those made by the m...
TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT BY LATE MOVERS

It is widely accepted that the first firm to deploy the latest technology will enjoy monopoly profits. However, research shows that the first mover advantage is quickly eroded by late movers. Technology deployments by late movers remain largely under-explored. This study explores the impact of the technological and market capabilities of late movers on their deployment timing, and how this impact is moderated by the pace of frontier advancement. We find a positive association between a firm’s capabilities and the earliness of its deployment timing. A faster pace of frontier advancement exacerbates the impact of a firm’s capabilities on technology deployment timing. We draw empirical evidence from the thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry between 1995 and 2010. This paper contributes to the technology management literature by developing a deeper understanding of the trade-offs involved in the timing of technology deployments.
Reconstitution of Low‐Density Lipoproteins with Fatty Acids for the Targeted Delivery of Drugs into Cancer Cells

Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are a class of nanocarriers for the targeted delivery of therapeutics into aberrant cells that overexpress the LDL receptor. A facile procedure is used for reconstituting the hydrophobic core of LDLs with a binary fatty acid mixture. Facilitated by the tumor targeting capability of the apolipoprotein, the reconstituted, drug-loaded LDLs can effectively target cancer cells that overexpress the LDL receptor while showing minor adverse impact on normal fibroblasts. According to a hypothesized mechanism, the reconstituted LDLs can also enable metabolism-triggered drug release while preventing the payloads from lysosomal degradation. This study demonstrates that LDLs reconstructed with fatty acids hold great promise to serve as effective and versatile nanocarriers for targeted cancer therapy.
Applications of Research in Nonhuman Animal Personality

Nonhuman animal personality research has increased dramatically in recent years and encompasses a vast range of species, traits examined, and methods of measurement. To make use of this research, it is necessary to understand how various approaches interact with and complement each other, as well as examine the challenges posed for researchers in this field. In this chapter we describe a variety of ways nonhuman animal research has been or has the potential to be applied to current problems faced by both nonhuman animals and humans. The potential applications for this field of research are as far-reaching as the approaches used to examine nonhuman animal personality.
The framework of the integration of carbon footprint and blockchain: using blockchain as a carbon emission management tool

The carbon footprint is mainly produced by industrial activities such that how to manage the information to lower the carbon emission from supply chains is an essential issue. Blockchain can be viewed as a distributed and irreversible database that can assist stakeholders to trace and manage the carbon emission by realizing the carbon footprint. This paper thus devises a framework integrating carbon footprint and blockchain as an innovative carbon emission management tool. Using Taiwan as a base for discussion, we adopt the carbon footprint online database as an essential part of this framework. Two possible application scenarios using this framework discussed herein are the carbon footprint disclosure and the supply chain management.
Internally Combined Volume-Surface Integral Equation for EM Analysis of Inhomogeneous Negative Permittivity Plasma Scatterers

A well-conditioned internally combined volume-surface integral equation (ICVSIE) for analyzing electromagnetic scattering from perfect electrically conducting (PEC) surfaces coated with negative permittivity plasmas is presented. Existing integral equations pertinent to these problems oftentimes yield ill-conditioned systems of equations. The ill-conditioning stems from the presence of interfaces between a positive permittivity background medium and the negative permittivity plasma and/or is due to low-frequency breakdown. To tackle these issues, the proposed ICVSIE wraps the negative permittivity plasma into a Huygens surface and exploits surface equivalence principles to artificially change the sign of the permittivity of the medium in which equivalent volumetric polarization currents radiate. Next, it combines a Muller combined field integral equation on the Huygens surface with a volume-surface integral equation for the negative permittivity plasma that coats the PEC surface in a manner that circumvents low-frequency breakdown. The accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the proposed ICVSIE are demonstrated via its application to various canonical scatterers and a plasma-engulfed reentry vehicle.
On Parameter Estimation for Linear and Nonlinear Stochastic Systems

The overview of some results of [2], [3] on estimation of parameters in linear systems is presented. Some recent results of [4] concerning estimation of f′(0) (f(x) is a drift vector) for nonlinear systems are discussed too. It is shown that conditions for an existence of a consistent, and the more, asymptotically efficient estimator for f′(0) are essentially less restrictive for the stable in probability systems. Some simple mechanical examples are presented and discussed.
Thermal Decomposition of Organoborate Salts

The reaction of group IA and IIA metal hydroxides with organoboron acids to produce organoborate salts has been known for many years (1). In order to study the thermal decomposition of these organoborate salts, representative compounds were prepared as indicated below, M being lithium or sodium.
Vegetation Attenuation for Several Evergreen Shrubs at 31 and 5 GHz

Millimeter wave (mmWave) cell sizes are meant to be small, and hence base station heights will often be low. This will increase the probability of a link traversing vegetation. For such cases, it is important to know the range of expected attenuations. In this paper, radio wave attenuation and depolarization effects through several broadleaf evergreen shrubs are reported, based upon measurements at two frequencies, 5 and 31 GHz. From this, we analyze the relationship between this attenuation and the two frequencies, and the shrub density, depth, and measurement geometry. Three different shrub species with different densities and depths, and for different measurement geometries, were employed. Specific attenuations at 31 GHz can exceed 20 dB/m for the densest shrubs. These results will be useful for link budget design, and outdoor and outdoor-indoor models for future mmWave communication.
Laws of Sex, Changed

The dramatic legal and social developments in the domains of sex, gender, and sexuality in the last several decades are often understood as progress. But this is not the whole story. This chapter presents these developments through a genealogy in which “bad” legal actors have turned into “good” legal actors. Three factors have facilitated this transition: (1) development of constitutional legal rights; (2) shifts in medical expertise; and (3) emergence of rhetoric of pity for allegedly suffering individuals. The chapter demonstrates this insight by examining three sites of social and legal change: one involving reproduction, one involving homosexuality, and one involving gender identity. In each of these domains, individuals or acts that were once labeled legally criminal are now considered, under the law, as dignified or morally praiseworthy. First, many types of reproductive technologies (such as sperm and egg donations) that were once strictly prohibited have been legalized and are now encouraged. Second, homosexuality, once condemned through criminal sodomy laws, is now understood by the Supreme Court, in the context of marriage, as dignified and respectable. Third, nonconforming gender identities, once criminalized in various ways, are gradually gaining anti-discrimination protections and social acceptability. Each of these social and legal transformations began in criminal prohibition and ended with an extension of liberal rights to individuals or couples. The chapter closely examines how, in these three transformations, Judeo-Christian values such as pity and dignity have seeped into current social and legal consciousness. The chapter concludes with some general thoughts on queer legal studies.
Integrating Formal Technology Assessment into an Integrated Healthcare Delivery System: Smart Innovation

Objectives We designed, developed, and implemented a new hospital-based health technology assessment (HB-HTA) program called Smart Innovation. Smart Innovation is a decision framework that reviews and makes technology adoption decisions. Smart Innovation was meant to replace the fragmented and complex process of procurement and adoption decisions at our institution. Because use of new medical technologies accounts for approximately 50 percent of the growth in healthcare spending, hospitals and integrated delivery systems are working to develop better processes and methods to sharpen their approach to adoption and management of high cost medical innovations. Methods The program has streamlined the decision-making process and added a robust evidence review for new medical technologies, aiming to balance efficiency with rigorous evidence standards. To promote system-wide adoption, the program engaged a broad representation of leaders, physicians, and administrators to gain support. Results To date, Smart Innovation has conducted eleven HB-HTAs and made clinician-led adoption decisions that have resulted in over $5 million dollars in cost avoidance. These are comprised of five laboratory tests, three software-assisted systems, two surgical devices, and one capital purchase. Conclusions Smart Innovation has achieved cost savings, avoided uncertain or low-value technologies, and assisted in the implementation of new technologies that have strong evidence. The keys to its success have been the program's collaborative and efficient decision-making systems, partnerships with clinicians, executive support, and proactive role with vendors.
Numerical parametric study of geosynthetic reinforced soil integrated bridge system (GRS-IBS)

Abstract A 2-D finite flement model was developed in this study to conduct a FE parametric study on the effects of some variables in the performance of geosynthetic reinforced soil integrated bridge system (GRS-IBS). The variables investigated in this study include the effect of internal friction angle of backfill material, width of reinforced soil foundation (RSF), secondary reinforcement within bearing bed, setback distance, bearing width and length of reinforcement. Other important parameters such as reinforcement stiffness and spacing were previously investgated by the authors. The performance of GRS-IBS were investgated in terms of lateral facing displacement, strain distribution along reinforcement, and location of potential failure zone. The results showed that the internal friction angle of backfill material has a significant impact on the performance of GRS-IBS. The secondary reinforcement, setback distance, and bearing width have low impact on the performance of GRS-IBS. However, it was found that the width of RSF and length of reinforcement have negligible effect on the performance of GRS-IBS. Finally, the potential failure envelope of the GRS-IBS abutment was found to be a combination of punching shear failure envelope (top) that starts under the inner edge of strip footing and extends vertically downward to intersect with Rankine active failure envelope (bottom).
Semaglutide-associated bullous pemphigoid.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease characterized by intensely pruritic urticarial plaques and bullae of the skin and, to a lesser extent, the mucosa.1,2 While many cases of BP are determined to be idiopathic, the incidence of BP with various medications resulting in drug-associated bullous pemphigoid (DABP) is on the rise.3 Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist-associated BP has been previously reported after administration of dulaglutide.4 Here we report a unique case of BP attributed to semaglutide, another medication in the GLP-1 agonist class.
Shareholders Appraisal Rights and Valuation

Valuation in any merger is the amount a buyer is willing to pay the seller and if the latter is willing to accept the deal amount. There are different techniques to value a company, and it depends on the industry or situation-specific. The most common techniques are: Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis, Comparable Company Analysis, Comparable Transaction Analysis, and Net Present Value (NPV) method. Other methods may be used as well. Valuation analysts may be retained to provide fairness opinions for private company M&A transactions.
Inhibition of Metabolic Hydrogen Ion Flux Resulting from Cadmium Stress in Aquatic Microecosystems

Periodic changes in pH were monitored at 30 s intervals in naturally-derived, aquatic microeco-systems. The pH of the system was controlled between two setpoints with a microcomputer. When the upper setpoint was reached a light bank was turned off until the pH dropped to the lower setpoint and the light was again turned on. The cycling of the pH in the microcosms was analyzed using time series analysis techniques. Each experiment resulted in a 24 hour control data set and a 24 hour experimental data set that began with the addition of an inhibitor or toxicant. EC 50 values (effective concentration for 50% inhibition) of net photosynthesis and respiration of the community were calculated from slopes of the periodic response to cadmium and compared to literature values. The EC 50 for dark induced pH change was 3.8 ppm while the EC 50 for light induced pH change was 0.51 ppm. Increasing cadmium concentrations caused dominant peaks in the variance periodograms to be shifted to longer periods.
Design of Stable Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS) Solar Cells by Oxide Thickness Compensation

The MIS solar cell structure is an exciting prospect for low-cost, moderately efficient photovoltaic conversion. Like other surface barrier devices, they exhibit degradation of solar cell performance. This degradation emanates from the metal/oxide interface and results in an oxide thickness reduction with time. In a Cr/Siox /Si device, for instance, the oxide thickness has to be overcompensated to counter degradation. The performance of such compensated devices shows a higher degree of stability than otherwise. An interface approach to solving stability problems has also resulted in novel ideas for stable MIS structures. A new class of novel Yb-MIS devices, that utilize indirect “oxide thickness reduction” compensation, are reported. These devices have been found to be very stable.
A strategy to improve current MSC-based therapies (TECH1P.833)

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) hold promise in the therapy of many inflammatory and degenerative disease. However, result from recent clinical trials using these cells are disappointing, suggesting that current MSC-based therapies need to be improved. We previously demonstrated that, immediately after their contact with serum following infusion, MSCs active complement of the innate immunity and are injured by the activated complement despite the presence of native cell surface complement regulators. In this work, we found that systemic administration of heparin, a widely used drug which is also a potent complement inhibitor, protects MSCs from serum-mediated damage after i.v. infusion. To minimize the side effects of systemic heparin administration, we also developed a method to paint heparin onto the surface of MSCs, We found that chemically modified heparin can be painted onto MSCs, and that these heparin-painted MSCs are better protected from serum (complement)-medicated attack and retain better immunosuppressive activity than regular MSCs. These data suggest that the cell surface engineering of MSC with heparin would be a simple and effective approach to improve the outcomes of current MSC-based clinical trials.
Identification of viroids by gel electrophoresis.

Two-dimensional PAGE involving an initial fractionation under nondenaturing conditions followed by a second electrophoresis under denaturing conditions provides a powerful means to detect viroids and other small circular RNAs. This unit describes a method known as “R(eturn) PAGE” in which denaturation is achieved by simultaneously raising the temperature and lowering the ionic strength during the second electrophoresis. Under denaturing conditions, circular RNAs migrate more slowly than their corresponding linear forms. Following fractionation, RNAs are visualized by staining with ethidium bromide, SYBR Gold, or silver nitrate. Unlike nucleic acid hybridization or RT-PCR, viroid identification by R-PAGE requires no nucleotide sequence information. Curr. Protoc. Microbiol. 10:16G.1.1-16G.1.9. © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: viroids; polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE); circular RNAs; (R)eturn PAGE
Incidence of CNS Injury for a Cohort of 111 Patients Treated With Proton Therapy for Medulloblastoma: LET and RBE Associations for Areas of Injury

Background Central nervous system (CNS) injury is a rare complication of radiation therapy for pediatric brain tumors, but its incidence with proton radiation therapy (PRT) is less well defined. Increased linear energy transfer (LET) and relative biological effectiveness (RBE) at the distal end of proton beams may influence this risk. We report the incidence of CNS injury in medulloblastoma patients treated with PRT and investigate correlations with LET and RBE values. Methods and Materials We reviewed 111 consecutive patients treated with PRT for medulloblastoma between 2002 and 2011 and selected patients with clinical symptoms of CNS injury. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings for all patients were contoured on original planning scans (treatment change areas [TCA]). Dose and LET distributions were calculated for the treated plans using Monte Carlo system. RBE values were estimated based on LET-based published models. Results At a median follow-up of 4.2 years, the 5-year cumulative incidence of CNS injury was 3.6% for any grade and 2.7% for grade 3+. Three of 4 symptomatic patients were treated with a whole posterior fossa boost. Eight of 10 defined TCAs had higher LET values than the target but statistically nonsignificant differences in RBE values ( P =.12). Conclusions Central nervous system and brainstem injury incidence for PRT in this series is similar to that reported for photon radiation therapy. The risk of CNS injury was higher for whole posterior fossa boost than for involved field. Although no clear correlation with RBE values was found, numbers were small and additional investigation is warranted to better determine the relationship between injury and LET.
F-ANTIGEN: NATURE, LIVER SPECIFICITY, AND RELEASE IN EXPERIMENTAL LIVER INJURY

F-antigen is a liver-specific antigen detected with antibody, raised in allogeneic (CBA) mice, to BALB/c mouse liver extract. The authors have confirmed the hepatic specificity of this antigen by showing it to be absent in extracts of extrahepatic organs of mouse and human origin. It is present in liver extracts of guinea pigs, rats, and rabbits, as well as in liver extracts from mouse and human sources. The antigen was present in the circulation of rabbits with acute carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatocellular injury. It was also demonstrated in the sera of 3 of 8 patients with acute hepatitis B antigen-positive hepatitis and in 1 of 4 patients with chronic active hepatitis. It was absent from the sera of 121 other patients with a variety of hepatic and nonhepatic diseases, and from the sera of 20 healthy subjects. The antigen is immunologically distinct from hepatitis B antigen, from the liver-specific lipoprotein antigen LP-2 of Meyer zum Buschenfeld, and from each of 15 individual human serum proteins tested.
Expectancy Theory Predictions and Behaviorally Anchored Scales of Motivation: An Empirical Test of Engineers.

Abstract The present study involved 375 engineers and 110 supervisory team engineers. A partial replication of the Arvey and Neel (1974) and the Landy and Guion (1970) research involving behaviorally anchored scales of motivational effort was first investigated with a number of engineering groups. In addition, a behaviorally specific motivational effort rating scale was developed for and tested in the company. The organizational specific scale results were examined and compared to those generated from the Landy and Guion (1970) scale. It was found that the organizationally specific and engineer relevant scale is a better predictor of two types of expectancies.
Hyper-phosphorylation of the adeno-associated virus Rep78 protein inhibits terminal repeat binding and helicase activity

The replication (Rep) proteins of adeno-associated virus (AAV) play prominent roles in regulation of viral DNA replication, RNA transcription, assembly of an infectious virion and establishment of the provirus. We have previously demonstrated that all four Rep proteins are phosphorylated on serine residues [Virology 23 (1997) 332-336]. Reversible phosphorylation may provide a mechanism for regulating Rep protein function. To test this hypothesis, we used the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OA) to obtain hyper-phosphorylated Rep proteins. OA treatment of AAV- and adenovirus (Ad)-infected cells and baculovirus-infected insect cells at a concentration of 100 nM resulted in a significant increase in Rep protein phosphorylation. This concentration suggests that protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is one of the enzymes involved in regulation of Rep phosphorylation. The increased phosphorylation occurred primarily on serine residues with a detectable amount of phosphate on threonine. Hyper-phosphorylation of Rep78 resulted in reduced binding to the AAV origin of DNA replication. Hyper-phosphorylated Rep78 also had diminished helicase activity. These results suggest that regulated phosphorylation of Rep78 plays a role in controlling Rep functions in the virus replication cycle.