cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systolic-Array Spiking Neural Accelerators with Dynamic Heterogeneous Voltage Regulation

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) have emerged as a new generation of neural networks, presenting a brain-inspired event-driven model with advantages in spatiotemporal information processing. Due to the need for high power consumption of compute-intensive neural accelerators, adequate power delivery network (PDN) design is a key requirement to ensure power efficiency and integrity. However, PDN design for SNN accelerators has not been extensively studied despite its great potential benefit in energy efficiency. In this paper, we present the first study on dynamic heterogeneous voltage regulation (HVR) for spiking neural accelerators to maximize system energy efficiency while ensuring power integrity. We propose a novel sparse-workload-aware dynamic PDN control policy, which enables high energy efficiency of sparse spiking computation on a systolic array. By exploring sparse inputs and all-or-none nature of spiking computations for PDN control, we explore different types of PDNs to accelerate spiking convolutional neural networks (S-CNNs) trained with the dynamic vision sensor (DVS) gesture dataset. Furthermore, we demonstrate various power gating schemes to further optimize the proposed PDN architecture, which leads to a more than a three-fold reduction in total energy overhead for spiking neural computations on systolic array-based accelerators.
Satisfaction-of-Search (SOS) impacts multiple-target searches during proofreading: Evidence from eye movements

In multiple-target visual searches, subsequent search misses (SSMs; [Cain, M. S., Adamo, S. H., & Mitroff, S. R. (2013). A taxonomy of errors in multiple-target visual search. Visual Cognition, 21(...
Brain Metabolism and Pathophysiology of Human Epilepsy

This conference brings together clinical and basic scientists from a variety of disciplines to share their concepts of a specific aspect of epilepsy: the initiation and spread of epileptic seizures. Cross fertilization of this sort has not always occurred spontaneously and the literature can be inconsistent, or even contradictory, when data from different disciplines are compared. However, disagreements can often be accounted for by semantic inconsistencies and difficulties in relating phenomena from one experimental animal model to another, or to the various forms of human epilepsy. Consequently, it is useful at the outset to identify points of semantic confusion, and to discuss the necessity for recognizing differences between various experimental and clinical epileptic phenomena. Following this, observations on human interictal and ictal cerebral metabolism can be placed in perspective, drawing on other clinical and animal data to suggest some mechanisms of seizure initiation and spread.
Labor Law in the Supreme Court: 1964 Term

LABOR law cases are, to all except the myopic labor lawyer, a subordinate part of the Supreme Court's work. The Court's primary attention is focused on its role in stripping away remnants of racial discrimination and segregation,' reconstructing rotted-out state legislatures,2 sensitizing law enforcement to the rights of the accused,3 and removing restraints on the free market of ideas.4 These are social and political issues of the first magnitude, robed in the legal garb of "cases and controversies," and brought to the judicial forum for settlement. The Court's decisions significantly reshape our institutions, for it often becomes the final arbiter directing resolution of these issues. Even if Senator Dirksen's amendment5 is adopted, for example, it can never restore the rural control of state legislatures. By comparison, labor law cases pose relatively simple problems. Although they raise crucial issues of union-management relations and the rights of individuals within this collective structure, the Court has three major statutes for guidance-the Norris-LaGuardia Act;6 the National Labor Relations Act, twice substantially amended;7 and the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.8 The Court's function is to follow the will of Congress; its choices are confined by the words of the statutes; its decisions are subject to legislative review. And in a major segment of these cases the Court has the aid of the National Labor Relations Board which serves as an intermediary to evolve and project solutions which will fulfill the statutory purpose. Rarely do labor cases
A new era in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: chronic phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibition

Historically, oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5-i) have been prescribed with an 'as-necessary' regimen for treating erectile dysfunction (ED), thus addressing primarily symptom relief. However, approximately 30% of patients are unresponsive to on-demand PDE5-i regimens due to both psychogenic and organic factors and, although it is difficult to estimate the proportion, discontinuation rates remain high. In recent years, a 2.5-5 mg daily dose of tadalafil has been proposed and was recently approved for treating ED. Chronic PDE-5 inhibition has the advantage of potentially 'curing' ED, on a daily basis, by interfering with pathophysiological factors of both psychogenic (anxiety related to planning sexual activity) and organic (endothelial dysfunction, penile structural homeostasis) origin, although further research is needed to better address these hypotheses. Clinical studies showed that chronic PDE5-i regimens are a safe and effective alternative to the classical on-demand dosage, and might improve the outcomes in a selected group of patients.
Nitrogen metabolism and virulence of Candida albicans require the GATA‐type transcriptional activator encoded by GAT1

Summary Nitrogen acquisition and metabolism is central to microbial growth. A conserved family of zinc-finger containing transcriptional regulators known as GATA-factors ensures efficient utilization of available nitrogen sources by fungi. GATA factors activate expression of nitrogen catabolic pathways when preferred nitrogen sources are absent or limiting, a phenomenon known as nitrogen catabolite repression. GAT1 of Candida albicans encodes a GATA-factor homologous to the AREA protein of Aspergillus nidulans and related transcription factors involved in nitrogen regulation. Two observations implicated GAT1 in nitrogen regulation. The growth of mutants lacking GAT1 was reduced when isoleucine, tyrosine or tryptophan were the sole source of nitrogen. Secondly, when cultured on a secondary nitrogen source, gat1Δ mutants were unable to activate expression of GAP1, UGA4 or DAL5, which were shown to be nitrogen regulated in C. albicans. This regulatory defect did not prevent filamentation of gat1Δ mutants in nitrogen repressing or non-repressing conditions, demonstrating that nitrogen catabolite repression does not influence dimorphism. The mutants were, however, highly attenuated in a murine model of disseminated candidiasis. Attenuation was not associated with any diminution of growth in serum or ability to utilize serum amino acids. The results indicate an important role for nitrogen regulation in the virulence of C. albicans.
Absolute Pitch: Genetics

Absolute pitch (AP) is a cognitive trait characterised by the ability to identify or name the pitch of a musical note or ambient sound without the use of a reference pitch. It is rare in the general population, and relatively uncommon even in musicians. AP displays familial aggregation and has recently been shown to be strongly associated with synaesthesia. Genetic linkage analysis has identified regions on several chromosomes that contain genes involved in both AP and synaesthesia. Key Concepts: Absolute pitch is an example of a discrete and easily measurable cognitive trait that has a strong genetic component. Absolute pitch ability is not restricted to musicians. Absolute pitch is associated with other distinctive cognitive traits such as synaesthesia. The genes for absolute pitch are likely to be involved in brain development and cortical connectivity. The elucidation of the genetic basis for absolute pitch will provide insight into general aspects of brain development and biology. Keywords: music; perception; absolute pitch; synaesthesia; autism
Quality of life in prostate cancer patients taking androgen deprivation therapy.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), self-reported HRQOL was compared in prostate cancer patients receiving short- (<6 months) or long-term (≥6 months) ADT and healthy controls. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Academic medical center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-six men, including those with prostate cancer receiving short-term, long-term, and no ADT and healthy controls. Men taking medications or having diseases known to affect bone mineral metabolism were excluded. MEASUREMENTS: The 36-item Short Form Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey (an HRQOL assessment) and a comorbidity index were administered to each participant. Characteristics, including body composition (assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) and gonadal status (serum total and free testosterone) were measured approximately 3 months or less before the HRQOL assessment. RESULTS: As expected, men receiving ADT had significantly lower levels of testosterone, free testosterone, and lean body mass, as well as greater body fat and comorbidity index (all P<.01) than men not receiving ADT (i.e., men with prostate cancer and healthy controls). Participants receiving ADT reported significantly poorer QOL in the areas of physical function (P<.001), general health (P<.001), and physical health component summary (P<.001) than men not receiving ADT. There were no significant differences in HRQOL outcomes between participants receiving short- or long-term ADT. Comorbidity and testosterone levels were associated with several QOL scales. After controlling for the significant joint predictors of comorbidity and total testosterone using hierarchical regression analysis, ADT was no longer a significant predictor, and only comorbidity and total testosterone contributed to the explanation of the variance of the physical health component summary. Comorbidity alone contributed to the explanation of the variance in physical function, bodily pain, general health, and vitality. CONCLUSION: Patients with prostate cancer who were receiving ADT experience worse HRQOL than those not receiving ADT, but duration of ADT was not a contributing factor. After controlling for comorbidity, total testosterone level rather than ADT accounted for a small yet statistically significant percentage of the total variance of the physical health component summary. These findings have important clinical implications regarding the decision to treat prostate cancer patients with ADT.
Electrochemical reduction of 2-hydroxypyrimidine in dimethylsulfoxide : Influence of the father-son reaction

Abstract In DMSO (0.1 M TEAP), 2-hydroxypyrimidine (2-HP) is reversibly reduced (1e process) to a radical anion, whose dimerization is slower than its attack (it is a strong base) on unreduced 2-HP to abstract a proton (father-son reaction), producing the neutral free radical, which dimerizes more rapidly than the radical anion, and the anion of 2-HP, which can be involved in a Hg(I)−Hg(0) couple; the apparent faradaic n is less than one. On addition of strong base to a 2-HP solution, the 2-HP is converted to the anion and the only electrochemical activity seen is that due to the mercury couple. On strong acid addition, the protonated 2-HP formed is more easily reduced than neutral 2-HP; the resulting current considerably exceeds that for 2-HP itself (faradaic n equals one); the anion-mercury reaction couple is not seen. The neutral free radical formed rapidly dimerizes. Weak acid addition produces an adduct due to hydrogen bridging between acid anion and pyrimidine reduction site; reduction to the neutral free radical is facilitated; the weak acid anion is involved in a Hg(I)−Hg(0) couple at a potential characteristic for the acid used; the mercury-pyrimidine anion couple occurs at a potential characteristic for 2-HP.
"O amor por": modos de engajamento e trabalho do self

Os sociologos tem abordado o modo como a participacao no mundo da alta cultura relaciona-se com estrategias de ascensao social ou com esforcos para solidificar ligacoes entre os que partilham circulos de afiliacao diversos. Nessa perspectiva, o consumo de alta cultura subordina-se a series mais abrangentes de fenomenos sociais e apresenta-se como recurso a ser trocado ou convertido num diferente tipo de capital - seja simbolico, social ou economico. Neste artigo, baseado em pesquisa intensiva de campo e de arquivo a respeito dos fanaticos por opera em Buenos Aires, ao inves de atentar para a relacao entre afiliacao social e inclinacoes esteticas, visei as praticas culturais como formas de afiliacao social em si mesmas. Tomando a metafora do "amor por" literalmente, usei-a como suporte para produzir uma tipologia das praticas de ligacao, explicando como cada um dos tipos pode ser atribuido a um modo especifico de trabalho sobre o self produzido a partir do "amor por" algo.
Internet resources cataloging in ARL libraries: Staffing and access issues

Summary Many academic libraries have made the decision to catalog Internet resources. There are many factors included in this decision. Based on a survey, this article examines the types of Internet resources that are being cataloged in ARL institutions, the level of staff performing the cataloging and the impact this has made on these cataloging departments. Access issues are also examined. The results contained in this article will illustrate the current situation in libraries and provide data for comparison with future studies.
Small intestinal mass of the rat is partially determined by indirect effects of intraluminal nutrition.

Although intraluminal nutrition presumably maintains small intestinal mass by direct contact with the epithelial cells, hormonal or neurovascular factors elicited by feeding may play an indirect role. In order to test for the presence of indirect factors, Thiry-Vella fistulae were created from the proximal small intestine of two groups of rats. The bypassed gut of a group of rats receiving an elemental diet intravenously was compared to a second group receiving the same diet by intragastric infusion. After 1 week, there was significantly greater (P 0.05) in both groups, suggesting that gastrin may not play a role in initiating the differences reported. This study suggests that intraluminal nutrition maintains the small intestinal epithelial population in part, indirectly, by unidentified hormonal or neurovascular stimuli.
Deadlock avoidance in manufacturing systems with flexible routing and mixed capacity

Deadlock avoidance is essential in the operation of flexible manufacturing systems. Many of these systems have redundant processing capabilities that support flexible part routing. This work characterizes deadlock avoidance for systems with flexible routing capabilities. Specifically, we address deadlock avoidance in systems where every stage of every part type possesses some processing alternatives, and one or more machines are equipped with multiple units of buffer capacity. Several necessary conditions for deadlock and deadlock avoidance are identified.
Evaporative Cooling of Trapped Atoms

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the concept of evaporative cooling of trapped neutral atoms. The recent observations of Bose–Einstein condensation have shown dramatically the potential of evaporative cooling. Through evaporative cooling, phase-space density could be increased by six orders of magnitude in these experiments. In such experiments, evaporative cooling was used to reach temperature and densities that are unprecedented for trapped atoms and greatly exceeded what had been reached before by laser cooling. Laser cooling has recently broken the recoil limit in three dimensions (3D) and reached extremely cold temperatures of 3 nK in 1D. However, none of these optical sub-recoil techniques has been realized so far at high densities. The current density limitations are caused by the absorption of light, radiation trapping, and excited state collisions. An often-mentioned disadvantage of evaporative cooling is the loss of atoms. However, as discussed in the chapter, the efficiency of evaporative cooling is quite high.
Column chromatography of sugars and their derivatives.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the column chromatography of sugars and their derivatives. Column Chromatography is a specialized manipulation of the general technique of selective adsorption with powdered materials. These adsorbents are molded vertically in the shape of cylindrical columns. Three techniques are usually employed in the formation of such chromatographic columns: dusting dry powder into an empty dry tube, slowly adding dry adsorbent to a tube containing liquid, and pouring thin slurry of adsorbent and developer into an empty tube. The sensitivity and flexibility of the chromatographic method are improved markedly by allowing the sugars and developers to pass, under pressure, down through the adsorbent into a very small cuvette, which is connected to a fraction collector outside the temperature-controlled bath. The cuvette is aligned with a sensitive interferometer, which permitted rapid recognition of composition changes in the effluent. The effluent turnover was quick in this small cell; thus, the opportunity for the intermixing of zones was greatly reduced. The combination of this excellent method together with an established scale of certain sugars in the order of their increasing affinity to carbon provided a powerful tool for the resolution of sugar mixtures.
Sex differences in external morphology and electric organ discharges in imported Gnathonemus petersii (Mormyriformes)

Abstract Abstract. Newly imported, adult weakly discharging electric fish Gnathonemus petersii , were examined for sex differences in the waveform of their electric organ discharge and in external morphology. The discharge waveform of gonadally ripe subjects are quantitatively described at three stages corresponding to the Nigerian pre-rainy, rainy breeding, and post-rainy season in 1988. A sex difference was found in external morphology, with males displaying a distinct indentation at the dorsal margin of the anal fin, regardless of season. Pronounced sex differences in electric organ discharges were found only in fish imported during the Nigerian rainy season, and only in two phase of the tetraphasic discharge, with males exhibiting longer durations of phases 2 and 3. These sex differences were reflected in the Fourier transformation, with male discharges exhibiting lower peak power spectral frequencies than those of females. No sex differences were found in total duration of the electric discharge. Correlations between the electric discharge measures and fish length, as well as between the discharge measures themselves, revealed relationships which varied in both direction and degree as a function of sex and/or season. These results indicate that the duration of individual phases, rather than the entire duration of the electric organ discharge, function in the communication of sex differences in this mormyrid species. Previous work has shown that phase durations of the electric discharge are steroid-dependent and therefore indicative of physiological states of the animal. Thus, the kinds of information conveyed during breeding and non-breeding seasons may be quite different, given great differences in gonadal steroid levels. These findings explain previously unsuccessful attempts to find sex differences as well as a report of a sex difference in a direction opposite to that shown here in G. petersii.
Doxazosin in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Normotensive Patients: A Multicenter Study *

AbstractA 16-week, double-blind, placebo controlled, dose titration study was done on 100 normotensive patients age 45 years or older to determine the efficacy and safety of doxazosin, a selective alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Of the 41 efficacy evaluable patients 88 percent underwent dose titration to a maximum of 8 mg. doxazosin once daily. Maximum and average urinary flow rates increased significantly above baseline with doxazosin (2.9 ml. per second and 1.4 ml. per second, respectively) compared with placebo (0.7 ml. per second and 0.3 ml. per second, respectively). A significant effect on maximum flow rate was noted as early as week 2 of double-blind treatment at the initial efficacy evaluation. Doxazosin was superior to placebo in patient and investigator assessments of total, obstructive and irritative BPH symptoms. The onset of efficacy for total patient-assessed symptoms was significant for doxazosin compared to placebo 4 weeks after the ...
Changes in translation rate modulate stress-induced damage of diverse proteins

Proteostasis is the maintenance of the proper function of cellular proteins. Hypertonic stress disrupts proteostasis and causes rapid and widespread protein aggregation and misfolding in the nemato...
Polarization of molecular x-ray fluorescence.

Polarization of Cl K\ensuremath{\beta} x-ray fluorescence following selective excitation of gaseous ${\mathrm{CH}}_{3}$CL with synchrotron radiation is reported. The degree of polarization of the fluorescence depends sensitively on the chosen incident excitation energy in the Cl K-edge region. Theoretical considerations indicate that the fluorescence-polarization measurements can provide directly absorption and emission anisotropies, molecular-orbital symmetries, and relative fluorescence transition strengths.
Lower-extremity revascularisation without preoperative contrast arteriography in 185 cases: lessons learned with duplex ultrasound arterial mapping.

Purpose: we have previously reported our experience with lower-extremity duplex-ultrasound arterial mapping (DUAM) compared to contrast arteriography (CA) to predict lower-extremity bypass sites. The present study evaluates arterial revascularisation procedures for chronic limb ischaemia based on DUAM. Materials and methods: from January 1998 to July 1999, 195 patients (128 men, 67 women) underwent 211 lower-extremity revascularisation procedures based on DUAM. Indications for surgery were tissue loss, severe claudication, rest pain and popliteal aneurysm in 57%, 25%, 14% and 4% of the limbs, respectively. The mean age was 72±12 years and risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, tobacco use, coronary artery and end-stage renal disease were present in 53%, 58%, 53%, 50% and 12% of the patients, respectively. Previous revascularisation procedures had been performed in 23% of the limbs. Preoperative evaluation consisted of DUAM alone (185) or of a combination of DUAM and CA (29 limbs). CA was deemed necessary due to a combination of technical difficulties that jeopardised adequate sonographic imaging and presence of disadvantaged run-off for medico-legal reasons. DUAM consisted of direct imaging of all major arteries from the distal aorta to the pedal circulation. Optimal inflow and outflow bypass anastomotic sites were selected according to a diagram based on DUAM. Adequacy of the inflow was additionally assessed by common-femoral-artery waveform and confirmed by intraoperative pressure measurements. Post-bypass CA was obtained to verify patency of the run-off. Results: DUAM procedure time averaged 75±26 min. For patients who underwent only DUAM, the distal anastomosis was to the popliteal artery in 91 cases and to tibial or pedal arteries in 58 cases. Distal anastomosis was proximal to a significant lesion in two cases that required jump grafts. Cumulative patency rates at 1 and 3 months for popliteal bypasses were 96% and 90%, and for infrapopliteal bypasses 90% and 83%, respectively. Inflow procedures to the femoral artery, patch and balloon angioplasties accounted for the remaining 40 cases. Four primary amputations were performed after CA confirmed DUAM findings. Conclusions: contrary to general belief, these data show that high-quality arterial ultrasonography represents a safe alternative to preoperative CA, even for infrapopliteal bypasses. This non-invasive approach may be especially useful for patients with contrast allergy or impaired renal function.
Anaplastic sarcoma arising in a mature metachronous bilateral Wilms' tumor after irradiation and chemotherapy spontaneous versus induced malignant change

A 1-year-old male infant developed a classic Wilms' tumor of the left kidney. Treatment consisted of a left nephrectomy, chemotherapy, and irradiation to the left flank and associated abdomen. Two years later, a mass in the right kidney was discovered; open renal biopsy demonstrated a mature Wilms' tumor consisting entirely of rhabdomyomatous elements in the biopsy specimen. The patient was given a second course of chemotherapy and 2000 rad to the right flank. Over the next 8 years, the mass continued to grow without evidence of metastatic spread. Renal function deteriorated secondary to compression of the surrounding normal renal parenchyma by the enlarging tumor; creatinine clearance from the solitary kidney decreased from 120 ml/min to 40 ml/min during the 12 months prior to removal of the lesion. Via a nephron-sparing procedure, the 3400 g tumor measuring 19 cm X 16 cm X 9 cm was enucleated from the right kidney without compromise to the remaining normal tissue. Pathologic examination of the surgical specimen revealed a mature Wilms' tumor with a malignant anaplastic sarcoma arising in the central portion. Postoperatively, the patient received a third course of chemotherapy with no irradiation to the tumor bed. Currently, he is disease-free with normal renal function more than 20 years after diagnosis of the metachronous bilateral Wilms' tumor. This is the first reported case of an anaplastic sarcoma arising within a Wilms' tumor; this individual also is the longest surviving patient with metachronous Wilms' tumor. The various possibilities regarding the development of the anaplastic sarcoma within the Wilms' tumor of the right kidney are discussed, including the possible role of chemotherapy and irradiation in the development of a second malignancy.
NMR chemical shift bond length derivatives of the first- and second-row hydrides

Abstract Calculations of NMR chemical shifts and shift derivatives upon bond extension have been carried out for the first- and second-row hydrides in the GIAO SCF using heavy atom triplet-split-valence bases. Small and positive shift derivatives obtain for species where they heavy atom is in the left-hand portion of the periodic row while large and negative shift derivatives are found in the right-hand portion. Ditchfield's polarization enhancement arguments provide a qualitative description of the behavior of the shift derivatives for these species as a function of nuclear charge.
Peripheral sympathectomy and adrenal medullectomy do not alter cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine.

Abstract Despite a blood-brain barrier for norepinephrine, the concentration of norepinephrine in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid has been observed to be similar. This relationship between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine levels suggests that peripheral sympathetic neurons innervating blood vessels to brain and spinal cord may contribute significantly to cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine levels, and questions the validity of cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine as an index of central nervous system noradrenergic activity. We demonstrate that extensive destruction of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal medulla has no effect on rat cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine. It is therefore unlikely that peripheral sources of norepinephrine contribute significantly to cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine levels.
Legal Frameworks Governing Water in the Middle East and North Africa

For millennia, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have developed laws, regulations and other rules to govern their scarce water. These laws have been updated in recent years. This review of the legal frameworks (including regulations, decrees and other rules) reveals both progress and gaps in managing water quality, water quantity and procedural aspects. Of note, while the general frameworks are usually in place, in many instances the necessary details are lacking to give effect to the goals. However, in some instances the legal frameworks governing water lack certain key principles or approaches. In order to effectively meet the growing demands on their water resources, MENA countries will need to further strengthen and develop their legal frameworks.
Interband Cascade Lasers with Wavelengths Spanning 2.9 μm to 5.2 μm

We report an experimental investigation of four interband cascade lasers with wavelengths spanning the mid-infrared spectral range, i.e., 2.9 μm to 5.2 μm, near room temperature in pulsed mode. One broad-area device had a pulsed threshold current density of only 3.8 A/cm2 at 78 K (λ = 3.6 μm) and 590 A/cm2 at 300 K (λ = 4.1 μm). The room-temperature threshold for the shortest-wavelength device (λ = 2.6 μm to 2.9 μm) was even lower, 450 A/cm2. A␣cavity-length study of the lasers emitting at 3.6 μm to 4.1 μm yielded an internal loss varying from 7.8 cm−1 at 78 K to 24 cm−1 at 300 K, accompanied by a decrease of the internal efficiency from 77% to 45%.
Abstract No. 33: Dynamic first-pass area-detector perfusion CT for the evaluation of perfusion changes following intra-arterial therapy in the liver VX2 model

between 2 groups were selected. Results: At D7, bland SAP did not cause necrosis and only 68 genes were deregulated. Among them, 10 genes related to angiogenesis. VEGF was not different vs control. Dox-SAP caused parenchyma necrosis at D7 (presence on 92% of the tissue sections), which was progressively resorbed between M1 (31%) and M3 (0%) and replaced by an inflammatory reaction and a fibrotic remodeling tissue after the microspheres emptied, finally resulting in regenerated liver. In parallel, the overall number of modulated genes and the number of angiogenesis-related genes decreased from D7 to M1 and M3 (resp. 770, 257 and 46 modulated genes by Dox-SAP; and among them 71, 34 and 6 modulated related to angiogenesis). VEGF decreased at D7 and M1. The angiogenesis related-genes did not included VEGF and HIF1A but were interleukins and chemokines which mark an inflammatory reaction, and collagen molecules, metallopeptidases, growth factors, and adhesion molecules which orchestrate the tissue remodeling. Conclusion: Angiogenesis following chemoembolization in normal liver, associated to the inflammatory response and tissue remodeling, participates to the healing phase replacing the necrosis induced by Dox. This repair angiogenesis must be distinguished from tumoral angiogenesis.
Protecting "The Prize": Oil and the U.S. national interest

American national security policy is based on a misunderstanding about U.S. oil interests. Although oil is a vital commodity, potential supply disruptions are less worrisome than scholars, politicians, and pundits presume. This article identifies four adaptive mechanisms that together can compensate for almost all oil shocks, meaning that continuous supply to consumers will limit scarcity-induced price increases. The adaptive mechanisms are not particularly fragile and do not require tremendous foresight by either governments or economic actors. We illustrate these mechanisms at work using evidence from every major oil disruption since 1973. We then identify the small subset of disruptive events that would overwhelm these adaptive mechanisms and therefore seriously harm the United States. Finally, we analyze the utility of U.S. foreign military policy tools in addressing these threats. Our findings suggest that the United States can defend its key interests in the Persian Gulf—the world's most important o...
Assessing welfare reform data: a comment on christopher

Abstract This paper responds to Karen Christopher's recent Feminist Economics paper that posits that welfare leavers did not benefit much financially during the Clinton-era economic boom. On the contrary, this paper finds that child poverty rates declined dramatically as did material hardships while the situation worsened for only a very small share of mothers. These benefits came as a result of welfare reform rather than simply an outgrowth of the booming economy that enabled a greater share of welfare leavers to find employment and gain sizeable transfer payments compared to the pre-reform time period.
Particle-size dependence on metal(loid) distributions in mine wastes: Implications for water contamination and human exposure

Abstract The mining and processing of metal-bearing ores has resulted in contamination issues where waste materials from abandoned mines remain in piles of untreated and unconsolidated material, posing the potential for waterborne and airborne transport of toxic elements. This study presents a systematic method of particle size separation, mass distribution, and bulk chemical analysis for mine tailings and adjacent background soil samples from the Rand historic mining district, California, in order to assess particle size distribution and related trends in metal(loid) concentration as a function of particle size. Mine tailings produced through stamp milling and leaching processes were found to have both a narrower and finer particle size distribution than background samples, with significant fractions of particles available in a size range (⩽250 μm) that could be incidentally ingested. In both tailings and background samples, the majority of trace metal(loid)s display an inverse relationship between concentration and particle size, resulting in higher proportions of As, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in finer-sized fractions which are more susceptible to both water- and wind-borne transport as well as ingestion and/or inhalation. Established regulatory screening levels for such elements may, therefore, significantly underestimate potential exposure risk if relying solely on bulk sample concentrations to guide remediation decisions. Correlations in elemental concentration trends (such as between As and Fe) indicate relationships between elements that may be relevant to their chemical speciation.
Co‐worker fatalities from hydrogen sulfide

Background Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, odorless gas that may cause rapid loss of consciousness and respiratory depression without warning. It has produced toxicity in workers in numerous industries and occupations. Methods A review of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) for occupational deaths related to hydrogen sulfide from 1993 to 1999 was performed. Results Fifty-two workers died of hydrogen sulfide toxicity in this 7-year period. Deaths were most commonly reported in workers who were white (85%), male (98%), and in their first year of employment with the company (48%). Common industries included waste management, petroleum, and natural gas. In 21% of cases, a co-worker died simultaneously or in the attempt to save the workers. Conclusions Hydrogen sulfide toxicity is uncommon, but potentially deadly. Toxicity is predominantly in new workers and co-worker fatalities occur in a significant minority of cases. Proper training and education on the warning signs of hydrogen sulfide toxicity may help reduce worker fatalities. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:346–350, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
M-shell X-ray production in gold, lead, bismuth, thorium and uranium by 70–200 keV protons☆

Abstract M-shell X-ray production cross sections have been measured for thin-foil targets (thickness in μg/cm2) of 79Au (7.0), 82Pb (10.6), 83Bi (4.1), 90Th (7.9) and 92U (8.8) for 70–200 keV incident protons. These data are compared to other measurements at higher energies and to the first Born (plane-wave Born approximation for direct ionization and Oppenheimer-Brinkman-Kramers-Nikolaev approximation for electron capture) and ECPSSR (energy-loss and Coulomb deflection effects, perturbed stationary state approximation with relativistic correction for both direct ionization and electron capture) theories. The electron capture, included for completeness, contributed less than 1%. The ECPSSR underpredicts the data at all energies, while the first Born, which overpredicts the data, seems to approach agreement for low Z2. The data follow a trend established in this laboratory by earlier work [R. Mehta et al., Phys. Rev. A26 (1982) 1883] at higher energies.
Topological constraints in search-based robot path planning

There are many applications in motion planning where it is important to consider and distinguish between different topological classes of trajectories. The two important, but related, topological concepts for classifying manifolds that are of importance to us are those of homotopy and homology. In this paper we consider the problem of robot exploration and planning in Euclidean configuration spaces with obstaclees to (a) identify and represent different homology classes of trajectories; (b) plan trajectories constrained to certain homology classes or avoiding specified homology classes; and (c) explore different homotopy classes of trajectories in an environment and determine the least cost trajectories in each class. We exploit theorems from complex analysis and the theory of electromagnetism to solve the problem 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional configuration spaces respectively. Finally, we describe the extension of these ideas to arbitrary D-dimensional configuration spaces. We incorporate these basic concepts to develop a practical graph-search based planning tool with theoretical guarantees by combining integration theory with search techniques, and illustrate it with several examples.
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE) AND DERMATITIS HERPETIFORMIS (OH) IN A GIRL WITH MARFAN'S SYNDROME

SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE) AND DERMATITIS HERPETIFORMIS (OH) IN A GIRL WITH MARFAN'S SYNDROME
Carmustine Wafers (Gliadel) Plus Concomitant Temozolomide Therapy After Resection of Malignant Astrocytoma: Growing Evidence for Safety and Efficacy

Menei and colleagues have performed a thorough analysis in their retrospective cohort study from 26 centers in France. They report the overall survival and complication rate associated with the adjuvant use of implantable biodegradable carmustine wafers (Gliadel; MGI Pharma, Bloomington, MN; now Eisai Inc.) for the treatment of primary and recurrent malignant astrocytoma (MA). The authors also investigate the independent association of morbidity and overall survival with combination therapy of temozolomide (TMZ, Stupp protocol) and Gliadel implantation after surgical resection. 1,2 In their series of 83 primary and 80 recurrent MA treated with surgical resection plus Gliadel implantation, the authors report a median survival of 7 months after revision resection of recurrent MA and 17 months after primary resection of MA. For the 43 patients receiving both Gliadel and Stupp protocol after primary resection of MA, a median survival of 608 days (approximately 19.9 months) was observed. Consistent with previous studies, factors independently associated with survival were fractionated radiotherapy, Karnofsky performance score, and extent of resection. The proportions of these prognostic variables were comparable to prior Gliadel series. This series of Gliadel implantation used a variety of adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy regimens. Hence, the overall survival was greater than those previously reported in randomized trails of Gliadel for primary MA. 3,4 Although the retro
The interaction of γ-globulin with lipids

Abstract γ-globulin interacts with cardiolipin (CL), phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidylserine (PS) to yield an insoluble complex. The bound PA and PS can be nearly all removed by extraction with organic solvents, but about 50 per cent of the bound CL is not extracted. Amino acid analysis shows that lysine, arginine, histidine, tyrosine, methionine and cysteine are involved in the binding of CL to γ-globulin. The binding of CL to γ-glubulin exhibits a sharp p H profile in phosphate buffers with a maximum between 5.7 to 6.1. The interaction is influenced by ionic strength and shows a broad peak at 0.06 M NaCl. Freshly prepared cardiolipin (in water) shows maximal activity. The activity decreases with aging of the aqueous cardiolipin dispersion. Lecithin and cholesterol alone do not form an insoluble complex with γ-globulin and have either no influence or slightly inhibit the Cl-γ-globulin reaction. However, when lecithin and cholesterol are mixed they interact with γ-globulin to yield an insoluble complex. Moreover, the lecithin—cholesterol mixture greatly enhances the Cl—γ-globulin reaction. Sphingomyelin can not substitute for lecithin. The bound lecithin and cholesterol in the γ-globulin precipitate are completely extracted by organic solvents. A variety of γ-globulins were studied and all react with CL and with lecithin—cholesterol or lecithin—cholesterol mixtures but to varying degrees. The reaction of γ-globulin with CL is markedly inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and iodoacetate. Bence—Jones protein reacts very weakly with CL but quite strongly with a mixture of CL—lecithin—cholesterol.
Can MII-pH values predict the duration of treatment for GERD in preterm infants?☆ , ☆☆

article Background: Little is known regarding the prognostic role of Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance and pH mon- itoring (MII/pH) parameters in preterm infants with Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Aim:Ourstudyaimedtoevaluatethe relationshipbetween MII/pHvariablesandthedurationofpharmacological therapy for GERD, in preterm infants with gestational age (GA) ≤34 weeks. Subjects, study design, outcome measures: We retrospectively reviewed data of all newborns with GA ≤34 weeks that underwent MII/pH inour NeonatalIntensiveCare Unit(NICU)and pharmacological treatmentfor GERD.We included them in a 12-month follow-up program. MII/pH parameters were used as independent variables and the duration of pharmacological therapy as dependent variable in linear regression models. Results: 16 patients (GA 28.4 ± 1.8 weeks, BW 1122 ± 427 g) were enrolled into the study. Regression analysis performed on all reflux events reported a significant correlation between the duration of pharmacological treat- ment and MII-BEI (r 2 = 0.36, p = 0.01) and MII-reflux frequency (r 2 =0 .33,p = 0.02). Moreover, regression analysis performed on all events classified according to the correspondingpH change - acidic(ac.), weakly acidic (w.ac.) or weakly alkaline (w.a.) - showed a significant correlation between the duration of pharmacological treatment and MII-w.ac.BEI (r 2 = 0.26, p = 0.05), MII-w.ac. reflux frequency (r
Markedness and Learner Strategy: Form- and Meaning-oriented Learners in the Foreign Language Context

guage learners may be usefully classified as either form-based or meaning-based in terms of their strategic orientation to the acquisition of the target language. The study posits and tests the specific hypothesis that the learner's strategic orientation interacts with the linguistic features (formal vs. semantic) of the subdomain of language being acquired and that the interaction manifests itself in terms of a stronger or weaker disposition to experiment with the "marked" form in that subdomain.
Improving wideband speech recognition using mixed-bandwidth training data in CD-DNN-HMM

Context-dependent deep neural network hidden Markov model (CD-DNN-HMM) is a recently proposed acoustic model that significantly outperformed Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-HMM systems in many large vocabulary speech recognition (LVSR) tasks. In this paper we present our strategy of using mixed-bandwidth training data to improve wideband speech recognition accuracy in the CD-DNN-HMM framework. We show that DNNs provide the flexibility of using arbitrary features. By using the Mel-scale log-filter bank features we not only achieve higher recognition accuracy than using MFCCs, but also can formulate the mixed-bandwidth training problem as a missing feature problem, in which several feature dimensions have no value when narrowband speech is presented. This treatment makes training CD-DNN-HMMs with mixed-bandwidth data an easy task since no bandwidth extension is needed. Our experiments on voice search data indicate that the proposed solution not only provides higher recognition accuracy for the wideband speech but also allows the same CD-DNN-HMM to recognize mixed-bandwidth speech. By exploiting mixed-bandwidth training data CD-DNN-HMM outperforms fMPE+BMMI trained GMM-HMM, which cannot benefit from using narrowband data, by 18.4%.
Synthesis and Structure of 1-Chlorosulfonyl-2-(4′-Nitrophenoxy)-5-Methylbenzene

Diphenyl ethers are structural elements found in medicinally useful antibiotics such as vancomycin as well as in biological toxins in the environment such as dioxins. The purpose of this paper is to report the synthesis and characterization of the previously unreported 1-chlorosulfonyl-2-(4′-nitrophenoxy)-5-methylbenzene, a trisubstituted diphenyl ether derivative. 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 2.45 (3H, methyl5, s), 7.07 (1H, H4, d, J ~8.27 Hz), 7.13 (2H, H2′, H6′, d, J ~9.0 Hz), 7.54 (1H, H3, d, J ~8.28 Hz), 7.87 (1H, H6, s), 8.22 (2H, H3′, H5′, J ~9 Hz); 13C NMR (CDCl3) δ 20.7, 118.2, 121.9, 126.0, 129.8, 135.2, 135.8, 137.8, 143.8, 150.3, 161.4. An X-ray analysis has provided valuable insight into the effect of steric factors on the three dimensional shape of this compound which serves as a useful advanced intermediate in the synthesis of these biologically active molecules. A multistep synthesis of this molecule has been designed by retrosynthetic analysis as part of an ongoing program aimed at a function-oriented, multi-step economical synthesis of vancomycin lead antibiotics. Crystals are triclinic, space group P-1, a = 7.6537(15), b = 8.976(2), c = 11.050(2) A, α = 67.645(11), β = 79.735(11), γ = 87.798(10)°, V = 690.5(2) A3, Z = 2. The synthesis and characterization of the previously unreported trisubstituted diphenyl ether derivative are reported. The phenyl rings form a dihedral angle of 64.49(4)° and the chlorosulfonyl group has a C–C–S–Cl torsion angle of 62.95(11)°.
Tokyo youth at leisure: towards the design of new media to support leisure planning and practice

An extensive research project was performed to characterize leisure planning and practice for Tokyo youth. Findings will aid in the design of new media to support leisure outings.
Validation of a Short Form of the Marlowe-Crowne for Use with Law Enforcement Personnel

This study cross-validates a 13-question version of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale proposed by Reynolds (1982), using law enforcement professionals (n = 241). A rational is offered for the importance of scales of this nature being used to assess honesty, social desirability and self-deception. External validity indicators including concurrent measures of aggression and prejudice as well as prehire MMPI scales K and L on a subset of this sample (n = 70) are reviewed. Correlations between the 13-question version of the Marlowe-Crowne and external measures demonstrate robust effect sizes and statistical significance. Comparisons are also examined between officer scores and students from another cross-validation study of the 13-question short form of the Marlowe-Crowne (Zook & Sipps, 1984). Conclusions are made in consideration of the importance of honesty in law enforcement testing as well as the need for better means of accounting for variance due to social desirability in testing. Future directions for research are suggested.