cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toxicologic evaluation of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II in B6D2F1 mice

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicologic responses of mice to cis -diamminedichloroplatinum II ( cis -DDP), an established antitumor drug, and compare them to those reported in rats, dogs, and monkeys. This comparison would facilitate the continuing appraisal of the usefulness and reliability of the mouse to predict the toxicologic response to antitumor drugs in human patients. In duplicate experiments, B6D2F 1 mice were treated with 8, 10, 12, and 14 mg/kg of cis -DDP in single, intraperitoneal doses. These sublethal doses corresponded to 0.4, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.8 LD 50 . On posttreatment days 1, 3, 6, 10, 14 or 15, and 21 or 22, groups of mice were killed and blood and other tissues were collected for hematologic (8 tests), clinical chemical (11 tests), and histopathologic (11 tissues) evaluations. Cis -DDP induced reticulocytopenia, azotemia, renal tubular recrosis and damage to the gastrointestinal epithelium with the severity being dose dependent. Hematopoietic and gastrointestinal alterations were reversible. Renal lesions were still apparent 21 days posttreatment. Although the cis -DDP doses used in this study were lower than doses used in studies with other species, the organ lesions in mice were similar to those observed in rats, dogs, or monkeys. The use of the mouse offers a number of advantages for pharmaceutical and chemical development programs, but additional data will be required to assess the overall reliability of the mouse for predicting target organs of antitumor drugs and other xenobiotics in man.
Constitutive synthesis of a 92-kDa keratinocyte-derived type IV collagenase is enhanced by type I collagen and decreased by type IV collagen matrices.

Human keratinocytes synthesize interstitial collagenase, a 72-kDa gelatinase, and a recently described 92-kDa gelatinase/type IV collagenase. We examined the synthesis of this novel enzyme by basal keratinocytes apposed to plastic, basement membrane collagen (type IV), and interstitial dermal collagen (type I). Samples of conditioned medium were electrophoresed on a 10% polyacrylamide, gelatin-ladened zymogram. Protein bands with gelatin-cleaving properties were identified by clarification of the gel and quantified by densitometry. A 92-kDa band had marked gelatinolytic activity and increased in culture over 72 h. The identification of this 92-kDa band as type IV collagenase was demonstrated by Western immunoblotting using monospecific antibody to the 92-kDa type IV collagenase. Keratinocytes apposed to type I collagen exhibited a threefold increase in the synthesis of the 92-kDa enzyme compared to cultures apposed to type IV collagen and a 1.5-times increase compared to plastic. The specificity of this enhancement was shown by constant levels of other proteins (e.g., the 72-kDa gelatinase). This study demonstrates that cell-matrix interactions modulate the synthesis of a recently described, keratinocyte-derived, 92-kDa gelatinase and that specific collagen types (I versus IV) have opposite effects upon the synthesis of this enzyme.
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) production and degradation by rat medial basal hypothalami in vitro

The in vitro production of hypothalamic LH-RH was examined by measuring the differences in tissue content of this neurohormone in incubated versus non-incubated rat medial basal hypothalami. A highly significant increase in hypothalamic LH-RH content was noted which was proportional to the duration of incubation. This observed increase was completely inhibited by incubating tissues at 0 °C, and was not found to occur in similar sized pieces of lateral cortex. A much smaller production of LH-RH was seen by incubation of the preoptic hypothalamic area. In all experiments very little LH-RH was detected in the incubation media. In experiments comparing physiologically different animals, LH-RH production was greater in adult males than in prepubertal males or females, and was higher in intact adult males than in castrates of the same age. Enzymic LH-RH degradation was investigated by adding exogenous synthetic hormone to either the incubating hypothalami or various tissue homogenates and measuring its disappearance as a function of time and/or concentration. These experiments demonstrate a hypothalamic peptidase(s) which degrades LH-RH at a Vmax of 1.7 pg/min/μg of protein (24 °C) with a Km of 2.1 × 10−8 M/1. Peptidase activity was found in several areas of the brain as well as in the pituitary. Furthermore, there was considerable enzymic activity present in the media from the incubated hypothalami rendering it infeasible to accurately quantitate LH-RH secretion.
Interstellar grains in meteorites: I. Isolation of SiC, graphite and diamond; size distributions of SiC and graphite

A procedure has been developed for isolating three types of interstellar grains from primitive meteorites, in >90% purity and yields of generally ≥70%, and is here applied to the Murchison C2M meteorite. Silicates are dissolved in HF-HCl, kerogen (macromolecular organic matter) is destroyed by Cr2O7=, KOH, and H2O2, and microdiamonds (~400 ppm) are recovered as a colloid. Graphite (<1 ppm) is isolated by density and size separations. Spinel in the residue is dissolved in H2SO4, leaving SiC (~6 ppm), hibonite, and corundum. The size distribution of SiC has been measured in the range 0.2 to 6 μm. Over part of this range, it can be fit either to a power-law or a log-normal distribution, but the deficiency of small grains strongly favors the latter. Statistics are more limited for graphite spherules, but they, too, follow a log-normal distribution, and so does interstellar diamond (Lewis et al., 1989). Apparently the primary condensation process in stellar atmospheres consistently yields a log-normal distribution. The power-law distribution commonly inferred for interstellar grains may have been produced by secondary processes such as fragmentation.
Theophylline : Recent advances in the understanding of its mode of action and uses in clinical practice

Theophylline, a drug that has been used for several decades, has several different actions at a cellular level, including inhibition of phosphodiesterase isoenzymes, antagonism of adenosine, enhancement of catecholamine secretion, and modulation of calcium fluxes. Recently, theophylline was found to have several immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, and thus interest in its use in patients with asthma has been renewed. The use of theophylline in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has diminished with the advent of new medications, but theophylline remains beneficial, especially in the patient with difficult refractory symptoms. In the future, theophylline may be used as treatment for bradyarrhythmias after cardiac transplantation, prophylactic medication to reduce the severity of nephropathy associated with intravenous administration of contrast material, therapy for breathing problems during sleep, and treatment for leukemias.
Relationships and CHD risks of BMI, lipoproteins, lipids, and blood pressure in African-American men and women.

Abstract Background . Body mass index (BMI) is believed to be associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) risks. A major question is whether each BMI category provides independent risk information and whether the BMI categories provide similar results for African-American (AA) men and women relative to lipid, lipoproteins, and blood pressure. Methods . A descriptive research design was used to evaluate the effects of BMI categories on lipoproteins, lipids, and blood pressure, and to determine if similar CHD risks related to these variables were observed in AA men and women. The 358 (108 men and 250 women; 40–70 year of age) participants were recruited from churches in a southeastern metropolitan area. Results . The results indicate that BMI is positively associated with lipoproteins, lipids, and blood pressure in both AA men and women. Relative risks for CHD were higher for obese (BMI > 30 kg/m 2 ) men and women, but the overweight (OW) category provided the same information as the normal weight (NW) category for men, but not for women. Conclusions . This suggests that the same BMI standards provide different CHD risk information for AA men than for AA women and that gender-specific BMI standards may be warranted for more effective CHD risk stratification in AA adults.
Improvement of spatial resolution properties of image intensifier-TV digital systems with a multiple-narrow-slit beam imaging technique.

Multiple‐slit beam imaging technique with an image intensifier (II)–TV digital system has been developed to remove scatter and veiling glare while high x‐ray beam utilization is maintained. Although the contrast and signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) are improved with this technique, the overall image quality obtainable with an II–TV digital system is still limited due to low spatial resolution, which is mainly caused by the large pixel size, i.e., by the small matrix size used. In order to overcome the limitation of the pixel size, we have developed a new method of improving the resolution properties of the II–TV digital system by use of a multiple‐slit assembly (MSA) having a narrow slit width. When the slit width of the MSA is narrower than the pixel size of the II–TV digital system, two signals from a given slit due to different MSA placements may be detected by the same pixel in different image frames, and the detected signals of the slit images are mapped to a large matrix. In this way, the spatial resolution in the direction perpendicular to the slit openings can be improved along with the increased contrast and SNR as the scatter and veiling glare can be removed. Experimental results are presented, and the effect of an anisotropic resolution property on the overall image quality is discussed.
Social Emotional Adjustment and Interpersonal Problems: A Circumplex Analysis of the Weinberger Adjustment Typology:

Weinberger's typological model of social-emotional adjustment was described. The model's six adjustment types were evaluated within the context of the interpersonal problems circumplex in a sample of 306 young adult college students. Diagnostic features of precise circumplex measurement were used to distinguish adjustment types. Substantive features of the interpersonal problems circumplex were used to describe differential characteristics of interpersonal dysfunction across adjustment types. Differential endorsementrates of psychological symptoms across adjustment types were also examined. The validityof the social-emotional adjustment typology was supported. Based on previous research on interpersonal problems, psychotherapy response, and attachment styles, implications for the typology regarding the development of psychopathology and psychotherapeutic interventions are discussed. We conclude that the Weinberger types represent a useful, person-centered typological model in which to integrate developmen...
Free Edge Strain Concentrations in Real Composite Laminates: Experimental-Theoretical Correlation

The magnitude of the maximum shear strain at the free edge of axially loaded theta (2)/-theta(2)(s) and (+ or - theta(2) (s) composite laminates was investigated experimentally and numerically to ascertain the actual value of strain concentration in resin matrix laminates and to determine the accuracy of finite element results. Experimental results using moire interferometry show large, but finite, shear strain concentrations at the free edge of graphite-epoxy and graphite-polyimide laminates. Comparison of the experimental results with those obtained using several different finite element representations showed that a four node isoparametric finite element provided the best and most trouble free numerical results. The results indicate that the ratio of maxium shear strain at the free edge to applied axial strain varies with fiber orientation and does not exceed nine for the most critical angle which is 15 deg.
Factors involved in synthesis of fatty acids from acetate by a soluble fraction obtained from lactating rat mammary gland

Abstract 1. 1. The conversion of acetate to fatty acids by a particle-free supernatant fraction obtained from the mammary glands of lactating rats was studied. 2. 2. Fatty acid synthesis by this particle-free supernatant shows an absolute requirement for (a) the cofactors concerned with acetate activation (ATP, Mg ++ , CoA, and glutathione), (b) triphosphopyridine nucleotide and (c) citrate. 3. 3. The requirement for triphosphopyridine nucleotide can be partially replaced by diphosphopyridine nucleotide, but the concentrations of diphosphopyridine nucleotide required are much higher than those of triphosphopyridine nucleotide. A conversion of diphosphopyridine nucleotide to triphosphopyridine nucleotide has been demonstrated in this system. 4. 4. Citrate can be completely replaced by cis -aconitate, but can be only partially replaced by d , l -isocitrate. 5. 5. Glucose 6-phosphate has only little effect on lipogenesis from acetate; in fact it strongly depresses the effect due to citrate in the presence of triphosphopyridine nucleotide. 6. 6. Fructose diphosphate has no effect on lipogenesis from acetate in the absence of citrate, whereas in the presence of this tricarboxylic acid its addition is inhibitory. 7. 7. α-ketoglutarate plus bicarbonate cannot replace citrate; however, in the presence of triphosphopyridine nucleotide and glucose 6-phosphate or l -malate, α-ketoglutarate plus bicarbonate shows a stimulatory effect which is about 25% of the citrate effect. 8. 8. Malonate stimulates fatty acid synthesis from acetate by the particle-free supernatant fraction. In the slice, malonate inhibits fatty acid synthesis in the absence of glucose, but it has little effect on fatty acid synthesis from acetate in the presence of glucose.
Glottalized consonants as a genetic feature in Southeast Asia

Abstract Glottalized consonants are known to be a strong areal feature of Southeast Asia/south China. In this paper, adopting a definition of glottalized consonants in the strict sense as unit phonemes, not clusters, and incorporating both synchronic and diachronic data that have become available since the classic articles by Haudricourt and Henderson, I find that: 1. Glottalized consonants are a strong genetic feature of Kadai, Miao-Yao and Mon-Khmer, but not Sino-Tibetan.
Checking Event-Based Specifications in Java Systems

One of today's challenges is producing reliable software in the face of an increasing number of interacting components. Our system CHET lets developers define specifications describing how a component should be used and checks these specifications in real Java systems. CHET is able to check a wide range of complex conditions in large software systems without programmer intervention. It does this by doing a complete and detailed flow analysis of the software and using this analysis to build a simpler, model program. This paper explores the motivations for CHET, the specification techniques that are used, and the methodology used in statically checking that the specifications are obeyed in a system.
Comparison of hang-back medial rectus recession with conventional recession

Hang-back recession is commonly used for adjustable strabismus surgery and surgery for dissociated vertical deviation. The authors have begun to use the hand-back technique for routine recessions as well, to simplify the procedure and to lessen the risk of scleral perforation. In 49 consecutive children undergoing conventional bilateral medial rectus recession and 31 consecutive children undergoing hang-back recession, the success rate (+/- 10 prism diopters [PD]) was 80% in the conventional group and 74% in the hang-back group at 6 weeks. The dose-response curves were nearly identical. These results confirm that hang-back recessions for infantile and acquired esotropia are a predictable alternative to conventional strabismus surgery.
Structure of a linear array of hollow vortices of finite cross-section

Free-streamline theory is employed to construct an exact steady solution for a linear array of hollow, or stagnant cored, vortices in an inviscid incompressible fluid. If each vortex has area A and the separation is L, there are two possible shapes if A[1/2]/L is less than a critical value 0.38 and none if it is larger. The stability of the shapes to two-dimensional, periodic and symmetric disturbances is considered for hollow vortices. The more deformed of the two possible shapes is found to be unstable while the less deformed shape is stable.
Understanding discharge instructions after vascular surgery: An observational study

Patient education is a dynamic ongoing process that occurs from admission to discharge. Vascular surgery is an intensive procedure that causes stress to patient and family members. High stress levels in patients are a barrier to learning. There is a large body of knowledge available on patient education. However, research is lacking on patient retention of discharge instructions after vascular surgery. This study describes patient responses to 4 questions that were asked 3 days after in-hospital teaching was completed by a registered nurse regarding either femoral-popliteal bypass surgery or abdominal aortic aneurysm repair surgery.
Model Predictive Control of Reformate Composition for Use in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Fuel cells allow for increased efficiency in power production when compared to the thermodynamically limited efficiencies of heat engines. In the case of solid oxide fuel cells, they are also usable with the fuel infrastructure currently in place (natural gas). Although potentially transformative, solid oxide fuel cells are currently limited by engineering challenges related to operating temperature (> 600° C), durability, and load following ability. For example, the buildup of solid carbon in the stack, or coking, potentially limits one of the most desirable aspects of solid oxide fuel cells, which is their robustness to fuel type. As the working temperatures for SOFCs continue to decrease, in order to maintain fuel robustness, the need for control of the fuel reforming process increases. This work demonstrates the use of a model predictive control algorithm on a catalytic partial oxidation fuel reformer. The controller allows for load following demand changes from the fuel cell and meets those demand changes, while ensuring that the reformate composition is not prone to solid carbon formation. The controller meets current demand changes to within 0.1 amperes/second while maintaining compositional limits on the reformate flow and temperature limits on the stack and reformer.© 2012 ASME
Adaptation of group algebras to signal and image processing

Abstract Filtering techniques in digital signal and image processing typically use linear and/or cyclic convolutions, both of which are based on polynomial arithmetic. When the input data and the filter weights are treated as coefficients of polynomials, linear convolution is computed directly as a product of these polynomials. Cyclic convolution is used as an efficient means of computing the linear convolution. In this case, the input is organized into sections, each section treated as the coefficients of a polynomial. The output data are generated by selecting the last coefficients of the products of the section polynomials with the filter polynomial. We develop a more general methodology for filtering signals and images on the basis of the ideas of: (1) group algebras, a generalization of polynomials and polynomial arithmetic, and (2) value functions, a generalization of the coefficient selection used in generating the output data. Applications of these ideas to signal and image processing are given. Finally, the concepts are incorporated into the framework of image algebras.
Health Care Provider Education as a Tool to Enhance Antibiotic Stewardship Practices

Antibiotic stewardship education for health care providers provides a foundation of knowledge and an environment that facilitates and supports optimal antibiotic prescribing. There is a need to extend this education to medical students and health care trainees. Education using passive techniques is modestly effective for increasing prescriber knowledge, whereas education using active techniques is more effective for changing prescribing behavior. Such education has been shown to enhance other antibiotic stewardship interventions. In this review, the need and suggested audience for antibiotic stewardship education are highlighted, and effective education techniques are recommended for increasing knowledge of antibiotics and improving their use.
Comparison of Soleus H-Reflex Modulation After Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury in 2 Walking Environments: Treadmill With Body Weight Support and Overground

Abstract Phadke CP, Wu SS, Thompson FJ, Behrman AL. Comparison of soleus H-reflex modulation after incomplete spinal cord injury in 2 walking environments: treadmill with body weight support and overground. Objective To investigate a walking environment effect on soleus H-reflex modulation during walking in persons with motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) and noninjured controls. Design Pretest and posttest repeated-measures quasi-experimental controlled design. Setting Locomotor training laboratory. Participants Eight adults with incomplete SCI and 8 noninjured age- and speed-matched controls. Intervention Walking overground with a customary assistive device and brace at a self-selected, comfortable walking speed was compared with walking on treadmill with 40% body weight support (BWS) and manual trainers for leg and trunk movement guidance. Main Outcome Measure Mean soleus H-reflex amplitude (H/M ratio) was recorded during midstance and midswing phases of walking. Results The H/M ratio was 33% smaller in stance phase ( P =.078) and 56% smaller in the swing phase ( P =.008) of walking on the treadmill with BWS and manual assistance compared with overground in the incomplete SCI group. The H/M ratio in the incomplete SCI group was significantly greater compared with noninjured controls in the stance and swing phases of overground walking ( P =.001, P =.007, respectively). Soleus H-reflex modulation in the 2 walking environments did not differ significantly in the noninjured population. Conclusions Training walking on a treadmill with BWS and manual assistance to approximate the kinematics and spatiotemporal pattern of walking may be a more optimal environment to aid in normalizing reflex modulation after incomplete SCI when compared with conventional gait training overground.
Biodegradation of synthetic base fluid surrogates in Gulf of Mexico sediments under simulated deep-sea conditions.

In this study, an anaerobic marine biodegradability test was adapted to study the fate of synthetic base fluid (SBF) surrogates, ethyl oleate and tetradecene, by deep-sea microorganisms. Sediment samples from hundreds of meters deep in the Gulf of Mexico were incubated at low temperatures (4 °C) and high hydrostatic pressure in steel vessels. Stimulation of indigenous microbial communities to SBF biodegradation was evident in the fact that the rate of removal of ethyl oleate was greater in sediments that had some previous exposure to SBF (first-order decay coefficient k of −0.22 ± 0.02 week-1) compared to unexposed control sediments (first-order decay coefficient k of −0.11 ± 0.02 week-1). When sulfate-linked tetradecene degradation occurred within the test period, the activity could also be modeled as a first-order decay following an initial lag phase, with an average decay coefficient of k = −0.05 ± 0.01 week-1. This study also revealed that the degradation of SBF surrogates by microorganisms collected ...
Scaling analysis of graphene nanoribbon tunnel-FETs

Band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) has been proven as an effective means to modify the distribution of carriers injected into the channel of tunneling field-effect transistors (T-FET), and to improve the input/output characteristics such as s ubthreshold swing (S) and OFF cur rent (I OFF ) [1–3]. O n the other hand, t he unique properties of graphene na noribbons (G NR) such as superior gate control and the one-dimensional current transport have attracted researchers to implement the GNR as the channel medium for field effect transistors [3–6]. In [3] the narrow band gap GNR is used to improve the ON current (I ON ) and subthreshold swing of T-FETs. In this pa per, the sc aling issues of the G NR T-F ET are studied. The de pendence of the I–V characteristics, transconductance, S, and I ON /I OFF ratio on t he channel length (L ch ) and G NR w idth (W GNR ) ar e analyze d. The direct source-to-drain tunneling of carriers is identified as the main limiting factor for length scaling of GNR T-FETs; and width scaling is found to improve the device performance.
Theory of intermittency

The aperiodic or chaotic behavior for one-dimensional maps just before a tangent bifurcation occurs appears as intermittency in which long laminarlike regions irregularly separated by bursts occur. Proceeding from the picture proposed by Pomeau and Manneville, numerical experiments and analytic calculations are carried out on various models exhibiting this behavior. The behavior in the presence of external noise is analyzed, and the case of a general power dependence of the curve near the tangent bifurcation is studied. Scaling relations for the average length of the laminar regions and deviations from scaling are determined. In addition, the probability distribution of path lengths, the stationary distribution of the maps, the correlation function and power spectrum of the map in the intermittent region, and the Lyapunov exponent are obtained.
Gas Transport Processes In Human Airways

AbstractNumerous mathematical models describe the behavior of inhaled gases of health effects concerns. Such models are often developed for particular applications and have commensurate limitations (e.g., applicability to water-soluble or -insoluble gases) based upon the assumptions used in their respective derivations. The various models have certain restrictions in common; for instance, they assume airways of the lung to be smooth-walled tubes with fixed flow conditions. But, as documented herein, airways of the lung contain pronounced surface irregularities, including natural structural features like cartilaginous rings in the upper bronchi, and various airway lengths insufficient for flow development. Therefore, we have focused upon the behavior of inhaled gases within human conducting airways while accounting for effects of localized features of morphology and developing flow conditions. The role of respiratory intensity (i.e., ventilatory parameters) was also examined. The new model has been develop...
Accessing networked information: Research, issues and implications

The provision of information services has changed dramatically over the last few years, particularly with developments in access to networked information technology and the shift from a paper‐based to a digital information environment. The development of the ‘digital library’ or ‘virtual library’ in particular has created an information environment that is complex and fluid, connective and interactive, and diverse and unpredictable. It is an environment that now places considerable responsibility on information users to be able to navigate this complex and often ambiguous information space. This does not happen by chance, and calls for considerable attention to be given to reshaping the role of information professionals in enabling users to effectively interact with this information. Against this backdrop, this paper will examine current research on information user behaviour in digital environments, particularly in relation to using Web‐based information services. It will highlight substantive issues in ...
U.S. Continental Scientific Drilling Program: Ongoing activities and scientific research strategy

The Interagency Coordinating Group for Continental Scientific Drilling (ICG/CSD), composed of representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), has devised a multiyear, multihole scientific research strategy for the U.S. Continental Scientific Drilling Program (CSDP). Using this strategic plan, the agencies of ICG/CSD expect to establish and maintain a management and operational infrastructure for continental scientific drilling. Phase I is the initial 3-year, base scientific drilling program beginning in Fiscal Year 1991. Combined funding from the three agencies is expected to be about $3 million per year, to drill 10 to 15 shallow- to intermediate-depth holes over the 3-year period. The elements of Phase I are: targets of significant scientific importance at shallow and occasionally intermediate depths research using drill holes of opportunity continuing research and development related to CSDP activities archiving, storing and distributing drilling samples collecting, managing and distributing drilling and drilling-related data.
Obstetric outcomes in pregnant women with congenital heart disease.

Abstract Background Predictors of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with congenital heart disease (CHD) have been described, but not for obstetrical outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to determine what risk factors predict sustaining adverse obstetric events in pregnant women with CHD. In addition, a secondary aim was to assess the impact of avoiding Valsalva on obstetrical outcomes, an intervention commonly recommended, but never studied. Methods A retrospective cohort study examined outcomes in women with CHD who delivered between 1998 and 2005. We examined baseline cardiac characteristics in a multivariate logistic regression model to assess which were associated with adverse obstetric events. We also compared outcomes of women who avoided Valsalva versus those who were allowed to Valsalva. Results The study included 65 women with 112 pregnancies. An adverse obstetric event occurred in 32.6% ( n =32) of ongoing pregnancies, the most common being preterm delivery ( n =19), post-partum hemorrhage ( n =13), and preterm premature rupture of membranes ( n =9). There were no independent predictors for sustaining an adverse obstetric event. Women who avoided Valsalva had increased rates of post-partum hemorrhage and 3rd/4th degree lacerations. Conclusions Although one-third of pregnancies were associated with an adverse obstetric outcome, these events could not be predicted by baseline hemodynamic characteristics. The routine practice of avoiding Valsalva may be associated with high rates of post-partum hemorrhage and 3rd/4th degree lacerations.
Ultra-Smooth ZnO Buffer Layers on (001) Sapphire

Using off-axis reactive rf sputtering, we have grown extremely smooth, nearly epitaxial, (001) oriented ZnO films on c-axis sapphire substrates. Atomic Force Microscopy was used to determine that these films are extremely smooth, having an rms roughness of only a few tenths of a nanometer. Based on high resolution x-ray diffraction (HXRD), the ZnO is highly oriented, with a rocking curve width of less than 400 arc seconds for the (006) diffraction peak, and only somewhat larger for the (112) reflection. HXRD Phi scans show that the ZnO (112) reflection is rotated in the a-b plane by 30 degrees from the sapphire (113) direction. These two measurements indicate excellent in-plane orientation. We are investigating the use of these buffer layers for subsequent GaN growth. Electrical resistivities of the films exceeded 100 kΩ-cm making ZnO a potential candidate as an insulating buffer layer.
A traffic-balanced adaptive wormhole routing scheme for two-dimensional meshes

In this paper, we analyze several issues involved in developing low latency adaptive wormhole routing schemes for two-dimensional meshes. It is observed that along with adaptivity, balanced distribution of traffic has a significant impact on the system performance. Motivated by this observation, we develop a new fully adaptive routing algorithm called positive-first-negative-first for two-dimensional meshes. The algorithm uses only two virtual channels per physical channel creating two virtual networks. The messages are routed positive-first in one virtual network and negative-first in the other. Because of this combination, the algorithm distributes the system load uniformly throughout the network and is also fully adaptive. It is shown that the proposed algorithm results in providing better performance in terms of the average network latency and throughput when compared with the previously proposed routing algorithms.
An intelligent I-cache prefetch mechanism

Modern, high-performance processors employ techniques such as superscalar execution and super-pipelining to increase their instruction issue rate. As the instruction issue rate of processors increases, however, the negative impact of branches on performance also increases. This paper describes an instruction cache (I-cache) prefetch mechanism to improve processor performance on the taken branches. Under perfect conditions, the mechanism allows the target of a taken branch to be prefetched early enough to completely hide the memory latency of an I-cache miss. >
A hierarchical approach to cost analysis for next generation semiconductor processes

Introduction of next generation semiconductor technologies gets progressively harder and more expensive with each node in the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) roadmap. True to tradition, the 0.1-micron node promises to provide a new set of processing complexities and significant capital investment as well as associated manufacturing costs. We have developed a methodology to analyze different process and equipment alternatives, in order to ultimately reduce the capital investment and overall manufacturing cost of wafers through this process. This approach is hierarchical in nature; in other words, it first aids with analysis of alternatives at a process step level and then these results are incorporated in the analysis of the total wafer and die cost at the macro process flow level. A Visual Basic based tool has been developed to enable this analysis.
How to Find Hidden Users: A Survey of Attacks on Anonymity Networks

Communication privacy has been a growing concern, particularly with the Internet becoming a major hub of our daily interactions. Revelations of government tracking and corporate profiling have resulted in increasing interest in anonymous communication mechanisms. Several systems have been developed with the aim of preserving communication privacy via unlinkability within a public network environment such as Tor and I2P. As the anonymity networks cannot guarantee perfect anonymity, it is important for users to understand the risks they might face when utilizing such technologies. In this paper, we discuss potential attacks on the anonymity networks that can compromise user identities and communication links. We also summarize protection mechanisms against such attacks. Many attacks against anonymity networks are well studied, and most of the modern systems have built-in mechanisms to prevent these attacks. Additionally, some of the attacks require considerable resources to be effective and hence are very unlikely to succeed against modern anonymity networks.
The Attribution of Variance in Electoral Returns: An Alternative Measurement Technique

Swings in district vote for Congress are conditioned by many factors. An attempt is made here to apportion the variance in the partisan distribution of votes for U. S. representative among three levels of influence—national, state, and district—measuring the degree of nationalization, regionalization, and localization of voting. Previous attempts have defined “nationalization” of voting as the degree to which district interelection differences are numerically identical. Here this concept is defined in a two-stage regression model as the degree to which districts behave as if these differences were caused by the same factors. In contrast to previous research, national factors are found to be responsible for more than 50 per cent of the variance in local vote, with state and district forces accounting for 19 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively. Several analytic uses for this measure are suggested and illustrated.
Is The Euro A Harbinger Of A World Currency

This paper speculated on the possibility or potential of a worldwide movement toward a single global currency using a study of the economic impact on the European Union (EU) of its single currency. Using the timeframe of the single currency adoption, three main factors of the EU were analyzed:1) the cost of living (inflation), 2) deficit spending, and 3) unemployment. It was hypothesized, for the sake of this study, that the effects on these three items would be roughly the same for the implementation of a single global currency. This assumption is based on the fact that the euro adoption was performed by countries whose economies and policies were not synchronized across-the-board in spite of the intention of the detailed treaty that foreshadowed the euro. A selective look at diverse literature perspectives touting both the achievements and downfalls of the euro adoption and implementation, news commentaries predicting the possibilities of further currency unification, and a brief history of currency, in general, was made. The finding of this study indicated that the euro did not appear to have a strong economic impact on its member countries based on the three criteria. That, coupled with the diversity of the world’s nations in categories ranging from political to technical to financial, lead to the conclusion that a single world currency in the foreseeable future is unlikely.
Evaluation of readmission rates for carotid endarterectomy versus carotid artery stenting in the US Medicare population.

Objective:We evaluated rates and identified predictors of readmission in the Medicare population after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) compared to carotid artery stenting (CAS).Methods:MedPAR data (2005-2009) were used to select patients who underwent CEA or CAS (utilizing International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes). Readmission was evaluated using chi-square and multivariable logistic regression.Results:A total of 235 247 carotid interventions were performed (211 118 CEA and 24 129 CAS). Readmission rates (%) for patients undergoing CEA and CAS, respectively, were 8.84 and 11.11 (30 days; P 80 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20-1.30) and patients with renal failure (OR = 1.6 95%; CI = 1.56-1.73), congestive heart failure (OR = 1.6; 95%CI = 1.57-1.73), diabetes (OR = 1.4; 95% CI 1.27-1.52), and CAS (OR = 1.2; 95%CI = 1.15-1.25) were more...
La clerecía del Fernán González

The Poema de Fernan Gonzalez is usually regarded as a hybrid text—while its subject matter is deemed epic, its expression, intentionality, and ideology are considered clerical. This article studies several elements shared by Fernan Gonzalez and the other poems of the mester de clerecia school: the same stanza (the cuaderna via) and poetic rules; similar modes of composition, transmission, and reception; and common structural, thematic, and verbal patterns. The article concludes that the Poema de Fernan Gonzalez fully participates in the common artistry of the mester de clerecia and therefore can be regarded as the attempt to produce epic poetry by this learned clerical school.
Kashmir's Secessionist Movement Resurfaces: Ethnic Identity, Community Competition, and the State

The May 2008 Jammu & Kashmir government9s decision to transfer 99 acres of land to a Hindu shrine reignited the Kashmiri nationalist movement. This essay argues that Kashmiri ethnonationalist aspirations remain entrenched among the Valley9s Muslim population and that electoral participation is no guarantee of attenuated ethnonationalist demands.
Location and Depth of Pervious Concrete Clogging Material before and after Void Maintenance with Common Municipal Utility Vehicles

In practice, it has been observed that the method of pervious concrete void maintenance depends on which machines or vehicles the owners have available. This research compares the abilities of thre...
MEETING THE MAASTRICHT TARGETS

This article documents the role of debt management and budgetary targets as emerging factors in economic integration. The author examines the negotiations behind the Maastrict Treaty with a particular focus on Germany and France. This study also examines the long and short-term outlook for economic success by analyzing the domestic and international economic and political forces at work in the process of economic integration. Such an understanding is critical as regional trading blocs spread and resistance to these trends becomes organized.
Expression-based discovery of candidate ovule development regulators through transcriptional profiling of ovule mutants

Arabidopsis ovules comprise four morphologically distinct parts: the nucellus, which contains the embryo sac, two integuments that become the seed coat, and the funiculus that anchors the ovule within the carpel. Analysis of developmental mutants has shown that ovule morphogenesis relies on tightly regulated genetic interactions that can serve as a model for developmental regulation. Redundancy, pleiotropic effects and subtle phenotypes may preclude identification of mutants affecting some processes in screens for phenotypic changes. Expression-based gene discovery can be used access such obscured genes. Affymetrix microarrays were used for expression-based gene discovery to identify sets of genes expressed in either or both integuments. The genes were identified by comparison of pistil mRNA from wild type with mRNA from two mutants; inner no outer (ino, which lacks the outer integument), and aintegumenta (ant, which lacks both integuments). Pools of pistils representing early and late stages of ovule development were evaluated and data from the three genotypes were used to designate genes that were predominantly expressed in the integuments using pair-wise and cluster analyses. Approximately two hundred genes were found to have a high probability of preferential expression in these structures, and the predictive nature of the expression classes was confirmed with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. The results showed that it was possible to use a mutant, ant, with broad effects on plant phenotype to identify genes expressed specifically in ovules, when coupled with predictions from known gene expression patterns, or in combination with a more specific mutant, ino. Robust microarray averaging (RMA) analysis of array data provided the most reliable comparisons, especially for weakly expressed genes. The studies yielded an over-abundance of transcriptional regulators in the identified genes, and these form a set of candidate genes for evaluation of roles in ovule development using reverse genetics.
Turbulent Energy Spectra and Cospectra of Momentum and Heat Fluxes in the Stable Atmospheric Surface Layer

The turbulent energy spectra and cospectra of momentum and sensible heat fluxes are examined theoretically and experimentally with increasing flux Richardson number (Rf) inthestableatmosphericsurfacelayer.Acospectralbudgetmodel,previouslyusedtoexplain the bulk relation between the turbulent Prandtl number (Prt) and the gradient Richardson number (Ri) as well as the relation between Rf and Ri, is employed to interpret field measure- ments over a lake and a glacier. The shapes of the vertical velocity and temperature spectra, needed for closing the cospectral budget model, are first examined with increasing Rf .I n addition, the wavenumber-dependent relaxation time scales for momentum and heat fluxes are inferred from the cospectral budgets and investigated. Using experimental data and pro- posedextensionstothecospectralbudgetmodel,theexistenceofa'−1'power-lawscalingin the temperature spectra but its absence from the vertical velocity spectra is shown to reduce the magnitude of the maximum flux Richardson number (Rfm), which is commonly inferred from the Rf-Ri relation when Ri becomes very large (idealized with Ri →∞ ). Moreover, dissimilarity in relaxation time scales between momentum and heat fluxes, also affected by the existence of the '−1' power-law scaling in the temperature spectra, leads to Prt � 1 under near-neutral conditions. It is further shown that the production rate of turbulent kinetic energy decreases more rapidly than that of turbulent potential energy as Rf → Rfm ,w hich explains the observed disappearance of the inertial subrange in the vertical velocity spectra at a smaller Rf as compared to its counterpart in the temperature spectra. These results further demonstrate novel linkages between the scale-wise turbulent kinetic energy and potential energy distributions and macroscopic relations such as stability correction functions to the mean flow and the Prt-Ri relation.
Mixed local and remote participation in teleconferences from a deaf and hard of hearing perspective

In this experience report we describe the accessibility challenges that deaf and hard of hearing committee members faced while collaborating with a larger group of hearing committee members over a period of 2½ years. We explain what some recurring problems are, how audio-only conferences fall short even when relay services and interpreters are available, and how we devised a videoconferencing setup using FuzeMeeting to minimize the accessibility barriers. We also describe some best practices, as well as lessons learned, and pitfalls to avoid in deploying this type of setup.
Traditional and Nontraditional Histopathologic Predictors of Recurrence in Uterine Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma

Ninety-three consecutive operative cases of myometrial invasive endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the uterus without evidence of extrauterine spread at surgery were reviewed to determine whether any histopathologic features other than those traditionally reported might predict recurrence. Recurrence was associated with traditionally analyzed features of deep myometrial invasion, high FIGO grade, vascular space invasion, and cervical stromal invasion as well as patient age. In addition, a diffuse pattern of myometrial invasion was associated with an increased risk for recurrence. Contrary to results from previous studies, no increased risk was seen with high nuclear grade or the presence of perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates. When adjusted for traditional parameters, perivascular lymphocytes and a tumor-host inflammatory response were associated with prolonged time to recurrence. A desmoplastic host response or residual adenomyosis were unrelated to recurrence.
High dynamic performance programmed PWM control of a multilevel inverter with capacitor DC sources

A cascade multilevel inverter consisting of a standard 3-leg inverter supplied by a DC source and three full H-bridges each supplied by a capacitor is considered for use as a motor drive. The capacitor H-bridges can only supply reactive voltage to the motor while the standard three leg inverter can supply both reactive and active voltage. A switching control algorithm is presented that shows this inverter topology can be used as an AC drive achieving considerable performance advantages (e.g., higher motor speed) compared to using a standard 3-leg inverter while at the same time regulating the capacitor voltages. The converter controller is a fundamental frequency switching controller based on programmed PWM to achieve higher efficiency (less power losses in the switches) compared to high-frequency PWM approaches. As is well known, the programmed PWM switching times are computed assuming the drive is in sinusoidal steady-state, that is, the derived switching angles achieve the fundamental while rejecting specified harmonics if the voltage waveforms are in sinusoidal steady-state. Here it shown that the switching commands to the converter can be implemented in a smooth fashion for voltage waveform commands whose frequency and amplitudes are continuously varying.