cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Egalitarianism, Inequality, and Age: The Rural North in 1860

Little is known about the distribution of wealth in the allegedly egalitarian society of the rural North on the eve of the Civil War. This paper investigates the role of the age structure of the heads of household and a life-cycle pattern of accumulation in determining the wealth distribution within that society and among the various groups that comprised it. The results suggest a need for caution in making crossgroup or inter-temporal comparisons in wealth distributions without taking account of such factors. of differences in the age structure of the population either across time or between groups. Although the age structure of a population changes only slowly over time in the absence of catastrophic events, the age structures between groups are much more likely to be different. Moreover, if wealth is positively correlated with age, then, other things equal, wealth in a society with many young people and only a few old people would be more unequally distributed than in a society with many old people and only a few young people.' Thus, for 1860 Lee Soltow estimated that the richest 1 percent of the population held 29 percent of the total wealth.2 The same fraction in 1972 held only 24.1 percent of the total wealth.3 It would be incorrect to argue on the basis of simple wealth distribution characteristics that the distribution of wealth in the United States has become more equal. The age structure of the population has changed. Whereas in 1860, 69 percent of the population was under 30 years old and only 13 percent were in the 40-59 age group,4 in 1970, 53 percent of the population was
COMMON STOCKS AS INVESTMENTS FOR AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES, A NON-ACADEMIC VIEW II†

What then is the suitability of common stocks as an additional outlet for policy reserve funds? With current yields on common stocks now running over 5 per cent, backed up by earnings-priPe ratios of almost 12 per cent, compared to yields in debt securities running 3-4 per cent, investments now in this field, on a yield basis, look very attractive. The underlying issue is: are common stocks undervalued compared with other investment outlets? And two other questions are involved: Will common stocks subject the investor to as large capital loss hazards as they have in the past? And what will be the impact on common stock values if long-term interest rates do rise?
NON-LINEAR DIMENSION REDUCTION OF GABOR FEATURES FOR NOISE-ROBUST ASR

It has been shown that Gabor filters closely resemble the spectro-temporal response fields of neurons in the primary auditory cortex. A filter bank of 2-D Gabor filters can be applied to either the mel-spectrogram or power normalized spectrogram to obtain a set of physiologically inspired Gabor Filter Bank Features. The high dimensionality and the correlated nature of these features pose an issue for ASR. In the past, dimension reduction was performed through (1) feature selection, (2) channel selection, (3) linear dimension reduction or (4) tandem acoustic modelling. In this paper, we propose a novel solution to this issue based on channel selection and non-linear dimension reduction using Laplacian Eigenmaps. These features are concatenated with Power Normalized Cepstral Coefficients (PNCC) to evaluate if the two are complementary and provide an improvement in performance. We show a relative reduction of 12.66% in the WER compared to the PNCC baseline, when applied to the Aurora 4 database.
Construction of Burst-Erasure Efficient LDPC Codes for Use with Belief Propagation Decoding

In this paper, we consider the optimal permutation of encoded symbols that will result in the maximum burst erasure efficiency for a given low-density parity-check (LDPC) code under belief propagation (BP) decoding. A novel algorithm is proposed to permute columns of the parity-check matrix to achieve high burst erasure correction efficiencies. This method can be applied to any linear code to increase its burst-erasure efficiency while retaining its random-error correction capability. Results show that the algorithm outperforms previous methods.
A convenient lactic dehydrogenase-coupled assay for determining pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in plasma.

M N-2-hydroxyethylpipetazine-N’-3-propesulfonic acid, pH 7.8, at 37°C for 15 mitt, and then determining the o-serine dehydratase activity of an aliquot of the incubation mixture. A lactic dehydrogenase-coupled assay (at 25°C) was used to measure the rate of enzymicahy catalyzed conversion of D-serine to pyruvate, wherein depletion of NADH was followed continuously at 340 nm. The concentration of pyridoxal Y-phosphate in the plasma samule was estimated from the enzymic activity which is a linear function of the amount of pyridoxal 5’-phosphate present in the assay.
A simplified model for the distributed base contact impedance in heterojunction bipolar transistors

A base contact model for nonalloyed contacts to a moderately doped layer is derived by simplifying the exact, but complicated transmission-line model developed by Berger. We demonstrate that the distributed base contact impedance can be accurately modeled by a resistance in series with a parallel combination of a conductance and a capacitance, in contrast to the simple resistance used for heavily-doped base layers. We show that a dramatically different Gmax roll-off occurs and the value of maximum oscillation frequency is far higher than predicted for HBTs whose base contacts are represented by a simple resistance. Experimental results from P-n-p HBTs with nonalloyed base contacts are presented which agree very well with the predicted results with this simplified base contact impedance model.
Cardiac Paraprotein Associated with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia: A Case Report

A case of myocardial paraprotein deposition in a patient with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia is presented. Routine light microscopy revealed diffuse widening of interstitial regions by pale eosinophilic material that had a grayish cast on trichrome stains and was Congo red negative. Immunofluorescence showed strong immunoglobulin M and K light chain staining around blood vessels but predominantly around myocytes. Ultrastructural examination revealed massive deposition of flocculent electron-dense material around myocytes and occasionally around blood vessels.
Optical rheometry of complex fluid interfaces

Monolayers and other thin films can be rheologically complex with highly nonlinear material properties, such as shear thinning surface shear viscosities, complex moduli with both real and imaginary components, and surface normal stress differences. These responses are related to couplings between the interfacial microstructure and flow that cause distortion and alignment of the molecular and mesoscale constituents comprising the film. To understand these phenomena, and to provide the necessary background for the development of microstructural constitutive models for interfacial rheology, optical methods can provide important measurements of in situ , flow-induced structural responses.
A study of ammonia and urea production and excretion in the fresh-water-adapted form of the pacific lamphrey, Entosphenus tridentatus

1. 1. Activities of both carbamoyl phosphate synthetase and arginase were found in the liver of Entosphenus captured in fresh water. Some properties of these enzymes are reported. 2. 2. The remaining enzymes of the ornithine-urea cycle were not detected. 3. 3. In a comparison of ammonia and urea excretion by the gills and kidney, it was found that Entosphenus excretes mainly ammonia and does so maily via the gills. 4. 4. Thus, Entosphenus resembles fresh-water teleosts both in its apparent lack of a complete ornithine-urea cycle and its pattern of nitrogen excretion. 5. 5. The adaptive and evolutionary implications of these results are discussed.
Approximation Methods in the Nonlinear Analysis of Planar Tracked Vehicles

SUMMARY In many chain drives and tracked vehicle system applications, the shape of a closed chain may not significantly change during the functional operation of the system. This paper presents certain approximation methods which assume that the chain shape does not change. Because of the high frequency contact and impact forces, using approximate numerical schemes based solely on the kinematic descriptions of the closed chain, may lead to erroneous results. Different procedures for the numerical solution of the dynamic equations of motion of the tracked vehicles are presented. The tracked vehicles are modeled as two kinematically decoupled subsystems; the first is the chassis subsystem which consists of the chassis, rollers, idlers, and sprockets, and the second is the track subsystem which consists of the track links, interconnected by revolute joints. While there is dynamic force coupling between these two subsystems, there is no inertia coupling since the equations of the two subsystems are not kinema...
Molecular Dynamics Studies of Ion Conduction in a Prokaryotic Channel

Recently, the crystal structures of putative bacterial, voltage-gated sodium channels have been published, giving an atomic scale view of the NaChBac family of voltage-gated sodium channels. The selectivity filters of the open pore structure of NavMs (McCusker et al (2012) Nature Comm. 3, 1102) and the closed pore structure of NavAb (Payandeh et al (2011) Nature 475, 353) differ only on the order of 1-2 A in diameter. Previously published studies aimed at predicting the mechanism of ion selectivity through free energy surfaces have not provided a consistent free energy surface. Electrophysiology studies suggest that sodium selectivity in the NaChBac family is slight when compared to the potassium selectivity in potassium-selective ion channels (Shaya et al (2011) PNAS 108, 12313). Multi-microsecond equilibrium simulations of NavAb by Chakrabarti et al. suggest that conformational movements of the glutamate side chains are correlated to sodium movement through the selectivity filter (PNAS (2013) 110, 11331).We present microsecond timescale molecular dynamics simulations of ion conduction through a truncated model of the NavAb pore as a function of applied voltage, in solutions containing sodium, potassium, and both, and as a function of concentration. The model NavAb is constructed from the NavAb pore in which the S5 and S6 helices are truncated, creating an open pore, and embedded in a neon support. The S5 and S6 helices and the support are restrained, but the pore helices and selectivity filter are unrestrained. We show that conformational distribution of the glutamate side chains is voltage dependent. The dependence of selectivity on voltage, concentration, and cations present is demonstrated. Additionally, it is apparent that the rate of and predominant mechanism of conduction is not only dependent upon the voltage and cation but also upon the direction of current.
Study of N = 82 nuclei in the reaction 142Nd(d, 3He)141Pr

Abstract The ground state of 142 Nd and five states of 141 Pr have been studied using the reaction 142 Nd(d, 3 He) 141 Pr at an incident deuteron energy of 29.0 MeV. In the region 0–3 MeV excitation of 141 Pr, five states at energies 0.0, 0.145, 1.12, 1.30 and 1.61 MeV were observed. The absolute differential cross sections determined for these transitions in the angular range 10°–40° were analysed with conventional distorted-wave calculations using the code DWUCK. Transferred angular momentum values and spectroscopic factors were determined. The excitation spectrum of 141 Pr is compared with other recent reaction and decay scheme studies and is discussed in the framework of the quasiparticle description. A separate determination of the excitation energy of the first excited state was also obtained by measuring the energy of the γ-ray emitted in the decay of this level following its population in the β − decay of 141 Ce. The measurement was performed with a curved-crystal spectrometer and resulted in the value E γ = 145.450±0.005 keV.
Modeling the nonlinear add-drop microring filter

A new model is developed for the effects of the Kerr optical nonlinearity in a microring (racetrack) resonator coupled to input and output waveguides, which takes into account the nonlinearity in the couplers as well as the microring sections, as well as two-photon absorption, in the silicon-on-insulator platform. The switching intensity is 30 dB lower than predicted by existing models which assume the coupler to be linear.
Design and Evaluation of a Compact Silicon Carbide Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch

A high-power vertical photoconductive switch was fabricated from a high-purity semi-insulating 4H-SiC wafer. The device was fabricated from an as-grown wafer with resistivity >; 109 Ω · cm and had a dark resistance of greater than 6 × 109 Ω. The switch was operated at 15 kV/cm and achieved a peak photocurrent of 14 A into a 25-Ω load. Optimization of the excitation wavelength and switch geometry using an optical parametric oscillator was studied in order to decrease the laser requirements for optical triggering. This has led to a decrease in ON-state resistance of almost two orders of magnitude for similar excitation energy levels at visible wavelengths. This work forms the basis for developing very compact high-voltage photoconductive switches.
Quantitative subcellular localization of calmodulin-dependent phosphatase in chick forebrain

Using a radioimmunoassay, we have measured the level of calmodulin- dependent phosphatase (calcineurin) in various subcellular fractions from chick forebrain. Our results revealed high levels of the enzyme in the cytoplasm and microsomes. A considerable amount was also observed in synaptosomes, where it was found exclusively in the synaptoplasm, comprising 0.32% of the total synaptoplasmic protein. Immunocytochemical localization of the phosphatase in isolated synaptosomes supported the biochemical finding. Phosphatase was not detected in nuclei, myelin, synaptic vesicles, and mitochondria. These results suggest that myelin basic protein and histone H1, widely used in biochemical characterization studies of the phosphatase, may not be physiological substrates, and that the cytoplasm, microsomes, and synaptoplasm may prove to be useful sources for the identification of physiological substrates.
VERBAL FACTORS AND MATHEMATICS LEARNING: A REVIEW OF RESEARCH

A though the effects of verbal and other language factors on performance in mathematics have been recognized for years (see Monroe & Englehart, 1931, for a review of earlier studies), data bearing on the details of these effects have not been collected in a very systematic manner.' Most research has been on the "one-shot" variety, culminating in the report of a significant correlation coefficient or F ratio. However, an up-todate summary of research on this topic, a review which hopefully will serve as a background and stimulus for more extensive studies, should be of value.
Imaging Anatomy of Deep Neck Spaces

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the neck fascia and neck spaces that are formed by the interplay of the different fascial layers. Because a solid and thorough understanding of the anatomy and relationship of the various neck spaces is so valuable in diagnosing and treating diseases of the neck, this information organizes the anatomic areas of the neck beginning with and overview, followed by extent, anatomic relationship, and contents. Detailed enhanced computed tomography images display the anatomic areas of the neck.
Conoco and the Vapor Recovery Project Using Innovation to Preserve Autonomy

Summary We describe Conoco's closed-loop approach to reducing undesirable emissions through vapor recovery at some of its natural gas production facilities near Corpus Christi, Texas. In response to the U.S. Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA), Conoco developed a technological solution that routed emissions from the facilities to fuel scrubbers and condensers to capture usable product and hazardous air pollutants. Usable product was sold. Nonsalable emissions were routed to on-site equipment as fuel. The new technology was designed without power needs because electricity was not available. In completing these modifications, a closed system (approaching zero emissions) for these facilities was achieved. This innovation saved and earned money for the firm and allowed Conoco to retain its autonomy in these operations. The solution was so effective that the air quality permits under the CAAA were not required for these production facilities, for a total out-of-pocket cost of 560,000 (plus earned revenue). The firm saved 2,535,000 in initial and 1,359,000 in annual permit costs and fees. The technology recovered 210,000/yr worth of vent gas as on-site fuel and 3,633 barrels/yr of saleable condensate valued at 58,128/ yr. At the same time, it reduced its division environmental impact by 884 tons/year of nitrogen oxides, 2,366 tons/yr of volatile organic compounds, and 495 tons/yr of other hazardous air pollutants. Payout of this 560,000 investment was less than 2 years.
Minimizing the Maximum Signal Energy

With discrete signals represented as points in an N dimensional space, it is shown that the maximum signal energy is minimized if the origin of the coordinate system is chosen as the center of the smallest hypersphere enclosing all signal points.
Neural measures of dynamic changes in attentive tracking load

In everyday life, we often need to track several objects simultaneously, a task modeled in the laboratory using the multiple-object tracking (MOT) task [Pylyshyn, Z., & Storm, R. W. Tracking multiple independent targets: Evidence for a parallel tracking mechanism. Spatial Vision, 3, 179-197, 1988]. Unlike MOT, however, in life, the set of relevant targets tends to be fluid and change over time. Humans are quite adept at "juggling" targets in and out of the target set [Wolfe, J. M., Place, S. S., & Horowitz, T. S. Multiple object juggling: Changing what is tracked during extended MOT. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14, 344-349, 2007]. Here, we measured the neural underpinnings of this process using electrophysiological methods. Vogel and colleagues [McCollough, A. W., Machizawa, M. G., & Vogel, E. K. Electrophysiological measures of maintaining representations in visual working memory. Cortex, 43, 77-94, 2007; Vogel, E. K., McCollough, A. W., & Machizawa, M. G. Neural measures reveal individual differences in controlling access to working memory. Nature, 438, 500-503, 2005; Vogel, E. K., & Machizawa, M. G. Neural activity predicts individual differences in visual working memory capacity. Nature, 428, 748-751, 2004] have shown that the amplitude of a sustained lateralized negativity, contralateral delay activity (CDA) indexes the number of items held in visual working memory. Drew and Vogel [Drew, T., & Vogel, E. K. Neural measures of individual differences in selecting and tracking multiple moving objects. Journal of Neuroscience, 28, 4183-4191, 2008] showed that the CDA also indexes the number of items being tracking a standard MOT task. In the current study, we set out to determine whether the CDA is a signal that merely represents the number of objects that are attended during a trial or a dynamic signal capable of reflecting on-line changes in tracking load during a single trial. By measuring the response to add or drop cues, we were able to observe dynamic changes in CDA amplitude. The CDA appears to rapidly represent the current number of objects being tracked. In addition, we were able to generate some initial estimates of the time course of this dynamic process.
The antiviral effect of zidovudine and ribavirin in clinical trials and the use of p24 antigen levels as a virologic marker.

The inhibition of viremia and p24 core antigenemia in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was evaluated in separate multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of zidovudine and ribavirin. Of 29 patients (14 with AIDS and 15 with AIDS-related complex [ARC]) enrolled in the zidovudine study, 16 received 250 mg of zidovudine every 4 h and 13 received placebo. No difference in HIV isolation from peripheral blood was observed at 20 w in treated versus placebo groups (79% vs. 82%). In patients tolerating zidovudine, mean p24 antigen levels dropped to 8.2% +/- 8.1% of their baseline values, whereas in placebo recipients mean p24 antigen levels declined to 61.3% +/- 40.8% of their baseline values (P less than .005). In the ribavirin study, patients with ARC treated with either 800 mg or 600 mg ribavirin daily or with placebo showed no consistent reduction in p24 antigenemia or decrease in HIV isolation. These data indicate that decline in p24 antigenemia can be a useful virologic marker in evaluation of new antiretroviral drugs.
Gap junction permeability is diminished in proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells

In atherosclerosis and hypertension, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are stimulated to proliferate and exhibit enhanced gap junction protein expression. Our goal was to determine whether gap ju...
Differential responding in the presence and absence of discriminative stimuli during multielement functional analyses.

We evaluated the extent to which discriminative stimuli (S(D)s) facilitate differential responding during multielement functional analyses. Eight individuals, all diagnosed with mental retardation and referred for assessment and treatment of self-injurious behavior (SIB) or aggression, participated. Functional analyses consisted of four or five assessment conditions alternated in multielement designs. Each condition was initially correlated with a specific therapist and a specific room color (S(D)s), and sessions continued until higher rates of target behaviors were consistently observed under a specific test condition. In a subsequent analysis, the programmed S(D)s were removed (i.e., all conditions were now conducted by the same therapist in the same room), and sessions continued until differential responding was observed or until twice as many sessions were conducted with the S(D)s absent (as opposed to present), whichever came first. Results indicated that the inclusion of programmed S(D)s facilitated discrimination among functional analysis conditions for half of the participants. These results suggest that the inclusion of salient cues may increase either the efficiency of functional analyses or the likelihood of obtaining clear assessment outcomes.
On-Shell Mediators and Top-Charm Dark Matter Models for the Fermi-LAT Galactic Center Excess

An excess in gamma-rays from the galactic center observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope has been proposed as a possible signal of dark matter annihilation. Recently, the Fermi collaboration showed that systematic errors broaden the range of spectral shapes for this excess. We demonstrate fits to this range for (1) flavor-violating annihilations to top-charm pairs and (2) annihilations to on-shell bosonic mediators which decay to Standard Model quarks in a boosted frame. Annihilation of 40 - 100 GeV DM to pairs of spin-1 mediators provide a good fit to the Fermi-LAT spectrum with a normalization consistent with a thermal relic. Top-charm modes and annihilation to three pseudoscalar mediators can fit the spectral shape but typically require non-thermal annihilation cross sections.
Gallbladder cancer (GBC): 10-year experience at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC).

Background The incidence of gallbladder cancer (GBC) in the US is 1.2/100,000. This report examines the patterns of presentation, adjuvant treatment and survival of a large cohort of patients with GBC evaluated at MSKCC over a 10-year period. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients referred to MSKCC with a diagnosis of GBC between January 1995 and December 2005 was performed. Patients were identified from the MSKCC cancer registry. Information extracted included, demographics, clinical and pathological stage, surgical management, pathology, adjuvant and palliative therapy, date of relapse, death or last follow-up. Date of diagnosis was defined as date of surgery or biopsy. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Results Four hundred thirty-five GBC cases were identified: 285 (65.5%) females,150 (34.5%) males. Median age 67 years (range 28–100). Pathology: 88% adenocarcinoma, 4% squamous, 3% neuroendocrine, 2% sarcoma. 36.6% presented as AJCC Stage IV. 47% were discovered incidentally at laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One hundred thirty-six of these were re-explored, of whom 100 (73.5%) had residual disease. Of those who underwent curative resections (N = 123), 8 (6.5%) received adjuvant chemotherapy, 8 (6.5%) chemoradiation alone and 8 (6.5%) both chemoradiation and systemic chemotherapy. Median overall survival for the cohort was 10.3 months (95% CI 8.8–11.8) with a median follow up of 26.6 months. The median survival for those presenting with stage Ia–III disease was 12.9 months (95% CI 11.7–15.8 months) and 5.8 months (95% CI 4.5–6.7) for those presenting with stage IV disease. Median survival was 15.7 months (95% CI 12.4–18.4) for those discovered incidentally at laparoscopic cholecystectomy. For those who underwent re-exploration, median survival was 14.6 months (95% CI 12.6–18.3) if residual disease was present, and 72 months (95% CI 34 to infinity) if no evidence of disease. The median survival for those who received adjuvant therapy was 23.4 months (95% CI 15.7–47). Conclusions GBC is commonly diagnosed incidentally (47%). Re-exploration reveals a high incidence of residual disease (74%). Median survival is better for patients who have no evidence of disease on re-exploration (72 months) compared to those with residual disease detected (P < 0.0001). Overall prognosis is poor. Although we did not observe a survival benefit for those who received adjuvant therapy, the study did not have sufficient power to address this question. In addition, the number of patients who received adjuvant therapy was small with marked heterogeneity in clinical and therapeutic details, precluding any definitive conclusions being drawn. Prospective randomized trials of adjuvant therapy are needed in this disease. J. Surg. Oncol. 2008;98:485–489. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Comparison Between One-Tier and Two-Tier Board Structures in France: Comparison Between One-Tier and Two-Tier Board Structures

French companies operate in a unique environment characterized by the strong involvement of block shareholders such as families and banks. Furthermore, the French legal system allows firms to choose between a one-tier or a two-tier board structure. This study investigates whether this choice can affect the firm's operating and stock performance. Our regression results provide strong evidence that ownership and board structures are used together as corporate governance tools. In particular, the agency cost of debt is strongly affected by their interaction when institutional investors are also bank lenders. Our test results show that while family control has a negative impact on corporate governance, French institutional blockholders play a positive role as monitors of one-tier structures. In contrast, they are more likely to misuse the two-tier board system by promoting interlocked directorship, board opacity and their own interests as creditors. Our regression analysis reveals that foreign institutional investors do not have any impact on firm performance, regardless of board structure. Finally, we do not find any inverse relationship between board size and efficiency in France.
Necessary Conditions for Nonsmooth Optimization Problems with Operator Constraints in Metric Spaces

This paper concerns nonsmooth optimization problems involving operator constraints given by mappings on complete metric spaces with values in nonconvex subsets of Banach spaces. We derive general first-order necessary optimality conditions for such problems expressed via certain constructions of generalized derivatives for mappings on metric spaces and axiomatically defined subdifferentials for the distance function to nonconvex sets in Banach spaces. Our proofs are based on variational principles and perturbation/approximation techniques of modern variational analysis. The general necessary conditions obtained are specified in the case of optimization problems with operator constraints described by mappings taking values in approximately convex subsets of Banach spaces, which admit uniformly Gâteaux differentiable renorms (in particular, in any separable spaces).
Study of a Three Point Mooring of an Open Ocean Aquaculture Feed Buoy

Open ocean aquaculture will be important in supplying fish as natural fish stocks decline due to environmental changes and overfishing. However, the technology needs to be developed to provide the equipment and methodology for such offshore operations. The University of New Hampshire has been developing and testing systems in the open Gulf of Maine, and has a number of years experience with a feed buoy moored to a fish cage via a stretch hose and elastic tethers. This configuration has survived the Gulf of Maine currents and waves, and continued to feed fish autonomously. The unique tri-mooring is studied via modeling, and observing the wear and behavior for years. The system is robust and has functioned well over the years and is a good candidate for aquaculture operations.
Angiogenesis Inhibitors in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Angiogenesis is critical for normal and pathologic processes in new blood vessel formation. A recent significant advance in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer has occurred by the development of agents targeting key regulatory molecules involved in this process, specifically vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). These angiogenesis inhibitors, include bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech, Inc, South San Francisco, CA), which binds free VEGF. Recently, a phase III, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was designed to determine whether or not the addition of bevacizumab to first-line irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin chemotherapy was completed in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The trial showed a higher response rate, longer time to tumor progression, and prolonged overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Of note, this was the first large, randomized, phase III study to show the importance of targeting VEGF and tumor angiogenesis for the treatment of human cancer. Other potential targets of angiogenesis, such as the VEGF receptor and multi-targeted agents, are undergoing evaluation in clinical trials.
Use of Service Quality Gap Theory to Differentiate between Foodservice Outlets

This paper describes the development and evaluation of a questionnaire analogous to the SERVQUAL instrument of Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry in order to assess the performance of a contract catering service in relation to its competitors. Although reliability criteria for the instrument were encouraging, The factor structure identified by previous researchers was found not to be present in the catering industry. Other considerations such as food and the attitudes of staf played a more important part in the meal experience. The nine study sites were evaluated on the basis of mean item scores, by discriminant and factor analysis and by multi-dimensional scaling.
Critically sampled composite wavelets

Wavelets with composite dilations were introduced to provide a framework for the construction of waveforms defined not only at various scales and locations but also at various orientations. The shearlet system, which provides optimally sparse representations of images with edges, is a particular well-known example of these systems. In this work, we develop critically sampled wavelet transforms with composite dilations for the purpose of image coding. We show that these new critically sampled transforms can achieve much better non-linear approximation rates for images containing edges than traditional discrete wavelet transforms or even more sophisticated multiscale transforms such as the critically sampled contourlet transform.
Statin-Associated Adverse Events

Although statins are well tolerated, their widespread use has raised awareness of rare adverse events. For example, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued product label warnings about statin-associated myopathy, incident diabetes, and cognitive impairment. Additional statin-associated adverse effects include proteinuria, transaminitis, and hemorrhagic stroke. The underlying pathophysiology of these adverse events remains unclear, and thus little guidance exists on addressing these issues at the bedside. Although statin-associated myopathy is common, many patients eventually tolerate a statin – albeit at less than ideal doses. Incident diabetes remains difficult to predict, but high statin potency, increasing age, and pre-existing diabetes risk factors may predispose patients. Cognitive impairment – described mostly in case reports – may resolve after discontinuation of the offending statin. Rosuvastatin is linked to dose-dependent proteinuria. Elevated transaminases are reversible and unlikely to cause severe consequences. History of cerebrovascular disease increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke on statin therapy. Overall, a thorough understanding of statin-associated adverse events will help health care providers manage patients who develop these complications. Here, we review the evidence for several statin-associated adverse effects and the implications for clinical practice.
Time course of myocardial sodium accumulation after burn trauma: a 31P- and 23Na-NMR study

In this study,23Na- and 31P- nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were examined in perfused rat hearts harvested 1, 2, 4, and 24 h after 40% total body surface area burn trauma and lactated Rin...
Instructional Explanations in a Legal Classroom: Are Students’ Argument Diagrams of Hypothetical Reasoning Diagnostic?

Much instruction in the first year of American legal education focuses on argumentation. Paradoxically, however, comparatively little of the instructional explanation in legal classrooms is about the process of argumentation. Instead, instructors teach law students the process of argumentation primarily by engaging them in argumentation about the issues, problems, and examples in the casebook. Instructors also use these arguments to teach law students lessons about the substantive rules of a legal area (e.g., contracts or torts) and about the applications, ambiguities, and limitations of those rules. In this sense, the instructor’s and students’ interactive argument dialogues are the instructional explanations of the argument process and an important component of the instructional explanations of the substantive law (Leinhardt, 2001, Handbook for research on teaching (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association).
ERCP in potentially resectable malignant biliary obstruction is frequently unsuccessful when performed outside of a comprehensive pancreaticobiliary center

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES ERCP prior to pancreaticoduodenectomy is unnecessary in select patients. When performed, it should be in conjunction with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to increase diagnostic sensitivity and allow for metal stent placement. The aim of this study was to determine differences in endoscopic practice patterns at community medical centers (CMC) and a comprehensive pancreaticobiliary referral center (PBRC). METHODS Retrospective cohort study of all patients seen at a PBRC for endoscopic and/or surgical management of potentially resectable malignant distal biliary obstruction from 1/2011 to 6/2014. RESULTS Of 75 patients, 30 underwent endoscopic management at a CMC and 45 were initially managed at our PBRC. ERCP was attempted in 92% of patients. EUS was performed more frequently (100% vs. 13.3 %, P < 0.0001), ERCP was more successful (93% vs. 69%, P = 0.02), and metal stent placement more likely (41% vs. 5%, P = 0.005) at our PBRC compared to a CMC. The majority (81%) of patients undergoing initial endoscopy at a CMC required repeat endoscopy at our PBRC. CONCLUSIONS Patients who are candidates for pancreaticoduodenectomy frequently undergo ERCP. At a CMC, ERCP is often unsuccessful, is rarely accompanied by EUS, and often requires repeat endoscopy. Our findings support regionalizing the management of suspected pancreatic malignancy into dedicated specialty centers. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:647-651. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A REVIEW OF BALLOON CONCEPTS FOR TITAN

Titan is a unique place in the solar system. Not only is it a world with a dynamic atmosphere and a diverse landscape [1, 2, 3], but its low-gravity, thick-atmosphere environment lends itself to exploration by atmospheric flight. Motivated by prospects on both sides of the Atlantic for future exploration of Titan, specifically NASA’s Outer Planets Flagship studies and ESA’s Cosmic Visions studies, we review here some key factors and design options for balloon flight specifically.
TAMe esterase activity of blood thrombokinase after repeated electrophoretic fractionations.

SummaryThrombokinase, purified from 738 liters of bovine plasma, was subjected to repeated fractionations by continuous flow paper electrophoresis. This increased the specific activity of kinase and led to a 3rd electrophoretic run which placed almost all the protein in a single peak. Kinase activity was closely accompanied by TAMe esterase activity through successive stages of electrophoretic fractionation. The kinase fractions of the 3rd run showed esterase activity of the order of 337 TAMe units/mg protein. The results are in accord with the view that TAMe is a substrate for thrombokinase and that thrombokinase is a trypsin-like enzyme.
Pulsed Laser Crystallization of GexSi1−x Alloy Films on Si(100) Substrates

We demonstrate the fabrication of high quality Ge x Si 1−x heteroepitaxial alloy layers on Si(100) substrates by pulsed laser melting of a-Ge/Si(100) layered structures. First, 50–200A of germanium are evaporated onto a chemically cleaned silicon wafer. Next, an excimer laser pulse is used to melt the sample surface to a depth of 200–2500A. Finally, the melt solidifies in 20–100ns producing a heteroepitaxial alloy layer. By varying the thickness of the evaporated Ge film and the laser energy, alloys of 500–1500A thickness and Ge fraction x=3–20% are obtained. The crystallinity of the layer and interface are found to be excellent as evaluated by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), ion channeling, and high resolution cross sectional TEM. This technique for producing Ge x Si 1−x alloy layers is insensitive to minor levels of contamination because the original Ge/Si interface is melted through during the laser processing
“We Wanted to Include Him”: Personhood in One Hispanic Family's Experience of the Genetic Illness and Loss of Their Son:

This article draws from an ethnographic study to examine the understanding of personhood that emerges as a Hispanic family from Southern Colorado responds to the diagnosis, illness, and loss of a c...
Physiological Changes Following Treatment of Speech and Voice Disorders with Botulinum Toxin

The symptoms of adductor spasmodic dysphonia (SD) include uncontrolled voice breaks during vowels in sentences, intermittent hoarseness and a slower than normal speech rate. Each of these symptoms is improved following botulinum toxin injections into selected laryngeal muscles.1–3 Similarly, in oral mandibular dystonia, patients’ sentence and word durations are increased relative to normal prior to treatment,4 demonstrating a slow speech rate. Following botulinum toxin injections into selected lingual and/or mandibular muscles, the word and sentence durations become reduced to within the normal range.4 Both studies, then, suggest that botulinum toxin injections improved the speed of speech movements in patients following treatment. Both disorders are thought to be due to abnormalities of muscle tone. In spasmodic dysphonia, for example, spasmodic bursts in the thyroarytenoid muscles, contained in the vocal folds, are associated with interruptions in speech.5 Because botulinum toxin impairs neuromuscular transmission producing a muscle weakness, these improvements in speech and voice function were thought to be due to reduced spasm amplitude in the injected muscles.
Surveys on iodine nutritional status of residents in Qingpu district of Shanghai

[Objective]To understand the iodine nutritional status of residents in Qingpu district of Shanghai,provide a basis for classified guidance and scientific iodine supplementation.[Methods]Using a multistage stratified random sampling,403 people aged 5-70 years old,20 pregnant women and 20 lactating women were collected from Qingpu town and Zhujiajiao town.The levels of urinary iodine,water iodine and salt iodine were measured by arsenic and cerium catalysis spectrophotometry,spectrophotometry and direct titration,respectively.[Results]The water iodine median value of 441 samples was 12.77 μg/L.The iodine median value of 408 edible salt samples was 29.05 mg/kg.The urinary iodine median value of residents was 149.02 μg/L.Among 443 urine samples,urinary iodine level in 27.2% was less than 100 μg/L,and that in 10.3% was greater than or equal to 300 μg/L.The urinary iodine median value of children aged 8-10 years old,pregnant women and lactating women was 146.15 μg/L,117.77 μg/L and 99.49 μg/L,respectively.[Conclusion]The residents in Qingpu district show a good iodine nutrition status.But the iodine nutrition of pregnant and lactating women is deficient,which need to strengthen the iodine supplementation.
Discussion on Microwave Digestion of Cosmetics at One Time and Determination Skill of Lead,Arsenic and Mercury

Objective To use microwave digestion and instruments to determine the content of lead,arsenic and mercury in cosmetics. Method To analyze 3 elements after microwave digestion at one time. Results In the best condition,the detection limit of lead,arsenic,mercury was 0.15 μg/ml,0.293 6 μg/L,0.060 1 μg/L,respectively. The recovery rate was 92.5%102.0%,and the coefficient of variation was smaller than 10%. Conclusion The method is convenient,rapid,sensitive and accurate,which is suitable for lead,arsenic,and mercury determination in cosmetics.
Unmasking and Deterring Congressional and Taxpayer Opportunism

One of the principal reasons why we enter into contracts is to prevent the occurrence of opportunistic behavior. To illustrate, suppose that in anticipation of his daughter's wedding the following week, a homeowner contracts with a painter to have his home painted at an agreed-upon price of $500 a day. Suppose further that three days later when the job is half complete and there are no other available painters, the painter demands an additional $100 per day payment or, if he has made full payment, sue the painter for a partial refund. Under contract law, the principle of good faith protects the homeowner from the painter's opportunism.Acts of opportunism are not confined to contractual transactions -- the potential for opportunism also lurks in legislative initiatives. Congress, for example, has long sought to promote home ownership. Rather than contracting with private sector to build homes and then selling them at a reduced cost, Congress has encouraged home ownership through various legislative initiatives such as permitting taxpayers an income tax deduction for "qualified residence interest". By purchasing a home and accepting the congressional "offer" of a qualified residence interest deduction, homeowners receive a reduction in their income taxes.This analysis contends that the congressional offer of a qualified residence interest deduction combined with a homeowner's decision to purchase a home in reliance upon this offer is the functional equivalent of a contract. If Congress decides to repeal this deduction, the homeowner who was previously entitled to a qualified residence interest deduction may have to pay an additional $100 annually of income taxes. When Congress violates the terms of its contract, participating homeowners must be made whole and awarded transitional tax relief: Congress, like painter in the prior example, should satisfy its commitments and not act opportunistically when attempting to raise revenue.
Effect of cultural differences on motivation of analysts and programmers: Singapore vs. the United States

A 1985 survey of Singaporean analysts and programmers, on their perceptions on motivation, enables a comparison to earlier U.S. survey results. Growth need strength (GNS) of U.S. analysts is significantly higher than that of U.S. programmers. The GNS of Singaporean analysts and programmers was found to be equivalent to their U.S. counterparts. However, there were significant differences between the U.S. and Singaporean computer professionals for the other side of the motivation equation, the job's motivating potential. The Singaporean motivating potential score (MPS) was significantly lower for both job types, indicating a need for job enrichment and enlargement.
Field-effect transistors and circuits fabricated from semiconducting diamond thin films

MOSFETs were fabricated on homoepitaxial diamond thin films. The current-voltage characteristics of these transistors were measured from 25/spl deg/C to 500/spl deg/C on selected samples. Improved diamond growth and device fabrication techniques resulted in improved drain-to-source current and transconductance uniformity across a sample. Selected devices exhibit drain-to-source currents and normalized transconductance values of 10 mA and 1.3 mS/mm respectively. A common-source amplifier circuit utilizing a diamond MOSFET was characterized using input signals from 20 Hz to 1 MHz and exhibited a DC gain of 5 at 250/spl deg/C. A pair of diamond MOSFETs configured as NAND and NOR digital logic gates were demonstrated operational at 400/spl deg/C. >
A framework for discrete stochastic simulation on 3D moving boundary domains

We have developed a method for modeling spatial stochastic biochemical reactions in complex, three-dimensional, and time-dependent domains using the reaction-diffusion master equation formalism. In particular, we look to address the fully coupled problems that arise in systems biology where the shape and mechanical properties of a cell are determined by the state of the biochemistry and vice versa. To validate our method and characterize the error involved, we compare our results for a carefully constructed test problem to those of a microscale implementation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method by simulating a model of polarization and shmoo formation during the mating of yeast. The method is generally applicable to problems in systems biology where biochemistry and mechanics are coupled, and spatial stochastic effects are critical.