cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Twenty years after the Nagorny Karabakh ceasefire: an opportunity to move towards more inclusive conflict resolution

Twenty years ago this May the ceasefire that put an end to active fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces for control over Nagorny Karabakh was signed. It was supposed to be the first step in a process to end the conflict. But the expected pull back of forces, deployment of peacekeepers and return of displaced persons never occurred. Instead in recent years the line of contact between the sides has become increasingly tense as some thirty persons are killed every year. Negotiations facilitated by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) over a set of basic principles to guide a comprehensive settlement have become bogged down in details. Nevertheless a whole range of Armenian and Azerbaijani civil groups have over the years had opportunities to develop a third narrative, and think through concrete technical solutions to bridge fundamental differences. This article, bringing lessons from practice to bear for policy on this conflict, argues that the best push that could be ma...
Determination of position of sulfate groups in sulfurizedmonosac charides

1. A new method was developed for the mild removal of sulfo groups from the fully acetylated sulfates of monosaccharides using thionyl chloride. 2. A chemical method was proposed for determining the positions of the sulfo groups in sulfurized monosaccharides, which consists in desulfurizing the acetyl derivatives and subsequent methylation. 3. The acetyl groups in the acetyl derivatives of the pyridinium salts of various sulfates of D-glucose do not migrate under solvolytic desulfurization conditions.
Role of levoglucosan physiochemistry in cellulose pyrolysis

Abstract The fate of levoglucosan after it forms during cellulose pyrolysis was investigated experimentally using time-resolved thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetric combined with mass spectrometry measurements followed by high performance liquid chromatography and gel filtration chromatography of the pyrolysis residue. This study indicates that levoglucosan formed during cellulose pyrolysis is initially a liquid that undergoes two simultaneous, competing processes of evaporation and polymerization. Levoglucosan that evaporates escapes the high temperature pyrolysis zone while levoglucosan that polymerizes is trapped in the pyrolysis zone and dehydrates to low molecular weight volatile products and char. The oligosaccharides that form during polymerization are subject to two simultaneous reaction pathways: direct decomposition to low molecular weight products such as water, carbon dioxide, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, furan and acetic acid, and formation of polysaccharides that eventually dehydrate to char and low molecular weight volatiles. Based on the experimental observations and quantitative measurements, a modified cellulose pyrolysis pathway involving levoglucosan as the major intermediate is proposed.
Local and regional coherence utility assessment procedures

Novick and Lindley (1978, 1979) have dealt with the use of utility functions for applications in education and have advocated the use of the standard gamble (von Neumann and Morgenstern, 1953) elicitation procedure with the addition of coherence checking using overspecification and a least squares fit. In this procedure utilities are inferred from probability judgements offered by the assessor. This paper describes local and regional coherence procedures which seek utility coherence in successive restricted domains of the parameter space as preludes to overall coherence checking. This procedures and some others are viewed as possible ways of avoiding anchoring and certainty effect biases found in earlier fixed probability methods, and presumably present in current fixed state procedures
Light-scattering studies of sodium desoxyribonucleate.

Abstract 1. 1. The molecular configuration of undegraded DNA is intermediate between that of a rod and a coil. It behaves in light-scattering experiments as though it were a slightly flexible rod. 2. 2. The distance between the ends of this molecule decreases approximately 40% upon the addition of salt as measured by light-scattering and flow birefringgence methods. 3. 3. The molecular weight of a highly purified sample of DNA prepared according to the method of Gulland was 4.51 ± 0.53·10 6 . The molecular length in salt solutions was 6.50 ± 0.82·10 3 A. 4. 4. An enzyme-resistant fraction was isolated from the DNA after enzyme action. It differed in light scattering and infrared absorption properties from the enzyme susceptible material.
Association of luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) mRNA with its binding protein leads to decapping and degradation of the mRNA in the p bodies

Abstract Luteinizing hormone receptor undergoes downregulation during preovulatory Luteinizing hormone surge through a post-transcriptional mechanism involving an RNA binding protein designated as LRBP. The present study examined the mechanism by which LRBP induces the degradation of Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA, specifically the role of decapping of Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA and the translocation of LRBP-bound Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA to degradative machinery. Immunoprecipitation of the complex with the 5′cap structure antibody followed by real time PCR analysis showed progressive loss of capped Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA during downregulation suggesting that Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA undergoes decapping prior to degradation. RNA immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed dissociation of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E from the cap structure, a step required for decapping. Furthermore, RNA immunoprecipitation analysis using antibody against the p body marker protein, DCP1A showed that Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA was associated with the p bodies, the cytoplasmic foci that contain RNA degradative enzymes and decapping complex. Immunohistochemical studies using antibodies against LRBP and DCP1A followed by confocal analysis showed colocalization of LRBP with DCP1A during downregulation. This was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation of LRBP with DCP1A. The association of LRBP and Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA in the p bodies during downregulation was further confirmed by examining the association of a second p body component, rck/p54, using immunoprecipitation and RNA immunoprecipitation respectively. These data suggest that the association of LRBP with Luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA results in the translocation of the messenger ribonucleoprotein complex to the p bodies leading to decapping and degradation.
Differential Contribution of Rod and Cone Circadian Clocks in Driving Retinal Melatonin Rhythms in Xenopus

Background Although an endogenous circadian clock located in the retinal photoreceptor layer governs various physiological events including melatonin rhythms in Xenopus laevis, it remains unknown which of the photoreceptors, rod and/or cone, is responsible for the circadian regulation of melatonin release. Methodology/Principal Findings We selectively disrupted circadian clock function in either the rod or cone photoreceptor cells by generating transgenic Xenopus tadpoles expressing a dominant-negative CLOCK (XCLΔQ) under the control of a rod or cone-specific promoter. Eyecup culture and continuous melatonin measurement revealed that circadian rhythms of melatonin release were abolished in a majority of the rod-specific XCLΔQ transgenic tadpoles, although the percentage of arrhythmia was lower than that of transgenic tadpole eyes expressing XCLΔQ in both rods and cones. In contrast, whereas a higher percentage of arrhythmia was observed in the eyes of the cone-specific XCLΔQ transgenic tadpoles compare to wild-type counterparts, the rate was significantly lower than in rod-specific transgenics. The levels of the transgene expression were comparable between these two different types of transgenics. In addition, the average overall melatonin levels were not changed in the arrhythmic eyes, suggesting that CLOCK does not affect absolute levels of melatonin, only its temporal expression pattern. Conclusions/Significance These results suggest that although the Xenopus retina is made up of approximately equal numbers of rods and cones, the circadian clocks in the rod cells play a dominant role in driving circadian melatonin rhythmicity in the Xenopus retina, although some contribution of the clock in cone cells cannot be excluded.
Self-esteem and stress as factors in abuse of children.

A comparison of stress and self-esteem as made between a group of 23 couples in treatment who had abused their children and 23 control couples who were matched for age, race, sex, education, and oc...
Towards effective partition management for large graphs

Searching and mining large graphs today is critical to a variety of application domains, ranging from community detection in social networks, to de novo genome sequence assembly. Scalable processing of large graphs requires careful partitioning and distribution of graphs across clusters. In this paper, we investigate the problem of managing large-scale graphs in clusters and study access characteristics of local graph queries such as breadth-first search, random walk, and SPARQL queries, which are popular in real applications. These queries exhibit strong access locality, and therefore require specific data partitioning strategies. In this work, we propose a Self Evolving Distributed Graph Management Environment (Sedge), to minimize inter-machine communication during graph query processing in multiple machines. In order to improve query response time and throughput, Sedge introduces a two-level partition management architecture with complimentary primary partitions and dynamic secondary partitions. These two kinds of partitions are able to adapt in real time to changes in query workload. (Sedge) also includes a set of workload analyzing algorithms whose time complexity is linear or sublinear to graph size. Empirical results show that it significantly improves distributed graph processing on today's commodity clusters.
Phosphonium ions of 2,4,6,8-tetra-tert-butyl-1,3,5,7-tetraphosphacubane and 1,2,5,6-tetraphosphatricyclo[4.2.0.02,5]-octa-3,7-diene in the gas phase: host–guest complexes, phosphonium ion decomposition pathways and interaction with onium ions (and carbocations). A field desorption (FD), fast atom bombardment (FAB) and tandem mass spectrometry (CAD–MS/MS) study

We report a mass spectrometric study (FDMS, FABMS) of a series of phosphonium triflate salts derived from 2,4,6,8-tetra-tert-butyl-1,3,5,7-tetraphosphacubane 1 and 1,2,5,6-tetraphosphatricyclo[4.2.0.02,5]octa-3,7-diene 2, namely 3+(OTf)–, 4+(OTf)–, 5+(OTf)–, 62+(OTf·SbCl6)2–, 72+(OTf·SbCl6)2– and 8+(OTf–).Except for the dications, the intact phosphonium ions were observed in all cases. The host–guest (H–G) chemistry of 3+ and some of its fragment ions with dicyclohexano-24-crown-8 have been probed. Low energy collisional decomposition of 3+ gives m/z 115 and 169 as prominent products for which structures 12+ and 11+ have been suggested in analogy with the recently discovered solution chemistries of phosphaalkynes and phosphirenes. The decomposition pathways of the studied phosphonium cations have been compared and discussed.
Preslaughter spray-washing effects on physiological stress responses and skin and carcass microbial counts in goats

Abstract Preslaughter management procedures that decrease fecal contamination of skins/hides are likely to reduce biological hazards on carcass surfaces during slaughter and processing. This trial was conducted to determine the effects of preslaughter spray-washing on stress responses and skin and carcass bacterial counts in goats. Twenty meat goats were slaughtered in two groups (replicate) on 2 different days (10 goats/replicate). Animals were randomly allotted to treatment (1 min spray-wash) or control (no wash) groups (n = 5/(treatment replicate)). Blood and skin swab samples were collected from control and treated animals before and after the washing treatment. Bacterial counts on the carcasses immediately after dressing were also recorded. Treatment, sampling time or treatment × sampling time did not affect the plasma cortisol, glucose and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations. Skin aerobic plate counts were the same in both treated and control groups prior to washing treatment, but were significantly less in the treated group when sampled after washing (treatment × sampling time, P
Neonatal intensive care unit to home: the transition from parent and pediatrician perspectives, a prospective cohort study.

Neonatal intensive care unit to home: the transition from parent and pediatrician perspectives, a prospective cohort study
Anti-allodynic actions of intravenous opioids in the nerve injured rat: potential utility of heroin and dihydroetorphine against neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain has been suggested to be resistant to treatment with opiates. Such perceived lack of opioid responsiveness may be due to the dose-range over which specific opioid compounds have been studied as well as the efficacy of these compounds. Dihydroetorphine is a novel opiate that demonstrates significantly greater analgesic potency compared to morphine, and which also demonstrates diminished capacity for producing physical dependence in laboratory animals. The present study compared the intravenous (i.v.) efficacy, potency and duration of action of dihydroetorphine, fentanyl, heroin and morphine in producing anti-allodynic actions in a rat model of neuropathic pain (ligation of the L5/L6 nerve roots). All compounds produced significant anti-allodynic activity with dihydroetorphine being the most potent (A50 of 0.2 μg kg−1, i.v.). Morphine was approximately 7440 times less potent than dihydroetorphine while heroin and fentanyl were approximately 163.5 and 6.9 times less potent in producing anti-allodynic actions. Dihydroetorphine also showed a maximal effect at 0.6 μg kg−1 in all animals tested, while 100 μg kg−1 was required for heroin to produce a maximal effect. Fentanyl and morphine did not elicit a maximum anti-allodynic response (74 and 76%maximum possible effect (%MPE), respectively). As expected, fentanyl showed a relatively brief duration of action (approximately 20 min at the highest tested dose), while dihydroetorphine and morphine demonstrated anti-allodynic actions for up to 45 min. Heroin had the longest duration of action, producing significant anti-allodynic effects for up to 90 min. These data show that dihydroetorphine and heroin produce potent and long-lasting anti-allodynic actions in this model. Additionally, in contrast to morphine and fentanyl, both dihydroetorphine and heroin were able to achieve a maximal response. The remarkable potency, maximal efficacy and duration of action of these compounds, particularly dihydroetorphine, suggests that these compounds may warrant further examination as potential therapeutic treatments for neuropathic pain states.
NFLUENCING MEDIATOR BEHAVIOR THROUGH BARGAINER FRAMING

Research adopting prospect theory to examine negotiator performance was extended to mediation. We examined whether framing negotiator payoffs in terms of gains or losses affects a mediator's behavior towards negotiators when the mediator has no personal frame. The use of a mediator presents a critical test between an explanation of framing effects based on bargainers' underlying preferences for risk and a simpler explanation based on the psychophysical properties of perceived gains and losses. A computer‐based experiment was conducted in which subjects acted as mediators between two disputants (computer programs) in an integrative bargaining task. As predicted, subjects proposed settlements of higher joint value when both disputants had loss frames than when both had gain frames, supporting the psychophysical explanation. Moreover, within mixed framed disputes, subjects' proposals favored the loss‐framed bargainer over the gain‐framed bargainer. However, predicted interactions between bargainer frame and concession‐making activity were not supported Implications of the results for real bargainers and mediators are discussed.
Effects of Axotomy and Testosterone on Androgen Receptor mRNA Expression in Hamster Facial Motoneurons

We have previously demonstrated that testosterone propionate (TP) treatment accelerates the rate of regeneration following facial nerve crush axotomy in adult male hamsters. These effects are mediated by androgen receptor (AR) activation and are blocked by pretreatment with the AR antagonist, flutamide. In addition to its beneficial effects on regeneration, TP regulates AR mRNA levels in facial motor neurons (FMN). Gonadectomized (gdx) male hamsters have been shown to have approximately 50% of the AR mRNA levels found in gonadally intact males. Administration of TP to gdx males results in an upregulation in AR mRNA levels after 1 day of treatment. Recent reports in the literature suggest that axotomy also may regulate the expression of AR in motor neurons. In this study, we examined the effects of axotomy and exogenous steroid treatment on the regulation of AR mRNA in hamster FMN. Five days after castration, adult male hamsters were subjected to a right facial nerve axotomy. Half the animals received one 10-mm Silastic capsule filled with 100% crystalline TP, and the remainder were sham implanted. Postoperative survival times were 6 h or 1, 2, 4, 7, or 14 days. In situ hybridization in conjunction with an AR riboprobe and computerized image analysis were used to quantify AR mRNA levels. The contralateral FMN served as internal controls for these experiments, and FMN of gonadally intact males served as additional nonaxotomized controls. As predicted, AR mRNA levels were upregulated in contralateral control FMN after TP treatment. However, this TP-induced upregulation of AR mRNA levels did not occur in the axotomized FMN. These results indicate that axonal injury can disrupt the normal regulatory pattern of AR mRNA expression by exogenous steroids in motoneurons. We conclude that the potentiation of regenerative events by TP does not require augmented synthesis of AR, but, instead, enhanced stabilization of existing receptors.
Guns 'N jobs: The FDR legacy

The intrusion of war is likely to alter the standard economic voting calculus. A wartime economy is not expected to deliver the same political benefits or costs, in terms of presidential approval or votes in an election, as does a peacetime economy. The Roosevelt presidency presents a perfect target to examine economic voting in wartime. Using monthly polling data on presidential approval from late 1937 to 1945, we demonstrate that the American public suspended standard economic-voting logic during World War II. One explanation for this suspension is the enormous size of U.S. military spending. Using data on government spending from 1929 to 1950, we show that military spending had a huge effect on unemployment while the effect of non-military spending proves negligible and non-significant. It was military spending triggered by war, not the New Deal, that vanquished the Great Depression.
Inducing imperfect recall in the lab

Abstract Our paper provides a procedure to induce imperfect recall in the laboratory, even though in the past it has been claimed that this is difficult to achieve in a controlled environment. To accomplish this task we rely on a technique called divided attention to impair subject recollection of previous choices in a version of the absent-minded driver game of Piccione and Rubinstein [Piccione, M., Rubinstein, A., 1997a. On the interpretation of decision problems with imperfect recall. Games and Economic Behavior 20, 3–24]. The results suggest that a substantial number of subjects experience imperfect recall yet still behave in a rational manner. The observed behavior is consistent with a large portion of the subjects falling prey to the temporal paradox as suggested by Piccione and Rubinstein [Piccione, M., Rubinstein, A., 1997a. On the interpretation of decision problems with imperfect recall. Games and Economic Behavior 20, 3–24].
A Survey Method of Trypanosome Infections in Glossina

THE incidence of trypanosome infections in wild populations of tsetse flies (Glossina morsitans West (Muscidae: Diptera)), varies from one locality to another, and seasonal changes also occur. The method hitherto used to determine infection-rates has been the dissection of samples of live flies as described by Lloyd and Johnson1. This has the disadvantage of requiring the establishment of a team of microscopists in the bush, so that examination of simultaneously collected samples over wide areas is difficult. The recognition of trypanosomes in the mouthparts of preserved wild Glossina is not possible because regurgitation of stomach contents, which may occur when the insect is placed alive in the preservative, renders many of them opaque.
200GHz f T SiGe HBT load pull characterization at mm-wave frequencies

The load pull measurement of a commercially available SiGe HBT device has been performed at Q band over frequency and bias. Measured mm-wave results for the SiGe process under test have never been made available to the general public before and no comparable information on similar SiGe devices is available in the public domain. The goal of this paper is to begin to fill this gap: load pull results along with a discussion of the characterization setup and procedure are presented.
Preexposure of the conditioning context and latent inhibition from reduced conditioning

Recently, Wright, Skala, and Peuser (1986) reported a failure to find latent inhibition in rats given unreinforced preconditioning exposure to a tone (PCE) when PCE and conditioning (tone-shock) occurred in the same apparatus/context and testing for lick suppression occurred in a different context. The no-PCE control group used for comparison had not been exposed to the tone or the conditioning context prior to conditioning. In the present experiment, the no-PCE control/comparison group received preexposure to the conditioning context, but not to the tone. Although the three groups given 12, 28, or 60 PCEs in the conditioning context did not differ from each other, they all showed less lick suppression in the test context than the no-PCE control group.
Conditional-expectation-based implementation of the optimal mean-square binary morphological filter

Even in the binary case, designing optimal morphological filters involves a time-consuming search procedure that, in practice, can be intractable. The present paper provides an algorithm for filter design that is based upon the relationship between the optimal morphological filter and the conditional expectation. In effect, the algorithm proceeds by changing the conditional expectation into a morphological filter while at the same time increasing the mean-square error a minimal amount. Under many noise environments, the new algorithm is extremely efficient, thereby providing a filter design that can be used online for structuring-element updating.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A stochastic CAI model for assisting in the design of football strategy

This article describes a FORTRAN based interactive stochastic simulation model intended to assist collegiate football strategists in the design and evaluation of various offensive strategies. The model does exist and has been partially validated.
HDAC inhibitors in kidney development and disease

The discovery that histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) can attenuate acute kidney injury (AKI)-mediated damage and reduce fibrosis in kidney disease models has opened the possibility of utilizing HDACis as therapeutics for renal injury. Studies to date have made it abundantly clear that HDACi treatment results in a plethora of molecular changes, which are not always linked to histone acetylation, and that there is an essential need to understand the specific target(s) of any HDACi of interest. New lines of investigation are beginning to delve more deeply into target identification of specific HDACis and to address the relative toxicity of different HDACi classes. This review will focus on the utilization of HDACis during kidney organogenesis, injury, and disease, as well as on the development of these compounds as therapeutics.
Non-Gaussian correlations outside the horizon. II. The general case

The results of a recent paper [Phys. Rev. D 78, 123521 (2008)] are generalized. A more detailed proof is presented that under essentially all conditions, the nonlinear classical equations governing matter and gravitation in cosmology have ''adiabatic'' solutions in which, far outside the horizon, in a suitable gauge, the reduced spatial metric g{sub ij}(x,t)/a{sup 2}(t) becomes a time-independent function G{sub ij}(x), and all perturbations to the other metric components and to all matter variables vanish. The corrections are of order a{sup -2}, and their x dependence is now explicitly given in terms of G{sub ij}(x) and its derivatives. The previous results for the time dependence of the corrections to g{sub ij}(x,t)/a{sup 2}(t) in the case of multiscalar field theories are now shown to apply for any theory whose anisotropic inertia vanishes to order a{sup -2}. Further, it is shown that the adiabatic solutions are attractive as a becomes large for the case of single-field inflation and now also for thermal equilibrium with no nonzero conserved quantities, and the O(a{sup -2}) corrections to the other dynamical variables are explicitly calculated in both cases.
Diphenhydramine Determination in Human Plasma by Gas–Liquid Chromatography using Nitrogen–Phosphorus Detection: Application to Single Low-Dose Pharmacokinetic Studies

A highly sensitive method (less than or equal to 1 ng/ml) for single-dose pharmacokinetic studies of diphenhydramine which utilizes GLC with nitrogen-phosphorus detection is described. Standard curves, using orphenadrine as the internal standard, were linear for diphenhydramine concentrations from 1.0 to 300 ng/ml. Applicability of the method was demonstrated by a pharmacokinetic study in a normal volunteer who received 25 mg iv of diphenhydramine.
Intramedullary Nailing for Chronic Tibial Stress Fractures A Review of Five Cases

Chronic tibial stress fracture is an unusual condition that is primarily seen in athletes and military personnel. Recurrent or recalcitrant stress fractures can be career-ending because they require lengthy nonoperative treatment. We performed a retrospective review of five patients who underwent intramedullary tibial nailing for recalcitrant stress fractures at Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, from 1991 to 1994. Interviews were used to survey the patient's history and outcome. We reviewed each case regarding preoperative symptoms, preoperative treatment, surgery performed, radiographic findings, and functional outcome. In each case there were several similarities in symptoms and, most notably, radiographic findings and failure of nonoperative therapy for more than 1 year. Each patient had an unusually narrow medullary canal, a thickened anterior cortex, and a linear unicortical fracture line on the anterior or tension side. Although functional results varied, all patients reported improvement in their symptoms and could return to limited running. There were two excellent results (defined as unlimited pain-free running and resolved tibial pain) and three good results. We believe intramedullary tibial nailing should be considered for treating chronic stress fractures of the midanterior tibia that are recalcitrant to nonoperative therapy in a selected group of patients.
Toward Assessment of Cognitive and Conative Structures in Learning

New conceptions of aptitude, learning, development, and achievement, both cognitive and conative, are identified and some new ideas about their assessment are reviewed. A rough table of these constructs is provided. It is argued that much construct validational research is needed to understand the new constructs and place them in a reasonable and useful network. Also needed is a recognition that different purposes for educational assessment require different levels and models of assessment. A plea for research on teacher understanding and use is included, because no improvements in school level assessment can be reached without it.
Comparative analysis of the reproductive ecology of Monotropa and Monotropsis: Two mycoheterotrophic genera in the Monotropoideae (Ericaceae)

Studies of mycoheterotrophs, defined as plants that obtain carbon resources from associated mycorrhizal fungi, have fundamentally contributed to our understanding of the importance and complexity of symbiotic ecological interactions. However, to date, the reproductive ecology of these organisms remains empirically understudied, with existing literature presenting hypotheses about traits including a generalist pollination syndrome and autogamous self-pollination. To address this gap in our knowledge of the reproductive ecology of mycoheterotrophic plants, we comparatively analyzed three species of two monotropoid genera, Monotropa and Monotropsis. During three consecutive years of field observations and manipulations of four populations of Monotropa uniflora, seven of M. hypopitys (both red and yellow color forms), and two of Monotropsis odorata, we investigated flowering phenology, pollination ecology, breeding system, floral herbivory, and reproductive effort and output. Contrary to previous predictions, our results revealed that taxa are largely outcross-pollinated and specialized toward Bombus pollinators. Additionally, species differ in breeding system, timing and duration of reproductive development, fluctuations in reproductive effort and output, and fitness impacts of herbivory. This study is the first thorough investigation of the reproductive ecology of mycoheterotrophic species and provides insight into possible limitations in reproductive traits imposed by a mycoheterotrophic life history.
A layout-aware analog synthesis procedure inclusive of dynamic module geometry selection

We propose an algorithm for sizing analog circuits using parasitic aware circuit matrix models. A novel scheme of separating schematic and parasitic models is proposed. As layout details are not abstracted in the circuit performance, the developed models can be used for different module geometries. Regression models developed make parasitic estimation much faster than a layout inclusive approach. The proposed approach is successfully used for dynamic module geometry selection during synthesis. Experiments conducted on operational amplifier and filter topologies demonstrate the accuracy of our proposed approach. For both circuits, results are within a mean error of 1 percent compared to an exact layout and spice approach.
Mercury Exposure and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Two U.S. Cohorts

Background Exposure to methylmercury from fish consumption has been linked to a potentially increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but evidence from prior studies is equivocal. Beneficial effects of the ingestion of fish and selenium may also modify such effects. Methods Among subjects from two U.S. cohorts (a total of 51,529 men and 121,700 women) whose toenail clippings had been stored, we prospectively identified incident cases of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease and stroke) in 3427 participants and matched them to risk-set–sampled controls according to age, sex, race, and smoking status. Toenail mercury and selenium concentrations were assessed with the use of neutron-activation analysis. Other demographic characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, fish consumption, and lifestyle habits were assessed by means of validated questionnaires. Associations between mercury exposure and incident cardiovascular disease were evaluated with the use of conditional logistic regression. Results ...
Toward “Strong Democracy” in Global Cities? Social Capital Building, Theory-Driven Reform, and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Experience

With faith in government waning, cultural diversity spiraling, and fiscal stress straining the ability of policy makers to address the policy challenges accompanying these developments, the salience of (re)connecting citizens with government takes on renewed urgency today. Nowhere is this more the case than in urban America, where so-called global cities teeming with ethnic diversity and controlling a disproportionate amount of global business in the world economy confront profound citizen participation challenges, choices, and opportunities. In this installment of Theory to Practice, the authors cull lessons from their 10-year action theory–based assessment and participation in the city of Los Angeles’ neighborhood council experience. Comparing and contrasting their findings in this global city with those from related studies on participatory mechanisms and deliberative processes more generally, they offer six lessons for those seeking to build stronger democracy in urban areas, argue that further advances require a greater research focus on the longitudinal implementation of these efforts rather than just on their design, and contend that university researchers have a role to play in these efforts as long as they appreciate the paradoxical nature of their participation. Expert e-commentary by Brian Cook of Virginia Tech, Tina Nabatchi of Syracuse University, and John Thomas of Georgia State University on the perspectives and arguments culled from Los Angeles’ theory-based participatory efforts can be found on the PAR website (go to aspanet.org, click on the link to PAR, and then on the Theory to Practice link). These e-commentaries are accompanied by the authors’ response and instructions on how PAR readers can join the exchange.
Androgen receptors in gonadotrophs in pituitary cultures from adult male monkeys and rats.

There is substantial evidence demonstrating that the principal feedback action of androgens to decrease LH secretion in male primates, including man, is to slow the GnRH pulse generator, whereas in male rats androgens not only decrease GnRH but also suppress LH synthesis and secretion through a direct pituitary effect. Previous experiments in our laboratory revealed that testosterone (T) suppresses LH secretion and decreases α-subunit mRNA levels in male rat pituitary cell cultures perifused with pulses of GnRH but not in pituitary cells from adult male monkeys. In the present study, we sought to determine whether the lack of responsiveness of gonadotrophs to androgens in the primate is androgen receptor (AR) related. Primary cultures were prepared from the anterior pituitary glands of adult male monkeys and rats. Cells were identified as gonadotrophs if they were immunoreactive for LH-β or FSH-β. Of these cells in the monkey, 80% contained both gonadotropins, 17% contained only LH-β, and 3% contained onl...
Systematic design of robust control systems using small gain stability concepts

A systematic numerical method for designing robust controllers is developed, based on small gain stability concepts. The procedure is interactive, and makes use of analytically derived expressions for singular value gradients. The underlying theory is discussed and design examples are presented.
Network-Level Access Control Management for the Cloud

One of the major security threats that public cloud computing platforms face today is that the active cloud virtual machine instances are visible and accessible via the public internet, which allows hackers to carry out several types of attacks such as Denial of Service (DoS) and intrusion over along durations which increases the probabilities of successful penetration. Security logs of the failed attempts attest to the real threat and the intensity and duration of these. Most systems running on public cloud instances today are not security hardened to withstand such persistent and long attacks. It is not only dangerous but also disastrous for the enterprise that uses such instances to deliver cloud services, for the users that use such services, and for the cloud provider that provides the cloud infrastructure. Therefore, what is required is a network level access control solution that facilitates delivery of cloud services while protecting the network perimeter of the solution in a useable and dynamically customisable manner. In this paper, we have described such a network-based access control solution for public cloud services that we have designed and developed and is applicable to any of the various cloud platforms available today. We have deployed our solution as part of the "Security-as-a-Service" model on IBM Smart Cloud Enterprise (SCE), and has been used for commercial delivery of cloud services. These applications have led to not only high level of security with no security attacks via network exposure on the services, but also significant savings on the cost of maintaining the security of such instances and services. We have also studied the challenges that network address translators (NATs) pose for network-based access control on public cloud, and have developed solutions for such challenges.
Mathematical modeling of the effects of glutathione on arsenic methylation

Arsenic is a major environmental toxin that is detoxified in the liver by biochemical mechanisms that are still under study. In the traditional metabolic pathway, arsenic undergoes two methylation reactions, each followed by a reduction, after which it is exported and released in the urine. Recent experiments show that glutathione plays an important role in arsenic detoxification and an alternative biochemical pathway has been proposed in which arsenic is first conjugated by glutathione after which the conjugates are methylated. In addition, in rats arsenic-glutathione conjugates can be exported into the plasma and removed by the liver in the bile. We have developed a mathematical model for arsenic biochemistry that includes three mechanisms by which glutathione affects arsenic methylation: glutathione increases the speed of the reduction steps; glutathione affects the activity of arsenic methyltranferase; glutathione sequesters inorganic arsenic and its methylated downstream products. The model is based as much as possible on the known biochemistry of arsenic methylation derived from cellular and experimental studies. We show that the model predicts and helps explain recent experimental data on the effects of glutathione on arsenic methylation. We explain why the experimental data imply that monomethyl arsonic acid inhibits the second methylation step. The model predicts time course data from recent experimental studies. We explain why increasing glutathione when it is low increases arsenic methylation and that at very high concentrations increasing glutathione decreases methylation. We explain why the possible temporal variation of the glutathione concentration affects the interpretation of experimental studies that last hours. The mathematical model aids in the interpretation of data from recent experimental studies and shows that the Challenger pathway of arsenic methylation, supplemented by the glutathione effects described above, is sufficient to understand and predict recent experimental data. More experimental studies are needed to explicate the detailed mechanisms of action of glutathione on arsenic methylation. Recent experimental work on the effects of glutathione on arsenic methylation and our modeling study suggest that supplements that increase hepatic glutathione production should be considered as strategies to reduce adverse health effects in affected populations.
Environment of STB applications for complex customer service

Presented in this paper is a complex approach to creating applications for set-top boxes. A group of Motorola system engineers suggests providing a whole environment of applications satisfying TV users' needs on a modern technology level. Combining the developed applications into a single suite enables to observe throughout the suite general principles like user compliance, personalization, socialization, integration with other devices, and provide unification of functionality and UI for all applications and all sources of data. Main components of this suite are observed: content management, home environment management, local area info access, and personal specific needs. Benefits of all parties participating (the end users, service providers and MSOs) are considered.
Improved multi-DOF haptics with spring drive amplifiers

Spring drive amplifiers utilize the natural inductive properties of a DC motor to produce stronger position feedback than is achievable with traditional current amplifiers. Impedance-type haptics devices can leverage these amplifiers to render superior contacts with higher contact stiffness. Use of these amplifiers, however, requires the virtual environment to specify motion commands for each motor. This work extends the recently developed 1-DOF integrated approach to multi-DOF applications. It presents a motion controller working with spring drive amplifiers, together producing the maximum achievable isotropic Cartesian stiffness. Isotropy is necessary to guarantee that haptic contact forces are rendered in the correct direction. The system is implemented on a PHANTOM 1.0 haptic device and analytic performance is verified by experiment.
Hurwitz Equivalence in Tuples of Dihedral Groups, Dicyclic Groups, and Semidihedral Groups

Let D2N be the dihedral group of order 2N, Dic4M the dicyclic group of order 4M, SD2 m the semidihedral group of order 2 m , and M2 m the group of order 2 m with presentation M2m = h �,� | � 2 m−1 = � 2 = 1, ��� −1 = � 2 m−2 +1 i . We classify the orbits in D nN , Dic nM , SD nm, and M n 2m under the Hurwitz action.
Animal Wastes -- A National Problem

A state of the art summary is given of the control and management of animal wastes. Items considered include the magnitude of the problem, pollution that has been caused by animal wastes, feasible treatment processes, major problem areas, and areas for future activity. The problems currently associated with the handling, treatment, and disposal of animal wastes will be magnified in the future. Ultimate disposal techniques for untreated animal solids and liquids as well as the residues from waste treatment processes should be integrated with feasible handling and treatment processes to develop suitable waste control and abatement systems. Large-scale animal production facilities should be considered as individual industries responsible for pollution abatement.
PET Neurochemical Imaging Modes

PET has deep roots in neuroscience stemming from its first application in brain tumor and brain metabolism imaging. PET emerged over the past few decades and continues to play a prominent role in the study of neurochemistry in the living human brain. Over time, neurochemical imaging with PET has been expanded to address a host of research questions related to, among many others, protein density, drug occupancy, and endogenous neurochemical release. Each of these imaging modes has distinct design and analysis considerations that are critical for enabling quantitative measurements. The number of considerations required for a neurochemical PET study can make it unapproachable. This article aims to orient those interested in neurochemical PET imaging to three of the common imaging modes and to provide some perspective on needs that exist for expansion of neurochemical PET imaging.
Influence of the Electric Fields of Thunderstorms on Radon-222 Daughter Ion Concentrations

Some of the 222Rn daughters present in the atmosphere are known to exist as positive ions having mobilities in the range of ordinary atmospheric small ions. Previous work has shown that the concentration of these ions near the ground decreases markedly in the presence of thunderstorms although the concentration of the parent 222Rn remains essentially unchanged. In this paper the nature of this effect is examined in terms of ion migration due to electric fields, attachment to condensation nuclei, and recombination effects. Data from 40 thunderstorms studied at the Langmuir laboratory clearly show that the depletion of the radon daughter ions as well as the ordinary atmospheric small ions of positive charge near ground level is due primarily to ion migration under the influence of storm-produced electric fields. However, attachment processes become important for condensation nucleus concentrations in excess of about four times normal values. Recombination appears to play only a minor role. The experimental data are supported by a one-dimensional time-dependent numerical model developed by Roffman in our laboratory which includes terms for ion attachment and recombination, electric field, eddy diffusion, and vertical wind.
The Learned Justice Handler: Fond Reflections of a Former Clerk

I had hoped to clerk for Justice Handler since my first year of law school, when, having read many of his legion majority, dissenting, and concurring opinions, he quickly became a hero to me.
Cardiovascular Stress during the Rapid-Smoking Procedure:

The effect of the rapid-smoking procedure on heart rate, blood pressure, and peripheral skin temperature as a measure of vasoconstriction was assessed for 6 women and 4 men who participated in a week long clinic. An analysis of heart rate, blood pressure, and skin temperature taken before, during, and after the procedure yielded a statistically significant effect across all three measures. The results are discussed in terms of their significance when compared to normal cigarette smoking and as they relate to the ethical issue raised in recommending this procedure based on these results.
The Thermodynamic Characterization of ZrCo–H, HfCoH, HfNiH and Zr1–xHfxNi(Co) Alloy–H Systems

ZrCo and HfCo intermetallic compounds have the same cubic (CsCl-type) structure and their ternary (Zr1−xHfx)Co alloys are also cubic. ZrNi and HfNi intermetallic compounds have the orthorhombic structure (CrB-type) and the ternary (Zr1−xHfx)Ni alloys also have this structure. Thermodynamic data for hydride formation and decomposition in ZrCo, HfCo and HfNi intermetallic compounds have been determined from reaction calorimetry and from pressure-composition isotherms. Thermodynamic data have been determined for the three ternary alloys: (Zr0.75Hf0.25)Co, (Zr0.50Hf0.50)Co, and (Zr0.25Hf0.75)Co and the four ternary alloys: (Zr0.875Hf0.125)Ni, (Zr0.75Hf0.25)Ni, (Zr0.50Hf0.50)Ni, and (Zr0.25Hf0.75)Ni. This offers the opportunity to learn how the thermodynamic properties of the ternary alloy-H systems change with the stoichiometry of alloys with the same structure.
Relating chemical structure to device performance via morphology control in diketopyrrolopyrrole-based low band gap polymers.

We investigated the structure–morphology–performance relationship of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based low band gap polymers with different donor cores in organic field effect transistors (OFETs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The change in the chemical structure led to strong physical property differences, such as crystalline behavior, blend morphology, and device performance. In addition, the choice of solvents and additives enabled one to fine tune the properties of these materials in the condensed state. For instance, when thin films were processed from solvent mixtures, both in the pure polymer and in a blend, we observed an enhanced edge-on orientation and the formation of thinner and longer polymer fibrils. In the BHJ blends, processing from a solvent mixture reduced the size scale of the phase separation and promoted the formation of a fibrillar network morphology, having a polymer–PCBM mixture filling the interfibrillar regions. The characteristic length scale of the fibrillar network dictated ...