cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transparent ring oscillator based on indium gallium oxide thin-film transistors

Abstract Highly transparent ring oscillators, exhibiting ∼75% optical transmittance in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, are fabricated using indium gallium oxide as the active channel material and standard photolithography techniques. The n-channel indium gallium oxide transparent thin-film transistors (TTFTs) exhibit a peak incremental mobility of ∼7 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and turn-on voltage of ∼2 V. A five-stage ring oscillator circuit (which does not employ level-shifting) exhibits an oscillation frequency of ∼2.2 kHz when the gate and drain of the load transistor are biased at 30 V; the maximum oscillation frequency observed is ∼9.5 kHz, with the gate and drain of the load transistor biased at ∼80 V.
Russian Authoritarian Pluralism: a Local and Global Trend?

Russia is a country that has witnessed increasingly authoritarian governance over the last decade. Civil liberties have been curtailed; local and regional political power has been usurped by the Kremlin. Russia remains a democracy insomuch as elections are conducted, but increasingly those elections are so heavily influenced by state control over the media and fiscal elements of social power that substantive Western notions of democracy have greatly atrophied. However, the decline in substantive democracy has received solid support from the Russian electorate. As such, under the leadership of Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, Russia has become an ‘authoritarian pluralist’ state that now expresses long-standing cultural affinity for a strong authoritarian rule under an increasingly thin veneer of democratic principles. Furthermore, variations of this new Russian model seem to be spreading globally. Democracy is the dictatorship of the law. The stronger the state is, the freer the individual. Vladimir Putin
Electrophysiological indices of surround suppression in humans

Surround suppression is a well-known example of contextual interaction in visual cortical neurophysiology, whereby the neural response to a stimulus presented within a neuron's classical receptive ...
Land Acquisition and the Use of the Mortgage Contract by the Cistercians of Berdoues

The enormous success of the Cistercian order in the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries owed much to the great popularity of Bernard of Clairvaux and to his leadership of the order. Between 1098, when Citeaux was founded, and 1153, when Bernard died, the number of new foundations increased more rapidly than at any other time in the order's history. The difficult task of acquiring sufficient patrimony, however, although begun during Bernard's lifetime, continued throughout the rest of the century. Indeed, in most places, acquisition of land must have continued right up to the middle of the thirteenth century. This was certainly the case for the abbey of Berdoues: founded in southern France in the 1140s, the abbey continued to gather land and property rights up to the 1250s. Although much can be attributed to the piety of early donors to the order, the successful Cistercian monastery of the twelfth century acquired its patrimony through careful administrative techniques. These included the recording of each gift or sale to an abbey in a written instrument and in many cases the redaction of the written instruments or charters into cartularies. The cartularies were often arranged in sections concerning particular properties, which made it easy to assess what rights were owned and to locate the proof of these rights when disputes arose. The surviving cartularies are extremely useful tools for monastic and social history in the middle centuries of the medieval period. Cistercian cartularies from southern France record hundreds of donations and other conveyances of property to the order. Charters record not only donations of land, but sales or "disguised sales" of land to the monks: the latter were written in the language of donations, with a cash "gift" from the monks representing the purchase price. Cartularies also record the exchange or leasing of a piece of land by an abbey, the arbitrated settlements of disputes between the abbey and outsiders, and occasionally the rents due on holdings granted to the order. Cistercian charters generally describe the existing status of the land and the rights over it that were being conveyed to the order: rights of lordship or dominium, rights of tenancy, ownership of allodium, feudum, or beneficium. Charters reveal the fragmentation of ownership of particular rights: a quarter of the tithes, an eighth of the dominium, and so forth. Occasionally a charter will mention that the land in question is in mortgage (in pignus) to another individual. In such cases the monastery
Differentiation of Muscle-Derived Cells into Myofibroblasts in Injured Skeletal Muscle

Injured muscle can initiate regeneration promptly by activating myogenic cells that proliferate and differentiate into myotubes and myofibers. However, the recovery of the injured skeletal muscle often is hindered by the development of fibrosis. We hypothesized that the early-appearing myogenic cells in the injured area differentiate into myofibroblasts and eventually contribute to the development of fibrosis. To investigate this, we transplanted a genetically engineered clonal population of muscle-derived stem cells (MC13 cells) into the skeletal muscle of immunodeficient SCID mice, which were lacerated 4 weeks after transplantation. The MC13 cells regenerated numerous myofibers in the nonlacerated muscle and these myogenic cells were gradually replaced by myofibroblastic cells in the injured muscle. Our results suggest that the release of local environmental stimuli after muscle injury triggers the differentiation of myogenic cells (including MC13 cells) into fibrotic cells. These results demonstrate the potential of muscle-derived stem cells to differentiate into different lineages and illustrate the importance of controlling the local environment within the injured tissue to optimize tissue regeneration via the transplantation of stem cells.
Unsteady Aerodynamic Analysis of Subsonic Oscillating Cascade

This paper describes the development of the source-doublet-based potential paneling method for oscillating cascade unsteady aerodynamic load predictions. By using the integral influence coefficient method and by using the interblade phase angles, the unsteady loads on an oscillating cascade can be accurately predicted at a minimum cost. As the grids are placed only on the blade surfaces, the blades are allowed to vibrate without grid deformation problems. Four notable subsonic oscillating cascade test cases that cover most important parameters, e.g., blade geometry, interblade phase angle, flow coefficient, flow speed, frequency, etc., are studied in this paper. The agreement between the present solutions and other numerical/experimental results demonstrates the robustness of the present model. Applicability of the method for realistic compressible flow cascades is also discussed.
CRITIQUE ON ''UNIVERSAL THEORY OF PRIMARY INTERACTIONS AND NUCLEON--NUCLEON SCATTERING''.

We remark on a calculation of low-energy nucleon-nucleon scattering carried out by Chiang, Gleiser, Huq, and Saxena, who use Sudarshan's "universal vector and axial-vector interaction theory" in a one-boson-exchange potential approximation. We show that the test of high-mass meson exchange forces comes in fitting the lower partial waves ($l\ensuremath{\le}2$), not in fitting the higher partial waves ($l\ensuremath{\ge}3$), since mere one-pion exchange accounts for most of the observed scattering in the higher partial waves. Thus Chiang et al.'s admittedly poor fit to some of the lower partial waves would seem to disprove Sudarshan's model. However, we point out an error in the treatment of the one-$\ensuremath{\rho}$-exchange potential, the correction of which will significantly improve the fit to the data, although the over-all agreement will still be poor. We also point out that Sudarshan's assumption, that the $\ensuremath{\omega}$-nucleon coupling constant equals the $\ensuremath{\rho}$-nucleon coupling constant, is both arbitrary and in conflict with experiment, and that if $g_{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}$ is altered to agree with experiment, the model will be in considerably better agreement with experiment. Finally, we remark that the model also lacks sufficient intermediate-range attraction, but that this is due in part to the neglect of the two-pion-exchange terms in Chiang et al.'s calculation. With the inclusion of $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ effects, the Sudarshan model should correctly predict the qualitative features of low-energy nucleon-nucleon scattering. However, a precise fit will likely require the exchange of the $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(715,T=0,J={0}^{+})$, and Sudarshan's model makes no provision for such a meson.
IL-1β strikingly enhances antigen-driven CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses.

Protective immune response requires massive expansion of antigen-triggered naive cells, extensive differentiation into effector cells, migration of effectors into the periphery, and generation of a functional memory compartment. IL-1β strikingly enhances expansion of antigen-primed CD8 and CD4 T cells in vivo. Its T-cell expansion in lymph nodes and spleen was direct, requiring that the stimulated T cells express IL-1R1. Immunization in the presence of IL-1β increases the frequency of IL-17- and IFN-γ-producing cells among primed CD4 cells and the frequency of granzyme B-expressing and IFN-γ-producing cells and of cytotoxic cells among primed CD8 cells. IL-1β-induced increase in the number of the activated CD4 and CD8 cells and augmented differentiation of the antigen-triggered T cells is very pronounced in liver and lungs. CD4 and CD8 cells primed in the presence of IL-1β display augmented cell number and enhanced cytokine production when rechallenged 2 mo after priming with antigen and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In five in vivo models, IL-1β enhanced the protective value of weak vaccines. Preliminary analysis of in vivo gene expression in CD4 cells stimulated with IL-1β revealed that IL-1β caused gene expression changes consistent with the up-regulation of pathways involved in cell replication, cell survival, and enhanced energy metabolism. Thus, IL-1β enhances antigen-primed CD4 and CD8 T-cell expansion, differentiation, and migration to the periphery and memory, the specific functions required for generation of effective protective immune responses.
Characterization of the thermal conductivity for Advanced Toughened Uni-piece Fibrous Insulations

Advanced Toughened Uni-piece Fibrous Insulations (TUFI) is discussed in terms of their thermal response to an arc-jet air stream. A modification of the existing Ames thermal conductivity program to predict the thermal response of these functionally gradient materials is described in the paper. The modified program was used to evaluate the effect of density, surface porosity, and density gradient through the TUFI materials on the thermal response of these insulations. Predictions using a finite-difference code and calculated thermal conductivity values from the modified program were compared with in-depth temperature measurements taken from TUFI insulations during short exposures to arc-jet hypersonic air streams.
Doing Well: The Relationship of Identity Status to Three Conceptions of Well-Being

A study involving 217 college undergraduates was conducted to evaluate the relationship between measures of ego identity status and three conceptions of well-being: subjective, psychological, and eudaimonic. The various measures of well-being were found to be positively correlated, mostly in the low to moderate range. As predicted, scores on the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status for the identity achievement status were positively correlated with measures of all three conceptions of well-being, while corresponding negative correlations were obtained for identity diffusion scores. The correlations for the moratorium and foreclosure scales were negative for the various measures of psychological well-being but nonsignificant with measures of subjective and eudaimonic well-being. Multiple regression analyses for the moratorium and foreclosure scales yielded a more complex understanding of the associations of various well-being measures for these statuses.
Soybean seed inoculant and fungicidal seed treatment effects on soybean

Several new bacterial inoculant products have been introduced for use as a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed treatment. A 3-yr study over 16 site-years determined whether soybean seed inoculation had an effect on grain yield, if yield or growth differences occurred between soybean treated with commercial inoculant products, and whether use of seed-applied fungicide resulted in yield benefits or interacted with commercial inoculants. Eight commercial inoculants were tested both with and without seed-applied fungicidal treatment in a split-plot randomized complete block configuration. Use of soybean inoculant raised soybean yield in 6 of 14 site-years in fields that had been in soybean rotation. The average yield increase as a result of soybean seed inoculation at these 14 site-years with a previous history of soybean cropping was 85.6 kg ha -1 . Differences between inoculant products were observed only at first-time soybean sites. Fungicidal seed treatment improved yield on 3 of 16 site-years and only interacted with inoculant on the two first-time soybean sites.
Rom transcript of plasmid ColE1

Abstract The ColE1 Rom protein contributes to copy number control by affecting the rate of formation of a complex between RNA II, the precursor of the primer for DNA replication, and RNA I, a small RNA complementary to the 5' end of RNA II. Interaction of RNA I with RNA II can affect plasmid copy number by preventing primer formation. Although the RNA I and RNA II transcripts have been well characterized, the rom mRNA has not previously been detected. We have now identified the rom mRNA, and determined its start site both in vitro and in vivo. We also have found that the rom mRNA terminates at any of several sites, and that its synthesis is not autoregulated by the Rom protein. By using an internal standard RNA to estimate the efficiency of detection of the rom mRNA, its level was determined to be about 1 molecule per cell.
The determination of aminoacyl adenylate by thin-layer chromatography.

Abstract A rapid and convenient method is presented by which one may determine the extent of formation of Enz·(AA ∼ AMP) in the presence of isotopic amino acid, isotopic nucleotides, tRNA, enzyme, etc. Separation of the components of the reaction mixture is achieved by chromatography on tlc cellulose. Aminoacyl adenylate separates from other solutes and is characterized by its chemical and enzymatic reactions. The method may be used to determine the equilibrium constant for the synthesis of Enz·(AA ∼ AMP) which is very sensitive to salt concentration.
A Signal Transduction System that Responds to Extracellular Iron

Iron is essential for all organisms but can be toxic in excess. Iron homeostasis is typically regulated by cytoplasmic iron binding proteins, but here we describe a signal transduction system (PmrA/PmrB) that responds to extracytoplasmic ferric iron. Iron promoted transcription of PmrA-activated genes and resistance to the antibiotic polymyxin in Salmonella. The PmrB protein bound iron via its periplasmic domain which harbors two copies of the sequence ExxE, a motif present in the Saccharomyces FTR1 iron transporter and in mammalian ferritin light chain. A pmrA mutant was hypersensitive to killing by iron but displayed wild-type resistance to a variety of oxidants, suggesting PmrA/PmrB controls a novel pathway mediating the avoidance of iron toxicity.
Radiative and hadronic transitions of the charmonium 1P1 state.

Hadronic transitions of the charmonium $^{1}P_{1}$ ($={h}_{c}$) state into $\frac{J}{\ensuremath{\psi}}$ are considered in the QCD multipole expansion. Using the decay rate of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{cJ}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\frac{J}{\ensuremath{\psi}}+\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and a quantum-mechanical sum rule, we estimate $\ensuremath{\Gamma}({h}_{c}(1P)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\frac{J}{\ensuremath{\psi}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0})g1.6$ keV, which is close to the recent measurement by E760, $\ensuremath{\Gamma}({h}_{c}(1P)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\frac{J}{\ensuremath{\psi}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0})\ensuremath{\sim}1$ keV. Other transitions of ${h}_{c}$ are also considered in the same context.
Experimental Investigation of Thermo-Mechanical Characteristics in Laser-Assisted Machining of Silicon Nitride Ceramics

Laser-assisted machining (LAM) of silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) is evaluated for its potential to become an economically viable process in fabricating precision ceramic parts. On-line measurements of cutting force and workpiece temperature are performed, and tool wear and surface integrity are examined. Tool wear characteristics are determined as a function of workpiece temperature, which is measured on-line using a laser pyrometer Tool wear/failure mechanisms are characterized using optical microscopy while application of scanning electron microscopy to heated and machined surfaces, as well as to chips, is used to infer material removal mechanisms and the extent of damage caused by LAM. The sub-surface damage of parts produced by LAM is compared with that of typical ground parts.
Properties and Power of the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource for the Routine Dissection of Complex Traits

The Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource (DSPR) is a newly developed multifounder advanced intercross panel consisting of >1600 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) designed for the genetic dissection of complex traits. Here, we describe the inference of the underlying mosaic founder structure for the full set of RILs from a dense set of semicodominant restriction-site–associated DNA (RAD) markers and use simulations to explore how variation in marker density and sequencing coverage affects inference. For a given sequencing effort, marker density is more important than sequence coverage per marker in terms of the amount of genetic information we can infer. We also assessed the power of the DSPR by assigning genotypes at a hidden QTL to each RIL on the basis of the inferred founder state and simulating phenotypes for different experimental designs, different genetic architectures, different sample sizes, and QTL of varying effect sizes. We found the DSPR has both high power (e.g., 84% power to detect a 5% QTL) and high mapping resolution (e.g., ∼1.5 cM for a 5% QTL).
Salt Losing Obstructive Uropathy with Paradoxically Low Urinary Sodium Concentration: Salt Entrapment in an Obstructed Ectopic Ureterocele

A 6-month-old hyponatremic female with failure to thrive had low urinary sodium concentration. Renal sonography revealed a duplex left collecting system with obstruction of the upper moiety as a blind-ended ectopic ureterocele extending to the bladder base. The echogenicity of the urine within the upper pole system was greater than the bladder contents. We believed that low urinary sodium concentration represented a false negative test and the salt loss by the obstructed left kidney was entrapped in the upper pole collecting system. Prior to ureterocele repair, intraoperative bladder and ureterocele aspirates revealed discordant sodium concentration supporting the sonographic conclusion.
The use of the WWW to support distance learning through NTU

The teaching of graduate level computer science courses can be a challenging task. The students are confronted with a wealth of complex material with, often, higher expectations by their instructors on their performance. Distance education of students employed full-time presents an interesting and complex challenge. This paper describes the instructional package consisting primarily of a World Wide Web (WWW) site used by the author to aid in educating distance education students enrolled in graduate Artificial Intelligence Concept courses at the University of Florida.
Restoring order: Relating entropy to energy and information

‘Order’ is a central concept in many disciplines. As such it is an important tool in our effort to build a general systems theory which integrates interdisciplinary research. Unfortunately, it has been suggested that the concept be abandoned, as it is said to have contradictory meanings in relation to entropy. This situation is seen as symptomatic of the existence of paradigm anomalies. Anomalies are of two types: Exclusionary, resulting from paradigms which exclude certain key principles; and inclusionary, resulting from paradigms which include contradictory concepts or principles. This paper analyzes and resolves three key inclusionary anomalies. These are: The relationship between entropy and energy; the relationship between entropy and complexity; and the relationship between entropy and information. Once these anomalies are resolved, the apparent contradictions in the concept of ‘order’ disappear.
Creating an Institutional Academic Advising Culture That Supports Commuter Student Success

This chapter explores components necessary for creating an institutionally based action plan that supports commuter student success.
The Household and Relations of Production in Southern Peru

The household as a unit of analysis has achieved wide currency in social science circles in recent years. Researchers have shown that in many contexts, both rural and urban, the household is the locus of important productive processes. It has also been demonstrated to be the context within which many decisions related to productive strategies are made and where income is pooled and then allocated. Testimony to the growth of interest in household-based analyses is provided by the recent appearance of a number of edited volumes (Netting et al. 1984; Smith et al. 1984) and review articles (Yanagisako 1979; Guyer 1981; Schmink 1984) on the topic.
On the relaxation of semi-Gaussian and K-V beams to thermal equilibrium

A beam propagating in a continuous, linear focusing channel tends to relax to a thermal equilibrium state. We employ nonlinear conservation constraints to theoretically analyze changes in quantities that characterize both an initial semi-Gaussian beam with a matched rms beam envelope and a K-V beam under a relaxation to thermal equilibrium. Results from particle-in-cell simulations are compared to the theoretical predictions.
Data-parallel finite-state machines

A finite-state machine (FSM) is an important abstraction for solving several problems, including regular-expression matching, tokenizing text, and Huffman decoding. FSM computations typically involve data-dependent iterations with unpredictable memory-access patterns making them difficult to parallelize. This paper describes a parallel algorithm for FSMs that breaks dependences across iterations by efficiently enumerating transitions from all possible states on each input symbol. This allows the algorithm to utilize various sources of data parallelism available on modern hardware, including vector instructions and multiple processors/cores. For instance, on benchmarks from three FSM applications: regular expressions, Huffman decoding, and HTML tokenization, the parallel algorithm achieves up to a 3x speedup over optimized sequential baselines on a single core, and linear speedups up to 21x on 8 cores.
Turbulence, Turmoil, and Trauma: When We Can't Get along.

This case presents an educational leader attempting to institute cultural change in a university department that has long been marked by turbulence, turmoil, and trauma. The case examines the well-intentioned efforts of the newly appointed department chair, John Nitsky, in his quest to “reculture” the department.
Collateral Damage: Pay-for-Performance Initiatives and Safety-Net Hospitals

In this issue, Gilman and colleagues report an analysis that suggests that the amount Medicare's pay-for-performance program has diverted from the safety-net hospital so far is modest. The editoria...
USING SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY ACTIVITIES IN EXHIBIT EXPLANATIONS

This study investigated the effect of different scientific inquiry activities on visitors' understanding of the science underlying an interactive exhibit. The exhibit, “colored shadows,” creates a pattern of colored shadows on a white wall, due to a person's body blocking the light from colored lamps. The subjects were 392 museum visitors, aged 7 to adult. They were individually guided through a structured interview, during which they did one of seven inquiry activities, randomly assigned. The activities were: generate an explanation; interpret an explanation; troubleshoot an explanation; choose between two explanations; choose plus design a discriminating experiment; choose plus make and test a related prediction; and make a prediction before experiencing the phenomenon. As a test of their final understanding, visitors were asked to complete two near-transfer tasks in diagrammatic form. The results showed that the interpretation activity was the most effective in facilitating visitors' understanding of the mechanism of shadow-creation; least effective was the activity in which visitors made a prediction before experiencing the phenomenon. Visitors had relatively little difficulty choosing correctly from two explanations, but had much more difficulty designing a discriminating experiment. Only rarely during the interviews did visitors revise their thinking in the face of disconfirming evidence. Although the majority of visitors did not answer both transfer problems correctly, their thinking generally showed consistency and logic. The most common types of reasoning used were causal models that traced the path of light from each lamp to the object and to the wall. Such models incorporated ideas of reflection, blocking, and reflection/blocking hybrids, among others. A follow-up study will incorporate these insights into stand-alone exhibit labels for further testing. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed81:715–734, 1997.
A new algorithm for the complex exponential integral in the method of moments

This paper presents a new algorithm for the rapid and accurate calculation of the complex exponential integral associated with the mutual impedance of sinusoidal basis and testing functions in the method of moments. The new algorithm uses Leibniz's theorem to calculate Taylor series expansions of the integral instead of integrating expansions of the integrand as is often done. This results in an algorithm which is twice as fast as and is valid over a wider range than previous algorithms. This technique can be applied to many other integrals encountered in computational electromagnetics as well.
Design comparison of high power medium-voltage converters based on 6.5kV Si-IGBT/Si-PiN diode, 6.5kV Si-IGBT/SiC-JBS diode, and 10kV SiC MOSFET/SiC-JBS diode

In this paper a comparative design study of high power medium-voltage three-level NPC converter with 6.5kV Si-IGBT/Si-PIN diode, 6.5kV Si-IGBT/SiC-JBS diode, and 10kV SiC-MOSFET/SiC-JBS diode is presented. Power module circuit models including packaging parasitic inductances are created based on accurate device die SPICE circuit models for each (a) 6.5kV Si-IGBT/PiN diode; (b) 6.5kV Si-IGBT/SiC-JBS diode; and (c) 10kV SiC-MOSFET/SiC-JBS diode. Switching waveforms, characteristics, switching power and energy loss measurements of power modules including symmetric/asymmetric parasitic inductances are followed by SPICE circuit simulation and efficiency comparison of a 1MW 3L-NPC converter at 1kHz, 5kHz, and 10kHz switching frequencies. It is shown that 6.5kV Si-IGBT incorporating an anti-parallel SiC-JBS diode, with its high efficiency performance up to 5kHz, is a strong candidate for MW range converters. The 10kV SiC-MOSFET/SiC-JBS diode remains an option for higher switching frequency high power converters.
The Role of Theory in Instructional Design: Some Views of an ID Practitioner.

This article describes how an experienced instructional designer thinks about and uses learning theories to inform instructional design decisions. It uses a vision metaphor to provide a simple heuristic framework for identifying the nature of instructional problems and relating different types of problems to useful theoretical perspectives, methods of instructional analysis, and assessment strategies. Finally, it provides a synopsis of major learning theory perspectives and situations that could be addressed by applying models and strategies representing the different theoretical perspectives.
Pharmacy syringe sale practices during the first year of expanded syringe availability in New York City (2001-2002).

Objective To assess the role that customer characteristics, including race, age, and gender and pharmacy characteristics, including type and location, play on actual syringe-selling practice by pharmacies registered to sell syringes under the New York State Expanded Syringe Access Demonstration Program (ESAP). Design 89 syringe-purchasing visits were made in randomly selected ESAP registered pharmacies, stratified by chain and independent status. Setting Visits were conducted in 14 New York City neighborhoods. Three neighborhoods (two with high need for human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] prevention services and one with low need) were selected in each of New York City's five boroughs (except Staten Island, where only two neighborhoods were visited, as only one exists with high need for HIV prevention services). Participants Visits were conducted by syringe-purchasing testers with different demographic characteristics, including age (≤ 25 and > 25), race/ethnicity (white, black, Latino), and gender (men, women). Results Testers were able to purchase syringes in 69% of visits. Tester race, age, and gender did not significantly affect sales of syringe-selling practices. Location of pharmacy was statistically significant, with only 33% of the registered pharmacies selling syringes in the Bronx, but 67% to 89% selling in other four boroughs. Conclusions ESAP has been widely implemented among registered pharmacies in four of New York City's five boroughs. The program's effectiveness could be enhanced through pharmacy-based efforts focused broadly on the ESAP goal of preventing the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne infections among injection drug users.
Clinical Overview: Issues in Kaposi's Sarcoma Therapeutics

Four questions are posed that are critical to the development of improved therapeutic and prophylactic strategies for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). 1) Can we predict who will develop KS? Accurate identification of high-risk factors for KS development is essential for the development of KS prophylaxis trials. 2) Can developing insights into KS pathogenesis be translated into improved therapeutic and/or new prophylactic strategies for patients at high risk? Several approaches are being developed that target new blood vessel development, inflammatory cytokines, and the viruses that are implicated in KS pathogenesis. 3) How does the improved prognosis for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients affect KS treatment strategy? Improved anti-HIV therapy has implications for the timing of KS therapy, the choice of therapeutic approaches, and the potential for adverse drug interactions. 4) How can we best evaluate benefits from KS treatment? More rigorous, standardized criteria are in development and will be essential not only for accurate documentation of objective tumor regression, but also for assessment of tumor-associated symptom relief in a quantitative, function-oriented way.
Assessment of otolaryngic knowledge in primary care residents.

Objectives(1) Determine the amount of exposure to otolaryngology in medical training of non-otolaryngology residents. (2) Evaluate the general otolaryngic knowledge in these residents.Study DesignC...
The unsmooth trajectory of Benoit Mandelbrot

Only very rarely does someone fundamentally change the way we view the world. Newton and Leibnitz invented the modern concept of smoothness, and showed its power. For hundreds of years, subsequent ...
The role of thermal contrast in infrared-based defensive targeting by the copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix

The facial pit organs of the copperhead are the end organs of a complex infrared-imaging system that allows accurate and precise strikes on potential prey. Anecdotal and recent experimental observations show that pit vipers can use their infrared-imaging systems to discriminate between cool and warm features in the environment. We tested the hypothesis that the infrared-imaging system is a thermal contrast detector and determined whether behavioural responses of copperheads differ with contrast type. We found that blindfolded copperheads responded behaviourally towards both warm objects moving against cool backgrounds and cool objects moving against warm backgrounds. Responses towards the former were more robust than those towards the latter. Furthermore, oscillating warm targets generated rhythmic following behaviour in-phase with target motion, while oscillating cool targets generated rhythmic behavioural movement in antiphase to target motion. The results show that the infrared-imaging system of pit vipers operates on the basis of thermal contrast, but the differences in behavioural responses with respect to contrast type indicate that pit vipers preferentially target the warm aspect of thermal differentials. Our results also demonstrate that the infrared-imaging system allows defensive targeting of potential endothermic predators.
Brain Changes in the Development of Expertise: Neuroanatomical and Neurophysiological Evidence about Skill-Based Adaptations

Introduction As humans acquire skills there are dramatic changes in brain activity that complement the profound changes in processing speed and effort seen in behavioral data. These changes involve learning, developing new representations, strategy shifts, and use of wider cues and approaches. Experts differ from novices in terms of their knowledge, effort, recognition, analysis, strategy, memory use, and monitoring (e.g., see Chi, Chapter 2; Feltovich, Prietula, & Ericsson, Chapter 4). In the last decade, there have be major advances in our ability to noninvasively track human brain activity. There are now over a hundred experiments tracking learning or expert performance. Patterns are beginning to emerge that show that learning and skilled performance produce changes in brain activation – and different types of changes – depending on the brain structure and the nature of the skill being learned. In this chapter, we will review the changes that occur in the brain as skill is acquired. We will detail the anatomy and processes involved. We will provide a brief summary of the methods employed. We will review the nature of learning of skills, resource utilization, and performance of experts. The reader who wishes to learn more details regarding these methods might examine a current introductory chapter (Schneider & Chein, 2003) or current textbooks of cognitive neuroscience (Gazzaniga, Ivry, & Mangun, 2002), brain imaging (Jezzard, Mathews, & Smith, 2001), and cognitive neuroscience modeling (O'Reilly & Munakata, 2000).
Passive optical switches based on endohedral fullerenes

Abstract Reverse saturable absorption in fullerenes has been widely used to realize excellent passive optical limiters for the visible region up to 650 nm. However, there is still a need for passive optical switches and limiters with a low limiting threshold ( 0.3 mJ in the ns regime).
Convergence Rate of Distributed Averaging Dynamics and Optimization in Networks

Recent years have seen the advent of new large cyber-physical systems such as sensor and social networks. These network systems are typically spatially distributed over a large area and may consists of hundreds of agents in smart-sensor networks to millions of agents in social networks. As such, they do not possess a central coordinator or a central point for access to the complete system information. This lack of central entity makes the traditional (centralized) optimization and control techniques inapplicable, thus necessitating the development of new distributed computational models and algorithms to support efficient operations over such networks. This tutorial provides an overview of the convergence rate of distributed algorithms for coordination and its relevance to optimization in a system of autonomous agents embedded in a communication network, where each agent is aware of (and can communicate with) its local neighbors only. The focus is on distributed averaging dynamics for consensus problems and its role in consensus-based gradient methods for convex optimization problems, where the network objective function is separable across the constituent agents. The tutorial will be of interest to researchers and engineers working on a wide-variety of operations research, networking and optimization problems.
Lipid metabolism during starvation: hepatic energy balance and ketogenesis

The purpose of this paper is to integrate lipid catabolism, ketogenesis and acid-base balance during starvation. The calculations made in this presentation may be approximate, but the values give useful information. Emphasis is directed toward hydrogen (hydronium and hydride) transfer during the hyperketonaemic state of starvation, and a special role is assigned to /%hydroxybutyrate as a regulator of hepatic ketogenesis, and therefore a regulator of lipid catabolism. In order to compare the values in this paper with those in the literature, the results are expressed per 1.73m2 body surface area.
Weight variability and incident disease in older women: The Iowa women's health study

Objective To evaluate the association between weight variability and disease incidence in women. Design Prospective cohort study, following women from 1986 through 1992. Methods A population-based sample of 33834 women aged 55-69 y, free of cancer and heart disease, completed a mail-based survey that included self-reported body weights at ages 18, 30, 40, 50 y, and currently. Weight variability was defined as (1) the root mean square error around the slope of weight on age (RMSE); and (2) categorical measures of weight change. Outcome measures were incidence of myocardial infarction (MI); stroke; diabetes; breast, endometrial, lung, or other cancer; total and hip fractures. Results Adjusted relative risks of MI, stroke, diabetes, and hip fracture increased with increasing weight variability. The age and body mass index-adjusted relative risks (RR) for highest vs lowest quartile of RMSE were: MI: 2.03; stroke: 1.61; diabetes: 1.42; breast cancer: 0.85; endometrial cancer: 0.88; lung cancer: 1.70; other cancer: 0.93; total fractures: 1.15; hip fractures: 1.45. The strongest associations between weight change categories and disease were for diabetes (RR compared to small gain/stable weight: large cycle, 1.72; small cycle, 1.55; large gain, 1.80; weight loss, 1.91; other pattern, 1.55). Large weight cycles were associated with higher risk of MI (RR = 1.89) and stroke (RR = 1.71). Conclusions These findings are consistent with previous studies and suggest that weight variability is associated with higher risk of developing chronic diseases.
Effects of Hydroxyethyl starch infusion on blood dynamics and coagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass in children

[Objective] To observe the effects of hydroxyethyl starch infusion on blood dynamics and coagulation.[Methods] 60 case of open heart surgical children under cardiopulmonary bypass were randomly divided into two groups:patients from VOLVEN group were infused with 6% Volven(130/0.4) 400 ml before cardiopulmonary bypass:patients form blood plasma group were infused with bood plasma 400 ml before cardiopulmonary bypass.Mean arterial pressrue(MAP),heart rate(HR) and center venous pressure(CVP) were measured before and after infusion.The venous blood samples were collected before and after infusion for measurements of the following parameters:(1) haematocrit;blood sedimentation;(2)platelet count;prothrombin time(PT);activated whole blood clot time(ACT).Observed those indexes pre-operation 15 min after bypass,after ICU,24 hours after operation.[Results] Haematocrit after infusion was significantly decreased than that before infusion.Blood sedimentation after infusion was significantly increased than that before infusion.There were no significant changes in MAP,HR,CVP,PLC,ACT and PT.[Conclusion] Hydroxyethyl starch infusion is a safe method during cardiopulmonary bypass.
STUDY ON STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF HEAT-RESISTING BOILER TUBES MADE FROM TP304H AUSTENITE STEEL

In order to study the structural performance of TP304H austenite heat-resisting steel used in long-term high-temperature and high-pressure,and having occurred overheat tube-burst,the metallugical structural analysis,electronic probe test,scanning electronic microscopic spectrum analysis,and mechanic property test under normal atmospheric temperature etc.have been carried out onto the specimens.Results of study show that the carbide Cr23C6 may separate out in the structure of TP304H austenite heat-resisting steel,and σ phase being separated out along grain boundaries,under high-temperature and high-pressure,thereby,resulting in decrease of impact toughness,plasticity,and anti-oxidation property of said steel,making poor chronium being produced along grain boundories in the solid solution,increasing the sensitivity of grain boundary corrosion.The more σ phase separated out,the lower strength of TP304H steel becomes.
Curative Effect Observation of Treating Bronchiolitis Infants with Maxing Shigan Decoction

Objective:To observe the clinical effects of treating bronchiolitis infants on the symptoms of cough,asthma,dyspnea,and wheezes with Maxing Shigan Decoction.Method:92 cases of eight to sixteen month-old bronchiolitis infants were randomly divided into the observation group(treatment with Maxing Shigan Decoction)and the control group(regular treatment without Maxing Shigan Decoction).The disappearing time of cough,asthma,dyspnea,and wheezes of both groups bronchiolitis infants were observed and recorded.Results:The treatment group had a better efficacy on the symptoms of cough,asthma,dyspnea,and wheezes disappearance time than that of the control group(P0.05,P0.01,P0.01).The average hospitalization days were shorter than that of the control group.The difference was remarkable(P0.01).Conclusion:Maxing Shigan Decoction is distinctly effective in treating bronchiolitis infants with symptoms of cough,asthma,dyspnea,and wheezes.
Knowledge transmission and engineering teaching

This paper explores the concept of knowledge as well as the process of knowledge transmission, both in general and specifically regarding engineering knowledge. This study focuses on twenty-four parents who discussed the activities that they engage in to help their children learn about engineering during hour-long interviews. The intergenerational transmission of knowledge that is described in the interviews is analyzed through 1) social structural and cultural analysis, and 2) a case study. We find that parents teach children what they perceived as engineering knowledge, which is not necessarily true but rather subjective, and believed to be a fact based on the parent's other forms of knowledge learned in the past. Understanding this will help us look at engineering education from a new perspective, and the application of this understanding could be used to help provide non-engineering parents alternative ways to support their wish to explore engineering knowledge with their children.
NITRIC OXIDE MEDIATES A COMPONENT OF gp120 NEUROTOXICITY IN PRIMARY CORTICAL CULTURES

A significant number of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients will suffer from multiple neurologic abnormalities including deficits in cognitive and motor functions.1–3 Several studies have associated primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) with central nervous system (CNS) tissue damage in individuals without secondary or reactive opportunistic infections.1,4,5 Tissue lesions of both white and grey matter have been reported;1,4,6 however, productive HIV-1 infection has only been consistently described in brain macrophages and microglia,7,8 and not in neurons, astrocytes or oligodendrocytes which constitute the major cell populations in the brain.4,5 The exact pathogenesis of neurotoxicity in AIDS is unknown and in the absence of direct invasion of neurons by HIV-1 or opportunistic infection, other mechanisms have been examined. It is possible that viral products and cytokines initiate a complex network of cellular interactions that ultimately leads to neuronal cell death.9–12 One viral protein that may contribute to neuronal cell death is the envelope glycoprotein, gpl20. Both native and recombinant gpl20 can increase intracellular calcium levels and injure rodent retinal ganglion cells, and hippocampal and cortical neurons in vitro.13–15 Neurotoxicity may involve elevation of intracellular calcium levels through activation of the N methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subtype of glutamate receptors. The increase in intracellular calcium and the neurotoxicity of both retinal ganglion cells16 and cortical neurons14 is attenuated by NMDA receptor antagonists. Furthermore, gpl20 neurotoxicity, in vitro, is entirely dependent upon the presence of extracellular glutamate.14,16
Real-Time Software Design for Embedded Systems

This tutorial reference takes the reader from use cases to complete architectures for real-time embedded systems using SysML, UML, and MARTE and shows how to apply the COMET/RTE design method to real-world problems. The author covers key topics such as architectural patterns for distributed and hierarchical real-time control and other real-time software architectures, performance analysis of real-time designs using real-time scheduling, and timing analysis on single and multiple processor systems. Complete case studies illustrating design issues include a light rail control system, a microwave oven control system, and an automated highway toll system. Organized as an introduction followed by several self-contained chapters, the book is perfect for experienced software engineers wanting a quick reference at each stage of the analysis, design, and development of large-scale real-time embedded systems, as well as for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses in software engineering, computer engineering, and software design.
The biological fate of decabromodiphenyl ethane following oral, dermal or intravenous administration.

Abstract1. It was important to investigate the disposition of decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) based on concerns over its structural similarities to decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), high potential for environmental persistence and bioaccumulation, and high production volume.2. In the present study, female Sprague Dawley rats were administered a single dose of [14C]-DBDPE by oral, topical or IV routes. Another set of rats were administered 10 daily oral doses of [14C]-DBDPE. Male B6C3F1/Tac mice were administered a single oral dose.3. DBDPE was poorly absorbed following oral dosing, with 95% of administered [14C]-radioactivity recovered in the feces unchanged, 1% recovered in the urine and less than 3% in the tissues at 72 h. DBDPE excretion was similar in male mice and female rats. Accumulation of [14C]-DBDPE was observed in liver and the adrenal gland after 10 daily oral doses to rats.4. Rat and human skin were used to assess potential dermal uptake of DBDPE. The dermis was a depot for dermally applied...
Responsiveness of Atmospheric CO2 to Fossil Fuel Emissions: Updated

This short note is a validation of a previous work which found no correlation between changes in atmospheric CO2 and fossil fuel emissions at an annual time scale. In this work, this result is tested for robustness with respect to sample period selection within a range of data availability. A resampling procedure similar to bootstrap is used. Resampling ensures that the failure to find a correlation is not an artifact of the sample period chosen. The results validate the robustness of the previous finding and imply that here is no evidence that atmospheric CO2 is responsive to fossil fuel emissions at an annual time scale net of long term trends. This result is robust. It holds for all possible combination of years in the study period 1958-2015.