cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BotNet Detection On Social Media

Given the popularity of social media and the notion of it being a platform encouraging free speech, it has become an open playground for user (bot) accounts trying to manipulate other users using these platforms. Social bots not only learn human conversations, manners, and presence but also manipulate public opinion, act as scammers, manipulate stock markets, etc. There has been evidence of bots manipulating the election results which can be a great threat to the whole nation and hence the whole world. So identification and prevention of such campaigns that release or create the bots have become critical to tackling it at its source of origin. Our goal is to leverage semantic web mining techniques to identify fake bots or accounts involved in these activities.
Politics and the Search for the Common Good

Rethinking politics in a new vocabulary, Hans Sluga challenges the firmly held assumption that there exists a single common good which politics is meant to realize. He argues that politics is not a natural but a historical phenomenon, and not a single thing but a multiplicity of political forms and values only loosely related. He contrasts two traditions in political philosophy: a 'normative theorizing' that extends from Plato to John Rawls and a newer 'diagnostic practice' that emerged with Marx and Nietzsche and has found its three most prominent twentieth-century practitioners in Carl Schmitt, Hannah Arendt, and Michel Foucault. He then examines the sources of diagnostic political thinking, analyzes its achievements, and offers a critical assessment of its limitations. His important book will be of interest to a wide range of upper-level students and scholars in political philosophy, political theory, and the history of ideas.
Temperature regulation in laboratory rodents: Thermoregulatory effector responses

Rodents and other homeotherms utilize a variety of effectors (i.e., motor outputs) to maintain a stable body temperature over a relatively wide range of environmental temperatures. This is achieved through the integration of behavioral and autonomic neural processes under the control of key sites in the CNS, particularly within the rostral brain stem (see Chapter 2). When the subject is maintained at a thermoneutral temperature, thermoregulation in the resting endotherm is achieved through a balance between (1) the heat liberated from basal metabolic processes and (2) modulation of peripheral vasomotor tone (i.e., skin blood flow). Lowering or raising the ambient temperature beyond the thermoneutral zone (TNZ) causes the activation of heat-gain/conserving or heat-dissipating effector responses, respectively (Figure 4.1). It is reasonable to assume that a major portion of a rodent's life is lived in environments that are not thermoneutral. This is particularly true for most laboratory rodents, whose housing and experimental conditions are thermostabilized for human comfort, but happen to be markedly below the TNZ for most rodents (see Chapter 3). This chapter discusses the properties of the autonomic and behavioral thermoregulatory effectors utilized by laboratory rodents during transient exposures to temperatures above and below thermoneutrality. Their thermoregulatory responses to prolonged exposure to heat and cold stress are treated separately in the discussion of temperature acclimation (see Chapter 7).
An Investigation of the Relationship between Maximum Aerobic work Capacity and Physical Fitness in Twelve- to Fifteen-Year-Old Boys

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between maximum work capacity and physical fitness items from the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test, the McCloy Strength Test, and the Harvard Step Test. Sixty boys, ranging in age from 12 to 15 years, were each given the three fitness tests and a series of treadmill tests designed to elicit maximal oxygen intake. Data were treated by simple linear correlation-regression analysis and by stepwise multiple correlation-regression analysis to obtain correlation coefficients between the various fitness variables and maximal oxygen intake, and to obtain regression equations for estimating maximal oxygen intake. The .05 level was used to determine the significance of the correlation coefficients. Acceptable regression equations for estimating maximal oxygen intake required a multiple correlation coefficient equal to or larger than .700. For boys 12 to 13 years of age, all items of the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test, except sit-ups, were significantl...
Temperature dependence of the local tunneling conductance in cuprate superconductors with competing antiferromagnetic order

Based on the $t-t'-U-V$ model with proper chosen parameters for describing the cuprate superconductors, it is found that near the optimal doping at low temperature ($T$), only the pure d-wave superconductivity ($d$SC) prevails and the antiferromagnetic (AF) order is completely suppressed. At higher $T$, the AF order with stripe modulation and the accompanying charge order may emerge, and they could exist above the $d$SC transition temperature. We calculate the local differential tunnelling conductance (LDTC) from the local density of states (LDOS) and show that their energy variations are rather different from each other as $T$ increases. Although the calculated modulation periodicity in the LDTC/LDOS and bias energy dependence of the Fourier amplitude of LDTC in the "pseudogap" region are in good agreement with the recent STM experiment [Vershinin $et al.$, Science {\bf 303}, 1995 (2004)], we point out that some of the energy dependent features in the LDTC do not represent the intrinsic characteristics of the sample.
How Institutions Evolve: THE EVOLUTION OF SKILL FORMATION IN BRITAIN

In the case of Germany, we saw that state policy in the early industrial period was crucial to establishing the trajectory that skill formation there would take. Legislation targeted at the artisanal sector contributed to the survival of a relatively stable system of apprenticeship, and at the same time discouraged unions from pursuing skill-based strategies for labor market control. Firms in industries that depended heavily on skills drew on the artisanal sector as a source of skilled labor but they also competed with Handwerk as a corporate actor, especially over skill certification. This produced a dynamic through which industry was pushed and pulled toward training practices that built on, and in some ways paralleled, those developed in the artisanal sector. In Britain, state policy worked in the opposite direction, contributing to the deregulation of traditional apprenticeship and indirectly encouraging the development of skill-based unions pursuing strategies premised on craft control. The legal framework in place in the nineteenth century discouraged the formation of unions among unskilled laborers while encouraging skilled workers to organize around the provision of friendly society benefits. Responding to this set of incentives and constraints, early trade unions organized their strategies around the attempt to influence wages and employment by manipulating the supply of skilled labor. This set up a completely different set of dynamics in Britain in which apprenticeship was contested not – as in Germany – between an independent artisanal sector and an emerging industrial sector, but rather between craft unions and employers in skill-dependent industries.
The Importance of Diet Composition in Ultratrace Element Research

This review indicates that the lack of appreciation of, information about or understanding of the importance of diet composition has had a major influence on the development of knowledge about 11 ultratrace elements in nutrition. Inappropriate trace element supplementation and inadequate or unbalanced diets probably were responsible for many of the reported inconsistent and divergent findings, and thus, for the resultant controversy regarding the essentiality of specific ultratrace elements. Vanadium and nickel are taken as examples, and evidence is presented that variations in the concentrations of dietary components can affect the response of experimental animals to the various ultratrace elements. Furthermore, there is evidence that the ultratrace elements, given in sufficient quantity, can evoke pharmacological responses in animals. Failure to recognize these phenomena probably has led to a number of incorrect or biased interpretations of experimental results. Future research on the importance of ultratrace elements in nutrition requires close attention to an often neglected experimental variable--diet composition.
Hypermodal cells in amniotic fluid cultures: frequency, interpretation, and clinical significance

Specimens of amniotic fluid were studied to assess the frequency of hypermodal cells and their significance. Multiple cultures were initiated on each specimen, and thorough cytogenetic analysis was performed routinely. Of 1,000 specimens, 59 (5.9%) contained a total of 64 hypermodal cells. However, true fetal mosaicism was not detected. An additional structurally abnormal chromosome accounted for 32 of the 64 hypermodal cells, and, in each case, cytogenetic analysis offered an explanation that obviated clinical concern. In 17 of the 32 cases, hypermodality was only apparent, the result of a single chromosome broken into two parts to produce a spuriously elevated count; in the other 15 cases, the extra chromosome was an unidentified fragment. In the 32 other hypermodal cells, an additional morphologically normal chromosome was present; however, in each case, failure to detect similar aberrations in other cultures initiated from the same specimen minimized the possibility that such cells reflected true fetal mosaicism. Indeed, clinical outcome was normal in all cases. Thus, for clinical purposes, routine banding techniques and analysis of multiple cultures seem to be adequate to exclude fetal mosaicism; laborious in situ methodology seems to be unnecessary. Future cytogenetic efforts should emphasize processing of more specimens of amniotic fluid, rather than more detailed analysis of individual specimens.
Finite element simulation of wavelength scale optical elements

The finite element method is used to model the near field of optical components with dimensions on the order of a wavelength. Because open region problems are considered, a conformable local radiation boundary condition is used to truncate the domain and preserve the sparsity of the resulting matrix equation. Diffractive surface examples are presented.
The influence of temperature on PbCO30 formation in seawater

Abstract UV spectrophotometry was used to directly observe the partitioning of lead(II) between PbCO30 and the forms of lead in natural seawater (S = 35.4) that are dominant at low pH (Pb2+ and complexes with Cl− and SO42−). Lead carbonate formation constants were determined in the form, β1 = MPbCO3 (MPbMCO3)− 1, where MPbCO3 represents the concentration (mol/kg) of PbCO30, MPb represents the sum concentrations of free lead (Pb2+) and its complexes with chloride and sulfate, and MCO3 represents the sum concentration of free and ion paired carbonate in seawater. Over a range of temperature between 15 and 35 °C, the reaction enthalpy appropriate to β1 was calculated as ΔH = − 1.4 ± 0.6 kJ/mol. This is sufficiently small that, in the context of the uncertainties in β1 measurements at each temperature, the PbCO30 formation constant over the 20 °C range in temperature is effectively constant (β1 = (1.27 ± 0.02) × 104 (mol/kg)− 1). For total dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations in the order of 2 mm (millimolal), PbCO30 is the dominant inorganic form of lead(II) when pH is greater than 7.6.
First They Came for the Poor: Surveillance of Welfare Recipients as an Uncontested Practice

There have been moments in American history when government surveillance of everyday citizens has aroused public concerns, most recently Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations concerning widespread, warrantless surveillance of Americans and foreigners alike. What does not arouse public concern are longstanding governmental practices that involve surveillance of poor people who receive certain types of public benefits. This article traces the political history of U.S. poverty-relief programs, considers the perspective of welfare beneficiaries themselves, analyzes American cultural beliefs about the poor in order to offer some thoughts on why those surveillance practices garner little public concern, and argues that those who are concerned about warrantless surveillance of ordinary citizens should do more to protect ordinary poor citizens from surveillance.
A generalization of stålmarck's method

This paper gives an account of Stalmarck's method for validity checking of propositional-logic formulas, and explains each of the key components in terms of concepts from the field of abstract interpretation. We then use these insights to present a framework for propositional-logic validity-checking algorithms that is parametrized by an abstract domain and operations on that domain. Stalmarck's method is one instantiation of the framework; other instantiations lead to new decision procedures for propositional logic.
The Constitution of Radical Democracy

Radical democrats such as Sheldon Wolin and Jason Frank often frame radical democracy and liberal constitutionalism as mutually opposed. I argue that they are mutually constitutive. Liberal constitutionalism entails a bundle of normative commitments that support the free expression of radical democratic actors who revolt against one fundamental law in order to write another. Radical democracy enacts the spirit of revolution within the liberal constitutionalist imperative to critically interrogate the fundamental law and prepare oneself—if necessary—to overthrow it. Furthermore, liberal equality—the idea that everyone counts and that everyone counts “only as one”—underwrites the political initiative of the “deviants” and “outsiders” at the center of radical democrats’ concern. Popular sovereignty derives much of its appeal from the liberal individualist principle of self-determination, the idea that individuals should rule themselves. The personal and political rights of both democratic actors and their opponents are the invisible constitution of radical democracy. Anyone calling himself a democrat must treat that constitution as binding.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase 677C→T Variant Modulates Folate Status Response to Controlled Folate Intakes in Young Women

A common genetic variant in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene involving a cytosine to thymidine (C-->T) transition at nucleotide 677 is associated with reduced enzyme activity, altered folate status and potentially higher folate requirements. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of the MTHFR 677 T allele on folate status variables in Mexican women (n = 43; 18-45 y) and to assess the adequacy of the 1998 folate U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), 400 micro g/d as dietary folate equivalents (DFE). Subjects (14 CC, 12 CT, 17 TT genotypes) consumed a low folate diet (135 micro g/d DFE) for 7 wk followed by repletion with 400 micro g/d DFE (7 CC, 6 CT, 9 TT) or 800 micro g/d DFE (7 CC, 6 CT, 8 TT) for 7 wk. Throughout repletion with 400 micro g/d DFE, the TT genotype had lower (P 0.05) in their response relative to the CC genotype. Throughout repletion with 800 micro g/d DFE, the CT genotype had lower (P 0.05) in the measured variables between the TT and CC genotypes. Repletion with 400 micro g/d DFE led to normal blood folate and desirable plasma tHcy concentrations, regardless of MTHFR C677T genotype. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the MTHFR C-->T variant modulates folate status response to controlled folate intakes and support the adequacy of the 1998 folate U.S. RDA for all three MTHFR C677T genotypes.
Myocardial Revascularization in Patients Receiving Long-Term Propranolol Therapy

Twenty-seven patients receiving long-term propranolol therapy underwent myocardial revascularization to relieve stable or unstable angina. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, one (Group 1) in which propranolol was discontinued 48 hours prior to operation and one (Group 2) in which patients received a final dose of propranolol 1 to 2 hours prior to operation. Several physiological variables were compared, and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups except for a slower pulse rate in Group 2 patients. Although the patients in Group 1 showed a greater frequency of hypertension before bypass, the incidence of postoperative complications and perioperative myocardial infarction was the same for both groups. The findings of this study indicate that myocardial revascularization is safe even if propranolol is administered up to 1 or 2 hours before operation.
Empreendimento e resistencia do crista ¨ o-novo face a ¤ poli´tica de Filipe II: O processo inquisitorial de Bento Teixeira*

(2003). Empreendimento e resistencia do crista ¨ o-novo face a ¤ poli´tica de Filipe II: O processo inquisitorial de Bento Teixeira* Colonial Latin American Review: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 37-61.
Flare Gas Utilization at Combined Oil-Gas Well Sites

Many natural gas well sites produce significant quantities of oil as a byproduct of gas production. Producers use standard gas separation techniques to recover gas dissolved in the oil, but additional light hydrocarbons are released during final depressurization and storage of the oil at atmospheric pressure. Gas produced in oil storage is often contaminated with air, cannot be introduced into midstream pipelines, and is flared at the well site. The flare gas represents a significant energy resource that could be utilized to improve overall site efficiency. This work documents a comprehensive energy analysis performed on a non-electrified site in Colorado. Data collection and simulations demonstrated that energy available in flare gas is sufficient to support the major energy loads at the well site. However, due to low flare gas pressures, high and variable air contamination, and temporal misalignment between the gas availability and energy needs, on-site utilization requires modified engine technology and application of energy buffering. Simulation results are presented, along with conceptual designs for well site modifications.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
The use of soil science in sanitary landfill selection and management

Sanitary landfill is a method of waste disposal utilizing soil in the elimination of discarded foods, fibers, and artifacts. Masses of municipal waste placed in trenches or in soil encased mounds decay in a soil environment. Soil serves as a lining for the site, as cover, as a physical and chemical renovator, and as a medium for restoring vegetation and normal land use. The soil characteristics that are effective in this process include good natural drainage, a deep moderately permeable profile, and loamy texture. These can be identified and preliminary site evaluation made with the help of detailed soil surveys.
Effect of Lighting Systems in the Grower and Adult Periods Upon the Over-All Performance of White Leghorns

Abstract THE EFFICACY of the conventional lighting program (natural daylength or 12–14 hours of constant light in the grower period, plus 13–15 hours of constant light in adult period) has been challenged in recent years. The different lighting programs (other than natural daylength) tested since 1955, represented constant, decrease, increase, and intermittent types for both grower and adult periods. Light restriction represented constant light of less than 12 hours per day, or light given in decreased quantitites, and initiated at different ages from hatch through 18 weeks. The decrease and increase types were given either gradually or abruptly. The intermittent type referred to a series of light-dark cycles per day. Pullets given light restriction in the grower period, plus 13–15 hours of constant light in the adult period, outperformed their sisters given the conventional lighting program (Platt, 1955; Marr et al., 1957; Lert et al., 1960). This finding…
The isolation of DNA-containing particles from lyophilized cells by a new procedure.

Abstract Attempts have been made to separate the nuclei from lyophilized cells by means of physical methods. After grinding the cells in a ball mill, converting them into an aerosol by blowing them at sonic velocity through a defined annulus, and effecting a particle size separation in an aerosol centrifuge, the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is found to be slightly concentrated in the fraction representing particles less than 0.6 μ in size. After blowing the cells through a defined annulus at sonic velocity to grind them (fluid mill process) and to form them into an aerosol in one operation, it was found that the DNA could be concentrated by ( a ) gravity from a horizontally moving stream of aerosol and ( b ) differential precipitation on charged metal plates after precharging in a corona discharge. In the latter two cases it was found that the DNA concentrated in the fraction representing particles larger than the nuclei, indicating rapid reagglomeration of particles containing DNA.
The Gator Tech Smart House: enabling technologies and lessons learned

In this paper, we describe the Gator Tech Smart House (GTSH), an assistive environment for independence and wellbeing, with focus on the elderly population. We give a quick overview of the GTSH and its services before presenting our experience and some of the lessons we learnt in this real world deployment project. We present the Atlas architecture -- a key enabling technology for the automatic integration of devices and sensors and show how can Atlas be used to develop smart environments without requiring a team of engineers or system integrators. Finally, we discuss ongoing related Atlas developments.
A Two-Hit Model of Autism Adolescence as the Second Hit

Adolescence brings dramatic changes in behavior and neural organization. Unfortunately, for some 30% of individuals with autism, there is marked decline in adaptive functioning during adolescence. We propose a two-hit model of autism. First, early perturbations in neural development function as a "first hit" that sets up a neural system that is "built to fail" in the face of a second hit. Second, the confluence of pubertal hormones, neural reorganization, and increasing social demands during adolescence provides the "second hit" that interferes with the ability to transition into adult social roles and levels of adaptive functioning. In support of this model, we review evidence about adolescent-specific neural and behavioral development in autism. We conclude with predictions and recommendations for empirical investigation about several domains in which developmental trajectories for individuals with autism may be uniquely deterred in adolescence.
A Cross-National Assessment of Media Reactions and Blame Finding of Student Perpetrated School Shootings

In order to better understand the role that local and national concerns have in our understanding of and response to school shooting events, a content analysis of media coverage of school shootings perpetrated in the United States and Germany was conducted. Definitions of what constitutes a problem in need of policy responses vary between countries and across incidents, which becomes evident as cultural differences are examined. Six school shootings in two countries – the United States and Germany - were selected for comparison based on similarities in degree of violence and severity. News articles of the incidents were then examined for differences in thematic responses and reactions to the events between the two countries. Findings suggest that while media in both countries focused on individual related factors as the cause of school shootings, German reactions were more likely to call for state sponsored changes when compared to American media. Implications for understanding the role that media reaction has in affecting policy and areas for future research are discussed.
Closing the Gap in Operative Performance Between Novices and Experts: Does Harder Mean Better for Laparoscopic Simulator Training?

Background We have previously shown that reaching expert performance on an fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS)-type simulator model for laparoscopic suturing results in measurable improvement during an actual operation; trained novices, however, demonstrate inferior operative performance compared with experts. We hypothesized that simulator training under more difficult and realistic conditions would enhance the operative performance of novices. Study design Medical students (n=32) participated in an IRB-approved, randomized, controlled trial. All participants were pretested in laparoscopic suturing on a previously validated porcine Nissen model and were randomized into three groups: group I (n=6) received no training, group II (n=13) trained on the FLS videotrainer model until a previously published proficiency score (512) was achieved on 2 consecutive and 10 additional attempts, group III (n=13) trained to the same goal but had to practice in a constrained space, with a shorter suture, starting with a dropped needle, and listening to operating room noise. Training workload was measured with the validated NASA-TLX (Task Load Index) questionnaire after each training session. All groups were posttested on the porcine model. Results were compared using ANOVA; p Results All group II and III participants reached the training goal. At posttesting, group II and group III participants performed similarly, but substantially better than group I did (210±140 versus 218±139 versus 0±0, respectively; p Conclusions Proficiency-based simulator training reliably results in improved operative performance. Although increasing the level of training difficulty increased trainees' workload, the strategy we used in this study did not enhance their operative performance. Other methods for curriculum optimization are needed.
Measurement of recovery from myocardial infarction using heart rate variability and psychological outcomes

This pilot study was designed to describe heart rate variability (HRV), anxiety, anger, denial, and depression during the first 4 days and 6 months after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The sample was composed of 21 post-AMI males aged 40 to 83. State anxiety was elevated early. At 6 months it had significantly decreased. The nonpower measure of HRV, the Kleiger global standard deviation, was decreased to a mean score of 86 (SD = 29) msec during AMI and was 117 (SD = 30) msec at 6 months. Although there were no significant correlations between HRV, psychological response, age, and education, there were moderate correlations between HRV and state anger (r = .33), denial (r = .35), and education (r = .45). HRV, as measured by the power spectral density function of an autoregressive model, demonstrated an increased peak across the band of frequency associated with the high-frequency components of the parasympathetic system and a decreased peak across the band associated with the low-frequency components of the sympathetic system at 6 months as compared to the AMI period.
DISCERNMENT OF POSSIBLE ORGANIC MAGNETIC FIELD EFFECT MECHANISMS USING POLYMER LIGHT-EMITTING ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS

We report studies of magnetic field effect (MFE) in polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (PLEC) using the "super-yellow" poly-(phenylene vynilene) (SY-PPV) polymer in vertical and planar device configurations. The purpose is to discern the existing MFE mechanisms in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) where the current and electroluminescence are strongly modulated by a small applied magnetic field. In particular, we investigate the mutual relationship between magneto-conductance (MC) and magneto-electroluminescence (MEL) by studying the role of polaron density dissociated from polaron pairs (PP) on these magnetic responses. In general, the dissociated polaron density is determined by the PP dissociation rate and the PP density. For the planar PLEC, which possesses a small dissociation rate, we observe small and negative MC at all applied voltages regardless of the emission intensity, while MEL becomes positive when electroluminescence quantum efficiency increases. The MC has a much narrower width than the MEL, indicating that the MC and MEL do not share a common origin. However, MC reverses and has the same width as MEL when the device is exposed to a threshold laser power. For the vertical PLEC, characterized by a large dissociation rate, MC and MEL are positive and have the same width. We discuss the results using the existing MFE mechanism in OLEDs. We show that the PP model can explain the positive MEL and MC, while the negative MC can be explained by the bipolaron model. Finally, we present a possibility to complete an all-organic PLEC magnetic sensor by using an inkjet printer.
The Impact of Technology Anxiety on the Use of Mobile Financial Applications

Mobile Commerce activities will not expand without the proper support of mobile financial applications MFA, including mobile banking, mobile brokerage service, mobile money transfer, and mobile micro-payments. MFA is expected to have a great impact on the future of mobile commerce industries and makes purchasing activities more flexible and convenient, also creating new markets. However, despite the advent of these MFA technologies and the availability of various mobile services, the adoption of mobile financial applications across the globe is still relatively low. In this regard, this study investigates the role of technology anxiety TA in the adoption of MFA and resolves the discrepancy between the apparent interest in and low adoption of MFA. The results of a broad survey of 595 mobile payment users in Korea indicate TA negatively moderates the influence of intention on actual usage in addition to the direct negative influence on intention to use MFA. Also, the author found that TA significantly differs depending on the frequency of use and gender. However, contrary to a common notion that older people are more anxious in context to new technologies, TA has been found to be higher among young people.
Management of chronic mesenteric vascular insufficiency: An endovascular approach

Background In patients with chronic mesenteric insufficiency (CMI), traditional bypass surgery carries a high operative mortality. Endovascular therapy for reconstruction of the mesenteric vascular system has high technical success but poor long-term patency. Secondary procedures are often mandatory for recurrent disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an endovascular-first treatment strategy for CMI, reserving open reconstruction for complex disease patterns without an endovascular option. Study Design Data for consecutive adult patients (N = 107) initially treated with endovascular techniques for CMI were reviewed. The management algorithm consisted of postoperative and biannual ultrasound and clinical follow-up. Results A total of 107 patients with CMI were treated from April 2004 through June 2010. Technical success for endovascular reconstruction was 100%. Long-term follow-up data were available on 90% of patients. After the index procedure, 57% of patients (n = 55) had complete resolution of the preoperative symptoms. During the management phase, 83% of patients had elevated velocities on duplex evaluation. During this interval, 53% of patients required no further intervention after the index procedure, and the remaining patients required an additional 78 procedures. Five patients required open revascularization for recurrent disease, and only 2 patients died from complications of mesenteric insufficiency. Conclusions Endovascular management for CMI has a high technical success rate with low morbidity and mortality. Regular follow-up is essential to optimize patient outcomes. Ultrasound findings alone are a poor predictor of recurrent disease. Long-term success requires adaptation of a management program to elicit recurrent symptoms and offer prompt treatment.
Walking in the Shadows of Archaeologists Past: Researching Museum Collections and Associated Records to Elucidate past Lifeways

Researching museum collections and associated field data, in addition to consulting modern scientific studies, can provide a great deal of information about the presence and nature of archaeological sites in a locale. This article was developed based upon collections research conducted for prehistoric archaeological sites in Washington, D.C., using the collections of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and other repositories. The state of collections varies widely. Some collectors gathered only perfect completed tools and other objects, while others collected these materials and debitage. The state of documentation ranges from complete and exacting with precision rivaling modern-day to non-existent. The importance of examining museum collections and private collections, where available, cannot be downplayed. Sometimes they possess the only clues remaining regarding certain practices which occurred in the past and can provide information not otherwise available to the researcher.
A practical scheme for envelope delta‐sigma modulated (EDSM) microwave power amplifier

A delta-sigma modulated Class-E power amplifier is proposed and experimentally developed for high-efficiency linear applications. The essential idea is based on the envelope delta-sigma modulation (EDSM), which combines the Kahn technique, envelope elimination and restoration (EER), with the Delta-Sigma modulated-amplifier concept. The scheme increases the efficiency of the circuit by digitalizing the envelope of the signal instead of the original RF signal. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 43: 491–495, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20512
Magnesium deficiency and glucose metabolism in rat adipocytes

We examined the effect of reducing ambient and intracellular free Mg ion ([Mg]i) concentrations on insulin action in epididymal adipocytes from male Sprague-Dawley rats in terms of (1) cellular transport of nonmetabolizable 2-deoxyglucose, (2) [U-14C]glucose oxidation to CO2, and (3) D-[3H]glucose incorporation into triglycerides. There were no significant differences in basal or insulin-stimulated transport of 2-deoxyglucose between adipocytes cultured in physiologic (1.24 mmol) or low (0.16 mmol) Mg for up to 24 hours. In contrast, insulin-stimulated but not basal [U-14C]glucose oxidation to CO2 was significantly reduced in adipocytes cultured in low versus physiologic Mg (P < .05 to .01). Similarly, there were no differences in basal glucose incorporation into triglycerides between cells cultured in low or physiologic Mg media for up to 24 hours. However, long-term (24-hour) but not short-term (2-hour) exposure of cells to low Mg was associated with a significant 30% reduction in insulin-stimulated D-[3H]glucose incorporation into triglycerides. When adipocytes incubated in low Mg were reincubated in high Mg (1.24 or 5 mmol) for 30 minutes, normal insulin-stimulated D-[3H]glucose incorporation into triglycerides was restored. Incubation of adipocytes in low Mg (0.16 mmol) for 24 hours resulted in a significant decrease in [Mg]i (264 +/- 89 v 437 +/- 125 micromol/cell [mean +/- SEM]) as compared with cells incubated in physiologic Mg (1.24 mmol; P < .01). These data support a role for intracellular Mg deficiency in the development of insulin resistance and suggest that the effect occurs at a site(s) distal to glucose entry into the cell. The effect of Mg deficiency on insulin action appears to be reversible.
External Intervention in Ethnic Conflict

Recently, ethnicity has received greater attention from international conflict scholars. This study explores a new aspect of how ethnic composition of states and the power of ethnic kin affect external state interventions in ethnic conflicts. Here it is hypothesized that states with dominant ethnic groups but still-significant ethnic minorities are expected to be more prone to intervention in ethnic conflict than states without one of these two characteristics. A new measure is proposed to capture such variation in ethnic composition more precisely. Looking at large-N panel data, it is found that ethnically fractionalized states with dominant ethnic groups are indeed the most likely to intervene in ethnic conflicts. Additionally, the power of the embattled ethnic kin minority, as determined by its settlement patterns in the host state, also increases the likelihood of intervention. Traditional variables like proximity and capability retain statistical significance. However, ethnic variables have the stron...
Multiobjective decision theory for computational optimization in radiation therapy

Machine-guided iterative optimization in radiation oncology requires ordinal or cardinal ranking of competing treatment plans. When the clinical objectives are multifaceted and incommensurable, the ranking formalism must take into account the decision maker’s tradeoff strategies in a multidimensional decision space. To capture the decision processes in treatment planning, a multiobjective decision-theoretic scheme is formulated. Ranking among a group of candidate plans is based on a generalized distance metric. A dynamic metric weighting function is defined based on the state energy of the decision system, which is assumed to undergo thermodynamic cooling with iteration time. The decision maker is required to specify a baseline ranking of the objectives, which is taken to be the ground state of the decision system. In addition, ultimate goals and satisficing levels can be incorporated into the ranking process. This decision-theoretic formalism was applied to idealized cases in stereotactic radiosurgery and prostatic implantation, using the genetic algorithm as the optimization engine. The optimization pathways and the outcome at limited horizons indicated that the combined scheme of decision-theoretic steering and iterative optimization was robust and produced treatment plans consistent with the user’s expectation. The effect of treatment uncertainties was simulated using imperfect objectives. The decision process was found to be noisy in the presence of random perturbation in the objectives; however, certain recurring plans could be identified as optimized baseline solutions. Overall, the present formalism provides a realistic alternative to complete utility assessment or human-guided exploration of the efficient solution set.
Determining the viscoelastic parameters of thin elastomer based materials using continuous microindentation

Abstract Depth-sensing indentation (DSI) was used to evaluate the viscoelastic properties of three proprietary silicone-based coatings and four butyl-based rubber sheets. The coatings are used as layers in silicone bilayer coatings. The elastic indentation modulus, E ∗ , irrecoverable deformation energy and elastic energy were determined in an earlier study using the unloading data of DSI tests and applying a creep correction method proposed by Ngan et al. The model used in this study to characterize the coatings was the standard four parameter Maxwell–Voigt viscoelastic model combined with the elastic indentation load-depth model for a Berkovich indenter as proposed by Fischer-Cripps. This model fits the data quite well. The parameters E 1 ∗ , E 2 ∗ , η 1 , and η 2 were found by curve fitting this model with the indentation depth versus time data while held at a constant maximum load. The parameter E 1 ∗ is equivalent to E ∗ ; values of E 1 ∗ obtained using the Fischer-Cripps technique were 6.8 ± 0.9 MPa, 109 ± 7 MPa, and 4.2 ± 0.5 MPa for bond coat A, bond coat B, and the top coat, respectively. One purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a technique to determine viscoelastic parameters of silicone-based elastomers. It is hoped that these parameters may then be used in the evaluation and development of more durable silicone-based foul release coatings. Another purpose is to apply this technique to other elastomer-based materials such as butyl-based rubbers.
Measurement of protein and free and bound carbohydrate in human parotid saliva

Abstract Acetone: glacial acetic acid (97: 3) is effective in precipitating 98 per cent of the total parotid salivary proteins, as estimated by the biuret reaction. Under these conditions 86 per cent of the total anthrone positive sugars are protein bound, representing a mean of 13·4 mg of carbohydrate per 100 mg precipitable protein. This method offers a rapid and reproducible technique of separating free from protein bound carbohydrate. It is suitable for the analysis of numerous small samples and is preferable to the more widely used dialysis step. The question of the free carbohydrates has been discussed. The amount of precipitable carbohydrate bears a close relation to the precipitable protein confirming a previous suggestion that the proportion of glycoprotein to total protein is relatively constant. It is proposed that this precipitation technique is also an effective method of concentrating salivary proteins without apparent alteration in electrophoretic mobility.
Inhibition of Unfolding and Aggregation of Lens Protein Human Gamma D Crystallin by Sodium Citrate

Cataract affects 1 in 6 Americans over the age of 40, and is considered a global health problem. Cataract is caused by the aggregation of unfolded or damaged proteins in the lens, which accumulate as an individual ages. Currently, surgery is the only available treatment for cataract, however, small molecules have been suggested as potential preventative therapies. In this work, we study the effect of sodium citrate on the stability of Human γD Crystallin (HγD-Crys), a structural protein of the eye lens, and two cataract-related mutants, L5S HγD-Crys and I90F HγD-Crys. In equilibrium unfolding-refolding studies, the presence of 250 mM sodium citrate increased the transition midpoint of the N-td of WT HγD-Crys and L5S HγD-Crys by 0.3 M GuHCl, the C-td by 0.6M GuHCl, and the single transition of I90F HγD-Crys by 0.4M GuHCl. In kinetic unfolding reactions, sodium citrate demonstrates a measurable stabilization effect only for the mutant I90F HγD-Crys. In the presence of citrate, a kinetic unfolding intermediate of I90F HγD-Crys can be observed, which was not observed in the absence of citrate. Rate of aggregation was measured using solution turbidity, and sodium citrate demonstrates negligible effect on rate of aggregation of WT HγD-Crys, but considerably slows the rate of aggregation of both L5S HγD-Crys and I90F HγD-Crys. The presence of sodium citrate dramatically slows refolding of WT HγD-Crys and I90F HγD-Crys, but has a significantly smaller effect on the refolding of L5S HγD-Crys. The differential stabilizing effect of sodium citrate suggests that the ion is binding to a partially unfolded conformation of the C-td, but a solution-based Hofmeister effect cannot be eliminated as a possible explanation for the effects observed. These results suggest that sodium citrate may be a potential preventative agent for cataract.
A Decomposition Approximation for Finite-Buffered Flow Lines of Exponential Queues

Abstract Tandem queueing networks may be used as an alternative to simulation in evaluating the performance of proposed flow lines with finite work-in-process buffers. A new approximation is proposed for estimating the throughput rate and work-in-process inventory of finite-buffered exponential queues in series. The approximation is applied to several sets of previously published test problems and is shown to consistently perform well relative to existing models. In addition, a large simulation experiment is conducted to examine the robustness of the approximation under a wide range of parameter settings.
Temperature distribution in shadowed lunar craters.

Temperature distribution in shadowed lunar craters formulated in Fredholm integral equations, showing constant temperature and correction for soil thermal inertia
UV Raman studies of adsorbed oxygen and NOx species on Pt/γ-alumina catalysts

Abstract Raman spectra at 244 nm are obtained in situ from several Pt/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts under gas flows containing O 2 , CO, NO 2 , and H 2 at temperatures from 20 to 600°C. With O 2 or NO 2 , a broad peak at 571 cm −1 is observed which we attribute to the Pt–O stretch mode of atomic oxygen. This marks the first direct spectroscopic observation of this fundamental species on a real catalyst. The peak can be easily removed with CO or H 2 , even at room temperature, and the process is completely reversible. With NO 2 exposure, several peaks associated with surface NO x species also appear, the most prominent of which is a nitrate line at 1048 cm −1 . Under reaction conditions, at 350°C with a stoichiometric CO/O 2 /N 2 gas stream, the steady-state O coverage on the Pt particles is about half of the maximum coverage achieved with only an O 2 flow. This observation paves the way for future in situ studies of catalytic mechanisms addressing the role of atomic O as an intermediate.
RESEARCH JOINT VENTURES AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS: EVIDENCE FROM THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE RESEARCH ACT

In the USA, firms engaged in cooperative research and development (R&D) are accorded more lenient antitrust treatment by the National Cooperative Research Act (NCRA). An objective of the NCRA was to give American firms a competitive advantage over foreign firms. This article addresses whether the NCRA has had that effect. Analysis of panel data containing information on industry trade balance and cooperative R&D reveals that the trade balance in industries with participants in cooperative R&D is approximately $620 million higher than the trade balance in industries without participants in cooperative R&D. This suggests the possibility of improved competitiveness.
Orthogonal exponentials, translations, and Bohr completions

Abstract We are concerned with an harmonic analysis in Hilbert spaces L 2 ( μ ) , where μ is a probability measure on R n . The unifying question is the presence of families of orthogonal (complex) exponentials e λ ( x ) = exp ( 2 π i λ x ) in L 2 ( μ ) . This question in turn is connected to the existence of a natural embedding of L 2 ( μ ) into an L 2 -space of Bohr almost periodic functions on R n . In particular we explore when L 2 ( μ ) contains an orthogonal basis of e λ functions, for λ in a suitable discrete subset in R n ; i.e, when the measure μ is spectral. We give a new characterization of finite spectral sets in terms of the existence of a group of local translation. We also consider measures μ that arise as fixed points (in the sense of Hutchinson) of iterated function systems (IFSs), and we specialize to the case when the function system in the IFS consists of affine and contractive mappings in R n . We show in this case that if μ is then assumed spectral then its partitions induced by the IFS at hand have zero overlap measured in μ. This solves part of the Łaba–Wang conjecture. As an application of the new non-overlap result, we solve the spectral-pair problem for Bernoulli convolutions advancing in this way a theorem of Ka-Sing Lau. In addition we present a new perspective on spectral measures and orthogonal Fourier exponentials via the Bohr compactification.
Delivering green buildings: Process improvements for sustainable construction

Abstract The demand for high performance “green” or “sustainable” buildings is rapidly becoming the most significant trend in the building industry. As the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry develops the strategies and technologies for these projects, an increased emphasis must be placed on the processes and competencies required to deliver high performance buildings. This paper defines an emerging research and education program at Penn State called the Lean and Green Initiative. Focused on understanding all aspects of the delivery of high performance projects, this program is underpinned by established process-based theories and structured around a systematic methodology designed to minimize waste, maximize value, and reduce cost. Current research and educational activities are described in the paper including nine primary research thrusts and their respective goals. Initial results of each research thrust are also provided, providing an early look at the benefits of a process imp...