cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does the advanced training in laparoscopic suturing enhance laparoscopic suturing skill beyond fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery

Abstract Background Laparoscopic suturing is associated with a steep learning curve. Hence, many general surgery graduate residents entering fellowship have reportedly not been able to proficiently suture laparoscopically despite achieving Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery certification. To address this deficiency, the Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing curriculum was developed. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing curriculum in improving laparoscopic suturing skills compared with Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery training. Methods Novices were enrolled in a prospective randomized controlled study. All novices followed proficiency-based training on Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery peg-transfer and intracorporeal suturing. Students were then stratified based on their peg-transfer performance and randomized into an Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing or Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery group. The Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing group trained on 3 of the 6 Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing tasks (needle handling, offset forehand suturing, confined space suturing), while the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery group was assigned more stringent suturing performance goals. Each group trained for an additional 6 hours, after which the laparoscopic suturing performance of the 2 groups was compared on a Nissen fundoplication porcine model. Results Thirty-nine medical students were enrolled in the study; 17 (11 males and 6 females) completed the study protocol (44%). Controlling for confounders including the student suturing performance at the end of stage-1 training, the Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing group at the porcine model was significantly faster/safer (coefficient = 102.7, P = .037), and more skilled (coefficient = 19.1, P = .048) compared with the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery group. Conclusion Compared with Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery training alone the Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing curriculum further enhances the laparoscopic suturing skill of novices. These findings support incorporating Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing into existing skills curricula.
Turning Japanese, Turning Japanese American

This article examines the identity of the Sansei (third-generation Japanese Americans) as connected to their place of heritage - Japan. Focusing on David Mura's Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei (1991), we shall explore how a Sansei writer gains further understanding and realization of his ethnic identity as a Japanese American in multi-ethnic America through the re-established connection between him and his place of cultural origin. Mura, born and raised in Midwest, recollects his experience in Japan supported by a US/Japan Creative Artist Exchange Fellowship in 1984. Mura's book ends with his realization that Japan allows him to see himself, America, and the world "from a perspective that was not white American." My argument considers his procedure of "turning Japanese" as simultaneously a process of turning Japanese American. Along the thesis of the Sansei's identity construction, the following questions will be addressed: (1) starting his trip as a self-identified American, how is Mura challenged and therefore forced to reconsider his identity during his one-year residence in Japan; (2) how does he pursue his connection with Japan that has been absent in his childhood; and (3) how does such reconnection profoundly influence his understanding of identity; namely to change his self-identification from an American to a Japanese American?
Value and Cost Savings From Access to Multi-disciplinary Rehabilitation Services After Severe Acquired Brain Injury

• Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a major global public health problem and source of disability. • A major contributor to disability after severe ABI is limited access to multidisciplinary rehabilitation, despite evidence of sustained functional gains, increased return-to-work, and reduced need for long-term care. • A societal model of value in rehabilitation matches patient and family expectations of outcomes and system expectations of value for money. • A policy analysis of seven studies (2009-2019) exploring outcomes and cost-savings from access to multi-disciplinary rehabilitation identified average lifetime savings of $1.50M per person, with costs recouped within 18 months. • Recommendations: Increase access to multi-disciplinary rehabilitation following severe ABI; strengthen prevention focus; increase access to case management; support return-to-work; and systematically collect outcome and cost data.
Complications of Rectal Cancer Surgery

Complications are inherent to rectal cancer surgery. Anatomic challenges of the pelvis, preoperative radiation therapy, and advanced disease contribute to the increased incidence of postoperative complications. Prolonged hospitalization and/or readmission are commonly required and adversely contribute to the overall cost of surgical care. In addition, health-related quality of life has been shown to be significantly impacted by major complications and prolonged hospitalization. Postoperative complications can lead to a delay in adjuvant chemotherapy administration and have been associated with decreased disease-free and overall survival.
The Role of Proteomics in the Study of Kidney Diseases and in the Development of Diagnostic Tools

Publisher Summary During the last decade, proteomics research and clinical proteomics have been expected to lead to new disease and diagnostic markers that translate into new and improved clinical tests. Proteomics plays an important role in molecular marker discovery and qualification during their development into potential clinical diagnostic tools. Clinical proteomics has focused on the discovery of novel drug targets as well as the discovery of diagnostic and prognostic disease biomarkers. It also aims at providing the clinician with tools to accurately diagnose, monitor and predict treatment effects for patients, thus enabling individualized patient management when properly utilized. The key is that such protein-marker-based strategies hold the promise of being highly sensitive, specific and predictive, and, overall, will outperform the currently established clinical diagnostic tests. Even if proteomics and systems biology-based expert systems may still be unavailable for some years, it is likely that nephrology will be among the first to benefit from progress in proteomics. This is due to the fact that urine, a proximal and non-invasive matrix that has a selective proteome, which is in direct communication with, and, to a large extent, reflective of biochemical processes in the kidney, is non-invasive and readily available.
Influence of a heptad repeat stutter on the pH‐dependent conformational behavior of the central coiled‐coil from influenza hemagglutinin HA2

The coiled-coil is one of the most common protein structural motifs. Amino acid sequences of regions that participate in coiled-coils contain a heptad repeat in which every third then forth residue is occupied by a hydrophobic residue. Here we examine the consequences of a "stutter," a deviation of the idealized heptad repeat that is found in the central coiled-coil of influenza hemagluttinin HA2. Characterization of a peptide containing the native stutter-containing HA2 sequence, as well as several variants in which the stutter was engineered out to restore an idealized heptad repeat pattern, revealed that the stutter is important for allowing coiled-coil formation in the WT HA2 at both neutral and low pH (7.1 and 4.5). By contrast, all variants that contained idealized heptad repeats exhibited marked pH-dependent coiled-coil formation with structures forming much more stably at low pH. A crystal structure of one variant containing an idealized heptad repeat, and comparison to the WT HA2 structure, suggest that the stutter distorts the optimal interhelical core packing arrangement, resulting in unwinding of the coiled-coil superhelix. Interactions between acidic side chains, in particular E69 and E74 (present in all peptides studied), are suggested to play a role in mediating these pH-dependent conformational effects. This conclusion is partially supported by studies on HA2 variant peptides in which these positions were altered to aspartic acid. These results provide new insight into the structural role of the heptad repeat stutter in HA2.
MEASURING THE DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE OF INTEGRATED COMPUTER AIDED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING (I-CASE): A SYNTHESIS OF FIELD STUDY RESULTS FROM THE FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION

The First Boston Corporation, a large investment bank in New York City, began to build its own integrated computer aided software engineering (I-CASE) tool in 1986. This decision was made following a comprehensive survey of the market for CASE tools available at that time. This resulted in a determination that there would be no tools commercially available within the next few years that would: (1) enable cost-effective expansion of the firm’s current applications to support the demand for increased financial market trades processing in a 24-hour a day, global market; (2) create high functionality, multi-tiered cooperative processing applications that efficiently utilize the power and flexibility of — microcomputers and engineering workstations on the trading platform; fault-tolerant minicomputers for intraday trades processing and a link to the financial markets; mainframe computers for current account and firm securities inventory management, and historical database queries to support trading analytics; and, (3) further control costs by paring down the overall level of developer expertise that needed to be brought together to create the firm’s applications.
Behçet disease (incomplete) and cutaneous polyarteritis nosa.

A 42-year-old man with a 2-year history of left posterior uveitis and recurrent oral aphthous ulcers presented for evaluation of recurrent, erythematous, subcutaneous, tender nodules on his lower extremities. A biopsy specimen of the nodules showed a medium-sized-vessel vasculitis with a mild and moderate inflammatory cell infiltrate in the septae and lobules of the subcutaneous adipose tissue. These changes were consistent with cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa. Behcet disease is a multisystem inflammatory disorder that includes recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, and at least two of the following features: recurrent genital ulcers, eye lesions, skin lesions, and a positive pathergy test. Behcet disease and cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa have rarely been described in conjunction, and the suggestion has been raised that cutaneous polyarteritis-nodosa-like lesions may actually be a cutaneous marker of Behcet disease.
TEMPORAL ALLOCATION ALTERNATIVES FOR SOUTHEASTERN RED DELICIOUS APPLES

season and declining prices as the season progresses. As the harvest season wanes, the This study examines the economic feasi- price of apples begins to rise again. Given bility of storing southeastern U.S. Red Deli- these temporal relationships, the marketing cious apples under various circumstances. strategy of southeastern growers has been to Circumstances encompassed type of storage, harvest and market as much of the crop as potential market share in the storage periods, possible following the earliest acceptable perceived level of quality, and opportunity maturity date (Mathia and Beals). cost of storage. Reactive programming was Some storage facilities are available in the used to allocate shipments throughout the region. However, the primary purpose of these harvest and storage periods. Except for apples facilities has been to remove field heat from harvested in August, storage was found to be fruit and extend the period between packing economically feasible under all situations and marketing during extremely heavy harstudied. The greatest economic benefit to vesting, packing, and selling periods. producers was shown to come from the syn- Because of increased production from ergistic effect of storage and improvement in 1977-1982 and superior marketing and properceived quality. motional practices, Washington has become
Continuous-time sigma-delta modulator incorporating semi-digital FIR filters

A lowpass continuous-time /spl Sigma//spl Delta/-modulator including FIR filters in the feedback path is presented. These filters allow for reduced sensitivity to clock jitter without affecting the ideal performance of the modulator. The FIR filters are conveniently implemented using the semi-digital approach.
Transcatheter Device Closure of Atrial Septal Defects in Small Children: Sound Judgment is Key!

1, in 1974, ushered an era of tremendous evolution in transcatheter device closure of secundum ASDs. Their pioneering efforts were responsible for much of the knowledge we now possess: they established the balloon sizing technique, described assessment of the septal rim adjacent to the atrioventricular valves using angiography (in order to exclude atrioventricular septal defects), and achieved successful defect closure despite a non-self-centering double umbrella device that required a saphenous vein cutdown and a 23 F delivery system! Since then, there has been improved understanding of the role of atrial septal anatomy in selection of patients for this procedure, including the measurement of septal length and assessment of all rims surrounding the defect. 2 Furthermore, today’s devices have undergone major design enhancements to improve their deliverability and retrievability, and their delivery systems have much lower profiles. Finally, the selection of devices on the market today has greatly expanded. Together, these factors have resulting in device therapy essentially supplanting surgical closure of secundum ASDs in older children, teenagers, and adults.
Mechanism of adherence of Streptococcus mutans to smooth surfaces. II. Nature of the binding site and the adsorption of dextran-levan synthetase enzymes on the cell-wall surface of the streptococcus.

Abstract The mechanism of adsorption of the Streptococcus mutans enzymes responsible for the synthesis of insoluble dextran-levan to the S. mutans cell-wall binding sites has been studied. Certain characteristics of these binding sites are presented. The adsorption of these enzymes to the cell surface occurred rapidly without the addition of a source of energy and over a pH range of 3 to 11. The adsorption was inhibited by soluble dextran, probably due to the strong affinity of the polymer to the enzyme. All other polymers and sugars studied showed little or no inhibition. The adsorption was also inhibited by antibody globulin to the a-d immunologically specific group antigen surface polysaccharide of S. mutans and by anti-dextran globulin. The inhibition by anti-a-d globulin is considered to be due to a restriction of access of enzyme to the binding site of the enzyme which may be located in close proximity to the group antigen. On the other hand, anti-dextran globulin appeared to directly inhibit the adsorption by covering the binding site. Dextranase destroyed the binding site and released glucose from the S. mutans cells. These data indicate that S. mutans grown in media containing glucose possesses a small amount of dextran on the cell surface, and that this dextran is, or is a part of, the binding site for enzymes which synthesize the insoluble dextran-levan polymer. Trypsin inhibited the synthesis of insoluble polysaccharide and the adherence of cells. It is not clear in this case that destruction of the binding sites occurred. These data present a partial explanation of the processes which may be concerned in the formation of dental plaque on the smooth surfaces of teeth.
The Roles of V2O5 and Stainless Steel in Rechargeable Al–Ion Batteries

Electrochemical cells based on a V2O5 composite cathode, aluminum anode, and AlCl3 + 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid electrolyte were prepared and characterized to ascertain the role of V2O5. The V2O5 was found to be electrochemically inactive in a potential window of 5 mV to 1.5 V vs. Al/Al3+. The electrochemical behavior of the cells was found to be independent of the V2O5 and depend entirely on the stainless steel used as a current collector, thus showing stainless steel and V2O5 to be of limited use in this electrolyte.
A magnetic susceptibility study of emeraldine base polyaniline

Paramagnetic spins are found even in carefully synthesized samples of emeraldine base polyaniline. We report here magnetic susceptibility data up to a temperature of 475 K on a number of emeraldine base samples that were synthesized at different oxidant to monomer ratios. All the samples, although electrically insulating, show the presence of Pauli-like susceptibility. A simple albeit physically realistic model involving spin-pairs is shown to lead to such a dependence on temperature. The analysis of the data indicates that polarons in emeraldine base are created in pairs and that the intra-pair interactions encompass a broad distribution of antiferromagnetic exchange couplings.
Na+-dependent γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transport in the choroid plexus of rabbit

The goal of this study was to examine the mechanisms of transport of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the choroid plexus. Choroid plexus slices from the rabbit were depleted of ATP with 2,4-dinitrophenol. GABA accumulated in the choroid plexus slices in a concentrative manner in the presence of an inwardly-directed Na+ gradient. Uptake occurred in the presence of Cl−; replacement of Cl− with gluconate abolished uptake. SCN−, NO3− or Br− were able to support uptake in the absence of Cl− to a significant extent (80, 68 and 61% of control, respectively). GABA uptake was saturable (Km of 37±8.5 μM, Vmax of 409±43 nmol/g/min). Na+-driven GABA uptake was inhibited by β-alanine (IC50=22.9 μM) and hypotaurine (IC50=21.9 μM) but less potently by nipecotic acid (IC50=244 μM) and hydroxy-nipecotic acid (IC50=284 μM). Betaine, l-(2,4)-diaminobutyric acid, guvacine and 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[4,5-c]pyridin-3-ol were weak inhibitors (IC50>500 μM). GABA inhibited Na+-driven uptake of taurine (IC50=230 μM); taurine, however, did not inhibit GABA uptake (IC50>1 mM). RT–PCR, using degenerate primers for cloned GABA transporters, did not result in the amplification of a band from rat choroid plexus RNA. The location of the choroid plexus in the ventricles of the brain, and its role in the secretion of the cerebrospinal fluid, suggest a role for the choroid plexus Na+-GABA transporter in the disposition of GABA in the brain.
Optimal mix and placement of energy storage systems in power distribution networks for reduced outage costs

As energy infrastructure is upgraded to meet modern digital society's need for secure and high-quality electric power, grid-tied energy storage systems are becoming a viable means for improving system reliability and realizing the benefits of Smart Grid. This paper investigates the optimal implementation of distributed storage resources in a power distribution system or islanded microgrid in conjunction with an intelligent load shedding scheme to minimize the societal costs of blackouts. First, a non-linear combinatorial optimization problem for prioritizing outage ride-through service is formulated and a solution methodology is proposed that combines a local search heuristic with simulated annealing. Next, a resource allocation optimization problem is developed to determine the optimal mix and placement of energy storage resources in a power distribution network for intentional islanding of sectionalizable sub-networks. Simulations are performed on the IEEE 123 node test feeder model subject to realistic power system constraints.
A neural network for target classification using passive sonar

This concerns the design, tratilng, test and evaluation of a feed-forward neural network for classifying acoustic signals emitted by ships in transit by an omnidirectional hydrophore. Relatively noisy surface ships, moving rapidly at medium to long range, emit signals which superficially resemble those of quieter submarines, moving more slowly and closer to the listening device. The neural network approach is motivated by an obvious analogy to the sonar classifier of German and Sejnowski, who trained a neural network to classify active sonar returns from two undersea objects. The present problem can be solved by a similar network architecture, the outputs indicating which target type (if any) is present. The inputs represent the evolution of spectral densities for each of a number of time lags. Yet the number of target types and encounter geometries is far greater than could possibly be covered in any representative way by a training set comprised of real world data, Thus the task is to connect the network to a high fidelity, model-based digital simulator and to show that, by training on the output of the simulator, the neural network can learn to pass realistic tests. Permission to copy without fee all or part of this material is gmrtted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage, the ACM copyright notice and the title of the pubtieation and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of the Association for Computing Mach~:ry. TOCOPY otherwise,or to republish requires a fee andlor spectilc perrms sion. This describes a neural network design-and-testing exercise based on a simplistic model that captures a few of the salient features of the problem.
A new process for the production of long glassy polymeric carbon hollow ware with uniform wall thickness using a spray technique

Abstract Glassy polymeric carbon is produced in the form of open- and closed-end tubes of uniform thickness up to 1 m long. Resol precursor is sprayed automatically to form a thin gelled coating on a rotating heated mandrel. The process is repeated to produce a sheath of thermoset phenolic resin of required thickness. This resin sheath is carbonized and heat-treated between 1270 and 2770 K. Mass loss and contraction are noted. Structure is characterized by X-ray diffraction, which is also used to determine texture. Mechanical properties are measured using a specially designed hydraulic system to relate hoop strain to hoop stress. Hoop strength lies between 20 and 92 MPa, exhibiting brittle fracture variance. The scatter in the hoop strength data masked any heat-treatment temperature effect. The measured electrical resistivity is 7 × 10 −2 and 3 × 10 −2 Ω-mm for heat-treatments of 1270 and 2770 K, respectively. Local induction heating has been used to demonstrate that the carbonized ware can endure sharp temperature gradients without fracturing. The hollow ware is used as a crucible for a new Bridgman crystal growth technique and for containment of hydrocarbon gases at high temperature.
Neutrophil migration across intestinal epithelium

Transmigration of neutrophils across epithelial surfaces is the hallmark of inflammatory mucosal diseases of diverse organs. In disorders such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, pyelonephritis, and bronchitis, for example, neutrophil transmigration correlates with clinical disease activity, is associated morphologically with injury to the epithelium, and is central to disease pathophysiology. The mechanisms by which neutrophils transmigrate across epithelia are, therefore, of considerable significance for numerous pathologic states. In this paper, we discuss current evidence that defines these mechanisms in intestinal epithelium, emphasizing the structural constituents determining adhesive interactions and a subset of the complex regulatory signals between neutrophils and epithelium.
Perceptual training with elementary school underachievers

Reading, as we know it, involves identifiable sensory-motor behaviors and, perhaps, some not as yet isolated. After studying several tests which required distinguishing between pairs of similar and different items, ineluding geometic configurations, words, and nonsense syllables, Gates (1922) found no general visual perception factor to be associated with reading. Rather, he observed word identification, digit identification, and identification of geometric figures to be relatively independent of one another. Later Gates (1926) studied form of perception (i.e., discrimination between pairs and identifying a specific element). He interpreted the low intercorrelations to mean that efficiency in perception is determined by the material perceived rather than by the form of the response. S~ster Mary of the Visitation (1929), after improving some of the flaws in tile Gates studies, adduced evidence supporting both the differentiation of perceptual abilities and the hypothesis of integrated perceptual functions. Langsam (1941), moreover, found a relationship between a primary visual perceptual function and reading skill. Therefore, while it is not certain whether the perceptual factor is a general one or whether there are several specific perceptual attributes, skill in perception has been linked with reading behavior. Since slow achievement in reading is a common phenomenon, a reasonable question is whether achievement can be altered by perceptual training? Melcer and Brown (1945) gave tachistoseopie exercises to a group of 45 Mexican children enrolled in an elementary school in Texas. Exercises were given three times weekly for seven months. A control group of 75 American pupils similar in mental status was also studied. The trained group, it was found, improved in word identification skills. Renshaw (1945), who is responsible for much of the recent research on perceptual retraining, indicated that in the visual perception of a form, the gestalt and not merely a succession of discrete and disjoined parts must be seen. After extensive analyses of her data, however, Goins (1958) failed to obtain any significant change in reading ability when groups received tachistoscopic perceptual training. She observed on the picture-squares subtest that children with low scores approached each
Small bowel intussusception by metastatic chondrosarcoma: a case report.

An unusual pattern of chondrosarcoma metastases to small bowel, producing intestinal obstruction with intussusception, is presented.
A New Approach to Gas Turbine Systems in the All Electric Warship Era

This paper will focus on discussions of new concepts for integration of gas turbines into advanced warship designs. The advancement of the electric warship creates several revolutionary opportunities in ship design concepts. The Integrated Power System (IPS) combines propulsion and auxiliary loads such that any electric generator can supply any load including electric propulsion, combat and hotel loads with light areo derivative gas turbines serving as prime movers for power generation. A combination of small and large gas turbine generators are fitted so that the operator can match the on-line generation capacity to the demand thereby keeping the gas turbines loaded to efficient levels. The IPS, or All Electric Warship concept, although a matter of much interest and study, will not be discussed in this paper. This paper will discuss how the light aero engine coupled with the IPS concept allows greater flexibility in overall design of the machinery plant as well as several new concepts for gas turbine systems in warships.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
PIV measurements of velocity of water in the presence of ice and comparison with calculated values.

Abstract Particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) has been used to measure the laminar natural convection resulting from buoyancy attendant on the freezing of water in a small rectangular cavity with transparent walls. The measured velocities show the “unusual” flow resulting from water having a density maximum at 277 K. The PIV images also permitted the accurate determination of the shape and position of the solidification front in these quasi-steady experiments. The CFD software FLUENT® was used to simulate the flow and the position/shape of the solidification front with satisfactory results.
The generation of digital random time histories

Abstract “A method to generate digital random time histories is described. A random number sequence is shaped to give the desired spectral density curve. This finite set of numbers is then Inverse Fast Fourier Transformed (IFFT). The result is a pseudo random time history which has given spectral characteristics. An application of this technique is described.”
Synergistic action of fibroblast growth factor‐2 and transforming growth factor‐beta1 enhances bioprinted human neocartilage formation

Bioprinting as a promising but unexplored approach for cartilage tissue engineering has the advantages of high throughput, digital control, and highly accurate placement of cells and biomaterial scaffold to the targeted 3D locations with simultaneous polymerization. This study tested feasibility of using bioprinting for cartilage engineering and examined the influence of cell density, growth, and differentiation factors. Human articular chondrocytes were printed at various densities, stimulated transiently with growth factors and subsequently with chondrogenic factors. Samples were cultured for up to 4 weeks to evaluate cell proliferation and viability, mechanical properties, mass swelling ratio, water content, gene expression, ECM production, DNA content, and histology. Bioprinted samples treated with FGF-2/TGF-β1 had the best chondrogenic properties among all groups apparently due to synergistic stimulation of cell proliferation and chondrogenic phenotype. ECM production per chondrocyte in low cell density was much higher than that in high cell seeding density. This finding was also verified by mechanical testing and histology. In conclusion, cell seeding density that is feasible for bioprinting also appears optimal for human neocartilage formation when combined with appropriate growth and differentiation factors.
On a question of boyle and handelman concerning eigenvalues of nonnegative matrices

Let A be an n × n nonnegative matrix whose eigenvalues are λ1,…,λn, with λ1 its Perron root. Keilson and Styan and, more recently Ashley, have shown that . Boyle and Handelman in their paper on the inverse eigenvalue problem for nonnegative matrices ask whether this inequality can be strengthened as follows: Suppose λ1,…,λk are the nonzero eigenvalue of A, Then does the inequlity , hold? In this paper we partially answer their question by considering a set of p complex numbers (not necessarily the eigenvalues of a nonnegative matrix) μ1,…,μp such that μ1≥ max1≤i≤p∣μi∣ and such that ? Using Newton's identities for symmetric polynomials we show that the answer to this question is in the affirmative when p≤5. For p≥ 6, we show that there exists a constant , such that the inequality holds for all μ≥C p μ1. Furthermore c p → 1 as p→∞. Thus at least the same conclusions hold for the question posed by Boyle and Handelman. In the case when all the μi' are real, the fact that when , is an easY consequence of an ad...
Synthesis of Homogeneous Pt-Bimetallic Nanoparticles as Highly Efficient Electrocatalysts

Alloying has shown enormous potential for tailoring the atomic and electronic structures, and improving the performance of catalytic materials. Systematic studies of alloy catalysts are, however, often compromised by inhomogeneous distribution of alloying components. Here we introduce a general approach for the synthesis of monodispersed and highly homogeneous Pt-bimetallic alloy nanocatalysts. Pt{sub 3}M (where M = Fe, Ni, or Co) nanoparticles were prepared by an organic solvothermal method and then supported on high surface area carbon. These catalysts attained a homogeneous distribution of elements, as demonstrated by atomic-scale elemental analysis using scanning transmission electron microscopy. They also exhibited high catalytic activities for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), with improvement factors of 2-3 versus conventional Pt/carbon catalysts. The measured ORR catalytic activities for Pt{sub 3}M nanocatalysts validated the volcano curve established on extended surfaces, with Pt{sub 3}Co being the most active alloy.
Fast min-cost buffer insertion under process variations

Process variation has become a critical problem in modern VLSI fabrication. In the presence of process variation, buffer insertion problem under performance constraints becomes more difficult since the solution space expands greatly. We propose efficient dynamic programming approaches to handle the min-cost buffer insertion under process variations. Our approaches handle delay constraints and slew constraints, in trees and in combinational circuits. The experimental results demonstrate that in general, process variations have great impact on slew-constrained buffering, but much less impact on delay-constrained buffering, especially for small nets. Our approaches have less than 9% runtime overhead on average compared with a single pass of deterministic buffering for delay constrained buffering, and get 56% yield improvement and 11.8% buffer area reduction, on average, for slew constrained buffering.
A Relativistic Cut-Off for Classical Electrodynamics

Ordinarily it is assumed that interaction between charges occurs along light cones, that is, only where the four-dimensional interval s2=t2-r2 is exactly zero. We discuss the modifications produced if, as in the theory of F. Bopp, substantial interaction is assumed to occur over a narrow range of s2 around zero. This has no practical effect on the interaction of charges which are distant from one another by several electron radii. The action of a charge on itself is finite and behaves as electromagnetic mass for accelerations which are not excessive. There also results a classical representation of the phenomena of pair production in sufficiently strong fields.
Dehydrogenation of Inert Alkyl Groups via Remote C−H Activation: Converting a Propyl Group into a π-Allylic Complex

Pd(OAc)2-mediated dehydrogenation of an alkyl group to a double bond or a η3-allylic complex via sp3 C−H bond activation and allylic oxidation is reported. A novel redox is proposed for this double oxidation under oxidant-free conditions. A catalytic protocol using benzoquinone as the stoichiometric oxidant has also been developed for the dehydrogenation of cyclopentylcarboxamides.
Downlink rate distribution in multi-RAT heterogeneous networks

Current wireless networks are becoming increasingly heterogeneous both in terms of the radio access technologies (RATs) and the base station capabilities. Downlink rate or throughput in such heterogeneous networks is a crucial metric and has been primarily studied using system level simulations. To derive the distribution of rate analytically we develop a fairly general tractable model that consists of M different RATs, each deploying up to K different classes of access points (APs), where each class differs in transmit power, path loss exponent, and deployment density. Each class of APs is modeled as an independent Poisson point process (PPP), with mobile user locations modeled as another independent PPP, all channels further consisting of i.i.d. Rayleigh fading. Using a weighted association strategy, the distribution of rate over the entire network is derived. Further, it is shown that in a two-RAT setting there exists an optimum fraction of traffic that should be associated with each RAT to maximize rate coverage, defined as the fraction of users achieving a given rate.
Selecting materials: a review of print and online resources

Selection is the heart of good library collection building. This article reviews a variety of print and online sources of materials in an attempt to acquaint librarians with new selection tools. Traditional print sources, such as publisher’s catalogues and monthly magazines, are discussed as part of the larger attempt to locate both core and specialized materials. Private and association online sites are reviewed. In addition, three sites for literature that are freely available in digital format are reviewed for their content. While these sources represent only a sampling from the plethora of those available, the scope of these reviewed sources may encourage new ways of thinking about locating relevant materials efficiently.
The new IC3D nomenclature of corneal dystrophies

Purpose Advances in genotyping have challenged the significance of the entities called the corneal dystrophies. Although the term corneal dystrophy typically refers to a group of inherited corneal disease that are bilateral, symmetric, slowly progressive and without relation to sytemic disease or environmental factors; exceptions to each part of the definition exist. Mutations in different genes can result in one phenotype and mutations in one gene can result in different allelic dystrophy phenotypes. The phenotypic classification system has become archaic. The International Committee on the Classification of Corneal Dystrophies (ICD3) was created in 2005 to revise the corneal dystrophy nomenclature. Methods A critical evaluation of the literature to remove inaccurate information and distil the facts was performed by an international panel of world experts including geneticists, pathologist and ophthalmologists. A template was created for each dystrophy which summarized the genetic, clinical and pathologic information with accompanying clinical photographs. Each dystrophy was reviewed to determine if there was an identified gene, gene locus and whether it was clinically well defined. Results The dystrophies were organized anatomically and each dystrophy was assigned a category from 1 to 4 indicating the level of evidence supporting the existence of a given dystrophy. Category 1- A well defined dystrophy with known gene locus and gene Category 2- A well defined dystrophy with known gene locus, unknown gene Category 3- A well defined dystrophy with unknown gene locus and gene Category 4- A poorly defined dystrophy with unknown gene locus and gene Conclusion The IC3D nomenclature system is available online at www.corneasociety.org in English and Spanish. A German translation has just been completed.
Adaptive Thresholding for Reconstructing Regulatory Networks from Time-Course Gene Expression Data

Discovering regulatory interactions from time-course gene expression data constitutes a canonical problem in functional genomics and systems biology. The framework of graphical Granger causality allows one to estimate such causal relationships from these data. In this study, we propose an adaptively thresholding estimates of Granger causal effects obtained from the lasso penalization method. We establish the asymptotic properties of the proposed technique, and discuss the advantages it offers over competing methods, such as the truncating lasso. Its performance and that of its competitors is assessed on a number of simulated settings and it is applied on a data set that captures the activation of T-cells.
Pilot of a brief, web-based educational intervention targeting safe storage and disposal of prescription opioids.

Abstract Prescription opioid misuse has been declared an American epidemic and a significant proportion of misused opioids are diverted from legitimate prescriptions. Patient education regarding appropriate use and the dangers of misuse has been identified as a key intervention target. The current study presents findings from the open pilot of a patient-tailored, brief, web-based intervention designed to improve knowledge of safe medication use, storage and disposal. Methods Subjects were 62 treatment-seeking outpatients at two diverse outpatient health clinics (dental and pain management) who were prescribed an opioid medication. Subjects completed an online assessment of risk factors for prescription opioid misuse and the 15-minute Script Safety intervention. Knowledge and misuse behaviors were assessed at baseline, immediately post intervention (knowledge only) and at one-week and one-month follow up. Knowledge regarding safe prescription opioid use, storage and disposal improved significantly from pre to post intervention and was sustained at follow up (% correct from baseline to one-month follow up: unsafe to retain unused pills, 66.1% vs. 96.5%; unsafe to borrow pills from family/friends, 87.1% vs. 98.2%; best to store pills in cool, dry, secure location, 45.2% vs. 89.5%; not recommended to use expired medications, 75.8% vs. 96.5%; not recommended to flush all medications down the toilet, 45.2% vs. 82.5%, ps
The virD4 gene is required for virulence while virD3 and orf5 are not required for virulence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The virD operon of the resident Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens contains loci involved in T-DNA processing and undefined virulence functions. Nucleotide sequence of the entire virD operon of pTiC58 revealed similarities to the virD operon of the root-inducing plasmid pRiA4b and to that of the octopine-type plasmid pTiA6NC. However, comparative sequence data show that virD of pTiC58 is more akin to that of the pRiA4b than to that of the pTiA6NC. T7f10::virD gene fusions were used to generate polypeptides that confirm the presence of four open reading frames virD1, virD2, virD3, and virD4 within virD which have a coding capacity for proteins of 16.1, 49.5, 72.6, and 73.5 kDa, respectively. virD3 therefore encodes a polypeptide 3.4 times larger (72.6 versus 21.3 kDa) than that encoded by virD3 of octopine Ti plasmids. Non-polar virD4 mutants could not be complemented by a distant homologue, TraG protein of plasmid RP4. An independently regulated fifth ORF (orf5) is located immediately downstream of 3' end of virD4 and encodes a polypeptide of 97.4 kDa. The expression of orf5 is dependent on its own promoter and is independent of acetosyringone induction in A. tumefaciens. Recently, it has been shown that virD3 of octopine Ri or Ti plasmids is not required for virulence. In this report, we confirm and extend these findings on a nopaline Ti plasmid by using several virD non-polar mutants that were tested for virulence. virD3 and orf5 non-polar mutants showed no effect on tumorigenicity on 14 different plant species, while virD4 mutants lost their tumorigenicity completely on all these test plants. These data suggest that virD3 and orf5 are not essential for virulence whereas virD4 is absolutely required on a wide range of host plants.
Movements, reproductive seasonality, and fisheries interactions in the whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) from community-contributed photographs

Despite being a common apex-level predator on coral reefs throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, surprisingly little is known about whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) movements and biology. This study used photo-identification from community-contributed photographs to reveal patterns in movements, reproductive biology, and fisheries interactions in this species that have not been previously revealed through more traditional methods. At least 178 individual sharks were identified, and 26 movements were observed. These included movement distances of up to 26.4 km, movement rates of up to 3.27 km/day (9.8 km in 3 days), and movements that required the transit of a 140 m deep channel. Other animals showed high philopatry, being re-sighted at the same locality on multiple occasions (up to 13 sightings for one individual) over periods of up to 7 years. Females showed higher philopatry than males and were more likely than males to be found at shallow (<10 m depth) localities throughout the year. The proportion of male sightings at shallow localities was significantly higher in April and May than other months of the year, possibly due to males coming into the shallows to mate with females. A peak in sightings of late-term females followed by an abrupt decline suggests that pupping season is May into early June, and two females were observed pregnant in consecutive years despite evidence that the gestation period is approximately 1 year for this species. Nine percent of animals carried fishing tackle or exhibited jaw injuries associated with fishery interactions, with multiple individuals found dead after being hooked by fishers.
Achieving Yield, Density and Performance Effective DRAM at Extreme Technology Sizes

For over forty years, DRAM has been the most compelling choice for main memory. It is a well understood commodity technology that strikes an ideal balance between cost, performance, capacity and energy. Yet, as DRAM scales to the extremes of deep submicron technology, it faces a critical challenge with the impact of process variation (PV) on chip yield: PV in the transistor and capacitor used to hold a bit of information, along with other components, can cause critical requirements to be violated, including retention capability, cell reliability and operational timing. The challenges of retention and reliability are well known. However, the latter challenge has received significantly less attention---the impact of operational timing violations due to PV on DRAM yield. This challenge stands as an equal to the others in achieving sufficient yield for continued commodity production of DRAM. In this paper, we argue that timing requirements must be relaxed and exposed on a per-location basis for management by the memory sub-system architecture to overcome the challenge to yield from timing. This "soft yield" approach trades exposed timing variability for enhanced yield, without harming chip density. Because relaxing and exposing variable timing can lead to application performance loss, a suite of techniques must be developed by the architecture community to mitigate the loss. We raise awareness of this problem and suggest directions where solutions may be found.
Clinical interactions of verbal language, learning and behavior

Abstract Results of research and clinical investigation in speech and language development have identified the linguistic process as a primary determinant of human behavior. Disturbances in this process may lead to learning and academic failures, and may be either the cause or the result of various forms of behavioral disorders. Children with developmental speech and language disorders therefore present a complex set of problems. A thorough differential diagnostic evaluation requires the evaluation of pertinent physiological, environmental and emotional considerations, as well as measures of linguistic competence and performance. The recognition that a speech disturbance may affect a broad spectrum of behavior should lead to more effective programs of treatment and intervention.
A Generalized Theory of DNA Cyclization and Loop Formation

We have developed a semi-analytic method for calculating the Stockmayer Jacobson J-factor for protein mediated DNA loops, as well as DNA ring cyclization. The formation of DNA loops on the order of a few persistence lengths is a key component in many gene regulatory functions. The binding of LacI protein within the Lac Operon of E.coli serves as the canonical example in which loop regulated transcription is understood. This fundamental looping motif consists of one protein simultaneously bound to two DNA operator binding sites. We explore as inputs the effect of sequence-dependent curvature and elasticity on the formation of DNA loops by constructing a Hamiltonian describing thermal fluctuations about the open and looped states. These fluctuations allow us to compute the entropic cost of loop formation, and thus allow a full computation of the free energy. Our work demonstrates that even for short sequences of the order one persistence length, entropic contributions are required to correctly compute the J factor.We determine the lowest energy shape of the inter-operator DNA loop using a non-linear mechanical rod model under prescribed binding topologies (e.g, parallel and anti-parallel binding). Expanding about this shape allows us to calculate the J factors associated with parallel and anti-parallel binding topologies within the Lac system, and thus how entropy influences the most energetically favorable topology. The J factor can be used to compare the relative loop lifetimes of various DNA sequences, making it a useful tool in sequence design. Our work also allows the computation of an effective torsional persistence length, which demonstrates how torsion bending coupling affects the conversion of writhe to twist.