cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Domestic-Level Territorial Disputes: Conflict Management via Secession

A rarely explored subset of territorial disputes is that of domestic-level territorial disputes. In such a dispute, a substate group disagrees with the country's central government over whether the government should have sovereign control over the entire territory of the state; that is, the dissatisfied group is demanding independence. If the independence-minded group prevails, new boundaries and states are created through a territorial change known as secession. This study explores secession's track record (i.e., how often secessions have been successful in resolving the underlying territorial disputes) and reasons why some secessions are followed by militarized conflict over the new boundary. The results—based on an examination of the aftermath of all twentieth century secessions and the application of more sensitive criteria than those used in prior research—reveal that while most secessions leave unresolved territorial disputes in their wake, these disputes are not particularly prone to escalate into ...
A workbench for information quality evaluation

This paper describes the architecture of an Information Quality Evaluation Workbench for rapid design and operationalization of information quality assessment models.
Activating regions of yeast transcription factors must have both acidic and hydrophobic amino acids.

Two similarities among transcriptional activating regions of many eukaryotic transcription factors, like those from GAL4, GCN4, and VP16, are that they have a net negative charge, and that many of them can potentially form amphipathic α-helices with acidic amino acids on the hydrophilic face. Based on these similarities, E. Giniger and M. Ptashne previously designed a short peptide (AH) which is predicted to have the potential to form a negatively charged amphipathic α-helix; AH was able to mediate transcription activation in yeast when it was attached to the DNA binding and dimerization portion of GAL4 [GAL4(1-147)]. This paper describes screening of a pool of AH derivatives containing randomized amino acids fused to GAL4(1-147) and to an analogous region of LexA [LexA(1-87)] in yeast strains. Results suggest that both acidic and hydrophobic amino acids are critical features of activating regons — these results are consistent with the model that activating regions often form amphipathic α-helices. This work is novel because hydrophobic amino acids are also shown to be important in activating regions of yeast transciption factors.
Coffee as a Medium for Ethical, Social, and Political Messages: Organizational Legitimacy and Communication

This research examines how an organization, Thanksgiving Coffee, establishes and maintains its legitimacy with its constituent publics. In line with Boyd’s (2000, Journal of Public Relations Research12(4), 341–353.) concept of actional legitimacy, Thanksgiving Coffee demonstrates a legitimation strategy addressing social issues and by responding to ethical and political questions. Applying Fisher’s (1984, Communication Monographs51, 1–18) concepts of narrative fidelity and probability, Thanksgiving Coffee’s policies and communication activities were found to alleviate the social issues to which they were addressed and therefore reinforce perceptions of legitimacy among publics. Viewing the influence of organizations from a different perspective, this study provides an example of how the policies of an organization can have a positive impact on the broader society in which it operates.
Glass in Electronics

While glass has many applications in the electronics means of "chemical machining" of photosensitive glasses. The field, five classifications serve to cover them all. The wide range of latter approach is widely applied to the making of printed wiring applications which exist is attributable to the wide range of properties boards. which can be obtained in glasses. Historically, the use of glass for its dielectric properties dates Sealability and impermeability of glasses have enabled them to back 200 years. The material is presently finding acceptance in maintain prominence in use for enclosures, starting with Edison's laminated capacitors where the end use demands utmost reliability. lamps and carrying through to today's electrostatic printing tubes. Glasses which can be sealed into laminated structures, then One recent sealing achievement was the simplification of color devitrified so as to develop ferroelectric properties, are now receiving television picture tube assembly by use of a relatively new material, attention. Devitrifying solder glass. Glass fibers as small as 8 microns in diameter are utilized in Structural and supporting parts may be made in intricate and various electronic and optical devices; cathode-ray tube trace complex shapes by means of the "multiform" process and by widths as small as 0.001 inch are obtainable by use of fibers in the tube faceplates. Bundles of fibers have been made to serve as signal pickoffs in certain ultrasonic delay line systems which take advantage of both the optical properties and some unusual acoustical properties of glass.
Fe-TAML/hydrogen peroxide degradation of concentrated solutions of the commercial azo dye tartrazine

Here we describe a catalytic oxidation process for decomposing concentrated dye solutions, as a model for the treatment of concentrated industrial effluent streams. The prototype Fe-TAML/H2O2 oxidizing system rapidly and extensively degrades the recalcitrant azo dye, tartrazine, in water at ambient temperatures and at dye concentrations that are industrially important. Nearly complete dye removal can be obtained with performance-optimized dosing and pH control. At higher, but still remarkably low catalyst and oxidant concentrations, the dye is removed to below detection limits. 3D surface plots reveal that optimum decolorization at high dye concentration (16.5 g L−1, 30.9 mM) requires 50 times less catalyst and 5 times less oxidant per substrate than at low dye concentration (16.5 mg L−1, 30.9 μM), demonstrating a clear process benefit of higher substrate concentrations. The Fe-TAML/H2O2 system generates environmentally benign and/or biodegradable products from tartrazine: small organic acids, 4-phenolsulfonic acid, and a small amount of 4-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid. The acute toxicity of the Fe-TAML/H2O2/tartrazine reaction mixture toward luminescent bacteria is approximately half that of tartrazine as determined by the Microtox® assay. The results suggest a potential utility of the Fe-TAML/H2O2 technology for treating wastewaters containing high substrate concentrations from the dyeing industry in a straightforward manner to ameliorate environmental impacts, and because of the degradation resistance of tartrazine, that this potential utility might extend to other industries.
Blockade of endogenous opiates reduces activity in the rat.

Abstract Naloxone (2 mg/kg, SC) was found to result in a substantial and significant reduction in general activity levels in the rat (90–120 days old). This effect was seen both under baseline conditions and after stress manipulations which would be expected to result in elevated levels of endogenous opiate peptides. Thus, under baseline conditions general activity was reduced to less than half of the saline control value thirty min after injection. Similarly, a reduction was seen after stress induced by a 30 min swim. While naloxone may have some non-opiate effects, these results support the view that endogenous opiate systems may play an important activational role in behavioral regulation, under baseline conditions and conditions of stress.
Experimental study of ion-induced nucleation by radon decay

In the environment, the presence of ions from natural radioactivity may increase the rate of new particle formation through ion‐induced nucleation. A thermal diffusion cloud chamber (TDCC) has been built to experimentally study ion‐induced nucleation where the ions are produced by gaseous radioactive sources. The critical supersaturation values and nucleation rates for methanol, ethanol, 1‐propanol, and 1‐butanol vapors on ions produced within the volume of the chamber by alpha decay of 222Rn have been measured quantitatively at various radioactivity concentrations and supersaturations. The presence of ion tracks and the effect of an external electric field were also investigated. The alpha tracks and ion‐induced nucleation formed by 222Rn decay become visible at the critical supersaturation that is below the value needed for homogeneous nucleation. At this supersaturation, the nucleation rates increase substantially with increasing 222Rn at low activity concentrations, but attain limiting values at higher concentrations. The experimental results indicate that the ionization by radon decay will promote ion‐cluster formation and lower the free energy barriers. The formation of visible droplets is strongly dependent on the supersaturation. This study also confirms that the external electric field has a significant effect on the observed rates of nucleation.
Robustness considerations for p-step matrix integrators with uncertainty in the continuous system mode

Abstract Robustness measures for p-step matrix integrators are established. These measures are the quantitative bounds for either structured or unstructured perturbations existing in continuous-time systems to ensure that discrete versions of those systems obtained using p-step matrix integrators remain stable. Examples are given to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed measures. The effect of the sampling time T, the choice of the discretizing scheme, and the integrator step size on these robustness measures is discussed through examples.
An Interview with Martin Matalon

Born in Buenos Aires in 1958, Martin Matalon (see Figure 1) received his bachelor's degree in music composition from the Boston Conservatory of Music in 1984 and his master's degree from the Juilliard School of Music in 1986, where he studied with composers Vincent Persichetti and Bernard Rands. In 1989, his chamber opera Le Miracle Secret, based on a text by Jorge Luis Borges, was premiered at the Avignon Festival. The same year, he founded Music Mobile, a New York-based ensemble devoted to the contemporary repertoire. Among his awards, Matalon has received the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1986), a Fulbright scholarship to France (1988), the Holtkamp-AGO award in organ composition (1988), the Opera Autrement award from the Centre Acanthes for the production and commission of his Opera based on Borges's El Milagro Secreto (1989), and in 2001 the award from the city of Barcelona. In 1993, the composer collaborated for the first time with IRCAM on La Rosa Profunda, music for an exhibition organized by the Pompidou Center on "The Universe of Borges." IRCAM then commissioned a new score for the restored version of Fritz Lang's silent film, Metropolis. After that considerable work, Matalon turned to the universe of Luis Bu iuel, consecutively writing scores for two legendary films by the Spanish director: Las Siete Vidas de un Gato (for Un Chien Andalou), and Le Scorpion (for l'Age d'Or). His catalogue also includes a large number of chamber works, such as Formas de Arena for flute, viola, and harp, and Lineas de Agua for cello octet. Begun in 1997, the series of compositions entitled Trames, which blur the line between solo concerto writing and chamber music, constitute a sort of compositional diary for their author. They include Trame II for harpsichord and small ensemble, Trame III for cello and orchestra (a commission from Radio France and the Orchestre National de France), Trame V for trumpet and orchestra (commissioned by the Orchestre National de Lorraine), and Trame VI for viola and ensemble, premiered in February 2004 by the Ensemble Intercontemporain and violist Odile Auboin. Matalon has written for, among others, the Or hestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre National d'ile de France, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Beauvais Cello Octet, Trio Nobis, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Modern, Court-Circuit, and Les Percussions de Strasbourg, with whom the composer released a disc on Universal last year. He was composer-inresidence with the Arsenal and the Orchestre National de Lorraine for the years 2003-2004. This collaboration between the composer, the orchestra, and its conductor, Jacques Mercier, resulted in the composition of two orchestral works. A listing of his compositions involving electronics is given in Table 1.
Octogenarian kindred: Hyper-α-lipoproteinemia☆

Abstract In a study of 16 octogenarian kindred we examined the hypothesis that kindred referred by bias of extreme age have distinctive familial aggregations of elevated high-density lipoproteins, reduced low-density lipoproteins, or both. Lipids and lipoproteins were quantitated cross-sectionally in 16 octogenarian kindred self-referred by virtue of either having two siblings or a parent and child living to age 80 or older. In two kindred there was three-generation vertical transmission of familial hyper-α-lipoproteinemia; in two kindred, two-generation vertical transmission: in one kindred, two affected siblings; and in two kindred, single subjects with primary hyper-α-lipoproteinemia. Within the limitations inherent in the current report, i.e., it is cross-sectional, does not involve analysis of a rigorously defined population group, and involves volunteer kindred self-referred by distinctive longevity as well as other nondeterminable biases, the data provide incremental evidence of an apparent association of familial hyper-α-lipoproteinemia and longevity.
Outcomes and Survival in Surgical Treatment of Descending Thoracic Aorta With Acute Dissection

Background Thoracic aortic replacement for acute DeBakey type III aortic dissection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We report the outcomes of 76 consecutive patients who underwent surgical repair of the descending thoracic aorta or the thoracoabdominal aorta for acute dissection. Methods During a 16-year period (1989 to 2004), we identified 76 patients who underwent surgery for acute type III aortic dissection. The average patient age was 64.1 ± 12.3 years (range, 36 to 84), and 55 patients (72.4%) were male. Surgical adjuncts included hypothermic circulatory arrest (8 patients), left heart bypass (15 patients), and cerebrospinal fluid drainage (5 patients). The mean aortic clamp time was 38.4 ± 17.3 minutes. Rupture was present in 17 patients (22.4%). Results There was 1 intraoperative death. Operative mortality was 22.4% (17 patients), including 11 patients (14.5%) who died within 30 days of operation. Five patients (6.6%) had paraplegia, and 15 patients (19.7%) required hemodialysis, 7 temporarily. Cardiac complications occurred in 33 patients (43.4%), 2 patients (2.6%) were returned to the operating room for bleeding, and 10 patients (13.6%) required tracheostomy. The mean hospital stay was 26.0 ± 29.7 days. Rupture was not associated with increased risk of postoperative complications or operative mortality. Conclusions In selected patients with emergent indications, operative intervention with open replacement of the descending thoracic aorta or thoracoabdominal aorta for acute dissection repair can be carried out with respectable mortality, morbidity, and survival rates.
The effect of dopamine agonist therapy on dopamine transporter imaging in Parkinson's disease

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging with the dopamine transporter ligand, [123I] beta-CIT (2beta-carboxymethoxy-3beta-[4-iodophenyl] tropane), has been proposed as a means of measuring Parkinson's disease (PD) progression. To be useful in this role, however, [123I] beta-CIT imaging should not be influenced by the medications used to treat PD, including the dopamine agonist drugs such as pergolide. We assessed the effect of adjunctive pergolide administration on [123I] beta-CIT uptake in 12 patients with PD, who were being treated with levodopa, initiating pergolide therapy for motor fluctuations. Patients underwent [123I] beta-CIT imaging at baseline, subsequently while on pergolide therapy (6 weeks), and again 4 weeks after pergolide wash-out. Uptake in the striatum was averaged for the two sides and expressed as (striatum - occipital)/occipital, with similar calculations for putamen and caudate. Consistent with PD, the patients' mean striatal and putamen uptake ratios at baseline were significantly less (p <0.001) than the mean values from 26 normal control subjects of similar age. During pergolide treatment, the striatal and putamen [123I] beta-CIT uptake ratios were each statistically similar to baseline, although there was a slight trend toward an increased striatal value (8% higher on pergolide; p = 0.105). Caudate [123I] beta-CIT uptake was 11% higher on pergolide therapy (nominal p = 0.042, but not significant when adjusted for multiple comparisons: p = 0.126). After pergolide wash-out, the striatal, putamen, and caudate uptake ratios did not differ from baseline. Therefore, we found that pergolide therapy did not significantly affect [123I] beta-CIT SPECT imaging but we cannot exclude a small influence.
Diel mercury-concentration variations in streams affected by mining and geothermal discharge

Abstract Diel variations of concentrations of unfiltered and filtered total Hg and filtered methyl Hg were documented during 24-h sampling episodes in water from Silver Creek, which drains a historical gold-mining district near Helena, Montana, and the Madison River, which drains the geothermal system of Yellowstone National Park. The concentrations of filtered methyl Hg had relatively large diel variations (increases of 68 and 93% from morning minima) in both streams. Unfiltered and filtered (0.1-μm filtration) total Hg in Silver Creek had diel concentration increases of 24% and 7%, respectively. In the Madison River, concentrations of unfiltered and filtered total Hg did not change during the sampling period. The concentration variation of unfiltered total Hg in Silver Creek followed the diel variation in suspended-particle concentration. The concentration variation of filtered total and methyl Hg followed the solar photocycle, with highest concentrations during the early afternoon and evening and lowest concentrations during the morning. None of the diel Hg variations correlated with diel variation in streamflow or major ion concentrations. The diel variation in filtered total Hg could have been produced by adsorption–desorption of Hg2+ or by reduction of Hg(II) to Hg0 and subsequent evasion of Hg0. The diel variation in filtered methyl Hg could have been produced by sunlight- and temperature-dependent methylation. This study is the first to examine diel Hg cycling in streams, and its results reinforce previous conclusions that diel trace-element cycling in streams is widespread but often not recognized and that parts of the biogeochemical Hg cycle respond quickly to the daily photocycle.
Exploring the Quality of Enumeration-Area Data with Graphic Scripts

Awareness of uncertainty and variability is essential for the reliable use of geographic data tabulated for census tracts, counties, and other enumeration areas. Users of census information and other primary areal-unit data commonly ignore errors inherent in questionnaire design and census enumeration. And these users further increase uncertainty for themselves and their readers through classification, aggregation, derivative measurements, and other data-compression techniques. This secondary uncertainty calls for programmed graphic seqeuences, known as 'graphic scripts', designed both to reveal variation hidden by analytical techniques and to identify likely blunders in the primary data. Graphics scripts can force an analyst or audience to look at different perspectives provided by complementary measures, to consider how classification affects the stability of a numerical result, and to explore the effects of temporal and spatial aggregation. This paper uses a series of hypothetical screen snapshots to d...
NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME OF INBORN INFANTS ≤ 800 GMS AT BIRTH

Seventy-eight infants ≤800 gms at birth were delivered at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania between January 1980 and December 1982. Twenty-nine (37%) infants survived the neonatal period. Four infants subsequently died in the hospital of sepsis and/or severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia complicated by cor pulmonale. Of the 25 infants discharged alive, 3 died shortly after discharge from sudden infant death syndrome. One infant was placed for adoption and moved out of state. Mean birth weight and gestational age of the 21 infants who were followed up was 690 gms (range 475-800 gms) and 27.5 wks (range 25-30 wks), respectively. Eleven (52%) of the 21 infants were small for gestational age (SGA). The oldest child is almost 4 yrs while the youngest is 1 yr of age. Rehospitalization was necessary in 10 of 21 infants for inguinal herniorrhaphy and/or lower respiratory tract infection. Growth failure was common and was noted in 52% of the infants. A total of 5 infants developed a handicap: grade III retrolental fibroplasia leading to unilateral blindness was noted in 1 infant who is also mildly delayed (DQ 70-80, Gessell); 3 infants have developmental delay with DQ less than 70, one of whom is microcephalic; 1 infant has mild spastic quadriplegia with DQ between 70 and 80. None of the infants are severely handicapped, and 4 out of the 5 who developed a handicap are SGA. It appears that the outcome of inborn infants ≤ 800 gms is very encouraging with only 24% of the population having handicaps which are mild. However, they are at greater risk for sudden infant death syndrome and growth retardation.
Removal of an infected aortic endograft and open aortic reconstruction: Technical remarks

Infection of an aortic endoprosthesis is a potentially lethal complication of an endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Surgical treatment usually involves excision of the infected endograft and vascular reconstruction, either in-line or extraanatomic. We present a case of severe infection of an endograft with suprarenal fixation. The one-stage procedure describes an in-line aortic reconstruction using a hybrid allograft composed of cryopreserved segments of cadaveric thoracic aorta and superficial femoral vein. A novel device for the removal of suprarenal fixating struts is described, as well as other technical maneuvers related to the removal of the struts used by surgeons in the community. The technique and surgical approach should be individualized based on patient characteristics, preoperative imaging, and knowledge of endograft construction.
SWANET: an all-optical self-routed wavelength-addressable network

In this paper, we introduce a novel self-routed wavelength-addressable switching network (SWANET) that provides wavelength-transparent optical data paths between end-point, configured by wavelength-coded optical signals. The network is based on a new scheme for encoding destination addresses using a sequence of wavelengths. This allows large networks to be constructed using a moderate number of available wavelengths. The multistage switch architecture may be used either as a circuit switch or as a packet switch. We describe the architecture of SWANET and the design of its switch nodes. We also analyze the effect of fiber dispersion on the transmission time of the header and evaluate the tradeoffs involved in minimizing the header transmission time.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Endoscopic anatomy of the petrous segment of the internal carotid artery.

Background Exposure of the petrous (C2) segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA; petrous carotid) is necessary to treat lesions that have spread from the intracranial space or adjacent sinonasal region. Recent advancements in endonasal-endoscopic approaches to the anterior skull base raise the possibility of extending these approaches beyond the sinonasal cavity. In this cadaveric study, we evaluate the feasibility and extent of exposure of the petrous carotid artery via a combined endoscopic endonasal approach. Methods Endoscopic dissection was performed in four formalin-fixed cadaver heads (eight sides). An endoscopic, endonasal, transmaxillary approach was used to identify the cervical and petrous carotid artery. Results With the endoscopic endonasal, Caldwell-Luc approach, we could visualize the ventral petrous bone after dissecting the contents of the pterygopalatine fossa and infratemporal fossa. Careful dissection allowed exposure of the petrous carotid artery from the upper cervical carotid to the foramen lacerum. Conclusion In this cadaveric study using an endoscopic endonasal approach for exposure of the petrous carotid artery, combination with the transmaxillary-transpterygopalatine-transinfratemporal approaches permitted exposure of the ventral portion of the artery. The anatomy presented will assist experienced endoscopic skull base surgeons in the removal of lesions involving the ventral skull base.
Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in targets accelerated by laser ablation

With use of the FAST 2D laser-shell model, the acceleration of a 20-\ensuremath{\mu}m-thick plastic foil up to 160 km/s has been simulated. It is possible to follow the Rayleigh-Taylor bubble-and-spike development far into the nonlinear regime and beyond the point of foil fragmentation. Strong shear flow develops which evolves into the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability causes the tips of the spikes to widen and as a result reduce their rate of "fall."
Does the valence state of an ion affect its diffusivity? Part I: Oxygen activity dependence of the diffusion of iron in alumina-doped MgO

Abstract To investigate whether a change in the valence state of tracer ions affects their diffusivity or not, the iron tracer diffusion in Al2O3-doped MgO, in which 0.5% of the cations were Al3+ ions, has been studied experimentally. Samples were prepared from high purity aluminum and magnesium nitrates using a chemical solution method and from powders of high purity Al2O3 and MgO. Because the concentration of the Al3+ dopant ions present in the samples was much larger than that of all other impurities, the concentration of the majority point defects, cation vacancies, was determined by the Al3+ concentration. Therefore, when changing the oxygen activity, the diffusivity of iron tracer ions can only be altered by changes in their valence state. Measurements of iron tracer diffusion coefficients were performed as a function of the oxygen activity at 1100 and 1200 °C. The experimental results indicate that the mean diffusivity of iron ions in Al2O3-doped MgO increases with increasing oxygen activity at both temperatures, suggesting that Fe3+ ions diffuse in Al2O3-doped MgO faster than Fe2+ ions.
Evidence for distinct serine protease activities with a potential role in processing the sperm protein fertilin

Abstract The guinea pig sperm protein fertilin (previously termed PH-30) plays an important role in sperm–egg fusion, and was the first recognized membrane-anchored metalloprotease/disintegrin protein. Fertilin is a heterodimeric glycoprotein which undergoes at least two distinct proteolytic processing steps. Fertilin α is processed first, in the testis, whereas fertilin β is processed separately during sperm maturation in the epididymis. The final processing of fertilin β occurs immediately adjacent to its predicted integrin ligand domain, and exposes an epitope recognized by a fusion blocking monoclonal antibody. Here, we demonstrate that one or more serine protease activities associated with testicular sperm can process fertilin βin vitroin a fashion that closely mimics the processing pattern observedin vivoduring epididymal sperm maturation. In contrast, several proteases that were added to testicular sperm did not mimic the pattern observedin vivo.These findings raise the intriguing possibility that a fertilin β converting protease(s) activein vivomay originate from sperm, instead of from the epididymal epithelium. Further, we show that fertilin α is most likely processed intracellularly in the secretory pathway based on three observations: (i) only processed fertilin α, but not the precursor pro-α can be cell-surface biotinylated; (ii) some processed fertilin α is sensitive to endoglycosidase H, suggesting cleavage occurs prior to the medial Golgi apparatus; (iii) a reanalysis of the N-terminus of processed fertilin α showed that the proteolytic cleavage site is next to four arginine residues, a consensus sequence for intracellular subtilysin type pro-protein convertases. The N-terminal sequence analysis further showed that processed fertilin α contains an intact membrane anchored disintegrin domain, and not a truncated disintegrin domain as reported previously (Blobel, C. P., Wolfsberg, T. G., Turck, C. W., Myles, D. G., Primakoff, P., and White, J. M.,Nature356, 248–252, 1992). Proteolytic processing is thought to play an important role in regulating the function of fertilin, and the present study represents a first step toward a better understanding of protease activities involved in the maturation of fertilin, and potentially other sperm surface proteins.
Plasticity of the intrinsic period of the human circadian timing system.

Human expeditions to Mars will require adaptation to the 24.65-h Martian solar day-night cycle (sol), which is outside the range of entrainment of the human circadian pacemaker under lighting intensities to which astronauts are typically exposed. Failure to entrain the circadian time-keeping system to the desired rest-activity cycle disturbs sleep and impairs cognitive function. Furthermore, differences between the intrinsic circadian period and Earth's 24-h light-dark cycle underlie human circadian rhythm sleep disorders, such as advanced sleep phase disorder and non-24-hour sleep-wake disorders. Therefore, first, we tested whether exposure to a model-based lighting regimen would entrain the human circadian pacemaker at a normal phase angle to the 24.65-h Martian sol and to the 23.5-h day length often required of astronauts during short duration space exploration. Second, we tested here whether such prior entrainment to non-24-h light-dark cycles would lead to subsequent modification of the intrinsic period of the human circadian timing system. Here we show that exposure to moderately bright light (∼450 lux; ∼1.2 W/m2) for the second or first half of the scheduled wake episode is effective for entraining individuals to the 24.65-h Martian sol and a 23.5-h day length, respectively. Estimations of the circadian periods of plasma melatonin, plasma cortisol, and core body temperature rhythms collected under forced desynchrony protocols revealed that the intrinsic circadian period of the human circadian pacemaker was significantly longer following entrainment to the Martian sol as compared to following entrainment to the 23.5-h day. The latter finding of after-effects of entrainment reveals for the first time plasticity of the period of the human circadian timing system. Both findings have important implications for the treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders and human space exploration.
Particle reduction study at interlayer dielectric deposition

Experiments were carried out to characterize and reduce defectivity at interlayer dielectric (ILD) deposition on a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor. There was evidence that some of the yield limiting defects for product originated from ILD deposition. Several approaches were taken to address this problem. Film thickness dependence, plasma extinguishing techniques, and in-situ cleans were investigated. Film thickness was a concern because a new ILD process requiring a thicker film had been implemented in conjunction with chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). It was found that particle size tends to increase with increasing film thickness. A literature search disclosed a recommended procedure for reducing particles based on a plasma extinguishing technique that effectively levitated particles before flushing them from the chamber. This technique was evaluated with inconclusive results. Through the course of the study it was found that the in-situ clean times had the largest effect on defectivity. Non-optimized in-situ cleans caused higher particle counts. An internally manufactured optical endpoint detector was used to optimize cleans. Recent work compares the traditional two-step in-situ clean to a single-step clean. Two equipment configurations and clean gas combinations were tested. Results document improvements in particle performance and throughput.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Race directed scheduling of concurrent programs

Detection of data races in Java programs remains a difficult problem. The best static techniques produce many false positives, and also the best dynamic techniques leave room for improvement. We present a new technique called race directed scheduling that for a given race candidate searches for an input and a schedule that lead to the race. The search iterates a combination of concolic execution and schedule improvement, and turns out to find useful inputs and schedules efficiently. We use an existing technique to produce a manageable number of race candidates. Our experiments on 23 Java programs found 72 real races that were missed by the best existing dynamic techniques. Among those 72 races, 31 races were found with schedules that have between 1 million and 108 million events, which suggests that they are rare and hard-to-find races.
Analysis of writing inks on paper using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry

Ink analysis is central to questioned document examination. We applied direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART MS) to ballpoint, gel, and fluid writing ink analysis. DART MS acquires the mass spectrum of an ink while it is still on a document without altering the appearance of the document. Spectra were acquired from ink on a variety of papers, and the spectrum of the blank paper could be subtracted out to produce a cleanly isolated ink spectrum in most cases. Only certain heavy or heavily processed papers interfered. The time since an ink is written on paper has a large effect on its spectrum. DART spectra change radically during the first few months after an ink is written as the more volatile components evaporate, but the spectra stabilize after that. A library-search study involving 166 well-aged inks assessed the ability to identify inks from their DART spectra. The aggregate success rate was 92%.
18F-FDG PET/CT evaluation of children and young adults with suspected spinal fusion hardware infection

Evaluation of the child with spinal fusion hardware and concern for infection is challenging because of hardware artifact with standard imaging (CT and MRI) and difficult physical examination. Studies using 18F-FDG PET/CT combine the benefit of functional imaging with anatomical localization. To discuss a case series of children and young adults with spinal fusion hardware and clinical concern for hardware infection. These people underwent FDG PET/CT imaging to determine the site of infection. We performed a retrospective review of whole-body FDG PET/CT scans at a tertiary children’s hospital from December 2009 to January 2012 in children and young adults with spinal hardware and suspected hardware infection. The PET/CT scan findings were correlated with pertinent clinical information including laboratory values of inflammatory markers, postoperative notes and pathology results to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET/CT. An exempt status for this retrospective review was approved by the Institution Review Board. Twenty-five FDG PET/CT scans were performed in 20 patients. Spinal fusion hardware infection was confirmed surgically and pathologically in six patients. The most common FDG PET/CT finding in patients with hardware infection was increased FDG uptake in the soft tissue and bone immediately adjacent to the posterior spinal fusion rods at multiple contiguous vertebral levels. Noninfectious hardware complications were diagnosed in ten patients and proved surgically in four. Alternative sources of infection were diagnosed by FDG PET/CT in seven patients (five with pneumonia, one with pyonephrosis and one with superficial wound infections). FDG PET/CT is helpful in evaluation of children and young adults with concern for spinal hardware infection. Noninfectious hardware complications and alternative sources of infection, including pneumonia and pyonephrosis, can be diagnosed. FDG PET/CT should be the first-line cross-sectional imaging study in patients with suspected spinal hardware infection. Because pneumonia was diagnosed as often as spinal hardware infection, initial chest radiography should also be performed.
Improving the Recognition and Management of Dementia in Long-term Care: Obstacles and Opportunities

Dementia is a devastating illness and a serious public health concern, a refrain familiar to all of us. The numbers are familiar, too. Nearly 4 million Americans currently have dementia, mainly Alzheimer’s and vascular types, and projections indicate that by 2050 the number of persons afflicted will rise to between 11 and 14 million. 1 Chronic and functional disability associated with dementia, especially as the disease progresses, suggests that significant numbers of these patients will eventually reside in nursing homes. 2,3 The costs to the health care economy are staggering, estimated at $100 billion annually, which exceeds the direct cost of heart disease, cancer, and stroke combined. 4,5 The majority of cost is incurred in the latter stages of illness when increased care burden overcomes the resources of many families and as patients transition to long-term care (LTC). As current cognitive treatments for dementia are primarily palliative, there is considerable, reasonable, and necessary debate about the role and utility of these medications. 6–8 While nonpharmacological interventions are effective for some problematic behaviors and components of cognition, these tend to be underused as well as time, cost, and labor intensive. Nevertheless, ignoring the problem of dementia, and perhaps withholding or not starting treatment, ignores the consequences and impact that this illness has on various health outcomes and important aspects of care. In general, dementia increases morbidity and mortality and is a risk factor for many adverse events, most of which pertain to residents of LTC facilities. Dementia confers a higher risk of falls, of experiencing central nervous system side effects from many medications, and of development of delirium, which often prolongs recovery, indicates a worsened prognosis, and increases the likelihood of nursing home placement from an acute care setting. Many patients with dementia will develop at some point during the course of illness a behavioral or neuropsychiatric problem. 9 Development of these latter
Predicting the performance of a 3D processor-memory chip stack

We are exploring a 3D processor-memory stack for use with the message passing interface (MPI). The communication among processors in huge servers wastes several thousands of cycles. Most of these wasted cycles do not come from the communication link among the processors across the system, but rather in handling the message packets. A processor that could handle this message packing and communication at a much faster rate could significantly increase this task's efficiency and thus increase the utilization of such supercomputers, currently a very low 1%. However, at such high clock rates, the memory wall would become a significant problem. Tackling this problem requires innovative technologies, such as 3D memories, which alleviate some problems with long on-chip interconnects. The importance of interconnection wires to circuit performance is on a chip. The need for shorter interconnection delays suggests shorter interconnection wires. Shorter interconnections are more likely in 3D architectures than in equivalent 2D systems. This article explores the advantages of 3D in a processor-memory stack system. We conducted simulations using simple tools like Dinero IV and the cache access and cycle time information (Cacti) to evaluate the performances of various memory architectures.
Saline agriculture in the Arabian Peninsula: Management of marginal lands and saline water resources

Productive land and renewable fresh water resources in the Arabian Peninsula are limited and are being exploited at a rapid rate, with agriculture utilizing >85% of fresh water resources. Saline and brackish water resources, marginal lands and plants capable of growing and producing an economic crop under the harsh conditions of the Arabian Peninsula, are abundant and expected to alleviate the mounting pressures on fresh water resources and prime agricultural lands. There is a need to demonstrate the value of saline water resources for the production of environmentally and economically useful plants and crops and to transfer the results to national research services and communities in the Arabian Peninsula. A regional strategy is needed to utilize the rapid advances in the use of saline water for irrigation, including development of improved irrigation systems, water management, control of salinity in root zone, and utilization of genetic resources of salt tolerant plants and halophytes. An integrated and holistic approach that reflects local and regional ecosystems' relationships is proposed. It addresses the long-term sustainability of saline agriculture and aims at developing decision-support systems to further focus attention on gaps in existing knowledge and provides flexible and efficient means for evaluating alternative options in saline agricultural production in the Arabian Peninsula.
A generalized non-preemptive priority queue

In this paper, we analyze a generalized non-preemptive queue with two priority classes. When the server serves the low priority queue, up to l customers are served before the server returns to the high priority queue. We study the embedded Markov chain at departure epochs and obtain the transforms of the queue-length and sojourn-time distributions. From these transforms, it is easy to find the moments.
Mars Pathfinder flight system integration and test

This paper describes the system integration and test experiences, problems and lessons learned during the assembly, test and launch operations (ATLO) phase of the Mars Pathfinder flight system scheduled to land on the surface of Mars on July 4, 1997. The Mars Pathfinder spacecraft consists of three spacecraft systems: cruise stage, entry vehicle and lander. The cruise stage carries the entry and lander vehicles to Mars and is jettisoned prior to entry. The entry vehicle, including aeroshell, parachute and deceleration rockets, protects the lander during the direct entry and reduces its velocity from 7.6 to 0 km/s in stages during the 5 minute entry sequence. The lander's touchdown is softened by airbags which are retracted once stopped on the surface. The lander then uprights itself, opens up fully and begins surface operations including deploying its camera and rover. This paper overviews the system design and the results of the system integration and test activities, including the entry, descent and landing subsystem elements. System test experiences including science instruments, the microrover, Sojourner, and software are discussed. The final qualification of the entry, descent and landing (EDL) subsystems during this period is also discussed.
Collagen-based Tissue Engineering as Applied to Heart Valves

Using the method of directed collagen gel shrinkage, we have been fabricating heart valves and mitral valve chordae. The principle involves mixing solubilized collagen with the appropriate cells. When the collagen-cell mixture is neutralized, soluble collagen reassembles into fibrils and a gel is created. When the gel is mechanically constrained, the collagen fibrils align in the direction of constraint. The generation of tensile force during contraction is crucial for the formation of highly aligned, compacted collagenous constructs. So far, inappropriate mechanical properties have been one of the main limitations of most collagen-based tissue equivalents. In this study, we focused on providing both biomechanical and biochemical stimuli to increase cellular proliferation, matrix synthesis, and hence improve the mechanical properties of the collagen constructs. We explored a number of holder materials and configurations, with an objective to maximize the lateral compaction of our constructs. We designed a bioreactor that can provide controlled static tension to our collagen constructs. We also developed a nutrition-fortified medium that includes trace elements (Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+ and Mn2+), various amino acids, and vitamins (A, B complex, and C). Our ultimate goal was to combine biomechanical and biochemical stimuli, and enhance the mechanical strength of our collagen constructs
A transient benign lymph node-based proliferation of T-cells simulating non-Hodgkin lymphoma in a patient with psoriasis treated with tumor necrosis factor alpha and CD11a antagonists.

Therapeutic biologic agents are uncommonly associated with lymphoma. We report a patient with psoriasis treated with the biologic agents efalizumab (Raptiva®) and etanercept (Enbrel®), who developed painless lymphadenopathy with peripheral lymphocytosis during treatment, simulating a non-Hodgkin lymphoma clinically and pathologically. Lymphocytosis and lymphadenopathy spontaneously remitted following cessation of etanercept therapy and have not recurred. Distinction between clinically benign lymphoid proliferations related to antipsoriasis therapy and malignant lymphoma avoids the unnecessary use of anti-lymphoma chemotherapy.
Decoupling link scheduling constraints in multi-hop packet radio networks

An aspect of the problem of constructing a minimal length link schedule for a PRN (packet radio network) is examined. Specifically, it is assumed that a PRN of unrestricted topology is given, including a set of users, a set of channels, a set of interference links, a frequency band assignment, and an initial link schedule. It is required that any link schedule satisfies two constraints. The first is the transmission/reception constraint, namely that users cannot transmit and receive simultaneously and cannot transmit/receive more than one packet at a time. The second is the interference-free constraint, namely that no user interferes with any other. It is assumed that the initial link schedule satisfies the transmission/reception constraint, but not necessarily the interference-free constraint. Then it is shown that a simple modification of the initial link is needed to satisfy the latter constraint as well, i.e. the two constraints can be decoupled. >
Cabin John Bridge: Role of Alfred L. Rives, C.E.

The Cabin John Bridge (CJB), located just outside Washington, D.C., is a masonry arch with a central angle of 110°, an intrados radius of 40.9 m (134 ft), and a span of 67 m (220 ft). Construction of the bridge began in 1857 but was not completed until late in 1863 because of suspensions due to lack of appropriations and the Civil War. The CJB is part of the Washington Aqueduct (WA) and is still the longest single-span masonry arch in the United States. The bridge was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the ASCE in 1972. The paper provides context for the bridge design and explains the construction technologies that were used. In the process, French and British influences on American masonry arch design practices at mid-19th century are revealed. The respective roles of Captain Montgomery C. Meigs, the chief engineer of the WA, and Alfred Landon Rives, his assistant engineer, are critically assessed. The paper provides, for the first time, relevant facts on Rives' education and engineering career. The performance of the bridge over 145 years is reviewed and discussed.