cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety and Efficacy of Radiofrequency Modification of Slow Pathway Conduction in Children ≤10 Years of Age With Atrioventricular Node Reentrant Tachycardia

This study evaluated procedural considerations, risks, and long-term efficacy of radiofrequency modification of slow pathway conduction for treatment of atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia in children < or = 10 years of age. Using a combined anatomic and electrographic mapping approach, modification of slow pathway conduction was achieved in 25 consecutive patients, although 4 had some form of transient atrioventricular block, indicating the need for caution in patient selection, catheter manipulation, and ablation.
Predicting and Optimizing Jitter and Eye-Opening Based on Bitonic Step Response

As electronic system design evolves to the era of chip-packaging co-design, signal quality prediction and optimization are becoming important for system level interconnects. In this paper, an analytical method for predicting the worst-case jitter and eye-opening based on an arbitrary bitonic step response is proposed. Experimental results show that the proposed technique is able to achieve as small as less than 5% error compared to Hspice simulation. The analytical method is then utilized for fast optimization of a novel distributive passive compensation scheme.
Anisotropic shrinkage of cordierite-type glass powder cylindrical compacts

The pronounced anisotropy of shrinkage in the axial and the radial direction, observed in earlier studies on the sintering behavior of cordierite-type glass powder, is investigated in detail. It is shown that a planar orientation of the pore/solid interface exists that gives rise to an oriented shrinkage in the radial direction. The results show that the axial-to-diametral shrinkage ratio increases from a value of 0.3 to approximately 0.7 with increasing density, and that particle size and particle shape of the glass powders have little influence on shrinkage anisotropy.
Zitterbewegung of the electron in external fields.

A new method is given to find the exact solutions of the Heisenberg equations in proper time of the first-order Dirac Hamiltonian in constant electromagnetic fields. We also give the exact Zitterbewegung of spin in a magnetic field.
Meridional shifts in the marine ITCZ and the tropical hydrologic cycle over the last three glacial cycles

[1] Paleoproxy studies show a strong correlation between tropical climate and high-latitude temperature variability recorded in the Greenland ice cores over the last glacial cycle. In particular, abrupt cooling events in the Greenland Ice Sheet Project II δ18O ice record appear synchronous with a southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in the Atlantic, a weakening of the Indian and East Asian monsoon systems, and a strengthening of the South American monsoon system. Because this high-to-low-latitude climate teleconnection significantly alters the tropical hydrologic cycle around the globe, it plays a critical role in regulating global climate on glacial-interglacial time scales. We compare δ18Oseawater reconstructions (a salinity proxy generated from previously published Mg/Ca and oxygen isotope data on Globigerinoides ruber (white var.)) obtained from western Caribbean core ODP 999A and western equatorial Pacific core 806B across the last three glacial cycles to show that systematic variations in surface salinity at these sites suggest the tropical Hadley cell hydrologic system undergoes systematic reorganizations that differ dramatically between warm interglacial and cold glacial periods. Furthermore, cross-spectral and phase angle analyses of the ice-volume-corrected Caribbean and western Pacific δ18OSW records reveal a 100 kyr frequency in both records that is almost 180° out of phase and a 23 kyr frequency that is nearly in phase. This results in the development of a very large δ18OSW gradient between the Caribbean and the western equatorial Pacific on glacial-interglacial time scales that is best explained by a southward shift in both the Atlantic and Pacific ITCZ during North Atlantic cold phases.
Organ temperature measurement in a microwave oven by resonance frequency shift

Abstract An experimental system has been developed that can indirectly measure temperature in a high-intensity microwave field over a broad range of conditions. A RF amplifier connected closed-loop around a high Q cavity oscillates at one of the natural modes of the oven. A bandpass filter selects the mode of interest. As the frozen sample is thawed, an increase in dielectric constant occurs, decreasing the resonance frequency of the cavity. Calibration of the system is performed by measuring the frequency shift for samples whose temperatures are known, Rotation of samples during thawing often causes oscillations of the resonance frequency. These oscillations are generated by asymmetric sample properties and geometry, and hot spots developed during the thaw. Development of a method that would predict hot spot location from these resonance frequency oscillations and permit modulation of the magnetron or sample rotation to minimize thermal runaway is suggested.
The Gauss-Bonnet-Chern theorem and supersymmetry

Abstract Using the path integral representation of the Witten index for supersymmetric QM systems, we compute the boundary corrections to the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for an arbitrary compact manifold with boundary.
Band systems for appraisal of color rendition

Chromaticity shifts on the RUCS scale, for 20% increase in intensity in a single band 0.01 μ wide, were computed for deluxe cool-white and warm-white fluorescent lamps and ten hypothetical pigments with color points almost uniformly spaced about that of the illuminant. At each wavelength, the color shift of the most sensitive pigment was taken as a measure of the importance of the spectral flux per 100 A. Seven bands of roughly equal importance in rating cool-white lamps have division points at 0.44, 0.49, 0.53, 0.56, 0.60, and 0.62 μ. For warm-white lamps, the second division point listed above should be omitted. The outer limits of the end bands should be 0.42 and 0.67 μ for ratings based on unweighted energy flux. For comparisons of dissimilar spectral curves, one should weight energy flux within each band in proportion to the maximum shift on the RUCS scale, per unit increment of spectral flux. This weighting factor has maxima at approximately 0.445, 0.53, and 0.615 μ and minima at 0.49 and 0.57–0.58 μ.Importance in rating deluxe cool-white lamps is only 5 and 8, respectively (average=100) for Bouma’s end bands, 51–195 for the other six, and 73–136 for Kruithof’s 7-band system.
From Mathematical Fictionalism to Truth‐Theoretic Fictionalism

In this paper, we argue that if Stephen Yablo (2005) is right that philosophers of mathematics ought to endorse a fictionalist view of number-talk, then there is a compelling reason for deflationists about truth (henceforth, T-deflationists) to endorse a fictionalist view of truth-talk. More specifically, our claim will be that, for T-deflationists, Yablo’s argument for mathematical fictionalism can be employed and mounted as an argument for truththeoretic fictionalism. Yablo’s own fictionalist account of number-talk is what he calls “figuralism”, a subspecies of pretense-involving fictionalism, which is a non-error-theoretic species of the genus philosophical fictionalism, one that allows that utterances can be true even if their operation involves fiction. Now, while Yablo’s considerations—the ones with which we will be concerned, in any case—are ultimately presented in the service of motivating his particular pretense-involving fictionalist account of number-talk, we can and should take these considerations to support mathematical fictionalism more generally. Accordingly, while we will be concerned with Yablo’s argument for the kind of mathematical fictionalism he endorses, the argument that we will present, in support of T-deflationists endorsing fictionalism about truth-talk, is not intended to support a particular pretense-involving fictionalist account of truth-talk. To belabor the point, what we will show is that if Yablo’s considerations in favor of some sort of fictionalism about mathematics compel (and, for what follows, we will assume that they do), then we have a reason for
A characterization of almost resolvable spaces

A space is said to be resolvable if it has two disjoint dense subsets. It is shown thatX is a Baire space with no resolvable open subsets iff every real function defined onX has a dense set of points of continuity. Thus almost resolvable spaces, as defined by Bolstein, are shown to be characterized as the union of a first category set and a closed resolvable set.
A comparison of the chemical behavior of the halobis (trifluoromethyl)-phosphines and the halodifluorophosphines

Abstract A bis(trifluoromethyl) phosphinous acid ester 2-cyano-2[μ-oxobis(trifluoromethyl) phospine]hexafluropropane (I) and the mixed anhydrides trifluoroacetatobis(trifluoromethyl)phosphine (II), pentafluoropropionatobis (trifluoromethyl) phosphine (III), and heptafluoro-n-butyratobis (trifluoromethyl) phosphine (IV) have been prepared by the reactions between the halobis (trifluoromethyl) phosphines (halogen = Cl, I) and the appropriate salt substrates. The influence of the halogen bonded to the phosphorus and the cation of the salt on product formation has been studied, and studies have been conducted to compare the chemistry of the halobis (trifluromethyl)- and the halodifluorophosphines. These new compounds (I, II, and IV) have been characterized according to their physical and spectral properties.
Exponential nonlinear growth of a resistive m=1 island

An analytical model is given for the exponential growth of a m=1 resistive island in the late nonlinear stage of its dynamics, observed in a recent numerical simulation [A. Aydemir, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 4406 (1997)]. This late nonlinear exponential growth phase follows the linear exponential growth phase and an early nonlinear algebraic growth phase. It is shown that the transition from the early nonlinear phase of algebraic growth in time to exponential growth occurs due to change in the geometric structure of the current sheet. Analytical predictions are in reasonable accord with simulation results.
Experimental lathyrism in the white rat and mouse.

Summary1. Young white mice of 12 to 15 g body weight fed diets containing 50% Lathyrus odoratus meal grew well and showed no development of experimental lathyrism in 17 weeks, although young white rats which received a similar diet developed experimental lathyrism in from 3 to 6 weeks. 2. Diets containing Lathyrus latifolius meal (50%) were toxic for both rats and mice, death occurring in from 3 to 8 days (rats) and 5 to 12 days (mice). The extraction of seed of Lathyrus latifolius meal with 30% ethanol removed the toxic principle. Mice fed the extracted meal survived and appeared normal over a period of 18 days. 3. Mice fed Lathyrus sylvestris seed died with symptoms of acute toxicity in 4 to 7 days.
Modeling of temperature dependent I C -V BE characteristics of SiGe HBTs from 43–400K

This paper examines modeling of IC-VBE from 43 to 400 K in a 50 GHz peak fT SiGe HBT technology. Existing temperature scaling equations are shown to fail below 200 K. New temperature scaling equations are proposed, and demonstrated to work well over a wide temperature range of 43-400 K. Implications to VBE - T and DeltaVBE - T for two transistors biased at different current densities are discussed.
Capture-ready coal plants—Options, technologies and economics

This paper summarizes the spectrum of options that can be employed during the initial design and construction of pulverized coal (PC), and integrated gasification and combined cycle (IGCC) plants to reduce the capital costs and energy losses associated with retrofitting for CO2 capture at some later time in the future. It also estimates lifetime (40 year) net present value (NPV) costs of plants with differing levels of pre-investment for CO2 capture under a wide range of CO2 price scenarios. Three scenarios are evaluated—a baseline supercritical PC plant, a baseline IGCC plant and an IGCC plant with pre-investment for capture. This analysis evaluates each technology option under a range of CO2 price scenarios and determines the optimum year of retrofit, if any. The results of the analysis show that a baseline PC plant is the most economical choice under low CO2 prices, and IGCC plants are preferable at higher CO2 prices (e.g., an initial price of about $22/t CO2 starting in 2015 and growing at 2%/year). Little difference is seen in the lifetime NPV costs between the IGCC plants with and without pre-investment for CO2 capture. This paper also examines the impact of technology choice on lifetime CO2 emissions. The difference in lifetime emissions become significant only under mid-estimate CO2 price scenarios (roughly between $20 and 40/t CO2) where IGCC plants will retrofit sooner than a PC plant.
Reliable water supply system design under uncertainty

Given the natural variability and uncertainties in long-term predictions, reliability is a critical design factor for water supply systems. However, the large scale of the problem and the correlated nature of the involved uncertainties result in models that are often intractable. In this paper, we consider a municipal water supply system over a 15-year planning period with initial infrastructure and possibility of construction and expansion during the first and sixth year on the planning horizon. Correlated uncertainties in water demand and supply are applied on the form of the robust optimization approach of Bertsimas and Sim to design a reliable water supply system. Robust optimization aims to find a solution that remains feasible under data uncertainty. Such a system can be too conservative and costly. In the Bertsimas and Sim approach, it is possible to vary the degree of conservatism to allow for a decision maker to understand the tradeoff between system reliability and economic feasibility/cost. The degree of conservatism is incorporated in the probability bound for constraint violation. As a result, the total cost increases as the degree of conservatism (and reliability) is increased. In the water supply system application, a tradeoff exists between the level of conservatism and imported water purchase. It was found that the robust optimization approach addresses parameter uncertainty without excessively affecting the system. While we applied our methodology to hypothetical conditions, extensions to real-world systems with similar structure are straightforward. Therefore, our study shows that this approach is a useful tool in water supply system design that prevents system failure at a certain level of risk.
Challenges Enacting Caring Teacher Education

To prepare teachers who will be able to draw on caring to build a strong foundation for their professional practices, teacher education programs must be created specifically focused toward this goa...
The multiscale backbone of the human phenotype network based on biological pathways

Networks are commonly used to represent and analyze large and complex systems of interacting elements. In systems biology, human disease networks show interactions between disorders sharing common genetic background. We built pathway-based human phenotype network (PHPN) of over 800 physical attributes, diseases, and behavioral traits; based on about 2,300 genes and 1,200 biological pathways. Using GWAS phenotype-to-genes associations, and pathway data from Reactome, we connect human traits based on the common patterns of human biological pathways, detecting more pleiotropic effects, and expanding previous studies from a gene-centric approach to that of shared cell-processes. The resulting network has a heavily right-skewed degree distribution, placing it in the scale-free region of the network topologies spectrum. We extract the multi-scale information backbone of the PHPN based on the local densities of the network and discarding weak connection. Using a standard community detection algorithm, we construct phenotype modules of similar traits without applying expert biological knowledge. These modules can be assimilated to the disease classes. However, we are able to classify phenotypes according to shared biology, and not arbitrary disease classes. We present examples of expected clinical connections identified by PHPN as proof of principle. We unveil a previously uncharacterized connection between phenotype modules and discuss potential mechanistic connections that are obvious only in retrospect. The PHPN shows tremendous potential to become a useful tool both in the unveiling of the diseases’ common biology, and in the elaboration of diagnosis and treatments.
Assessing the Sustainability of Japan's Foreign Aid Program: An Analysis of Development Assistance to Energy Sectors of Developing Countries

This article examines the effect of Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) over 10 years that proposed to facilitate environmental conservation in developing countries. Special emphasis is given to ODA disbursements in the energy sector to evaluate whether Japan’s foreign aid has shifted its policy toward more environmentally sound goals. The article finds that despite its articulated premise, Japan’s ODA for the energy sector has favored environmentally problematic projects, that is, those based on fossil fuels and larger scale (10 megawatt or larger) hydropower. Similar to patterns in the early 1990s, environmentally friendly projects have received little attention. It is not surprising that the expected amount of greenhouse gas emissions from Japan’s ODA-supported energy projects appears substantial.
New tests for dementia.

In this issue of Neurology , there are three articles relevant to the assessment of cognitive impairment. Dufouil et al.1 provide new population norms for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in the very old; Mathuranath et al.2 describe a brief cognitive test battery useful in assessing dementia and potentially of value in distinguishing AD from frontotemporal dementia (FTD); and Dubois et al.3 present a Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) intended to aid in recognition and characterization of frontal lobe syndromes. Why is there continuous research into improved methods for assessing mental status changes in elderly and cognitively impaired individuals? First, the growth of the size of the aged population in all societies carries with it an increasing number of individuals with cognitive impairment and dementia syndromes. These articles—two from the United Kingdom and one from France—are a partial response to the growing need to better identify and characterize dementing disorders. Second, there has been progress in identifying more diverse etiologies of dementia in late middle aged and elderly patients. There is increasing attention to distinguishing dementia with Lewy bodies, FTD, and other dementing disorders from AD. Two of these articles2,3⇓ address differential diagnostic issues. Third, treatments are available …
Shared phenotypic expression of osteoblasts and chondrocytes in fracture callus

Endochondral ossification in fracture healing of rats at 4, 8, 11, 14, and 21 days was analyzed using immunological and molecular probes for markers of the chondrocyte and osteoblast phenotype. These markers were osteocalcin, type I and type II collagen, including the probes homologous to the alternatively spliced forms of alpha 1 type II collagen, type IIA and type IIB. Histologic examination was performed on serial sections of the same tissue blocks to correlate cellular morphology with the immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization findings. At the junction of the cartilaginous and osseous tissue, an overlap of phenotype and morphology was noted. At the 8-day time point, the cells with chondrocyte morphology expressed intracellular message for osteocalcin and type I collagen. Immunohistochemical analysis of these cells also demonstrated intracellular osteocalcin. However, high levels of the type IIA collagen mRNA, which has previously been associated with less differentiated mesenchymal precursor cells, were expressed in both chondrocytes and osteoblasts. At the later time point (21 days) there was a substantial decrease in the number of cells displaying shared phenotypic characteristics. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry have permitted identification of an overlapping or shared phenotype in osteoblasts and chondroblasts in fracture callus. The findings raise important questions regarding the possible plasticity of mesenchymal cell phenotypes within the dynamic environment of fracture healing. Additional examination of these issues will further define factors involved in origin, differentiation, and maturation of bone and cartilage cells.
Ritual, Rumor and Corruption in the Constitution of Polity in Modern Mexico

This paper provides a novel perspective by emphasizing the significance of ritual in the national public sphere, and the relationship between ritual, rumor and the dialectics of state expansion in Mexico. It considers the historical development of political regions in Mexico; outlines the development of local public and national public spheres; then discusses the role of ritual in Mexican political geography. The author provides theoretical and methodological innovations, clarifying the connection between political ritual and the constitution of political communities in the national space
Reproduction of Conflict in History Teaching in Ukraine: A Social Identity Theory Analysis

Based on 60 semistructured interviews with history teachers in Ukraine, the ways in which social identity impacts reproduction of intergroup prejudice and conflict on the level of secondary education are explored. This involves an analysis regarding how salience and meaning of social identity of the teachers affect how they present the in-group and other groups to school pupils. The analysis reveals how teachers create conflict narratives in their classrooms by altering the teaching program and textbooks to promote their vision of a nation and the rights of specific groups to participate in nation-building processes and to define enemies and allies. The major channels of this influence are specific concepts of national identity (ethnic, multicultural, and civic), social boundaries, and collective axiology.
Ecosystem carbon loss with woody plant invasion of grasslands.

The invasion of woody vegetation into deserts, grasslands and savannas is generally thought to lead to an increase in the amount of carbon stored in those ecosystems. For this reason, shrub and forest expansion (for example, into grasslands) is also suggested to be a substantial, if uncertain, component of the terrestrial carbon sink1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14. Here we investigate woody plant invasion along a precipitation gradient (200 to 1,100 mm yr-1) by comparing carbon and nitrogen budgets and soil δ13C profiles between six pairs of adjacent grasslands, in which one of each pair was invaded by woody species 30 to 100 years ago. We found a clear negative relationship between precipitation and changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen content when grasslands were invaded by woody vegetation, with drier sites gaining, and wetter sites losing, soil organic carbon. Losses of soil organic carbon at the wetter sites were substantial enough to offset increases in plant biomass carbon, suggesting that current land-based assessments may overestimate carbon sinks. Assessments relying on carbon stored from woody plant invasions to balance emissions may therefore be incorrect.
Body dissatisfaction, ethnic identity, and disordered eating among African American women

Initial research suggested that only European American women developed eating disorders (Garner, 1993), yet recent studies have shown that African American women do experience them (e.g., Lester & Petrie, 1998b; Mulholland & Mintz, 2001) and also may be negatively affected by similar sociocultural variables. In this study, we examined a sociocultural model of eating disorders for African American women but included the influences of ethnic identity (e.g., Hall, 1995; Helms, 1990). Participants (N = 322) were drawn from 5 different universities. They completed measures representing ethnic identity, societal pressures regarding thinness, internalization of societal beauty ideals, body image concerns, and disordered eating. Structural equation modeling revealed that ethnic identity was inversely, and societal pressures regarding thinness directly, related to internalization of societal beauty ideals. Societal pressures regarding thinness was also related to greater body image concerns. Both internalization of societal beauty ideals and body image concerns were positively associated with disordered eating (R² = .79). Overall, the final model fit the data well, supporting its generalizability and the importance of ethnic identity in determining risk.
A Monte Carlo study of drain and channel engineering effects on hot electron injection and induced device degradation in 0.1 /spl mu/m n-MOSFETs

To investigate hot carrier phenomena in 0.1 /spl mu/m n-MOSFETs under low-voltage conditions, we employ a comprehensive Monte Carlo simulator to compare hot electron injection into the oxide for a variety of drain and channel design strategies. Pertinent features of the Monte Carlo simulator include: (1) electron-electron scattering, which is significant in producing the high energy tail in the electron energy distribution; (2) an enhanced particle statistics algorithm to provide detail in the high energy tail; and (3) a coupled two-dimensional numerical solution to Poisson's equation that is rapidly recalculated every 0.1 fs to provide a self-consistent, dynamic electric field distribution. In addition, we examine relative device reliability in the variety of 0.1 /spl mu/m designs by first combining hot electron injection distributions provided by Monte Carlo simulations with an empirical model to generate interface state distributions and next incorporating these interface states into SPISCES to calculate induced changes in device characteristics.
Adaptive noise cancellation of coupled transmitter burst noise in speech signals for wireless handsets

This paper describes an application of adaptive noise cancellation (ANC) in the form of an adaptive multiple notch filter [1–3], to remove transmitter burst envelope noise that may be induced in high gain audio circuits of a wireless handset device. We exploit the periodicity of TDMA type systems where the transmitter burst envelope is stationary. Since samples of the transmitter burst envelope are correlated to the additive noise that corrupts the sampled speech, we use this as a reference input to the ANC. We may also obtain the reference input by delaying the primary input to de-correlate the speech. The system was simulated using GSM [4] transmit burst model to demonstrate the noise power reduction as a function of adaptation. Preliminary tests using the GSM transmitter burst model indicate at least −40 dB of noise reduction after ½ second of convergence. The spectral noise characteristics after system convergence are analyzed. We also use a test speech signal to demonstrate the system.
“Challenges and Strategies” and “Evidence-Based Care” Excerpts From Day 1 Plenary Sessions

National experts discuss challenges and strategies for improving health care's response to domestic violence and moving toward evidence-based health care for domestic violence. Comments address ethical and legal issues, system incentives, public health and prevention, the need for evidence-based care, designing an effective research agenda, and outcome measurement.
Recognition and Management of Dyslipidemia in Children and Adolescents

Context: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the number one cause of death in the United States. The origins of atherosclerosis and CVD begin in childhood. Dyslipidemia and obesity are endemic in American youth and require urgent action. Evidence Acquisition: A detailed literature search from 1985–2008 was performed using PubMed and subsequent reference searches of retrieved articles. Selection of included articles was based on rigor of scientific design, adequate sample size, quality of the data, statistical analysis, and hypothesis testing. Evidence Synthesis: CVD risk factors in children predict pathological lesions of atherosclerosis in young adults, and their clinical manifestations, as judged by carotid intima medial thickness, coronary artery calcium, or brachial flow-mediated dilatation. About half the offspring of a parent with premature CVD have a primary dyslipidemia. However, use of family history to identify such youth will miss the majority of children with dyslipidemia. Treatment of dyslip...
Laboratory investigation of corona initiation by ice crystals and its importance to lightning

This article reports on a new laboratory investigation of the initiation of corona discharges by small vapour-grown ice crystals. This study was motivated by questions regarding the initiation of lightning and the possible role played by corona discharges on ice hydrometeors. Ice crystals were grown in a static diffusion chamber on a horizontally suspended glass fibre, with environmental conditions selected to mirror those of the thunderstorm environment where initiation of lightning is believed to occur. An in situ parallel plate electrode assembly was then rotated into position, so that the crystals were at the centre. The crystals were then subjected to slowly increasing electric fields until they underwent corona discharge. The discharges were observed and recorded under dark ambient conditions using an image-intensified video microscope, along with a synchronous record of the applied voltage. The threshold electric fields for corona discharge were determined as a function of air pressure, temperature and ice crystal length in the direction of the applied electric field. The new results are relevant to a better understanding of hydrometeor-mediated electrical discharge activity in thunderstorms.
Optical Trapping with Integrated Near-Field Apertures

In recent years, optical micromachines based on forces exerted by strongly focused beams of light have started to provide unprecedented access to nonintrusive measurement and manipulation of matter on submicron length scales. However, the sharpness of the present optical tweezers is restricted by the spatial gradients of light attainable with diffraction-limited optics. Here, we demonstrate a technique for optical trapping of single particles in a fluid, which is based on the intense near-field gradients around small apertures in a metal film. Our scheme should be able to trap smaller particles with a fraction of the laser intensity required by conventional optical tweezers. Detailed simulations of the electromagnetic fields near apertures and the resulting forces they can produce are described. We also present a proof-of-principle experiment in which the trapping of latex beads is demonstrated by following the time evolution of their fluorescence. Our scheme allows containment of particles in free soluti...
Compensation committees: independence and firm performance

Purpose – Recently all major stock exchanges issued a requirement that listed companies have 100 percent independence on audit committees of the board of directors but now the focus has turned to compensation committees. Does 100 percent independence on compensation committees make a difference in firm performance? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Only 1 percent of the S & P 1,500 firms are not in compliance with the new 100 percent independence requirement for compensation committees. This presents an opportunity to examine characteristics of these firms and if this noncompliance may harm firm performance. Industry-adjusted ROA and Tobin’s Q measures are collected as well as firm size, debt ratios, and the presence of a classified board. Findings – Findings are as follows: S & P 500 firms with lower levels of debt, have classified board, but do not perform significantly worse than firms in compliance in the same industry; mid-cap firms with debt levels similar to comp...
High Incidence of Hiatal Hernia in Esophageal Atresia and Its Etiologic Factors.

【Hiatal hernia is a very rare disease in the pediatric population. However information from our esophageal atresia postoperative follow-up program has hypotheses; "Hiatal hernia may more frequently occur in postoperative esophageal atresia patients (EA group) than in the general pediatric population (GP group)" and "The tension on the esophagus after esophageal anastomosis may be an important etiologic factor of hiatal hernia in EA group". To prove the first hypotheses, we compared the incidence of hiatal hernia in the GP group with the incidence in the EA group. The Incidence in the GP group was obtained from national statistic data from Statistics Korea and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service of Korea. The incidence in the EA group was obtained from the medical record and the imaging studies of our esophageal atresia postoperative follow-up program. To prove the second hypothesis, the presumptive risk factors for the development of hiatal hernia in EA group, such as the type of esophageal atresia, degree of esophageal gap, the stage operation and the redo-operation with resection and re-anastomosis of esophagus were analyzed statistically. The total number of patients in the EA group was ninety-nine and there were 5 hiatus hernias. The incidence of EA group (5 %) is significantly higher than incidence of GP group (0.024 %). (p=0.0001) The statistical analysis of the presumptive risk factors for hiatal hernia development in EA group failed to show any evidence of correlation between postoperative esophageal tension and the hiatal hernia. This study shows that the postoperative patients with esophageal atresia have high occurrence of hiatal hernia and should be followed up carefully to detect hiatal hernia.】
Aberrant Social Attention and Its Underlying Neural Correlates in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Preferential attention to social features in the environment emerge early in development. These early preferences are thought to set the stage for the development of complex social skills critical for one’s social competence throughout their lifetime. One group of individuals that exhibit striking abnormalities in social attention is that with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Their abnormalities emerge within the first year of life and persist over the life span. Complementary to the work described in Chap. 7 (Shultz, Jones & Klin, this volume), which explores the early development of social attentional abnormalities in ASD, here we examine how differences in social attention are manifested in older adolescents and adults with ASD. We first review the behavioral literature detailing these differences in social attention, discuss the potential downstream consequences of social attentional disruptions, and examine the neural correlates of atypical social attention. We conclude by discussing possible future directions and outstanding questions in this field.
Are all schools created equal? Learning environments in small and large public high schools in New York City

Abstract Over the past two decades, high school reform has been characterized by a belief that “smaller is better.” Much of the expected academic benefit from attending small schools has been credited to their better learning environments. There is little empirical support for this claim, however, and the existing research fails to provide causal evidence. Moreover, recent studies in New York City have shown that students attending newly created small schools do better academically relative to students attending both large and older established small schools. Are these differences in academic outcomes also mirrored by differences in learning environments? In this paper, we address this question by exploring the impact of attending large compared to small high schools on students’ learning environments, considering the differences between small high schools formed in two different eras with different missions and resources. We use a unique data set of school and student-level data from New York City public high school students entering 9th grade in 2008–09 and 2009–10 to examine students’ attitudes about school learning environments along three dimensions: interpersonal relationships, academic expectations and support, and social behavior and safety. While OLS results show that students attending small schools (new and old) perceive better learning environments, instrumenting for selection into these schools challenges those results. In general, it is not clear that small schools provide better learning environments than large schools. Our results challenge the conventional wisdom that the higher academic performance of students in small schools is driven by a better learning environment.
Nature of growth inhibitor in some mammalian sera pleuropneumonia-like organisms of human origin.

SummaryBovine alpha-globulin (bovine plasma fraction IV, Armour) in the presence of guinea pig complement inhibits the growth of the pleuropneumonia-like organisms. Heat-inactivated bovine serum is slightly inhibitory but the alpha-, beta-, and gamma-globulins are non-inhibitory in the absence of complement. Complement by itself does not inhibit growth as extensively as when in the presence of globulin. Alpha-globulin in the presence of the organisms fixes complement in low titer.
Brain response pattern identification of fMRI data using a particle swarm optimization-based approach

Many neuroscience studies have been devoted to understand brain neural responses correlating to cognition using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In contrast to univariate analysis to identify response patterns, it is shown that multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) of fMRI data becomes a relatively effective approach using machine learning techniques in the recent literature. MVPA can be considered as a multi-objective pattern classification problem with the aim to optimize response patterns, in which informative voxels interacting with each other are selected, achieving high classification accuracy associated with cognitive stimulus conditions. To solve the problem, we propose a feature interaction detection framework, integrating hierarchical heterogeneous particle swarm optimization and support vector machines, for voxel selection in MVPA. In the proposed approach, we first select the most informative voxels and then identify a response pattern based on the connectivity of the selected voxels. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was examined for the Haxby’s dataset of object-level representations. The computational results demonstrated higher classification accuracy by the extracted response patterns, compared to state-of-the-art feature selection algorithms, such as forward selection and backward selection.
335 DOES A NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING WORKSHOP USING STANDARDIZED PATIENTS INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND IMPROVE SKILLS?

Background Only about 20% of Americans consume the recommended proportions of fruits and vegetables and achieve the recommended level of physical activity. Also, only about 40% of patients report receiving dietary or exercise advice from their doctor. Therefore, nutrition and physical well-being (NPWB) knowledge and counseling skills should be part of the medical student curriculum. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of a NPWB workshop (WS) using standardized patients (SP) on knowledge and clinical skills of third-year medical students. Methods A 4-hour NPWB WS was developed as part of a new curriculum for a required third-year 4-week primary care internal medicine clerkship. The NPWB WS and three other novel WS were randomized for delivery to half of the rotational groups. The NPWB WS incorporates four SP cases representing different clinical challenges (exercise prescription, diabetic dietary counseling, stress reduction strategies, and low-carbohydrate diet counseling). A faculty preceptor facilitates group discussion of sensitive approaches to the problems. Participating students are also provided a 17-page NPWB reference. All students in every rotation group are assigned NPWB readings. At the end of the 4 weeks, all students take a 100-item written exam (seven NPWB questions) and nine-station SP exam (one NPWB station) including a post-SP encounter open-ended written exercise. Scores on the written exam NPWB items, NPWB SP checklist, and NPWB open-ended written exercise of workshop participants and nonparticipants were analyzed with simple means, standard deviations, and multiple regression approaches controlling for USMLE Step 1 scores and preventive care SP station checklist scores. Results The NPWB WS was delivered to 6 of the 12 rotation groups during the 2004-2005 academic year. Forty-nine students participated in the workshop and 48 did not. Workshop participants performed significantly better than nonparticipants on the NPWB written exam items (5.7 6 1.0 vs 4.9 6 1.2, F = 13.9, p Conclusions Students participating in a 4-hour SP workshop exhibit superior NPWB knowledge as assessed by open-ended and multiple-choice questions. NPWB attitudinal and supportive counseling skills are easily integrated into basic interviewing while practice with SPs assists in acquisition of knowledge.
Introduction to the field of enzyme immobilization and stabilization

Enzyme stabilization is important for many biomedical or industrial application of enzymes (i.e., cell-free biotransformations and biosensors). In many applications, the goal is to provide extended active lifetime at normal environmental conditions with traditional substrates at low concentrations in buffered solutions. However, as enzymes are used for more and more applications, there is a desire to use them in extreme environmental conditions (i.e., high temperatures), in high substrate concentration or high ionic strength, and in nontraditional solvent systems. This chapter introduces the topic enzyme stabilization and the methods used for enzyme stabilization including enzyme immobilization.
Gun crime incident reviews as a strategy for enhancing problem solving and information sharing

AbstractOver the last several decades, police departments and other criminal justice agencies have seen a shift toward a proactive problem-solving response to crime problems. This problem-solving orientation has often included an emphasis on expanded partnerships across criminal justice agencies as well as with a variety of community stakeholders, including researchers. This manuscript uses the issue of gun violence as a lens through which to examine the organizational and inter-organizational changes necessary to apply a data-driven, proactive, and strategic policing-led response to gun homicides and non-fatal shootings in four Midwestern sites. Each site adapted a unique data collection process and incident review. The data collection, incident reviews, and the varying models developed across the four cities, provide a reflection on corresponding organizational and inter-organizational changes that illuminate the movement toward this proactive, data-driven, problem-solving model of criminal justice. Ful...
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Architect of the Brown decision, the NAACP is the oldest, largest, and arguably most significant civil rights organization. Formed in 1909, it joined whites and blacks who opposed racial violence and Booker T. Washington's conciliatory leadership and demanded “the equal protection of the laws.” W. E. B. Du Bois, director of publicity and research, edited The Crisis . Its New York national office and board of directors oversaw local and state branches and regional offices. The Legal Committee (1913) shaped the agenda. It included a national campaign against lynching and lawsuits contesting Jim Crow education, suffrage, housing, employment, criminal justice, and military service. In 1917 James Weldon Johnson became field secretary to organize branches and served as the first black executive secretary (1920–30). In 1940 the board established the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) for litigation. By 1948 there were “734 branches out of 1,123, a percentage of sixty-five percent,” in the South. Led by Thurgood Marshall and his staff, with lawyers such as Oliver W. Hill of Virginia, LDF won Supreme Court decisions outlawing the “white primary” election (1944), housing “restrictive covenants” (1948), segregated graduate education (1950), and public school segregation (1954). Buffeted by challenges since 1954, the NAACP has been resilient and remains a leading force for racial equality. Financial and policy differences led LDF and the parent body to separate in 1956. However, the NAACP Legal Department under Robert Carter successfully litigated school desegregation and voting rights cases. This paralleled the NAACP's support of organizations using nonviolent strategies as well as its lobbying to secure the 1960s Civil and Voting Rights and Fair Housing laws. Advocating integration and criticizing Black Power politics, its more than half-million membership supported crucial reforms, including court-ordered busing; affirmative action programs; electing liberals, blacks, and other minorities to public office; abolishing police brutality; and ending race and class poverty. NAACP members helped sustain the movement to end South Africa's apartheid system, yet its leadership faltered (due partly to misconduct) and finances weakened. Thanks to board, executive officer, and staff policies implemented in 1995, the NAACP has reclaimed its leading position in the freedom struggle.
Coordinated Low Voltage Ride through strategies for Permanent Magnet Direct Drive Synchronous Generators

By analyzing the mechanism of the low voltage ride through on the permanent magnet direct drive synchronous wind power generating units, this paper proposes a coordinated control strategy for permanent magnet synchronous generator. In order to avoid over speed operation of the generation units, over voltage on DC capacitor and over current on convert, the improved pitch angle control and inverter control are used. When the grid voltage drops, the captured wind power is cut down by the variable pitch system, which limits the speed of the generator, the generator side converter keeps the DC capacitor voltage stabile; and the grid side converter provides reactive power to the grid to help the grid voltage recover. The control strategy does not require any additional hardware equipment, with existing control means, the unit will be able to realize low voltage ride through. Finally, based on Matlab/Simulink to build permanent magnet direct drive wind power generation system, the simulation results verify the correctness and effectiveness of the control strategy.
The Cylindrical Taylor-Interpolation FFT Algorithm

The cylindrical Taylor-interpolation FFT (TI-FFT) algorithm for the computation of the near-field and far-field in the "quasi-cylindrical" geometry has been developed. The cylindrical modal expansion of the vector potential is shown to be in the form that can make use of the cylindrical TI-FFT. The near-field on an arbitrary cylindrical surface is obtained from the vector potential and through the inverse FFT (IFFT). The far-field is obtained through the near-field far-field (NF-FF) transform. The cylindrical TI-FFT is valuable for back-scattering problems and "quasi-cylindrical" geometry. Like the planar TI-FFT algorithm, the cylindrical TI-FFT algorithm also has advantages of a N2 log2 N2 computational complexity, a low sampling rate, no basis functions and free of singularity problems.