cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Considerations in the radiation therapy of Wilms' tumor.

A review of 156 children with a diagnosis of Wilms' tumor seen and treated at the CHMC—CCRF from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1970 is presented. No demonstrable effect of age at presentation on subsequent prognosis could be identified. A staging system is presented which is readily used and correlates well with prognosis. Ninety-one of 156 children survive without evidence of Wilms' tumor. Sixty-eight of 93 (73%) children who received all therapy at CHMC—CCRF survive. Large primary size and major extra-renal vascular involvement did not affect the prognosis within a given stage. Tumor spill noted at operation requires subsequent whole abdominal irradiation to adequate doses to prevent local abdominal recurrence. A correlation of vascular involvement with pulmonary metastases is made. The incidence, sites, time, and treatment of relapse is presented. Optimum survival for the child with Wilms' tumor requires a thorough interdisciplinary approach of surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists. Careful follow-up is necessary so that when relapse occurs, especially in the lungs, it can be detected at the earliest possible time, assuring the maximum possible salvage in these patients.
Are Stamina and Fatigue Polar Opposites? A Case Study

Most individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) (Carruthers et al., 2003), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) (Carruthers et al., 2011), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (Fukuda et al., 1994) indicate that they experience fatigue and sharp decreases in energy levels, which hinder the ability to engage in physical activities (Friedberg & Jason, 1998). However, there are some individuals who reduce activity engagement in order to avoid a worsening of symptoms; thus these individuals may endorse lower levels of fatigue. Accordingly, those with low levels of fatigue but low endurance/stamina might be inadvertently excluded from some criteria based on the fatigue requirement. The current study serves as an exploration of the relationship between fatigue and stamina and the effects of these constructs on illness symptomology and their implications for assessment and diagnosis.
Risk of Thrombolytic Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Current Malignancy

Little is known about the risk of thrombolysis in patients with malignancy, because these patients have been excluded from most clinical trials. We reviewed our acute ischemic stroke (AIS) database for clinical outcomes and complications in patients with current malignancy (CM) who received thrombolytic therapy. Consecutive AIS patients receiving thrombolysis between January 2003 and December 2006 were retrospectively abstracted in accordance with the American Stroke Association's Get With the Guidelines-Stroke definitions and charts were reviewed for history of malignancy. Patients with brain metastases did not receive tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Of 308 AIS patients treated with thrombolytic therapy, 210 (68%) received intravenous (IV) tPA only, 41 (13%) received IV tPA plus intra-arterial therapy (IAT), and 57 (18%) received IAT only. Eighteen patients (5.8%) had a CM, and 26 patients (8.4%) had a remote history of malignancy. Patients with CM had a higher in-hospital mortality (38.9% vs 19.7 %; P=.05) and were more likely to have died due to worsening medical comorbidity (71.4% vs 9.6%; P < .001). The rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) was similar in the 2 groups (5.6% vs 2.7%; P=.47). In multivariate analysis, the only independent predictors of mortality were National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, history of hypertension, and smoking. CM was not independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality following thrombolysis. Mortality was attributable largely to medical comorbidities, not to symptomatic ICH. Our data suggest that thrombolysis may be a reasonable option for patients with malignancy who have acceptable medical comorbidities and performance status. Further research is warranted.
Low-Speed Flight Dynamic Tests and Analysis of the Orion Crew Module Drogue Parachute System

A test of a dynamically scaled model of the NASA Orion Crew Module (CM) with drogue parachutes was conducted in the NASA-Langley 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel. The primary test objective was to assess the ability of the Orion Crew Module drogue parachute system to adequately stabilize the CM and reduce angular rates at low subsonic Mach numbers. Two attachment locations were tested: the current design nominal and an alternate. Experimental results indicated that the alternate attachment location showed a somewhat greater tendency to attenuate initial roll rate and reduce roll rate oscillations than the nominal location. Comparison of the experimental data to a Program To Optimize Simulated Trajectories (POST II) simulation of the experiment yielded results for the nominal attachment point that indicate differences between the low-speed pitch and yaw damping derivatives in the aerodynamic database and the physical model. Comparisons for the alternate attachment location indicate that riser twist plays a significant role in determining roll rate attenuation characteristics. Reevaluating the impact of the alternate attachment points using a simulation modified to account for these results showed significantly reduced roll rate attenuation tendencies when compared to the original simulation. Based on this modified simulation the alternate attachment point does not appear to offer a significant increase in allowable roll rate over the nominal configuration.
OBJECTIVITY, PLURALISM AND RELATIVISM: A CRITIQUE OF MACINTYRE'S THEORY OF VIRTUE

Critique de la theorie morale de A. McIntyre dans " After Virtue " (p. 307-319). Selon McIntyre, nous devons revenir a une theorie aristotelicienne des vertus pour sauver l'objectivite de la morale, menacee par le relativisme contemporain. Mais l'A. soutient que la theorie propre de McI. est elle-meme sujette au relativisme qu'il critique
Rare earth ions as spectroscopic probes of dynamic properties of insulators

Abstract Various ways in which the sharp line spectra of rare earth ions are used as probes of dynamic events occurring in their hosts are reviewed; recent developments including the emergence of real temporal, frequency and spatially resolved high frequency phonon spectroscopy based on rare earth ions are described. The laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) method of material synthesis has made available a great variety of new samples and new materials and has proven to be a powerful new tool in the study of the dynamic properties of solids. We present a number of examples in which the crystalline fibers obtained through LHPG are employed in this fashion.
Fiber optic spectrometers for in-situ measurements in the oceans: the ZAPS Probe

Abstract The fiber optic spectrometers developed in this laboratory combine the power of a xenon flash source and the sensitivity of a photomultiplier detector with the flexibility of bifurcated fused silica lightguides. In the ZAPS (zero angle photon spectrometer) instrument optical interference filters are used to select wavelengths with source and detector fibers terminating in the same polished surface. ZAPS is a versatile light-processing instrument with a 6000 m capability. This report describes ZAPS deployments as a UV fluorometer and chemical sensor. As a fluorometer ZAPS can excite and detect violet fluorescence (FLU) from dissolved organic matter with the flash lamp and PMT filtered at 320 and 420 nm. A profile of FLU generated in situ with the ZAPS Probe is nutrient-like, increasing with depth below the euphotic zone. These results are consistent with previous measurements using shore-based instruments. ZAPS can be deployed as a chemical sensor. A technique developed for ZAPS makes it possible to determine dissolved Mn in the oceans in situ and in real time. The chemical method relies on the fact that reduced Mn in the presence of periodate has a catalytic effect on the oxidative coupling of fluorescent N,N′-diethylaniline (DEA) molecules producing the non-fluorescent product N,N,N′,N′-tetraethylbenzidine (TEBOx). In the ZAPS technique a pump pulls seawater through 2 chemical cartridges arranged in tandem with a flow-cell. The first cartridge contains retained periodate and the second bound DEA. The sample stream leaves the cartridges with micromolar levels of these reagents and is irradiated with UV light (250 nm) in the flow-cell. The level of fluorescence detected in the flow-cell is indirectly related to the concentration of Mn. The fluorescent response to Mn is linear over at least three orders-of-magnitude in concentration and the detection limit less than 0.1 nM. Seawater Mn profiles developed with this sensor are presented for an open-ocean station in the North Pacific and a hydrothermal vent site on the Gorda Ridge.
Fiber-optic epoxy composite cure sensor. II. Performance characteristics

The performance of a fiber-optic epoxy composite cure sensor, as previously proposed, depends on the optical properties and the reaction kinetics of the epoxy. The reaction kinetics of a typical epoxy system are presented. It is a third-order autocatalytic reaction with a peak observed in each isothermal reaction-rate curve. A model is derived to describe the performance characteristics of the epoxy cure sensor. If a composite coupon is cured at an isothermal temperature, the sensor signal can be used to predict the time when the gel point occurs and to monitor the cure process. The sensor is also shown to perform well in nonstoichiometric epoxy matrices. In addition the sensor can detect the end of the cure without calibration.
Rotational and vibrational interactions of singlet gerade Rydberg states of H2 near the ionization limit

We have experimentally and theoretically studied the gerade Rydberg states of molecular hydrogen near the ionization limit, detecting ionization and dissociation separately. The spectra in this region show a rich variety of effects due to interactions between Rydberg series with different rotational and vibrational quantum numbers. The states which we have observed are all well described by Hund’s case (d) coupling. We discuss the spectroscopic and dynamic properties of the states as revealed by our experiment, and apply theoretical models to the simulation of several regions of the spectra. These models allowed us to deduce interseries couplings and relative dipole matrix elements, as well as the decay rates for some states.
Observations on Properties of Partially Formylated Cottons; and Formyl Groups as Adsorption Sites for Direct Dyes

Partially formylated cottons in the form of yarn or cloth absorbed up to two or three times as much direct dye as the original cottons, when samples of both were dyed in competition in the same bath. This higher absorption is shown to be due to the formyl groups acting as dyeing sites. The dye absorption increased with combined formic acid within the range studied, up to a D. S. of 0.35. Absorption was much higher by mercerized cotton than by unmercerized material of the same percentage combined formic acid. It is suggested that formyl groups substituted in cotton are more accessible to dyes than the hydroxyl groups of the original cotton, particularly if reacted with primary hydroxyl groups where they add to the lengths of side chains. Also, the carbonyl groups of the formates may have more attraction for the dyes than the original hydroxyl groups. The results appear to support the view that bonding of a dye to a substrate is a main factor in the direct dyeing of cellulose, as distinguished from "fixing"...
NMR structures and methodology

Abstract Progress in the field of protein NMR spectroscopy during the past year was highlighted by the determination of new solution structures for a diverse range of protein systems, and by the development of new techniques for studying the water molecules involved in solvation of the surface of proteins.
Variation with Age in Response of Broilers to Aflatoxin

Abstract This study investigated the effects on growth and composition of the blood of dietary aflatoxin fed at levels of 0, 2.5, or 5.0 μg/g of diet for a three week period beginning at 1, 7, 14, and 21 days of age in commercial broilers. Packed cell volume (PCV), erythrocyte counts, mean corpuscular volume, hemoglobin content and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, body weight, and mortality were measured weekly. Plasma cholesterol and total plasma protein levels were determined weekly. Dietary aflatoxin at levels of 2.5 and 5.0 μg of aflatoxin per gram of diet when fed to young chicks for three weeks, beginning at either one or seven days, depressed body weight and PCV in a dose related fashion. Body weight and PCV continued to be depressed by the 5.0 μg/g diets in chicks treated from 2 to 5 weeks of age but not at the lower dosages. The feeding of aflatoxin at levels of up to 5.0 μg aflatoxin per gram of diet from 3 to 6 weeks of age did not significantly depress body weight or PCV from control levels. Plasma cholesterol and total protein were found to be more sensitive to aflatoxin treatment at the later ages than body weight and other blood values. Plasma cholesterol was significantly depressed by the 5.0 μg/g level of aflatoxin in all treatment periods, but the 2.5 μg/g level of aflatoxin did not significantly reduce cholesterol during the 3 to 6 week treatment period. Plasma proteins were found to be the most sensitive criteria for detecting broiler susceptibility to aflatoxin, being depressed by all levels of aflatoxin for all age groups.
THE ROENTGEN RADIATION OF PAPILLOMA VIRUS (SHOPE) : I. THE EFFECT OF X-RAYS UPON PAPILLOMAS ON DOMESTIC RABBITS.

Virus-induced papillomas (Shope) on domestic rabbits are susceptible to Roentgen rays. The dosage which uniformly brings about their complete and permanent disappearance has been found to be 3600 r (200 kilovolts), whether this dose be administered at one time or fractionally. 60 per cent of the tumors are cured when irradiated with 3000 r.
Microwave‐induced changes in nerve cells: Effects of modulation and temperature

Helix aspersa neurons were irradiated with continuous-wave (CW) and noise-amplitude-modulated microwaves (carrier frequency 2450 MHz, 20% AM, 2 Hz-20 kHz) in a specially designed waveguide exposure system. Continuous-wave microwave irradiations were conducted at 8 degrees, 21 degrees, and 28 degrees C, while noise-modulated irradiation was performed at 21 degrees C. The results showed that exposure of snail neurons to CW microwaves for 60 min at 12.9 W/kg inhibited spontaneous activity and reduced input resistance at 8 degrees and 21 degrees C but not at 28 degrees C. The relative decrease in resistance at 21 degrees C was half that at 8 degrees C. Exposure of neurons to noise-modulated microwaves at 6.8 and 14.4 W/kg predominately caused excitatory responses characterized by augmented membrane resistance and the appearance of greater activity. The effect differed qualitatively from the inhibition observed with continuous, unmodulated microwave irradiation.
A Computer-Based Method for Determination of the Cell-Free Layer Width in Microcirculation

Objectives: The cell-free layer between the erythrocyte column and the vessel wall is an important determinant of hydrodynamic resistance in microcirculatory vessels. The authors report a method for continuous measurement of the width of this layer.Methods: The light intensity of a linear array of pixels perpendicular to the vessel axis is continuously determined from a video image of a microcirculatory vessel. A threshold level based on Otsu's method is used to establish the interface between the cell-free layer and the erythrocyte column. To test the method, video images at 750–4500 frames/s were obtained from venules and arterioles in rat spinotrapezius muscle at normal and reduced arterial pressures before and after induction of erythrocyte aggregation with Dextran 500. The current measurements were compared to manual measurements of the same images.Results: Values obtained by the manual and the new methods were in agreement within the 95% confidence limit by the Bland-Altman analysis and within 90–95...
Roger sudbury and the vision for phased arrays

Summary form only given, as follows. This talk will focus on the earliest vision for phased array antennas and Roger Sudbury's contribution to the development of the field. The talk will also include an overview of Roger's contributions to the management and leadership of MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Roger started at Lincoln Laboratory as a technical staff member researching solid-state devices for modern radars to become the Laboratory's executive officer, serving within the Lincoln Laboratory Director's Office.
Contingency Severity and Individual Performance in a Probabilistic Game Setting

Contingency Severity, a construct which describes the impact of environmental and system variables upon individuals, is operationally defined in this study. The measure of Contingency Severity employed was Raynolds' difference score, R, calculated between nonverbal Projective Differential and verbal Semantic Differential data. A probabilistic game was devised to permit relatively precise control over the predictability of a relevant environment. The principal game parameters-"predictability" and "eucity/noxity of feedback "-were distinct in three versions of the game. A repeated measures, balanced Latin Squares design was used to control for differences in game situations, order of play, and decision style. Nonparametric analyses supported the hypotheses that (1) Raynolds' measure of Contingency Severity, R, did vary inversely with performance; (2) performance was positively related to the game's objective degree of situation predictability; and (3) R did vary inversely with and could be explained by situ...
Efficient and reliable training of neural networks

This paper introduces a neural network training tool, NBN 2.0, which is developed based on neuron by neuron computing method [1][2]. Error backpropagation (EBP) algorithm, Levenberg Marquardt (LM) algorithm and its improved versions are implemented in two different computing methods, traditional forward-backward computation and newly developed forward-only computation. The software can handle not only conventional multilayer perceptron (MLP) networks, but also arbitrarily connected neuron (ACN) networks. Several examples are presented to explain how to use this tool for neural network training. The software is developed based on Visual Studio platform using C++ language and it is available for everyone on the website.
A new perspective on glucocorticoid feedback: relation to stress, carbohydrate feeding and feeling better.

Input to and regulation of activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is diverse and complex. Glucocorticoid feedback is a major component that determines activity in this classic neuroendocrine axis and, while feedback occurs through the brain, the pathways that mediate glucocorticoid feedback remain unknown. In this review, I discuss findings that have led us to view glucocorticoid feedback in the HPA axis in a new light. Much of what has precipitated this view comes from a very surprising finding in our laboratory; sucrose ingestion normalizes feeding, energy balance and central corticotropin releasing factor expression in adrenalectomized (ADX) rats. Since this discovery, a diverse set of literature that supports this view of glucocorticoid feedback has been found. Taken together, recent findings of the well-known importance of glucocorticoids to feeding and energy balance, and the modulatory actions of carbohydrate ingestion on both basal and stress-induced activity in the HPA axis, strongly suggest that many metabolic (e.g. obesity) and psychological (e.g. depression) pathologies, which often present together and have been associated with stress and HPA dysregulation, might, in part, be understood in light of our new view of glucocorticoid feedback.
Influence of CaCO3 on the Hydration of 3CaO·Al2O3

The influence of CaCO3 on the hydration of 3CaO Al2O3 containing about 90% C3A is studied with compacts of their mixtures proportioned to 0, 2.5, 10, 20, and 50 wt% CaCO3. The compacts are exposed to H2O in liquid and in vapor phase, the attendant expansion being measured as a function of time. Differential thermal analysis, infrared absorption, and X–ray diffraction are used in conjunction with this technique. It is shown that the hydration reaction of 3 CaO · Al2O3 is suppressed by CaCO3 additions and that this is due primarily to the formation of the low form of calcium carboaluminate on the surface of the C3A grains. Expansion measurements of the compacts during the reactions show that this technique indicates the progress of hydration and detects the formation of the carboaluminate at an early stage of the reaction. Using the same technique, a study at 50% relative humidity provides the basis for the conclusion that C3A reacts with CaCO3 under these conditions by a direct mechanism.
Determination of regorafenib (BAY 73-4506) and its major human metabolites BAY 75-7495 (M-2) and BAY 81-8752 (M-5) in human plasma by stable-isotope dilution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Background: Regorafenib (BAY 73-4506, commercial name Stivarga®) is an oral multikinase inhibitor developed by Bayer Pharma AG (Germany) that targets angiogenic, stromal and oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases. An isotope dilution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of regorafenib and its two major metabolites BAY 75-7495 (M-2) and BAY 81-8752 (M-5) in lithium-heparinized human plasma. Results: Analysis was performed after protein precipitation on a triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer. The validated concentration range was from 2.00 (lower limit of quantitation) to 2000 µg/l for all the analytes. Selectivity and specificity in the presence of four potential comedications were demonstrated. Interassay accuracy and precision coefficient of variation ranged from 91.2% (at LLOQ of M-5) to 105% and 3.59 to 14.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The method proved to be selective, specific, sufficiently sensitive, highly repro...
Case study of product defects found by air discharge mode ESD but missed by contact ESD

Product ESD immunity testing to meet European EMC Directive called for air discharge and contact mode ESD tests; however when testing product with exposed metal areas then contact mode is the specified method. In this paper 2 cases are documented to demonstrate that air discharge mode used exclusively on product with plastic or insulated covers/chassis should not be taken a backseat to contact ESD for exposed metal areas. In fact both methods should be used to complement each other when testing products.
What does the pathophysiology of migraine tell us about treatment

Migraine is a primary brain disorder resulting from altered modulation of normal sensory stimuli. It was previously believed that the migraine aura is caused by cerebral vasoconstriction and that the headache is associated with cerebral or meningeal reactive vasodilation [1]. It is now believed that the migraine aura is due to cortical spreading depression, not vasoconstriction; ischemia rarely occurs, if it does at all. Headache starts when cerebral blood flow is reduced, but not to ischemic levels and it is not due to reflex vasodilation [2,3]. Woods and coauthors reported on a PET study of a patient with migraine that showed propagated hypoperfusion during the pain phase of a migraine attack [4]; Denuelle et al. investigated migraine patients using PET and also found cortical hypoperfusion during the pain phase of migraine [5]. The aura is triggered in the hyperexcitable cortex. The fortification spectrum of the visual aura corresponds to an event moving across the cortex at 2–3 mm/min, similar to cortical spreading depression. Cortical spreading depression, originally described by Leao [6], is an intense depolarization of neuronal and glial membranes accompanied by a massive dis ruption of ionic gradients and loss of membrane resistance. Headache and its associated neurovascular changes are subserved by the trigeminal vascular system [7]. Headache probably results from activation of meningeal and blood vessel nociceptors combined with a change in central pain modulation. Trigeminal sensory neurons contain the neuropeptides substance P, cal citonin gene-related peptide and neurokinin A, as well as glutamate [8]. Trigeminal nerve activation is accompanied by the release of vasoactive neuropeptides from the nerve terminals. These mediators produce mast cell activation, sensitization of the nerve terminals, extravasation of fluid into the perivascular space (plasma protein extra­ vasation) around the dural blood vessels and Stephen D Silberstein* Editorial
Formation of Highly Dispersed Metal Carbides, M2C (M=Mo, W) via Chemical Reduction Methods

A new reduction method for the preparation of the molybdenum halides MoCl3(THF)3 and MoCl4(THF)2 in high yield and with high purity directly from MoCl5 is described. The preparation of pure starting materials is crucial to the success of the subsequent chemical reduction. Reduction of MoCl3(THF)3, MoCl4(THF)2 or WCl4 in THF with LiBEt3H at room temperature did not result in formation of Mo and W as anticipated but instead resulted in formation of nanophase M2CM = Mo and W binary metal carbides. These species were characterized by SEM, TEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy, electron diffraction, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction techniques. These techniques showed the black solids were crystalline and comprised 1-2 nm sized crystallites which could be grown by heating to higher temperatures (450 - 500°C). The solids isolated from these experiments could be redispersed in THF to form colloidal black solutions.
Redox chemistry and metal–insulator transitions intertwined in a nano-porous material

Metal-organic frameworks are nano-porous adsorbents of relevance to gas separation and catalysis, and separation of oxygen from air is essential to diverse industrial applications. The ferrous salt of 2,5-dihydroxy-terephthalic acid, a metal-organic framework of the MOF74 family, can selectively adsorb oxygen in a manner that defies the classical picture: adsorption sites either do or do not share electrons over a long range. Here we propose, and then justify phenomenologically and computationally, a mechanism. Charge-transfer-mediated adsorption of electron acceptor oxygen molecules in the metal-organic framework, which is a quasi-one-dimensional electron-donor semiconductor, drives and is driven by quasi-one-dimensional metal-insulator-metal transitions that localize or delocalize the quasi-one-dimensional electrons. This mechanism agrees with the empirical evidence, and predicts a class of nano-porous semiconductors or metals and potential adsorbents and catalysts in which chemistry and metal-insulator-metal transitions intertwine.
Cichlid biogeography: comment and review

Phylogenetic analyses dealing with disjunct distributions (distributions that require marine dispersal or vicariant events) are reviewed for the Cichlidae. The most corroborated relationship between clades across a Gondwanan disjunction is the sister relationship between Indian and Malagasy cichlids. The minimum age of the Cichlidae as implied by the fossil record is at odds with the timing of the Cretaceous break of the Indian–Madagascar landmass. All well sampled phylogenies for this group fit a pattern reflecting Gondwanan break-up. Grounds for strictly dispersalist hypotheses are not well founded for any cichlid disjunct distribution, leaving vicariance alternatives as the only explanation.
REYNOLDS-NUMBER EFFECTS ON THE STRUCTURE OF A TURBULENT CHANNEL FLOW

A high resolution, two component laser-Doppler anemometer has been used for turbulence measurements at a high data rate in a channel flow of water. Measurements of the velocity components in the stream direction and in a direction normal to the wall are reported over the Reynolds number range of 3000–40000. The combination of high spatial resolution and high data rates enabled accurate reconstruction of time dependent velocity traces. Long-time statistical averages of these signals clearly show that profiles of the dimensionless turbulence quantities such as turbulence intensities and Reynolds stress are strongly Reynolds-number dependent over a large part of the channel flow. For instance, in the Reynolds-number range of this investigation, it is shown that the fluctuating turbulence quantities do not scale with wall variables even as close as 15 viscous lengths from the wall. The velocity traces and associated power spectra exposed two phenomena which may explain the Reynolds number dependencies.
Copper Interactions in Thick Film Multilayer Ceramics: Dielectric Blushing and Performance

As the popularity of copper metallizations grows in ceramic-based electronic applications, an understanding of copper-ceramic interactions during firing assumes greater technological importance. Copper metallizations often interact with thick film microcircuit dielectrics during the firing of multilayer interconnects to yield rosy discoloration, or so-called blushing or staining of this insulating ceramic. In the conventional filled-glass dielectrics studied here, blushing is concentrated at special interfaces over Cu conductors where submicron Cu precipitates are localized. Several firing strategies which improve binder burnout can be employed using standard belt furnaces to depress, if not prevent, this precipitation. A multistage blushing mechanism is proposed that is dominated by the reduction of Cu ions in the ceramic by carbonaceous products formed when firing dielectric compositions under non-oxidizing conditions. Dielectric glass composition also plays an important role with respect to solid state Cu ion interdiffusion. Theoretical and experimental analyses show that materials interactions responsible for blushing in conventionally-processed CMS (copper multilayer system) microcircuits degrade neither dielectric performance nor reliability. Microcircuit dielectrics metallized by Cu compare favorably to noble metal systems including gold, an accepted military standard. CMS dielectrics exhibit high activation barriers for ionic conductivity, and an absence of shorting due to solid state diffusion during high temperature/ high bias testing.
Gastrointestinal imaging-practical magnetic resonance imaging approach

Over the past two decades, advances in cross-sectional imaging such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have dramatically changed the concept of gastrointestinal imaging. MR is playing an increasing role in the evaluation of gastrointestinal disorders. MRI combines the advantages of excellent soft-tissue contrast, noninvasiveness, functional information and lack of ionizing radiation. Furthermore, recent developments of MRI have led to improved spatial and temporal resolution as well as decreased motion artifacts. In this article we describe the technical aspects of gastrointestinal MRI and present a practical approach for a well-known spectrum of gastrointestinal disease processes.
A Study on Various Aerodynamic Effects of Pointed Tip Blade

A wind turbine blade performance depends on various parameters of which the shape of the blade is one of the most important one. In this work the shape of the tip of original NREL Phase-VI blade (S809 airfoil) has been modified to determine the changes in the blade aerodynamic performance. The chord length of new blade is kept similar to the original NREL blade up to 90% of the span. Last 10% was modified to a pointed tip at the pitch axis. This paper presents a comparative study of the effect of pointed tip on aerodynamic loads. CFD simulations were performed on both original NREL shape and pointed tip shape blades. The simulation results of pointed tip blade were compared with both experimental and simulation results of original blade. Ansys geometry modeler was used to draw the geometry and to generate the grids. Ansys CFX solver and post processor were used for simulation and calculation of the results. To predict the near wall transitional effect SST Gamma Theta turbulence model was used. Results of pressure coefficient along the chord at various blade sections of the pointed tip blade were found to be almost similar to the original NREL blade CFD results. Tangential and normal force along the span of pointed tip blade at different wind speeds showed some similarity in results compared with CFD results of original NREL blade. From the velocity contour the separation of flow with the increase of wind speed can clearly be observed. Thrust and torque effects are also observed at various wind speeds. The torque values for the pointed tip blade were found to be higher in the pre-stall and stall region but slightly lower in post-stall region. But compared to the torque values the difference in thrust at the same region is found to be negligible. Pointed tip thrust values are in better agreement at high wind speeds with respect to the experimental data. The flow separation at high wind speed is also found to be less with pointed tip blade compared to the original blade.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Evaluating efficiency and statistical power of self-controlled case series and self-controlled risk interval designs in vaccine safety

The self-controlled case series (SCCS) and self-controlled risk interval (SCRI) designs have recently become widely used in the field of post-licensure vaccine safety monitoring to detect potential elevated risks of adverse events following vaccinations. The SCRI design can be viewed as a subset of the SCCS method in that a reduced comparison time window is used for the analysis. Compared to the SCCS method, the SCRI design has less statistical power due to fewer events occurring in the shorter control interval. In this study, we derived the asymptotic relative efficiency (ARE) between these two methods to quantify this loss in power in the SCRI design. The equation is formulated as [Formula: see text] (a: control window-length ratio between SCRI and SCCS designs; b: ratio of risk window length and control window length in the SCCS design; and [Formula: see text]: relative risk of exposed window to control window). According to this equation, the relative efficiency declines as the ratio of control-period length between SCRI and SCCS methods decreases, or with an increase in the relative risk [Formula: see text]. We provide an example utilizing data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) to study the potential elevated risk of febrile seizure following seasonal influenza vaccine in the 2010-2011 season.
Vergleichende Pathologie der m. S.

1954 habe ich versucht, in einer kleinen Arbeit progressive Paralyse und m. S. in ihren gemeinsamen und ihren trennenden Merkmalen darzustellen. Herdformige Ent-markungen, Entzundungserscheinungen, die Veranderungen im Blutserum und in der Cerebrospinalflussigkeit und schlieslich die mikrobiologischen Verhaltnisse wurden verglichen. Es erubrigt sich deshalb eine Aufzahlung im einzelnen, jedoch sei hervorgehoben, das etwa 2/3 der tabellarisch zusammengefasten Einzelheiten in beiden verglichenen Krankheiten einander sehr ahnlich oder identisch genannt werden konnen. Selbstversandlich sind beide Krankheiten vollig verschiedene nosologische Einheiten. Syphilis hat atiologisch nichts mit m. S. zu tun und m. S. nichts mit Syphilis. Kombinationen beider konnen vorkommen (Hauptmann) und entsprechen dann der allgemeinen Verteilungshaufigkeit beider Erkrankungen. Eine vergleichende Pathologie hat hier noch andere chronische und auch akute Krankheiten einzuschliesen. Einzelne Vergleichspunkte verdienen hervorgehoben zu werden. Unter den chronischen Infektionskrankheiten des Zentralnervensystems mochte ich die afrikanische Schlafkrankheit (Trypanosomiasis) nennen, die selten einmal auch umschriebene Entmarkungen im Zentralnervensystem erkennen last (I. Bertrand). Ein wichtiges Merkmal aller Infektionskrankheiten ist, das ihre klinische Manifestation nicht mit der Verweildauer lebender Krankheitskeime im befallenen menschlichen oder tierischen Korper identisch ist.
Healthcare Access and Utilization among Korean Americans: The Mediating Role of English Use and Proficiency

The literature suggests that Korean Americans underutilize health services. Cultural factors and language barriers appear to influence this pattern of low utilization but studies on the relationships among length of stay in the US, English use and proficiency, and utilization of health services among Korean Americans have yielded inconsistent results. This study examines whether English language use and proficiency plays a mediating role in the relationships between length of stay in the US and health insurance coverage, access to and use of care. Structural equation modeling was used for mediation analysis with multiple dependent variables among Korean Americans (N= 555) using baseline data from a large trial designed to increase Hepatitis B testing. The results show 36% of the total effect of proportion of lifetime in the US on having health insurance was significantly mediated by English use and proficiency (indirect effect =0.166, SE= 0.07, p<.05; direct effect=0.296, SE= 0.13, p<.05). Proportion of lifetime in the US was not associated with usual source of care and health service utilization. Instead, health care utilization was primarily driven by having health insurance and a usual source of care, further underscoring the importance of these factors. A focus on increasing English use and proficiency and insurance coverage among older, female, less educated Korean Americans has the potential to mitigate health disparities associated with reduced access to health services in this population.
Patience and Principles

I estimate discount rates for 73 students across three sections of Principles of Macroeconomics at Kenyon College in the Spring 2015 semester. I find that a representative student with a discount rate one standard deviation above the mean earns roughly 2.28 fewer percentage points in the course than the average student. While the magnitude of the effect is small, the result is significant and remains so even after controlling for other observables.
Mesh Excision: Is Total Mesh Excision Necessary?

Nearly 29 % of women will undergo a secondary, repeat operation for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) symptom recurrence following a primary repair, as reported by Abbott et al. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 210:163.e1–163.e1, 2014). In efforts to decrease the rates of failure, graft materials have been utilized to augment transvaginal repairs. Following the success of using polypropylene mesh (PPM) for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), the use of PPM in the transvaginal repair of POP increased. However, in recent years, significant concerns have been raised about the safety of PPM mesh. Complications, some specific to mesh, such as exposures, erosion, dyspareunia, and pelvic pain, have been reported with increased frequency. In the current literature, there is not substantive evidence to suggest that PPM has intrinsic properties that warrant total mesh removal in the absence of complications. There are a number of complications that can occur after transvaginal mesh placement that do warrant surgical intervention after failure of conservative therapy. In aggregate, there are no high-quality controlled studies that clearly demonstrate that total mesh removal is consistently more likely to achieve pain reduction. In the cases of obstruction and erosion, it seems clear that definitive removal of the offending mesh is associated with resolution of symptoms in the majority of cases and reasonable practice. There are a number of complications that can occur with removal of mesh, and patients should be informed of this as they formulate a choice of treatment. We will review these considerations as we examine the clinical question of whether total versus partial removal of mesh is necessary for the resolution of complications following transvaginal mesh placement.
Homed gena, an atavistic sex-linked dominant mutation in Tribolium confusum

Horned gena (Hg), a sex-linked dominant mutation with semilethal effects in the imago stage, was found in Tribolium confusion. The Hg mutant is characterized by a pair of horns of variable size and shape that arises from the genoclypeal suture in mildly expressed beetles or a more pronounced horn-like structure resulting from a folding of the genal shelf near the compound eyes. In these beetles there is considerable stress on the exoskeleton of the head so that the cranium is fragmented between the eyes, leaving large, irregularly shaped areas of the head unprotected by cranial exoskeleton. These beetles die presumably because of bacterial infection or because they cannot retain moisture within their bodies. This mutation differs from the mutation V-Grube found in another tenebrionid, Tenebrio molitor. Taxonomic, genetic, and cytological evidence is presented suggesting that Hg is a gene of ancient origin, having existed at least since the genera of Tenebrionidae were being evolved.
Increasing Women's Descriptive Representation, But Which Women? Analyzing the Impact of Gender Quotas in Post-Industrial Democracies

The number of countries that have adopted gender quotas has increased dramatically over the past two decades with over one hundred countries now having some form of quota to increase women’s political representation. The increase in gender quotas has led to a corresponding increase in research examining this phenomenon; however, this research tends to examine what leads to successful quota adoption and whether quotas are successfully increasing the total number of women elected to political office. While these questions are undoubtedly important, arguments in favor of adopting quotas argue that quotas will not only increase the total number of women, but increase the diversity among the types of women elected to political office. This research seeks to go beyond the existing literature and examine what kinds of women are elected through quotas. In order to examine the kinds of women elected through quotas this research will analyze the profiles of men and women in the lower house of parliament in four post-industrial democracies: Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The profiles of women members elected through quotas will be compared to women and men elected without the use of a quota to determine if quotas do change the kinds of women elected in terms of their age, race, government experience, occupation and education. Mapping these patterns can lead to a better understanding of whether and how quotas disrupt traditional candidate selection practices.
Sexualization and Premarital Sexual Behavior

This article presents a summary of a larger study which investigated the sexual socialization (sexualization) process and its impact on subsequent premarital sexual behavior. The study was motivated by a number of social issues including the influence of sex education and exposure to erotic materials. Secondary analysis of national data consisting of face-to-face interviews with 1177 college students revealed a complex social-psychological network of variables which influences premarital sexual bahavior. The relative impact of these variables is examined and the authors impressions of how the process works is presented. The implications of these findings for sex educators and policy makers is considered. (authors)
Control-relevant demand modeling for supply chain management

Abstract The development of control-oriented decision policies for inventory management in supply chains has received considerable interest in recent years, and demand modeling to supply forecasts for these policies is an important component of an effective solution to this problem. Drawing from the problem of control-relevant identification, we present an approach for demand modeling based on data that relies on a control-relevant prefilter to tailor the emphasis of the fit to the intended purpose of the model, which is to provide forecast signals to a tactical inventory management policy based on Model Predictive Control. Integrating the demand modeling and inventory control problems offers the opportunity to obtain reduced-order models that exhibit superior performance, with potentially lower user effort relative to traditional “open-loop„ methods. A systematic approach to generating these prefilters is presented and the benefits resulting from their use are demonstrated on a representative production/inventory system case study.
Balanced Manifolds and Pseudomanifolds

A simplicial (d − 1)-dimensional complex K is called balanced if the graph of K (i. e., the 1-dimensional skeleton) is d-colorable. Here we discuss some recent results as well as several open questions on face numbers of balanced manifolds and pseudomanifolds; we also present constructions of balanced manifolds (with and without boundary) with few vertices. This work is joint with Steve Klee.
Tenets of Soil and Landscape Restoration

Abstract The global issues facing the 21st century (e.g., food security, climate change, biodiversity, water quality, tropical deforestation, and poverty) can be addressed through soil and landscape restoration, which are essential for humans to live in symbiotic harmony with nature. Soil and landscape restoration are essential to strengthening ecosystem functions and services. The basic principles of landscape restoration include controlling soil erosion, reducing losses of water and nutrients, sequestering carbon, strengthening biogeochemical cycles, managing soil pH and salt balance, enhancing biocomplexity, and creating disease-suppressive soil. The technologies for landscape restoration must include implementation of soil restoration at the landscape level, harmonization of ecological effects with current and future population and social changes, and utilization of traditional knowledge. Establishing vegetation cover, managing water judiciously, recycling plant nutrients, and creating balanced plant nutrition are important to landscape restoration. Long-term planning is essential to the sustainable use of finite resources and provisioning of basic ecosystem services. Soil organic carbon concentration and quality are important to landscape restoration and ecosystem functions. Enhancing organic carbon concentration in the soil to above the threshold/critical level of 1.1%–2% in the root zone is needed to improve soil quality. This chapter considers the importance of the soil organic carbon pool to soil quality and outlines principles and strategies of soil and landscape restoration.
CHAPTER 178 – Synaptic NMDA-Receptor Signaling Complex

This chapter discusses the structure and function of the signaling complex assembled in the cytosol around the NMDA receptor. Glutamate is the neurotransmitter released from presynaptic terminals at most excitatory synapses in the central nervous system. It binds to two major classes of postsynaptic ligand-gated ion channels called AMPA (ɑ-amino-3-hydroxy-5- methylisoxazole 4-propionic acid)-type glutamate receptors and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate)-type glutamate receptors (further abbreviated NMDA receptor). Each of these receptors can trigger influx of ions across the membrane to produce an excitatory postsynaptic potential, but the NMDA receptor is also linked to a complex signaling pathway that produces biochemical changes in the postsynaptic neuron. The linkage is both physical, through direct interactions with cytosolic signaling molecules and scaffolds, and metabolic, through influx of Ca 2+ ion through its ion channel. The NMDA receptor is specialized to initiate and control changes in synaptic strength, based on the firing patterns of the synapse.