cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A practical method to estimate interconnect responses to variabilities

Variabilities in metal interconnect structures can affect circuit timing performance or even cause function failure in VLSI designs. This paper proposes a method to estimate the difference between the nominal and perturbed circuit waveforms by calculating the moments in frequency-domain via efficient iterative method. The algorithm can be used to accurately reproduce the differential waveforms, or to provide efficient early estimates on the timing impact of the variabilities for RC networks.
Evaluating the Sensitivity of Attic Radiant Barrier Performance to Climate Parameters

By employing a calibrated and tested computer model, simulations of ceiling heat transfer in typical residential attics located in 12 locations across the United States were obtained to study the sensitivity of attic radiant barrier performance to local climate parameters. For each location, the net ceiling heat flux over the summer cooling season was computed for an attic with and for an attic without an installed radiant barrier. The net reduction of heat flux induced by the radiant barrier was computed and then related to climate variables. Among the local environmental parameters, the local ambient air temperature, local ambient humidity, and latitude had significant effects on the performance of radiant barriers. It was concluded that the installation of radiant barriers would be most beneficial in regions with high outdoor air temperatures and high relative humidity.
Postpartum cardiomyopathy complicated with upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

A 33-year-old white primigravida presented to the emergency department, 11 days after an uneventful cesarean section, with a right arm swelling evolving acutely within the previous 10 h. She complained of a 10-day history of worsening dyspnea, fatigue, orthopnea, and persistent cough. Her medical history was remarkable for a surgical closure of a patent ductus arteriosus at 5 years of age and Hodgkin's disease for which she had received radiation therapy and an unknown course of chemotherapy 12 years before presentation. She was thought to be in complete remission. She was on no current medications. She had been receiving oral ritodrine hydrochloride from the 29th to the 34th week of pregnancy because of premature uterine contractions. On presentation, she was afebrile, with a heart rate of 98 bpm and blood pressure of 105/55 mm Hg. Examination showed bilateral basilar rales, elevated jugular venous pulse, hepatomegaly, and peripheral edema. Duplex ultrasonography revealed an acute thrombosis of the right axillary, subclavian, and internal jugular veins (Fig. 1, panels A and B). Contrast-enhanced CT showed a filling defect in the right lower lobe pulmonary artery consistent with a pulmonary embolus and bilateral pleural effusion (Fig. 1, panel C). Echocardiography revealed a diffusely hypokinetic left ventricle with an ejection
Users' seeking behavior and multilingual image tags

Sharing and tagging images is an activity that is very popular among web users. This has lead to the creation of Internet services such as Flickr that allow users to post their own pictures and tag them with the purpose of sharing them with friends and displaying their work in a public forum. This poster presents the results of a study conducted in the framework of the Interactive Image Retrieval (iCLEF) task, which is part of the Cross Language Evaluation Forum (CLEF). The main goal of the study is to identify the challenges that users face when they search for images annotated in languages other than English. Our results indicate that the users find the task to be very hard due to the difficulty of selecting terms that match those assigned by the creators of the images. The results also suggest that the increasingly popular tagging of images has limitations similar to those encountered with controlled vocabularies, specifically vocabulary mismatch among searchers and creators of content.
Effects of fine grain environmental variability on morphological plasticity

Virtually all studies investigating morphological plasticity have focused on how organisms change in response to treatments that are constant throughout the experiment but which have different means. In this study, we investigated the possibility that organisms can morphologically respond to other environmental parameters like the amount of environmental variability or environmental maximum. Sea urchin larvae adjust the length of their feeding structure, a band of cilia, in response to different mean food concentrations. We investigated whether sea urchin larvae are also capable of responding to environmental variability or maxima by rearing larvae on four fluctuating diets, where all treatments had the same mean concentration of food. Larvae reared on a low variable diet produced longer larval arms (i.e. a longer ciliary band) than larvae reared on more variable diets. This response is similar to the morphological change that occurs when the mean food concentration is reduced (small mean = long arms), and indicates that organisms can morphologically respond to environmental parameters other than the environmental mean – such as the amount of environmental variability or the environmental maxima. We also quantified the shape of the relationship between larval arm length and fixed food concentrations to determine whether our results might be explained by nonlinearity in this relationship (i.e. Jensen's inequality). The shape of the relationship was inconsistent with a Jensen's inequality explanation. In addition, sea urchin larvae were unable to track fluctuations in food concentrations. This inability to track our imposed environmental fluctuations indicates that there was a time delay greater than 2 days in the response of larvae to changes in food concentrations. Since plutei likely experience fluctuations in food concentrations at least once a day, it is possible that larvae cannot track natural fluctuations in food concentration. We discuss the importance of our results in light of adaptive interpretations of plasticity and predictions of morphological response.
Identification of Acoustically Modified Mandarin Tones by Non-Native Listeners.

This study investigated identification of fragmented Mandarin tones by non-native listeners. Monosyllabic Mandarin words were digitally processed to generate intact, silent-center, center-only, and onset-only syllables. The syllables were recorded with two carrier phrases such that the offset of the carrier tone and the onset of the target tone were either continuous or discontinuous in fundamental frequency (F0). The syllables were presented with an original carrier phrase, excised from the carrier phrase, or excised and cross-spliced with another carrier phrase. Response accuracy and reaction time were measured, and tone confusion patterns were analyzed. Overall, tone identification varied as a function of modification and tone. Intact and center-only syllables were identified more accurately than silent-center and onset-only syllables. Tone 2 was consistently the most challenging tone to identify. Although the performance level of the third-year students approached that of native listeners reported in Lee, Tao, and Bond (2008), the non-native listeners did not show evidence of using coarticulatory information. Nonetheless, the continuity or discontinuity in F0 between the carrier and target tones did affect tone identification, suggesting the influence of context in non-native tone identification.
Asymmetric common-value auctions with applications to private-value auctions with resale

We study a model of common-value auctions with two bidders in which bidders’ private information are independently and asymmetrically distributed. We present sufficient and necessary conditions, respectively, under which the expected revenues from first-price and second-price auctions can be ranked. Using these conditions and a bid-equivalence between common-value auctions and private-value auctions with resale, we extend the revenue-ranking result of Hafalir and Krishna [Am Econ Rev 98, 2008a] and provide necessary conditions for their ranking to hold. In addition, we provide sufficient and necessary conditions for the opposite ranking of revenues, respectively. Our analysis helps clarify the roles of two forms of regularity assumptions (buyer-regularity and seller-regularity) in ranking revenues and illustrates how revenue ranking is linked to submodularity and supermodularity of the common-value function and to a single-crossing property of a function derived from the monopoly or monopsony pricing function in the resale stage.
ACTA: a comprehensive transaction framework for extended transactions

Summary form only given. Although powerful, the transaction model adopted in traditional database systems is found lacking in functionality and performance when used for new applications, such as CAD/CAM, and design environments. Various extensions to traditional transaction model have been proposed to address these drawbacks. In order to analyze these ad hoc extensions and in search for a good implementation support for the new applications, the authors have developed a comprehensive transaction framework, called ACTA. ACTA characterizes the semantics of interactions in terms of different types of dependences between transactions and in terms of transactions' effects on objects. >
Scattering of Light by Composite Particles in a Planetary Surface

Abstract It has been proposed that composite particles containing internal scatterers may provide the explanation for the fact that most photometric studies of planetary surfaces based on Hapke's model of bidirectional reflectance have found the planetary particles to exhibit moderately backscattering phase functions. However, an implicit assumption made in this explanation is that the scattering by composite particles containing multiple internal inclusions in a planetary surface can still be adequately computed using standard radiative transfer theory assuming the composite particles to be the fundamental individual scatterers even though such particles are necessarily in close proximity to each other. In this paper, this assumption is explored by examining the effects of close packing on the light scattering by spherical particles containing isotropic internal scatterers using a Monte Carlo routine. As expected, classical radiative transfer (assuming a random distribution of scattering particles) coupled with the assumption that the composite particle is the fundamental scatterer provides a good approximation in the high porosity limit. However, even for porosities as high as 90% the effects of close packing are clearly seen with the radiative transfer calculation underestimating the scattering by ∼10% at high incidence, emission, and phase angles. As the porosity is lowered further, the discrepancy becomes more severe and can reach 50% or more. In contrast, assuming the individual scatterer properties in the radiative transfer calculation leads to a substantial overestimate of the scattering even for porosities as low as 27.5%. This suggests that parameters derived using the classical radiative transfer theory will yield results intermediate between those of the composite as a whole and those of the internal scatterers. Thus, one should exercise caution in interpreting the results of models based on classical radiative transfer theory in terms of the physical properties of the surface particles and, where possible, the bidirectional reflectance of densely packed composite particles should be computed using more accurate methods such as the stochastic radiative transfer theory.
Predation risk of whole-clutch filial cannibalism in a tropical skink with maternal care

Filial cannibalism, the process of eating one’s own offspring, is relatively common in some animal species and has been particularly well studied in fishes. However, whole-clutch filial cannibalism committed by terrestrial vertebrate parents has rarely been reported. In this study, I describe the existence of whole-clutch filial cannibalism in the long-tailed skink, Mabuya longicaudata, on Orchid Island, Taiwan. When skinks encountered intruders against which they could defend themselves, such as the egg-eating snake, Oligodon formosanus, and the agamid, Japalura swinhonis, most M. longicaudata females would either attack (O. formosanus) or ignore (J. swinhonis) the predator, but when the frequency of intrusions by the intruder, O. formosanus, increased, whole-clutch filial cannibalism occurred. When females feel threatened by O. formosanus, the best choice (especially for gravid females) may be to eat their entire clutch of eggs. This behavior has evolved in this skink, thus providing a rare case of whole-clutch cannibalism by a mother reptile. Two existing hypotheses (decreasing brood size and brood age) to explain wholeclutch filial cannibalism suggest that cannibalistic parents may eat the entire clutch when the costs of caring outweigh the expected benefits. In the current study, my results suggest that whole-clutch filial cannibalism is primarily induced by the presence of predators. Thus, I suggest a hypothesis of predation risk of whole-clutch filial cannibalism, in which filial cannibalism by M. longicaudata increases as the predation risk to its offspring increases. Key words: eggs cannibalized by a skink, Mabuya longicaudata, pregnancy, snake-induced behavior. [Behav Ecol]
A compact passive broadband hexagonal spiral antenna array

This paper presents research exploring design techniques for a single compact antenna for the efficient reception of arbitrary RF signals across the 30-300 MHz VHP spectrum, i.e. a large bandwidth in a low frequency band.
Updated Guidelines for Cervical Cancer Screening

Abstract Cervical screening for human papillomavirus (HPV) has contributed substantially to the reduction in incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. Screening recommendations proposed by several societies and private organizations have been published and are periodically revised when new evidence suggests that a change may be needed. Previous established guidelines showed considerable variation prior to release of the most recent, 2012 revisions. There are now joint recommendations that say, for average-risk, asymptomatic women with a cervix, HPV screening should begin at age 21, using cytology every 3 years for women aged 21 to 65. An option of extending the screening interval to every 5 years using HPV co-testing for women aged 30 to 65 is preferred by some professional societies. Screening can be stopped at age 65 if there has been adequate prior screening with normal results. Comparison with international guidelines reveals some differences that are largely related to the infrastructure of health care delivery systems. The optimal application of HPV testing and the ideal testing schedule for vaccinated women are still undergoing development.
Panic and Culture: Hysterike Pnix in the Ancient Greek World

Starting perhaps in the second century BCE, and with Hippocratic precedent, ancient medical writers described a condition they called hysterike pnix or "uterine suffocation." This paper argues that uterine suffocation was, in modern terms, a functional somatic syndrome characterized by chronic anxiety and panic attacks. Transcultural psychiatrists have identified and described a number of similar panic-type syndromes in modern populations, and a plausible theory of how they work has been advanced. These insights, applied to the ancient disease of hysterike pnix, demystify the condition and illuminate the experience of the women who suffered from it.
New Strategy for the Preparation of NO-Treated Red Blood Cells as a Blood Substitute

Our previous studies on the α-nitrosyl derivative of human adult hemoglobin (HbA), tetrameric Hb in which only the two α-subunits are ligated with nitric oxide (NO) [Yonetani et al., (1998) J Biol Chem 273: 20323], have shown that the α-nitrosyl HbA is a cooperative, low-affinity oxygen carrier. We have developed a simple method to convert all the intra-human red blood cells (RBCs) to a 50% saturation of hemes with NO exclusively bound to the α-subunits. Oxygen equilibrium measurements showed that the α-NO RBCs also exhibit reduced oxygen affinity (increased P50) and diminished Bohr effect (i.e., the pH dependence of P50). Despite the fact that its oxygen-carrying capacity is reduced by 50%, since two α-subunits are already ligated with NO, and only two β-subunits are capable of oxygen binding, α-NO RBCs can efficiently deliver oxygen to tissues under normal physiological conditions, making this material an excellent candidate for blood transfusion. Crucial steps in our protocol for the preparation of α-NO Hb-containing RBCs were revised and technical adjustments were made in order to improve the quality and integrity of RBCs during and after treatment, while avoiding the use of potentially noxious chemicals that could entail harmful effects. We were also able to reduce the preparation time. All of which will make viable an increased production volume of quality NO-treated RBCs for practical use.
The Lehmann Model with Time-dependent Covariates

Consider the Lehmann model with time-dependent covariates, which is different from Cox’s model. We find out that (1) the parameter space for β under the Lehmann model is restricted, and the maximum point of the parametric likelihood for β may lie outside the parameter space; (2) for some particular time-dependent covariate, under the standard generalized likelihood the semiparametric maximum likelihood estimator (SMLE) is inconsistent and we propose a modified generalized likelihood which leads to the consistent SMLE.
A 70+GHz BW package for multigigabit IC applications

We have developed a ultra-wideband package technology for multiport ultra-high speed integrated circuit (IC) module applications. The cost-effective, compact, easy-to-assemble package can house any substrate-IC assembly that can be replaced without damaging the mm-wave connectors. A multi-layer substrate processing approach has been developed to achieve low-insertion loss and high-isolation signal lines as well as good thermal management. Careful design of this package suppresses cavity resonances and demonstrates an operating bandwidth of 70+GHz. DC-60+ performance has been demonstrated for a static frequency divider module using this packaging technology.
TEACHING PERSONNEL IN THE INDIAN SCHOOLS OF CHIAPAS

S-taffing is a major educational problem in all countries where mass primary schooling is being introduced for the first time. Complicating factors include the availability of teaching personnel, their prior schooling, living conditions in remot6 schools, and the ability of new teachers to get along with the communities in which they find themselves. Staffing problems are further complicated when students differ ethnically and linguistically from their teachers.
Classification and feature selection for craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis is the premature fusion of the bones of the calvaria resulting in abnormal skull shapes that can be associated with increased intracranial pressure. The goal of this work is to analyze the various 3D skull shapes that manifest in isolated single suture craniosynostosis. A logistic regression is used to identify different types of synostosis and quantify the differences. Due to the high-dimensionality of the feature data, a sophisticated feature selection technique is required to avoid overfitting and to improve the classification accuracy on the unseen data. In addition, feature selection allows the identification of surface areas that contribute to the major skull deformations that characterize isolated synostosis. We applied three sparse feature selection methods: L1 regularization (lasso [9]), fused lasso ([10]) and a novel regularization method we have developed called the clustering lasso (cLasso). L1 regularized logistic regression locates important surface points, and the fused lasso groups these points into regions. The cLasso was designed to assign similar weights to groups of correlated shape features. Experimental results indicated that the regularized logistic regression models achieve a significantly lower misclassification rate than unregularized logistic regression.
Performance of magnetic resonance elastography in primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Background and Aim: Liver stiffness (LS) measured by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is emerging as an important biomarker in chronic liver diseases. We examined the diagnostic performance of MRE, factors associated with an increased LS and the prognostic value of LS as measured by MRE among patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 266 patients with PSC to examine whether LS was associated with the primary endpoint of hepatic decompensation (ascites, variceal hemorrhage and hepatic encephalopathy). The ability of MRE to differentiate stages of fibrosis was examined in a subset of patients who underwent a liver biopsy (n = 20). Results: An LS of 4.93 kPa was the optimal point to detected F4 fibrosis (sensitivity, 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.40–1.00; specificity, 0.94; 95%CI, 0.68–1.00). While a serum alkaline phosphatase 6.0 kPa (respectively). Conclusion: Magnetic resonance elastography is able to detect cirrhosis with high specificity and an alkaline phosphatase <1.5 times the upper limit of normal makes the presence of advanced LS unlikely. Moreover, LS obtained by MRE is predictive of hepatic decompensation in PSC.
Androgen–glucocorticoid interactions in the era of novel prostate cancer therapy

Great strides have been made in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with the development of new antiandrogens (enzalutamide) and more potent androgen synthesis inhibitors (abiraterone) that have both improved patient outcomes. These new drugs have also helped unravel the complex biology of androgen-androgen receptor driven prostate cancer and brought into prominence various mechanisms triggering the development of drug resistance and tumour cell survival despite use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The complex role of glucocorticoids in the treatment, management and progression of patients with CRPC is integral to these advances. Historically, glucocorticoid treatment has resulted in both subjective and objective responses in patients with advanced-stage prostate cancer. With the use of these new therapeutic agents, however, unexpected glucocorticoid-related mechanisms that can cause iatrogenic stimulation of prostate cancer growth have emerged, which might contribute to drug resistance and disease progression despite optimal ADT. For example, the upregulation of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) during enzalutamide therapy results in glucocorticoid-GR-mediated regulation of androgen target genes, leading to escape from enzalutamide blockade. Thus, understanding the biological role of glucocorticoids in patients with prostate cancer is of major importance in the era of new and evolving antiandrogen therapies.
Multilevel Hypergraph Partitioning

Hypergraph partitioning is an important problem with extensive application to many areas, including VLSI design [Alpert and Kahng, 1995], efficient storage of large databases on disks [Shekhar and Liu, 1996], and data mining [Mobasher et al., 1996; Karypis et al., 1999b] . The problem is to partition the vertices of a hypergraph into k equal-size parts, such that the number of hyperedges connecting vertices in different parts is minimized.
States' Lawsuit Against Executive Action More Politics than Substance

25 states, led by Texas, have sued to enjoin Department of Homeland Security officials from adhering to President Obama's directive that (1) the parents of U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents who have lived here five years without serious incident and (2) expanding upon a 2012 directive, immigrants who came here as children and have already lived here several years without serious incident, be granted deferred action status. The case is political grandstanding. President Obama did not act improperly, much less unconstitutionally, because Congress has expressly conferred on the executive the authority to "establish policies and priorities" with respect to removal actions, and, in any event, has acquiesced in the decisions by numerous Presidents to grant deferred action status to various groups.
Snag dynamics in northern hardwood forests under different management scenarios

Abstract Snag retention is increasingly being incorporated into forest management guidelines. Questions remain, however, in northern hardwood systems regarding factors affecting retention in actively managed stands, the effectiveness of snag creation, and the net effects of snag creation and timber harvesting on snag numbers and sizes. To address some of these questions, we examined the dynamics of natural and created snags within mature, even-aged northern hardwood forests under seven different management scenarios: three Harvest Only treatments, three Harvest Plus (created) Snags treatments, and one untreated Control. We found tree diameter, tree species, and stand treatment status (i.e., managed or Control) to be related to the retention of natural snags, created snags, or both. Snags were less likely to remain standing if they had smaller diameters, were species with relatively rapid decay rates, or were found in stands that had been logged. We found girdling trees to be an effective method of dead wood creation, although trees took longer to die than we expected. At least 84% of girdled trees had died in most stands within 4.5 years of girdling, and 30–77% of girdled trees were still standing 5.5 years after treatment. Comparison of net effects of snag creation and timber harvesting among treatments showed that managed stands, on average, experienced net snag losses compared to untreated Controls. These losses were statistically significant for all snag sizes, but not for large snags alone (i.e., dbh ⩾25.4 cm). Active management prescriptions that included snag creation demonstrated the potential to mitigate snag losses, with the extent of mitigation varying with the type of management. Surprisingly, mitigation was primarily driven by significantly greater natural snag recruitment in Plus Snags treatments, potentially due to competition from girdled trees that had not yet died. Our results may help inform the development of snag management guidelines in even-aged, second-growth northern hardwood systems for forest managers who are interested in enhancing the structural complexity of these forests.
Delightful and informative contribution to Luthuli Studies In the Shadow of Chief Albert Luthuli : Reflections of Goolam Suleman, L. Naidoo : book review

That Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli (1898-1967) is increasingly one of the most frequently invoked South African political leaders speaks both to current perceptions of leadership crisis, and to a burgeoning reclamation of the past seen most prominently in memoirs but also in new histories of peoples and places once ignored. The intersection between local and national, and memoir and history can be a fertile one for understanding the past in depth and texture.
Post-quit stress mediates the relation between social support and smoking cessation among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults

Abstract Objective Social support interventions have demonstrated limited effectiveness for preventing smoking relapse. The stress-buffering hypothesis may be a useful framework by which to understand social support in smoking cessation interventions. The current study evaluated the interrelations among social support, stress, and smoking cessation in both moderation and mediation models. Methods Participants ( N = 139) were enrolled in a smoking cessation study at the safety-net hospital in Dallas, Texas. During the week prior to a scheduled quit attempt, general social support was measured using the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) questionnaire and smoking-specific social support was measured via repeated smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments (EMA). Post-quit stress was repeatedly assessed via smartphone. Logistic regression analyses evaluated potential interaction effects of pre-quit social support and post-quit stress on the likelihood of achieving biochemically-verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence at 4 weeks post-quit. Mediation models were evaluated to determine if post-quit stress mediated the association between pre-quit social support and smoking cessation. Results Participants were predominantly Black (63.3%) and female (57.6%); and 55% reported an annual household income of Conclusions Findings indicated that social support impacts smoking cessation through its influence on post-quit stress among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults participating in cessation treatment. Increasing social support for the specific purpose of reducing stress during a quit attempt may improve smoking cessation rates in disadvantaged populations.
Investigation of the Local Environment of Hydrophobic End Groups on Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Brushes Using Fluorometry: Relationship to Click Chemistry Conjugation Reactions on PEG-Protected Nanoparticles

Targeted nanoparticles often require conjugating targeting ligands to polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains of a nanoparticle’s dense protecting corona. “Click” chemistries are commonly employed for their bioorthogonality, with strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloadditions (SPAAC) increasingly chosen to avoid cytotoxic copper catalysts. However, conjugation becomes compromised if reactive PEG chain ends cannot encounter their reaction counterparts. We use fluorescence to probe the location of Nile Red, methylpyrene, and butylpyrene, dyes with comparable hydrophobicities to SPAAC alkynes (logP = 3.2–5.7), tethered to PEG chains on 100 nm NPs. Using fluorescence peak shifts, we find that Nile Red resides 43% of the time in the 5k PEG corona and 57% at the more hydrophobic nanoparticle core. Increasing the PEG MW to 67k doubles the corona dye fraction to 86% (14% core). More hydrophobic methylpyrene and butylpyrene, monitored with I1/I3 ratios, reside 1% in the corona (99% core). These results explain difficulties ...
In Vivo Biosynthesis of a β-Amino Acid-Containing Protein

It has recently been reported that ribosomes from erythromycin-resistant Escherichia coli strains, when isolated in S30 extracts and incubated with chemically mis-acylated tRNA, can incorporate certain β-amino acids into full length DHFR in vitro. Here we report that wild-type E. coli EF-Tu and phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase collaborate with these mutant ribosomes and others to incorporate β3-Phe analogs into full length DHFR in vivo. E. coli harboring the most active mutant ribosomes are robust, with a doubling time only 14% longer than wild-type. These results reveal the unexpected tolerance of E. coli and its translation machinery to the β3-amino acid backbone and should embolden in vivo selections for orthogonal translational machinery components that incorporate diverse β-amino acids into proteins and peptides. E. coli harboring mutant ribosomes may possess the capacity to incorporate many non-natural, non-α-amino acids into proteins and other sequence-programmed polymeric materials.
Pathology of renal artery disease.

The pathologic features of 97 diseased renal arteries are presented with emphasis on morphologic, biologic and prognostic differences. Atherosclerosis is the most common lesion; it primarily involves the renal arterial orifices of men. The fibrous stenosing lesions include intimal fibroplasia, medial fibroplasia with microaneurysms, subadventitial fibroplasia, and fibromuscular hyperplasia; each has a characteristic morphologic appearance.
23—THE MECHANICS OF TWISTED YARNS : FURTHER STUDIES OF THE TENSILE PROPERTIES OF CONTINUOUS-FILAMENT YARNS

This paper reports continued studies of the tensile properties of twisted continuous-filament viscose rayon, Tenasco, acetate, nylon and Terylene yarns, with particular reference to the influence of twisting tension, the differences between ring-twisted and uptwisted yarns, values of the work of rupture and the yarn contraction due to twisting, the change of yarn diameter during extension, the measurement of properties of filaments extracted from the yarns, and a study of glued and unglued model yarns.
Algebraic Descriptions of Rijndael

This paper gives algebraic descriptions of Rijndael Advanced Encryption Standard(AES).It provides first the algebraic descriptions of the two important steps, which are S-boxes and key Schedule,for only one round in the most popular AES-128,then work out the equations for one-round with the results.Logically induct multiple round from single ones,promote it to AES-192 and AES-256 with discussing the possibility,and at last,states simply the realization of these algebraic descriptions with computers.
Does hyperglycemia in hypernatremic preterm infants increase the risk of intraventricular hemorrhage

Does hyperglycemia in hypernatremic preterm infants increase the risk of intraventricular hemorrhage?
Effect of molecular modification on the inhibition of lymphocyte blastogenesis by cardiac glycosides.

Cardiac glycosides are potent inhibitors of cell division. They may be useful as antitumor agents if the antimitotic effect can be dissociated from their cardiotoxic effect. We studied congeners of cardiac glycosides to determine whether the saccharide or the genin portion of the molecule contributes to its antimitotic effect. The concentration of glycoside required to inhibit PHA-stimulated 3 H-thymidine incorporation into DNA at 72 hr in human lymphocytes was studied. The inhibiting concentration varied by over tenfold if either the genin or the saccharide portion of the molecule was altered. Therefore either the genin or the saccharide influences independently the antimitotic effect of the glycosides. The relative inhibitory dose of specific genins or glycosides on lymphocyte blastogenesis was similar to the relative arrhythmogenic effects. Therefore development of congeners with antimitotic action but without arrhythmogenicity may be difficult. The arrhythmogenic effect of cardiac glycosides has been shown to be related to their ability to inhibit the plasma membrane Na-K ATPase of myocardial cells. The antimitotic effects parallel closely the arrhythmogenicity of individual glycosides. This relationship provides added evidence to support the concept that the antimitotic effect of glycosides is related to inhibition of Na-K ATPase. Moreover, these findings support the critical role of the transport ATPase in cell division.
Effect of atmosphere on aging of electrical insulation

Earlier studies of the intrinsic dielectric properties of thermosetting polymers revealed that each material exhibits a characteristic temperature (t max ) above which the dissipation factor and conductance increase rapidly.1 It has been suggested that this characteristic temperature is related to a first-order transition of the polymer. 2 In addition, it has been demonstrated that insulating materials, held at temperatures above t max , undergo aging, as shown by irreversible changes in dielectric properties.3 The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of various atmospheres on electrical-aging characteristics and, hopefully, to gain insight on the mechanisms of insulation-aging processes.
Imaging of Pelvic Floor Reconstruction

Stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse are 2 common pelvic floor disorders that are important causes of pelvic pain and disability. Mesh and sling placement are some of the surgical treatment options available for treatment of these conditions. In addition to clinical assessment, imaging plays an important role in managing postoperative patients with complications such as recurrent organ prolapse and chronic pain. Role of high-resolution pelvic magnetic resonance imaging with additional advanced imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance neurography that are invaluable in managing such patients, are discussed in this article.
Cost in Output Markets

Cost is an economically relevant summary of a firm’s production possibilities. Marginal, avoidable, average, and average avoidable cost provide particularly useful economic information about how firms’ production possibilities interact with revenue opportunities to generate market price, quantity, profit, and welfare outcomes. The connection between returns to scale and monotone average cost is explored, and the elasticity of scale is defined as a local measure of returns to scale. Subadditive cost is defined as the relevant concept for determining when productive efficiency is achieved by one firm. Elasticity of substitution is defined and related to cost and profit. The envelope relationship between short- and long-run cost makes their marginal costs equal and short-run marginal cost steeper at a long-run optimal input plan. Price-taking behavior regarding output quantities leads to marginal cost as the supply relationship for prices at or above average avoidable cost.
Prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas in women. VI. Absence of demonstrable adenomas in patients with altered menstrual function and abnormal sellar polytomography.

Abstract The clinical and laboratory findings in 115 women with altered menstrual function and abnormal polytomograms were reviewed. All women were treated by transsphenoidal exploration for suspected pituitary adenomas. Adenomas were found in 92 women. Eight patients had cystic lesions which may have represented degenerating tumors. Fifteen women had negative explorations because neither visual nor pathologic evidence of a tumor was found at operation. The incidence of amenorrhea was similar in both the women with documented tumors (87 of 92, 94%) and those with negative explorations (14 of 15, 93%). The incidence of galactorrhea, however, was higher in the women with tumors (85 of 92, 92%) compared to those without tumors (11 of 15, 73%). In addition, all women with tumors had elevated serum prolactin levels (range: 29 to 2,800 ng/ml; median: 130 ng/ml). Of the women with negative explorations, only five of 15 (33%) had elevated prolactin levels (range of elevation: 48 to 143 ng/ml). All patients in this series had abnormal sellar architecture by polytomography prior to operation. All patients in the negative exploration group had central abnormalities of sellar size and shape marked by generalized enlargement without asymmetry. In contrast, x-ray abnormalities in the tumor group were predominantly lateral (87%) with clearly demonstrable asymmetry. In the women with negative explorations, one had primary hypothyroidism, three had hypergonadotropinemia secondary to either premature ovarian failure or surgical oophorectomy, four had partially empty sellae, and two had severe headaches. Based on the findings in this series, the following guidelines for the evaluation of patients with suspected pituitary tumors are suggested: (1) The baseline prolactin level is still the most reliable indicator of a prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma, although not all patients with hyperprolactinemia have pituitary tumors; (2) hypocycloidal polytomography, at present, is probably the most practical and effective method to assess the sella turcica because central abnormalities of the sella, in contrast to those which show asymmetry, must be scrutinized very carefully prior to surgical exploration; (3) primary thyroid or ovarian failure may be associated with enlargement of the sella without a demonstrable tumor.
Microstructural crimp of the lamina cribrosa and peripapillary sclera collagen fibers

Purpose Although collagen microstructural crimp is a major determinant of ocular biomechanics, no direct measurements of optic nerve head (ONH) crimp have been reported. Our goal was to characterize the crimp period of the lamina cribrosa (LC) and peripapillary sclera (PPS) at low and normal IOPs. Methods ONHs from 11 sheep eyes were fixed at 10-, 5-, or 0-mm Hg IOP and crimp periods measured manually from coronal cryosections imaged with polarized light microscopy (PLM). Using linear mixed-effect models, we characterized the LC and PPS periods, and how they varied with distance from the scleral canal edge. Results A total of 17,374 manual collagen crimp period measurements were obtained with high repeatability (1.9 μm) and reproducibility (4.7 μm). The periods were smaller (P 0.1). PPS period increased with the square root of the distance to the canal (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Small, uniform crimp periods within the sheep LC and immediately adjacent PPS may indicate that these tissues are setup to prevent large or heterogeneous deformations that insult the neural tissues within the canal. An increasing more variable period with distance from the canal provides a smooth transition of mechanical properties that minimizes stress and strain concentrations.
Evaluation of evidence-based nursing education of hospital acquired pressure injury prevention in clinical practice: An integrative review

Background and objective: There are 2.5 million Americans affected by hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) annually. The objective of this study was to review and synthesize the evidence on competency-based education of interventions to prevent HAPIs and to improve the knowledge-base of nursing to guide quality and safety initiatives for patients. Methods: A total of 30 articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were reviewed, and the selected articles focused into three main areas: nurse knowledge and education, HAPI prevention improvement, and competency. These articles were examined to comprise a review on the studies that provided the most relevant synchronized data concerning pressure ulcers and competency-based education. Results: Two themes developed during the literature search and analysis of the selected articles. The first theme focused on nurse education programs for the prevention and identification of HAPI, and the second was the need for nurse knowledge and competency in the prevention of HAPI. Conclusions: Appraisal of the literature showed that various HAPI education programs have improved nurses’ knowledge and competency, and decreased HAPI occurrences. Future research should focus on identifying and reinforcing standardized professional competency-based education to create a culture of success, and ensure consistently high quality care and safe outcomes for patients.
Online Course Design for Translation into English

Online translator training can provide students the professional advantage of learning within the same environment they will eventually work. Yet this can only be accomplished if instructors narrow the potentially unwieldy possibilities of online course delivery to align closely with the content and contexts of professional language services. This chapter will outline how to prepare for and implement an online translation course and is especially directed to those who may be new to online learning or to formal translator training. Informed by the practice of backward course design, this chapter will start with methods for conducting a needs analysis, outline effective uses of the virtual platform, and close with a number of suggested technology-based translation activities.
To the means and beyond: Understanding variation in students’ perceptions of teacher emotional support

Abstract Student perceptions of the classroom environment are used as a policy-relevant marker of teacher quality. Yet the influences on students' perceptions are less well understood. We examined (a) whether individual-level factors (achievement goals, perceptions of their previous classroom, and teacher ratings of ability) were associated with students' perceptions of teacher emotional support, and (b) whether classroom observations of teacher unfairness/unfriendliness predicted systematic within-classroom variation in students' reports of emotional support. Multilevel analysis of 1303 students in 80 7th grade mathematics classrooms indicated that students' perceptions of their 6th grade teacher, mastery orientation, and the teacher's perceptions of ability predicted end-of-the-year perceptions of emotional support. Although the observed level of teacher unsupportiveness did not predict mean-level of emotional support, students' perceptions of their teachers were more variable in classrooms observed as higher in unfairness/unfriendliness. Investigating heteroskedasticity highlights the importance of using methods for understanding variability in students' perceptions of the classroom.
Synthesizing Coulombic superconductivity in van der Waals bilayers

The emerging field of van der Waals heterostructures promises the engineering of quantum ground states by combining materials with different properties. A special point of interest is the synthesis of new superconductors. Here, the authors explore the idea of combining very fast electrons with very slow ones, proposing a bilayer heterostructure consisting of monolayer graphene (fast) on top of a monolayer semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenide WSe${}_{2}$ (slow). This interesting two liquid model generates a slow plasmonic mode that acts somewhat like phonons in a crystal, which can mediate an attractive interaction to make graphene superconducting. This mechanism for superconductivity is found to be uniquely optimized in van der Waals heterostructures, and the transition temperature is estimated to be in the range of 0.1 Kelvin. If such a superconductor were realized in an experiment, it would be a special example in which attraction between electrons is clearly mediated by electrons.
Use of a capillary alginate gel (Capgel™) to study the three-dimensional development of sensory nerves reveals the formation of a rudimentary perineurium.

Abstract Background Peripheral neuropathies affect approximately 20 million people in the United States and often stem from other chronic conditions, such as diabetes. In vitro methodologies to facilitate the understanding and treatment of these disorders often lack the cellular and functional complexity required to accurately model peripheral neuropathies. In particular, they are often 2D and fail to faithfully reproduce the 3D in vivo microenvironment. New method Embryonic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants were inserted into laminin derivatized capillary alginate gel (Capgel™), a bioabsorbable, self-assembling biomaterial, possessing parallel microchannel architecture, and cultured to mimic normal nerve development, including Schwann cell myelination. Results Laminin derivatization of the microchannels improved nerve growth through the gel. Axon bundles containing myelinating Schwann cells migrated through the gel and were ensheathed by rudimentary perineurium up to 1 mm from the DRG explant site. Comparison with existing methods Other nerve models are two-dimensional in nature and/or fail to conserve the complicated architecture and cellular milieu observed in vivo. Our nerve model shows the simple culture technique of cells grown in 3D, which allows for a more advanced structural organization that more accurately mimics the in vivo nerve fascicle. Conclusions When embryonic DRG explants are cultured in this system, they show a striking resemblance to in vivo peripheral nerve fascicles, including myelinated axons and the formation of a rudimentary perineurium, suggesting that both neuronal and non-neuronal cells within the DRG explant are capable of recreating the 3D structure of a developing sensory fascicle within the microchannel architecture.