cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quasicrystals. II. Unit-cell configurations

In this (second) paper, quasicrystalline configurations of unit cells are analyzed for the cases of pentagonal and icosahedral orientational symmetry. We illustrate how two ideal quasicrystal structures with the same orientational symmetry and unit cells can be composed from very different local configurations of the cells and emphasize the mathematical and physical significance of subdividing the configurations into local isomorphism (LI) classes. We discuss various methods of constructing quasicrystal unit-cell configurations and techniques for determining the LI classes that the methods generate. Using these techniques, we derive a prescription for constructing the special LI class corresponding to the three-dimensional (3D) icosahedral analogue of the original Penrose tilings (configurations which can be generated by local matching and deflation rules). This prescription is then implemented and the resulting 3D packing is described in detail.
The waiting-time distribution and its moments of the PH/PH/1 queue

Performance characteristics for the stable PH/PH/1 queue are usually given in terms of the geometric generator matrix R. The waiting-time distribution, however, can be computed with a formalism that does not make use of this matrix. Instead, a coupling matrix, available at no computational cost, forms the basis for simple expressions from which the waiting-time (and idle-time) distributions and their moments can be efficiently computed.
Practical Aspects of Prestack Depth Migration With Finite Differences

Finite-difference, prestack, depth migrations offers significant improvements over Kirchhoff methods in imaging near or under salt structures. The authors have implemented a finite-difference prestack depth migration algorithm for use on massively parallel computers which is discussed. The image quality of the finite-difference scheme has been investigated and suggested improvements are discussed. In this presentation, the authors discuss an implicit finite difference migration code, called Salvo, that has been developed through an ACTI (Advanced Computational Technology Initiative) joint project. This code is designed to be efficient on a variety of massively parallel computers. It takes advantage of both frequency and spatial parallelism as well as the use of nodes dedicated to data input/output (I/O). Besides giving an overview of the finite-difference algorithm and some of the parallelism techniques used, migration results using both Kirchhoff and finite-difference migration will be presented and compared. The authors start out with a very simple Cartoon model where one can intuitively see the multiple travel paths and some of the potential problems that will be encountered with Kirchhoff migration. More complex synthetic models as well as results from actual seismic data from the Gulf of Mexico will be shown.
Hemodynamics and Gas Exchange During Angioscopy in the Dog

We have previously developed a technique for the in vivo visualization of the pulmonary arteries in the experimental animal with a fiberoptic instrument (angio scope). To assess the potential hemodynamic and gas exchange effects of angioscopy, we studied five dogs before and after pulmonary embolization. Sequential observations were made of arterial blood gases, mean arterial pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and the electrocardiogram. The most common arrhythmias were ventricular premature contractions which were comparable to those seen with right heart catheterization. Statistically significant, but clinically minor, effects were found on cardiac output, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate in dogs when angioscopy was performed after pulmonary embolization. We conclude that fiberoptic angioscopy does not induce deleterious effects on hemodynamics or gas exchange in the experimen tal animal, prior to or after embolization.
Glia and Neurodevelopment: Focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

During the last 20 years new and exciting roles for glial cells in brain development have been described. Moreover, several recent studies implicated glial cells in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders including Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Abnormalities in glial cell development and proliferation and increased glial cell apoptosis contribute to the adverse effects of ethanol on the developing brain and it is becoming apparent that the effects of fetal alcohol are due, at least in part, to effects on glial cells affecting their ability to modulate neuronal development and function. The three major classes of glial cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia as well as their precursors are affected by ethanol during brain development. Alterations in glial cell functions by ethanol dramatically affect neuronal development, survival, and function and ultimately impair the development of the proper brain architecture and connectivity. For instance, ethanol inhibits astrocyte-mediated neuritogenesis and oligodendrocyte development, survival and myelination; furthermore, ethanol induces microglia activation and oxidative stress leading to the exacerbation of ethanol-induced neuronal cell death. This review article describes the most significant recent findings pertaining the effects of ethanol on glial cells and their significance in the pathophysiology of FASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
20. Integrating Cannabis Into Clinical Care

Focus Areas: Integrative Approaches to Care, Mental Health, Alleviating Pain Cannabis is now available to patients as a medicine in 18 states and the District of Columbia. Unfortunately, due to the long-standing prohibition, most providers have little information regarding the medicinal use of this versatile botanical. The history of cannabis as medicine will be reviewed. This presentation will summarize the main components of the plant and their pharmacologic effects, highlighting the entourage effect of the cannabinoids working in concert with the plant's terpenoids and flavonoids. The system of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids will be reviewed with a focus on understanding how the phyocannabinoids exert their physiologic effects. The session will highlight results of recently conducted clinical trials investigating the utility of cannabis in painful neuropathic conditions as well as the potential synergistic analgesia that can be achieved through the interaction of cannabinoids and opioids. Attention will be turned to the use of cannabis for symptom management in patients with malignant diagnoses. In view of increasing anecdotes of cancer patients achieving “cures” through the use of heavily concentrated cannabis oil preparations, the body of preclinical evidence suggesting possible direct anti-tumor effects of cannabinoids will be discussed. Patients in states where cannabis is available frequently have a wide range of options in selecting strains (Sativa vs Indica), ratio of tetrahydrocannabinol to other cannabinoids (especially cannabidiol) and mode of delivery (smoking, vaporizing, baked products, tinctures, teas, juices, and oils). A brief overview of these options will be offered. Finally, optimal dosing schedules and safety issues will be discussed. It is anticipated that those attending the session will feel more confident and comfortable discussing medicinal cannabis with their patients at the conclusion of this session.
Transport of thyroxine across the blood-brain barrier is directed primarily from brain to blood in the mouse

The role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the transport of thyroxine was examined in mice. Radioiodinated ("hot") thyroxine (hT4) administered icv had a half-time disappearance from the brain of 30 min. This increased to 60 min (p less than 0.001) when administered with 211 pmole/mouse of unlabeled ("cold") thyroxine (cT4). The Km for this inhibition of hT4 transport out of the brain by cT4 was 9.66 pmole/brain. Unlabeled 3,3',5 triiodothyronine (cT3) was unable to inhibit transport of hT4 out of the brain, although both cT3 (p less than 0.05) and cT4 (p less than 0.05) did inhibit transport of radioiodinated 3,3',5 triiodothyronine (hT3) to a small degree. Entry of hT4 into the brain after peripheral administration was negligible and was not affected by either cT4 nor cT3. By contrast, the entry of hT3 into the brain after peripheral administration was inhibited by cT3 (p less than 0.001) and was increased by cT4 (p less than 0.01). The levels of the unlabeled thyroid hormones administered centrally in these studies did not affect bulk flow, as assessed by labeled red blood cells (99mTc-RBC), or the carrier-mediated transport of iodide out of the brain. Likewise, the vascular space of the brain and body, as assessed by 99mTc-RBC, was unchanged by the levels of peripherally administered unlabeled thyroid hormones. Therefore, the results of these studies are not due to generalized effects of thyroid hormones on BBB transport. The results indicate that in the mouse the major carrier-mediated system for thyroxine in the BBB transports thyroxine out of the brain, while the major system for triiodothyronine transports hormone into the brain.
Quantum fluctuation limit in foveal vision.

Abstract A unique test of the hypothesis that only quantum fluctuations limit the detectability of foveal luminance change is presented. 10.9′ dia target spots were incremented or decremented in luminance. ROC curves for detection of both luminance increments and decrements were measured and found to conform to theoretical curves predicted on the basis of Poisson distributions of photon arrival. Four different parameters of the ROC curves lead independently to estimates of quantum efficiency with values of about 2 × 10 −4 . The measured quantum efficiency increases by about a factor of 10, to as high as 0.018, when the target is reduced to 1.2′ dia. This is consistent with the view that lateral inhibition causes many of the photons caught from a large target to be ineffectual in the task of detecting the luminance change signal.
Dynamics of point defect formation, clustering and pit initiation on the pyrite surface

Abstract The collective behavior of point defects formed on the free surfaces of ionic crystals under redox conditions can lead to initiation of local breakdown by pitting. Here, we controllably generated sulfur vacancies on single crystal FeS2(100) through in vacuo annealing, and investigated the resulting evolution of surface chemistry using synchrotron x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). By measuring the S 2p photoemission signal intensity arising from sulfur defects as a function of temperature, the enthalpy of formation of sulfur vacancies was found to be 0.1 ± 0.03 eV, significantly lower than the reduction enthalpy of bulk FeS2. Above 200 °C, the created sulfur vacancies together with preexisting iron vacancies condensed into nm-scale defect clusters, or pits, at the surface, as evidenced by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). We provide a mechanistic description for the initiation of pits that requires the concerted behavior of both the sulfur and iron vacancies, and validate this model with kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations. The model probes realistic length and time scales, providing good agreement with the experimental results from XPS and STM measurements. Our results mechanistically and quantitatively describe the atomic scale processes occurring at pyrite surfaces under chemically reducing environments, important in many natural and technological settings, ranging from its role as a passivating film in corrosion to its potential use as a photovoltaic absorber in solar energy conversion.
Automatic extraction of abstract-object-state machines from unit-test executions

An automatic test-generation tool can produce a large number of test inputs to exercise the class under test. However, without specifications, developers cannot inspect the execution of each automatically generated test input practically. To address the problem, we have developed an automatic test abstraction tool, called Abstra, to extract high level object-state-transition information from unit-test executions, without requiring a priori specifications. Given a class and a set of its generated test inputs, our tool extracts object state machines (OSM): a state in an OSM represents an object state of the class and a transition in an OSM represents method calls of the class. When an object state in an OSM is concrete (being represented by the values of all fields reachable from the object), the size of the OSM could be too large to be useful for inspection. To address this issue, we have developed techniques in the tool to abstract object states based on returns of observer methods, branch coverage of methods, and individual object fields, respectively. The tool provides useful object-state-transition information for programmers to inspect unit-test executions effectively. In particular, the tool helps facilitate correctness inspection, program understanding, fault isolation, and test characterization.
Technetium Incorporation into C14 and C15 Laves Intermetallic Phases

Laves-type intermetallic phases have been observed to be the dominant phases in a series of alloy compositions being designed for the immobilization of technetium in a metallic waste form. The dominant metals in the alloy compositions were Fe-Mo and Fe-Mo-Zr. The alloy composition, Fe-Mo-Zr, also contained Pd, Zr, Cr, and Ni. Both non-radioactive rhenium-containing and radioactive technetium-bearing alloy compositions were investigated. In the Fe-Mo series, the phases observed were Fe2Mo (C14 Laves phase) and ferrite in agreement with predictions. Both Tc and Re resided predominantly in the Laves phases. In the Fe-Mo-Zr system, the phases included hexagonal C14 with the composition (Fe,Cr)2Mo, cubic C15 phase with a (Fe,Ni)2Zr composition, and the hcp phase Pd2Zr. The observation of these phases was in agreement with predictions. Re was found in the C14 intermetallic, (Fe,Cr)2Mo. Technetium was also observed to be partitioned preferentially into the (Fe,Cr)2Mo phase; however, this phase exhibited a cubic structure consistent with the C15 structural type. The composition of Laves phases is influenced by both the atomic size and electro-negativity of the constituent elements. The long-term release behavior of technetium under nuclear waste disposal conditions may be more dependent on the corrosion characteristics of these individual Laves phases containing Tc than the other metallic phases.
Electoral change and the floating voter: The reagan elections

This paper presents two perspectives on a fundamental issue of elections as mechanisms of democratic accountability. One is the interelection floating voter hypothesis, which implies that it is the least informed segment of the electorate that contributes most to electoral change. The second perspective is from V. O. Key's argument that vote switching is rooted in rational policy concerns. A direct test of Key's formulation of the problem on the Reagan election victories of 1980 and 1984 adds to the evidence supporting Key's perspective. The reasons why some voters hold firm to particular parties and candidates while others switch support is well explained by their different positions on matters of party, policies, and judgments of the candidates. Vote switching is not simply the by-product of an ill-informed segment of the electorate responding to its meager grasp of the short-term stimuli of a campaign. Vote switchers appear to judge the policies and the performance of an incumbent against their best estimates of these qualities in the competing candidate. The data are from the 1980 and 1984 CBS/New York Times exit polls.
Development of an environmentally friendly solventless process for electronic prepregs

The most common commercial processes for manufacturing prepregs for electronic applications use solvent-based resin systems. Solvents are not environmentally friendly and contribute to voids in prepregs and laminates. The resin impregnation process is performed in an open resin bath. This low-pressure impregnation is conducive to voids in prepregs. Voids cause product variability, which is a major source of scrap in board shops. To eliminate these drawbacks, a solventless process, based on the concept of injection pultrusion, has been developed. The impregnation is performed in a die under pressure to minimize voids. In previous work, chemorheological and kinetic measurements were used to identify a potential epoxy-based resin system. In addition, flow visualization with model fluids was used to establish the basic flow mechanism. Here we use the previous results to develop a mathematical model for the B-staging process. A prototype B-staging die has been built and used to verify the mathematical model. The results show that the model agrees well with the experimental data for low pulling speeds and slightly underpredicts the runs at high pulling speeds. The properties of the prepregs, the dielectric constant (DK) and dielectric loss (DF), have also been measured in this research. The measurements show that the solventless prepregs have acceptable DK and DF values according to the Institute for Printed Circuits FR-4 designation (a permittivity and tangent loss standard). A microscope has been used to observe the void contents of the prepregs. The solventless prepregs have been compared against standard FR-4 prepregs and shown qualitatively to have fewer voids. Based on the mathematical model, two potential process alternatives for the manufacture of solventless prepregs have been developed and analyzed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1136–1146, 2004
Experience with the copper 7 intrauterine device in an adolescent population

A retrospective study was conducted of 120 consecutive patients who received a Cu-7 IUD at the Cincinnati Adolescent Clinic during a four-year period from July, 1974, through June, 1978. Follow-up was obtained in 116 (97%) of the initial patient population. Mean age at initial Cu-7 insertion was 16.8 years; 81% of the patients were nulliparous. An experience of 149.7 woman years was accumulated; the pregnancy rate at the conclusion of the study was 2.0/100 woman years. Continuaation rate was 83% at six months, 70% at 12 months, 49% at 24 months, and 39% at 36 months. Patient explulsion rate was 18% overall, with a total of 17 expulsion events/100 woman years. Subjective satisfaction with the IUD as a contraceptive method was expressed by 72% of these patients. The Cu-7 has proven to be a safe, effective, well-tolerated contraceptive method in the adolescent female.
17β-Estradiol induces L-type Ca2+ channel activation and regulates redox function in macrophages

17 beta-estradiol induces rapid effects on cells of the immune system via plasma membrane surface receptor but the ways in which delayed signals involving intracellular receptors affect the same functions are not well understood. To study the delayed but sustained events in estradiol signaling, we have investigated macrophage Ca(2+) signaling, detected specific Ca(2+) ion channel activated and found a relationship between intracellular calcium [Ca(2+)](i) and macrophage release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) during delayed 17 beta-estradiol activity. We found evidence of additional effect of estradiol on capacitative entry of Ca(2+), Ca(2+) entry through L-type channel and a direct relationship between [Ca(2+)](i) and generation of ROS and NO. This study demonstrates that 17 beta-estradiol exhibits a delayed phase of Ca(2+) influx involving L-type channel and regulates macrophage immune redox function.
Capillary-assembled straight microfluidic devices

A lithography-free method to produce microfluidic channels for imaging applications is described. Silica microcapillaries, with either circular or square cross-sections, are embedded in the surface of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) base for imaging studies of flow and electrokinetics within a straight channel. Successful production of the devices relies on precisely timing the assembly process. This timing is identified by an in situ elasto-capillary thinning experiment on PDMS; a rheological study supports the use of these measurements. The assembled devices are characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and bright field microscopy.
Regeneration and screening of tomato somaclones for resistance to tobacco mosaic virus

Abstract Leaf discs of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill.) from a fully tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-susceptible (+/+) isogenic line, GCRI-26 (Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Littlehampton, U.K.), were used to regenerate somaclones (Sc). Out of 370 somaclones inoculated with TMV-Flavum, six wereeventually selected as virus-free and putatively resistant. R1 progeny from self-pollination of the six somaclones showed TMV-resistance for varying periods ranging from 28 to 55 days (extent of test) while seedlings of the source plant usually became infected in 10–20 days. In resistant plants, no symptoms were visible and TMV could not be detected either by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or by back inoculations to Nicotiana glutinosa.
Methionine enkephalin: a new cytokine--human studies

The effects of methionine enkephalin (met-enkephalin) on human immune function are reviewed. This pentapeptide functions to upregulate, or enhance, immune function in the majority of donor samples at low doses and suppresses at high doses. The influence of this molecule is shared by the central nervous, neuroendocrine, and immune systems. Cells from each of these systems possess receptors for met-enkephalin and have the ability to process met-enkephalin from its prohormone, proenkephalin A. Studies have shown that this molecule is capable of enhancing immune function in patients with cancer or AIDS. It is proposed that this molecule be classified as a cytokine.
Genre and Activism: Schools, Social Movements, and Genres as Discourse Conduits.

This article examines the literacy practices of three school-based student activist groups: a Gay-Straight Alliance, a high school chapter of Amnesty International, and a human rights club unaffiliated with Amnesty. Specifically, this article investigates how members of the different groups advanced their projects by repurposing school genres such as hallway bulletin boards and office memos. By articulating movement messages in school genres, it is argued, activists tightened their schools’ connections to social movements and circulated movement discourses through school space. After findings on each group are presented, the concept “genre as discourse conduit” is induced from the data and is used to reevaluate the nuances and implications of students’ efforts to articulate movement discourses in school genres. Equipped with this new concept, researchers may better analyze activist groups’ efforts to perform movement work in schools.
The Iberian-latin American Connection: Implications For U.s. Foreign Policy

This book is especially timely as latin America is diversifying its international connections, spain and portugal are seeking tio expand their interests and presence in Latin America, and U.S. policy toward both regions has become increasingly complex.
Formation and spectral properties of silver clusters in sintered glass composites

Thermally induced diffusion of neutral silver and silver cations in sintering glass composites is investigated, with particular attention being given to ion-exchange process with float glass substrate. The aim of this study was to identify the main mechanism of high-temperature discoloration of black glass enamel with silver overprint. Numerical simulations of ion-exchange (silver and sodium ions) process provide an explanation for the observed anomalous silver concentration profile and the particle distribution near the glass interfaces. Numerical simulations of the reflectance spectra are in agreement with experimental observations.
Convex decompositions of fuzzy partitions

In this paper we investigate some algebraic and geometric properties of fuzzy partition spaces (convex hulls of hard or conventional partition spaces). In particular, we obtain their dimensions, and describe a number of algorithms for effecting convex decompositions. Two of these are easily programmable, and each affords a different insight about data structures suggested by the fuzzy partition decomposed. We also show how the sequence of partitions in any convex decomposition leads to a matrix for which the norm of the corresponding coefficient vector equals a scalar measure of partition fuzziness used with certain fuzzy clustering algorithms.
Desorption of Na and K from niobium

The activation energies of desorption and the mean adsorption lifetimes τs of Na and K on niobium were measured in the temperature range of 850–950°K and pressures of 10−9 Torr by a new technique. This involved the application of Na and K atoms to a Nb surface and the measurement of desorption peak temperatures as a function of linear temperature sweep rates in the range from 0.3 °Ksec to 20°Ksec. The mean adsorption lifetimes so determined were τsNa = 1.27 × 10−13exp [(2.7 ± 0.2)kT] sec . and τsK = 4.6 × 10−13exp [(2.5 ± 0.2)kT] sec .
Reply to Nutini's “The Ideological Bases of Lévi‐Strauss's Structuralism”

the entire family, but especially toward that' privileged person, her erstwhile "brother" and future spouse. Wolf's data comparing minor and major marriages show 46.2% of the minor but only 10.5% of the major ending in divorce and/or involving adultery (Ibid.:512, Table 5). Wolf also found that, among adopted daughters whose minor marriages did not take place and who were married out of their foster
Design and biocompatibility of endovascular aneurysm filling devices

The rupture of an intracranial aneurysm, which can result in severe mental disabilities or death, affects approximately 30,000 people in the United States annually. The traditional surgical method of treating these arterial malformations involves a full craniotomy procedure, wherein a clip is placed around the aneurysm neck. In recent decades, research and device development have focused on new endovascular treatment methods to occlude the aneurysm void space. These methods, some of which are currently in clinical use, utilize metal, polymeric, or hybrid devices delivered via catheter to the aneurysm site. In this review, we present several such devices, including those that have been approved for clinical use, and some that are currently in development. We present several design requirements for a successful aneurysm filling device and discuss the success or failure of current and past technologies. We also present novel polymeric-based aneurysm filling methods that are currently being tested in animal models that could result in superior healing.
Is There a Gap between the News Choices of Journalists and Consumers? A Relational and Dynamic Approach

This article examines whether there is a gap between the news choices of mainstream journalists and those of their public. It looks at the choices of both groups in relation to each other and explo...
Revenue and efficiency effects of resale in first-price auctions

We study first-price auctions in a model with asymmetric, independent private values. Asymmetries lead to inefficient allocations, thereby creating a motive for resale after the auction is over. In our model, resale takes place via monopoly pricing—the winner of the auction makes a take-it-or-leave-it offer to the loser. Our goal is to compare equilibria of the first-price auction without resale (FPA) with those of the first-price auction with resale (FPAR). For the three major families of distributions for which equilibria of the FPA are available in closed form, we show that resale possibilities increase the revenue of the original seller. We also show by example that, somewhat paradoxically, resale may actually decrease efficiency.
Market Making and Trading in Nasdaq Stocks

This paper examines the relations between the number of market makers, trading activity, and price improvement in Nasdaq stocks, using a model motivated by Grossman and Miller (1988). Results indicate a positive relation between the number of market makers and trading frequency, and that competition among market makers reduces effective bid-ask spreads. Results estimated using a simultaneous equations framework support the model predictions of Grossman and Miller. Results also indicate that trading frequency may be more important than trade size in determining the number of market makers.
Understanding quality in engineering service organizations

The authors report on the results of an exploratory study of views of quality by employees of engineering service organizations and discuss the implications of the results for the management of quality and productivity. They focus on engineers' definitions of quality and productivity and their views of management procedures which affect engineering projects. The study setting was four different organizations and an engineering service department of a government laboratory. Each is an example of an engineering of buildings, equipment, and systems for others. The results indicate that engineers' concepts vary in important ways from the basic principles espoused by the writers on quality. Within organizations, the authors found important variance among engineers' and managers definitions of quality and the frames of reference they use in discussing quality and productivity. It is concluded that improving quality in such organizations should begin with a shared framework that enables individuals to communicate effectively about quality concepts and management systems which implement the concepts embedded in the framework. >
TURF: Toward a unified framework of EHR usability

This paper presents a unified framework of EHR usability, called TURF, which is (1) a theory for describing, explaining, and predicting usability differences; (2) a method for defining, evaluating, and measuring usability objectively; (3) a process for designing built-in good usability; and (4) once fully developed, a potential principle for developing EHR usability guidelines and standards. TURF defines usability as how useful, usable, and satisfying a system is for the intended users to accomplish goals in the work domain by performing certain sequences of tasks. TURF provides a set of measures for each of the useful, usable, and satisfying dimensions of usability. TURF stands for task, user, representation, and function, which are the four components that determine the usability of an EHR system. These four components are described with theoretical descriptions along with examples of how usability is measured in several case studies. How TURF can be used to improve usability through redesign is also demonstrated in a case study. In summary, this paper states that usability can not only be defined scientifically under a coherent, unified framework, it can also be measured objectively and systematically.
A Generic Sentence Trimmer with CRFs

The paper presents a novel sentence trimmer in Japanese, which combines a non-statistical yet generic tree generation model and Conditional Random Fields (CRFs), to address improving the grammaticality of compression while retaining its relevance. Experiments found that the present approach outperforms in grammaticality and in relevance a dependency-centric approach (Oguro et al., 2000; Morooka et al., 2004; Yamagata et al., 2006; Fukutomi et al., 2007) − the only line of work in prior literature (on Japanese compression) we are aware of that allows replication and permits a direct comparison.
Pharmacotherapy for heart failure in patients with renal insufficiency

Clinical trials have demonstrated that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta-blockers, and spironolactone improve survival in patients with heart failure. Because patients with heart failure and renal insufficiency have been underrepresented in these trials, little evidence is available to guide clinicians in the optimal management of patients with both conditions. Approximately one third to one half of patients with heart failure have renal insufficiency (estimated glomerular filtration rate [GFR] <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2), and renal insufficiency is among the strongest predictors of mortality in patients with heart failure. Evidence supports the use of ACE inhibitors to improve survival in patients with moderate renal insufficiency (GFR, 30 to 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2), but there is little evidence with which to weigh the risks and benefits in patients with more advanced renal dysfunction. beta-Blockers improve survival in patients with heart failure, and their beneficial effect is unlikely to differ according to renal function. Spironolactone improves outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure, but renal insufficiency appears to increase risk for hyperkalemia and limits the use of the drug in patients with severe renal insufficiency. Future clinical trials in heart failure should include a representative number of patients with renal insufficiency to improve the evidence base and outcomes in this vulnerable population.
Probed determination of turn-on spread of large area thyristors

Thyristors (SCR's) were specially constructed to permit the direct observation of the lateral spread of turn-on within the device. The effects on the spread of turn-on of the load current, basewidths, temperature, anode-cathode voltage, gate control pulse, and a large inhomogeneity were observed. The spreading velocity of the on-state and the load current are related approximately by the expression V^{n} \propto I at high load currents. The spreading velocity is higher in devices with narrower basewidths and increases with temperature. Neither the anode-cathode voltage before turn-on nor the gate control pulse affect the spreading velocity of the on-state. Measurements on end gate devices and center gate linear devices show that triggering at the center enables an equivalent area of the SCR to turn on in less time than occurs when triggering at the end. A large gap in the emitter layer will delay the spread of the on-state but will not necessarily stop the spreading.
Asymmetric assembly of Merkel cell polyomavirus large T-antigen origin binding domains at the viral origin.

Abstract The double-stranded DNA polyomavirus Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) causes Merkel cell carcinoma, an aggressive but rare human skin cancer that most often affects immunosuppressed and elderly persons. As in other polyomaviruses, the large T-antigen of MCV recognizes the viral origin of replication by binding repeating G(A/G)GGC pentamers. The spacing, number, orientation, and necessity of repeats for viral replication differ, however, from other family members such as SV40 and murine polyomavirus. We report here the 2.9 A crystal structure of the MCV large T-antigen origin binding domain (OBD) in complex with a DNA fragment from the MCV origin of replication. Consistent with replication data showing that three of the G(A/G)GGC-like binding sites near the center of the origin are required for replication, the crystal structure contains three copies of the OBD. This stoichiometry was verified using isothermal titration calorimetry. The affinity for G(A/G)GGC-containing double-stranded DNA was found to be ∼ 740 nM, approximately 8-fold weaker than the equivalent domain in SV40 for the analogous region of the SV40 origin. The difference in affinity is partially attributable to DNA-binding residue Lys331 (Arg154 in SV40). In contrast to SV40, a small protein–protein interface is observed between MCV OBDs when bound to the central region of the origin. This protein–protein interface is reminiscent of that seen in bovine papilloma virus E1 protein. Mutational analysis indicates, however, that this interface contributes little to DNA binding energy.
On Preprocessing of SELDI-MS Data and its Evaluation

Mass spectrometry is becoming an important tool in proteomics. Mass spectral data are characterized by very high dimensionality and a high level of redundancy. Both issues are quite challenging when one wants to perform knowledge discovery and push existing tools to their limits. We tackle both via a preprocessing pipeline that drastically reduces dimensionality and redundancy of the initial representation in order to focus on biologically relevant information. Essentially preprocessing performs feature extraction in a manner that reflects domain knowledge. We propose a framework for the evaluation of the given pipeline and in fact of any mass spectrometry preprocessing pipeline which is based on the level of conservation of discriminatory information. The discriminatory information content of a given representation is objectively measured by the classification performance of a number of classification algorithms evaluated on the given representation. This approach also allows us to compare a number of different preprocessing possibilities, namely using peak intensities vs peak areas to represent peaks and how non observed peaks should be treated, and demonstrate which is the most informative one.
Functional Assessment Strategies for Young Children with Autism

Functional assessments (FAs) are becoming more commonplace in early childhood special education. In this article we describe the FA procedures used in Project DATA, a school-based program to serve young children with autism and their families. These procedures consist of five interrelated steps: (a) gathering information, (b) brainstorming, (c) making a plan, (d) implementing the plan, and (e) evaluating the outcomes.
Multibit incremental data converters with reduced sensitivity to mismatch

Incremental data converters (IDC) can achieve absolute accuracies higher than 16 bits with very low power consumption. However, single-bit IDCs require numerous clock cycles per conversion. In this paper, the advantages of employing multibit quantizers for faster conversions are analyzed and a novel method for reducing the effect of element mismatch is presented.
Wearable computing system for embedded instruction of manual-intensive procedural tasks in clean room environments

The field of wearable computing deals with a great deal of hardware, software and wireless communication collaboration. The objective of this research is to conduct two sets of experiments using wearable computers in clean room-type environments for education enhancement. Embedded instruction via a wearable computer is offered here to aid users in performing tasks which require a high degree of hand-eye coordination. By embedded instruction, we mean that the users "learn while they are doing." The results of the proposed experiments show how well people are able to perform specific tasks with a wearable computer versus without a wearable computer in clean-room type environments. These environments were chosen because they are places where manual procedural task are done and could benefit from the use of a wearable computer by increasing productivity and improving efficiency in training. Several aspects of human factors were analyzed and evaluated, as well as time improvements.
NOT ‘INDIFFERENCE TO PAIN’ BUT VARIETIES OF HEREDITARY SENSORY AND AUTONOMIC NEUROPATHY

Three children, from different kinships, with generalized insensitivity to pain, showed unusual manifestations of congenital, presumably inherited, sensory and autonomic neuropathy. The first child appeared to have a syndrome resembling those previously described as congenital indifference to pain, congenital universal loss of pain sensation from infancy without other apparent neurological deficit. Unlike most types of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (types I, II, III), but like type IV, she had normal sensory nerve action potentials. Abnormalities of sudomotor function and of somatosensory evoked potentials were demonstrated. A severe decrease in the number of sural nerve A delta fibres and a small reduction in C fibres were demonstrated morphometrically. An abnormality of C fibres was confirmed by a marked reduction in nerve dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity. The plasma and CSF concentrations of beta endorphins, substance P and several other neuropeptides and hormones were normal. Unequivocal evidence of a neuropathic lesion is provided by this patient; her disorder may be identified as the fifth type of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy. The second patient had a congenital pansensory neuropathy and progressive retinitis pigmentosa. Whether the disorder is inherited and, if so, whether the retinitis pigmentosa results from the same or from a second genetic abnormality, is unclear. The third case has, in addition to what is usually seen in hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy, type II, an unusually severe kinaesthetic difficulty in oral food handling. The sural nerves of the second and third patients had fibre composition characteristic of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy, type II, few or no myelinated fibres and reduced numbers of unmyelinated fibres.
Identity loan: The moral economy of migrant document exchange in California's Central Valley

“Identity loan” is common among U.S. farmworkers. In contrast to “identity theft,” it is a voluntary exchange in which citizens and legal permanent residents lend unauthorized migrants their identity documents so that the latter may obtain a job. Drawing on nine months of ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with 45 migrant farmworkers in California's Central Valley, I show that federal and state policies have encouraged identity loan as a mode of reciprocal gift-giving in resource- and document-poor migrant communities. Document exchange benefits “identity donors” by increasing their unemployment payments and directly depositing deductions from unauthorized migrants’ wages into their Social Security accounts. While many scholars theorize that unauthorized status serves as a hidden subsidy for the state, this study illuminates the microprocesses through which ordinary citizens and residents agentively vie to divert this “profit reserve” into their own pockets.
Properties of Wood/recycled Textile Composite Panels

This study evaluated the potential to use recycled cotton textiles as filler and possibly rein- forcement in the core of oriented strandboard (OSB) panels. Nominal 11.1-mm-thick, 686 � 686-mm OSB/textile fiber composite panels (50% surface and 50% core layers) were fabricated. Recycled textile material (0, 5, 15, 25, and 50% of the total weight percentage in the panel) was blended with mixed hardwood core strands. For each combination of wood and textile material, 10 panels were produced for a total of 50 panels. Internal bond strength, static bending strength and stiffness, water absorption, thickness swell, and nail withdrawal strength properties were evaluated. The major finding of the study indicated that compared with controls (ie panels with 0% textile material), panels with 5% recycled textiles did not have a statistically significant difference in bending strength (modulus of rupture) and elasticity (modulus of elasticity) or nail withdrawal strength. Additionally, although the controls had the greatest average thickness swell, none of the groups tested showed a statistically significant difference (p ¼ 0.064). The study indicated that there is potential for adding 5% recycled textiles to the core of OSB panels without significantly decreasing physical or mechanical properties.
Collaborative Governance Regimes

Preface Part I: An Overview of Collaborative GovernanceIntroduction: Stepping In-The Context for Collaborative Governance 1. Collaborative Governance and Collaborative Governance Regimes Part II: The Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance2. Initiating Collaborative Governance: The System Context,Drivers, and Regime Formation Case Illustration: National Collaborative for Higher Education3. Collaboration Dynamics: Principled Engagement, SharedMotivation, and the Capacity for Joint Action Case Illustration: The Everglades Restoration Task Force,by Tanya Heikkila and Andrea K. Gerlak 4. Generating Change: Collaborative Actions, Outcomes, andAdaptationCase Illustration: The Military Community CompatibilityCommittee Part III: Case Studies of Collaborative Governance Regimes5. Who Speaks for Toronto? Collaborative Governance in theCivic Action Alliance, by Alison Bramwell 6. Collaborative Governance in Alaska: Responding to ClimateChange Threats in Alaska Native Communities, by Robin Bronen7. Power and the Distribution of Knowledge in a LocalGroundwater Association in Guadalupe Valley, Mexicoby Chantelise Pells Part IV: Collaborative Governance Regimes8. Moving from Genus to Species: A Typology of CollaborativeGovernance Regimes 9. Assessing the Performance of Collaborative GovernanceRegimes Conclusion: Stepping Back, Stepping Up, and Stepping Forward-Summary Observations and Recommendations Glossary ReferencesAbout the Authors and ContributorsIndex
Moderate-intensity physical activity is independently associated with lower-extremity muscle power in older women

Skeletal muscle power is a salient determinant of physical function in older adults, but its relationship with habitual physical activity has not been well-characterized. The aim of this study was to examine the association between moderate-intensity physical activity and lower-extremity muscle power in community-dwelling older women. Older women (n = 96, mean age = 73.9 ± 5.6 years, mean body mass index = 26.5 ± 4.7 kg/m(2)) underwent assessments for body composition via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and lower-extremity muscle power (watts) using the Nottingham power rig. The Community Health Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire was used to estimate weekly caloric expenditure in moderate-intensity physical activity (kcals/wk). Linear regression indicated that moderate-intensity physical activity was independently related to muscle power (standardized β = 0.20, p = .03), and this relationship remained following adjustment for covariates. Analysis of covariance revealed that women in the highest tertile of volume of physical activity had significantly greater muscle power than those with the lowest volume (199.0 vs. 170.7 watts, p < .05). Moderate-intensity physical activity was independently associated with lower-extremity muscle power in older women. Future intervention trials should determine if increasing habitual physical activity is associated with improvements in lower-extremity muscle power in older women.
XENON IN THE PROTOPLANETARY DISK (PPD-Xe)

Relationships among solar system Xe components as observed in the solar wind, in planetary atmospheres, and in meteorites are investigated using isotopic correlations. The term PPD-Xe is used for components inferred to have been present in the molecular cloud material that formed the protoplanetary disk (PPD). The evidence of the lack of simple relationships between terrestrial atmospheric Xe and solar or meteoritic components is confirmed. Xe isotopic correlations indicate a heterogeneous PPD composition with variable mixing ratios of the nucleosynthetic component Xe-HL. Solar Xe represents a bulk PPD component, and the isotopic abundances did not change from the time of incorporation into the interior of Mars through times of regolith implantations to the present.
Momentum Mass Transport at the Macroscale

During casting solidification, significant flow of the molten metal will affect the local composition. The driving forces for fluid flow can be internal or external. The internal sources of fluid flow include shrinkage (solidification contraction) flow, natural convection, capillary forces, formation of gas bubbles, and deformation of solid phases because of thermal stress and static pressure. The external driving forces may include centrifugal and/or electromagnetic forces.