cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal Vascular Physiology in Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a systemic syndrome that occurs during pregnancy and postpartum and affects 3% to 8% of pregnancies.1 It is one of the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide.1 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists2 and the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy3 have set the following criteria for the clinical diagnosis of preeclampsia: de novo maternal hypertension (>140/90 mm Hg) with proteinuria (0.3 g per 24 hours) after 20 weeks of gestation or hypertension combined with hematologic complications, impaired renal and liver function, neurological symptoms, or uteroplacental dysfunction. This broad definition reflects the heterogeneity in clinical presentation of preeclampsia, which suggests heterogeneity in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. Maternal vascular dysfunction and abnormal hemodynamics are common features of preeclampsia and may be evident in both reproductive and nonreproductive vascular beds.4 Components of aberrant vascular physiology in preeclampsia include impaired vascular endothelial function,5 incomplete uterine artery remodeling,6,7 augmented vasoconstriction,8,9 vascular oxidative stress, and inflammation10,11 Studies using flow-mediated dilation have shown that women who had preeclampsia had lower flow-mediated dilation before clinical diagnosis of preeclampsia, at the time of preeclampsia, and for 3 years postpartum, suggesting that vascular dysfunction may play a role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and may be a link between preeclampsia and high risk for cardiovascular disease later in life.12 The main objective of this brief review is to discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying aberrant maternal vascular physiology in reproductive and nonreproductive vascular beds in preeclampsia. Evidence from studies in experimental animals and in humans will be discussed. Currently, there is lack of evidence that species other than humans spontaneously develop preeclampsia. Therefore, animal models resembling preeclampsia-like features that are induced by experimentation will …
Precipitation regimes over central Greenland inferred from 5 years of ICECAPS observations

Abstract. A novel method for classifying Arctic precipitation using ground based remote sensors is presented. Using differences in the spectral variation of microwave absorption and scattering properties of cloud liquid water and ice, this method can distinguish between different types of snowfall events depending on the presence or absence of condensed liquid water in the clouds that generate the precipitation. The classification reveals two distinct, primary regimes of precipitation over the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS): one originating from fully glaciated ice clouds and the other from mixed-phase clouds. Five years of co-located, multi-instrument data from the Integrated Characterization of Energy, Clouds, Atmospheric state, and Precipitation at Summit (ICECAPS) are used to examine cloud and meteorological properties and patterns associated with each precipitation regime. The occurrence and accumulation of the precipitation regimes are identified and quantified. Cloud and precipitation observations from additional ICECAPS instruments illustrate distinct characteristics for each regime. Additionally, reanalysis products and back-trajectory analysis show different synoptic-scale forcings associated with each regime. Precipitation over the central GIS exhibits unique microphysical characteristics due to the high surface elevations as well as connections to specific large-scale flow patterns. Snowfall originating from the ice clouds is coupled to deep, frontal cloud systems advecting up and over the southeast Greenland coast to the central GIS. These events appear to be associated with individual storm systems generated by low pressure over Baffin Bay and Greenland lee cyclogenesis. Snowfall originating from mixed-phase clouds is shallower and has characteristics typical of supercooled cloud liquid water layers, and slowly propagates from the south and southwest of Greenland along a quiescent flow above the GIS.
Head-tracking for gestural and continuous control of parameterized audio effects

This paper describes a system which uses the output from head-tracking and gesture recognition software to drive a parameterized guitar effects synthesizer in real-time.
Acceleration feedback control for fixed-wing sUAS

Rejection of external disturbances is vital for small aircraft flying in environments with dynamic flow fields, especially due to their increased sensitivity to disturbances. Fixed wing vehicles are generally controlled using successive closure of position and velocity state feedback loops. The successive loop closure method ignores aerodynamic coupling and fails in the presence of strong gusts or aircraft damage. Existing multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) control methods may include aerodynamic coupling and provide more robust performance, but still respond slowly to high speed gusts because they feed back lower order states such as position and velocity. This study aims to develop a MIMO control methodology to feed back translational and rotational acceleration states on a simulated fixed wing aircraft, enabling quicker rejection of disturbances. The novelty of this research is in using these acceleration states in inner feedback loops in addition to the existing autopilot to demonstrate disturbance rejection on a fixed wing vehicle before propagation to lower order states. Using the Ttwistor small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) model and robust control analysis tools, we perform nonlinear flight simulations with and without acceleration feedback and quantify the improvement in disturbance rejection. The resulting augmented autopilot enables the small fixed wing UAS to fly through turbulent, gusty environments by improving disturbance rejection up to 61% in some aircraft states. The improvements shown with the Ttwistor model demonstrate the potential of this method for gust rejection on smaller and more responsive platforms.
Pseudorandomness In Computer Science and In Additive Combinatorics

Dedicated to Endre Szemere;di on the occasion of his 70th birthday Notions of pseudorandomness and (implicitly) of indistinguishability arise in several key results in additive combinatorics. In this expository paper, we show how several results can be translated from the analytic language of norms, decompositions, and transference to the computer science language of indistinguishability, simulability and pseudoentropy. Some of these results, once so reformulated, can be given “computer science proofs” which are quantitatively better in some respects, and which have some applications.
Culture-centered design: culture audit of screen designs for educational software in saudi arabia

This paper describes screen design issues in a culture audit performed on software prior to translation. The authors found that this effort was cost-effective, because, for relatively little money and time, one can identify problematic items that translation services may not uncover, avoiding the end result of translating well what should never have been localized in the first place. In the cultural analysis section, we provide an overview of the wider cultural and social context of the rapid educational reform currently underway in the target country, Saudi Arabia. Because most educated users in the target country have learned to use the Microsoft Office Suite, we recommend that the design of Office be used as a baseline reference for any redesign.
Resilience in Aging: Cultural and Ethnic Perspectives

This chapter shows that comprehensive research on resilience and aging would benefit from an examination and inclusion of cultural and ethnic perspectives relevant to older people. It shows the heterogeneity in resilience of older people as well as the cultural and ethnic perspectives in what older people will need addressed to be resilient in their lives. It also reveals that the older individual within a cultural or ethnic group is not a common stereotype, but still much their own person. Health and human service providers who interact with an older person must adjust their responses to that individual by taking into consideration the person’s level of resilience, culture and ethnicity. More research in cultural and ethno-gerontology is required in order to better understand the diverse aging population and their current resilience and future needs. Forthcoming research on resilience and aging would benefit from a comprehensive and systematic approach by navigating the multi­dimensional perspectives of resilience at the individual, community, and cultural levels for intervention.
A perceived moral agency scale: Development and validation of a metric for humans and social machines

Abstract Although current social machine technology cannot fully exhibit the hallmarks of human morality or agency, popular culture representations and emerging technology make it increasingly important to examine human interlocutors’ perception of social machines (e.g., digital assistants, chatbots, robots) as moral agents. To facilitate such scholarship, the notion of perceived moral agency (PMA) is proposed and defined, and a metric developed and validated through two studies: (1) a large-scale online survey featuring potential scale items and concurrent validation metrics for both machine and human targets, and (2) a scale validation study with robots presented as variably agentic and moral. The PMA metric is shown to be reliable, valid, and exhibiting predictive utility.
The Variety of Financial Innovations in European War Finance during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648)

Financing the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) created new pressures on the traditional forms of war finance for governments throughout Europe, including the monetary reform of 1622 in Naples. Most European governments responded with innovations in public finance, some of which foreshadowed elements of modern financial systems. Nowhere, however, did they coalesce into a fully articulated and effective modern financial system at the time, although both Naples and Milan came close. Failures were especially clear in Austria, Spain and France, but even apparent successes in England and Holland led to three Anglo-Dutch Wars afterwards that stymied further progress by either government. Their failures demonstrate the difficulty of coordinating and maintaining the many components that comprise a modern financial system.
Magnetic Optimizations for High-Power Density Bidirectional Cascaded-Buck-Boost Converter

This paper presents various innovative techniques to achieve high efficiency for•the cascaded-buck-boost converter. A rigorous loss model with component nonlinearities was developed to determine the power loss distribution and validated by simulations and experiments. A low profile planar-nanocrystalline inductor was designed based on the results of power loss distribution and various design aspects of core and winding were discussed. Two different types of windings: copper foil and litz wire, were compared. Finite-Element-Analysis (FEA) method was used to examine and visualize the inductor design. By implementing the planar-nanocrystalline inductor, a peak efficiency of 99.08 % and 98.88% was achieved for the buck mode and the boost mode, respectively. And a converter power density of 91.8 W/in3 with an inductor• profile height of 0.276 inches was reported.
The Incorporation and Function of DLA-Matched and -Mismatched, Fresh and Cryopreserved Massive Allografts in Dogs

Postoperative problems after the implantation of massive osteochondral allografts include degenerative joint disease and inadequate bony incorporation of the graft and result in significant morbidity. An understanding of the long-term effects of the immune response to the grafts would be helpful in preventing and treating these complications.
In vitro development ofCampoletis sonorensis (Hym.: Ichneumonidae), a larval endoparasitoid ofheliothis virescens (Lep.: Noctuidae) in an artificial medium with insect sources from egg to third larval instar

Effects of host hemolymph, fat body, and epidermal cell extracts on growth and development ofCampoletis sonorensis in vitro were studied. A simple cell culture medium preconditioned with intact fat body for several days improved growth of the parasitoid larvae while the addition of macerated fat body had a negative effect. Addition of co-cultured host epidermal cell mixture, without any preconditioning with the artificial medium, promoted growth and development ofC. sonorensis. The beneficial chemicals in the epidermal cell mixture were larger than 10 kd but were not cold or heat stable. Addition of unparasitized host larval hemolymph improved the hatching and development of the parasitoid larvae in the artificial medium but hemolymph from parasitized hosts did not. Host pupal hemolymph was also found to be beneficial to growth and development ofC. sonorensis. The effective components of pupal hemolymph were also neither cold nor heat stable and had a molecular weight range between 1 kd and 300 kd. While these host-derived growth factors increased molting and growth, they failed to stimulateC. sonorensis to develop to stages beyond the third instar.
The medical specialty of faculty interviewers does not influence scores in the internal medicine residency interview

Background In response to the growing number of applicants, internal medicine (IM) residency programs have needed to expand their faculty interviewer pool. Medicine specialists (MS) have increasingly been asked to serve as faculty interviewers (FI) in addition to general internal medicine (GIM) physicians. Objective To assess if MS rate IM applicants differently than GIM physicians. Methods We performed a retrospective review of our institution's IM residency interview evaluation forms for the 2017-18 application season. The FI assigned an interview score for each applicant ranging from 1 to 5 in 0.5-point increments, with 1 defined as "absolutely top candidate" and 5 as "not suitable." We then compared characteristics of the FI based on mean interview score given using trend tests and linear regression. Results There were a total of 634 interviews of 274 applicants conducted by 72 FI over the 2017-18 recruitment period. 43 (59.7%) of the FI practiced GIM and 29 (40.3%) practiced an MS. The mean interview score given by an FI was 2.0 (SD 0.4). Trend test analyses showed no association between an interviewer's medicine specialty status (p=0.09) and the mean interview score given. On linear regression, there was no significant difference in interview scores given by an FI who practiced GIM vs those who practiced an MS (-0.13 change, p=0.168). Conclusions We did not find any significant difference in the interview scores given to IM applicants by MS compared with GIM physicians. This finding supports the inclusion of MS in the IM residency selection process.
Launching a projectile to cover maximal area

The launch and subsequent motion of a projectile provide a context for several quantities that yearn to be optimised. Most notable is the horizontal range of the projectile, a problem dating back to Galileo and still studied in modern times; see, for example [1], [2], [3], [4]. In a different direction, the articles [5] and [6] provide a solution to the problem of finding the angle of launch that results in the trajectory of longest arc length.
Impact of heart rate on cross-bridge cycling kinetics in failing and nonfailing human myocardium

In this study, we confirm that cardiac relaxation kinetics are impaired in filing human myocardium and that cross-bridge cycling rate at resting heart rates does not contribute to this impaired rel...
Effect of solute on microstructural evolution during directional recrystallization

Abstract Ni-3at. % Al was directionally annealed at different annealing temperatures and drawing velocities to reveal how solute affects the microstructural evolution during directional recrystallization. Compared to high-purity Ni, Ni-3at. % Al has a reduced upper limit for the drawing velocity that can form columnar grains, which can be explained by solute drag. It was found out solute drag effect was not only misorientation angle dependent but also misorientation rotation axis dependent, which narrowed the mobility difference of different misorientation high-angle boundaries. As a result, the boundaries between columnar grains and the small equiaxed grains ahead of them have a near- random distribution instead of a defined rotation relationship, and, thus, columnar grains can arise from random textures instead of arising from a single texture. This leads to a relatively high percent of high-angle columnar grain boundaries in the random columnar grain boundaries. Solute also lowers the stacking fault energy, which leads to a larger fraction of both island grains and columnar grain boundaries that are twin boundaries compared to high-purity nickel.
The Spillover Effects of Customer No-Shows: Field Evidence from an Online Education Platform

Emerging technologies have created a new business model: the sharing economy, which connects independent service providers to customers on digital platforms for short-term contracts. Since independent contractors have different work experiences from traditional in-house employees, it is important to understand what shapes their motivation and emotions. We contribute to this understanding by studying how customer no-shows influence independent contractors’ effort provision and positive affective displays during interactions with their next customer. Using data from six million scheduled classes on an online education platform in which student no-shows do not affect teachers’ pay, we find that unexplained student no-shows reduce teachers’ subsequent effort provision and positive affective displays at their next class. These effects are attenuated when student no-shows are beyond students’ controls (as caused by Internet connection problems) as well as when teachers have more teaching experience off the platform. We build on attribution theory and the customer incivility literature: Independent contractors attribute unexplained customer no-shows to disrespectfulness, which leads them to exert less effort and display positive affect less frequently when serving the next customer; this effect becomes weaker when independent contractors can attribute customer no-shows to other reasons. In a scenario-based experiment mimicking our field setting, we provide initial evidence that no-shows can yield perceptions of customer disrespectfulness and that external attributions attenuate this effect. Our research advances understanding of drivers of independent contractors’ engagement, the interplay of work experiences between traditional organizations and sharing economy platforms, and the source and impact of customer incivility.
Characterization of the Efflux Capability and Substrate Specificity of Aspergillus fumigatus PDR5-like ABC Transporters Expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

ABSTRACT This research analyzed six Aspergillus fumigatus genes encoding putative efflux proteins for their roles as transporters. TheA. fumigatus genes abcA, abcC, abcF, abcG, abcH, and abcI were cloned into plasmids and overexpressed in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain in which the highly active endogenous ABC transporter gene PDR5 was deleted. The activity of each transporter was measured by efflux of rhodamine 6G and accumulation of alanine β-naphthylamide. The transporters AbcA, AbcC, and AbcF had the strongest efflux activities of these compounds. All of the strains with plasmid-expressed transporters had more efflux activity than did the PDR5-deleted background strain. We performed broth microdilution drug susceptibility testing and agar spot assays using an array of compounds and antifungal drugs to determine the transporter specificity and drug susceptibility of the strains. The transporters AbcC and AbcF showed the broadest range of substrate specificity, while AbcG and AbcH had the narrowest range of substrates. Strains expressing the AbcA, AbcC, AbcF, or AbcI transporter were more resistant to fluconazole than was the PDR5-deleted background strain. Strains expressing AbcC and AbcF were additionally more resistant to clotrimazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and posaconazole than was the background strain. Finally, we analyzed the expression levels of the genes by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in triazole-susceptible and -resistant A. fumigatus clinical isolates. All of these transporters are expressed at a measurable level, and transporter expression varied significantly between strains, demonstrating the high degree of phenotypic variation, plasticity, and divergence of which this species is capable. IMPORTANCE One mechanism behind drug resistance is altered export out of the cell. This work is a multifaceted analysis of membrane efflux transporters in the human fungal pathogen A. fumigatus. Bioinformatics evidence infers that there is a relatively large number of genes in A. fumigatus that encode ABC efflux transporters. However, very few of these transporters have been directly characterized and analyzed for their potential role in drug resistance. Our objective was to determine if these undercharacterized proteins function as efflux transporters and then to better define whether their efflux substrates include antifungal drugs used to treat fungal infections. We chose six A. fumigatus potential plasma membrane ABC transporter genes for analysis and found that all six genes produced functional transporter proteins. We used two fungal systems to look for correlations between transporter function and drug resistance. These transporters have the potential to produce drug-resistant phenotypes in A. fumigatus. Continued characterization of these and other transporters may assist in the development of efflux inhibitor drugs.
Blinded potency comparison of transthyretin kinetic stabilisers by subunit exchange in human plasma

Transthyretin (TTR) tetramer dissociation is rate limiting for aggregation and subunit exchange. Slowing of TTR tetramer dissociation via kinetic stabiliser binding slows cardiomyopathy progression...
Interprofessional value-based health care: Nurse practitioner-dentist model.

Objectives The United States health system is challenged to improve patient and population health, enhance patients' experience of care, and reduce health care costs. Value-based health care (VBHC) models are proposed to address these issues. Medical health systems are making strides toward VBHC, whereas dental care systems lag behind. The aims of this paper are to a) present study findings of an interprofessional practice model integrating oral health and primary care in a dental practice setting, and b) discuss practice and research implications for advancing VBHC approaches in oral health. Methods A nonexperimental research method was employed to evaluate the Nurse Practitioner-Dentist Model for Primary Care (NPD Model) at the Harvard Dental Center. Pretest/post-test design was used to assess clinical patient outcomes for a convenience cohort of Medicare beneficiaries (n = 31) with a reported diagnosis of hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes. Clinical outcome measures included: blood pressure, weight, body mass index (BMI), and Hemoglobin A1c. Results Positive and significant improvements in biometrics (blood pressure, body weight, BMI, HbA1c) were found. Conclusions The NPD Model is an early prototype for interprofessional VBHC in oral health and holds promise for improving patient and population health outcomes. Integration of interprofessional VBHC in oral health is an imperative for achieving the Triple Aim to improve the overall health of our nation.
Updating China's international economic policy after 30 years of reform and opening: what position on regional and global economic architecture?

The 30 years of reform and opening have brought great material progress to China. By becoming a big country, China's actions created huge spillovers on other countries. The result has been a rise in trade tension between China and its trade partners. Recently, some have claimed that China's prolonged large trade surpluses have undermined global financial stability and tilted the world into a deep recession, if not a 1930s-style depression. Others have claimed that the greenhouse gases from China's industrialization would soon cause cataclysmic global climate change. One blunt but effective way to eliminate these negative spillovers is to restrict imports from China. Labor in the rich countries is under considerable stress because of the deep global structural adjustments brought by: (1) the integration of the labor force of China, India and the Soviet bloc into the world economy; and (2) the acceleration of technological innovations (as exemplified by the revolution in information technology). The new glo...
Postoperative Pain After Mohs Surgery: Physician Perceptions and How Those Perceptions Influence Opioid Prescribing Practices.

BACKGROUND Little is known about dermatologists' perceptions of postoperative pain and how those perceptions correlate with patient-reported pain and opioid prescribing. OBJECTIVE To determine dermatologists' accuracy in predicting postoperative pain compared with patient-reported pain and how physicians' perceptions affect opioid prescribing practices. METHODS AND MATERIALS A prospective observational study in which patients undergoing Mohs surgery rated pain on the Numerical Rating Scale (0-10). Using the same scale, the physician predicted how much pain the patient would experience postoperatively on the evening of surgery. All analgesic medications taken in postoperative period were recorded. RESULTS A total of 316 patients completed the study (70% completion rate). Physician predictions were correlated with patient-reported pain (p < .001; r = 0.29) and were within 2 points of patient-reported pain in 70% of cases. When physicians overestimated patient-reported by ≥3 points, they were not more likely to prescribe opioids (p = .8094). Physicians predicted higher pain for patients who were prescribed opioids (p = .0002). CONCLUSION Dermatologists were fairly accurate at predicting postoperative pain. Dermatologists were not more likely to prescribe opioids when pain was overpredicted.
Structurational divergence, safety climate, and intentions to leave: An examination of health care workers’ experiences of abuse

Guided by structurational divergence (SD) theory, this study examined the presence and impact of unresolved tensions surrounding safety issues among hospital workers. Using a two-study design, data...
Screen Time Parenting Practices and Associations with Preschool Children's TV Viewing and Weight-Related Outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between screen time (ST) parenting practices and 2–5-year-old children’s TV viewing and weight status. Data were collected from 252 parent–child dyads enrolled in a randomized parent-focused childhood obesity prevention trial from 2009–2012. ST parenting practices were assessed at baseline using a validated parent-reported survey. Parent-reported child TV viewing and objectively measured anthropometrics were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (35 weeks), and follow-up (59 weeks). Marginal effect models were developed to test the association between baseline ST parenting practices and children’s TV viewing, BMI z-score, and waist circumference across all time points. Limiting/monitoring ST was associated with decreased weekly TV viewing (β = −1.79, 95% CI: −2.61; −0.95), while exposure to TV was associated with more weekly TV viewing over 59 weeks (β = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.71; 1.75). Greater parent use of ST as a reward was associated with increased child BMI z-score (β = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03; 0.27), while limiting/monitoring ST was associated with decreased BMI z-score (β = −0.16, 95% CI: −0.30; −0.01) and smaller waist circumference (β = −0.55, 95% CI: −1.04; −0.06) over the study period. These findings suggest that modifying parent ST practices may be an important strategy to reduce ST and promote healthy weight in young children.
EZH2 accompanies prostate cancer progression.

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been shown to promote development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) through various mechanisms. A new study now shows that a phosphorylated EZH2 interacts with the androgen receptor (AR) and reprograms AR transcriptional activity to facilitate transition of CRPC into a lineage infidelity state.
19F(α,n) thick target yield from 3.5 to 10.0 MeV

Using a target of PbF2, the thick-target yield from the (19)F(α,n) reaction was measured from E(α)=3.5-10 MeV. From these results, we infer the thick-target neutron yields from targets of F2 and UF6 over this same alpha-particle energy range.
Formative Assessment: A Cognitive Perspective

The roles of attention and awareness in second language (L2) learning have been examined extensively in a number of SLA studies. One of the findings and claims made repeatedly is that attention as awareness at the level of noticing is a necessary condition for comprehensible input to be detected, selected, processed, and potentially and partially integrated within a learner’s internalized grammar – that is, to become intake (Gass, 1988, 2003; Leow, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003; Robinson, 1995, 2003; Rosa & O’Neill, 1999; Schmidt, 1995, 2001; Swain, 1985, VanPatten, 1996). The purpose of this discussion is to briefly illustrate how findings from these studies and, specifically, concepts such as attention, noticing, and intake can help researchers and practitioners reconceptualize the processes involved in formative assessment at the planning and implementation stages.
Outcomes of induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation using intensity‐modulated radiation therapy for esophageal adenocarcinoma

This study looks at toxicity and survival data when chemoradiation (CRT) is delivered using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) after induction chemotherapy. Forty-one patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma treated with IMRT from March 2007 to May 2009 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center were analyzed. All patients received induction chemotherapy prior to CRT. Thirty-nine percent (n = 16) of patients underwent surgical resection less than 4 months after completing CRT. Patients were predominantly male (78%), with a median age of 68 years (range 32-85 years). The majority of acute treatment-related toxicity was hematologic or gastrointestinal, with 17% of patients having grade 3+ hematologic toxicity and 12% of patients having grade 3+ gastrointestinal toxicity. Only two patients developed grade 2-3 pneumonitis (5%) and 5 patients experienced post-operative pulmonary complications (29%). Eight patients (20%) required a treatment break. With a median follow up of 41 months for surviving patients, 2-year overall survival was 61%, and the cumulative incidences of local failure (LF) and distant metastases were 40% and 51%, respectively. This rate of LF was reduced to 13% in patients who underwent surgical resection. Surgery and younger age were significant predictors of decreased time to LF on univariate analysis. Induction chemotherapy followed by CRT using IMRT in the treatment of esophageal cancer is well tolerated and is not associated with an elevated risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. The use of IMRT may allow for integration of more intensified systemic therapy or radiation dose escalation for esophageal adenocarcinoma, ultimately improving outcomes for patients with this aggressive disease.
Evaluation of power gating under transistor aging effect issues in 22nm CMOS technology

Power gating is an effective low-power design technique and is the most widely adopted leakage current reduction solution. In this project, we evaluate the effectiveness of power gating in 22 nm CMOS and analyze the impacts of the Positive/Negative Bias Temperature Instability (PBTI/NBTI) phenomenon on the power gating technique. We also estimate the actual temperatures of power gated circuits and simulate them under different temperatures. The results show that power gating can reduce the effect of PBTI/NBTI, effectively save power, and reduce temperature and delay in hospitable situations while it may not be a good choice in all cases.
A framework for rapid prototyping of embedded vision applications

We present a framework for fast prototyping of embedded video applications. Starting with a high-level executable specification written in OpenCV, we apply semi-automatic refinements of the specification at various levels (TLM and RTL), the lowest of which is a system-on-chip prototype in FPGA. The refinement leverages the structure of image processing applications to map high-level representations to lower level implementation with limited user intervention. Our framework integrates the computer vision library OpenCV for software, SystemC/TLM for high-level hardware representation, UVM and QEMU-OS for virtual prototyping and verification into a single and uniform design and verification flow. With applications in the field of driving assistance and object recognition, we prove the usability of our framework in producing performance and correct design.
Sediment hydrocarbon contamination at the site of the Baie Verte, Newfoundland, oil spill: Results of a Four Year Study

Abstract Sediments samples were taken at 3, 15, 27, and 39 months following a spill of diesel oil at Baie Verte, Newfoundland, to determine the effects of weathering on diesel oil trapped in the sediments and to attempt to develop a suitable method for extraction and analysis. Extraction was carried out using hexane, concentration was effected by a procedure modified from Junk et al. (1974) and analysis was completed within 18.0 min by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a bonded amino silane-(NH 2 ) column (5 μm, 5 mm × 25 cm) with hexane as mobile phase. A backflush cycle of 22.0 min using hexane and methl-t-butyl ether (90:10%) was performed to elute any polar compounds from the column. This class analysis by HPLC indicated a decrease in the amount of naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene equivalents over time and at the conclusion of the study (39 months) no PAHs except for fluorene were found in the sediments from Baie Verte.
Practical devices for measuring extremely short and extremely long pulses

Measuring extremely short (few fs) pulses conveniently remains a challenge mainly due to group velocity mismatch (GVM) in the required extremely thin nonlinear crystal and also geometrical effects that require an extremely small beam crossing angle. In this work, we overcome all of these difficulties to build relatively simple devices based on frequency resolved optical gate (FROG) for both types of pulses. We achieved a /spl sim/20 ps delay range in a single-shot geometry by crossing two line-focused beams at a 50/spl deg/ angle, which still allows phase-matching in the crystal.
Incentives in Core-Selecting Auctions

A "core-selecting auction mechanism" is a direct mechanism for a multi-item allocation problem that selects a core allocation with respect to the bidders' reported values and the auctioneer's exogenously given preferences. For every profile of others' reports, a bidder has a best reply that is a truncation report. For every "bidder optimal" core imputation, there exists a profile of truncation reports that is a full-information Nash equilibrium for every core-selecting auction with those payoffs. Among core-selecting auctions, the incentives to deviate from truthful reporting are minimal at every preference profile if and only if the auction always selects a bidder optimal allocation with respect to the reported preferences. Finally, a core-selecting auction that selects a minimum revenue core allocation is a bidder optimal auction and make the seller's revenue a non-decreasing function of the bids, which eliminates distortions that can otherwise occur in the process of bidder application and qualification. All these results have analogues in two-sided matching theory.
Calculation of exchange scattering amplitudes

The wave function used by Rudge as a basis for modifying the Ochkur approximation is generalized The results obtained with the new function cast doubt on the validity of the arguments used by Rudge and Crothers in support of Rudge's modification.
Taxation and Big Brother: Information, Personalization, and Privacy in 21st Century Tax Policy

The transmission and processing of information is at the core of taxation, and one of the great ongoing technological resolutions has been in information technology. Looking forward ten, twenty, or thirty years, what are the implications of technological advancements for tax policy? How will, and how should, tax policy be different twenty years from now than it is today? This paper argues that, although the new technology greatly facilitates the use of taxpayer information to create a personalized tax system, there are forces pushing the tax system in the opposite direction, toward a radically depersonalized tax system, partly out of concern over the infringement on privacy of the information.
Covariant off-shell string amplitudes with auxiliary fields

Abstract We employ BRST invariance to explicitly determine the ghost part of the four-point vertex in Witten's open, bosonic, string field theory. This allows the computation of any covariant off-shell four-point amplitude involving physical as well as first-quantized auxiliary or second-quantized Faddeev-Popov ghost fields. We display some examples and complete the proof of associativity of the star product.
ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS: PRINCIPLES AND VLSI IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract University of PennsylvaniaDepartment of Electrical EngineeringandDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics#Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA This paper gives an overview of the principles andhardware realizations of artificial neural networks. The first section describes the operation of neural networks, using simple examples to illustrate someof its key properties. Next the different architectures are described, including single and multiple perceptron networks, Hopfield and Kohonen nets. A brief discussion of the learning rules employed infeedforward and feedback networks follows. The final section discusses hardware implementations of neural systems with emphasis on analog VLSI. Different approaches for the realizations of neurons and synapses are described. A brief comparison between analog and digital techniques is given. 1. INTRODUCTION Over the last decade, much research has been done on brain-like machines such as adaptive and learning systems, artificial neural systems, associative memories,fuzzy cognitive maps, array processors, parallel machines
Direct comparison of electric field measurement by fluorescence and optogalvanic Stark spectroscopies

Electric field in the cathode fall region of a 2.2 Torr helium dc discharge with 0.8 mA cm-2 current density has been measured from the Stark splittings of 11 1P (unperturbed) Rydberg transition by simultaneous optogalvanic (OG) and fluorescence techniques. The LIF Stark spectra showed narrower linewidths compared to the OG spectra for higher parabolic quantum number states; LIF data also showed broader linewidths for higher parabolic quantum number states compared to the lines in the centre of the manifold. However, the electric fields obtained from the two methods were in agreement with each other within three per cent for all the measured locations in the sheath. A comparison of the OG spectrum with the off-axis LIF data shows a combination of signal gain in the high-field region along with the Stark intensity distribution permits the line-of-sight-averaged OG spectrum to obtain accurate field values in a discharge with modest radial field gradients.
Prediction of Surgical Outcome by Interictal Epileptiform Abnormalities During Intracranial EEG Monitoring in Patients with Extrahippocampal Seizures

Summary: Purpose: Ictal intracranial EEG recordings obtained during continuous preoperative monitoring are often used to localize the region of seizure onset for purposes of surgical resection in patients with extrahippocampal seizures. Whether interictal epileptiform abnormalities during long-term monitoring can predict surgical outcome in this group is not established. Methods: Intracranial EEGs of patients who underwent extrahippocampal resective epilepsy surgery were reviewed for interictal epileptiform abnormalities before medication discontinuation or first seizure occurrence. Interictal abnormalities were categorized as within or beyond the confines of surgical resection. We correlated these findings with the region of seizure onset, the pathologic substrate, and surgical outcome (by using Engel criteria) at 1-year minimum follow-up. Results: Of 13 patients with interictal epileptiform abnormalities, six patients had interictal epileptiform discharges extending beyond the confines of surgical resection. These patients all had poor surgical outcome even if the region of electrographic seizure onset was resected. Seven patients had focal interictal epileptiform discharges, the entire extent of which were resected. All had good outcomes. All patients with structural lesions had focal interictal epileptiform abnormalities and good surgical outcomes. The spatial extent of interictal epileptiform discharges varied among patients with nonstructural lesions. However, those whose regions of interictal epileptiform abnormality were included in surgical resection also had good surgical outcome. Conclusions: The presence of interictal epileptiform discharges extending beyond the area of resection correlates with poor surgical outcome in patients with extrahippocampal epilepsy. In contrast, patients with focal interictal epileptiform discharges included in surgical resection have good surgical outcomes.
Stone Forming Risk Factors in Patients With Type Ia Glycogen Storage Disease

Purpose: Patients with type Ia glycogen storage disease have an increased recurrent nephrolithiasis rate. We identified stone forming risk factors in patients with type Ia glycogen storage disease vs those in stone formers without the disease.Materials and Methods: Patients with type Ia glycogen storage disease were prospectively enrolled from our metabolic clinic. Patient 24-hour urine parameters were compared to those in age and gender matched stone forming controls.Results: We collected 24-hour urine samples from 13 patients with type Ia glycogen storage disease. Average ± SD age was 27.0 ± 13.0 years and 6 patients (46%) were male. Compared to age and gender matched hypocitraturic, stone forming controls patients had profound hypocitraturia (urinary citrate 70 vs 344 mg daily, p = 0.009). When comparing creatinine adjusted urinary values, patients had profound hypocitraturia (0.119 vs 0.291 mg/mg creatinine, p = 0.005) and higher oxalate (0.026 vs 0.021 mg/mg creatinine, p = 0.038) vs other stone form...
A review of neo‐Marxist and revisionist perspectives on African slavery and the postemancipation era in the new world

Meillassoux, Claude. Alide Dasnois, translator. The Anthropology of Slavery: The Womb of Iron and Gold. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991. 421 pp. including notes, references, glossary, and index. $49.95 cloth, $18.95 paper. McGlynn, Frank and Seymour Drescher, eds. The Meaning of Freedom: Economics, Politics, and Culture After Slavery. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1992. viii + 333 pp. including selected bibliography and index. $44.95 cloth, $17.95 paper.
Psychophysiological activity and reactivity and concept identification performance in alcoholics and controls

Detoxified alcoholics and controls were tested on the Concept Identification (CI) task as seven measures of psychophysiological activity and reactivity were recorded. On the CI task, subjects initially learned, by trial and error, to classify geometric patterns until the criterion of 16 consecutive correct responses was reached in 80-160 trials. Fewer alcoholics solved the CI problem than did controls. While working on the CI problem, alcoholics had higher skin conductance level (SCL) and vasomotor (VM) activity than controls. Only alcoholics had significant negative correlations between SCL and VM activity. Also, alcoholics who did not solve the problem had significant negative correlations between response latency and systolic blood pressure. The alcoholics’ abstraction deficit and their sensitivity to failure could explain why they had more psychophysiological activity on the CI problem than did controls.
The link between children's sport participation and self-esteem: Exploring the mediating role of sport self-concept

Abstract Background and Purpose Sport participation is positively associated with indices of adjustment, such as self-esteem, among adolescent participants. Less is known about the processes through which younger children benefit from their sport participation. The purpose of this investigation was to test whether children's sport self-concept mediated the longitudinal associations between time spent in individual- and team-oriented organized sport activities and later self-esteem. Methods We used four waves of data from the Childhood and Beyond Study collected from three cohorts of elementary school-aged children (N = 987), their parents, and their teachers. Results Findings indicated that children who spent more time in team sports, but not time in individual sports, reported higher sport self-concept, which, in turn, was associated with higher self-esteem than their peers. Multi-group analyses suggested that these relations did not vary across gender, sport ability, sport importance beliefs, or peer acceptance. Conclusions Study results suggested that the relations between time spent in sports and children's sport self-concept depends, in part, on whether the time was spent in team or individual sports. This investigation highlighted the value of examining mediating processes so as to better explicate the association between time in sports and self-esteem.
Collagenous Layer Covering the Crown Enamel of Unerupted Permanent Human Teeth

A tissue layer, which was continuous with the cementum covering the roots, was found external to the crown enamel of normal, unerupted permanent human teeth. Light microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and amino acid analysis indicated that the major constituent of this tissue was collagen.
Measurement of the potency of allergy extracts by their inhibitory capacities in the radioallergosorbent test.

Abstract The potencies of 11 commercial extracts of short ragweed pollen were analyzed by skin test end point titration and compared to potency as measured in vitro: (1) by the radioallergosorbent test (RAST), (2) by AgE concentrations, and (3) by protein nitrogen determinations (PNU). RAST potency was determined by the capacity of the extract to inhibit the binding of IgE antibody to solid-phase allergen in the first step of the RAST, and it was expressed as the quantity of extract needed for 50 per cent inhibition of binding. Potencies determined by skin testing in 7 patients were strongly related among the various patients in spite of a 1,000-fold difference in the patients' sensitivity to the extracts. Similarly, potency as measured by RAST inhibition showed about a 1,000-fold difference among the extracts, and the RAST potencies were strongly related to potency as measured by skin testing. Purified antigens derived from short ragweed inhibited binding of IgE antibodies, but the slopes of the inhibition curves were significantly less than those produced by crude or partially purified short ragweed. AgE concentration and PNU concentrations also were correlated with skin test potency, but the range of potencies was less than that found by RAST inhibition. Measurement of the potency of extracts by RAST inhibition should prove useful as a general procedure for the standardization of allergy extracts.