cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating the impact of post randomization changes in staff behavior in infection prevention trials: a mathematical modeling approach

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of behavior-based interventions are particularly vulnerable to post-randomization changes between study arms. We assess the impact of such a change in a large, multicenter study of universal contact precautions to prevent infection transmission in intensive care units. We construct a stochastic mathematical model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) acquisition in a simulated 18-bed intensive care unit (ICU). Using parameters from a recent study of contact precautions that reported a post-randomization change in contact rates, with fewer visits observed in the treatment arm, we explore the impact of several possible interpretations of this change on MRSA acquisition rates. Scenarios where contact precautions resulted in less patient visitation resulted in a mean decrease in MRSA acquisition rate of 37%, accounting for much of the effect reported in the trial. Behavior changes that impact the contact rate have the potential to drastically alter the results of RCTs in infection control settings. Careful monitoring for these changes, and an assessment of which changes will likely have the greatest impact on the study before the study begins are both recommended.
Risk factors for Kaposi’s sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and non-AIDS-defining cancers in the era of highly active anti-retroviral therapy

503 The fact that ovulation induction can raise estradiol and progesterone levels has raised concern about effects on a variety of hormone-sensitive tumors. We recently reported that clomiphene citrate may increase the risk of uterine cancers, and that fertility drugs may also be associated with slight increases in breast and ovarian tumors after long latency periods. This report examines risk of fertility drug use related to melanoma and thyroid, cervical and colon cancers, all of which have been suggested as having possible hormonal etiologies. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 8422 women (155,527 women-years) evaluated for infertility during 1965-88. Through 1999, 581 cancers were ascertained by questionnaire or cancer and death registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) compared cancer risk to the general female population. Analyses within the cohort estimated adjusted rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) associated with fertility drug use. Relative to the general population, infertile woman were at higher risk of melanoma (SIR=1.57; 95% CI, 1.1-2.1) and colon (SIR=1.76; 1.2-2.6) cancers, but not thyroid (SIR=0.99; 0.6-1.6) or cervical (SIR=0.61; 0.3-1.0) cancers. Within the cohort, 39% and 10% of women used clomiphene or gonadotropins, respectively. Clomiphene use was not significantly associated with the risk of melanoma (RR=1.66; 95% CI, 0.9-3.1), or thyroid (1.42; 0.5-3.7), cervical (1.61; 0.5-4.7), or colon (0.83; 0.4-1.9) cancers. Additionally, we found no relationship between clomiphene dose or cycles of use and any of these cancers. Clomiphene use appeared to impart stronger effects on risks of melanoma (RR=2.08; 95% CI, 0.9-4.9), thyroid (1.54; 0.3-8.0), and cervical (2.67; 0.6-11.9) cancers among women who were followed for 15+ years and on risks of melanoma and thyroid cancer among women who remained nulliparous through follow-up (RRs when compared to unexposed parous women of 2.00 (0.9-4.6) and 4.23 (1.0-17.1), respectively). Although used by very few women, we found no evidence that gonadotropins were associated with risk of these cancer sites. Although our data do not implicate fertility drugs as having strong effects on these possibly hormonally-related cancers, further follow-up should be pursued to assess long-term risks and to monitor effects among women who remain nulliparous.
Abstract WMP49: The Impact of Age vs. Age-Related Comorbidities on White Matter Hyperintensity Volume

Introduction: White matter hyperintensity (WMH) at MRIis a marker of cerebral microvascular disease and confers risk for cognitive impairment. The strongest determinant of WMH volume is age, but th...
Incidence of atrioventricular block with vasodilator stress SPECT: A meta-analysis.

Adenosine or regadenoson are often used with pharmacologic stress testing. Adenosine may trigger atrioventricular block (AVB). Despite its higher selectivity, regadenoson has also been associated with AVB. We studied the incidence of de novo AVB with these agents. A comprehensive search of SCOPUS was performed from inception to March 2016. Studies of at least 10 patients, using adenosine and/or regadenoson with SPECT-MPI, reporting rates of AVB were selected for further review. Thirty four studies were pooled including 22,957 patients. Adenosine was used in 21 studies and regadenoson in 15. Both were administered in two studies. The estimated incidence of overall and high-grade AVB was 3.81% (95% CI 1.99%-6.19%) and 1.93% (95% CI 0.77%-3.59%), respectively. The incidence of AVB (8.58%; 95% CI 5.55%-12.21% vs 0.30%; 95% CI 0.04%-0.82%, respectively, P < .001) and high-grade AVB (5.21%; 95% CI 2.81%-8.30% vs 0.05%; 95% CI < .001%-0.19% respectively, P < .001) were higher with adenosine compared to regadenoson. AVB is seen in about 4% of patients undergoing vasodilator stress test. Both overall and high-grade AVB are more frequent with adenosine compared to regadenoson.
Vision Dissonance: Conflicting Conceptions of Bus Sariri

This article discusses how communication in planning processes can be disrupted by dissonance between stakeholders’ Visions, or mental models of a policy situation. The Vision dissonance framework is used to analyze how frames, paradigms, and theorizations act in concert to shape a stakeholder’s problem definition and problem-solving processes. I examine how Vision dissonance between planners and community stakeholders in El Alto, Bolivia, contributed to the failure of an attempt to introduce high-quality bus service. Because the municipality declined to include meaningful opportunities for public participation, incompatibility between Visions remained submerged until it was too late to reconcile them.
A speed-accuracy trade-off in children's processing of scalar implicatures.

Scalar implicatures—inferences from a weak description (“I ate some of the cookies”) that a stronger alternative is not true (“I didn’t eat all”)—are paradigm cases of pragmatic inference. Children’s trouble with scalar implicatures is thus an important puzzle for theories of pragmatic development, given their communicative competence in other domains. Previous research has suggested that access to alternatives might be key. Here, we explore children’s reaction times in a new paradigm for measuring scalar implicature processing. Alongside failures on scalar implicatures with “some,” we replicate previous reports of failures with “none,” and find evidence of a speedaccuracy trade-off for both quantifiers. Motivated by these findings, we explore the relationship between accuracy and reaction time with a Drift Diffusion Model. We find evidence consistent with the hypothesis that preschoolers lack access to relevant alternatives for scalar implicature computation, although this set of alternatives may be broader than previously assumed.
Associations of health insurance coverage, mental health problems, and drug use with mental health service use in US adults: an analysis of 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of mental health service use among US adults, examine the associations of mental health service use with health insurance coverage, mental health problems and ...
Longitudinal Analysis of Superficial Midfacial Fat Volumes Over a 10-Year Period

Volumetric changes to facial fat that occur with aging remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate for longitudinal changes to midfacial fat volumes in a group of individuals. We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study of adult subjects who underwent multiple facial computed tomographic (CT) scans timed at least 8 years apart. Subjects who underwent facial surgery or suffered facial trauma were excluded. Facial CT scans were analyzed, and superficial cheek fat volumes were measured and compared to track changes that occurred with aging. Fourteen subjects were included in our analysis of facial aging (5 male, 9 female; mean initial age 50.9 years; mean final age 60.4 years). In the right superficial cheek there was an increase in mean (SD) superficial fat volume from 10.33 (2.01) to 10.50 (1.80) cc, which was not statistically significant (P = 0.75). Similar results were observed in the left cheek. There were no statistically significant longitudinal changes to caudal, middle, or cephalad subdivisions of bilateral superficial cheek fat. A simple linear regression was performed to predict superficial cheek fat pad volume based on age which did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.31), with an R2 of 0.039. This study is the first to quantitatively assess for longitudinal changes to midfacial fat in a group of individuals. Superficial cheek fat remained stable as subjects aged from approximately 50 to 60 years old, with no change in total volume or redistribution within a radiographically defined compartment. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Birds and mammals share smartly designed neurons

![Graphic][1] Birds can do most things just as well as mammals. Crows use tools to solve complex puzzles. Lyrebirds are expert vocal mimics, putting polyglots to shame. And even the humble pigeon is a discerning enough art critique to distinguish between paintings by Picasso and Monet.
Altruism and Human Kindness: Internal and External Determinants of Helping Behavior

In several incidents, of which the Kitty Genovese tragedy is the best known and best publicized, bystanders have watched without offering assistance while other humans have suffered and even died. In the Genovese case, thirty-eight persons witnessed a woman being repeatedly stabbed; not one intervened, not one called the police.
Detection and Estimation of a Mixture in Power Law Processes for a Repairable System

The power law process has been shown to be a useful tool in characterizing the failure process of repairable systems. In this study, a procedure is proposed for detecting and estimating a mixture of reliable and unreliable systems. Using a simple likeli..
Hydrographic and Tectonic Control of Plankton Distribution and Evolution

The enormous population size and cosmopolitan distributions of many pelagic species in everything from protists to vertebrates suggest that many of them should be relatively resistant to speciation and extinction. Yet evolutionary rates in many pelagic taxa are fast compared to shallow marine benthos whose populations and geographic distributions are smaller by several orders of magnitude. Genetic and Zoogeographic analysis suggest that dispersal is relatively easy for many groups of pelagic fish, pteropods, salps, and planktic foraminifera, compounding the apparent problem of the relatively high rates of evolutionary turnover in many pelagic taxa. Nonetheless, the geographic distributions of these pelagic groups are closely correlated with surface watermasses suggesting that although individuals can cross major hydrographic boundaries, they can grow and reproduce within a much more restricted variety of habitats. In this respect, freely dispersing pelagic taxa resemble wind-dispersed seeds that can go almost anywhere but grow only in favorable environments.
Water uptake in epoxy matrix with voids: Experiments and modeling

The influence of voids on the moisture uptake of epoxy matrix has been studied. Specimens with void contents from 0 to about 50% were prepared. Void geometry and content were analyzed using microsc...
Investigating Aspects of Platform Growth on Crowdsource Driven Recommendation Services

With the advent of the Internet, crowdsourcing platforms are a viable option for the solicitation of labor and distribution of tasks, online. As platforms develop, expand, and evolve, they employ various approaches to assist job owners and workers in searching for suitable tasks where workers' skillsets and job requirements are aligned and compatible. Recommender systems provide a suitable candidate for such purposes and can assist in worker-job matching. In this paper, through experimentation, we investigate the effect that growth in the labor force and job catalog has on the times to produce recommendations, the jobs recommended to workers and the precision of our collaborative-filtering-oriented bottom-up recommender.
"Our lab is the community": Defining essential supporting infrastructure in engagement research.

Introduction Effective patient engagement is central to patient-centered outcomes research. A well-designed infrastructure supports and facilitates patient engagement, enabling study development and implementation. We sought to understand infrastructure needs from recipients of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) pilot grant awards. Methods We surveyed recipients of PCORI pilot project awards on self-perceived strengths in engagement infrastructure through PCORI’s Ways of Engaging-Engagement Activity Tool survey, and interviewed leaders of 8 projects who volunteered as exemplars. Descriptive statistics summarized the survey findings. We conducted a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts. Results Of the 50 surveyed pilots, 22 answered the engagement infrastructure questions (44% response rate). Survey and interview findings emphasized the importance of committed institutional leadership, ongoing relationships with stakeholder organizations, and infrastructure funding through Clinical and Translational Science Awards, PCORI, and institutional discretionary funds. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of and how to improve upon existing institutional infrastructure.
Predicting Anthropometric Measurements from 3D Body Scans: Methods and Evaluation.

This paper presents the results of predicting anthropometric measurements from three-dimensional (3D) body scans based on the data from the US Army anthropometric survey 2012 (ANSURII). The goals are to understand how well 3D surface data are correlated with various anthropometric measurements, and to evaluate a number of statistical prediction methods for their performance in the stated task.
THE GOOD, THE SCAD, AND THE UGLY: A CASE OF POSTPARTUM ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is a rare form of non-atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and a leading cause of peripartum myocardial infarction. A 29 year old female with emergent c-section 10 days prior for placental abruption presented to ED with 2 hours of chest pressure,
Constrictive Pericarditis After Lung Transplantation

As a rare complication after lung transplant, cardiac constriction should not be missed. Physical exam, echocardiography, and catheterization are essential for diagnosis A 65-year-old man with previous coronary artery disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis underwent bilateral lung transplant and subsequently presented for progressive dyspnea and volume overload. Cardiac imaging and cardiac catheterization confirmed constriction, and complete pericardiectomy was performed. The patient had rapid resolution of heart failure symptoms. Pericardial constriction is a rare complication following lung transplant, and we provide a review of the literature and discussion of potential contributing factors. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
Security Vulnerabilities of Obfuscated Analog Circuits

Vulnerabilities of key based analog obfuscation methodologies that modify the transistor dimensions of a circuit are evaluated. Two attack vectors on a common source amplifier, differential amplifier, operational amplifier, and voltage controlled oscillator are developed. The first attack exploits the lack of possible key combinations permitted around the correct key, which is a result of requiring a unique key to lock the circuit. An average of 5 possible key combinations were returned in an average of 5.47 seconds when executing the key spacing attack. The second attack vector utilizes the monotonic relationship between the sizing of the transistors and the functional response of the circuit to determine the correct key. The average time to execute the attack, while assuming process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variation of 10%, was 1.18 seconds. Both equal key spacing and non-monotonic key dependencies are discussed as ways to mitigate the threats to future analog obfuscation techniques.
A Systematic Review on Airbag-Induced Burns.

Background Airbags significantly reduce fatalities and injuries in automobile crashes, but they have been found to be associated with burns. Specifically, airbags can cause burns through thermal or chemical mechanisms and commonly affect the arms, hands, face, and eyes. While most airbag-induced burns are minor, some may cause unfavorable outcomes. Our study aimed to systematically review airbag-induced burns to assess etiology, type and treatment of these injuries. Methods A systematic review of case reports pertaining to airbag-induced cutaneous and ocular burns was conducted. Data reviewed included type/location of burns, severity of burn, total number of patients, treatment, complications, and outcome after treatment. Results We identified 21 case reports that met our inclusion criteria with a total of 24 patients reported in the studies. Of the studies identified, 38% were chemical burns and 25% were thermal burns. Most commonly the upper extremities were burned in 42% of cases, followed by eyes (25%) and face (21%). Most burns identified were superficial partial-thickness (58%). Treatment outcomes were good for cutaneous burns, with 95% healing without complication. However, ocular injuries lead to permanent impaired eye function in 71% of cases. Conclusion In our systematic review, we highlighted the common risk factors, prognosis, and treatment for thermal, chemical, and ocular burns. Airbag-induced burns have a relatively good prognosis but must be recognized and treated immediately to reduce the risk of serious sequelae.
The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Activates a Maladaptive Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response

Mitochondrial activity determines aging rate and the onset of chronic diseases. The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) is a pathological pore in the inner mitochondrial membrane thought to be composed of the F-ATP synthase (complex V). Oligomycin sensitivity-conferring protein (OSCP), a subunit of F-ATP synthase, helps protect against mPTP formation. How the destabilization of OSCP may contribute to aging, however, is unclear. We have found that loss OSCP in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans initiates the mPTP and shortens lifespan specifically during adulthood, in part via initiation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of the mPTP inhibits the UPRmt and restores normal lifespan. The mitochondria of long-lived mutants are buffered from the maladaptive UPRmt, partially via the transcription factor FOXO3a/daf-16. Our findings reveal how the mPTP/UPRmt nexus may contribute to aging and age-related diseases and how inhibition of the UPRmt may be protective under certain conditions.
The Galactic Positron Annihilation Radiation & The Propagation of Positrons in the Interstellar Medium

We consider positron propagation in the interstellar medium and show that the positrons from the beta-plus decay chains of the radioactive nuclei Ni-56, Ti-44, and Al-26, produced in Galactic supernovae, can fully account for all the features of the diffuse Galactic 511 keV annihilation radiation observed by INTEGRAL/SPI. We also predict additional measurable features that can further test the origin of positrons and provide new information on the nature of the interstellar medium.
Inferring the concentration of dark matter subhaloes perturbing strongly lensed images

We demonstrate that the perturbations of strongly lensed images by low-mass dark matter subhalos are significantly impacted by the concentration of the perturbing subhalo. For subhalo concentrations expected in $\Lambda$CDM, significant constraints on the concentration can be obtained at HST resolution for subhalos with masses larger than about $10^{10}M_\odot$. Constraints are also possible for lower mass subhalos, if their concentrations are higher than the expected scatter in CDM. We also find that the concentration of lower mass perturbers down to $\sim 10^8M_\odot$ can be well-constrained with a resolution of $\sim 0.01''$, which is achievable with long-baseline interferometry. Subhalo concentration also plays a critical role in the detectability of a perturbation, such that only high concentration perturbers with mass $\lesssim 10^9M_\odot$ are likely to be detected at HST resolution. If scatter in the $\Lambda$CDM mass-concentration relation is not accounted for during lens modeling, the inferred subhalo mass can be biased by up to a factor of 3(6) for subhalos of mass $10^9 M_\odot$($10^{10} M_\odot$); this bias can be eliminated if one varies both mass and concentration during lens fitting. Alternatively, one may robustly infer the projected mass within the subhalo's perturbation radius, defined by its distance to the critical curve of the lens being perturbed. With a sufficient number of detections, these strategies will make it possible to constrain the halo mass-concentration relation at low masses in addition to the mass function, offering a probe of dark matter physics as well as the small-scale primordial power spectrum.
The ethics of zero-day exploits---: the NSA meets the trolley car

Are U.S. government employees behaving ethically when they stockpile software vulnerabilities?
Considering the Role of Money and Gifts in the (Re)-construction of Motherhood and Family Among Indonesian Transnational Female Domestic Workers

Most studies on female migrants as money earners claim that this new context of labor exhibits two distinct realms of either the commodification of love and care or the expression of care where money and emotion intertwine in maintaining family relationships and in creating reciprocity and exchange. I explore different modes of using money and gifts in addition to the major framework of economization of emotion and the emotionalization of money. I differentiate the gifts from money as it refers to non-cash gifts or in-kind gifts. This paper investigates other cultural contexts and social-political dynamics that possibly induce the construction of different roles of money and gifts. It assesses the kinship strategies and mechanisms female migrants, and their stayed-behind children develop in response to physical separation by sending money and gifts and their resistance to the state’s dominant version of the family and money. This paper elaborates how money and gifts connect to women’s identity as transnational mothers to redefine their parenting roles as main economic providers and their identity as transnational family members. It has some bearing on creating a new identity as women that might be not akin to the state’s gender politics and the politics of family as well as state maternalism. The study interrogates how sending and receiving money and gifts in a transnational family engenders transformation in the construction of the family and motherhood. I analyze how the practice of sending money and gifts challenges the state’s politics of traditional family and gender by examining how sending money and gifts frequently gains legitimacy with the migrant mothers’ claim of having a good family even though they do not adhere to traditional family norms.
“We Roll our Sleeves up and get to Work!”: Portraits of Collective Action and Neighborhood Change in Atlanta's West End:

Collective action is one strategy urban neighborhood residents use to address community issues. However, collective action dynamics in rapidly changing urban neighborhoods are not well understood. ...
The Video Computer Microscope and A.R.G.O.S.

The structural study of neurons was begun about 1900 with the classical works of Santiago Ramon y Cajal, a Spanish neuroanatomist. Many contemporary neurohistologists still follow his method of drawing and describing the delicately impregnated neurons using the Golgi technique. Although this method has enormously advanced our understanding of the structure of central nervous systems, the method is subjective and, as a consequence, has led to many disputes among leading authorities in the field (Sholl, 1956).
Acceptable and Controversial Approaches to Treating the Child With Learning Disabilities

There are many professionals in multiple disciplines developing approaches for helping children with learning disabilities. Much of these data and reports are published in journals normally not read by physicians. On occasion, such publications are reported in newspapers or lay magazines. Thus, parents may know of ideas and suggestions before the professional. It is understandable that the parent of a handicapped child would continually seek out improved ways of helping his or her child. The treatment of choice is basically special education. Medication will minimize the hyperactivity and distractability; psychotherapy may minimize the emotional effects. However, special educational therapy for the underlying learning disabilities is essential. No one yet has a rapid or "guaranteed" cure. Parents are often caught in the middle. They turn to their physician for guidance. It is the purpose of this paper to review the significant literature in an effort to assist the family physician in providing this guidance.
Regulation of PPARγ activity during adipogenesis

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a nuclear receptor regulating an array of diverse functions in a variety of cell types including regulation of genes associated with growth and differentiation. Its most notable function is to regulate development of adipose tissue, which involves coordinating expression of many hundreds of genes responsible for establishment of the mature adipocyte phenotype. Our recent studies have demonstrated a role for MEK/ERK signaling and CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBP)β in regulating expression of PPARγ during adipogenesis. Furthermore, we have shown that cAMP-dependent signaling along with C/EBPβ leads to the stimulation of PPARγ activity by mechanisms that probably involve production of PPARγ ligands. Additionally, we have recently demonstrated that phosphorylation of C/EBPβ at a consensus ERK/GSK3 site is required for the PPARγ-associated expression of adiponectin during the terminal stages of adipogenesis. GSK3β also influences PPARγ activity by regulating the turnover and subcellular localization of β-catenin, a potent transcriptional activator of Wnt signaling. In fact, we have recently shown a crosstalk between PPARγ and β-catenin signaling. Specifically, activation of PPARγ induces the degradation of β-catenin during preadipocyte differentiation by mechanisms that require GSK3β and the proteasome. In contrast, expression of a GSK3β-phosphorylation-defective β-catenin renders β-catenin resistant to the degradatory action of PPARγ. Interestingly, expression of the mutant β-catenin blocks expression of adiponectin and C/EBPα in response to the activation of PPARγ.
Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Cast Mg AZ31B Alloy Produced by the Magnetic Suspension Melting Process

Magnesium is the lightest of all structural metals and offers significant weight savings compared to traditional automotive materials. This paper describes the macrostructure and the micro structure of Mg AZ31B alloy produced via the Magnetic Suspension Melting (MSM) technique at a low superheat of 5°C. It was found that casting at this low superheat produced a fine globular grain structure in comparison to a dendritic structure in conventionally cast alloys. The intermetallic phases were analyzed in detail and compared with the conventionally cast alloy. In the MSM cast alloy, the Mg17Al12 phase formed mainly at the grain boundaries, in contrast to typical dendritic entrapment of this phase within the grains in conventional castings. The formation of the Al-rich secondary-α phase during solidification was investigated. The effects of this morphology change on mechanical and fracture behavior of this material are presented. These results are discussed relative to conventionally cast Mg alloys.
Congenital tumor of atrioventricular node with complete heart block and sudden death. Mesothelioma or lymphangio-endothelioma of atrioventricular node.

Abstract A case of congenital complete heart block caused by a tumor involving the atrioventricular (A-V) node is presented. The patient had had Stokes-Adams attacks from age 3 years until her death at age 19. The morphologic features and developmental origin of the tumor discovered at autopsy are discussed, and a heterotopic epithelial origin from the primitive foregut is favored. Although rare, this lesion should be considered an etiologic possibility when complete heart block is present in a young person.
Capture cross section: A variable duty cycle charge pumping study

The performance and reliability of any transistor structure is largely dominated by the presence of interface and/or near interface defects. Monitoring the presence, quantity, and nature of these defects has been the topic of countless research efforts spanning a wide variety of measurement techniques (charge pumping, conductance, etc.). These measurements are very often used to extract defect capture cross section values and, in most cases, assign them as intrinsic properties of the defect [1]-[10]. It is however extremely troubling that the interface state capture cross section values reported for the most basic and well understood material system (Si/SiO2) ranges (Fig. 1) from 10−12 cm2–10−23 cm2 [1]-[10]. Considering this unsettlingly broad range of values, it is quite tempting to discount the reported values as mere fitting parameters. In this study we perform a variant on charge pumping (CP), that we call variable duty-cycle charge pumping (VDC-CP) [11] which provides a direct and simple physics interpretation of the interface state capture process while retaining the high sensitivity of conventional CP. The results are interpreted using transition state theory to extract defect energy levels without any assumption of a capture cross section. The extracted energy levels are in excellent agreement with those measured directly using a spectroscopic CP technique, proving the utility of VDC-CP as well as the validity of applying the transition-state theory to measured kinetic data. This successful methodology is then used to explain why capture cross section is not an inherent property of interface defects and does not provide insight into the governing physics of charge capture [12].
Exotic smoothness in 4 Dimensions and Semiclassical Euclidean Quantum Gravity

In this paper we present a model for 4 dimensional quantum gravity constructed using exotic smooth structure. We calculate the semi-classical expectation value of volume and correlation functions for several gravitational free-field actions and find that the results are similar, independent of the particular action that is chosen. These are first results of their kind in dimension 4, and represent a general method with which to formulate the partition function for quantum gravity. These topological features can have physical significant results without the need for additional exotic physics.
Looking for Leadership in the European Union

grasp the role of leadership in these negotiations. Noting the paucity of sophisticated theorizing about leadership in the EU context (and arguably elsewhere), Beach and Mazzucelli propose a "leadership model" as a bridge between the intergovernmental and institutionalist (or neofunctionalist, in some variants) traditions in EU studies (p. 2). Intergovernmentalism posits that EU treaty bargains can be understood as direct, efficient bargains between distinct and rational national governments (Moravcsik 1998). Institutionalists argue, in various ways, that EU institutions and agents alter national bargaining over the treaties, delivering outcomes that are different from what states would reach on their own (Sandholtz and Stone-Sweet 1998). The leadership model, write Beach and Mazzucelli, explains "why different actors are able to provide guidance and leadership in European Union treaty reform negotiations" (p. 2). Beach and Mazzucelli define leadership as "any action undertaken by an actor in order to attempt to solve collective action problems through the use of leadership resources" (p. 2). Demand for leadership in the EU rises, they theorize, as bargaining involves more players and more complex issues. Collective action problems and informational asymmetries multiply. They suggest that actors can supply leadership to the extent that they command leadership resources: material resources, information of expertise, reputation, or "internal capacity" (meaning organizational coherence and control). The chapters chart these measures of demand and supply of leadership across various negotiations, issues, and actors. They address French, Dutch, Irish, Italian, Franco-German, British, and Polish national leadership at various points during the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as the impact of the European Commission, European Parliament, and the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. Students of the EU will clearly profit from the expert information contained in these case studies. Their contribution in theoretical terms, however, is less clear. Two ambiguities confuse the effort to bridge intergovernmentalism and institutionalism. The first problem is that the volume's leadership focus often sounds like new vocabulary applied to conventional accounts. Given that Beach and Mazzucelli basically define leadership as any attempt to get others to do something together, any strategy that aims at building a coalition-that is, almost any strategy in the context of EU treaty negotiations-is an example of
The introductory financial accounting course: Its role in the curriculum for accounting majors

Abstract This paper reports a study that addressed two related research questions. The first concerns the proper emphasis in teaching introductory financial accounting in terms of the conceptual and procedural aspects of the subject. The second deals with the adequacy of introductory courses in preparing accounting majors for their intermediate and advanced accounting courses. Professors who had recently taught intermediate and/or advanced accounting responded to a questionnaire designed to answer the above questions. A recent study of the curriculum for accounting majors helped provide a framework for part of the questionnaire. The responses provide some evidence favoring a more conceptual emphasis, although it is not conclusive. There is a clear indication that these professors perceive the preparation received by accounting majors to be inadequate. A related finding is that more study of the accounting curriculum is needed, especially in terms of when the various topics should be taught.
The vibrational spectra of α-MoPO5 and α-NbPO5

Infrared and Raman spectra were measured and analyzed for α-MoPO5 and α-NbPO5. Band assignments made for these phases using normal coordinate analysis were consistent with those made earlier for α-VPO5. Trends in related force constants from their modified valence force fields can be interpreted on the basis of differences in their chemical parameters.
TRANSFER OF GENERAL SKILLS ACROSS DOMAINS: COMPUTER PROGRAM DEBUGGING AND TROUBLESHOOTING OF CIRCUITS

A general finding in psychological studies is that little to no transfer occurs across domains. This research proposes four components as critical elements for finding across domain transfer: 1) examining a single level of skill, 2) transfer of domain general knowledge, 3) extensive practice, and 4) specific training on the strategies used. To test these components, the skill of diagnosis will be examined. General diagnostic skill should transfer, but specific knowledge such as computer programming knowledge or electronic component knowledge should not transfer.The experiments focus on the transfer of diagnostic strategies across domains by examining computer progra m debugging and electronic troubleshooting. The first experiment examines spontaneous transfer of skill by asking experts and novices to solve debugging and troubleshooting problems. The results from this experiment will expose strategies that are used spontaneously when experienced programmers encounter the troubleshootin g problems. The second experiment examines subjects who have little to no experience with either computer programming or electronic troubleshooting. The results from this second experiment will test whether or not training can influence transfer of across domains.To summarize, the current research provides a good analysis of the components of skills and a specific definition and measure of transfer. Extensive training in programming should enable transfer of general diagnostic skills to an electronic troubleshooting task. Thus, if extensive training on how to debug computer programs, with specific training on the skill is provided, and students are asked to reflect on how that skill is used, students should be able to use the diagnosis skill on other types o f diagnostic tasks. Therefore, the skill of diagnosis can be transferable to other situations.
Analysis of the RAD54 gene on chromosome 1p as a potential tumor-suppressor gene in parathyroid adenomas

Parathyroid adenomas causing primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) frequently exhibit allelic loss of DNA markers on the short arm of chromosome 1, indicating the presence of one or more tumor-suppressor genes on 1p. Since the development of pHPT is enhanced in individuals exposed to ionizing radiation to the neck, it could be anticipated that genes involved in DNA repair and recombination may be special targets for mutation in parathyroid tumorigenesis, whether irradiation-associated or not. RAD54 is a member of a family of genes involved in such functions, and RAD54 knockout mice show increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation. The localization of the RAD54 gene to 1p32 has therefore elevated it to a most compelling candidate parathyroid tumor-suppressor gene. Twelve parathyroid adenomas demonstrating allelic loss at chromosome 1p were selected from 55 parathyroid adenomas previously analyzed for loss of heterozygosity using polymorphic microsatellite markers. All 18 exons of the RAD54 gene were fully analyzed by automated sequencing for detection of point mutations or micro-deletions in each parathyroid adenoma. No mutational aberrations were detected in the RAD54 gene, strongly suggesting that complete somatic inactivation of RAD54 is infrequently, if ever, associated with the development of parathyroid adenomas. Whether genes controlling DNA repair and recombination are involved in parathyroid neoplasia remains to be determined. Int. J. Cancer 83:80–82, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Flexural wave propagation in discontinuous model and in vitro tibiae.

Abstract The change in the characteristics of propagating flexural waves due to the introduction of a discontinuity in an aluminum beam representing a zero-order model of a fractured human tibia and of an in vitro tibia was investigated. It was found that amplitudes of the transmitted waves decreased linearly, while reflected waves increased with the depth of cuts simulating a partial fracture for both types of specimen above a certain threshold. Completely severed segments reglued by silicone rubber transmitted only small-amplitude and low-frequency flexural waves. The experimental data for the beam tests generally agreed with the results of a corresponding finite element analysis based on the Euler-Bernoulli equation, although some of the important details were absent in the prediction. Transverse impact tests were also performed on in vitro tibiae in an intact state, in a fractured state, and in a condition having a surgical compressional plate mounted across the fracture site. The resultant wave forms were different from those of the beam because of dissimilar geometrical configurations and material properties. These tests provided some basic data that might find application in the possible use of flexural waves as a diagnostic tool for the assessment of the state of healing of fractured long bones.
Toward Improved Convection-Allowing Ensembles: Model Physics Sensitivities and Optimizing Probabilistic Guidance with Small Ensemble Membership

Abstract During the 2007 NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Experiment, the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS) at the University of Oklahoma produced a daily 10-member 4-km horizontal resolution ensemble forecast covering approximately three-fourths of the continental United States. Each member used the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model core, which was initialized at 2100 UTC, ran for 33 h, and resolved convection explicitly. Different initial condition (IC), lateral boundary condition (LBC), and physics perturbations were introduced in 4 of the 10 ensemble members, while the remaining 6 members used identical ICs and LBCs, differing only in terms of microphysics (MP) and planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations. This study focuses on precipitation forecasts from the ensemble. The ensemble forecasts reveal WRF-ARW sensitivity to MP and PBL schemes. For example, over the 7-week experiment, the Mellor–Yamada–Janjic PBL and Ferrier M...
Staffing the Introductory Psychology Course in Graduate Departments

Psychology departments with graduate programs were surveyed to examine how large, research-oriented programs are handling the introductory course in psychology. Particular interest was paid to differences between master's-only and doctoral programs and to staffing difficulties and solutions to such problems.
Current Treatment of Selected Pediatric Sleep Disorders

While pediatric sleep disorders are relatively common, treatments are often not straightforward. There is often a paucity of gold standard studies and data available to guide clinicians, treatments may yield arguably incomplete results, interventions may require chronic use, and/ or involve multiple modalities including behavioral interventions that require high parental and family commitment. This review points out diagnostic differences compared to adults and focuses on current therapy for selected common pediatric sleep disorders including sleep disordered breathing/ obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome. Other common pediatric sleep disorders, such as insomnia and parasomnias, are not covered.
Comparative forcing of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailer’ as a florist's hydrangea

Abstract ‘Bailer’ (Endless Summer™) is a new, pink- or blue-flowered hydrangea that flowers on new wood continuously throughout the growing season. It is also winter-hardy in northern, temperate climates (USDA Z4). Use of Endless Summer as a florist's potted hydrangea would provide consumers with a dual-use product (flowering potted plant, landscape shrub). The objectives were to determine if Endless Summer could be forced as a florist's hydrangea using two forcing regimes (immediate, standard), two soil pH regimes, and two pinching treatments. ‘Merritt Supreme Pink’ (pink), ‘Blue Danube’ (blue), and Endless Summer (blue, pink) were forced under immediate (no cold treatment, short- and long-day photoperiods) and standard (6 weeks cold, 4 °C to overcome dormancy) conditions. Since commercial liners were not yet available, cuttings of Endless Summer were used in the immediate forcing experiment. Days to visible flower bud, first color, full flower were recorded, as well as height, no. of branches, no. of flowers, and flower size. In the immediate forcing experiment, only Endless Summer produced flowers. Cultivars differed significantly ( P
Electrochemical models for the radical annihilation reactions in organic light-emitting diodes

Bilayer organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), based upon vacuum deposited molecules, or single layer OLEDs, based upon spin-cast polymeric materials, doped with these same molecules, produce light from emissive states of the lumophores which are created through annihilation reactions of radical species, which can be modeled through solution electrochemistry. Difference seen in solution reduction and oxidation potentials of molecular components of OLEDs are a lower limit estimate to the differences in energy of these same radical species in the condensed phase environmental. The light emitted from an aluminum quinolate (Alq3)/triarylamine (TPD)-based OLED, or an Alq3/PVK single layers OLED, can be reproduce from solution cross reactions of Alq3/TPD+. The efficiency of this process increases as the oxidation potential of the TPD increases, due to added substituents. Radical cations and anions of solubilized version of quinacridone dopants (DIQA) which have been used to enhance efficiencies in these OLEDs, are shown to be electrochemically more stable than Alq3 and Alq3, and DIQA radical annihilation reactions produce the same emissive state as in the quinacridone-doped OLEDs. Electrochemical studies demonstrate the ways in which other dopants might enhance the efficiency and shift the color output of OLEDs, across the entire visible and near-IR spectrum. Chemical degradation pathways of these same molecular components, which they may undergo during OLED operation, are also revealed by these electrochemical studies.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Trapping and collection of uniform size droplets using a well array inside a microchannel

This paper presents a simple and fast method for droplet trapping and collection. This method is size-dependent, therefore droplets having various sizes caused by unstable inlet flows can be eliminated. There is no need for any additional controls for selective trapping of droplets, and all trapped droplets can be simply collected at the outlet. We had verified the capability of aqueous droplet trapping and collection using hexadecane as the continuous phase. Due to its simplicity and high efficiency for selective trapping and collection, this method can become one of the key essentials in droplet-based microfluidic assays such as single cell analysis or nanoparticle synthesis.
Exact surface impedance for a cylindrical conductor

We use the rigorous field expressions for a cylindrical conductor with arbitrary excitation to obtain an exact expression for the surface-impedance matrix. This is used as the basis for the development of the approximate representations that have engineering usefulness. Their limitations are indicated.
Localized measurement of penetration depth for a high Tc superconductor single crystal using a magnetic force microscope

Abstract We have measured the temperature dependence of the penetration depth, λ ( T ), down to 6.7 K in a YBCO single crystal using a homemade, frequency-modulated magnetic force microscope. It employs a piezo-resistive cantilever oscillating at its resonant frequency with a magnetic tip located on the free end. The magnetic field generated from the tip induces a shielding current in the sample that in turn interacts with the magnetic tip (magnetic levitation force). We first measured the force gradient (by measuring the change in cantilever's effective resonant frequency) between the tip and the sample as a function of their separation, a : F ′ = F ′ ( a , T ) at different temperatures. A model in which λ ( T ) is an adjustable parameter is then exploited to fit the data. The λ ( T ) thus obtained grows with T in terms of λ (0)(1+ T 2 / T c 2 ) for T / T c ⩽0.786 and λ (0)/(1− T 2 / T c 2 ) 1/2 for T / T c ⩾0.786, which is in good agreement with macroscopic measurements.