cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reactive ion etching of diamond as a means of enhancing chemically-assisted mechanical polishing efficiency

Abstract Diamond, due to its unique combination of excellent thermal, electrical and mechanical properties, is a candidate material for MCM thermal management. However, because of inherent limitations in its growth, some degree of post-deposition surface finishing is usually required. This paper describes the results of reactive ion etching (RIE) of polycrystalline diamond films in an oxygen plasma. The etching procedure was characterized in terms of etch rate and impact on the surface morphology of the diamond and its potential as a pretreatment for the chemically-assisted mechanical polishing (CAMP) of diamond films. Diamond films deposited by both DC arcjet chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and microwave plasma CVD (MPCVD) were used in this work. The etch rate is shown to increase with increasing RF power, chamber pressure and a restricted range of oxygen flow rate. At low pressures, etching occurs primarily in the grain boundary regions, whereas, at high pressures, microchannels are formed near the tips of individual crystallites. Etching at low powers produces uniform surface pitting and columnar structures over the entire surface. Etching also causes all films to darken in color. The degree of darkening increases with increasing etch rate and etch time. Etch rates are in the range of 50–100 nm/min for the DC arcjet films and 50–60 nm/min for the MPCVD films. Etching reduced the average surface roughness by approximately 50%.
RELATION OF PATTERN SPACING TO PATTERN DISCRIMINATION IN THE HOODED RAT

To determine the relation of pattern spacing to improved learning with large pattern-small background combinations, rats were trained with: 1-sq. in. patterns on narrowly-spaced 4-sq. in. backgroun...
The case of the identically accelerated twins

A variation on the ‘‘twin paradox’’ of special relativity is presented wherein twins undergo the same acceleration for the same length of time, yet they age differently. Although this problem is simple to solve, it gets to the heart of the behavior of clocks in special relativity and, hopefully, will help to dispel the notion students develop that the acceleration experienced by a relativistic traveler is directly related to the rate at which that traveler ages.
Thermotolerance and the Heat Shock Response in Normal Human Keratinocytes in Culture

Abstract Protective responses of normal human epidermal keratinocytes in culture, after exposure to elevated temperatures ("heat shock"), were examined. Cell viability, measured 24–48 h after a 20-min heat challenge at temperatures between 37°C and 54°C, declined sharply within a narrow 2°–3°C range. However, conditioning with a mild thermal pretreatment (40°C or 42°C for 1 h) protected the keratinocytes against a subsequent heat challenge. This induced thermotolerance was apparent when cells were challenged at 1, 3, and 6 h after the thermal pre-treatment, but disappeared by 24 h. Heating conditions that induce thermotolerance also stimulated the synthesis of heat-shock proteins (hsp) in these cells. Inductions of prominent 35 S-methionine labeled bands at 70, 78, and 90 kDa were observed. However, the increases in synthesis of these heat-shock proteins did not correlate well with thermotolerance, because large increases were also observed at certain elevated temperatures that did not produce improved survival. Keratins observed in these cells (50 and 58 kDa classes) were not induced by heat shock. The development of thermotolerance, and the induction of hsp, were both completely blocked by 3′-deoxyadenosine (cordycepin), an inhibitor of newly synthesized messenger RNA, but not by adenosine, the normal analog. While heat inducible mRNA apparently mediate some function important for the development of thermotolerance, the nature of that role remains speculative. Overall, our findings establish the existence of a functional thermal protective mechanism in human keratinocytes that appears to require the synthesis of new mRNA.
Lithologic characterization using airborne gravity gradient and aeromagnetic data for mineral exploration: A case study in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Brazil

AbstractWe present a study on utilizing airborne gravity gradient and magnetic data to characterize an iron ore formation in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The target iron ore bodies have a distinctly high density contrast and produce well-defined anomalies in airborne gravity gradiometry data. The high-grade hematite iron ores are associated with low and moderate susceptibility, making magnetic data useful in distinguishing potential ore bodies from the host iron formation. The airborne gravity gradient and magnetic data over part of the Gandarela Syncline iron formation in the Quadrilatero Ferrifero are independently inverted to obtain a 3D susceptibility and density contrast model. These detailed 3D physical property distributions of subsurface features are then used for geologic characterization and interpretation purposes through lithologic associations. We outline two approaches to link the two physical property distributions and identify representative geologic units in the study area. The geologic units ar...
The Dolomite Problem Revisited1

A reassessment of the abundance of dolomite in carbonate sediments has confirmed that carbonates deposited during the past 150 Ma contain, on average, less dolomite than Proterozoic and Paleozoic c...
Crisis as Shirking: An Agency Theory Explanation of the Souring of American Civil-Military Relations:

The alleged crisis in American civil-military relations is best explained by grounding it in a general theory rather than in an ad hoc exegesis of recent events. This article introduces the agency ...
Prenatal stress: consequences of glucocorticoids on hippocampal development and function

Prenatally stressed offspring exhibit a variety of physiological and behavioral alterations. This paper highlights those alterations associated with prenatal stress-induced elevations in glucocorticoid secretion. Three major alterations are identified that may be produced by glucocorticoid-induced actions on the developing hippocampus. Changes include reductions in steroid receptors that bind endogenous glucocorticoids, enhanced secretion of stress hormones and increased reactivity or emotionality in stressful situations. Some of these alterations may be ameliorated by early postnatal environmental manipulations such as adoption and handling procedures. These latter results suggest that prenatal stress-induced effects of glucocorticoids extend into the early postnatal period to produce long-term hippocampal and behavioral alterations. Support for this hypothesis is based on studies demonstrating that the hippocampus undergoes considerable maturational changes during the early postnatal period such as establishing the regional distribution of corticosteroid receptor densities and development of hippocampal dentate gyrus cells as well as cholinergic systems. Hippocampal corticosteroid receptors are involved in the regulation of glucocorticoid negative feedback and hippocampal dentate gyrus and cholinergic development are influenced by endogenous glucocorticoids and are implicated in the development of defensive or stress-induced behavior. The developing hippocampus appears especially vulnerable to alterations induced by prenatal stress-induced elevations in glucocorticoids that continue to produce their effects throughout the early postnatal period.
The thermal activation energy of crystalline Sb2Se3

Abstract Crystalline Sb 2 Se 3 exhibits intrinsic-like electrical conductivity behavior with varying thermal activation energies. An explanation is offered based on the incorporation of native defects during crystal growth.
Partners in Pedagogy: Collaborative Teaching for Beginning Foreign Language Classes

This article describes the “Partners in Pedagogy Program,” a team-teaching structure for the first-year French and Spanish language courses at the Plattsburgh State University of New York during the 1993–1995 academic years. The overall goals of the program were (1) to facilitate pedagogical cooperation between college foreign language and literature faculty and local middle and high school teachers; (2) to improve articulation between secondary and post-secondary foreign language curricula; and (3) to maintain or even strengthen the communicative skills of students, particularly speaking and listening, while increasing class size. Participants were faculty at Plattsburgh State University and local secondary teachers. The college faculty met with 25–30 university students on Mondays and Wednesdays for presentation of structures, as well as practice in reading comprehension and writing. High school teachers met with smaller groups of 15 students on Tuesdays and Thursdays for conversational practice of the structures and vocabulary building. Departmental faculty coordinated courses, meeting with their partners once a week to discuss pertinent issues related to syllabi, instructional material, procedures of testing and grading criteria. Both students and instructors responded favorably to the “Partners in Pedagogy Program.” Students commented that the conversational sessions allowed them to apply linguistic structures in more practical and realistic contexts. The atmosphere was relaxed, thus reducing learner anxiety. The program also helped both faculty and high school teachers develop an articulated foreign language curriculum in which they shared, discussed and agreed on the FL goals, instructional strategies and evaluation standards. The authors suggest that this type of teaching structure can enhance FL instruction.
Targeted Drug Aeroso Deposition Analysis for a Four-Generation Lung Airway Model With Hemispherical Tumors

One important research area of broad interest is the development of highly efficient drug delivery systems for desired site deposition and uptake. For example, controlled drug aerosol release and targeting to specific regions of the lung is a novel way to combat lung diseases, diabetes, virus infections, cancers, etc. Determination of feasible air-particle streams is a prerequisite for the development of such delivery devices, say, smart inhalers. The concept of "controlled particle release and targeting" is introduced and results are discussed for a representative model of bronchial lung airways afflicted with hemispherical tumors of different sizes and locations. It is shown that under normal particle inlet conditions a particle mass fraction of only up to 11% may deposit on the surface of a specific tumor with critical radius r/R approximately 1.25, while a controlled particle release achieves deposition fractions of 35 to 92% for a realistic combination of inlet Stokes and Reynolds numbers, depending mainly on tumor size. Furthermore, with the controlled release and targeting approach nearby healthy tissue is hardly impacted by the typically aggressive drug aerosols. Assuming laminar, quasi-steady, three-dimensional air flow and spherical non-interacting micron-particles in sequentially bifurcating rigid airways, the results were obtained using a validated commercial finite-volume code with user-enhanced programs on a high-end engineering workstation. The new concept is generic and hence should be applicable to other regions of the respiratory system as well.
Assessing Normal Growth of Hepatic Hemangiomas During Long-term Follow-up

Importance Few long-term data describe the natural history of hepatic hemangiomas. Because these lesions are frequently imaged repetitively on studies performed for other indications, health care professionals are commonly confronted with the problem of a growing hemangioma. Because the rate and magnitude of normal growth is not well characterized, it is difficult to recognize lesions growing at an abnormal rate, which may require further evaluation or intervention. Objectives To establish quantitatively the expected growth rate of hepatic hemangiomas and to define a measure of hemangioma growth that could be used clinically to help identify hemangiomas for which growth is more than expected. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study at an academic hospital tertiary referral center evaluating the growth rate of hepatic hemangiomas on cross-sectional imaging studies during a 10-year period (1997-2007). The mean (SD) follow-up time was 3.7 (1.9) years. The radiology information system was searched in a 10-year period for hemangioma . Patients with hepatic hemangiomas that were 1 cm or larger as seen on cross-sectional imaging (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging), and 1 year or more apart were selected. Images with the longest interval between studies were selected for further review. Each study was rereviewed for diagnostic confirmation and to ensure consistency in measurement technique. Lesions were remeasured in 3 dimensions, and volumes were calculated using 3-dimensional software. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes include the fraction of hepatic hemangiomas that demonstrated growth during long-term follow-up and the annual growth rate of those lesions. Results A total of 163 hemangiomas were identified in 123 patients. The mean (SD) initial size was 3.2 (3.1) cm. During follow-up, 39.3% of hemangiomas grew 5% or more in mean linear dimension. The mean (SD) annual linear growth rate was 0.03 (0.21) cm for all lesions and 0.19 (0.23) cm for those that grew 5% or more. By volume, 44.7% of lesions grew 5% or more. The mean (SD) annual volumetric growth rate was 2.8% (21.0%) for all lesions and 17.7% (22.8%) in those that grew 5% or more. The initial size predicted the growth in linear dimension and volume ( P R = 0.00843; P = .92). Conclusions and Relevance Nearly 40% of hepatic hemangiomas grow over time. Although the overall rate of growth is slow, hemangiomas that exhibit growth do so at a modest rate (2 mm/y in linear dimension and 17.4% per year in volume). Further research is needed to determine how patients with more rapidly growing hemangiomas should be treated.
Optimizing communication in time-warp simulators

In message passing environments, the message send time is dominated by overheads that are relatively independent of the message size. Therefore, fine grained applications (such as Time Warp simulators) suffer high overheads because of frequent communication. We investigate the optimization of the communication subsystem of Time Warp simulators using dynamic message aggregation. Under this scheme, Time Warp messages with the same destination LP, occurring in close temporal proximity are dynamically aggregated and sent as a single physical message. Several aggregation strategies that attempt to minimize the communication overhead without harming the progress of the simulation (because of messages being delayed) are developed. The performance of the strategies is evaluated for a network of workstations, and an SMP, using a number of applications that have different communication behavior.
Compact Real-Time Coherent Optical Correlators

Efforts to fabricate real-time optical correlators in compact packages are under way. In particular, a brassboard unit mounted inside a 15 X23 X28 cm enclosure featuring laser diode light sources and a liquid crystal incoherent-to-coherent image converter has been built; operational experience with this correlator is discussed. Further miniaturization is possible, and some suggested geometries are examined in detail.
Subfactors of oppositional defiant disorder: converging evidence from structural and latent class analyses.

Background Structural models of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms have gained empirical support but await greater empirical scrutiny on issues such as reconciliation between competing models, evidence for gender differences, and delineation of external correlates. More extensive validation evidence is particularly necessary in consideration of their incorporation in psychiatric nomenclature. Methods We fitted previously proposed, but competing, models to ODD symptoms assessed with the Computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (Shaffer et al., 2000, J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 39, 28) in a community sample and then fitted the best-fitting model in a replication sample (combined N = 730, Mage = 9.89, SD = 0.75). Analyses also examined potential classes based on resulting subfactors, gender differences, longitudinal associations with later behavioral problems, and concurrent personality associations. Results Burke's (2010) two-factor model composed of Irritability and Oppositionality subfactors best fit the data. Irritability and Oppositionality showed convergent and divergent patterns of association with personality traits at T1 and with externalizing and internalizing problems at T2. Latent class analyses revealed three classes (low severity, irritable/combined, and oppositional) which showed parallel divergence in externalizing and internalizing problem comorbidity. These findings were largely robust across gender and samples. Conclusions These findings support Irritability/Oppositionality subfactors of ODD in two mixed-gender samples, demonstrate strong evidence for a lack of gender differences in such subfactors, and demonstrate their convergent and divergent validity in emergent latent classes, later behavioral problems, and personality correlates.
The importance of postoperative care in the adult and pediatric patient treated with functional endoscopic sinus surgery

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is based on Messerklinger's meticulous studies on normal mucociliary clearance and anatomic dissection, the ultimate goal being that of restoring normal mucociliary patterns and returning proper nasal function. The importance of postoperative care in endoscopic sinus surgery cannot be overemphasized. Each patient's care varies, and thus rules cannot be set. This article outlines some guidelines that we use in our practice for postoperative care that the physician may find helpful.
Learning the demand curve in posted-price digital goods auctions

Online digital goods auctions are settings where a seller with an unlimited supply of goods (e.g. music or movie downloads) interacts with a stream of potential buyers. In the posted price setting, the seller makes a take-it-or-leave-it offer to each arriving buyer. We study the seller's revenue maximization problem in posted-price auctions of digital goods. We find that algorithms from the multi-armed bandit literature like UCB, which come with good regret bounds, can be slow to converge. We propose and study two alternatives: (1) a scheme based on using Gittins indices with priors that make appropriate use of domain knowledge; (2) a new learning algorithm, LLVD, that assumes a linear demand curve, and maintains a Beta prior over the free parameter using a moment-matching approximation. LLVD is not only (approximately) optimal for linear demand, but also learns fast and performs well when the linearity assumption is violated, for example in the cases of two natural valuation distributions, exponential and log-normal.
History of Coal Mine Electrical Fatalities Since 1970

Over the past few years the Mine Electrical Systems Division of the Bruceton Safety Technology Center of the Mine Safety and Health Administration has been cataloguing electrocutions which occur at coal mines. The data have been used to identify hazards resulting from inadequate safety designs and procedures used in the coal mining industry. These hazards will be pointed out to increase the industry's awareness of measures which can be taken to prevent such accidents.
Performances and Sensitivities of Optimal Trajectory Generation for Air Traffic Control Automation

Trajectory generation for flight planning and prediction in Air Traffic Control (ATC) is formulated as a parameter optimal control problem in consistence with ATC procedures. A gradient algorithm is devised for accurate numerical solutions. The climb and descent phases are first studied separately, and are then combined, together with the cruise phase, to study complete trajectories from liftoff to touchdown. For climb, decent, and the entire flight, optimal trajectories are calculated that respectively minimize flight time, fuel consumption, and when applicable, distance traveled, and these trajectories are compared. To evaluate qualities of generated trajectories, two sensitivity concepts are used. Open-loop sensitivities measure changes of generated trajectories due to modeling errors, and reflect the reliability of the trajectory generation process. In contrast, closed-loop sensitivities measure deviations of actual trajectories from generated trajectories caused by modeling errors and/or flight conditions, where actual trajectories are obtained with the pilots or autopilots actively tracking flight objectives extracted from the generated trajectories. They reflect trajectory predictability. Closed-loop sensitivities are used to compare the effectiveness of different trajectory tracking logics in reducing trajectory prediction errors. In this paper, vertical flights in ATC are considered and defined through a series of flight segments that model the current ATC procedures, where each segment is specified with a set of flight objectives. Aircraft flights are described by a dynamic point-mass. Trajectory tracking is modeled via the method of feedback linearization.
The Collapse of a Medical Clearinghouse (and Why Such Failures are Rare)

The collapse of the clearinghouse for the entry-level gastroenterology labor market offers a unique opportunity to study how stable clearinghouses succeed and fail. To explore the reasons for the failure of the clearinghouse (and why failures of this kind of clearinghouse have been so rare), we conduct an experimental investigation of demand shocks of the kind that occurred in the gastroenterology market. We find that a reduction in demand for positions leads to the collapse of the match only when it is detectable by firms before being detected by workers (as in the unexpected shock that took place in 1996, which could be seen by firms in their reduced applicant pools). Simple demand and supply imbalances do not seem to interfere with the operation of the centralized match. Our results suggest an affirmative answer to the question posed by market participants about whether the clearinghouse could be successfully restarted, and that this would relieve some of the distress now reported in that market, by allowing it to operate later, at a more uniform time, and with more national scope.
Investigating the Validity and Reliability of the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education

 The Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) is a multirater assessment of principals’ learning-centered leadership. The instrument was developed based on the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. In this article, we report on the validity and reliability evidence for the VAL-ED accumulated in a national field trial. Using data from more than 270 schools across a wide range of settings, we found that the instrument was reliable for measuring principals’ learning-centered leadership. Furthermore, there was mostly positive evidence that the VAL-ED distinguished among subscales of principal performance. In conjunction with findings from the VAL-ED development phase, these results support the conclusion that the VAL-ED can be used by K–12 schools to assess learningcentered leadership.
HSV antigens and HSV DNA in avascular and vascularized lesions of human herpes simplex keratitis

Fifty-one corneal buttons obtained by penetrating keratoplasty from patients with a preoperative clinical diagnosis of nonulcerative herpetic keratitis and/or disciform stromal scarring (44) as well as ulcerative necrotizing stromal keratitis (7) were processed for herpes simplex virus (HSV) antigens using an immunoperoxidase technique and for HSV DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HSV antigens were detected significantly more often (p<0.025) in specimens with avascular nonulcerative keratitis than in those with vascularization. In contrast to HSV antigens, HSV DNA was identified at equal proportions in avascular and vascularized lesions. Both HSV antigens and HSV DNA were detected in all specimens from patients with ulcerative necrotizing stromal keratitis. The implications of these findings with regard to possible mechanisms underlying herpetic keratitis in man are discussed.
Absolute stability analysis of discrete-time systems with composite quadratic Lyapunov functions

A generalized sector bounded by piecewise linear functions was introduced in a previous paper for the purpose of reducing conservatism in absolute stability analysis of systems with nonlinearity and/or uncertainty. This paper will further enhance absolute stability analysis by using the composite quadratic Lyapunov function whose level set is the convex hull of a family of ellipsoids. The absolute stability analysis will be approached by characterizing absolutely contractively invariant (ACI) level sets of the composite quadratic Lyapunov functions. This objective will be achieved through three steps. The first step transforms the problem of absolute stability analysis into one of stability analysis for an array of saturated linear systems. The second step establishes stability conditions for linear difference inclusions and then for saturated linear systems. The third step assembles all the conditions of stability for an array of saturated linear systems into a condition of absolute stability. Based on the conditions for absolute stability, optimization problems are formulated for the estimation of the stability region. Numerical examples demonstrate that stability analysis results based on composite quadratic Lyapunov functions improve significantly on what can be achieved with quadratic Lyapunov functions.
An analysis of the relationship between solubility and stimulating effect in tarsal chemoreception.

The rejection thresholds of the blowfly Phormia regina Meigen for a selected series of substituted aliphatic hydrocarbons have been determined and an analysis made of the effect on stimulation of increasing the number of like substitutions from one to two, of the interaction of different types of substituent, and of the position of the substituent in the molecule. The order of stimulating efficiency (reciprocal of rejection threshold) of the functional groups which have been studied is: Br > Cl ? CH3 ? CHO > C=O > OH. There is a consistent decrease in stimulating effect following the introduction of a second hydroxyl group. The introduction of a second C=O has little effect. Introduction of a second halogen is generally followed by a decrease in threshold. Two different species of functional group, one of which tends to increase water solubility and the other to decrease it, tend to counter-balance each other. A single oxygen-containing functional group on the end of the molecule or two of these groups which are terminal reduce the stimulating effect less than when one or more of such groups are subterminal or located elsewhere within the molecule. Branching of the carbon chain decreases effectiveness. Sulfur and oxygen linkages also decrease effectiveness. In general, the length of the free alkyl group largely determines the stimulating effectiveness. Its power is modified to varying degrees by the nature of the attached polar groups. Of all chemical properties examined, solubility alone agrees consistently with the foregoing data. Threshold varies directly with the molar solubility of the compounds in water. The fact that the threshold values for individual compounds are frequently different from those which would be expected solely on the basis of the correlation between threshold and solubility in water suggests that other factors are also concerned in stimulation. These have not yet been identified.
Obstructive protein cast nephropathy in cynomolgus monkeys treated with small organic molecules.

We have observed a renal toxicity consistent with an obstructive protein cast nephropathy in cynomolgus macaques but not in other species treated with different therapeutic candidates having a common carboxylic acid moiety, suggesting a species-specific sensitivity. Here, we present renal toxicity findings consistent with a protein cast nephropathy in a 2–week safety study in cynomolgus monkeys. Light microscopic changes consisted of intratubular cast formation, tubular dilatation, interstitial inflammation, and expansion of the medullary interstitium. Tubular cast material was identified as Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) and, on ultrastructure, crystalloid material was present in vacuoles of tubular epithelium. It is hypothesized that microcrystal formation in the urinary tubular spaces induces aggregation of THP protein and cast formation in monkeys. Drug-induced obstructive nephropathy is not identified as a major problem in humans; thus, the clinical relevance of the above findings in monkeys is not clear.
National integration of mental health providers in VA home-based primary care: an innovative model for mental health care delivery with older adults.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To promote mental health (MH) service access and quality for veterans with complex and chronic medical, social, and behavioral conditions, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has integrated a full-time MH provider into each VA home-based primary care (HBPC) team. The goal of the current evaluation is to examine the nature and extent to which MH care processes and practices have been integrated into HBPC nationally. DESIGN AND METHODS Separate surveys assessing the integration of a wide range of MH care practices and HBPC team processes were sent to MH providers and program directors in each HBPC program in 2010. RESULTS A total of 132 MH providers representing 119 HBPC programs, and 112 program directors completed the surveys. The most common clinical issues addressed by MH providers were depression, coping with illness and disability, anxiety, caregiver/family stress, and cognitive evaluation. Other team members typically conducted initial MH screenings, with MH providers' time focusing on cases with identified needs. Approximately 40% of MH providers' time was devoted to direct clinical care. Significant time was also spent on team activities, driving, and charting. IMPLICATIONS Integration of MH services into HBPC is feasible and facilitates service access for a vulnerable population. Mental health care delivery in HPBC generally involves a high degree of interdisciplinary practice. Mental health integration into HBPC may serve as a model for other systems interested in promoting MH care delivery among homebound and other older individuals.
Mapping of sensory electrical responses to epidural spinal cord stimulation

Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord for therapeutic purpose has been performed since the early 1970s with variable success. More recently the application of spinal cord stimulation to treat ischemic peripheral vascular disease has been popularized in Europe. Exact electrode positioning in the spinal canal is a key factor in providing successful stimulation (4). Unfortunately, there are no published guidelines to intraspinal electrode(s) placement backed by a substantial number of observations in a large number of patients. This contrasts with the detailed observations obtained systematically, for instance, during stereotactic procedures in the deep brain structures. Our efforts have been directed in developing a database of responses to electrical stimulation of the neural intraspinal structures at various spine levels (2, 3, 5–8). All the testing and data collection was performed by professionals working full time in our neuroimplant program and with standardized electrical parameters. This minimized deviations from the protocol and assured a high degree of uniformity and reliability in the data.
Passive components in the subscriber loop

The status of passive optical components for optical fiber subscriber loop systems is reviewed in the context of the most often discussed architectures. These architectures and the passive component types and functions are described. It is shown how the components are meeting the key functional requirements of interconnection, furcation, and filtration. A logic flow to the evolution of the architecture which is based on the expected development of the passive components is indicated. >
Associations of Hydroxychloroquine Use With Lipid Profiles in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Pharmacologic Implications

Objective To evaluate the association of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use with lipid profiles in a Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis (VARA) cohort. Methods Lipid profiles in HCQ users were compared with HCQ nonusers, adjusting for potential confounders (age, sex, race, disease activity, prednisone, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, diabetes mellitus, and statin use). Applying current National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) guidelines for reduction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events risk, the frequency of target lipid profiles with HCQ status was evaluated. Varied periods of HCQ exposure were compared to ascertain pharmacologic associations with lipid values. CVDs were compared between HCQ users and nonusers. Results In an elderly, predominantly male VARA cohort, 1,011 patients had lipid profiles; 787 patients (77.8%) were white. Statin use was recorded in 11.6% of patients, diabetes mellitus in 33.5%, and CVD in 31.2%. HCQ users (n = 150) were older, had longer rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease duration, and had lower disease activity. Optimum lipid profiles, including total cholesterol:high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and HDL:low-density lipoprotein ratios (P ≤ 0.001), were more frequent in HCQ users, with the exception of HDL (P = 0.165), and persisted in multivariate analyses. Similarly, more HCQ users had NCEP-ATP III target levels. Varied periods of HCQ exposure suggested lipid changes to occur early, but lost within a year of drug discontinuation. HCQ users had less prevalent CVD. Conclusion In RA patients, HCQ use of at least 3 months' duration was associated with better lipid profiles irrespective of disease activity or statin use. Given the increased CVD risks in RA and the relative low cost and toxicity of HCQ, continued use, regardless of treatment regimen, should be considered.
Petroleum system analysis of the Hunton Group in West Edmond field, Oklahoma

West Edmond field, located in central Oklahoma, is one of the largest oil accumulations in the Silurian–Devonian Hunton Group in this part of the Anadarko Basin. Production from all stratigraphic units in the field exceeds 170 million barrels of oil (MMBO) and 400 billion cubic feet of gas (BCFG), of which approximately 60 MMBO and 100 BCFG have been produced from the Hunton Group. Oil and gas are stratigraphically trapped to the east against the Nemaha uplift, to the north by a regional wedge-out of Hunton strata, and by intraformational diagenetic traps. Hunton Group reservoirs are the Bois d'Arc and Frisco Limestones, with lesser production from the Chimneyhill subgroup, Haragan Shale, and Henryhouse Formation. Hunton Group cores from three wells that were examined petrographically indicate that complex diagenetic relations influence permeability and reservoir quality. Greatest porosity and permeability are associated with secondary dissolution in packstones and grainstones, forming hydrocarbon reservoirs. The overlying Devonian–Mississippian Woodford Shale is the major petroleum source rock for the Hunton Group in the field, based on one-dimensional and four-dimensional petroleum system models that were calibrated to well temperature and Woodford Shale vitrinite reflectance data. The source rock is marginally mature to mature for oil generation in the area of the West Edmond field, and migration of Woodford oil and gas from deeper parts of the basin also contributed to hydrocarbon accumulation.
Use of strategies from high-reliability organisations to the patient hand-off by resident physicians: practical implications.

Background: Limits on resident hours increase the frequency of patient hand-offs and may contribute to information transfer problems that contribute to adverse outcomes. This study analysed attributes that affect hand-off accuracy, including use of data summaries and end-of-shift transfer strategies from high-reliability organisations. Method: Mixed-method study combining qualitative interviews and surveys of residents in internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics and ob-gynaecology. Findings: Strategies in resident hand-offs mirrored the intent of end-off-shift transfers in high-reliability organisations, but approaches differed, reflecting the fluid nature of residents’ work and focusing on multiple patients with differing needs. Clinical skills were relevant to hand-off quality for both participants. Cross-coverage, more common duty hour limits, had a negative effect on hand-off accuracy. It significantly increased the likelihood of unplanned changes in care and errors attributed to the hand-off. For surgery residents, asynchronous hand-offs without true interactions increased. Data summaries contributed to efficiency, but were associated with greater incidence of surprises and errors, even when they did not replace verbal hand-offs. Third parties, particularly nursing, functioned as redundant systems that prevented or trapped many hand-off errors. Conclusions: Hand-offs depended on residents’ clinical skills, suggesting a need for education and supervision of junior residents’ transfers. Research is needed to explore how to conduct effective hand-offs under shortened duty periods. This should assess how transfer strategies and data summaries could enhance efficiency and effectiveness, and how they could substitute when a verbal interactive hand-off is not feasible.
The optimal power-allocation for OFDMA regenerative relaying downlink systems

This paper develops the optimal power-allocation algorithm to maximize the sum-rate in orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) regenerative relaying downlink systems with separate power constraints. The optimal algorithm is based on the Lagrange dual-decomposition method when subchannels are pre-assigned to users and relay stations (RS). This paper also proposes a heuristic algorithm, which performance is exactly the same as that of the optimal algorithm in almost all cases. The simulation results show that OFDMA relaying systems with proposed algorithms outperform the systems without the algorithms by more than 250% and outperform OFDMA systems without RSs by more than 45% when the power of a base station and the power of RSs are optimally adjusted.
How the parasitic bacterium Legionella pneumophila modifies its phagosome and transforms it into rough ER: implications for conversion of plasma membrane to the ER membrane.

Within five minutes of macrophage infection by Legionella pneumophila, the bacterium responsible for Legionnaires' disease, elements of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and mitochondria attach to the surface of the bacteria-enclosed phagosome. Connecting these abutting membranes are tiny hairs, which are frequently periodic like the rungs of a ladder. These connections are stable and of high affinity - phagosomes from infected macrophages remain connected to the ER and mitochondria (as they were in situ) even after infected macrophages are homogenized. Thin sections through the plasma and phagosomal membranes show that the phagosomal membrane is thicker (72+/-2 A) than the ER and mitochondrial membranes (60+/-2 A), presumably owing to the lack of cholesterol, sphingolipids and glycolipids in the ER. Interestingly, within 15 minutes of infection, the phagosomal membrane changes thickness to resemble that of the attached ER vesicles. Only later (e.g. after six hours) does the ER-phagosome association become less frequent. Instead ribosomes stud the former phagosomal membrane and L. pneumophila reside directly in the rough ER. Examination of phagosomes of various L. pneumophila mutants suggests that this membrane conversion is a four-stage process used by L. pneumophila to establish itself in the RER and to survive intracellularly. But what is particularly interesting is that L. pneumophila is exploiting a poorly characterized naturally occurring cellular process.
Active thermal control of power electronics modules

Active thermal control techniques make it feasible to regulate the steady state and transient thermal-mechanical stress in power electronic modules for applications such as motor drives. Online junction temperature estimation and manipulation of the switching frequency and current limit to regulate the losses are used to prevent overtemperature and power cycling failures in insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power modules. The techniques developed in this work are used to actively control the junction temperature of the power module. This control strategy improves power module reliability and increases utilization of the silicon thermal capacity by providing sustained operation at maximum attainable performance limits.
Outcomes of Care Managed by an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Attending Physician Team in a Subacute Medical Intensive Care Unit

Background Many academic medical centers employ nurse practitioners as substitutes to provide care normally supplied by house staff. Objective To compare outcomes in a subacute medical intensive care unit of patients managed by a team consisting of either an acute care nurse practitioner and an attending physician or an attending physician and critical care/pulmonary fellows. Methods During a 31-month period, in 7-month blocks of time, 526 consecutive patients admitted to the unit for more than 24 hours were managed by one or the other of the teams. Patients managed by the 2 teams were compared for a variety of outcomes. Results Patients managed by the 2 teams did not differ significantly for any workload, demographic, or medical condition variable. The patients also did not differ in readmission to the high acuity unit (P = .25) or subacute unit (P = .44) within 72 hours of discharge or in mortality with (P = .25) or without (P = .89) treatment limitations. Among patients who had multiple weaning trials, patients managed by the 2 teams did not differ in length of stay in the subacute unit (P = .42), duration of mechanical ventilation (P = .18), weaning status at time of discharge from the unit (P = .80), or disposition (P = .28). Acute Physiology Scores were significantly different over time (P = .046). Patients managed by the fellows had more reintubations (P=.02). Conclusions In a subacute intensive care unit, management by the 2 teams produced equivalent outcomes.
Is Beauty a Promise to Happiness

When I was a little girl around the age of five I was introduced to make-up. I fell head over heels in love with it. Needless to say, my love for make-up hasn’t changed and it has expanded to all types of products for skin, hair, and body. I wake up in the morning and I wash my face because there are advertisements that tell me a clean face is beautiful. I brush, and perhaps whiten my teeth because having white teeth is important to being beautiful. When I apply make-up for the day time, I don’t use as much eye liner as I would if I were going out at night because there was a magazine post about the correct amount of eyeliner based on certain occasions. Up until college I was unaware that the methods I was taking in order to be what society deemed as beautiful was all because I wanted to be happy with my appearance. It is through my passion for cosmetics that I have come to wonder, why. Why is beauty so important to our culture, specifically women, and why is it framed as “happy”?
Optimal Consumption and Portfolio Choice For Long-Horizon Investors with Nontradable Labor Income When Asset Returns are Predictable

We study the optimal consumption and investment choice for long-horizon investors with nontradable labor income and time-varying investment opportunities. Our results suggest that the popular investment recommendation that more conservative investors should hold a higher bond/stock ratio may lack theoretical justification when labor income is considered. The allocation to stock inherits the inverted U-shaped pattern of labor income growth with respect to expected time until retirement. Performance test shows the welfare loss of ignoring asset return predictability in the presence of nontradable labor income can be economically significant.
The Little Book of Hedge Funds by Anthony Scaramucci

Anthony Scaramucci, founder and managing partner of $6.4 billion fund-of-funds and advisory firm SkyBridge Capital, has written a comprehensive introduction to the hedge fund industry for the indiv...
Driving after Suspension: Non-Highway Safety Suspended Drivers and Crashes

The objective of this study is to explore crash occurrences for drivers with suspension/revocation for non-highway safety reasons. Using a stratified random sample of suspended drivers in the United States, results indicate that as a group, non-highway safety suspended drivers crash behavior differs from licensed drivers. Comparative analysis indicates heterogenic crash behavior when non-highway safety suspended drivers are placed into sub-groups based on the underlying reason for their suspension. The results provide information to administrators, policymakers, and policing agencies regarding crash behavior for various groups of non-highway safety suspended drivers. The outcomes may indicate that differential policy interventions are needed to address the role of sub-group variation, such as graduated licensing after suspension, a concept raised by various organizations including the AAMVA Suspended & Revoked Working Group.
Propaganda and Dissociation from Truth

Jacques Ellul’s Propaganda is a work of analysis and explanation about a crucial range of practices and institutions in modern political society. Drawing upon the social history of political communication and a wealth of social scientific studies on public opinion published during the middle twentieth century, Ellul expands the framework in which such evidence can been understood and put to use. Especially at the book’s conclusion, it is clear that Ellul hoped the book would serve as a warning to democratic citizens of technological societies about the insidious spread of propaganda throughout the body politic.
Ultrafast Optical Nonlinearities of Single Metal Nanoparticles

We have measured nonlinear scattering from plasmons in individual Au nanorods and have correlated second-harmonic activity of Ag nanoparticles and clusters to morphology. The measurements reveal novel ultrafast nonlinear phenomena related to electron confinement and enhanced plasmon dephasing.
Maintenance of normal thyroid activity after transplantation of thyroid gland into spleen or kidney.

Summary and ConclusionsThyroid fragments implanted into the spleen of thyroideo tomized rats are functional and capable of maintaining normal growth and plasma protein-bound iodine concentrations. No morphologic evidence of hyperactivity of the implants could be observed. It therefore appears that the liver does not destroy and excrete the thyroid hormone to a significant extent, when the hormone is present in physiologic quantities.
Minimum Acquisition and Transmission times for Potato Leaf Roll Virus by the Green Peach Aphid

The times required for acquisition and transmission of potato leaf roll virus (PLRV), Corium solani Holmes, and for phloem penetration by individual green peach aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), were examined using an electronic monitoring system (EMS). Individual aphids, recorded on the EMS, were transferred from PLRV infected plants to indicator plants after feeding for specific amounts of time. The indicator plants, Physalis pubescens L. and potato, Solanum tuberosum L. var. Russet Burbank, were observed for the expression of PLRV symptoms in the following weeks. The minimum acquisition feeding time was 1.6 min and the minimum transmission feeding time was 2.5 min. The results show a direct relationship between the duration of acquisition feeding time and the probability of aphid infectivity and pathogenicity The data do not show a marked increase in the incidence of PLRV with increasing transmission times. Phloem feeding often occurred in less than 5 min after aphids were placed on plants.