cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term trend analysis of HFRS incidence in Hubei,China,1971-2011

We investigated the characteristics of long-term trend of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS)incidence from 1971 to 2011in Hubei,China and provided scientific basis for developing preventive measures.Statistical reports of HFRS and demographic data from 1971 to 2011were collected.Excel,SPSS13.0and MapInfo software were used to analyze these data and produce diagram.Results showed that from 1971 to 2011,the range of HFRS incidence fluctuated between 0.28/100 000 and 49.50/100 000.The average yearly incidence rate was 7.99/100 000 and the mortality rate was 0.48/100 000,the average fatality rate was 5.91%.Two distinct disease cycles appeared in the epidemic duration,and the incidence rates became stable after 1988.Most cases occurred between October and next January or between March and June.However,the seasonality of HFRS has changed over years.The ratio of cases in the two peaks maintained at a high level between 5and 10from1971 to 1982;then it decreased to 2.2in 1986 from 9.1in 1982;it maintained at a level between 2to 4from 1987 to 1995,and kept around 1from 1996 to 2009.In 1970 s,high epidemic areas were mainly distributed in Wuhan City and surroundings.But it changed over time and now the high epidemic areas were mainly distributed in local areas within Xiangyang,Jingmen and Jingzhou cities.In terms of population distribution,more male were infected with HFRS than female and peasants were a highrisk population.Age distribution changed over time with the proportion of cases aged 40 or older gradually increasing and the proportion of cases aged 15-39 years decreasing.These results indicated that during the year from 1971 to 2011,the incidence rate of HFRS in Hubei gradually reduced and tended to be stable after two distinct cycles.The seasonality of HFRS had changed in middle 80's and middle 90's,with the gap between two peaks being narrowing.The epidemic areas had changed over time.The epidemic areas type possibly changed from Apodenmus agrarius playing the dominant role to mixed type that Apodenmus agrarius and house mouse being dominant simultaneously.
In utero bone marrow transplantation of fetal baboons with mismatched adult marrow: Initial observations

Recent advances in prenatal diagnoses of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia permit early identification of affected fetuses. However, the only intervention possible to date is abortion of the affected fetuses. Transplantation of normal marrow into fetuses in utero could correct these life-threatening disorders, but to accomplish this techniques must be developed for fetal transplantation in man. Therefore, we have transplanted fetal baboons with mismatched adult baboon bone marrow from donors that differed at the glucose phosphate isomerase locus. Twenty-two fetuses between 60 and 160 days of gestation (term gestation is 182 days) were transplanted intraperitoneally with 10(9) marrow mononuclear cells/kg body weight using an ultrasonic technique. No immunosuppressive or preparative regimen was given prior to or after transplantation, and all fetuses tolerated the procedure well. One month after transplantation fetal blood samples were obtained to assess chimerism. Three chimeras were detected among 10 fetuses transplanted at 80 days' gestation, and no chimeras were detected in fetuses greater than 80 days' gestation at the time of transplantation. All chimeras died in utero during the third trimester of pregnancy: one of an intrauterine infection at 160 days' gestation, one at 135 days' gestation and one at 145 days' gestation. In contrast, the other 19 non-chimeric fetuses survived. These data suggest: (1) in utero fetal bone marrow transplantation is technically feasible in primates; (2) that allogeneic adult bone marrow can engraft and persist for at least 1 month in fetal baboons transplanted at 80 days of gestation; and (3) that delineation of the causes for loss of fetal chimeras should prove valuable in assessing the therapeutic potential for in utero bone marrow transplantation in man.
The Battalion Aid Station

This chapter analyzes the role of the BAS personnel during combat. In contrast to the aid men, the BAS medics could rely upon each other, working in concert in order to remove a wounded man from the company aid man’s hands, carry him rearward, stabilize him, and evacuate him. To facilitate this teamwork, BAS medics also demonstrated uncommon versatility by assuming tasks for which they had not been trained, cooperating to move and aid the wounded.
The Chemostat Model Revisited

In Chapter 2 we considered the chemostat model and used mathematics to answer the question: How should we choose the outflow rate in order to harvest the maximum amount of bacteria. Our model however was incomplete because we assumed that the nutrient concentration in the growth chamber is constant in time, and hence our answer is questionable. In the present chapter we want to correct the answer, by basing it on a more complete mathematical model of the chemostat.
A comparative study on the Prony analysis and the ERA for modal analysis

The Prony analysis has been considered as a standard method for estimating oscillation modes using ringdown responses in a power grid. Extensive studies have been done to find its optimal performance conditions, but the comparisons between the Prony analysis and other modal analysis approaches from a user perspective are insufficient. This paper compares the performance of two modal analysis methods, i.e., the eigensystem realization algorithm (ERA) and the Prony analysis. Their performances are compared using a simple model and a 16-machine model. The influence of the parameters, such as the model order, the decimation factor, and signal-noise-ratio (SNR), on the modes' estimation accuracy is evaluated. Because of the randomness of noise, the Monte Carlo (MC) method is used to evaluate estimation accuracy. The median absolute deviation (MAD) is used as a metric for comparing the estimation errors. It is shown that the ERA has more preferred features than the Prony analysis in estimating power system modes.
Twenty years of Milan criteria and live-donor liver transplantation in the US: a contrast in transparency, regulation, and expectation.

In September 2016, the University of Chicago and Peking Union Medical Center co-sponsored a conference in Beijing, People’s Republic of China marking the twentieth anniversary of the Milan criteria (1).
Point of Sale Donations: Investigating Cause Marketing in a Retailing Environment (An Abstract)

“Would you like to donate $1.00 today to support the local food bank?” Retailers across the nation are asking this question of consumers at the conclusion of their transactions, encouraging them to make quick, oftentimes spontaneous, charitable decisions. Recent statistics indicate that these miniscule donations add up 63 companies using a point of sale cause marketing (CM) tactic raised nearly $360 million in 1 year, and these companies alone have raised over $2 billion in the past 30 years (Cause Marketing Forum 2013). While such point of sale donations are clearly effective in raising money for charitable causes, the implications for consumers and retailers are understudied. One consumer poll revealed that such tactics may be perceived as an ambush that guilts consumers into making hasty and unwarranted charitable decisions (Taylor 2014). Roseman (2014) described how many shoppers are uncomfortable declining the offer to support the charity.
Verification of OpenSSL version via hardware performance counters

Many forms of malware and security breaches exist today. One type of breach downgrades a cryptographic program by employing a man-in-the-middle attack. In this work, we explore the utilization of hardware events in conjunction with machine learning algorithms to detect which version of OpenSSL is being run during the encryption process. This allows for the immediate detection of any unknown downgrade attacks in real time. Our experimental results indicated this detection method is both feasible and practical. When trained with normal TLS and SSL data, our classifier was able to detect which protocol was being used with 99.995% accuracy. After the scope of the hardware event recording was enlarged, the accuracy diminished greatly, but to 53.244%. Upon removal of TLS 1.1 from the data set, the accuracy returned to 99.905%.
Resampling-based tests for Lasso in genome-wide association studies

Genome-wide association studies involve detecting association between millions of genetic variants and a trait, which typically use univariate regression to test association between each single variant and the phenotype. Alternatively, Lasso penalized regression allows one to jointly model the relationship between all genetic variants and the phenotype. However, it is unclear how to best conduct inference on the individual Lasso coefficients, especially in high-dimensional settings. We consider six methods for testing the Lasso coefficients: two permutation (Lasso-Ayers, Lasso-PL) and one analytic approach (Lasso-AL) to select the penalty parameter for type-1-error control, residual bootstrap (Lasso-RB), modified residual bootstrap (Lasso-MRB), and a permutation test (Lasso-PT). Methods are compared via simulations and application to the Minnesota Center for Twins and Family Study. We show that for finite sample sizes with increasing number of null predictors, Lasso-RB, Lasso-MRB, and Lasso-PT fail to be viable methods of inference. However, Lasso-PL and Lasso-AL remain fast and powerful tools for conducting inference with the Lasso, even in high-dimensions. Our results suggest that the proposed permutation selection procedure (Lasso-PL) and the analytic selection method (Lasso-AL) are fast and powerful alternatives to the standard univariate analysis in genome-wide association studies.
A multiplexer-based architecture for high-density, low-power gate arrays

This paper presents a novel architecture that provides higher density and lower power dissipation than conventional basecells. The layout of transistors in this small basecell allows the efficient construction of multiplexers with minimal use of programmable layers. The multiplexer can be used to create any 2 input and some 3 input functions in one basecell. Internal fanout, rather than typical output load, defines the size of driver and multiplexer transistors, which can be independently tailored for the desired speed/area/power target. This basecell, which is well suited for implementing datapath elements, has been used to create a 16/spl times/16-b multiplier operating at 50 MHz in 314500 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ in 0.6 /spl mu/m technology. >
Solar water splitting for hydrogen generation using copper metal oxides (Conference Presentation)

Photoelectrochemical water splitting to generate hydrogen uses the renewable sources to meet the daily increasing energy demand. Lots of metal oxides have been investigated as photoanode in a photoelectrochemical cell, where hydrogen generation occurs on the metal counter electrode. Despite great efforts, the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency is still not fully up to expectations. On the other side, p-type semiconductors can be employed to generate photoelectrons that directly reduce water on the photocathode to hydrogen. Copper based metal oxides, including binary and ternary oxides, represent a promising class of p-type semiconductors due to their low cost and abundance in the earth. From the perspective of photoelectrochemical energy applications, they typically have large photocurrent, higher conduction band level for large hydrogen evolution driving force, and very positive onset potentials as well. However, the fatal issues that copper-based metal oxides suffer are the stability and efficiency in the aqueous electrolyte solution. In our presentation, we will show our recent efforts in both experiment and theory to manipulate copper-based metal oxides from the perspectives of morphology, geometry and electronic band structure by passivating the surface, engineering electronic band structures, and optimizing hydrogen evolution co-catalysts with the aim to achieve the long-term photostability and improve the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. The resultant nanostructures could be used as photocathode in photoelectrochemical cell for solar hydrogen generation.
Photochemical Production of Carboxylic Acids in a Remote Continental Atmosphere

Model calculations are conducted to investigate the production of carboxylic acids from photochemical decomposition of isoprene, one of the main natural hydrocarbons emitted from vegetation. Both gas-phase and aqueous-phase chemical reaction pathways are examined. A simple dynamical model is proposed to simulate the boundary layer of the Amazon rain forest, and model predictions are compared to measurements made in that region in July 1985. It is found that formic acid, methacrylic acid, and pyruvic acid can be produced in significant quantities by gas-phase decomposition of isoprene. In the Amazon basin, this source may yield concentrations of these acids in the order of 1 ppb, 0.1 ppb, and 0.02 ppb, respectively. Production of formic acid in cloud by aqueous-phase oxidation of CH2O does not greatly increase the formic acid concentration predicted from the gas-phase mechanism; cloud droplets with pH > 4 are actually expected to constitute net sinks for formic acid. No significant production of acetic acid is expected from the photochemical decomposition of isoprene. Comparisons of model predictions with field data indicates that isoprene could be a major source of formic acid and pyruvic acid observed in the gas phase and in rainwater; however, acetic acid must originate from another source.
The Role of Bacterial Biofilms in Contamination of Process Fluids by Biological Particulates

Bacterial contamination of various industrial process fluids creates a significant threat to a wide spectrum of critical products. Semiconductor devices, parenteral fluids, medical devices, and potable waters are subject to bioparticulate contamination. Bacteria utilize a number of specialized adaptive mechanisms to grow and replicate in purified water and other process fluids. Adhesion to surfaces is, for critical manufacturing operations, the most significant survival mechanism associated with bacterial growth and replication. In many industrial systems, the majority of bacteria are associated with surfaces. The bacterial biofilm is the major source of bulk-phase bioparticulates. The organic (e.g., endotoxins) and ionic (e.g., chloride) constituents of bacterial cells and their associated biomass are yet another source of contamination. The tendency of bulk-phase bacteria to colonize surfaces, form adhesive biofilms, and then re-colonize the bulk phase, presents a number of challenges to bioparticulate detection and treatment. This review presents some of the prevailing theories for bacterial adhesion to surfaces. In addition, some novel strategies for bacterial detection and treatment are considered.
Radiosensitivity and virulence factors in cervical cancer. Individualization of treatment.

Several biologic characteristics may be utilized in making the choice of treatment by radiotherapeutic or surgical modalities. A test dose of radiation (RST) enables us to discriminate between good responders in Stages I and II with an expected relative cure rate of 72.1 per cent under those with poor response whose relative cure rate declines to 32.5 per cent under the same radiotherapeutic treatment. Another group with poor response subjected to radical surgery achieved a relative cure rate of 56 per cent. Tumor virulence has also been assayed by recording lymphatic invasion in the control biopsies. The validity of age and geographic tumor configuration as measures of tumor virulence were not established. A protocol of individualized treatment for cervix cancer, based on these considerations, is presented.
Disclosure of Infant Unsafe Sleep Practices by African American Mothers in Primary Care Settings.

This study assesses the disclosure rates of African American new mothers regarding their infants’ unsafe sleep practices by analyzing the mothers’ responses during separate encounters with a research assistant, health educator, and pediatrician.
Antiobesity Medication Use in 2.2 Million Adults Across Eight Large Health Care Organizations: 2009-2015.

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the prescribing patterns and use of antiobesity medications in a large cohort of patients using data from electronic health records. Methods Pharmacy- and patient-level electronic health record data were obtained on 2,248,407 adults eligible for weight-loss medications from eight geographically dispersed health care organizations. Results A total of 29,964 patients (1.3% of total cohort) filled at least one weight-loss medication prescription. This cohort was 82.3% female, with median age 44.9 years and median BMI 37.2 kg/m2 . Phentermine accounted for 76.6% of all prescriptions, with 51.7% of prescriptions being filled for ≥ 120 days and 33.8% filled for ≥ 360 days. There was an increase of 32.9% in medication days for all medications in 2015 compared with 2009. Higher prescription rates were observed in women, black patients, and patients in higher BMI classes. Of 3,919 providers who wrote at least one filled prescription, 23.8% (n = 863) were "frequent prescribers" who wrote 89.6% of all filled prescriptions. Conclusions Weight-loss medications are rarely prescribed to eligible patients. Phentermine accounted for > 75% of all medication days, with a majority of patients filling it for more than 4 months. Less than one-quarter of prescribing providers accounted for approximately 90% of all prescriptions.
Autoethnographic Brevity: A Conceptual Definition:

Bringing cultural theorist George Gerbner into conversation with prominent autoethnographers, I present a conceptual definition of autoethnographic brevity. I hope this article offers methodologica...
Cooling with imaginary time

Finding ground states of given Hamiltonians is crucial for quantum simulation — a promising application of quantum computers. An algorithm now finds these states using minimal resources, making it implementable in near-term noisy devices.
Correlation of skin prick testing to environmental allergens.

Abstract Background To diagnose and adequately treat allergies, identification of sensitizing allergens is crucial. Skin prick or serum immunoglobulin E testing determines sensitization to potential allergens. Consensus varies regarding degree of cross-reactivity between aeroallergens. Objective To quantify correlations between aeroallergen skin prick test results. Methods A total of 11,832 patients’ quantitative skin prick test results and basic characteristics were obtained from a tertiary academic center’s electronic medical record and deidentified. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients to detect nonlinear associations between wheal sizes of skin prick test results. Results The highest correlation among grasses was 0.903 (fescue and red top). Of note, 13 more grass pairs had correlation more than 0.8, and 19 had correlation between 0.7 and 0.8. The Northern grass comparative results are from a satellite clinic that tested more grasses than the main clinic, in which only Kentucky blue and Bermuda were tested (correlation 0.768; n = 9348). Highest correlation among weeds was 0.74 (lambs quarter and pigweed). In addition, 6 more weed pairs had correlation more than 0.7. Highest correlation among trees was 0.724 (palm and alder) and 6 more tree pairs had correlation more than 0.7. Highest correlation among molds was 0.711 (Helminthosporium and Epicoccum). Dust mite correlation between Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was 0.848 (n = 10,022). Conclusion This study confirmed the expected high degrees of correlation not only between skin prick test results of related environmental allergens but also between less closely related Northern grasses and Bermuda grass. This has implications for simplification of testing and immunotherapy protocols in the future.
Creditor control rights and firm investment policy

Abstract We present novel empirical evidence that conflicts of interest between creditors and their borrowers have a significant impact on firm investment policy. We examine a large sample of private credit agreements between banks and public firms and find that 32% of the agreements contain an explicit restriction on the firm's capital expenditures. Creditors are more likely to impose a capital expenditure restriction as a borrower's credit quality deteriorates, and the use of a restriction appears at least as sensitive to borrower credit quality as other contractual terms, such as interest rates, collateral requirements, or the use of financial covenants. We find that capital expenditure restrictions cause a reduction in firm investment and that firms obtaining contracts with a new restriction experience subsequent increases in their market value and operating performance.
Commodity Durability, Trader Specialization, and Market Performance

The original double auction studies of supply and demand markets established their strong efficiency and equilibrium convergence behavior using economically unsophisticated and untrained subjects. The results were unexpected because all individual costs and values were private and dependent entirely on the market trading process to aggregate the dispersed information into socially desirable outcomes. The exchange environment, however, corresponded to that of perishable, and not re-traded goods in which participants were specialized as buyers or sellers. We report experiments in repeated single-period markets where tradability, and buyer-seller role specialization, is varied by imposing or relaxing a restriction on re-trade within each period. In re-trade markets scope is given to speculative motives unavailable where goods perish on purchase. We observe greatly increased trade volume and decreased efficiency but subject experience increases efficiency. Observed speculation slows convergence by impeding the process whereby individuals learn from the market whether their private circumstances lead them to specialize as buyers or sellers.
The Role of Correlated Investment-Skill Shocks in Business Cycles

In this paper, I study the effects of an exogenous investment shock that is correlated with the skill distribution in the population. In the model, agents, who have heterogeneous productivities, are sorted into different occupations based on their comparative advantages over the business cycle. I also assume that each occupation is associated with a different consumption bundle. This latter assumption implies that as agents switch between low and high-skill jobs their consumption behavior changes in a discrete fashion as well, which in turn gives rise to non-linear income expansion paths at the aggregate level without assuming non-homothetic preferences at the individual level. In this environment, I show that after a positive investment shock, the fraction of agents working in the goods sector increases on impact and those who start working in the goods sector replace their service intensive consumption baskets with goods intensive ones, and therefore the demand for goods increases more relative to the services along the expansion, which in return results in even more agents being hired in the goods sector. I show quantitatively that this endogenous mechanism alone can generate sizable amplification and persistence, even without labor-leisure choice, in contrast to the standard models. The model also suggests an alternative resolution to what is known as the productivity puzzle in the literature. This is because the one-to-one link between output and productivity does not exist in the model, in contrast to the standard models. Instead, the productivity is determined by the aggregate skill distribution and how agents are sorted between two sectors over the business cycle.
"Engaging stakeholders in integrating social determinants of health into electronic health records: a scoping review"

Social, environmental, and behavioural factors impact human health. Integrating these social determinants of health (SDOH) into electronic health records (EHR) may improve individual and population health. But how these data are collectedand their use in clinical settings remain unclear. We reviewed efforts to integrate SDOH into EHR in the U.S. and Canada, especially how this implementation serves Indigenous peoples. We followed an established scoping review process, performing iterative keyword searches in subject-appropriate databases, reviewing identified works' bibliographies, and soliciting recommendations from subject-matter experts. We reviewed 20 articles from an initial set of 2,459. Most discussed multiple SDOH indicator standards, with the National Academy of Medicine's (NAM) the most frequently cited (n = 10). Common SDOH domains were demographics, economics, education, environment, housing, psychosocial factors, and health behaviours. Twelve articles discussed project acceptability and feasibility; eight mentioned stakeholder engagement (none specifically discussed engaging ethnic or social minorities); and six adapted SDOH measures to local cultures . Linking SDOH data to EHR as related to Indigenous communities warrants further exploration, especially how to best align cultural strengths and community expectations with clinical priorities. Integrating SDOH data into EHR appears feasible and acceptable may improve patient care, patient-provider relationships, and health outcomes.
Factors Influencing the Generation of Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Mammary Tumors

The concept of tumor heterogeneity, (tumors composed of genetically polymorphic subpopulations), has been well recognized by cancer researchers for many years, (see Furth, 1959; Kim and Depowski, 1975), and by physicians whose patients have experienced a recurrence of cancers that had initially responded to certain anticancer drugs. Indeed, the recognition of phenotypic heterogeneity of tumors is the rational basis for the development of modern multiple-drug modalities in the treatment of advanced cancer patients, (see Skipper, 1983). Lately, interest on this topic seems to have been rekindled by the demonstration of various phenotypic traits in clones of cells isolated in vivo or in vitro from tumors of diverse origin, (Heppner, 1984). In addition to the difference in drug sensitivity, tumor heterogeneity includes variations in cellular structure and functional differentiation, growth pattern, hormone dependence, antigenic expression, metastatic potential, and stem cell karyotype. With the availability of more sensitive markers, coupled with the refinement of detection techniques, an even greater genetic diversity of tumor cells is likely to be discovered in the future. However, knowledge as to the mechanism by which neoplastic cells acquire such heritable characteristics during the oncogenic process, as well as to the evolution of each trait in the course of tumor progression, it still quite limited. A critical review of the natural history of various experimental mammary tumors developed in our laboratory, including a systematic tracing of their acquisition of new characteristics, may shed some light on the subject.
Enforcing Design Constraints with Object Logic

Design constraints express essential behavioural properties of a software system. Two key elements of a scheme for enforcing design constraints are presented: a logic for describing the constraints, and an analysis that can be used both to explore the constraints in isolation (and thus gain confidence in their correctness), and to check that they are obeyed by an implementation. Examples of applications of the logic and its analysis at various levels of abstraction are given, from high-level designs to finding bugs in code. The challenge of bridging several levels, and checking code against abstract design constraints, is illustrated with a scenario from an air-traffic control system.
The use of a sterol inhibitor to investigate changes in the rate of synthesis of 2,3-oxidosqualene in elicitor-treated potato tuber tissue☆

Abstract U18666A an inhibitor of 2,3-oxidosqualene: cycloartenol cyclase, was used to investigate whether elicitation of sesquiterpenoid phytoalexins in potato tuber discs by arachidonic acid alters the in vivo flow of substrate through 2,3-oxidosqualene. The level of 2,3-oxidosqualene increased 10-fold in potato tuber discs treated with a 10·0 μ m concentration of U18666A. The same concentration of U18666A inhibited steroid glycoalkaloid accumulation by 90%, but had no effect on the accumulation rishitin and lubimin elicited by arachidonic acid. In potato tuber discs treated with U18666A, 2,3-oxidosqualene accumulated to lower levels in arachidonic acid-elicited potato tuber discs than in non-elicited discs. The application of arachidonic acid also decreased the incorporation of radioactivity from [3H]mevalonate into squalene and 2,3-oxidosqualene in potato tuber discs treated with U18666A. These data provide evidence that suppression of squalene synthetase activity accounts, at least in part, for the reduction of sterol biosynthesis which occurs during the elicitation of sesquiterpenoid phytoalexin accumulation in potato tuber discs.
Reconstructing Ancient Egyptian Tombs

From the pyramids of Giza to the tombs of Thebes (modern Luxor), ancient Egypt''s glorious history has produced remarkable architecture. Sadly, the nearly four million yearly tourists have taken a heavy toll on many of these ancient structures. Of particular concern are many of the tombs located opposite to Luxor on the western bank of the Nile. Digital reconstruction of these tombs has the potential to help document and preserve these important historical structures. Photographing and reconstruction of these tombs poses new and unique problems that this paper begins to address. Techniques for removing image distortions, recovering 3-D shape, and correcting for lighting imbalances are discussed. A complete reconstruction of the tomb of Sennedjem is shown.
The perceptual-motor domain and a proposed taxonomy of perception

Perception is so simple that anyone can do it, yet ..... philosophers have written their longest and most contradictory treatises in trying to explain it -JoHN R. PLATT This article is a bold attempt at delineation of "the perceptualmotor" domain and a taxonomy of perception that uses the well known cognitive and affective domain taxonomies as models. Impressive experimental evidence is brought to bear to establish existence of a perceptual hierarchy. The reader is advised to read the excellent summary first.-Ed.
Wire-antenna geometry design with multiobjective genetic algorithms

Two different multiobjective genetic algorithms, built using the GENOCOP III system are employed, for the design of wire antenna geometries. Designs are examined using a priori and a posteriori decision criteria. The relative advantages of each of these criteria and their applicability to the problem domain are examined.
A study of the effects of microwave electromagnetic radiation on dynamic random access memory operation

The effects of microwave electromagnetic (EM) radiation on dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips are examined. A clear correlation between EM radiation and an increase in the bit error rate is shown through experimentation under different stress conditions. However, for the power level of /spl sim/100 mW at the operating frequency of 24 GHz proposed for wireless interconnection using an external antenna, the EMI on DRAM operation is negligible.
Qualified Answers That Reflect User Needs and Preferences

This paper introduces a formalism to describe the needs and preferences of database users. Because of the precise formulation of these concepts, we have found an automatic and {ital very simple} mechanism to incorporate user needs and preferences into the query answering process. In the formalism, the user provides a lattice of domain independent values that define preferences and needs and a set of domain specific {ital user constraints} qualified with lattice values. The constraints are automatically incorporated into a relational or deductive database through a series of syntactic transformations that produces an annotated deductive database. Query answering procedures for deductive databases are then used, with minor modifications, to obtain annotated answers to queries. Because preference declaration is separated from data representation and management, preferences can be easily altered without touching the database. Also, the query language allows users to ask for answers at different preference levels. 18 refs., 1 fig.
Frame-Induced Packet Discarding: An Efficient Strategy for Video Networking

In order to provide efficient frame loss guarantees for video communication over ATM-like fast packet switched networks, we propose a simple to implement, yet effective, strategy called Frame-Induced Packet Discarding (FIPD), in which, upon detection of loss of a threshold number (determined by an application's video encoding scheme) of packets belonging to a video frame, the network attempts to discard all the remaining packets of that frame. Performance simulations are shown to demonstrate the efficacy of the FIPD strategy; networks employing FIPD exhibit close to two-fold increase in the number of video channels that they can support.
Use of highly overcoupled couplers to detect shifts in Bragg wavelength

The authors present a technique for detecting Bragg wavelength shifts using highly overcoupled couplers (HOCC). An HOCC of 60%/nm was fabricated with 626 cycles. With our HOCC, a 5 mu W LED and a 95% reflective Bragg grating we were able to detect 10 mu strain ( Delta lambda =0.01 nm).
Construction and Binding Kinetics of a Soluble Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor Receptor α-Chain-Fc Fusion Protein

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) activity is mediated by a cellular receptor (GM-CSFR) that is comprised of an alpha-chain (GM-CSFRalpha), which specifically binds GM-CSF, and a beta-chain (betac), shared with the interleukin-3 and interleukin-5 receptors. GM-CSFRalpha exists in both a transmembrane (tmGM-CSFRalpha) and a soluble form (sGM-CSFRalpha). We designed an sGM-CSFRalpha-Fc fusion protein to study GM-CSF interactions with the GM-CSFRalpha. The construct was prepared by fusing the coding region of the sGM-CSFRalpha with the CH2-CH3 regions of murine IgG2a. Purified sGM-CSFRalpha-Fc ran as a monomer of 60 kDa on reducing SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis but formed a trimer of 160-200 kDa under nonreducing conditions. The sGM-CSFRalpha-Fc bound specifically to GM-CSF as demonstrated by standard and competitive immunoassays, as well as by radioligand assay with 125I-GM-CSF. The sGM-CSFRalpha-Fc also inhibited GM-CSF-dependent cell growth and therein is a functional antagonist. Kinetics of sGM-CSFRalpha-Fc binding to GM-CSF were evaluated using an IAsys biosensor (Affinity Sensors, Paramus, NJ) with two assay systems. In the first, the sGM-CSFRalpha-Fc was bound to immobilized staphylococcal protein A on the biosensor surface, and binding kinetics of GM-CSF in solution were determined. This revealed a rapid koff of 2.43 x 10(-2)/s. A second set of experiments was performed with GM-CSF immobilized to the sensor surface and the sGM-CSFRalpha-Fc in solution. The dissociation rate constant (koff) for the sGM-CSFRalpha-Fc trimer from GM-CSF was 1.57 x 10(-3)/s, attributable to the higher avidity of binding in this assay. These data indicate rapid dissociation of GM-CSF from the sGM-CSFRalpha-Fc and suggest that in vivo, sGM-CSFRalpha may need to be present in the local environment of a responsive cell to exert its antagonist activity.
A simulation of large-scale groundwater flow in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

A large-scale groundwater-flow model has been developed for the Niger Delta, Nigeria. The Niger Delta covers an area of about 75,000 km2 (28,957 mi2) in southern Nigeria, where the Niger River discharges its water into the Atlantic Ocean through a series of distributaries. The delta is underlain by a sequence of three layers of clastic Tertiary sediments, from top to bottom: the Benin, Agbada, and Akata formations. The delta is one of the most hydrocarbon-rich regions in the world. Petroleum has been produced over the last three decades from the Agbada Formation by several national and international oil companies. This oil and gas production and a rapidly growing population have resulted in environmental degradation of the delta. An understanding of groundwater movement will aid in finding some solutions to the environmental problems. The major objectives of this study were to perform an initial simulation of groundwater flow in the delta, analyze groundwater-flow paths, delineate discharge and recharge areas, and determine any possible relationship between the flow pattern and petroleum occurrence. The U.S. Geological Survey three-dimensional finite-difference code, MODFLOW, was used to simulate steady-state flow. The model was reasonably calibrated to reported groundwater recharge. No regional flow system occurred, and flow was concentrated in intermediate and local systems. A major discharge area, trending east-west, receives its water from local systems and from intermediate systems that originate at midtopographic elevations. This discharge area appears to coincide with a prolific oil-rich zone. This finding may have implications for oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
Intracardiac phonocardiography. Description of a new simplified system.

A new system for recording intracardiac and intravascular sound during routine catheterization is described. This system is based on the application of a flat, sonar-type, barium titanate microphone at the end of the catheter, so that the vibrations of the blood within the chambers of the heart and vessels are transmitted along the fluid in the catheter, and transduced by the microphone (fluid column transmitted phonocardiogram-FCT phonocardiogram). Comparative studies between the response of the FCT system and other systems for intracardiac phonocardiography are made in normal dogs and in dogs with experimental aortic lesions. It is demonstrated that the FCT system gives a good response for vibrations between 25 and 400 cycles per second. Representative phonocardiographic tracings in patients with congenital or acquired heart disease during routine cardiac catheterization are presented.
Single-crystal silicon films on glass

We present a new process based on the electrolysis of glass, which allows the transfer of a single-crystal silicon film while creating an in situ barrier layer free of mobile ions in the glass. This barrier layer consists only of network-forming elements (i.e., aluminum, silicon, and boron) and is free of modifiers. The barrier layer glass is unusual and cannot be synthesized via any of the known glass-forming processes. The barrier layer is thermally stable and thus allows the fabrication of displays with ultimate performance. The process consists of the hydrogen ion implantation of silicon to create a defect structure followed by bringing the glass and the silicon wafer in contact, and finally applying electrical potential to cause the electrolysis of glass.
Effect of “Free” Cation Substituent on Gas Separation Performance of Polymer−Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid Composite Membranes

Room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) based monomers were photopolymerized in the presence of nonpolymerizable RTILs with various types of organic functional groups attached to the imidazolium cation. Groups employed include alkyl, ether, nitrile, fluoroalkyl, and siloxane functionalities. This straightforward method allows for a broad range of functional groups to be incorporated into poly(RTIL) matrices without the need to develop new monomers. The resultant poly(RTIL)−RTIL composites were homogeneous, optically transparent solids that exhibited no signs of phase separation, even after many months of storage. As thin films, poly(RTIL)−RTIL composites were utilized as gas separation membranes and tested for their permeabilities to CO2, N2, and CH4. The presence of 20 mol % “free” RTIL within the poly(RTIL) matrix was shown to increase CO2 permeability by ∼100−250% relative to the neat poly(RTIL) membrane with no free RTIL component. The nature of the organic functional group associated with the free RTIL ...
S-Nitrosation of monocarboxylate transporter 1: inhibition of pyruvate-fueled respiration and proliferation of breast cancer cells.

Energy substrates metabolized through mitochondria (e.g., pyruvate, glutamine) are required for biosynthesis of macromolecules in proliferating cells. Because several mitochondrial proteins are known to be targets of S-nitrosation, we determined whether bioenergetics are modulated by S-nitrosation and defined the subsequent effects on proliferation. The nitrosating agent S-nitroso-l-cysteine (L-CysNO) was used to initiate intracellular S-nitrosation, and treatment decreased mitochondrial function and inhibited proliferation of MCF7 mammary adenocarcinoma cells. Surprisingly, the d-isomer of CysNO (D-CysNO), which is not transported into cells, also caused mitochondrial dysfunction and limited proliferation. Both L- and D-CysNO also inhibited cellular pyruvate uptake and caused S-nitrosation of thiol groups on monocarboxylate transporter 1, a proton-linked pyruvate transporter. These data demonstrate the importance of mitochondrial metabolism in proliferative responses in breast cancer and highlight a novel role for inhibition of metabolic substrate uptake through S-nitrosation of exofacial protein thiols in cellular responses to nitrosative stress.
Sexual function in women receiving maintenance dialysis

While substantial attention has been paid to the issue of sexual dysfunction in men on chronic dialysis, less is known about this problem in women with end-stage renal disease. We sought to assess sexual dysfunction in women on chronic dialysis and determine whether patients discuss this problem with their providers and receive treatment. We prospectively enrolled women receiving chronic hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis in Pittsburgh, PA. We asked patients to complete the 19-item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) to assess sexual function and a 5-item survey that assessed whether patients had discussed sexual dysfunction with their providers and/or received treatment for this problem in the past. We enrolled 66 patients; 59 (89%) on hemodialysis and 7 (11%) on peritoneal dialysis. All patients completed the FSFI, of whom 53 (80%) had FSFI scores <26.55, consistent with the presence of sexual dysfunction. Of 37 patients who were married or residing with a significant other, 27 (73%) had sexual dysfunction. Among 24 participants who reported having been sexually active over the previous 4 weeks, 11 (46%) had sexual dysfunction. Only 21% of patients with sexual dysfunction had discussed this problem with their gynecologist, renal or primary provider, and 3 (6%) reported having received treatment. Sexual dysfunction is common in women on dialysis, even among patients who are married or residing with a significant other and those who are sexually active. However, few women discuss this issue with their providers or receive treatment.
A comparison between geostrophic and current meter observations in a California current eddy

Abstract An eddy was observed about 200 km west of the central California coast using geostrophic estimates and a combined Eulerian-Lagrangian method. The eddy was about 80 km in diameter, with a depth-dependent rotational period of between 15 and 32 days. Spin rates were 6 to 20 cm−1 at 150 m and 1 to 8 cm s−1 at 1500 m. Direct and geostrophic velocity measurements were in good agreement.
International Systems and International Law

The purpose of this essay is twofold. First, it proposes to undertake, in introductory form, one of the many tasks a historical sociology of international relations could perform: the comparative study of one of those relations which appear in almost any international system, i.e., international law. Secondly, this essay will try to present the rudimentary outlines of a theory of international law which might be called sociological or functional.International law is one of the aspects of international politics which reflect most sharply the essential differences between domestic and world affairs. Many traditional distinctions tend to disappear, owing to an “international civil war” which projects what are primarily domestic institutions (such as parliaments and pressure groups) into world politics, and injects world-wide ideological clashes into domestic affairs. International law, like its Siamese twin and enemy, war, remains a crystallization of all that keeps world politics sui generis. If theory is to be primarily concerned with the distinctive features of systems rather than wim the search for regularities, international law becomes a most useful approach to international politics.
Exposing the complexity of HDL.

HDL is a heterogeneous population of particles, and we should not be surprised if these particles differ in their effect on the arterial wall.
CYCLIC INOSITOL PHOSPHOHYDROLASE, A NOVEL PHOSPHODIESTERASE IN INOSITOL LIPID SIGNALING, IS MAINTAINED IN FETUS AND PLACENTA FOLLOWING HYPOXIAISCHEMIA 297

Both cyclic and noncyclic inositol phosphates are generated by hydrolysis of phosphoinositide during cell signaling. Cyclic inositol phosphohydrolase(cIPH) converts cyclic inositol monophosphate (cIP), a putative modulator of cell growth, into inositol monophosphate. Significant amounts of cIPH is present in placenta, but has not yet been demonstrated in blood. Complex modulation of phosphoinositide signaling occurs following ischemia and hypoxia. We hypothesized that hypoxicischemic injury alters cIPH activity in fetus and placenta. A fetal rabbit model of acute hypoxic injury following uterine ischemia was utilized. 29 day old gestation pregnant rabbits (8894% term) were randomized to either uterine ischemia (50 min) (Hypoxia) or no ischemia (Controls). The cIPH levels were measured in tissue homogenate and blood by incubating with [3H]cIP and determining the release of[3H]inositol. One unit of cIPH was defined as 1 nmole of cIP hydrolyzed per min. Specific activity of cIPH (mean±S.D.) in the fetal side of placenta (n=14) was higher than in the maternal side (n=11, p<0.017). Similarly, cIPH activity in fetal blood (n=11) was higher than in maternal blood (n=5, p<0.005, ttest). Hypoxia failed to inhibit the cIPH levels in fetal blood and fetal and maternal placenta, compared to controls (figure). This is the first demonstration of cIPH presence in blood. We conclude that this enzyme is important in modulating cIP during development because of higher levels in the fetus and that it is retained even after a major ischemic insult.
The effects of labour costs and workplace constraints on foreign direct investment among highly industrialized countries

Drawing on economic propositions underlying theories of foreign direct investment and organizational propositions underlying international human resource management strategic decision making, the theoretical model developed herein integrates two distinct but interrelated strategic HRM assessments. In deciding where to invest, multinational companies (MNCs) assess both (1) the net comparative labour cost advantages associated with alternative host-country IR systems and (2) the comparative flexibility afforded them by alternative IR systems to either transfer or create preferred HRM strategies abroad. The results of the present study indicate that, on average, MNCs from the major investor countries of the world give substantial weight to differences in national IR systems in deciding how much to invest across alternative high-skill, highwage countries. In particular, the evidence indicates that MNCs have invested more in countries with higher skills, lower compensation costs and lesser government and colle...