cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Midterm results of adjunctive neck therapies performed during elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair.

Objective This study evaluated the durability of adjunctive endovascular neck procedures, including aortic cuffs, Palmaz stents (Cordis, Miami Lakes, Fla), and high-pressure balloon angioplasty, at managing intraoperative proximal neck complications during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods This was a single-center retrospective review of EVARs. The primary outcome variable studied was survival free of a graft-related event (GRE). GRE was defined by the occurrence of one of the following: type I endoleak, sac enlargement, aneurysm rupture, death, or procedure related to the aortic neck. These outcome variables were assessed relative to the preoperative anatomic neck variables (neck length, diameter, degree of angulation, degree of circumferential thrombus, and presence of conicity), procedural variables (manufacturing type of graft, use of a Palmaz stent), and patient characteristics (age and presence of medical comorbidities). Outcomes were assessed by t tests, Pearson χ 2 , and Kaplan-Meier analysis, when appropriate. Results A total of 174 EVARs performed between January 2005 and December 2007 were evaluated. Fifty-six adjunctive procedures were performed, with a 97% primary-assisted exclusion rate. Patients who received an adjunctive therapy had similar freedom from a GRE compared with EVARs that did not require adjunctive therapy (35.5 ± 2.6 vs 34.8 ± 1.5 months, P = .31, log-rank test). Subset analysis identified a significant association between Palmaz stent placement at the time of EVAR and decreased freedom from GREs (hazard ratio, 2.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-6.77; P = .02). Conclusions Midterm results suggest that adjunctive therapies to manage intraoperative proximal neck complications do not compromise durability. The subset of patients requiring aortic neck Palmaz stent placement at the time of EVAR are among those at highest risk for subsequent GRE.
Fiber optic sensor probe for in-situ surface-enhanced Raman monitoring

In this paper we report on the development of a fiberoptic sensor using a new detection method based on the Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) technique. The SERS effect is based on recent experimental observations which have indicated enhancement of the Raman scattering efficiency by factors up to 108 when a compound is adsorbed on rough metallic surfaces having submicron protrusions. In this report we describe the development of the SERS probes for in situ remote sensing.
Prisoner's dilemma on graphs with heterogeneous agents

The prisoner's dilemma (PD) game has been used as a prototypical model for studying social choice situations with self-interested agents. Although in a single shot PD game, both players playing defect is a Nash equilibrium, in social settings, cooperation is usually observed among self-interested agents. The emergence of cooperation has been shown in the setting of iterated PD games and PD games on graphs. In this paper, motivated by modeling of conflict scenarios in multi-cultural societies, we study the PD game on a graph with multiple types of agents. We assume that there are two types of agents forming the nodes of the graph and the agents play the PD game with neighbors of the other type. The strategy update neighborhood of the agents can consist of either (a) neighbors of its own type only or (b) neighbors of its own type and the other type. We show by simulation that in both the above cases the fraction of players playing defect in the final solution is much more than the conventional case where there is no distinction between the game playing and strategy update neighborhoods (i.e., the agents are of the same type).
Effect of hymexazol on growth and reproduction of low temperature Phytophthora species

The effect of hymexazol (3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole or HMI) on growth and reproduction of low temperature Phytophthora species with growth maxima under 30 °C, was studied on clarified V-8 juice agar medium at 50 μg/ml and 5 μg/ml. HMI severely inhibited growth of P. infestons, P. phaseoli, P. porri and P. syringae, retarded the growth of P. hibernalis and P. lateralis but enhanced the growth of P. fragariae and P. ilicis. Phytophthora cactorum and P. pseudotsugae with a maximal temperature of 30 °C were moderately inhibited.
The Systems Theory Concept of Disability: one is not born a disabled person, one is observed to be one

The article aims at the theoretical development of the concept of disability, with particular reference to its integration with social systems theory. The concept of disability is discussed by suggesting that the predominant models within disability research cannot communicate with each other because they represent different observation points, all of them describing disability from within a specific system. It is the thesis of this article that the distinction between individual and society, which constitute the basis of the well-known scheme of observed differences between impairment, disability and 'handicap', is a distinction based on nai¨ve realism and obscures the problems within disability research. In line with a long tradition within sociology, social system theory rejects the belief that our concepts are representations of reality: the categories and concepts we use are distinctions that are system specific. It is through those distinctions that the phenomenon is observed. This implies that obse...
Dynamics and transport in random quantum systems governed by strong-randomness fixed points

We present results on the low-frequency dynamical and transport properties of random quantum systems whose low temperature (T), low-energy behavior is controlled by strong-disorder fixed points. We obtain the momentum- and frequency-dependent dynamic structure factor in the random singlet (RS) phases of both spin-1/2 and spin-1 random antiferromagnetic chains, as well as in the random dimer and Ising antiferromagnetic phases of spin-1/2 random antiferromagnetic chains. We show that the RS phases are unusual “spin metals” with divergent low-frequency spin conductivity at T=0, and we also follow the conductivity through “metal-insulator” transitions tuned by the strength of dimerization or Ising anisotropy in the spin-1/2 case, and by the strength of disorder in the spin-1 case. We work out the average spin and energy autocorrelations in the one-dimensional random transverse-field Ising model in the vicinity of its quantum critical point. All of the above calculations are valid in the frequency-dominated regime ω≳T, and rely on previously available renormalization group schemes that describe these systems in terms of the properties of certain strong-disorder fixed-point theories. In addition, we obtain some information about the behavior of the dynamic structure factor and dynamical conductivity in the opposite “hydrodynamic” regime ω<T for the special case of spin-1/2 chains close to the planar limit (the quantum x-y model) by analyzing the corresponding quantities in an equivalent model of spinless fermions with weak repulsive interactions and particle-hole symmetric disorder.
New members of the collagen superfamily

During the past year, several novel collagenous clones have been isolated from cDNA libraries and designated as new collagen types. Recent research has been concerned with describing these new collagens and their potential relationships to other previously described collagen types.
Attraction of crayfishes Procambarus clarkii, Orconectes rusticus and Cambarus bartoni to a feeding stimulant and its suppression by a blend of metals

Preference/avoidance responses and alterations in locomotor activity of adult intermolt crayfishes were examined in response to a blend of copper, chromium, arsenic, and selenium; to a feeding stimulant; and to mixtures of the feeding stimulant and the metals blend. The proportion of metals in the blend simulated that found in a typical fly ash slurry from a coal-fired electric plant (Cu:Cr:As:Se, 1.00:0.54:1.85:0.38). Two experimental series were used in the bioassay. In experimental series 1, preference/avoidance responses of crayfishes placed into an octagonal fluviarium were determined for the blend of metals infused into one octant of the arena at concentrations of either 20 or 2% of the average concentration found in the fly ash slurry. Preference/avoidance responses of the animals to the feeding stimulant, and to combined mixtures of the feeding stimulant and the metals blend, were similarly determined. All species exhibited a preference response to the feeding stimulant, but none of the species exhibited a preference or avoidance of either concentration of metals blend. Both concentrations of metals blend suppressed the preference response to the feeding stimulant in Procambarus clarkii and Orconectes rusticus; Cambarus bartoni exhibited a preference to the feeding stimulant in the presence of both concentrations of the metals blend. Experimental series 2 repeated the presentations of metals blend and feeding stimulant plus metals blend mixtures to the crayfishes, but with the metals blend infused into all octants of the fluviarium and the mixtures of feeding stimulant plus metals infused into one octant only. This second experimental protocol is believed to better simulate an encounter of chemical conditions by crayfishes in nature. Results indicated no preference for or avoidance of the feeding stimulant plus metals blend mixtures by any species at either concentration of metals blend.
Wideband monolithic GaAs amplifier using cascodes

A monolithic matched, two-stage wideband amplifier with an insertion gain of 26dB and a — 3dB bandwidth of 3-2GHz is reported. Optimally designed cascode circuits are used to enhance the gain-bandwidth product available per stage. The IC has been fabricated in a Iμ depletion GaAs MESFET technology.
Intrinsic fluorescence studies on troponin C.

Abstract Evidence for a proton transfer mechanism in the Ca 2+ -induced enhancement of the Tyr fluorescence of troponin C was obtained by studying the effects, in D 2 O and H 2 O, of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and H + on the fluorescence of both the protein and a model system containing L-Tyr in the presence of citrate. In the model system, it is shown that citrate quenches the fluorescence of L-Tyr, that there is a large deuterium isotope effect on the quenching, and that binding of Ca 2 , Mg 2+ , or H + by citrate results in a fluorescence enhancement. These results can be explained by the transfer of the phenolic proton of the excited Tyr to the carboxylates of citrate. Similar effects on the fluorescence of troponin C suggest that, in the apoprotein, the fluorescence of Tyr is quenched by a similar mechanism. Thus, the Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and H + -induced Tyr fluorescence enhancement in troponin C is due to “dequenching” resulting from coordination or protonation of vicinal carboxylates. Studies of troponin C fluorescence and fluorescence depolarization as a function of urea concentration enabled an estimate of the separate fluorescence contributions of its two Tyr residues (Nos. 10 and 109) in its various conformational states. Further evidence was also obtained to support the earlier proposal that the Ca 2+ enhancement is primarily due to the direct loss of quenching by nearby carboxylates, by showing that the pH-induced fluorescence enhancement did not occur in parallel with the ellipticity increase at 222 nm.
Electrocardiographs criteria for the diagnosis of anterior myocardial infarction: Importance of the duration of precordial R waves

A systematic evaluation of a large number of electrocardiographic (ECG) variables that might be useful for diagnosing anterior myocardial infarction (MI) is reported. Previous anterior MI was shown to be present or absent by cardiac catheterization in 199 patients. The best discriminator between cases and noncases of anterior MI in most patients is the presence of a Q wave of any magnitude or an initial R wave < 20 ms in lead V2. In patients with ECG evidence of associated left ventricular or type C right ventricular enlargement, the more stringent criterion of a Q wave of any magnitude in lead V2 yielded the optimal combination of sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing anterior MI. The diagnostic performance of the proposed criteria for anterior MI is superior to that of more traditional criteria that use measurements of the absolute and relative amplitudes of precordial R waves.
INFLUENCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS ON MYOGLOBIN CONCENTRATIONS IN VITAMIN E-DEFICIENT GUINEA PIG SKELETAL MUSCLE.

SummaryThe rapid increase and subsequent decline in myoglobin concentration which is characteristic of the guinea pig after 15, 21 and 30 days on a Vit. E-deficient diet is largely prevented by a thrice-weekly administration of DPPD. Under the same regimen, MB is not effective and exhibits considerable toxicity for young animals. Both MB and DPPD, when given in 6 daily doses to animals previously kept on a tocopherol-deficient diet for 15 days, bring about a remission of abnormal changes in myoglobin concentration.
Workshop Report: The Coming Decade of Innovation

New technology is not without its failures. Will gallium arsenide ICs, Josephson junctions, and SOS be among those of the 1980's?
Divergent effects of epinephrine and prostaglandin E1 on the level of cyclic AMP in human blood platelets

Clinical studies were conducted into the effects of PGs (prostaglandins) E1 and E2 and 2 adrenergic blocking agents phentolamine and propranolol on the level of cyclic AMP in blood platelets. The methodology of the studies is explained and the results are graphed. Epinephrine stimulates platelet aggregation by decreasing the intracellular level of cyclic AMP. This cyclic AMP-lowering effect of epinephrine is inhibited by the alpha-adrenergic blocking agent phentolamine but not by the beta-adrenergic blocking agent propranolol. PGE1 was shown to be a powerful stimulant of levels of cyclic AMP in human blood platelets; PGE2 was much less powerful in its stimulatory effect. While PGE1 increased the level of cyclic AMP at concentrations of 10 ng/ml PGE2 was only effective at concentrations of 1000 ng/ml. The study results add to the evidence that the level of cyclic AMP in blood platelets is an important determinant of the aggregation tendency of these cells. Alpha-adrenergic responses in general are seen to be mediated by decreased levels of cyclic AMP.
Simultaneous hierarchical segmentation and vectorization of satellite images through combined non-uniform data sampling and anisotropic triangulation

The automatic detection, recognition, and segmentation of object classes in remote sensed images is of crucial importance for scene interpretation and understanding. However, it is a difficult task because of the high variability of satellite data. Indeed, the observed scenes usually exhibit a high degree of complexity, where complexity refers to the large variety of pictorial representations of objects with the same semantic meaning and also to the extensive amount of available details. Therefore, there is still a strong demand for robust techniques for automatic information extraction and interpretation of satellite images. In parallel, there is a growing interest in techniques that can extract vector features directly from such imagery. In this paper, we investigate the problem of automatic hierarchical segmentation and vectorization of multispectral satellite images. We propose a new algorithm composed of the following steps: (i) a non-uniform sampling scheme extracting most salient pixels in the image, (ii) an anisotropic triangulation constrained by the sampled pixels taking into account both strength and directionality of local structures present in the image, (iii) a polygonal grouping scheme merging, through techniques based on perceptual information, the obtained segments to a smaller quantity of superior vectorial objects. Besides its computational efficiency, this approach provides a meaningful polygonal representation for subsequent image analysis and/or interpretation.
Assembly of nucleosomal DNA in a cell-free extract from wild-type and top1- strains of Ustilago maydis.

An in vitro nucleosome assembly system has been established from cell-free extracts of the fungusUstilago maydis. The extract catalyzed DNA supercoiling in the absence of exogenously added co-factors such as ATP and MgCl2 and was inhibited by moderate concentrations (200 mM) of KCl or NaCl. DNA supercoiling occurs via the formation of nucleosomes. Similar extracts, displaying the same activity, were prepared fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae andCandida albicans, suggesting that the extract preparation protocol may be useful for many lower eukaryotic systems. An extract prepared from a strain ofU. maydis lacking topoisomerase I failed to catalyze nucleosome assembly, clearly implicating this enzyme in this process. Addition of purified topoisomerase I, and, to a lesser extent, topoisomerase II, to the top1− extract regenerated the supercoiling activity. Our results provide a method for preparing assembly extracts from organisms, that are particularly amenable to genetic manipulation.
Onset of acute myocardial infarction during sleep.

Background: Analysis of the chronology of acute cardiovascular events may provide important pathophysiologic information. There is a circadian pattern in the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with a mid-morning peak, ascribed to the catecholamine surge that accompanies awakening and assuming the upright posture. However, in up to 27% of patients the onset of AMI occurs during sleep (without apparent precipitating factors). The reasons for this finding are unknown. Hypothesis: The aim of the study was to determine why the onset of symptoms of AMI occurs during sleep in some individuals rather than being precipitated by known trigger factors such as physical exertion. Methods: Using the database from a large multicenter clinical trial, patients were grouped according to whether or not they were awakened from sleep by the symptoms of AMI. Results: In all, 870 of 3,309 patients (26%) were awakened by AMI. In general, these patients were older and sicker, with poorer left ventricular function, lower quality of life indices, more frequent heart failure, lower ejection fractions, higher incidence of angina, and a greater frequency of atrial arrhythmias. On multivariate analysis, only low ejection fraction and older age were independently associated with awakening by the symptoms of AMI. Conclusions: Patients who are older and sicker are more likely to be awakened from sleep by the onset of symptoms of AMI. Although the reasons are unknown, we speculate that these individuals are less active and therefore less vulnerable to established trigger factors such as vigorous physical exertion.
Magnetic impurities in amorphous superconductors:TKondo>Tc☆

Measurements of upper critical field as a function of temperature and Fe-concentration are reported for the amorphous superconductors ((Mo.6Ru.4).80G.20)1−cFec, where G is a glass-former. The linear shapes of the Hc2 vs. T curves near Tc agree well with predictions made by Matsura, Ichinose, and Nagaoka, for TKondo ⪢> Tc.
Application of system identification methods for decoding imagined single-joint movements in an individual with high tetraplegia

This study investigated the decoding of imagined arm movements from M1 in an individual with high level tetraplegia. The participant was instructed to imagine herself performing a series of single-joint arm movements, aided by the visual cue of an animate character performing these movements. System identification was used offline to predict the trajectories of the imagined movements and compare these predictions to the trajectories of the actual movements. We report rates of 25 – 50% for predicting completely imagined arm movements in the absence of a priori movements to aid in decoder building.
The Path to European Integration: A Historical Institutionalist Analysis

Observers of the European Community have criticized “intergovernmentalist” accounts for exaggerating the extent of member-state control over European integration. This article grounds these critici...
Selective boron drug delivery to brain tumors for boron neutron capture therapy.

Abstract Malignant glioma is one of the most deadly forms of cancer in humans and remains refractory to presently available treatments. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a promising therapeutic modality for the treatment of malignant brain tumors. For successful BNCT, a sufficient quantity of boron atoms must be selectively delivered to individual brain tumor cells while at the same time the boron concentration in the normal brain tissue should be kept low to minimize the damage to normal brain tissue. However, the brain entry of drugs is restricted by the blood–brain barrier (BBB), even though the permeability of the pathological area of this barrier may be partially increased due to the present of brain tumors. Therefore, selective delivery of boron to tumor cells across the BBB is a major challenge to the BNCT of brain tumors. This review briefly discusses four main mechanisms responsible for drug transport across the BBB. Brain tumor-localizing boron compounds are described, such as borocaptate sodium, p-boronophenylalanine, boronated porphyrins and boronated nucleosides. Strategies employed to selectively deliver boron drug into brain tumors are reviewed including hyperosmotic BBB modification, biochemical opening of BBB, electropermeabilization and direct intracerebral delivery of boron drugs. Conjugation of boron drugs to macromolecules like monoclonal antibodies and epidermal growth factor are discussed for active tumor targeting. Boron delivery via microparticles such as liposomes, high density lipoproteins and nanoparticles is also covered for their potential utilization in BNCT of brain tumors.
A Common Late-Stage Intermediate in Catalysis by 2-Hydroxyethyl-phosphonate Dioxygenase and Methylphosphonate Synthase

2-Hydroxyethylphosphonate dioxygenase (HEPD) and methylphosphonate synthase (MPnS) are nonheme iron oxygenases that both catalyze the carbon–carbon bond cleavage of 2-hydroxyethylphosphonate but generate different products. Substrate labeling experiments led to a mechanistic hypothesis in which the fate of a common intermediate determined product identity. We report here the generation of a bifunctional mutant of HEPD (E176H) that exhibits the activity of both HEPD and MPnS. The product distribution of the mutant is sensitive to a substrate isotope effect, consistent with an isotope-sensitive branching mechanism involving a common intermediate. The X-ray structure of the mutant was determined and suggested that the introduced histidine does not coordinate the active site metal, unlike the iron-binding glutamate it replaced.
Towards long pattern generation in dense databases

This paper discusses the problem of long pattern generation in dense databases. In recent years, there has been an increase of interest in techniques for maximal pattern generation. We present a survey of this class of methods for long pattern generation which differ considerably from the level-wise approach of traditional methods. Many of these techniques are rooted in combinatorial tricks which can be applied only when the generation of frequent patterns is not forced to be level wise. We present an overview of the different kinds of methods which can be used in order to improve the counting and search space exploration methods for long patterns.
Julie Rovner’s Health Care Policy and Politics A to Z: a review

Drawing on her vast experience covering health care policy on Capitol Hill, Julie Rovner has written explanations for over 300 key concepts that demystify the world of United States Government health care policy. In the newest edition of Health Care Policy and Politics A to Z, readers will find updated information on long-term health care spending, abortion, Medicaid and Medicare, health insurance and the uninsured, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). New entries reflect important changes in recent years and include the Medicare Modernization Act, abstinence education, electronic health records, health savings accounts, and Project BioShield. The book does have its gaps, especially as it relates to mental health. However, this book should become a standard reference for all health care professionals.
THE LAW OF PEOPLES, SOCIAL COOPERATION, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

Cosmopolitans argue that the account of human rights and distributive justice in John Rawls's The Law of Peoples is incompatible with his argument for liberal justice. Rawls should extend his account of liberal basic liberties and the guarantees of distributive justice to apply to the world at large. This essay defends Rawls's grounding of political justice in social cooperation. The Law of Peoples is drawn up to provide principles of foreign policy for liberal peoples. Human rights are among the necessary conditions for social cooperation, and so long as a decent people respect human rights, a common good, and the Law of Peoples, it is not the role of liberal peoples to impose upon well-ordered decent peoples liberal liberties they cannot endorse. Moreover, the difference principle is not an allocative or alleviatory principle, but applies to design property and other basic social institutions necessary to economic production, exchange and consumption. It presupposes political cooperation—a legislative body to actively apply it, and a legal system to apply it to. There is no feasible global state or global legal system that could serve these roles. Finally, the difference principle embodies a conception of democratic reciprocity that is only appropriate to cooperation among free and equal citizens who are socially productive and politically autonomous.I am grateful to K. C. Tan for many helpful discussions and criticisms of this essay. I am also grateful to the other contributors to this volume for their comments, and to Ellen Paul for her many helpful suggestions in preparing the final version of this essay.
Laminar film condensation

Abstract The classical solution of Nusselt for laminar film condensation on a vertical surface neglects the effects of the sensible heat and inertia of the condensate, the drag of the vapor and the curvature of the surface.Previous solutions which account for these secondary effects are in forms inconvenient for applications. The present paper presents extended solutions in closed form, and hence applicable for arbitrary parametric values. These solutions are very accurate for largePr, but for small Pr are restricted to small values of C p ΔT λ . Both the inertia of the condensate and the drag of the vapor are found to be appreciable for Pr
Students as “customers”

The idea of students as “customers” at institutions of higher learning evokes intense controvery, but it is usually understood simplistically. The word “customer” is derived from the Latin “consuescere” meaning “to become acquainted with”. In marketplaces of the Renaissance it suggested a bond founded on familiarity and trust. Early universities were located near marketplaces, and shared some of their vibrant atmosphere. Today, as well, there is no reason why the relationship between a customer and provider need be either temporary or superficial. New technologies may help to render the relationship of an institution to its students more lasting and more personal.
The Social and Organizational Influence of Principals: Evaluating Principals in Context.

Principals lead organizations that are among the most important in our society. They fill a pivotal role in schools. While their responsibilities often include teacher evaluation, practices of principal evaluation have not kept pace in focus, sophistication, or reliability with changes in schools and schooling or with developments in teacher evaluation. Principal evaluation remains an underdeveloped aspect of education research and development (Duke & Stiggins, 1985). While some argue that the complexity of schools makes principals' evaluation on the basis of outcomes unrealistic, the need increases for models that tie evaluation more closely with valued outcomes. With expanding diversity of structure and goals among public schools, the growing popularity of sitebased management and parental governance committees, and mounting demands for accountability for outcomes rather than procedural compliance from schools, these needs can only grow. In the face of these demands, frameworks for principal evaluation tend to be atheoretical and idiosyncratic. Models that tie principal evaluation to accountability for outcomes deserve exploration. This article describes one possible model based on the interaction of principals with the social system of schools. It relies on organizational socialization and leader/follower interaction theories and explores factors that link principals' actions to the positive outcomes they seek in schools. These factors then can be incorporated into principal evaluation practices.
Relationship of Metabolic Risk Factors and Development of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes

The prevalence of obesity and diabetes has reached pandemic proportions. Obesity, particularly in association with high waist circumference and high BMI, is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. Several large studies have shown that marginal (5 lb) to moderate (11 to 22 lb) weight gain in adulthood (age 20 to 50 years) increases the risk of chronic disease and negatively affects CHD risk status. The metabolic syndrome, a clustering of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors that includes abdominal obesity, is increasing among adults and children and is strongly associated with the development of diabetes and CHD. Recent evidence suggests that elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, may comprise an additional component of the metabolic syndrome and may serve as a surrogate marker for type 2 diabetes, particularly if used in conjunction with C-reactive protein.
Robust ESD Protection Solutions in CMOS/BiCMOS Technologies

Robust and novel devices called High Holding, Low-Voltage-Trigger Silicon Controlled Rectifiers (HH-LVTSCRs) for Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection of integrated circuits (ICs) are designed, fabricated and characterized. The S-type current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the HH-LVTSCRs are adjustable to different operating conditions by changing the device dimensions and terminal interconnections. Experimental results demonstrate that HH-LVTSCRs with a multiple-finger layout render high levels of ESD protection per unit area, applicable in the design of ICs with stringent ESD protection requirements of over 15 kV IEC.
Velocity field measurements of cavitating flows

A particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system has been developed to study the microfluid mechanics of cavitating flows. Planar PIV was used to examine the non-cavitating flow in the thin boundary layer near a hydrofoil surface for the cases of a naturally developing boundary layer and a boundary layer stimulated to turbulence by roughness near the foil leading edge. PIV was also used to examine the flow near the surface of individual cavitation bubbles and incipient attached cavitation. A system was devised to create a single nucleus in the flow upstream of a hydrofoil, and planar PIV was used to study the flow around the resulting traveling cavitation bubble. Velocity vectors were determined close to the solid surfaces and the gas/liquid interfaces of the bubbles. Seeding of the flow with particles did not result in the addition of active cavitation nuclei.
Facilitating the shift to population-based public health programs: Innovation through the use of framework and logic model tools

Program planning and evaluation are critical steps in using a population health approach. This paper outlines how logic models have been adapted within a health promotion framework to guide public health programs and facilitate program description. It is important that we take the time to describe clearly what we are doing, reflect on practice and elaborate the conceptual base for the new public health programs so that we can evaluate the impact of our work. Ongoing research is required to identify appropriate and measurable indicators that capture the process, as well as the outcome, of population-based health promotion.
Empagliflozin: a new sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is increasing in prevalence worldwide, and hyperglycemia is often poorly controlled despite a number of therapeutic options. Unlike previously available agents, sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors offer an insulin-independent mechanism for improving blood glucose levels, since they promote urinary glucose excretion (UGE) by inhibiting glucose reabsorption in the kidney. In addition to glucose control, SGLT2 inhibitors are associated with weight loss and blood pressure reductions, and do not increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Empagliflozin is a selective inhibitor of SGLT2, providing dose-dependent UGE increases in healthy volunteers, with up to 90 g of glucose excreted per day. It can be administered orally, and studies of people with renal or hepatic impairment indicated empagliflozin needed no dose adjustment based on pharmacokinetics. In Phase II trials in patients with type 2 diabetes, empagliflozin provided improvements in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and other measures of glycemic control when given as monotherapy or add-on to metformin, as well as reductions in weight and systolic blood pressure. As add-on to basal insulin, empagliflozin not only improved HbA1c levels but also reduced insulin doses. Across studies, empagliflozin was generally well tolerated with a similar rate of hypoglycemia to placebo; however, patients had a slightly increased frequency of genital infections, but not urinary tract infections, versus placebo. Phase III studies have also reported a good safety profile along with significant improvements in HbA1c, weight and blood pressure, with no increased risk of hypoglycemia versus placebo. Based on available data, it appears that empagliflozin may be a useful option in a range of patients; however, clinical decisions will be better informed by the results of ongoing studies, in particular, a large cardiovascular outcome study (EMPA-REG OUTCOME™).
OSMOREGULATION BY NESTLING AND ADULT AMERICAN KESTRELS (FALCO SPARVERIUS)

Abstract We explored aspects of renal function in American Kestrels (Falco sparverius), birds that habitually eat high-protein meals. In particular, we hypothesized that, like granivorous birds switched to high-protein food, kestrels would have high urine flows with high proportions of waste N as urate. In nestlings in the field, 80–93% of urinary N was in the form of urate, though concentrations of ammonia and urea were higher in older nestlings. Feeding resulted in reduced osmotic and ion concentrations in urine, but concentrations and proportions of nitrogenous wastes were unaffected. In adult kestrels in the laboratory, urine flow rate in fed animals, ∼1 mL h–1, was similar to that previously measured in avian granivores. Urine flow declined with fasting, accomplished by both a reduction in glomerular filtration rate (significant after 24 h fast) and a rise in tubular water reabsorption (significant after 48 h). During the course of a 48 h fast, proportion of urinary N excreted as urate fell and that ...
Negative-Base Number-Representation Systems

Number-representation systems employing negative bases, and identical in structure to the usual systems using positive bases, can represent both positive and negative numbers with equal facility. Arithmetic involving both positive and negative operands can also be performed in a negative-base system without special attention to the negative numbers. Determination of whether a number is positive or negative is relatively difficult, such determination depending upon knowledge of the position of the most significant digit. Truncation and roundoff errors in negative-base systems are greater relative to positive-base systems. An algorithm for representing numbers in a system with a negative integral base is given, and rules for common arithmetic operations are presented.
AUTOMATIC SEMIPARAMETRIC ESTIMATION OF THE MEMORY PARAMETER OF A LONG‐MEMORY TIME SERIES

. In Geweke and Porter-Hudak's estimator ωd(GPH) of the memory parameter of a long-memory process, a critical choice the user must make is the number of frequencies, M, to be used in the regression of the log periodogram on log frequency. This choice is critical in practice because by simply varying M for a given data set it is often possible to obtain a very wide range of values of the estimator. Although Geweke and Porter-Hudak have found that choosing M to be the square root of the sample size gave good results in simulation, they gave no theoretical justification for this choice. Here, we propose automatic criteria for selecting M, and another tuning constant used in related estimates of the memory parameter, based on frequency domain cross-validation. We provide some theoretical and heuristic justification for the proposed criteria. In a simulation study, we compare some of the resulting automatic methods of estimating the memory parameter with existing non-automatic ones.
Time Period, Generational, and Age Differences in Tolerance for Controversial Beliefs and Lifestyles in the United States, 1972–2012

Americans have become increasingly tolerant of controversial outgroups in results from the nationally representative General Social Survey (1972–2012, N = 35,048). Specifically, adults in the 2010s (versus the 1970s and 1980s) were more likely to agree that Communists, homosexuals, the anti-religious, militarists, and those believing Blacks are genetically inferior should be allowed to give a public speech, teach at a college, or have a book in a local library. Cross-classification hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses separating the effects of time period, cohort/generation, and age show that these trends were driven by both a linear time period effect and a curvilinear cohort effect, with those born in the late 1940s (Boomers) the most tolerant when age and time period were controlled. Tolerance of homosexuals increased the most, and tolerance of racists the least. The increase in tolerance is positively correlated with higher levels of education and individualistic attitudes, including rejecting traditional social rules, but is negatively correlated with changes in empathy.
Campaign advertising and political ambiguity

This paper develops a model to explain candidates' strategic decisions to provide or withhold information about policy positions in the course of an election campaign. The analysis treats this problem as a game of imperfect information. Attention is focused on modeling voter suspicion of candidates whose positions are ambiguous. Specific numerical examples illustrate that candidate decisions about providing information via informative advertising depend upon candidate policy preferences, campaign fund endowments, partisan reputations, and incumbency status. The model also provides theoretical underpinnings for empirical findings regarding the effects of campaign advertising.
Routine Quality Control of Clinical Nuclear Medicine Instrumentation: A Brief Review

This article reviews routine quality-control (QC) procedures for current nuclear medicine instrumentation, including the survey meter, dose calibrator, well counter, intraoperative probe, organ (“thyroid”) uptake probe, γ-camera, SPECT and SPECT/CT scanner, and PET and PET/CT scanner. It should be particularly useful for residents, fellows, and other trainees in nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology, and radiology. The procedures described and their respective frequencies are presented only as general guidelines.
Genome Dynamics Are Influenced by Food Source in Allogromia laticollaris Strain CSH (Foraminifera)

Across the eukaryotic tree of life, genomes vary within populations and within individuals during their life cycle. Understanding intraspecific genome variation in diverse eukaryotes is key to elucidating the factors that underlie this variation. Here, we characterize genome dynamics during the life cycle of Allogromia laticollaris strain CSH, a member of the Foraminifera, using fluorescence microscopy and reveal extensive variation in nuclear size and DNA content. Both nuclear size and DNA content are tightly correlated across a 700-fold range in cell volume. In contrast to models in yeast where nuclear size is determined solely by cell size, the relationship in A. laticollaris CSH differs according to both life cycle stage and food source. Feeding A. laticollaris CSH a diet that includes algae results in a 2-fold increase in DNA content in reproductive cells compared with a diet of bacteria alone. This difference in DNA content likely corresponds to increased fecundity, as reproduction occurs through segregation of the polyploid nucleus into numerous daughter nuclei. Environmentally mediated variation in DNA content may be a widespread phenomenon, as it has been previously reported in the plant flax and the flagellate Euglena. We hypothesize that DNA content is influenced by food in other single-celled eukaryotes with ploidy cycles and that this genome flexibility may enable these eukaryotes to maximize fitness across changing environmental conditions.
Performance analysis of an ATM local computer network

This paper evaluates the performance of a local switching network using a Manhattan street network (MSN) for high-speed ATM applications. The MSN has a cyclic structure and belongs to the class of deflection-routing networks. We propose the use of shared buffering in the structure of each node. With shared buffers the network operates efficiently since the occurrence of deflections is minimized. We develop a new analytical model for the MSN and use it to study the traffic performance of this network. The key new result of this study is the need to scale the bandwidth of the MSN links in proportion to the network size. Through this evaluation, we determine how much speed advantage an MSN requires to become a practical switch. Numerical results of the analysis are compared with numerical results of an extensive simulation developed for this network.
Political parties and the size of government in multiparty legislatures: Examining cross-country and panel data evidence

This article tests the effect of an increase in the number of represented political parties and the size of the majority party on the size of government—proxied by central government expenditure as a percentage of GDP—in multiparty legislatures. The author argues that an increase in the number of represented parties leads to higher central government expenditure. Conversely, as the size of the majority party grows from a bare-minimum majority to above the supermajority level, it has a nonlinear, specifically “cube” effect on central government expenditure. Panel data on central government expenditure from 110 countries are used to test these arguments. The results corroborate the theoretical claims and are robust in regression models where fixed-effects were introduced and endogeneity was corrected. Finally, an increase in the number of represented parties leads to higher government spending on subsidies and transfers but to lower spending on public goods.
Propagation Characteristics of Wireless Channels

Abstract An overview of the characteristics of wireless channels is given. The phenomena of attenuation and fading are described in detail. Models available in literature to estimate the attenuation are reviewed for both indoor and outdoor wireless systems. Short term fading, long term fading and methods to mitigate fading using diversity techniques are explained. A brief appendix explains the decibel units of power used in wireless systems. Keywords: attenuation; base station; mobile unit; power margin; transmission loss; wireless channels
The Story of the Tattooed Lady: Scandal and the Colonial State in British Burma

This article centers on Branded Woman v. Unknown, an unusual 1889 trial that gave birth to the “ordinarily accepted significance” of Burmese tattoos. What began as a snippet of gossip from a colonial village became a scandal involving the highest echelon of Britain's metropolis. I explain why this dynamic of escalation occurred and how colonial officials in Burma utilized a courtroom to transform tenuous fictions of tattooing into a seemingly coherent fact about Burma. My argument that this process—shaped through cues from a fragmented audience of peers (rather than a single audience of subordinates)—represents the production of an elite public transcript highlights how colonial scandals worked as eventful moments for an always precarious state to reconfigure its claim to power by prompting local agents to enact expressions of certainty. It further carries implications for scholarship on symbolic state power and the construction of legal facts and public knowledge.
Needs Assessment‐A Critical Reappraisal

We argue in this article that the discrepancy model of needs assessment is lacking in that it does not capture expert behavior, and hence can not lead to problem–solving expertise. With arguments based on a review of the theory and research literature related to problem solving and reflections based on practical experience, we contend that in the first instance, organizational problems are typically too illdefined and shrouded in ambiguity to be meaningfully captured by the model. In the real world, current and desired states cannot always be clearly articulated. We review literature showing that problem–solving expertise, while having a process component, is premised on possession of domain–specific knowledge. Expertise is knowledge based. It comes from wide and varied experience, based on learned principles and rules, which leads to problem categorization, to automacity, and to the deliberate selection or formulation of strategies. The expert draws on schemata stored in long–term memory. Thus we contend that by dwelling almost exclusively on the discrepancy approach to problem solving, the field of Human Resource Development unwittingly forfeits the opportunity to engage in a discourse which would be premised on expert practice.
Photostability in dioxyheterocycle electrochromic polymers

Many proposed applications for electrochromic polymers (ECPs), which are designed to modulate the intensity or spectral power density of light, center around the interaction between the ECPs and the incident light. The long-term effects of the interaction of light and ECPs are rarely discussed in the literature, yet is a crucial parameter in materials evaluation in many applications. With the goal of examining the photo-stability of select ECPs, two polymers were selected for study, which are representative of both 3,4-dioxythiophene (DOT) and 3,4-dioxypyrrole (DOP) based materials. Samples of each material were sealed in glass cells under varying atmospheric conditions using a polyisobutylene-based barrier sealant and irradiated under a solar simulator for time periods ranging from 24 hours to one month. Following irradiation, electrochromic performance was assessed via both electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical methods. Additionally, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to study chemical changes following irradiation. We report here that, following irradiation, no change in electrochromic performance (as measured by Δ%T at λmax) nor spectra recorded via XPS was observed in films encapsulated under an inert atmosphere, suggesting that conditions of irradiation alone are insufficient to degrade the performance of either ECP structure.
Antisense technology: biological utility and practical considerations

Antisense RNA and DNA techniques have been developed as a relatively recent approach to the specific modulation of gene expression in vitro and in vivo. This review discusses general considerations for the application of antisense techniques. We shall examine the relative advantages and disadvantages of DNA versus RNA techniques, as well as the common pitfalls peculiar to each strategy.