cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Appearance of extreme monsoonal rainfall events and their impact on erosion in the Himalaya

Monsoonal rainfall in the Himalaya dominates erosion and sediment transport through the fluvial system. In addition to the strong seasonal nature of the Indian summer monsoon, striking interannual variations in monsoonal strength characterize longer records. For example, during any given year, rain may penetrate further into the orogen, even though peak rainfall amounts almost always occur at topographic barriers in regions with high relief, regardless of overall monsoonal strength. Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) product 3B42 rainfall is first used to document the spatial rainfall distribution and then the TRMM time series are used to identify temporal and seasonal rainfall variations. A simple, but robust magnitude-frequency relation for each rainfall pixel is used to show that rainfall greater or equal to the 90th percentile occurs at least twice as often in mountainous terrain as in low-elevation regions. Previous field-based observations and measurements show that this significantly high...
Holland's Theory and Implications for Academic Advising and Career Counseling

John Holland's typological theory of persons and environments is regarded as the most influential in the field of career counseling (Brown, 2002), but few have carried the theory over to the field of higher education and academic advising (Smart, Feldman, & Ethington, 2000). Therefore, Holland's theory and the subsequent research on it were explored to determine if the theory would be an appropriate means of understanding the behavior and organization of college faculty members and students. A practical approach for integrating a Holland-based system of academic advising and career counseling is discussed.
A rhetorical analysis of leadership emergence in small groups

A rhetorical framework based on Burkean theory is used to analyze the relative success of leadership contenders in small groups in obtaining cooperation of the other members and resolving the struggle for leadership. The study adds to a gradually accumulating body of qualitative group research. A series of five steps delineates critical responsibilities for this analysis. To illustrate and support the conceptual schema, it has been applied to recorded discourse generated in two small, zero‐history, leaderless task groups. The analyses reveal the importance of transcending symbolic divisions in leadership emergence.
Sevelamer carbonate increases serum bicarbonate in pediatric dialysis patients

Sevelamer hydrochloride (HCl), a calcium-free phosphate binder, is increasingly used due to concerns related to calcium exposure and the development of vascular calcifications. However, a common side effect of sevelamer HCl, metabolic acidosis, is particularly concerning in children, as it can contribute to poor growth. Sevelamer carbonate is now available and has been shown to increase serum bicarbonate in adult patients. We conducted a prospective single-center study of pediatric dialysis patients comparing serum bicarbonate before and 3 months after a switch from sevelamer HCl to sevelamer carbonate. Inclusion criteria were a minimum of 3 months of dialysis therapy and either a serum bicarbonate <20 mmol/L or the need for sodium bicarbonate supplementation. Ten hemodialysis and 14 peritoneal dialysis patients, aged 16 ± 3 years, were enrolled. Whereas serum calcium and phosphorus remained unchanged, serum bicarbonate increased from 20 (17.2–22.0) to 24.5 (20.75–26) mmol/L (p < 0.001) after 3 months of sevelamer carbonate therapy. Sodium bicarbonate supplementation was stopped in all patients (n = 10), reducing the mean daily sodium intake by an average of 2.3 g per patient. These results demonstrate that sevelamer carbonate is an effective phosphate binder that improves acid-base status in pediatric dialysis patients.
Ranking state fiscal structures using theory and evidence

This paper offers unique rankings of the extent to which fiscal structures of U.S. states contribute to economic growth. The rankings are novel in two key respects: They are well grounded in established growth theory, in which the effect of taxes depends both on the level of taxes and on the composition of expenditures; and they are derived from actual estimates of the link between fiscal structures and economic growth. Estimates for the latter yield a growth hill, in which the incremental effect of taxes spent on productive services and infrastructure initially rises, reaches a peak, and then declines. Rankings derived from these estimates differ sharply from typical rankings based on levels of taxation alone. Two hypothetical policy experiments highlight both the growth-hill effects of tax investments in productive services and infrastructure and the short- and long-term tradeoffs in attempting to fund strong social services. © 2008 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Activation of the OxyR Transcription Factor by Reversible Disulfide Bond Formation

The OxyR transcription factor is sensitive to oxidation and activates the expression of antioxidant genes in response to hydrogen peroxide in Escherichia coli. Genetic and biochemical studies revealed that OxyR is activated through the formation of a disulfide bond and is deactivated by enzymatic reduction with glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1). The gene encoding Grx1 is regulated by OxyR, thus providing a mechanism for autoregulation. The redox potential of OxyR was determined to be -185 millivolts, ensuring that OxyR is reduced in the absence of stress. These results represent an example of redox signaling through disulfide bond formation and reduction.
Does the Predictability of ENSO Depend on the Seasonal Cycle

Abstract An intermediate coupled ocean–atmosphere model that permits dynamical interactions between the seasonal cycle and interannual oscillations is used to conduct large ensembles of ENSO prediction experiments. By varying seasonal backgrounds, the impact of the annual cycle on the model’s forecast skills is explored. The results show that the sensitivity of the skills to changes in the seasonal cycle is weak, although correlation skills drop and rms errors increase systematically by a small amount as the amplitude of the seasonal cycle is enhanced. This suggests that the nature of the model’s prediction skills is largely determined by the seasonal information hidden in the initial conditions and the actual varying seasonal background is of secondary importance. As in other anomaly coupled models, the spring predictability barrier is a predominant feature of this model’s prediction skills. This seasonal dependence of the forecast skills exhibits a decadal modulation with strong barriers in the 1960s an...
Extreme changes in dietary sodium effect daily variability and level of blood pressure in borderline hypertensive patients.

This study examined the effect of large changes in dietary sodium on the average ambulatory blood pressure and its variability in 19 patients with uncomplicated borderline hypertension. Each patient participated in a 16-week protocol that consisted of four 4-week periods of different sodium intake (medium (120-160 mEq/day) during periods 1 and 3 and low ( 225 mEq/day) during either period 2 or 4. The 24-hour urine sodium during the low and high periods averaged 18 and 327 mEq/day, respectively. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was done at the end of the fourth week of the low and high diet periods. During monitoring, pressures were recorded every 15 minutes while awake; in addition, patients kept diaries noting activities, posture, and situation at each measurement. The results show that there was a decline of 16/7 mmHg in the average ambulatory awake systolic and diastolic pressures from the high sodium to low sodium diets. Corresponding casual pressures decreased an average of 15 and 8 mmHg, respectively. In examining the factors associated with ambulatory pressure variability, systolic pressure showed greater variation by activity on a low sodium diet than on the high. The findings suggest that sodium restriction has a variable, but in some cases marked, effect on lowering the ambulatory blood pressure in borderline mildly hypertensive patients and that sodium balance may be important to consider when examining ambulatory blood pressure variability. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A randomized study comparing the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet and a conventional diet on lipoprotein subfractions and C-reactive protein levels in patients with severe obesity

Purpose To compare the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet and a conventional (fat- and calorie-restricted) diet on lipoprotein subfractions and inflammation in severely obese subjects. Methods We compared changes in lipoprotein subfractions and C-reactive protein levels in 78 severely obese subjects, including 86% with either diabetes or metabolic syndrome, who were randomly assigned to either a low-carbohydrate or conventional diet for 6 months. Results Subjects on a low-carbohydrate diet experienced a greater decrease in large very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels (difference = −0.26 mg/dL, P = 0.03) but more frequently developed detectable chylomicrons (44% vs. 22%, P = 0.04). Both diet groups experienced similar decreases in the number of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles (difference = −30 nmol/L, P = 0.74) and increases in large high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations (difference = 0.70 mg/dL, P = 0.63). Overall, C-reactive protein levels decreased modestly in both diet groups. However, patients with a high-risk baseline level (>3 mg/dL, n=48) experienced a greater decrease in C-reactive protein levels on a low-carbohydrate diet (adjusted difference=−2.0 mg/dL, P = 0.005), independent of weight loss. Conclusion In this 6-month study involving severely obese subjects, we found an overall favorable effect of a low-carbohydrate diet on lipoprotein subfractions, and on inflammation in high-risk subjects. Both diets had similar effects on LDL and HDL subfractions.
Visual sensing of continuum robot shape using self-organizing maps

Shape control of continuum robots requires a means of sensing the the curved shape of the robot. Since continuum robots are deformable, they take on shapes that are general curves in space, which are not fully defined by actuator positions. Vision-based shape-estimation provides a promising avenue for shape-sensing. While this is often facilitated by fiducial markers, sometimes fiducials are not feasible due to either the robot's application or its size. To address this, we present a robust and efficient stereo-vision-based, shape-sensing algorithm for continuum robots that does not rely on fiducials or assume orthogonal camera placement. The algorithm employs self-organizing maps to triangulate three-dimensional backbone curves. Experiments with an object with a known shape demonstrate an average accuracy of 1.53 mm on a 239 mm arc length curve.
H.M. Revisited: Relations between Language Comprehension, Memory, and the Hippocampal System

Three studies tested the claim that H.M. exhibits a "pure memory deficit" that has left his ability to comprehend language unimpaired relative to memory-normal controls. In Study 1, H.M. and memory-normal controls of comparable intelligence, education, and age indicated whether sentences were ambiguous or unambiguous, and H.M. detected ambiguities significantly less often than controls. In Study 2, participants identified the two meanings of visually presented sentences that they knew were ambiguous, and relative to controls, H.M. rarely discovered the ambiguities without help and had difficulty understanding the first meanings, experimenter requests, and his own output. Study 3 replicated these results and showed that they were not due to brain damage per se or to cohort effects: Unlike H.M., a patient with bilateral frontal lobe damage detected the ambiguities as readily as young and samecohort older controls. These results bear on two general classes of theories in use within a wide range of neurosciences and cognitive sciences: The data favor "distributed-memory theories" that ascribe H.M.'s deficit to semantic-level binding processes that are inherent to both language comprehension and memory, over "stages-of-processing theories," where H.M.'s defective storage processes have no effect on language comprehension.
3-D wavelet coding of video with arbitrary regions of support

We examine 3-D wavelet coding of video with arbitrary regions of support (AROS). A critically sampled wavelet transform is applied to the AROS and a modified 3-D set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) algorithm is used to quantize and code the wavelet coefficients in the AROS only. Experiments show that, for typical MPEG-4 pre-segmented sequences, our proposed method can achieve a gain of up to 5.6 dB in average PSNR at the same rate over 3-D SPIHT coding of regular volumes that embed the AROS of the given video sequences.
Directing Smooth Muscle Cell Fate: A Partial Reprogramming Approach to Engineer Vessels

Cellular reprogramming has opened new doors for scientists to study human disease and develop methods for diagnosis and therapy. Cellular reprogramming has been around since first achieving somatic nuclear reprogramming in 1962, and identifying a single transcription factor could convert fibroblasts into muscle in 1986.1,2 But in 2006, the reprogramming field was suddenly transformed when Shinya Yamanaka discovered that ectopic expression of only 4 transcription factors consisting of OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC (OSKM) could transform skin fibroblasts into an embryonic stem cell–like fate, aka, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells that have the potential to become any cell type in the body.3 The realization that a cell’s fate is reversible through defined and simple genetic manipulation created a wave of new direct reprogramming studies—reprogramming fibroblasts into an alternative mature cell type without passing through a pluripotent state—to search for genetic cocktails to manipulate and direct cell fate. Studies performed by multiple groups elegantly showed that a cocktail of 3 cardiac transcription factors important during cardiac development could directly reprogram cardiac fibroblasts into cardiomyocyte-like cells in vitro.4–7 Furthermore, the reprogramming process was more effective in endogenous cardiac fibroblasts after injury in a mouse model.6,8 As direct reprogramming of fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes and neurons has been successful,4–9 it is thought that other mature cell types can be generated from fibroblasts if given the right cocktail of factors. Article, see p 1433 In the meantime, while researchers search for the right cocktail to drive direct differentiation for each cell fate, alternative cell reprogramming approaches have emerged, which provide a faster, safer, and more efficient strategy than the current iPS technology. These approaches involve shortcuts to reprogram fibroblasts through a process of partial reprogramming. Rather than …
Static and dynamic analysis of call chains in java

This work presents a parameterized framework for static and dynamic analysis of call chains in Java components. Such analyses have a wide range of uses in tools for software understanding and testing. We also describe a test coverage tool built with these analyses and the use of the tool on a real-world test suite. Our experiments evaluate the exact precision of several instances of the framework and provide a novel approach for estimating the limits of class analysis technology for computing precise call chains.
Magnetic breakdown in metals

Abstract The condition for magnetic breakdown (i.e., the breakdown of semiclassical “orbits” determined by the band structure of the metal) is obtained quantum mechanically from a calculation of the transition rate between different magnetic levels, the periodic potential acting as the perturbation. It is found that the transition probability has an oscillatory component (oscillatory in the magnetic field). In averaging over the different “orbits” on the Fermi surface which contribute in a particular experiment, it is found that the oscillatory behavior tends to wash out; in the semiclassical limit our criterion for breakdown is of the form derived by Blount using a different argument. The effect of geometry on magnetic breakdown and the possibility of observing oscillatory magnetic breakdown is discussed.
Image database categorization under spatial constraints using adaptive constrained clustering

We propose an adaptive constrained clustering (ACC) algorithm that performs clustering and feature weighting simultaneously and that can incorporate partial supervision information. This information consists of a set of constraints on which instances should or should not reside in the same cluster. The algorithm is dynamic in the sense that the optimal number of clusters can expand or shrink depending on the distribution of the data and the set of constraints. The ACC algorithm is used as the main tool to organize and navigate through a collection of geo-referenced images. In this application, the constraints are generated automatically based on the spatial distribution of the coordinates of the images and the dynamic range of the current view. As a result, images would be assigned to the same cluster if they are similar in content and close spatially. Icons of the clusterspsila representatives are superimposed on a map to provide the user with a global overview of the content and location of the photo collection. If the user selects a region to zoom-in, images within this region will be re-clustered with stricter spatial constraints. The proposed clustering and visualization application were applied to a collection of 2,023 photos taken with a digital camera that tags each photo with the location of where the photo was taken using a GPS receiver.
Dantrolene Sodium Reduces the Enhanced Leakage of Creatine Kinase Caused by Ethanol, Cocaine, and Electrical Stimulation in Isolated Fast and Slow Muscles of Rat

Binge drinking of alcohol, cocaine overdose, or overexertion can lead to rhabdomyolysis characterized by elevated creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin in the serum, myoglobinuria, and muscle tenderness. Our previous studies showed that ethanol, cocaine, and electrical stimulation enhanced the leakage of CK from isolated soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of rat. Dantrolene sodium was reported to reduce the muscle damage and elevated serum CK levels in exercised rats. The present study was aimed at testing whether dantrolene can reduce the enhanced leakage of CK from isolated rat soleus and EDL muscles caused by ethanol, cocaine, and electrical stimulation. After 4-hr incubation in oxygenated physiological solution at 37 degrees C, the mean leakage of CK was 1.56 units/mg of muscle in soleus and 0.89 units/mg in EDL. Ethanol at 0.2% increased the leakage of CK by 47% (p < 0.05) in soleus and by 26% in EDL. Cocaine at 1 mM increased the leakage of CK by 55% (p < 0.05) in soleus and by 27% in EDL. Electrical stimulation at 1 Hz for 4 hr increased the mean leakage of CK by 100% (p < 0.05) in soleus and 127% (p < 0.05) in EDL. Dantrolene sodium reduced the enhanced leakage of CK caused by ethanol, cocaine, and electrical stimulation significantly in soleus and slightly in EDL. Dantrolene may involve myoplasmic free Ca2+ in these beneficial effects as in malignant hyperthermia, and may be useful in the treatment of rhabdomyolysis associated with acute alcoholic myopathy, cocaine overdose, and overexertion.
A Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation of Hospital Discharge Counseling by Pharmacists

Objectives: This study estimated the cost-effectiveness of pharmacist discharge counseling on medication-related morbidity in both the high-risk elderly and general US population. Methods: A cost-effectiveness decision analytic model was developed using a health care system perspective based on published clinical trials. Costs included direct medical costs, and the effectiveness unit was patients discharged without suffering a subsequent adverse drug event. A systematic review of published studies was conducted to estimate variable probabilities in the cost-effectiveness model. To test the robustness of the results, a second-order probabilistic sensitivity analysis (Monte Carlo simulation) was used to run 10 000 cases through the model sampling across all distributions simultaneously. Results: Pharmacist counseling at hospital discharge provided a small, but statistically significant, clinical improvement at a similar overall cost. Pharmacist counseling was cost saving in approximately 48% of scenarios an...
Equation of state of molecular hydrogen at high pressure

An equation of state for solid molecular hydrogen at 0°K is obtained using the self-consistent-field method for calculating the electronic structure of the solid. Pressures up to 12.5 megabars are included in the calculation. Errors in the pressure are less than 5 kilobars in the low-pressure region where experimental data are available. It is hoped that they are less significant at higher pressures.
A modular specification of Oberon0 using the Silver attribute grammar system

This paper describes an implementation of Oberon0 using the Silver attribute grammar system for the Tool Challenge at the 2011 International Workshop on Language Descriptions, Tools, and Applications. Silver was developed to study how independently-developed language extension specifications can be imported into a host language specification to define a new custom extended language. Thus it contains many features useful in modular language specification, such as forwarding, higher-order attributes, reference/remote attributes, and a simplified form of collection attributes. These are discussed in the context of the Oberon0 specification presented here. Silver, an extensible attribute grammar system, is used to specify the language Oberon0 for the LDTA'11 Tool Challenge.We highlight the modular nature of these specifications.We show how forwarding, a default attribute evaluation mechanism, simplifies the specification of language extensions.
A Kinetic Monte Carlo approach to study transport in amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon HIT cells

The photogenerated carriers in a-Si/c-Si HIT cells must traverse the intrinsic amorphous silicon barrier in order to be collected. As this barrier region is amorphous in nature, it contains many defect states, and thus carrier transport is mainly described by defect assisted transport. The present work applies the Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) method for the defect assisted transport by analyzing the interactions between discrete defects and discrete carriers. We explore the ‘hopping’ nature of transport via defects by considering the effect of phonons. The addition of phonons allows us to study non—iso—energetic transitions for injection and extraction of carriers. Once the carriers ‘hop’ through the barrier, they are extracted by three main mechanisms, namely, thermionic emission, Poole—Frenkel emission and phonon assisted defect emission. Simulations indicate that Poole—Frenkel emission and thermionic emission are negligible whereas emission of carriers via phonon assisted hopping is the dominant mode of extraction. The effect of different defect distributions on transport is also analyzed.
The Role of Politics in the Federal Reserve's Lending during the Financial Crisis

In response to the recent US financial crisis, several scholars have investigated whether politics affected the federal government’s “bailout” of the financial industry. These studies have reached divergent conclusions. For example, political contributions and lobbying activities have been linked to participation in the Troubled Assets Relief Program as well as the amount of capital initially received from Treasury. On the other hand, my own earlier research showed that the process through which financial institutions exited TARP was not affected by political variables. This research project builds on this burgeoning strand of literature by investigating the Federal Reserve’s lending behavior during the financial crisis. As far as I am aware, this is the first investigation of this topic, since data on the Fed’s lending decisions were not fully available to the public until Bloomberg News published it online after a successful Freedom of Information Act lawsuit in December 2011. My empirical analysis finds that more politically active and better-connected financial institutions received more capital and, correspondingly, profited more from borrowing from the Federal Reserve’s lending programs between 2007 and 2010. This conclusion should be concerning to observers of the central bank since it is virtually universally believed that the institution’s mission is undermined if it is influenced by politics.
EFFECTS OF PROFITABILITY AND LIQUIDITY ON R&D INTENSITY: JAPANESE AND U.S. COMPANIES COMPARED

This study investigates the proposition that Japanese companies have a greater propensity than U.S. companies to sustain commitment to R&D in the face of fluctuating profits and liquidity. The anal...
6:Carbon Monoxide and Cyanide Ligands in the Active Site of [FeFe]-Hydrogenases

The [FeFe]-hydrogenases, although share common features when compared to other metal containing hydrogenases, clearly have independent evolutionary origins. Examples of [FeFe]-hydrogenases have been characterized in detail by biochemical and spectroscopic approaches and the high resolution structures of two examples have been determined. The active site H-cluster is a complex bridged metal assembly in which a [4Fe-4S] cubane is bridged to a 2Fe subcluster with unique non-protein ligands including carbon monoxide, cyanide, and a five carbon dithiolate. Carbon monoxide and cyanide ligands as a component of a native active metal center is a property unique to the metal containing hydrogenases and there has been considerable attention to the characterization of the H-cluster at the level of electronic structure and mechanism as well as to defining the biological means to synthesize such a unique metal cluster. The chapter describes the structural architecture of [FeFe]-hydrogenases and key spectroscopic observations that have afforded the field with a fundamental basis for understanding the relationship between structure and reactivity of the H-cluster. In addition, the results and ideas concerning the topic of H-cluster biosynthesis as an emerging and fascinating area of research, effectively reinforcing the potential linkage between iron-sulfur biochemistry to the role of iron-sulfur minerals in prebiotic chemistry and the origin of life.
Visible light optical coherence tomography for microvascular oximetry in ocular circulation(Conference Presentation)

Visible light optical coherence tomography (vis-OCT) is intrinsically capable of optical determination of blood oxygen saturation (sO2). Thanks to its 3D sectioning ability, confounding factors that plaque multi-wavelength fundus photography can be avoided. We further supplemented it with motion-enhanced angiography (vis-OCTA), which allowed us to resolve retinal micro vessels without losing spectral information. As a result, spectroscopic vis-OCTA can extract microvascular sO2 which are generally inaccessible. Here we extend the theoretical formulation of vis-OCTA oximetry to include optical attenuation, scattering and motion contrast. The model allows robust estimation of sO2, while also promising reduction of illuminating power to 1/3 of current value of ~1 mW. To demonstrate the capability of our approach, we performed oxygen challenge while taking vis-OCTA measurements on rat ocular circulation in vivo. We supplied the experiment animal with the following gas mixture: normal air, 5% CO2 air, pure O2 and 10% O2 air. For each inhalation gas, the OCTA measurements were compared with peripheral capillary sO2 (spO2) provided by a pulse oximeter. The retinal artery sO2 measurements corresponded well with spO2 reading as expected (R2 = 0.87). We found that both retinal and choroidal circulation sO2 moderately increased when we supplied 5% CO2 air. 100% O2 inhalation significantly increased both artery and vein oxygenation. On the contrary, 10% O2 air could deplete the oxygen reservoir in the circulation and lead to low sO2 readings.
Statistical Mechanics of Nonlinear Lattice Dynamic Models Exhibiting Phase Transitions

To imitate real systems exhibiting distortive phase transitions, it becomes customary to consider Hamiltonians of the form [1] $$H = \sum\limits_{\ell ,\alpha } {\frac{{P_{\ell \alpha }^2}}{{2M}} + \frac{A}{2}} \sum\limits_{\ell ,\alpha } {X_{\ell \alpha }^2 + \frac{B}{{4n}}{{\sum\limits_\ell {\left( {\sum\limits_\alpha {X_{\ell \alpha }^2} } \right)} }^2}} + \frac{{{B_1}}}{4}\sum\limits_{\ell ,\alpha } {X_{\ell \alpha }^4 + \sum\limits_{\ell ,m,\alpha } {{V_{\ell ,\ell + m,\alpha \alpha }}{X_{\ell \alpha }}{X_{\ell + m\alpha }}} } .$$ (1)
A rationale for sequential high-dose chemotherapy of leukemia timed to coincide with induced tumor proliferation.

Abstract Studies in leukemic rats (LBN-ML) tested the hypothesis that an enhanced effect of drugs in sequence relates to temporally predictable induced tumor growth. As leukemia progresses, tumor labeling index (LI) declines in association with increasing tumor-associated inhibitory activity (TAIA) in serum. Graded initial doses of arabinofuranosyl cytosine (ara-C) (50-350 mg/kg every 8 hr × 6) produced relative increments of induced humoral stimulatory activity (HSA) and LI in vivo by day 6, while overcoming the antiproliferative effects of TAIA. Rats bearing late-stage tumor with high TAIA and low LI were treated with 50 or 100 mg/kg ara-C every 8 hr × 6 on days 0,1 and on other days in sequence (0,1-0,1 through 0,1-14,15). Serum, WBC and tumor LI were measured. With the 50 mg/kg initial dose, TAIA was not overcome, and the LI did not achieve levels above pretreatment. A second course of ara-C in sequence produced only additive survival, regardless of timing. In contrast, with the 100 mg/kg sequence, TAIA was overcome, the LI increased, and synergistic survival occurred in those treated with the second ara-C on days 6,7 (760% of controls) at the time of peak HSA and tumor LI. Survival times in other groups in sequence were only additive. Incremental doses of ara-C on day 6 produced linear prolongation of survival. These studies demonstrate that TAIA correlates with tumor LI and that the degree of resultant tumor growth relates to the initial drug dose, tumor kill, and TAIA reduction, and the amount of HSA induced. Survival relates directly to the dose of the second drug given at this predictable peak of maximal HSA and LI.
Multimodal analgesia: A systematic review of local NSAIDs for non-ophthalmologic postoperative pain management

Abstract Introduction While the analgesic benefits of systemically administered non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for postoperative pain are well established, benefits of locally administered NSAIDs remain unclear outside the field of ophthalmologic surgery. Studies of local NSAID administration for postoperative analgesia vary considerably in terms of dosing and methodologic quality, making it difficult to derive clinically useful information. The primary objective of this systematic review is to summarize the currently available literature in order to assess the value of local NSAIDs as a component of the multimodal postoperative pain management regimen. Methods A comprehensive search of PubMed and CENTRAL identified twelve randomized controlled trials comparing the use of local NSAIDs to systemic NSAIDs and/or placebo for postoperative multimodal pain management in patients undergoing non-ophthalmologic surgery. Nine trials met eligibility criteria (n = 532); each trial was classified into a subgroup based on time of NSAID administration (pre- or postoperatively) and comparison group (systemic NSAID or placebo). A frequency analysis was performed for similar outcomes reported in two or more studies. The risk of bias for each outcome and quality of evidence were assessed utilizing the Cochrane Risk of Bias instrument and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, respectively. Results Low to moderate quality evidence exists indicating that pre- or postoperative administration of local NSAIDs may provide adequate postoperative analgesia within a multimodal regimen. Additional across-study analysis reveals clinically important but non-statistically significant trends towards a decreased use of additional analgesics during the postoperative period. The risk of adverse effects secondary to local NSAID administration is low. Conclusions Local NSAIDs may be effective agents in the multimodal postoperative analgesia regimen. However, small sample size and methodologic variability across trials limits power and generalizability of outcomes. Further high quality studies are required. Systematic review registration number CRD42016038464.
Theoretical Ideas Concerning X-ray Sources

Black body radiation, inverse Compton effect, thermal brehmsstrahlung, and synchrotron radiation which may give rise to hard protons
Neurofibromatosis and Acoustic Neuromas

The criteria for diagnosis, treatment, family counseling and advances in genetics of neurofibromatosis are reviewed by a neurosurgeon and epidemiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, Bethesda, MD.
Pro-inflammatory State Portends Poor Outcomes with Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases.

Aim: We determined if pre-treatment systemic inflammation would predict poor outcomes in the setting of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain metastases. Patients and Methods: The pretreatment albumin concentration, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were evaluated to determine association with intracranial control, local control (LC), initial MRI response (MR), and overall survival (OS) among 70 patients with 152 separate brain metastases treated with SRS alone from 2008-2015. Results: On multivariate analysis, a higher neutrophil percentage predicted for poor LC, poor initial MR, poor OS and poor intracranial control (p=0.01, p=0.01, p=0.02 and p=0.03, respectively). A lower percentage of lymphocytes predicted for poor LC and poor MR (p=0.01 and p=0.02), and an elevated PLR predicted for poor OS and poor LC (p=0.05 and p=0.04). Additionally, a lower pretreatment albumin concentration predicted for poor LC and OS (p=0.01 and p=0.03). Conclusion: Pretreatment systemic inflammation is associated with poor outcomes post-SRS.
Efficient single-lead ECG beat classification using Matching Pursuit based features and an Artificial Neural Network

In this paper we employ the Matching Pursuit algorithm in order to obtain compact time-frequency representations of ECG data, which are then utilized from an ANN to achieve beat classification. To obtain optimum performance, the effect of the following attributes on the classification performance is examined: number of atoms, type of wavelet and number of ECG samples around the R peak. Our goal is to derive an accurate, efficient and real-time beat classification scheme, which could then be implemented on a resource-constrained portable device such as a cell phone. The proposed scheme is based on an existing beat classification method, but has the following favorable attributes: it utilizes less features, a single ECG lead and also only a single MLP in order to be able to discriminate between various abnormal beats. The performance of our approach is evaluated using the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database. Provided results illustrate the accuracy of the proposed method (98.7%), which together with its simplicity (a single linear transform is required for feature extraction) justify its use for real-time classification of abnormal heartbeats on a portable heart monitoring system.
Development of lattice-matched 1.7 eV GalnAsP solar cells grown on GaAs by MOVPE

To advance the state-of-the-art in III-V multijunction solar cells towards high concentration efficiencies approaching 50%, development of a high-quality ∼1.7 eV second junction solar cell is of key interest for integration in five or more junction devices. Quaternary GalnAsP solar cells grown lattice-matched on GaAs allows bandgap tunability in the range from 1.42 to 1.92 eV and offers an attractive Al-free alternative to conventional AlGaAs solar cells. In this work, we investigate the role of growth temperature towards understanding the optimal growth window for realizing high-quality GalnAsP alloys. We demonstrate bandgap tunability from 1.6 to 1.8 eV in GalnAsP alloys for compositions close to the miscibility gap, while still maintaining lattice-matched condition to GaAs. We perform an in-depth investigation to understand the impact of varying base thickness and doping concentration on the carrier collection and performance of these 1.7 eV GalnAsP solar cells. The photo-response of these cells is found to be very sensitive to p-type zinc dopant incorporation in the base layer. We demonstrate prototype 1.7 eV GalnAsP solar cell designs that leverage enhanced depletion width as an effective method to overcome this issue and boost long-wavelength carrier collection. Short-circuit current density (J sc ) measured in field-aided devices were as high as 17.25 m A/cm2. The best GalnAsP solar cell in this study achieved an efficiency of 17.2% with a J sc of 17 m A/cm2 and a fill-factor of 86.4%. The corresponding open-circuit voltage (V oc ) 1.7 eV measured on this cell represents the highest V oc reported for a 1.7 eV GalnAsP solar cell. These initial cell results are encouraging and highlight the potential of Al-free GalnAsP solar cells for integration in the next generation of III-V multijunction solar cells.
Gi Protein Signals Are Required for BM Homing of Hemopoietic Progenitor Cells, and Cooperate with Alpha4-Intergrin and Endothelial Selectins.

Several examples suggest a relationship between in vitro migratory capacity and bone marrow (BM) homing. Pertussis toxin (PTX) is a potent inhibitor of Gi protein coupled receptor signaling and as such, it blocks hemopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) migration in vitro. However, contrary to expectation, no effects on BM homing were observed in previous studies. We therefore re-examined the effect of PTX on BM homing of HPC. We found that prolonged incubation of BM cells or fetal liver cells with PTX inhibited their BM homing in irradiated or non-irradiated recipients by >75%. A concomitant increase in circulating CFU-C in blood provided added assurance that the data were not due to non-specific toxicity. This inhibition of BM homing was of functional consequence, since PTX-treated cells provided impaired radioprotection and markedly decreased short-term engraftment. Detailed studies showed that inhibition of in vitro migration and ribosylation of Gi proteins were complete only after extended incubation with PTX, whereas short-term incubation for 1–2 h, as used in previous studies, was insufficient. In addition, the incubation of BM cells with SCF may have exaggerated the negative effect of PTX on the inhibition on BM homing. We next sought to test the basis of the residual 25% homing of PTX treated cells. As PTX did not directly inhibit hemopoietic cell adhesion, we tested homing of PTX-incubated and control BM cells in genetic models deficient in certain adhesion molecules on either the hemopoietic cells or the hemopoietic microenvironment. BM homing of PTX-treated α4integrin-/- BM cells transplanted into wild-type (WT) mice, or PTX-treated WT cells transplanted into EPselectin-/- recipients inhibited BM homing significantly stronger than either modality alone, to >90% and >95%, respectively. Of note, untreated WT cells have normal homing in EPselectin-/- mice. These data demonstrate cooperativity between Gi blockade and α4integrin or endothelial selectin blockade in inhibiting BM homing of progenitor cells. Absence of β2integrin or L-selectin in the presence or absence of PTX did not inhibit BM homing. In summary, these studies show that Gi protein signals are required for BM homing of progenitor cells. PTX is a very strong inhibitor of BM homing, suggesting that it may inhibit convergent signals from more than one mediator. We further show that the residual BM homing of migration-impaired BM cells is due to participation of α4 integrin on the transplanted cells, or to endothelial selectins on the host side.
Film-Coating Seeds with Chlorpyrifos for Germination and Control of Cabbage Maggot (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) on Cabbage Transplants

The cabbage maggot, Delia radicum (L.), is an important chronic pest of cabbage in the northern U.S. The maggots of this species cause damage to young plants by feeding on roots and stems, resulting in plant stand and yield losses or rendering the crop unmarketable. In New York, the nation's largest producer of cabbage, the most common control practice is to apply a drench or banded spray of chlorpyrifos at transplanting. As an alternative to this practice, we investigated the duration of insecticidal activity of chlorpyrifos film-coated seeds on cabbage transplants. Seeds of the cabbage var. ‘Fresco F-1’ were film-coated with chlorpyrifos at the rates of 0, 9.6, 19.2 or 28.8 g [Al]/kg seed and then examined for phytotoxic effects on germination in the laboratory as well as effectiveness against immature stages of D. radicum under greenhouse and field conditions. Chlorpyrifos film-coated seed treatments did not adversely affect germination in the laboratory tests when plants were grown with peat soil in t...
Whip: higher-order contracts for modern services

Modern service-oriented applications forgo semantically rich protocols and middleware when composing services. Instead, they embrace the loosely-coupled development and deployment of services that communicate via simple network protocols. Even though these applications do expose interfaces that are higher-order in spirit, the simplicity of the network protocols forces them to rely on brittle low-level encodings. To bridge the apparent semantic gap, programmers introduce ad-hoc and error-prone defensive code. Inspired by Design by Contract, we choose a different route to bridge this gap. We introduce Whip, a contract system for modern services. Whip (i) provides programmers with a higher-order contract language tailored to the needs of modern services; and (ii) monitors services at run time to detect services that do not live up to their advertised interfaces. Contract monitoring is local to a service. Services are treated as black boxes, allowing heterogeneous implementation languages without modification to services' code. Thus, Whip does not disturb the loosely coupled nature of modern services.
Resolution of the Literature Crisis in the Decade 1961–1970

(1962). Resolution of the Literature Crisis in the Decade 1961–1970. Research Management: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 49-58.
Investigation of diode triggered silicon control rectifier turn-on time during ESD events

Diode-triggered silicon-controlled rectifier (DT-SCR) devices protect sensitive circuit nodes, such as high-frequency analog circuits and thin-gate complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits with high-speed input [1]. Reducing the turn-on time and overshoot voltage enhances the use of a DTSCR device in high-speed applications. We analyze the two lateral bipolar devices found in CMOS based process SCRS to improve the overall DTSCR turn-on time during an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. We use technology computer-aided design (TCAD) device-level simulations to accurately predict the turn-on time of these parasitic bipolar devices in a 32nm CMOS technology.
Mississippian subadults from the Middle Cumberland and Eastern regions of Tennessee: Biological indicators of population interaction.

OBJECTIVES Human subadult skeletal remains can provide a unique perspective into biosocial aspects of Mississippian period population interactions within and between the Middle Cumberland (MCR) and Eastern Tennessee Regions (ETR). The majority of previous studies have concentrated on adult skeletal remains, leaving out a large and extremely important population segment. METHODS Skeletal indicators of disease, growth, body proportions, and metabolic stress were collected from subadult remains from five archaeological sites over several temporal periods. Crucial to overcoming limitations associated with the osteological paradox, the biological results were placed into an archaeological context based on prior studies as well as paleoclimatological data. RESULTS Results reveal homogeneity both within and between regions for most skeletal indicators. However, MCR individuals exhibit a higher frequency of pathology than those from ETC, while stature is significantly lower in younger subadults from the MCR. Within the ETR, there is no evidence for biological differences between Early Dallas and subsequent Late Dallas and Mouse Creek cultural phases. Despite presumed signs of increased conflict at the Dallas site, frequencies and types of skeletal pathology and growth disruptions are comparable to other regional sites. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that despite cultural differences between the ETR and MCR, there was no large-scale intrusion from an outside population into the ETR during the Late Mississippian Period, or if one occurred, it is biologically invisible. Combined with climatic and archaeobotanical data, results suggest the MCR subadults were under increased stress in their earlier years. This may have been associated with increased interpersonal violence and dependence on few food sources occurring with greater scarcity.
Mechanics of Materials Laboratory Course

This book is designed to provide lecture notes (theory) and experimental design of major concepts typically taught in most Mechanics of Materials courses in a sophomore- or junior-level Mechanical or Civil Engineering curriculum. Several essential concepts that engineers encounter in practice, such as statistical data treatment, uncertainty analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations, are incorporated into the experiments where applicable, and will become integral to each laboratory assignment. Use of common strain (stress) measurement techniques, such as strain gages, are emphasized. Application of basic electrical circuits, such as Wheatstone bridge for strain measurement, and use of load cells, accelerometers, etc., are employed in experiments. Stress analysis under commonly applied loads such as axial loading (compression and tension), shear loading, flexural loading (cantilever and four-point bending), impact loading, adhesive strength, creep, etc., are covered. LabVIEW software with relevant data acquisition (DAQ) system is used for all experiments. Two final projects each spanning 2‒3 weeks are included: (i) flexural loading with stress intensity factor determination and (ii) dynamic stress wave propagation in a slender rod and determination of the stress‒strain curves at high strain rates. The book provides theoretical concepts that are pertinent to each laboratory experiment and prelab assignment that a student should complete to prepare for the laboratory. Instructions for securing off-the-shelf components to design each experiment and their assembly (with figures) are provided. Calibration procedure is emphasized whenever students assemble components or design experiments. Detailed instructions for conducting experiments and table format for data gathering are provided. Each lab assignment has a set of questions to be answered upon completion of experiment and data analysis. Lecture notes provide detailed instructions on how to use LabVIEW software for data gathering during the experiment and conduct data analysis.
On the evaluation of fracture fatigue entropy

Abstract Fatigue is an irreversible degradation process wherein entropy increases until its accumulation reaches a critical failure value referred to as the fracture fatigue entropy (FFE). An experimentally-verified analytical approach for determining the entropy generation is presented that illustrates how the concept of FFE can be applied to analyze both low- and high-cycle fatigue. It is shown that the analysis should properly consider the contribution of internal friction, which does not contribute to the fatigue fracture. This parameter plays a significant role in high-cycle fatigue.