cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stoichiometry of bulk superconducting La2CuO4+δ: A superconducting superoxide?

Abstract A variety of analytical tools have been combined to show that bulk superconducting La2CuO4+δ has a La to Cu ratio of 2.00 (±0.02) and an oxygen stoichiometry of 4.13 (±0.1). The combination of these analytical results and magnetization data with a model leads us to suggest that the excess charged oxygen is introduced as O-2.
Logical Transform based encryption for multimedia systems

The need of encrypted data has increased in our day to day life. In this paper, we discuss an encryption technique based on Logical Transforms. The secret keys used in this technique to encrypt the images were based on the logical transforms that satisfies proposed boolean matrix constraints. In addition novel lossless encryption technique is introduced for the images of arbitrary size and format. This method can also be implemented on hardware.
Generation of a prophylactic melanoma vaccine using whole recombinant yeast expressing MART-1.

Malignant melanoma is a potentially deadly form of skin cancer and people at high-risk of developing melanoma will benefit from effective preventive intervention. Yeast can be used as an efficient vehicle of antigen loading and immunostimulation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is not pathogenic to humans and can be easily engineered to express specific antigens. In this study, we have developed a melanoma vaccine using a yeast-based platform expressing a full-length melanocyte/melanoma protein to investigate its utility as a prophylactic melanoma vaccine in a transplantable mouse melanoma model. Yeast was engineered and expanded in vitro without technical difficulties, administered easily with subcutaneous injection, and did not show adverse effects, indicating its practical applicability and favourable safety profile. Despite the lack of knowledge of dominant epitopes of the protein recognized by mouse MHC-class I, the vaccine protected mice from tumor development and induced efficient immune responses, suggesting that the precise knowledge of epitopic sequences and the matched HLA type is not required when delivering a full-length protein using the yeast platform. In addition, the vaccine stimulated both CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells simultaneously. This study provides a 'proof of principle' that recombinant yeast can be utilized as an effective prophylactic vaccine to target patients at high-risk for melanoma.
Reliability Estimation for Networks of Reinforced Concrete Bridges

Transportation networks are critical lifelines and their functionality after an earthquake is of primary importance for life safety and economic recovery of a community, yet they can be severely damaged during earthquakes. Reinforced concrete bridges are particularly vulnerable segments of these networks and have been severely damaged in past earthquakes. Past approaches for estimating traffic disruptions due to earthquakes have relied on computationally expensive simulations and have tended to overestimate postearthquake traffic volumes. This paper makes use of predictive fragility estimates to compute the conditional probability that a bridge in the network attains or exceeds a specified performance level for a given value of the ground motion intensity. The predictive fragilities incorporate the relevant sources of uncertainty inherent in the phenomenon. The focus of the paper is on network connectivity rather than traffic flow. The outcomes of the proposed approach can then be used by traffic models to accurately reflect postdisaster conditions. A block sampling-based simulation technique is used to estimate the network connectivity. This new approach provides a convenient, quick estimation of network reliability that complements computationally expensive traffic models.
Creating a Research and Public Policy Agenda for Work, Family, and Community

In the last decades, there has been considerable effort from researchers and public policymakers to set an agenda for the United States on work, family, and community issues. There has been movement in both research and public policy to connect work and family perspectives, and, more recently, community contexts have been recognized as well. However, current research and public policy models have been limited by a number of deficiencies that prevent them from developing and implementing an agenda that has the capacity to move our nation forward to meet the challenges that lie ahead. In addition, there is little direct connection between the findings from current research and the content of new public policies. This article will review existing work, family, and community research and public policy in terms of prevailing strengths and deficiencies and then set forth possibilities for a future agenda.
On the dynamics of Cooper-Helmstetter-Donachie procaryote populations

Abstract A single-cell model for a bacterium which considers both cell mass and cellular DNA content is formulated based on the Cooper-Helmstetter and Donachie hypotheses. Analysis of this model under transient growth conditions results in bounds for the domain of possible cell masses and in relationships among cell mass, DNA content, and DNA configuration valid at each time t. These results for time t are dependent upon the growth-rate history over the previous L time units, where L is independent of growth rate. Based upon the single-cell analysis, the characteristics of a population of such cells are determined. Included in these results, which apply for a general initial distribution of states, are the frequency functions for cell mass and cellular DNA content. The transient behavior of these functions is illustrated for a growth-rate shift experiment.
Growth of beta SiC on a ceramic SiC substrate using a thin silicon intermediate layer

Abstract A major issue in the heteroepitaxial growth of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) is the stress generated by the lattice and thermal mismatch of the substrate. The growth of beta SiC on ceramic (polycrystalline) SiC is reported here. This substrate is thermally matched to single crystal SiC and allows the SiC to be grown at a temperature of 1500–1600°C. Therefore, this substrate offers a significantly wider parameter space for optimization of cubic growth. In order to provide a crystalline template for growth, a novel wafer bonding scheme was used to produce ultra thin Si layers, which were wafer bonded to the ceramic substrate. Using this technology, single crystal Si layers less than 5 nm can be produced. It should be noted that the ceramic substrates are inexpensive and this technique is easily scaleable up to 8 in. in diameter. Using this material, the thin Si layer was carbonized and 3C-SiC grown at temperatures of 1350 and 1550°C.
WITHDRAWN: Reprint of “When workplace safety depends on behavior change: Topics for behavioral safety research”

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy ). This reprinted article has been retracted at the request of the Publisher. The online version of this reprint has been withdrawn as it was a redundant duplicate of the original article. The original can be found via doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2008.10.005 . The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.
PIXE Analysis of Atmospheric Gases

A low-cost device has been constructed and tested which allows the concentration and collection of gases and vapors having boiling points higher than -153°C by a cryogenic technique. Concentration factors of 1320 have been achieved. Collected gases were analyzed by the PIXE method, with sensitivities of 12ppm of the concentrate, corresponding to 10ppb of ambient air, achieved with 300 second irradiation times. These studies suggest that ambient air contains heretofore unsuspected compounds with elements in the Mg-Pb region in concentrations of 10-200ppb.
WORK AND EDUCATION: NEW FRONTIERS, NEW APPROACHES

(1977). WORK AND EDUCATION: NEW FRONTIERS, NEW APPROACHES. The Review of Education: Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 11-20.
Topics in Clinical Pharmacology: Flumazenil, a Benzodiazepine Antagonist

Flumazenil is a central antagonist of the sedative effects of benzodiazepines. It has been used to reverse benzodiazepine effects in conscious sedation, general anesthesia, and overdose with restoration of alertness and psychomotor function within minutes of administration. Seizures have followed the use of flumazenil. Overdose patients who have co-ingested cyclic antidepressants are especially at risk for this complication. Flumazenil is administered intravenously in small, incremental doses.
Tracking anion expulsion during underpotential deposition of lead at silver using the quartz microbalance

Abstract Variations in the electrode mass, charge and pseudocapacitance current have been studied as a function of potential during the underpotential deposition (UPD) of lead at a silver electrode in alkaline solutions. The rotating disk electrode and in situ quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) techniques were used. New, interesting phenomena have been discovered. Customarily, UPD is ascribed to discharge of dissolved metal ions, and a mass increase would accompany such a UPD process. Surprisingly, a decrease in the weight of the electrode occurred during the entire cathodic process for Pb UPD, rather than an increase in weight that would be expected for a UPD process involving a dissolved Pb(II) species. We found that during the Pb UPD formation process, the entire cathodic charge is transferred to a Pb(II)ads species which is already present on the surface as an adsorbed monolayer. We attribute the observed decrease in mass to OH− expulsion from the electrode surface. At potentials more negative than the region for Pb UPD formation, an increase in mass not associated with any cathodic current was observed. This mass increase is caused by the adsorption of a Pb(II) species on a Pb UPD monolayer. Thus, the charge transfer process for formation of an underpotential lead deposit and the increase in electrode mass do not coincide at a silver substrate. A different mechanism is observed for Pb UPD at gold. The combination of EQCM and voltammetric measurements is a powerful means of elucidating UPD mechanisms and tracking expulsion of ligands from the electrode surface.
Multi-Agent Fault Diagnosis in Manufacturing Systems Using Soft Computing

The expeditious and accurate diagnosis of faults in manufacturing systems is essential in order to avoid expensive downtime. Many artificial intelligence approaches to automated fault diagnosis use techniques that are too computationally complex to achieve a diagnosis in real-time or are too inflexible for dynamic systems. Other approaches use either structural or symptom-based reasoning. Functional approaches are unable to provide real-time response due to their computational complexity, whereas, symptom-based approaches are only able to handle situations specifically coded in rules. Current hybrid approaches that combine the two methods are too structured in their approach to switching between the reasoning methods and, therefore fail to provide the flexible, rapid response of humans experts. This paper presents a robust, extensible approach to fault diagnosis that allows unstructured switching between reasoning methods using multiple fuzzy intelligent agents that examine the problem domain from a variety of perspectives.
WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR IN HIRING INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS

Abstract: The authors surveyed managers and personnel directors who make hiring decisions for risk management and insurance companies to determine what traits they seek in college students.
EVALUATION OF A PARALLEL CHART PARSER

We describe a parallel implementation of a chart parser for a shared-memory multiprocessor. The speed-ups obtained with this parser have been measured for a number of small natural-language grammars. For the largest of these, part of an operational question-answering system, the parser ran 5 to 7 times faster than the serial version.
γ-Valerolactone ring-opening and decarboxylation over SiO2/Al2O3 in the presence of water.

γ-Valerolactone (GVL) has been identified as a promising, sustainable platform molecule that can be produced from lignocellulosic biomass. The chemical flexibility of GVL has allowed the development of a variety of processes to prepare renewable fuels and chemicals. In the present work involving a combination of computational and experimental studies, we explore the factors governing the ring-opening of GVL to produce pentenoic acid isomers, as well as their subsequent decarboxylation over acid catalysts or hydrogenation over metal catalysts. The ring-opening of GVL has shown to be a reversible reaction, while both the decarboxylation and hydrogenation reactions are irreversible and kinetically controlled under the conditions studied (temperatures from about 500 to 650 K). The most significant contributor to lactone reactivity toward ring-opening is the size of the ring, with γ- lactones being more stable and less readily opened than δ- and e-analogues. We have observed that the presence of either a C═C d...
Dilatational-wave-induced pore-water pressure in soil

This paper examines peak and residual pore-water pressures in water-saturated soil induced by a dilatational stress wave. Our new laboratory testing device applies submillisecond, high pressure dilatational stress-wave loadings to water-saturated soil. The soil's initial effective stress, density, back pressure and saturation can be controlled with our device. Experimental results show that it is possible to induced residual excess pore-water pressure and liquefaction in water-saturated Monterey No. 0/30 sand. Liquefaction is induced with compressive strains exceeding 0.1 percent for loose samples consolidated at 172 kPa and 1 percent for dense samples consolidated at 690 kPa. Below a threshold compressive strain of about 0.005 percent, no significant residual excess pore-water pressures are developed.
Effect of two-level provider capacities on the performance of open access clinics

The successful implementation of open access scheduling requires the match of daily healthcare provider capacity and patient demand at the high level of total capacity and the low levels of individual capacities for different types of appointments. In this paper, we introduce 12 scheduling rules for determining the two-level provider capacities and compare them in terms of four performance metrics: the probabilities of granting requests for fixed and open appointments, and the expectation and the variance of the number of patients consulted. Our analytical results show that adjusting low level provider capacities can reduce the difference between the two probabilities. When the ratios of low level capacities to the high level provider capacity are fixed, the two probabilities increase with the increase in the high level capacity. Meanwhile, our numerical results demonstrate that the expectation and the variance of the number of patients consulted increase with the increase in the high level capacity. The results provide insights in determining optimal two-level provider capacities to match daily patient demand. Potential approaches to optimality are also proposed based on the results.
Semi-nonparametric estimates of substitution elasticities

Abstract This paper uses semi-nonparametric and Diewert-flexible forms to estimate substitution elasticities between capital and labor. Results show that capital and labor are substitutes. Estimated elasticities from semi-nonparametric forms vary more over time than those from Diewert-flexible forms.
A First-Year Community-Based Service Learning Elective: Design, Implementation, and Reflection

Abstract Background: Medical schools have increasingly begun to incorporate service learning practices into their curricula. Description: As part of a community-based service learning elective, 7 first-year medical students designed and implemented a health behavior education program for residents of a women-s substance abuse recovery facility. The resulting program, Start Small, Feel Better, emphasized setting and accomplishing small goals to promote healthy lifestyle modifications. Evaluation: We present personal reflections from the students, impressions of the participants, and qualitative data on the short-term effects of this intervention. Conclusions: Start Small, Feel Better represents a model of how a service learning project could be put into practice and positively impact both medical students and the broader community.
A relationship between carbon dioxide, photosynthetic efficiency and shade tolerance

Net photosynthesis and transpiration of seedlings from shade tolerant, moderately tolerant and intolerant tree species were measured in ambient carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations ranging from 312 to 734 ppm. The species used, Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. (tolerant), Quercus alba L., Q. rubra L., Liriodendron tulipifera L. (moderately tolerant), Liquidambar styraciflua L. and Pinus taeda L. (intolerant), are found co-occurring in the mixed pine-hardwood forests of the Piedmont region of the southeastern United States. When seedlings were grown in shaded conditions, photosynthetic CO2 efficiency was significantly different in all species with the highest efficiency in the most shade tolerant species, Fagus grandifolia, and progressively lower efficiencies in moderately tolerant and intolerant species. Photosynthetic CO2 efficiency was defined as the rate of increase in net photosynthesis with increase in ambient CO2 concentration. When plants which had grown in a high light environment were tested, the moderately tolerant and intolerant deciduous species had the highest photosynthetic CO2 efficiencies but this capacity was reduced when these species grew in low light. The lowest CO2 efficiency and apparent quantum yield occurred in Pinus taeda in all cases. Water use efficiency was higher for all species in enriched CO2 environments but transpiration rate and leaf conductance were not affected by CO2 concentration. High photosynthetic CO2 efficiency may be advantageous for maintaining a positive carbon balance in the low light environment under a forest canopy.
The living dead? The construction of people with Alzheimer's disease as zombies

In the literature on Alzheimer's disease (AD), scholars have noted how both the disease and the people who are diagnosed as having it have been stigmatised. I argue here that the AD stigma is of a specific sort – it is dehumanisation based on disgust and terror. Although the blame for negative perceptions of people with AD has been placed on the biomedical understanding of dementia, I argue that strong negative emotional responses to AD are also buttressed by the social construction of people with AD as zombies. To illustrate this point, this paper identifies seven specific ways that the zombie metaphor is referenced in both the scholarly and popular literature on AD. This common referencing of zombies is significant as it infuses the social discourse about AD with a politics of revulsion and fear that separates and marginalises those with AD. It is in recognising the power of this zombie trope that its negative impact can be actively resisted through an emphasis of connectedness, commonality, and inter-dependency.
Validation of a Driving Simulation Facility for Instrument Panel Task Performance

The purpose of this study was to compare driver performance of 17 conventional automotive instrument panel (IP) tasks on the road and in the driving simulator and to validate use of the simulator in evaluation of an IP design.Introduction of random crosswind was shown to influence the driving workload in the simulator. Comparisons of the visual attentional and manual demand measures demonstrated that a driving environment close to that in the car is provided by the simulator at zero crosswind level and that the driving simulator can be used to evaluate automotive IP designs.
Distributed MEMS transmission lines for tunable filter applications

This paper describes the design and fabrication of a distributed MEMS () transmission line DMTL , used to realize a transmission-line with a voltage-variable electrical length for microwave circuits. The DMTL is a coplanar waveguide periodically loaded with continuously-variable MEMS capacitors. A tunable bandpass filter was de- signed and fabricated on 700 m thick glass substrates using three capacitively coupled DMTL sections as variable shunt resonators. The measured results demonstrate a 3.8% tuning range at 20 GHz with 3.6 dB minimum insertion loss. Issues for future improvement are discussed. 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 11: 254260, 2001.
Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables II. Vitamin A and carotenoids, vitamin E, minerals and fiber

In this second part of our review, we examine the literature for changes in carotenoids, vitamin E, minerals, and fiber due to processing, storage, and cooking of fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables. While inconsistencies in methodology and reporting methods complicate interpretation of the data, the results show that these nutrients are generally similar in comparable fresh and processed products. The higher levels of carotenoids typically found in canned as compared to fresh products may be attributed to either reporting results on a wet rather than dry weight basis, greater extractability, or differences in cultivars. There are relatively few studies on processing, storage, and cooking effects on vitamin E in fruits and vegetables. Further research is needed to understand nutritional changes in those few fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin E, such as tomatoes. Minerals and fiber are generally stable to processing, storage, and cooking, but may be lost in peeling and other removal steps during processing. Mineral uptake (e.g., calcium) or addition (e.g., sodium) during processing can change the natural mineral composition of a product. Sodium concerns in canned food can be addressed by choosing products with no salt added. Since nutrient content varies considerably by commodity, cultivar, and postharvest treatments, inclusion of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in the diet is encouraged.  2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Attenuation of multiphase surface waves in the Basin and Range province, part I: Lg and Lg coda

SUMMARY Broad-band data recorded by the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory Network are used to investigate whether or not Lg Q and Lg coda Q have similar values in the Basin and Range province of North America. In order to retrieve spectral estimates of the broad-band Lg and Lg coda signals, a hybrid method is used which retains high fidelity at lower frequencies while strongly smoothing the spectral estimates and minimizing the number of spectral points at high frequencies. A stochastic approach is used to model the Lg signal and ambient noise, and to analyse results from two-station determinations of Lg Q in the Basin and Range. The effects of ambient noise, frequency-dependent station site response and focusing/defocusing on Lg Q inversion are analysed. It is shown that after averaging spectral ratios determined from repeated observations over four two-station paths, a modest site effect will not cause significant errors in the resulting Lg Q relation. Using this inversion scheme and spectral ratio estimates averaged over those paths at frequencies between 0.2 and 2.5 Hz, we obtain the relation QLg(f) = (267 f 56)f0.37*0.06 for the Basin and Range province. Further constraints on Lg Q were obtained from Lg coda, which, due to the natural averaging effect of scattering, is insensitive to effects of focusing/defocusing. To investigate the validity of the single isotropic scattering model for Lg coda in the Basin and Range province, we calculated ischrons for scatterers corresponding to later Lg coda signals, as required by the single scattering model. It is found that when significant portions of these isochrons are oceanic, Lg coda amplitude decay becomes irregular and abnormally slow, suggesting a strong scattering/reflection effect caused by the rapidly changing crustal structure along the coast. Applying the single isotropic scattering model to Lg coda records with isochrons mostly confined to the continental crust results in Q,(f) = (275 f 26) f 0.36*0.03 , which is nearly identical to our QLg relation. This indicates that even in a complicated geological province, a joint interpretation of the dynamic properties of Lg and Lg coda can be successful and fruitful. Inconsistent Lg Q and coda Q relations found in earlier studies in the Basin and Range province may be attributed to different settings of parameter trade-offs, different seismic phases, or different dynamic properties being used.
Immunoactive effects of cannabinoids: considerations for the therapeutic use of cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists

The active constituents of Cannabis sativa have been used for centuries as recreational drugs and medicinal agents. Today, marijuana is the most prevalent drug of abuse in the United States and, conversely, therapeutic use of marijuana constituents are gaining mainstream clinical and political acceptance. Given the documented contributions of endocannabinoid signaling to a range of physiological systems, including cognitive function, and the control of eating behaviors, it is unsurprising that cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists are showing significant clinical potential. In addition to the neuroactive effects of cannabinoids, an emerging body of data suggests that both endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids are potently immunoactive. The central premise of this review article is that the immunological effects of cannabinoids should be considered in the context of each prescribing decision. We present evidence that the immunological effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists are highly relevant to the spectrum of disorders for which cannabinoid therapeutics are currently offered.
Ireland-Claisen rearrangement for the stereoselective formation of the C2C3 bond in taxanes

Abstract Ireland-Claisen rearrangement of the ester 21 gave 22 with the correct C3 stereochemistry.
Language Contests in the Hill‐Thomas Hearings

Sandra L. Ragan. Dianne G. Bystrom. Lynda Lee Kaid. and Christina S. Beck. eds. The Lynching of Language: Gender, Politics, and Power in the Hill-Thomas Hearings. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1996. xxiii. 293 pp.
On the multiplicity of equilibria of baroclinic waves

It is shown that, including the null solution (the Hadley state), there can be six different equilibria in a quasi-geostrophic forced dissipative β-plane channel model of a triadic baroclinic wave system. The dependence of the structural, energetics, and stability properties of each equilibrium solution upon the forcing and dissipation parameters have been delineated. Furthermore, the fairly subtle relations among these equilibria have been uniquely identified on the basis of the local bifurcation theory. Analytic solutions for the viscous single-wave equilibria are obtained. They are unique in contrast to those under an inviscid condition. The latter additionally depend upon the initial state. The diagnosis of the physical character of the single-wave equilibria reveals that such a wave is dynamically neutral with respect to the modified zonal flow. It has identical structural properties as those of a neutral wave according to the linear instability theory. Two distinctly different classes of multiple-wave equilibria are found numerically. One class is essentially a modified form of the single-wave equilibria. The other class uniquely stems from the presence of wave-wave interaction. A stable single-wave equilibrium and a stable multiple-wave equilibrium are found to coexist in a small part of the parameter domain. The instability of the multiple wave equilibria would result in triad-limit-cycles in this model as previously reported by Mak. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0870.1987.tb00294.x
Creeping, drinking, dying: the cinematic portal and the microscopic world of the twentieth-century cell.

Film scholars have long posed the question of the specificity of the film medium and the apparatus of cinema, asking what is unique to cinema, how it constrains and enables filmmakers and audiences in particular ways that other media do not. This question has rarely been considered in relation to scientific film, and here it is posed within the specific context of cell biology: What does the use of time-based media such as film coupled with the microscope allow scientists to experience that other visualization practices do not? Examining three episodes in the twentieth-century study of the cell, this article argues that the apparatus of microcinematography constitutes what might be thought of as a technical portal to another world, a door that determines the experience of the world that lies on the other side of it. In this case, the design of apparatuses to capture time-lapsed images enabled the acceleration of cellular time, bringing it into the realm of human perception and experience. Further, the experience of the cellular temporal world was part of a distinct kind of cell biology, one that was focused on behavior rather than structure, focused on the relation between cells, and between the cell and its milieu rather than on cell-intrinsic features such as chromosomes or organelles. As such, the instruments and technical design of the microcinematographic apparatus may be understood as a kind of materialized epistemology, the history of which can elucidate how cinema was and is used to produce scientific knowledge.
Carotid endarterectomy remains the gold standard.

Abstract Background: To compare the safety and efficacy of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) as performed in a community medical center with the Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosderosis Study (ACAS) and North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) standards and with representative published results regarding carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS). Methods: Between 1 January 1994 and 31 July 2000, 267 CEA procedures were performed on 236 patients at Madigan Army Medical Center (MAMC). Prospectively acquired patient demographics, operative indications, and surgical outcomes were reviewed using clinical records, carotid duplex evaluations, and follow-up examinations. The resultant data were compared with ACAS, NASCET, and published results of CAS. Results: The perioperative stroke rate was 2.2% (6 of 267) overall, 0.7% (1 of 139) among asymptomatic patients, and 3.9% (5 of 128) among symptomatic patients. There were no perioperative deaths from any cause in the entire series. The respective ACAS and NASCET early stroke-death rates were 2.3% (19 of 825) and 5.8% (19 of 328). The largest published series of CAS reported stroke-death rates of 5.7% (299 of 5,210) overall, and 3.4% (46 of 1,361) and 5.8% (93 of 1,614) for asymptomatic and symptomatic patients, respectively. Conclusions: CEA remains the standard of care. It is a safe, effective, and durable procedure that can be performed in a facility such as MAMC with outcomes that compare favorably with ACAS and NASCET. Results of CEA at MAMC are superior to similar data regarding CAS. Widespread use of CAS should be deferred pending completion of on-going prospective trials versus CEA.
Mutation of an Alternative Sigma Factor in the Cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme Results in Increased Infection of Its Symbiotic Plant Partner, Anthoceros punctatus

An alternative group 2 sigma factor was identified in the nitrogen-fixing, symbiotically competent cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme and designated sigH. Transcription of sigH was specifically induced within 1.5 h following exposure of N. punctiforme to its symbiotic plant partner, Anthoceros punctatus. A mutation in sigH resulted in a sixfold-higher initial infection of A. punctatus tissue without a parallel increase in nitrogen-fixing activity.
A ratiometric pH reporter for imaging protein-dye conjugates in living cells.

A molecule that transfers energy through bonds from a donor to an acceptor was prepared with a pH sensitive donor function (fluorescein). At pH values above 6.5, minimal energy transfer occurred, and the probe emitted green fluorescence (ca. 520 nm) when excited at the donor (488 nm). Below pH 6.0 however, energy transfer is efficient; hence excitation at the donor causes emission at the acceptor part (600 nm). This probe was used to image a conjugate of the probe with bovine serum albumin that was imported into endosomes or in the cytosol using the noncovalently bound carrier, Pep-1, at 37 and 4 °C, respectively. The more acidic environment of the endosomes was conspicuous from the red fluorescence of the probe.
Delay performance of CSMA in networks with bounded degree conflict graphs

We analyze packet delay in CSMA-based random access schemes in networks under the protocol interference model. Using a stochastic coupling argument we identify a subset of the throughput-region where queue lengths can be bounded uniformly for all network sizes. This conclusion provides a throughput-region of interest for delay sensitive applications and suggests that delay bounds based on mixing time analyses may be loose.
Abstract: Exploring Performance Data with Boxfish

The growth in size and complexity of scaling applications and the systems on which they run pose challenges in analyzing and improving their overall performance. With metrics coming from thousands or millions of processes, visualization techniques are necessary to make sense of the increasing amount of data. To aid the process of exploration and understanding, we announce the initial release of Boxfish, an extensible tool for manipulating and visualizing data pertaining to application behavior. Combining and visually presenting data and knowledge from multiple domains, such as the application's communication patterns and the hardware's network configuration and routing policies, can yield the insight necessary to discover the underlying causes of observed behavior. Boxfish allows users to query, filter and project data across these domains to create interactive, linked visualizations.
Optimization of the intensity gain of multiple-focus phased-array heating patterns.

A new technique for enhancing the intensity gain at the focal points in multiple-focus patterns is introduced. The new technique is shown to be effective in reducing the interference typically associated with multiple-focus patterns. This reduction in interference patterns allows multiple-focus scanning to generate highly localized heating. Simulation results indicate that multiple-focus scanning not only provides an alternative to single-focus scanning, but also achieves better localization in the heating pattern. The maximization of intensity gain of multiple-focus heating patterns significantly reduces the pre-focal-depth high-temperature regions that can be caused by single-focus scanning. This is shown by computer simulation of a two-dimensional cylindrical-section array (CSA2D) as a heating applicator. Two series of simulations are presented in which different scan trajectories were used to therapeutically heat a small deep-seated target volume. In every case the heating pattern was generated using ...
Strained Si, SiGe, and Ge on-insulator: review of wafer bonding fabrication techniques

Abstract Techniques for fabricating strained Si, SiGe, and Ge on-insulator include SIMOX, Ge condensation and wafer bonding. In this paper, a brief introduction of each method is presented, with a detailed discussion of wafer bonding approaches for strained Si, SiGe, and Ge on-insulator. Wafer bonding with stop layers is found to be the most general approach with the ability to create ultra-thin layers of strained Si, SiGe, and Ge on-insulator with low threading dislocation densities and precise control over layer thickness.
Complex recurrent neural networks for denoising speech signals

Effective denoising of noise-corrupted speech signals remains a challenging problem. Existing solutions typically employ some combination of noise estimation and noise elimination, either by subtraction or by filtering. The estimation of noise and the denoising are generally treated as independent aspects of the problem. In this paper we propose a new neural-network-based approach for de-noising of speech signals. The approach integrates noise estimation and denoising into a single network design, while maintaining many of the aspects of conventional noise estimation and signal denoising through a recurrent gated structure. The network thus operates as a single integrated process that can be trained to jointly estimate noise and denoise the speech signal with minimal artifacts. Noise reduction experiments on noisy speech, both with digitally added synthetic noise and real car noise, show that the proposed algorithm can recover much of the degradation caused by the noise.
Population Balance Use in Dilute Impurity Problems

The application of population balance and kinetic analysis to problems concerning removal of dilute amounts of impurities from liquids is demonstrated. The technique is applied to data from a study of calcium carbonate precipitation in the lime-soda softening process. The process is thought of as a steady-state crystallizer, and the crystal size distribution of the solid product is measured and used to determine kinetic relationships. The specific kinetic quantities determined are nucleation and growth rates. The kinetic relationships can be used to predict effects of operating changes on the process. The importance of kinetic information in the design and operation of such processes is emphasized. Interpretation of actual experimental results is given in detail.
Knowledge transfer between Food Research Institute and industry in the UK: the role of open innovation and social capital

This paper is part of a wider research project that seeks a conceptualised explanation to how and why knowledge is transferred between food research institutes and industry in the UK, by identifying the mechanisms that drive this process. It presents the findings from 13 in-depth interviews which formed the pilot study conducted through a qualitative approach involving a leading food research institute and main food retailers. An analysis of the Open Innovation and Social Capital literatures lead to the conclusion that these are plausible angles to start the study. Participation in formal and informal networks and the importance of social structures play a significant role in this context as well as different open and collaborative activities. The emergent findings suggests that innovation challenges facing this sector are around sustainability issues such as waste, climate change and food safety. Knowledge transfer between food research institute and industry occurs through open innovation activities, the main motivations being internal learning and access to funding through engagement with industry. Similarly there are many opportunities for intermediaries in the commercialisation of ideas. Moreover, the individual level of social capital provides the network structure and expertise access to engage in collaborative projects.
‘It Is, Say Some, of a Ravenous Nature’: Zoomorphic Images of Cancer

In Chapter 1, I described the crab as the oldest and most pervasive zoomorphic image of cancer, bound up with the disease’s etymology and diagnosis. This creature, however, was arguably the least colourful, and certainly the least frightening, of several animals which came to be associated with cancerous disease. In this chapter, I shall argue that the most extreme and culturally resonant figurations of cancer during the early modern period were to be found in the unlikely pair of the worm and the wolf. Through examining the use of these beasts as both popular and medical images, I discuss why early modern Englishmen and women came to associate these creatures with cancer, and how the cultural freight of worms and wolves shaped, and was shaped by, anxieties surrounding this disease.
Local government performance through the eyes of citizens

Citizens generally do not have a good understanding of local government and consequently have difficulty assessing performance objectively. Instead, they permit a variety of indicators and sources of information to shape their perceptions of government. This research takes a first step toward an improved understanding of citizen-government relations, especially focusing on how citizens see government. The survey results from over 1800 citizens in Orange County, Florida (including the metropolitan area of Orlando) are analyzed through a series of multiple regression models employing varied assumptions and citizen populations to better understand what drives citizen perceptions of local government performance. To effectively change citizen-government relations, local government must honor citizen values and priorities by demonstrating that it listens to citizens and acts on what it hears.
ASPIRIN USE DURING HOSPITAL STAY IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED SURVIVAL IN TYPE 2 MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Elevated troponin in patients without recent cardiac surgery or clinical diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome is associated with poor prognosis. The 2012 ESC/ACCF/AHA/WHF consensus report defines this as ‘Type 2 myocardial infarction’ (T2MI). No guidelines are available for treatment of T2MI.
A New High Performance CA Resist for E-beam Lithography

Three major lithographic applications have emerged for electron beam exposure tools: optical mask fabrication, direct writing for device fabrication, and more recently projection e-beam printing. The traditional mask making process uses poly(butenesulfone) resist. A wet etch process was adopted to generate patterns on chrome. Recently, shrinking dimensions, optical proximity correction features, and the complexity of phase shift masks have forced the industry to a chrome dry etch process. ZEP, a poly(methyl α-chloroacrylate-co-α-methylstyrene) based resist, has been well accepted for most of the >180 nm device mask making. The acceptance of ZEP comes in spite of its low contrast, marginal etch resistance, organic solvent development, and concerns of resist heating associated with its high dose requirements. These issues have spawned interest in using chemically amplified resist (CAR) systems for direct write and mask making applications. We have developed a high contrast resist based on ketal protecting groups, KRS-XE, which is robust against airborne contamination and can be used for all forms of e-beam exposure in both chrome mask and silicon processing. This high contrast resist is processed with aqueous base developer and has a wide bake latitude. The development of KRS-XE has provided the capability of fabricating chrome masks for future generation (< 180 nm) devices and has potential for use with projection beam exposure systems.
The histological response to auto-augmentation gastrocystoplasty (AAGC) in a sheep model

A number of surgical techniques have been used (with variable success) to increase bladder size in patients with reduced bladder volumes. Sewing vascularized flaps of intestinal muscularis propria into opened bladders has had limited success due to subsequent fibrosis, and full thickness gastric flaps in the absense of autoaugmentation have resulted in ulcerative cystitis. The following study in 16 sheep over an 8 month period describes the local histologic response to a new technique in which exposed bladder subepithelial connective tissue and mucosa was covered with a demucosalised gastric muscularis propria flap (AAGC). In the initial postoperative stages the dome of the bladder was formed by an inner pouch of viable subepithelial connective tissue and mucosa with a covering of fibrin, opposed to fibrin coated submucosa of the gastric flap. At the end of the first week the 2 layers had fused, and there was a marked chronic inflammatory Infiltrate with granulation tissue formation at the anastomosis site of the bladder and gastric muscle coats. Multinucleated foreign body type giant cells surrounded suture material. By 4 wks the inflammation was beginning to subside and dystrophic calcification was found only in the areas of granulomatous inflammation at the anastomosis site. From 8 wks through to 8 mths there remained only a very mild granulomatous inflammation around suture material, with no significant inflammation in any of the layers of the autoaugmentation or gastrocystopiasty . At every stage, all layers of the bladder and stomach patch remained viable, the kidneys were unremarkable and the residual stomach showed no treatment-related changes. Contrast and urodynamic studies demonstrated normal function and improved bladder volume. Thus, in demonstrating continued viability with minimal fibrous scarring in the augmented sheep bladder, this study lends support to the further application of autoaugmentation gastrocytoplasty in the treatment of bladder volume disorders.
Use of continuous positive airway pressure for sleep apnea in the treatment of hypertension

Purpose of review Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and hypertension are highly prevalent and treatable conditions that often coexist and both contribute to increased cardiovascular risk. The ability of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to improve blood pressure in hypertensive patients with OSA is debated. This review highlights findings from recent studies that have investigated the impact of CPAP on blood pressure in patients with OSA.
The omina in nomina

A seriously ludic lexicon of juristic nominations. This glossographic revel illates in erudite fashion upon the medieval maxim in nomine veritas.
Computing a Worm: Reverse-Engineering Planarian Regeneration

In order to understand and control complex biological systems, we need to unravel the information processing and computations required to regulate their dynamics. The development of a complete organism from a single cell or the restoration of lost structures and body parts after amputations require the coordination of millions of cells exchanging and processing information. Understanding these dynamic processes from the results of biological perturbation experiments represent an outstanding challenge due to the characteristic non-linear dynamics and feed-back loops of their molecular and biophysical regulatory mechanisms—an inverse problem with no analytical or computationally tractable solutions. To bridge the gap between molecular-level mechanistic data and systems-level outcomes, we have developed a computational methodology based on heuristic algorithms to automatically reverse-engineer dynamic regulatory networks directly from experimental results. Using this method, applied to problems of pattern regulation during metazoan regeneration, we inferred the first comprehensive regulatory network of planarian regeneration, capable of explaining the most relevant experiments of anterior-posterior specification during regeneration. Here we summarize our results and study the dynamics of the inferred regulatory model, unraveling the information processing and computations required to regenerate a correct morphology.
Radical nationalism among Chicanos: The rhetoric of José Angel Gutiérrez

(1980). Radical nationalism among Chicanos: The rhetoric of Jose Angel Gutierrez. Western Journal of Speech Communication: Vol. 44, Chicano Rhetoric, pp. 191-202.
Optimal collaborative sensing scheduling with energy harvesting nodes

In this paper, we consider a collaborative sensing scenario where sensing nodes are powered by energy harvested from environment. We assume that in each time slot, the utility generated by sensing nodes is a function of the number of the active sensing nodes in that slot. Under the energy causality constraint at every sensor, our objective is to develop a collaborative sensing scheduling for the sensors such that the time average utility is maximized. We consider an offline setting, where the energy harvesting profile over duration [0; T-1] for each sensor is known beforehand. Under the assumption that the utility function is concave over ℤ+, we first propose an algorithm to identify the number of active sensors in each slot. The obtained scheduling structure has a “majorization” property. We then propose a procedure to construct a collaborative sensing policy with the identified structure. The obtained sensing scheduling is proved to be optimal.