cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Architectures for a CORDIC SVD processor

Architectures for systolic array processor elements for calculating the singular value decomposition (SVD) are proposed. These special purpose VLSI structures incorporate the coordinate rotation (coRDic) algorithms to diagonalize 2X 2 submatrices of a large array. The area-time complexity of the proposed architectures is analyzed along with topics related to a prototype implementation.
The Development of Successors From Followers to Leaders in Small Family Firms: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this exploratory study was to better understand the development of successors in the small family business, including their approach to the leadership of the firm. It examined variab...
Creep limitations of current polycrystalline ceramic fibers

Abstract The objective of this paper is to present an overview of the issues, property status, and potential for use of creep-prone polycrystalline ceramic fibers in thermostructural ceramic composites. Issues arise because the fine-grained microstructures of high-strength fibers can result in creep-related property changes, often at temperatures as low as 800°C. The underlying mechanism is grain boundary sliding controlled by grain size and grain boundary character, and thus by the fiber processing method. With the assumption of upper and lower limit creep requirements, the creep properties of a variety of current SiC and Al2O3 polycrystalline fibers are reviewed and discussed. Property evaluation is based on the results of a simple bend stress relaxation test which allows predictive creep equations to be developed for each fiber type describing the effects of time, temperature, and applied stress. It is shown that sintered SiC fibers with grain sizes below 1000 nm appear to offer the best performance in terms of strength and creep resistance. However, even these fibers may not be capable of long-term service above 1400°C.
Converting enzyme inhibitor therapy limits progressive glomerular injury in rats with renal insufficiency

Sustained increases in glomerular capillary pressure and flow accompany systemic hypertension in rats that have undergone extensive ablation of the renal mass. These intrarenal hemodynamic changes are, in turn, associated with the progressive development of proteinuria and glomerular sclerosis, leading ultimately to failure of remnant nephron units. The efficacy of antihypertensive therapy with enalapril was evaluated in this animal model of chronic renal insufficiency. A dose of enalapril sufficient to prevent systemic hypertension normalized the glomerular capillary pressure without reducing the glomerular filtration rate in the remnant kidney. Maintenance of normal capillary pressure markedly reduced the development of proteinuria and sclerotic lesions in remnant glomeruli. These results suggest that antihypertensive therapy directed at reducing the glomerular capillary pressure could retard the progressive loss of renal function in patients whose functional renal mass has been reduced by disease.
Density-dependent control of MAdCAM-1 and chronic inflammation. Focus on “Mechanisms of MAdCAM-1 gene expression in human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells”

MAdCAM-1 is an endothelial adhesion molecule that is expressed chiefly in the gut but also in several other organs and plays important roles in the control of leukocyte homing, especially during the intestinal inflammation of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Despite a general acceptance of
Problems with Hu-Duan Boundary Effect Model and Its Comparison to Size-Shape Effect Law for Quasi-Brittle Fracture

Recent disagreements on the mathematical modeling of fracture and size effect in concrete and other quasi-brittle materials are obstacles to improvements in design practice, and especially in design codes for concrete structures. In an attempt to overcome this impediment to progress, this paper compares the Hu-Duan boundary effect model BEM expounded since 2000 to the size-shape effect law SEL proposed at Northwestern University in 1984 and extended to the geometry or shape effects in 1990. It is found that within a rather limited part of the range of sizes and shapes, the fracture energy values identified by BEM and SEL from the test data on maximum loads are nearly the same. But in other parts of the range the BEM is either inferior or inapplicable. The material tensile strength values identified by BEM have a much larger error than those obtained from the SEL after calibration by the cohesive crack model. From the theoretical viewpoint, several hypotheses of BEM are shown to be unrealistic. DOI: 10.1061/ASCEEM.1943-7889.89 CE Database subject headings: Cracking; Concrete; Structural failures; Data analysis; Size effect. Author keywords: Fracture scaling; Fracture energy; Concrete; Asymptotics of fracture; Cohesive cracks; Failure of structures; Evalu- ation of experimental data.
MIM: Logic Module Independent Technology Mapping for Design and Evaluation of Antifuse-based FPGAs

The paper presents MIM : a technology mapping algorithm that is independent of the FPGA logic module structure. It can handle large libraries with complex functions and is based on the concept of function-affinity. High mapping quality and very short run time make it a powerful tool for the design and evaluation of antifuse based FPGA architectures. Experimental results for 4 logic modules show that MIM needs up to 19%-23% fewer logic modules than MISII and is on the average >300 times faster.
The Political Economy of IMF Lending in Africa

Why has IMF lending achieved such poor results in Africa? Is it because the Fund imposes the wrong conditions, or because it fails to enforce them? Analysis of monthly data on 53 African countries from 1990 to 2000 shows that the IMF's loans-for-reform contract lacks credibility because donor countries intervene to prevent rigorous enforcement. Countries that have influence with developed-country patrons—as measured by U.S. foreign aid, membership in postcolonial international institutions, and voting profiles in the UN—are subject to less rigorous enforcement (shorter program suspensions). They have more frequent program suspensions, because they violate their conditions more often. The IMF will have to become more independent in order to become an effective champion of reform.
Dual space analysis of turbulent combustion particle data

Current simulations of turbulent flames are instrumented with particles to capture the dynamic behavior of combustion in next-generation engines. Categorizing the set of many millions of particles, each of which is featured with a history of its movement positions and changing thermo-chemical states, helps understand the turbulence mechanism. We introduce a dual-space method to analyze such data, starting by clustering the time series curves in the phase space of the data, and then visualizing the corresponding trajectories of each cluster in the physical space. To cluster time series curves, we adopt a model-based clustering technique in a two-stage scheme. In the first stage, the characteristics of shape and relative position are particularly concerned in classifying the time series curves, and in the second stage, within each group of curves, clustering is further conducted based on how the curves change over time. In our work, we perform the model-based clustering in a semi-supervised manner. Users' domain knowledge is integrated through intuitive interaction tools to steer the clustering process. Our dual-space method has been used to analyze particle data in combustion simulations and can also be applied to other scientific simulations involving particle trajectory analysis work.
Immune recovery uveitis in patients with AIDS and cytomegalovirus retinitis after highly active antiretroviral therapy

Abstract PURPOSE: To estimate the incidence and describe the characteristics of immune recovery uveitis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and cytomegalovirus retinitis treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: The records of all patients with AIDS and cytomegalovirus retinitis from 1995 to 1998 seen at the AIDS Ophthalmology Service of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions were reviewed. Eighty-two patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy were identified. Thirty-three patients (40.2%) were classified as responders to highly active antiretroviral therapy, defined as an increase in CD4+ T-cell count by 50 cells/μL or more to a level of 100 cells/μL or more. RESULTS: Immune recovery uveitis occurred in six patients. Among the 33 patients with an immunologic response to highly active antiretroviral therapy, the incidence rate of immune recovery uveitis was 0.109/person-year. Ocular complications associated with immune recovery uveitis included cystoid macular edema (four patients), epiretinal membranes (two patients), and optic disk neovascularization (one patient). CONCLUSIONS: Immune recovery uveitis was uncommon in our population but may have vision-impairing complications.
A New Potential—Vorticity Decomposition for the Boundary—Element Analysis of Viscous Flows

This paper deals with a computational formulation for the analysis of viscous flows about arbitrary bodies. A new decomposition for unsteady compressible viscous flows is presented in Morino5, where the theoretical issues, such as vorticity generation and the relationship betweeen viscous and inviscid flows, are emphasised. Here, we focus on the issues arising in the use of the decomposition as a computational technique.
The Effect of Medial Meniscectomy and Meniscal Allograft Transplantation on Knee and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Biomechanics

Purpose: Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of meniscectomy and meniscal allograft transplant on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and knee biomechanics. Methods: A differential variable reluctance transducer was placed in the ACL of 10 human cadaveric knees to record strain. Tibial displacement from a neutral reference was recorded relative to the position of the femur. Testing was performed at 30°, 60°, and 90° of knee flexion. Six cycles of anterior-posterior loads were applied to the limit of 150 N. After a testing cycle, a medial meniscectomy was performed and the testing cycle was repeated. A meniscal allograft transplant was performed, and a final testing cycle was conducted. ACL strain and tibial displacement in the meniscectomy and meniscal allograft states were compared with the intact-knee state. Results: Tibial displacement after meniscectomy significantly increased at all angles. The meniscal allograft transplant restored tibial displacement to normal values at 30° and 90°. ACL strain increased significantly after meniscectomy at 60° and 90° of flexion, and meniscal allograft transplant returned the strain values to normal at 60° and 90°. Conclusions: In most cases medial meniscectomy produced a significant increase in tibial displacement relative to the femur, and meniscal allograft transplantation restored displacement values to normal. Meniscectomy increased ACL strain and meniscal allograft transplant restored strain values to normal in 2 of 3 tested flexion angles. Clinical Relevance: The absence of the medial meniscus exposes the ACL to increased strain, whereas meniscal allograft lowered the strain on the native ACL. This could have implications for those patients undergoing ACL reconstruction who have concomitant removal of the medial meniscus.
Early Proterozoic geology of Arizona

The Early Proterozoic geology of Arizona and adjoining regions was the topic of a workshop convened by Clay M. Conway (U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Flagstaff, Ariz.), Karl E. Karlstrom (Northern Arizona University (NAU), Flagstaff), and Leon T. Silver (California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena) in Flagstaff, October 3–5, 1985. The meeting, sponsored by USGS, NAU, Caltech, and the Arizona Geological Survey, was attended by 73 geologists from industry, academia, and governmental agencies. The workshop brought together for the first time workers in a variety of disciplines who have been studying facets of Early Proterozoic crustal evolution in the southwest. From responses during and following the workshop, we judge that the meeting successfully accomplished its objective of furthering communication, cooperation, and collaboration. The meeting encouraged contributions, including progress reports, from all participants and concentrated on specific problems of stratigraphy, structure, petrology, geochemistry, and ore formation, with a view toward understanding overall orogenic evolution and continental accretion.
Narrowing diagnostic focus using functional decomposition

The problem of diagnosing faults in chemical plants can be efficiently addressed by a hierarchical procedure involving successive narrowing of the space in which the fault search is conducted. A technique is presented for narrowing diagnostic focus useful in the first stages of a diagnostic search. Based on a decomposition of the process according to function, the technique assesses the functionality of process systems based on measurements of controlled and manipulated variables. A procedure for identification of possibly faulty systems and units from the system states is outlined. Detailed diagnosis, not treated in this paper, would be applied after candidate systems or units are located. An example is presented using a hypothetical chemical reaction process.
CELLULAR DIFFERENTIATION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM OF MICE. III. SEPARATE ANTIGEN-SENSITIVE UNITS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANTI-SHEEP IMMUNOCYTES FORMED BY MARROW-THYMUS CELL MIXTURES.

Marrow cell suspensions of unprimed donor mice have been transplanted into X-irradiated syngeneic hosts. 5–46 days later, bone cavities and spleens contained regenerated cells of the immune system which required interaction with thymocytes (from intact donors) and antigen (SRBC) to form antigen-sensitive units (ASU) and to generate mature immunocytes. These cells were capable of differentiating either into direct or indirect hemolytic plaque-forming cells (PFC). The precursors of PFC regenerated earlier than the other cell type necessary for immunocompetence, the antigen-reactive cell (ARC). The latter was not found until 10 or more days after transplantation. Availability of ARC was inferred from PFC responses elicited by grafted mice challenged with SRBC at varying intervals. In a second series of experiments, graded numbers of marrow cells (ranging from 107 to 5 x 107) were transplanted with 5 x 107 or 108 thymocytes into irradiated mice, and SRBC were given 18 hr later. After 9–12 days the recipient spleens contained all or some of the following immunocytes: direct and indirect PFC, and hemagglutinating cluster-forming cells. The frequency of each immune response varied independently of the others, but in relation to the number of marrow cells grafted. This was interpreted to indicate that ASU formed in irradiated mice by interaction of marrow and thymus cells were similar to those of intact mice. In particular, they were specialized for the molecular class (IgM or IgG) and function (lysis or agglutination) of the antibody to be secreted by their descendent immunocytes. Hence, class-differentiation appeared to be conferred upon ASU by their marrow-derived components.
The Diabetes Social Support Questionnaire-Family Version: Evaluating Adolescents' Diabetes-Specific Support From Family Members

Objective: To develop and evaluate the Diabetes Social Support Questionnaire-Family Version (DSSQ-Family) for adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Normative and individualized approaches to scoring were examined. Also examined were associations between diabetes-specific family support and adolescents’ age, disease duration, gender, emotional support from family and friends, and treatment adherence. The most supportive family behaviors were identified as well. Adolescents (n = 74) rated 58 DSSQ-Family behaviors on their supportiveness and frequency and completed measures of emotional support from family and friends and treatment adherence. After eliminating nonsupportive items, the Total DSSQ-Family and five areas of diabetes care (insulin, blood testing, meals, exercise, emotions) were scored for frequency (normative approach) and frequency × support (individualized approach). The upper quartile of the DSSQ-Family items was identified as most supportive. Results: Scores from the DSSQ-Family had high internal consistency. Higher frequency and individualized ratings were related to younger adolescent age and to more family emotional support and cohesion, but not to friend support or family conflict (in general). The individualized ratings were significant predictors of adolescents’ adherence, even when controlling for age and general levels of family support. The most supportive family behaviors reflected emotional support for diabetes. Conclusions: The DSSQ-Family is a useful clinical and research tool for measuring adolescents’ perceptions of diabetes-specific family support. Future interventions should stress family support for management tasks, taking into account the adolescent’s perceptions of supportive behaviors. Additional research is needed with culturally diverse adolescents and with other chronic pediatric conditions.
Consideration of Impedance Matching Techniques for Efficient Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting

This study investigates multiple levels of impedance-matching methods for piezoelectric energy harvesting in order to enhance the conversion of mechanical to electrical energy. First, the transduction rate was improved by using a high piezoelectric voltage constant (g) ceramic material having a magnitude of g33 = 40 times 10-3 V m/N. Second, a transducer structure, cymbal, was optimized and fabricated to match the mechanical impedance of vibration source to that of the piezoelectric transducer. The cymbal transducer was found to exhibit ~40 times higher effective strain coefficient than the piezoelectric ceramics. Third, the electrical impedance matching for the energy harvesting circuit was considered to allow the transfer of generated power to a storage media. It was found that, by using the 10-layer ceramics instead of the single layer, the output current can be increased by 10 times, and the output load can be reduced by 40 times. Furthermore, by using the multilayer ceramics the output power was found to increase by 100%. A direct current (DC)-DC buck converter was fabricated to transfer the accumulated electrical energy in a capacitor to a lower output load. The converter was optimized such that it required less than 5 mW for operation.
OPRA: Optimal Relay Assignment for Capacity Maximization in Cooperative Networks

Cooperative communication has been proposed to increase the capacity of wireless networks. By exploiting a relay node, it achieves spatial diversity to cope with fading channel without requiring wireless nodes to be equipped with multiple antennas. However, the selection of relay nodes has a significant impact on the final capacity. In this paper, we study the problem of relay assignment in cooperative networks, where multiple source-destination transmission pairs share the same set of relay nodes. Specifically, we propose a system model where a relay node can be shared by multiple source-destination pairs and present a corresponding formulation for the capacity calculation. Our objective is to find a relay assignment to maximize the total capacity of the network. As the main contribution, we develop an optimal relay assignment algorithm to solve this problem in polynomial time. We also show that our algorithm has several attractive properties.
Distinct Roles of Frontal and Rear Cell-Substrate Adhesions in Fibroblast Migration

Cell migration involves complex physical and chemical interactions with the substrate. To probe the mechanical interactions under different regions of migrating 3T3 fibroblasts, we have disrupted cell-substrate adhesions by local application of the GRGDTP peptide, while imaging stress distribution on the substrate with traction force microscopy. Both spontaneous and GRGDTPinduced detachment of the trailing edge caused extensive cell shortening, without changing the overall level of traction forces or the direction of migration. In contrast, disruption of frontal adhesions caused dramatic, global loss of traction forces before any significant shortening of the cell. Although traction forces and cell migration recovered within 10 –20 min of transient frontal treatment, persistent treatment with GRGDTP caused the cell to develop traction forces elsewhere and reorient toward a new direction. We conclude that contractile forces of a fibroblast are transmitted to the substrate through two distinct types of adhesions. Leading edge adhesions are unique in their ability to transmit active propulsive forces. Their functions cannot be transferred directly to existing adhesions upon detachment. Trailing end adhesions create passive resistance during cell migration and readily redistribute their loads upon detachment. Our results indicate the distinct nature of mechanical interactions at the leading versus trailing edges, which together generate the mechanical interactions for fibroblast migration.
Correlation between vitamin D receptor allele and bone mineral density.

The risk of osteoporotic fracture (frequently occurring in the vertebrae, femur, or hip) is inversely related to the extent of bone mineral density. Evaluation of the gene coding for the vitamin D receptor (VDR) for the hormonally active form of vitamin D3, 1α,25(OH)2-vitamin D3, indicates the presence of two allelic variants. In a study of 250 Caucasian twins and a second study of 311 unrelated healthy women, it was shown that the common allelic variants of the VDR gene can be used to predict differences in bone mineral density. These results may enable evaluation and prediction of those individuals at risk for early onset of osteoporosis.
Screening for carotid disease and surveillance for carotid restenosis.

Duplex scanning is being used now to screen patients with suspected carotid artery disease, as the sole diagnostic test before carotid endarterectomy, and for follow-up surveillance after carotid surgery. Although the role of screening in patients with neurologic symptoms generally is accepted, noninvasive screening of asymptomatic patients remains controversial. The basic rationale for screening is to detect disease that can be treated to improve the patient's outcome. Although debate over the value of endarterectomy for asymptomatic carotid stenosis will continue, there is abundant evidence from natural history studies and clinical trials indicating that patients with asymptomatic high-grade (80% to 99% by duplex) stenoses can benefit from surgery if it can be performed with an acceptably low perioperative complication rate. Therefore, screening appears to be justified in patients with asymptomatic neck bruits and patients being evaluated for peripheral arterial or coronary artery disease. Those who are found to have moderate stenoses (50% to 79%) should be followed up at 6-month intervals to detect disease progression that may require surgery. Patients with less than 50% carotid stenoses can be followed up annually. Early restenosis is relatively common after carotid endarterectomy, occurring in about 20% of patients followed up with serial duplex scans, but it appears to have a benign natural history in the majority of patients. Reoperation is indicated only for symptomatic recurrent lesions and selected high-grade asymptomatic restenoses. An early postoperative surveillance examination is justified to provide a baseline study. The frequency of subsequent follow-up examinations will be determined by the status of the contralateral nonoperated carotid artery or the development of neurologic symptoms.
Cold work loss during heat treatment and extrusion of Nb-46.5 wt.% Ti composites as measured by microhardness

The authors utilized the simple technique of hardness measurement as a probe of the retained cold work in variously treated Nb-Ti monofilament rod stock, and they compare these results on extruded multifilament rod stock. In this experiment the cold work loss which occurs during monofilament heat treatment and multifilamentary extrusion was directly measured by comparing the Vickers hardness of the same Nb-46.5wt.%Ti alloy stock which had been cold drawn at room temperature, heat treated and cold drawn, and warm extruded. Depending on the strain state of the filaments prior to extrusion, a strain loss between 1.4 and 5.4 was determined in the extruded billet filaments. This is a very significant loss range given that the total strain space of most multifilamentary stacks lies in the range of 11-12. >
GLUT4 Is Sorted to Vesicles Whose Accumulation Beneath and Insertion into the Plasma Membrane Are Differentially Regulated by Insulin and Selectively Affected by Insulin Resistance

Insulin stimulates glucose transport by recruiting the GLUT4 glucose transporter to the plasma membrane. Here we use total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to show that two trafficking motifs of GLUT4, a FQQI motif and a TELE-based motif, target GLUT4 to specialized vesicles that accumulate adjacent to the plasma membrane of unstimulated adipocytes. Mutations of these motifs redistributed GLUT4 to transferrin-containing recycling vesicles adjacent to the plasma membrane, and the degree of redistribution correlated with the increases of the GLUT4 mutants in the plasma membrane of basal adipocytes. These results establish that GLUT4 defaults to recycling endosomes when trafficking to specialized vesicles is disrupted, supporting the hypothesis that the specialized vesicles are derived from an endosomal compartment. Insulin stimulates both the accumulation of GLUT4 in the evanescent field and the fraction of this GLUT4 that is inserted into the plasma membrane. Unexpectedly, these two steps are differentially affected by the development of insulin resistance. We ascribe this selective insulin resistance to inherent differences in the sensitivities of GLUT4 vesicle accumulation and insertion into the plasma membrane to insulin. Differences in insulin sensitivities of various processes may be a general mechanism for the development of the physiologically important phenomenon of selective insulin resistance.
Recent Aeroacoustics Research in the United States

It is expect ed t hat w it h t he project ed increas e in air t ravel aeroacous tics research w ill be very crit ical in meeting increasingly st ringent aircraf t noise cert if ication st andards. In the Unit ed St at es aeroacous tic s research has st eadily progressed t oward enhanced safet y, noise benefits and lower cost s. T his report provides a brief s ummary of select ed recent aeroacoust ics act ivit y in t he US. Four t opics of great interes t to t he aeros pace indus t ry are: (1) Advanced Subs onic Technology (A ST ) for f ut ure s ubs onic aircraf t , (2) High Speed Researc h (HSR) for f ut ure s upers onic c ommerc ial aircraf t , (3) Rot orc raf t nois e cont rol ef fort s, and (4) Weapons bay and ot her nois e cont rol applications for t he milit ary. Examples of good progress in t he areas of jet, fan, airf rame and helicopt er noise as well as liner design and weapons bay noise s uppression are provided herein. In t he next few years we look forward t o seeing major st rides in noise reduct ion t echnology and our abilit y t o predict sit uat ions of aeroacoust ics interes t.
A comparison of error metrics and constraints for multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis and spectral angle mapper

Spectral matching algorithms can be used for the identification of unknown spectra based on a measure of similarity with one or more known spectra. Two popular spectral matching algorithms use different error metrics and constraints to determine the existence of a spectral match. Multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) is a linear mixing model that uses a root mean square error (RMSE) error metric. Spectral angle mapper (SAM) compares two spectra using a spectral angle error metric. This paper compares two endmember MESMA and SAM using a spectral library containing six land cover classes. RMSE and spectral angle for models within each land cover class were directly compared. The dependence of RMSE on the albedo of the modeled spectrum was also explored. RMSE and spectral angle were found to be closely related, although not equivalent, due to variations in the albedo of the modeled spectra. Error constraints applied to both models resulted in large differences in the number of spectral matches. Using MESMA, the number of spectra modeled within the error constraint increased as the albedo of the modeled spectra decreased. The value of the error constraint used was shown to make a much larger difference in the number of spectra modeled than the choice of spectral matching algorithm.
Infection Risk and Safety of Corticosteroid Use

Corticosteroids are frequently used to treat rheumatic diseases. Their use comes with several well-established risks, including osteoporosis, avascular necrosis, glaucoma, and diabetes. The risk of infection is of utmost concern and is well documented, although randomized controlled trials of short-term and lower-dose steroids have generally shown little or no increased risk. Observational studies from the real world, however, have consistently shown dose-dependent increases in risk for serious infections as well as certain opportunistic infections. In patients who begin chronic steroid therapy, vaccination and screening strategies should be used in an attempt to mitigate this risk.
Effects of emotional expressions on persuasion

This paper investigates how expressions of emotion affect persuasiveness when the expresser and the recipient have different levels of power. The first study demonstrates that when the recipient overpowers the expresser, emotional expressions reduce persuasion. A second study reveals that power and perceived appropriateness of emotional expressions independently moderate the effect of emotional expressions. Emotional expressions hamper persuasion when the recipient overpowers the expresser, or when the emotional expressions are considered inappropriate.
Learning consumption: Media, literacy, and the legacy of One Laptop per Child

This article examines one of the largest interventions in computer-based learning currently underway, the One Laptop per Child OLPC project, with 2.5 million laptops in use worldwide. Drawing on 2010 and 2013 fieldwork investigating a project in Paraguay with 10,000 of OLPC's “XO” laptops, I explore the ways in which participants interpreted leisure laptop use as “learning.” I show that the most captivating uses of the laptops were not “productive” or programming-centric, as OLPC's developers hoped, but “consumptive” and media-centric, focused on music, videos, and video games. I discuss the learning benefits and drawbacks of this use, as understood by participants and in light of education research, and in light of the broader context of transnational corporations interested in marketing to these children. In the process, I weigh OLPC's utopian dreams against the interests of the child beneficiaries, concerns of media imperialism, and a potential shift in the meaning of computers.
Direct thermal and catalytic treatment of paraffinic crude oils and heavy fractions

With the continuously decreasing quality of crude oils, issues may arise with refining and transporting such oils. New technology must be developed to address these issues. Coupling a thermal cracker with a catalytic cracker in series was investigated as a possible method of directly treating heavy fractions as well as paraffinic whole crude oils. A potential application of this cracker configuration would be upstream treatment of high pour point crudes to improve flowability. The idea was to deposit a fraction of the coke on the thermal medium that would otherwise be deposited on the catalyst, thereby extending the life of the catalyst. This concept was tested using two transport reactors, one with sand and the other with catalyst, and with three feedstocks, atmospheric residuals, fluid catalytic cracker feed, and a waxy crude oil. Product distributions were determined for variations in thermal and catalytic cracker residence times, cracker temperatures, feedstock type, and catalyst/oil ratios. The data ...
The posterior sagittal approach : implications in adult colorectal surgery. Harry E. Bacon lectureship

Posterior sagittal anorectoplasty was used for the first time in 1980 to treat anorectal malformations. This approach includes a wide exposure, through a midline posterior incision, to determine the limits of the sphincteric mechanism and to place the rectum within its limits. This approach has been used to treat children with anorectal malformations, who underwent conventional procedures that failed. The management of anorectal malformations with this approach rendered significantly better results in terms of bowel control. However, there is still a large number of patients suffering from fecal incontinence and for them a bowel management program was designed to improve their quality of life. The posterior sagittal approach was also used for the treatment of acquired conditions including tumors, post-trauma and postradiation fistulas, and other postoperative complications. A historic review of the posterior approach disclosed that Cripps, a British surgeon, published his experience with a posterior transsphincteric approach to the rectum nine years before Kraske, a German surgeon, whose name has been traditionally associated with the leadership in this approach. Kraske actually approached the rectum through a paramedian incision and never performed a real transsphincteric incision. An experimental study done in dogs by the author demonstrated that it is not harmful to divide the sphincteric mechanism. The posterior sagittal approach represents a useful alternative to treat many pelvic conditions and, therefore, it must be a part of the armamentarium of colorectal surgeons. Finally, a series of clinical experiences convinced the author that coordinated rectosigmoid motility is the most important single factor in fecal continence and, therefore, our efforts to help patients suffering from fecal incontinence must be aimed at the manipulation of bowel motility.
Silicon Transport in Lateral Silicide Growth of CrSi2

Silicide formation and growth are studied in three geometries: conventional planar thin films, lateral diffusion couples formed by depositing metal layers on Si islands, and device geometry couples formed by depositing metal on oxide-patterned Si substrates. The influence of impurities is studied by implanting arsenic and krypton into conventional and device geometry structures. Here we present growth kinetics of CrSi2 where the presence of impurities has a strong influence. Si transport dominates in disilicide formation and leads to erosion of contacts around the periphery of oxide windows. Implantation of arsenic suppresses CrSi 2 formation; with krypton implantation, the growth kinetics shifts from linear to square-root in character. We attribute these results to impurity segregation at interfaces or grain boundaries.
The rise of interdisciplinary studies in social sciences and humanities and the challenge of comparative sociology

After briefly surveying three generations of comparative sociologists, interdisciplinary regional and trans-regional studies are shown to complement the work of the third generation of comparative ...
ROV in underwater clearing work for the emergency gate of diversion bottom holes in TGP

This paper mainly introduces robot operated underwater, including the component of system, primary function. work procedure and its application in TGP for ROV. It has been compared with other diving works procedure. and specially its prominent advantages are stated. The author has prospected its applications in the hydropower sector.
Case Report: Myelomatous Ascites

ABSTRACT Ascites is an unusual feature of multiple myeloma. We report a case of ascites occurring early in the course of a patient with myeloma in whom there was no evidence of intra-abdominal plasmacytoma, and the skeleton was relatively spared. The serum contained predominantly polymeric IgA, a feature not investigated in previous cases, We reviewed the relevant literature and will discuss the suggestion that human myelomas presenting with the triad of ascites, relative or absolute sparing of the skeleton, and an IgA paraprotein bear an analogy to mouse myelomas induced by intra-peritoneal instillation of irritants. The relevance of polymeric IgA is discussed with respect to tissue origin of the paraprotein. Seventeen cases were identified consistent with a definition of “myelomatous ascites” (malignant myeloma in which plasma cells and/or monoclonal immunoglobulin can be demonstrated in ascitic fluid). IgA immunoglobulin class was present at three times the incidence seen in myelomas in general (five of seven cases were specified). In twelve patients there was no identifiable intra-abdomlnal plasmacytoma although liver infiltration was common. Amyloidosis was reported in only one case, and no cases of uncomplicated plasma cell leukemia were noted. Ascites was a presenting feature in five cases. In each of these five there was absolute or relative sparing of the skeleton, four had no evidence of plasmacytoma, and the paraprotein was IgA in three, IgG in one, and unreported in one. In no case was there a known history of chronic intra-abdominal irritation.
Establishment of the hematopoietic microenvironment in the marrow of matrix-induced endochondral bone.

Implantation of demineralized diaphyseal bone matrix (DBM) into subcutaneous sites in allogeneic Long-Evans rats results in new endochondral bone formation accompanied by hematopoietic bone marrow differentiation in the newly formed ossicles. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the time of appearance of hematopoietic stem cells (CFU-S) and those of certain postulated elements of the hematopoietic microenvironment, i.e., fibroblast colony-forming cells (CFC-F), colony-stimulating factors (CSF), and collagen types. CFU-S were first detected at 16 days' postimplantation in the developing ossicle. Their numbers increased exponentially until day 24, decreased slightly between days 27 and 33, and then slowly increased in number again until day 36. CFC-F were present at day 10, and their numbers increased exponentially until day 15, decreased dramatically until day 24, and then remained constant till day 35. Thus, the transient growth of CFC-F preceded the appearance and growth of CFU-S in the ossicle by two or three days.
Synthesis and vectorial export of cGMP in airway epithelium: expression of soluble and CNP-specific guanylate cyclases

Guanosine 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) is an important modulator of fluid balance in many epithelia. We examined its metabolism in primary cultures of human airway epithelia. Sodium nitroprusside increased cGMP levels 30-fold, suggesting that the respiratory epithelium expresses a soluble guanylate cyclase; however, endogenous nitric oxide production was not detected. cGMP levels could also be increased by C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), but not by atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, or Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin, indicating expression of a CNP-specific membrane-bound guanylate cyclase. The one-half effective concentration for CNP was 40 nM and the maximal velocity was 56.7 pmol cGMP.mg protein-1.h-1. After CNP stimulation, approximately 60% of the total synthesized cGMP was preferentially exported from the polarized epithelial cells across the basolateral membrane by a probenecid-sensitive process. Isoproterenol-stimulated adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) export revealed a similar export pattern and probenecid sensitivity, although a lower efficiency of export (27% of total cAMP was exported). Consistent with previous reports, export of neither cyclic nucleotide was saturable at the concentrations tested. We conclude that the respiratory epithelium expresses a soluble guanylate cyclase, a CNP-specific receptor, and a novel vectorial cyclic nucleotide export mechanism.
A Low Linear Distortion Filter Configuration for Digital Communication Systems

A low linear distortion filter configuration is proposed. This filter has flat magnitude and flat group delay time in the pass band simultaneously, and has transmission zeros in the stop band. This filter is implemented on the HTS substrate, and is well applicable to software radio base stations.
Clinical Utility and Future Applications of PET/CT and PET/CMR in Cardiology

Over the past several years, there have been major advances in cardiovascular positron emission tomography (PET) in combination with either computed tomography (CT) or, more recently, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). These multi-modality approaches have significant potential to leverage the strengths of each modality to improve the characterization of a variety of cardiovascular diseases and to predict clinical outcomes. This review will discuss current developments and potential future uses of PET/CT and PET/CMR for cardiovascular applications, which promise to add significant incremental benefits to the data provided by each modality alone.
Elastically Induced Shape Bifurcations of Inclusions

Shape change transitions of elastically misfitting inclusions are predicted to occur when the inclusions are softer than the matrix. Below the size where the transition occurs, the shape is dictated by minimizing interfacial energy without regard to the elastic contribution. The transition is to a lower symmetry shape that is influenced by the elastic contribution. Transitions analogous to a second-order phase transition are predicted for an isotropic two-dimensional or plane-strain case, while transitions analogous to first-order phase transitions are predicted for an isotropic three-dimensional case.
Long-term results of intestinal transplantation in children: survival after 10 years, intestinal function, quality of life.

Purpose of review The review aims to describe in detail contemporary medical, nutritional, and psychosocial results in pediatric intestinal transplant (ITx) recipients greater than 10 years removed from their transplant, and to highlight significant long-term post-ITx challenges and complications. The review will draw from recent publications in the field, the ITx registry as well as detailed unpublished data from a large, well established single center. Recent findings The majority of long-term ITx survivors are off parenteral nutrition altogether, but a significant number require supplemental tube feeds to gain weight and grow properly. A number of micronutrient deficiencies are observed in long-term follow-up. Renal insufficiency and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder are the most concerning long-term complications. Many require special education, and in certain domains some report lower health related quality of life. Summary For children more than 10 years out from ITx, growth and weight gain are sustained; oral aversion and dependence on supplemental tube feeds remain prevalent issues. Most recipients are successfully managed with frequent outpatient visits and multiple daily medications. Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder and chronic kidney disease are long-term concerns. Though many children require special education, most are high functioning and report good health-related quality of life.
Low Frequency repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Potential role in treatment of patients with hemispheric cerebellar strokes.

• Cerebellar ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients exhibit motor and cognitive symptoms.
Small-diameter arterial grafts using biotextiles

Abstract: Arterial grafts first appeared in the early 1950s, since when they have attracted much attention and undergone significant changes in structure and treatment. Arterial prostheses are now routinely used to correct arterial flow disorders. The success of large-diameter synthetic arteries has not been experienced in with small-caliber vessels. A major reason is the lack of transverse compliance, leading to mismatch in elastic stretch at the anastomoses and to failure. The chapter discusses the factors affecting compliance and methods of measuring and modeling it. Case studies involving prototyping of small diameter grafts and evaluation of their mechanical properties are described. Design principles for small-diameter grafts with desired specifications and performance characteristics, including compliance, are summarized.
UniChip enables long-term recirculating unidirectional perfusion with gravity-driven flow for microphysiological systems.

Microphysiological systems, also known as body-on-a-chips, are promising “human surrogates” that may be used to evaluate potential human response to drugs in preclinical drug development. Various microfluidics-based platforms have been proposed to interconnect different organ models and provide perfusion in mimicking the blood circulation. We have previously developed a pumpless platform that combines gravity-driven fluid flow and a rocking motion to create reciprocating flow between reservoirs for recirculation. Such platform allows design of self-contained and highly integrated systems that are relatively easy and cost-effective to construct and maintain. To integrate vasculature and other shear stress-sensitive tissues (e.g. lung and kidney) into pumpless body-on-a-chips, we propose “UniChip” fluid network design, which transforms reciprocating flow input into unidirectional perfusion in the channel(s) of interest by utilizing supporting channels and passive valves. The design enables unidirectional organ perfusion with recirculation on the pumpless platform and provides an effective backflow-proof mechanism. To demonstrate principles of UniChip design, we created a demonstration chip with a single straight channel as a simple example of the organ perfusion network. A BiChip providing bidirectional perfusion was used for comparison. Computational and experimental fluid dynamic characterization of the UniChip confirmed continuous unidirectional flow in the perfusion channel and the backflow-proof mechanism. Vascular endothelial cells cultured on UniChips for 5 d showed changes matching cell responses to unidirectional laminar flows. Those include cell elongation and alignment to the flow direction, continuous network of VE-cadherin at cell borders, realignment of F-actin and suppressed cell proliferation. Cells on BiChips manifested distinct responses that are close to responses to oscillatory flows, where cells remain a polygonal shape with intermittent VE-cadherin networks and few F-actin realignment. These results demonstrate that microfluidic devices of UniChip design provide recirculating unidirectional perfusion suitable for long-term culture of shear stress-sensitive tissues. This is the first time a gravity-drive flow system has achieved continuous unidirectional perfusion with recirculation. The inherent backflow-proof mechanism allows hassle-free long-term operation of body-on-a-chips. Overall, our UniChip design provides a reliable and cost-effective solution for the integration of vasculature and other shear stress-sensitive tissues into pumpless recirculating body-on-a-chips, which can expedite the development and widespread application of moderately high-throughput, high-content microphysiological systems.
Financial toxicity in a large cohort of thyroid cancer patients: An analysis from the North American Thyroid Cancer Survivorship study.

e18284Background: Financial toxicity (FTox) has been associated with worse health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL), compliance, and survival in cancer patients (pts). Measuring FTox and understandin...