cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetic study of the phthalimide N-oxyl radical in acetic acid. Hydrogen abstraction from substituted toluenes, benzaldehydes, and benzyl alcohols

The phthalimide N-oxyl (PINO) radical was generated by the oxidation of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) with Pb(OAc)4 in acetic acid. The molar absorptivity of PINO• is 1.36 × 103 L mol-1 cm-1 at λmax 382 nm. The PINO radical decomposes slowly with a second-order rate constant of 0.6 ± 0.1 L mol-1 s-1 at 25 °C. The reactions of PINO• with substituted toluenes, benzaldehydes, and benzyl alcohols were investigated under an argon atmosphere. The second-order rate constants were correlated by means of a Hammett analysis. The reactions with toluenes and benzyl alcohols have better correlations with σ+ (ρ = −1.3 and −0.41), and the reaction with benzaldehydes correlates better with σ (ρ = −0.91). The kinetic isotope effect was also studied and significantly large values of kH/kD were obtained: 25.0 (p-xylene), 27.1 (toluene), 27.5 (benzaldehyde), and 16.9 (benzyl alcohol) at 25 °C. From the Arrhenius plot for the reactions with p-xylene and p-xylene-d10, the difference of the activation energies, EaD − EaH, was 12...
Examining How Corporations Use Online Job Ads to Communicate Employer Brand Image Information

In the nascent stages of recruitment, job seekers typically have little or no information about employers beyond that communicated by recruitment materials. An investigation of the employer brand image information presented in online job advertisements was conducted using the instrumental-symbolic framework, an approach for studying the factors that influence people’s evaluations of employers. A sample of 100 job ads representing four vocations was collected from three online job boards. Study results suggest that job ads typically included 4.5 times more instrumental than symbolic information, with 13 percent of the job ads analyzed containing no symbolic attributes at all. The average reading level of online job ads and frequency of image use are also reported.
A cloud-enabled coordination service for internet-scale OMG DDS applications

The OMG Data Distribution Service (DDS), which is a standard specification for data-centric publish/subscribe communications, has shown promise for use in internet of things (IoT) applications because of its loosely coupled and scalable nature, and support for multiple QoS properties, such as reliable and real-time message delivery in dynamic environments. However, the current OMG DDS specification does not define coordination and discovery services for DDS message brokers, which are used in wide area network deployments of DDS. This paper describes preliminary research on a cloud-enabled coordination service for DDS message brokers, PubSubCoord, to overcome these limitations. Our approach provides a novel solution that brings together (a) ZooKeeper, which is used for the distributed coordination logic between message brokers, (b) DDS Routing Service, which is used to bridge DDS endpoints connected to different networks, and (c) BlueDove, which is used to provide a single-hop message delivery between brokers. Our design can support publishers and subscribers that dynamically join and leave their subnetworks.
Effect of vinblastine sulfate on the growth and histologic development of reaggregated hydra

In the presence of vinblastine, the sorting of individual cells proceeded normally but mesogleal formation was delayed. The “embryo” became highly distended and failed to expel a central mass of unused or residual cells as occurs during regeneration of “embryos” that have not been treated with a test chemical. The epithelial cells became vacuolated and failed to maintain their sheetlike arrangement and attachments, although they did begin secretion of basement membrane. Interstitial cells failed to increase in number.
Cyclooxygenase-2 Deficiency Attenuates Adipose Tissue Differentiation and Inflammation in Mice

Obesity is associated with a variety of disorders and is a significant health problem in developed countries. One factor controlling the level of adiposity is the differentiation of cells into adipocytes. Adipocyte differentiation requires expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), which is activated by ligands to regulate expression of genes involved in adipocyte differentiation. Although 15-deoxy-Δ(12,14)-prostaglandin (PG) J2 (15d-PGJ(2)) has long been known to be a potent activator of PPARγ, the importance of its synthesis in adipose tissue in vivo is not clear. The current study utilized mice deficient in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) to examine the role of COX-2-derived PGs as in vivo modulators of adiposity. As compared with strain- and age-matched wild-type controls, the genetic deficiency of COX-2 resulted in a significant reduction in total body weight and percent body fat. Although there were no significant differences in food consumption between groups, COX-2-deficient mice showed increased metabolic activity. Epididymal adipose tissue from wild-type mice produced a significantly greater level of 15d-PGJ(2), as compared with adipose tissue isolated from mice deficient in COX-2. Furthermore, production of the precursor required for 15d-PGJ(2) formation, PGD(2), was also significantly reduced in COX-2-deficient adipose tissue. The expression of markers for differentiated adipocytes was significantly reduced in adipose tissue from COX-2-deficient mice, whereas preadipocyte marker expression was increased. Macrophage-dependent inflammation was also significantly reduced in adipose tissue of COX-2-deficient mice. These findings suggest that reduced adiposity in COX-2-deficient mice results from attenuated PPARγ ligand production and adipocyte differentiation.
Sex and dietary fat modulate hepatic prostaglandin F2α in F344N rats

The study was designed to determine whether sex and fat calories altered hepatic prostaglandin (PG) F2α status; a factor which may reflect susceptibility to cancer development. For 4 weeks, groups of 8 male and 8 female F344N rats were fed diets with 9% of energy (en%) from linoleate and 15.5, 20, 30 or 40 en% fat. Females had greater hepatic stearate, arachidonate and PGF2α whereas males had greater hepatic myristate, palmitate and oleate. Females also had greater plasma stearate levels. Greater hepatic arachidonate may have stimulated PG production in females. Hepatic oleate increased and hepatic palmitate decreased with increasing en% fat (p < 0.05). Hepatic stearate was greater and hepatic linoleate less when 40 en% fat was fed compared with other levels of dietary fat (p < 0.05). Plasma oleate was greater at 30 or 40 en% fat than at lower levels of fat, whereas plasma linoleate was less at 40 en% than at 15.5% en% fat. The ability of a 30 en% fat diet, containing equal proportions of linoleate and oleate, to suppress hepatic PG production may be related to the effects of dietary fat content and composition on plasma fatty acid profiles. Because suppressed PG production has been linked with suppression of cancer development, dietary recommendations to consume 30 en% fat with a P:M ratio of 1:1 may be cancer-protective.
Functional Characteristics of the Gating Mechanism in the Canine A-V Conducting System

The areas of maximum action potential duration, or gates, of the isolated canine distal A-V conducting system were studied by microelectrode techniques to determine the characteristics of their responses to premature impulses and to rapid rates of stimulation. The results indicate that premature responses will be conducted at the same velocity as driven responses until the coupling interval between the driven and premature impulses approaches the refractory period of the gate. When delayed conduction of the premature impulse develops, it occurs over a segment of the conducting system incorporating the gate. The magnitude of the delay which can develop at coupling intervals just in excess of the functional refractory period tends to be small in healthy tissue and larger in depressed tissue. Suitable delays allowed premature impulses having coupling intervals shorter than the refractory period at the gate to be conducted distally. The refractory period in response to rapid rates of stimulation was discordant in the several false tendons in six of nine preparations studied. Both delayed conduction and 2:1 conduction were shown to occur near the limit of response to rapid stimulation. The data presented suggest certain functional analogies between the A-V node and the gating mechanism.
X-ray imaging of differential vascular density in MMP-9−/−, PAR-1−/+, hyperhomocysteinemic (CBS−/+) and diabetic (Ins2−/+) mice

Although protease activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) play significant role in vascular remodelling in hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy due to cystathionine beta synthase deficiency, CBS-/+) and diabetes, mechanism remains nebulous. We hypothesized that differential vascular density and remodelling in different vascular beds in HHcy and diabetes were responsible for an adaptive metabolic homeostasis during the pathogenesis. To test this hypothesis, vascular density in mice lacking PAR-1, MMP-9, CBS and Insulin-2 gene mutant (Ins2-/+, Akita) was measured and compared with wild type (WT, C57BL/6J) mice. The vascular density was detected by x-ray angiography using KODAK 4000 MM image station, using barium sulphate as contrasting agent. The % vascular density in the hearts of WT, CBS-/+ (HHcy), MMP-9-/-, PAR-1-/+ and Ins2-/+ (type-1 diabetes) was 100 ± 2.8, 85 ± 3.3, 90 ± 3.3, 95 ± 3.8 and 73 ± 1.7, respectively. The vascular density in CBS-/+ and Akita hearts decreased while it was increased in lungs of CBS-/+ and MMP-9-/-.There was decreased vascular density in liver and kidney of Akita mice. Vascular density in brain, kidney and mesentery was decreased in CBS-/+ mice. These findings support the notation that metabolic derangement in diabetes and HHcy causes the chronic decline and/or rarefaction in vascular density.
Budgeting for Outcomes in State Human Agencies

ABSTRACT Outcome budgeting is a relatively new concept in the human services. This article looks at the theory and practice of outcome budgeting. Outcome budgeting is first defined and then differentiated from other types of budgeting systems. Next, a conceptual frame of reference for thinking about outcome budgeting is presented. The outcome budgeting experiences of selected state human service agencies in Arizona, Texas and Florida are then detailed. Finally, some observations and speculations are made about outcome budgeting and its potential impact on the human services and human services administration.
ELECTROENDOSMOSIS THROUGH MAMMALIAN SEROUS MEMBRANES : III. THE RELATION OF CURRENT STRENGTH AND SPECIFIC RESISTANCE TO RATE OF LIQUID TRANSPORT. TRANSPORT RATE WITH SERUM.

The rate of electroendosmotic flow through dog and cat pericardia is found to be proportional to the current strength. The plots of current strengths against volumes of liquid transported in unit time are, in the better experiments, straight lines passing through the origin; the slopes of the lines are characteristic of the several systems. Data on transport rate with buffers of different specific resistances showed the following phenomena: 1. Decrease of the observed transport rate to a minimum between sigma values of 95 and 60 ohms. 2. Changes in the membrane markedly affecting transport rate, at conductivities and osmotic pressures close to those of the blood. 3. Polarization of the membrane during the passage of current. The mean rate found for electroendosmotic transport across dog and cat serous membranes bathed in serum has been 0.19 to 0.30 (average, 0.25) c.mm. per minute per milliampere. The best experiments with dog serum and the living mesenteries of dogs under ether gave a mean rate of 0.29 c.mm. per minute per milliampere. These data, together with data from other sources, are believed to indicate a probability approaching certainty that electroendosmotic effects are a factor in glandular secretion.
Surface treated pollen performance as a renewable reinforcing filler for poly(vinyl acetate)

Pollen grains have the potential to be effective plant-based biorenewable reinforcing fillers for polymers due to their high mechanical strength, chemical stability, and unique micro- and nano-structured surfaces. Pollen–polymer composites could form the basis for a new class of light-weight, high strength sustainable materials if compatible polymer–filler systems can be engineered. The exine shell of pollen, composed of sporopollenin, offers opportunities for surface functionalization to provide for compatibility between the pollen and the polymer matrix, but this idea has been previously unexplored. We present the first demonstration of surface functionalization of sporopollenin to enable incorporation of pollen as a reinforcing filler, using ragweed pollen in poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). Composites prepared with ‘as received’, untreated ragweed pollen displayed interfacial voids, degraded mechanical properties, and a decreased glass transition width with increased pollen loading, relative to neat PVAc. Composites prepared with pollen treated via an acid–base surface preparation displayed improved interfacial morphology and increasing modulus with pollen loading (29% increase). Interfacial adhesion was optimal for pollen functionalized with vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS), followed by in situ free radical polymerization of PVAc. In situ polymerization of functionalized pollen resulted in simultaneous stiffening and strengthening of composites (80% increase in tensile strength). Films containing treated and functionalized pollen also displayed a wider glass transition regions in the presence of pollen filler relative to neat PVAc.
Disrupted in schizophrenia 1 modulates medial prefrontal cortex pyramidal neuron activity through cAMP regulation of transient receptor potential C and small-conductance K+ channels.

Background Disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a protein implicated in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and autism. To date, most of research examining DISC1 function has focused on its role in neurodevelopment, despite its presence throughout life. DISC1 also regulates cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling by increasing type 4 phosphodiesterase catabolism of cAMP when cAMP concentrations are high. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that DISC1, through its regulation of cAMP, modulates I-SK and I-TRPC channel-mediated ionic currents that we have shown previously to regulate the activity of mature prefrontal cortical pyramidal neurons. Methods We used patch-clamp recordings in prefrontal cortical slices from adult rats in which DISC1 function was reduced in vivo by short hairpin RNA viral knockdown or in vitro by dialysis of DISC1 antibodies. Results We found that DISC1 disruption resulted in an increase of metabotropic glutamate receptor-induced intracellular calcium (Ca 2+ ) waves, small-conductance K + (SK)-mediated hyperpolarization and a decrease of transient receptor potential C (TRPC)-mediated sustained depolarization. Consistent with a role for DISC1 in regulation of cAMP signaling, forskolin-induced cAMP production also increased intracellular Ca 2+ waves, I-SK and decreased I-TRPC. Lastly, inhibiting cAMP generation with guanfacine, an α2A-noradrenergic agonist, normalized the function of SK and TRPC channels. Conclusions Based on our findings, we propose that diminished DISC1 function, such as occurs in some mental disorders, can lead to the disruption of normal patterns of prefrontal cortex activity through the loss of cAMP regulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor-mediated intracellular Ca 2+ waves, SK and TRPC channel activity.
Productive Efficiency and Salary Distribution: The Case of U.S. Major League Baseball

Recent theoretical research suggests that a firm's salary structure can affect the firm's productivity. We investigate the relationship between payroll inequality and production using US Major League Baseball data. Employing panel data methods, this study finds that salary inequality has a significantly negative effect on team success. A general result is that team success in term of wins does not seem to be correlated with efficiency; specifically, some of the least successful teams are also some of the most efficient. In addition, salary inequality does not appear to be correlated with efficiency. Furthermore, revenues generated by teams are not necessarily correlated with team efficiency.
Terbium luminescence studies of binding of adriamycin and cisplatin to tumorigenic cells

Abstract The luminescent properties of terbium ions are used to investigate the interaction of adriamycin and cisplatin with GH3/B6 pituitary tumor cells. Clinically relevant concentrations of adriamycin were found to quench the intensity (IC50 = 0.6 μM) and excited-state lifetime (τ/τ0 = 0.73) of the Tb3+—GH3/B6 complex. Inspection of the Tb3+—GH3/B6 emission spectrum and the visible absorption spectrum of adriamycin strongly strongly suggests that the quenching of Tb3+ luminescence by adriamycin is due to dipole-dipole resonant energy transfer; and, according to Forster's theory (R0 = 33.6 A), the adriamycin receptor site is located ca. 40 A away from the bound probe, at the lipid/protein interface. The quenching of Tb3+ luminescence by cisplatin is best explained by a static energy-exchange mechanism; in that the cisplatin receptor site is contiguous with the Tb3+ binding site at the outer surface of the membrane. The data suggest that, in the plasma membrane of tumorigenic cells, the adriamycin and ciplatin receptor sites are intimately associated with the same calcium-binding protein.
Molecular configuration of polystyrene in benzene

The particle scattering factor P(ϑ) with Gaussian statistics for polydispersed systems has been treated. For a polystyrene sample with a sharp molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn < 1.02, Mw = 1.5 X 106), the measured angular dependence of scattered intensity indicates that the polymer coil does obey Gaussian statistics. This holds for a range of concentrations provided the variation of the constant representing the radius of gyration with concentration is adjusted.
The Glass Firewall between Military and Civil Administration

There is a glass-like firewall between American military administration and civil administration forged during the Progressive era. Turn-of-the-century public administration theory was quite ecumenical. However, under the spell of Progressive state theory, post-war public administration theory assumed that civil administrators could ignore military matters. The separation of military and civil administration is now beginning to adversely affect the American people. The Department of Defense conceived a Total Force Doctrine that was neither substantially discussed with nor understood by civilian administrators. When this doctrine was applied by the Department of Defense in Operation Desert Storm, predictable negative civilian consequences occurred. The glass firewall must go. Progressive state theory and administrative state theory were wrong in assuming that these tensions would vanish as the state modernized. Public administration must address this scission. In doing so, public administration can recover...
Transition probabilities in Sm(II) and the solar abundance of Samarium

Abstract We have measured branching ratios for all of the known transitions from nine levels in Sm(II). We use the known mean radiative lifetime for three of these levels to compute the transition probability for 65 transitions from these upper levels. Using the equivalent widths from the Utrecht Atlas and the Preliminary Edition of the Kitt Peak Atlas for four weak solar lines with W λ ⩽ 5 × 10 -6 , we compute a photospheric Sm abundance log N Sm N H + 12 = 0.80 ± 0.11 .
Epitaxial Directional Growth of Indium-Doped Tin Oxide Nanowire Arrays

In this report, we show controlled in-situ doping of a single crystalline metal oxide nanowire, using indium-doped tin oxide (In−SnO2) as an example, during a heteroepitaxial growth process. Highly regular and high-density arrays of In−SnO2 nanowires, which demonstrate three- and four-fold growth symmetry, are obtained directly on optical sapphire substrates. Similar synthesis strategies, involving careful selection of desired growth conditions and smart manipulation of favorable thermodynamic properties, could be extended to production of various doped metal oxide nanowires.
Influence of Mean Zonal Motion and Meridional Temperature Gradients on the Solar Semidiurnal Atmospheric Tide: A Spectral Study. Part I: Theory

Abstract A spectral theory is developed for the solar semidiurnal tides in an atmosphere with background zonal winds. According to this theory, the vertical structures of the spectral components of the tide are governed by a set of coupled second-order ordinary differential equations which have to be solved for appropriate lower and upper boundary conditions. The lower boundary condition, in particular, has to be properly formulated to take into account the latitudinal variation of the atmospheric basic-state parameters. While the solutions to the equations have to be obtained by numerical methods, several aspects of their behavior can be revealed by simpler mechanistic models and concepts which are introduced in this first part (Part I) of a two-part report. Discussion of the detailed numerical solutions and of the adequacy of their mechanistic interpretations is given in the companion paper (Part II).
DECREASED TASTE SENSITIVITY AFTER D-PENICILLAMINE REVERSED BY COPPER ADMINISTRATION

Abstract Treatment with D-penicillamine of 73 patients with scleroderma, cystinuria, rheumatoid arthritis, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis produced a decrease in taste sensitivity and/or hypocaeruloplasminaeia in 23. Withdrawal of D-penicillamine returned taste sensitivity and serum-caeruloplasmin to normal in those patients in whom it was decreased. Treatment with oral copper in the face of persistent D-penicilliamine treatment also returned taste sensitivity and serumcaeruloplasmin concentration to normal. These data indicate that copper plays a significant role in the physiology of taste.
The effect of growth hormone on the inorganic phosphorus levels in the plasma

The fact that the hypophysis may play an important role in the control of inorganic phosphorus in the animal has been known for some time. Kobayashi (1931) and Schijo (1934) have shown that hypophysectomy in dogs causes a reduction of the inorganic phosphorus of the blood. Irradiation of the rabbit’s pituitary also brought about a decrease in blood phosphorus (Cannavo and Beninato, 1934). In rats, the removal of the pituitary reduces markedly the serum inorganic phosphorus level (Anderson and Castler, 1938; Jones and Shinowara, 1942). The earlier work of Teel and Watkins (1929) indicated that anterior pituitary extract produced an increase of inorganic phosphorus in the blood of dogs. These results were later extended by Gerschman and Marenzi (1935) who found that the blood inorganic phosphorus level changes from 4.25 mg. to 7.88 mg. per cent as the result of pituitary extract injections.
Carbon dioxide stripping in aquaculture – Part II: Development of gas transfer models

Abstract The basic mass transfer equation for gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide can be derived from integration of the driving force equation. Because of the physical characteristics of the gas transfer processes, slightly different models are used for aerators tested under the non steady-state procedures, than for packed columns, or weirs. It is suggested that the standard condition for carbon dioxide should be 20 °C, 1 atm, C CO 2 = 20 mg / kg , and X CO 2 = 0.000285 . The selection of the standard condition for carbon dioxide based on a fixed mole fraction ensures that standardized carbon dioxide transfer rates will be comparable even though the value of C CO 2 * in the atmosphere is increasing with time. The computation of mass transfer for carbon dioxide is complicated by the impact of water depth and gas phase enrichment on the saturation concentration within the unit, although the importance of either factor depends strongly on the specific type of aerator. For some types of aerators, the most accurate gas phase model remains to be determined for carbon dioxide. The assumption that carbon dioxide can be treated as a non-reactive gas in packed columns may apply for cold acidic waters but not for warm alkaline waters.
Microsomal rat liver UDP glucuronyltransferase: effects of piperonyl butoxide and other factors on enzyme activity.

Activation of rat liver microsomal UDP glucuronyltransferase by detergent or ageing was not accompanied by a change in K m for 1-naphthol or UDPGA. Divalent cations (Mg 2+ , Mn 2+ , and Co 2+ ) stimulated glucuronic acid conjugation of 1-naphthol and p -nitrophenol in both unactivated and activated microsomes, however, Zn 2+ strongly inhibited UDP glucuronyltransferase. A total activation factor of 30-fold resulted when both Triton X-100 and MgCl 2 were added to the incubation medium. Triton X-100 and MgCl 2 also stimulated UDP glucuronyltransferase from rabbit liver microsomes with a total activation factor of 20-fold. The UDP glucuronyltransferases conjugating 1-naphthol, testosterone, and a dieldrin metabolite were inhibited in vitro by insecticide synergist chemicals. Piperonyl butoxide had I 50 values of 7.3×10 −6 m and 9.0×10 −5 m for testosterone and 1-naphthol glucuronyltransferase, respectively. Inhibition of enzyme from detergent-activated microsomes was considerably less than that of enzyme from unactivated or aged microsomes. Pretreatment of male or female rats with piperonyl butoxide for 3 days resulted in a two-fold induction of the UDP glucuronyltransferase conjugating 1-naphthol and p -nitrophenol. 1-Naphthol and p -nitrophenol were shown to be glucuronidated by the same enzyme by of the mixed substrate method, divalent cation requirements, activation by detergent or ageing, submicrosomal distributions, levels of induction by piperonyl butoxide, and gravitational studies. This work was greatly facilitated by the use of a new, rapid, and sensitive radioassay for UDP glucuronyltransferase which is described here.
Platinum monolayer electrocatalysts for O2 reduction: Pt monolayer on Pd(111) and on carbon-supported Pd nanoparticles

The kinetics of oxygen reduction was studied in acid solutions on Pt monolayers deposited on a Pd(111) surface and on carbon-supported Pd nanoparticles using the rotating disk-ring electrode technique. These electrocatalysts were prepared by a new method for depositing Pt monolayers involving the galvanic displacement by Pt of an underpotentially deposited Cu monolayer on a Pd substrate and characterized by scanning tunneling and transmission electron microscopies. The kinetics of O2 reduction shows a significant enhancement at Pt monolayers on Pd(111) and Pd nanoparticle surfaces in comparison with the reaction on Pt(111) and Pt nanoparticles. The four-electron reduction, with a first-charge transfer-rate determining step, is operative on both surfaces. The observed increase in the catalytic activity of Pt monolayer surfaces compared with Pt bulk and nanoparticle electrodes may reflect decreased formation of PtOH. An enhanced atomic scale surface roughness and low coordination of some atoms may contribut...
The genetics of alcohol consumption in animals

Abstract This paper reviews animal studies of genetic differences in the consumption of alcohol. It deals with six areas: (1) field observations in nature; (2) selective breeding; (3) variation among inbred strains; (4) correlates of ethanol preference and avoidance; (5) consumption and sensitivity; and (6) a test of an ethanol intake control system. Because of space constraints it is selective rather than exhaustive. The results of experiments demonstrate that genes have a strong effect on alcohol consumption when animals are given a choice of liquids. Both preabsorptive and postabsorptive factors can modify intake. There are similarities in factors that affect alcohol consumption in animals and those believed to be operative in humans. Evidence for an ethanol intake control system is presented.
Asynchronous consensus and broadcast protocols

A consensus protocol enables a system of n asynchronous processes, some of which are faulty, to reach agreement. There are two kinds of faulty processes: fail-stop processes that can only die and malicious processes that can also send false messages. The class of asynchronous systems with fair schedulers is defined, and consensus protocols that terminate with probability 1 for these systems are investigated. With fail-stop processes, it is shown that ⌈(n + 1)/2⌉ correct processes are necessary and sufficient to reach agreement. In the malicious case, it is shown that ⌈(2n + 1)/3⌉ correct processes are necessary and sufficient to reach agreement. This is contrasted with an earlier result, stating that there is no consensus protocol for the fail-stop case that always terminates within a bounded number of steps, even if only one process can fail. The possibility of reliable broadcast (Byzantine Agreement) in asynchronous systems is also investigated. Asynchronous Byzantine Agreement is defined, and it is shown that ⌈(2n + 1)/3⌉ correct processes are necessary and sufficient to achieve it.
Synthesis of genetic association studies for pertinent gene-disease associations requires appropriate methodological and statistical approaches.

Abstract Objective The aim of the study was to consider statistical and methodological issues affecting the results of meta-analysis of genetic association studies for pertinent gene–disease associations. Although the basic statistical issues for performing meta-analysis are well described in the literature, there are remaining methodological issues. Study Design and Setting An analysis of our database and a literature review were performed to assess issues such as departure of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, genetic contrasts, sources of bias (replication validity, early extreme contradictory results, differential magnitude of effect in large versus small studies, and "racial" diversity), utility of cumulative and recursive cumulative meta-analyses. Gene–gene–environment interactions and methodological challenges of genome-wide association studies are discussed. Results Departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium can be handled using sensitivity analysis or correction procedures. A spectrum of genetic models should be investigated in the absence of biological justification. Cumulative and recursive cumulative meta-analyses are useful to explore heterogeneity in risk effect in time. Exploration of bias leading to heterogeneity provides insight to postulated genetic effects. In the presence of bias, results should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions Meta-analysis provides a robust tool to investigate contradictory results in genetic association studies by estimating population-wide effects of genetic risk factors in diseases and explaining sources of bias and heterogeneity.
A high-sensitivity sensor for the measurement of combustible gas mixtures

Abstract An electrochemical oxygen pumping device consisting of two ZrO 2 cells is described. It is capable of measuring with high sensitivity combustible mixture concentrations over a wide composition range. The sensor output is approximately proportional to the concentration, has a weak dependence on temperature and is essentially independent of the gas pressure. This type of sensor can be used for monitoring and controlling combustion processes such as those encountered in furnaces and internal combustion engines.
Coastal Environmental Impacts Brought About by Alterations to Freshwater Flow in the Gulf of Mexico

/ Freshwater inflow is one of the most influential landscape processes affecting community structure and function in lagoons, estuaries, and deltas of the world; nevertheless there are few reviews of coastal impacts associated with altered freshwater inputs. A conceptual model of the possible influences of freshwater inflows on biogeochemical and trophic interactions was used to structure this review, evaluate dominant effects, and discuss tools for coastal management. Studies in the Gulf of Mexico were used to exemplify problems commonly encountered by coastal zone managers and scientists around the world. Landscape alteration, impacting the timing and volume of freshwater inflow, was found to be the most common stress on estuarine systems. Poorly planned upstream landscape alterations can impact wetland and open-water salinity patterns, nutrients, sediment fertility, bottom topography, dissolved oxygen, and concentrations of xenobiotics. These, in turn, influence productivity, structure, and behavior of coastal plant and animal populations. Common biogeochemical impacts include excessive stratification, eutrophication, sediment deprivation, hypoxia, and contamination. Common biological impacts include reduction in livable habitats, promotion of "exotic" species, and decreased diversity. New multiobjective statistical models and dynamic landscape simulations, used to conduct policy-relevant experiments and integrate a wide variety of coastal data for freshwater inflow management, assume that optimum estuarine productivity and diversity is found somewhere between the stress associated with altered freshwater flow and the subsidy associated with natural flow. These models attempt to maximize the area of spatial overlap where favorable dynamic substrates, such as salinity, coincide with favorable fixed substrates, such as bottom topography. Based upon this principle of spatial overlap, a statistical performance model demonstrates how population vitality measurements (growth, survival, and reproduction) can be used to define sediment, freshwater, and nutrient loading limits. Similarly, a spatially articulate landscape simulation model demonstrates how cumulative impacts and ecosystem processes can be predicted as a function of changes in freshwater, sediment, and nutrient inflows.KEY WORDS: Resource management; Landscape impacts; Freshwater discharge; Coastal, ecosystem models; Coastal wetlands
T3 glottic cancer: Options and consequences of the options

This report is a review of 106 Stage III glottic cancers treated surgically from January 1971 through December 1980. For analysis of recurrence and cause of death, the patients were assigned to four subgroups as well as considered as a single group. The subgroups were T3,N0, transglottic, all T3 glottic cancers regardless of prior treatment, and all T3 glottic cancers without prior treatment. Of the entire group, 8% either were not dead or had died of something other than cancer; 91% of patients with T3,N0 cancers without prior treatment either were alive or had died of another cancer. In the other subgroups the survivorship was between 80% and 91% with the exception of those with transglottic cancers. The findings in this study are discussed in light of the current controversies related to the stage of disease, particularly the issue of radical radiation with surgery for salvage for T3 glottic cancer.
On Diffusion in Heterogeneous Media

Diffusion in heterogeneous solid media has been investigated for over forty years. However, the derived equations for bulk (or effective) diffusivity used similarity argument between diffusion and other physical properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity, and hence either implicitly or explicitly assumed that the concentrations are continuous across phase boundaries. That is, these derived rela- tions, which have permeated through the literature and textbooks, can only be applied when the partition coefficients of the component between every pair of phases in the medium is 1, which is rarely the case. In this work, we include the effect of partitioning between different phases and present the method to derive the equations to relate bulk diffusivity to individual-phase diffusivities in heterogeneous media.
9.1: Negative electron affinity ultra-nano crystalline diamond based thermionic electron emitters for low to moderate temperature operation

Diamond based electron sources utilize two key materials properties presenting a method of efficient electron emission. Negative electron affinity (NEA) characteristics of diamond surfaces, where the vacuum level is positioned below the conduction band minimum eliminates the surface emission barrier. With suitable dopants, an electronic band configuration can be achieved resulting in a low effective work function. We have prepared nitrogen-doped diamond emitter structures by plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition. These materials exhibit a low effective work function of about 1.3 eV with detectable thermionic electron emission at temperatures lower than 250 oC.
Overcoming the apartheid legacy: the special case of the Freedom Charter

This paper outlines the construction of the “official” archives of the South African apartheid state and the distorted view they contain concerning social and political realities. Therefore, the colonial and apartheid legacies are examined in a broader context as an oppressive social and political system, as well as in the more specific context of how their legacy is reflected in the official archives. The development and popular endorsement of the Freedom Charter of 1955 was a seminal moment of challenge to the increasing oppression of the apartheid state. In later decades, the Freedom Charter became an iconic reference point in the antiapartheid struggle and the inspiration for the construction of a constitutional democracy in the 1990s. The process of its creation stands in stark contrast to the processes of creation of official records and archives. The paper also examines the survival of the Freedom Charter and the struggle to save it from auction in London and secure its safe passage to the National Archives of South Africa. Finally, questions of meaning and ideological significance are asked in relation to the role of a National Archives in the current dominant historical narrative.
REVERSAL OF IATROGENIC MYOCARDIAL EDEMA AND RELATED ABNORMALITIES OF DIASTOLIC PROPERTIES IN THE PIG LEFT VENTRICLE

Abstract Objective: This study examines the resolution of iatrogenic edema and related changes in systolic and diastolic properties in the intact pig left ventricle. Methods: The coronary arteries were perfused for 50 to 60 seconds with diluted blood (hematocrit value 10% ± 1%, edema group, n = 5) or whole blood (hematocrit value 28% ± 1%, control group, n = 6) infused into the aortic root during aortic crossclamping in conditioned, anesthetized pigs. After whole blood reperfusion, preload reduction by vena caval occlusion was used to define systolic and diastolic properties at 15-minute intervals. Left ventricular pressure and conductance, aortic flow, and two-dimensional echocardiography were recorded. Results: Left ventricular mass (wall volume) in the edema group increased significantly compared with that in control pigs after crossclamp removal. Mass returned to preperfusion levels after 45 minutes. The ventricular stiffness constant (β) increased significantly in the edema group versus the control group, returning to baseline by 30 minutes. The diastolic relaxation constant (τ) and base constant (α) did not differ between groups. There was no significant change in contractility. Conclusion: Increases in left ventricular mass and diastolic stiffness induced by coronary perfusion with hemodiluted blood resolve after 45 minutes of whole blood perfusion in pigs. This study defines physiologic effects of edema in the normal heart while eliminating most common confounding experimental errors. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1998;115:1209-14)
Concomitant chemotherapy and radiation for the treatment of advanced-stage endometrial cancer.

Abstract Introduction Ccombination chemotherapy and radiation therapy is used for adjuvant treatment of stage III–IV endometrial cancer. The goal of this study was to review the treatment duration, toxicity, and survival for patients treated with concomitant chemotherapy and radiation. Methods Women with stage III–IV endometrial cancer treated with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation between 2006 and 2013 were included. Toxicities were classified per CTCAE v3.0 and RTOG/EORTC late radiation morbidity scoring. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify treatment and toxicities. Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate survival. Results Fifty-one patients met our inclusion criteria. Median age was 60 (range 33–85). Thirty-six patients (70.6%) had endometrioid histology, 13 patients (25.5%) had serous, clear cell, or mixed histology, and 2 women (3.9%) had carcinosarcoma. Forty-eight patients had stage III disease and three patients were stage IVB. Mean treatment duration was 107±19days. Forty-two patients received all planned chemotherapy, and 16 patients required a dose reduction. Thirty-four patients (66.7%) experienced grade 3–4 toxicities, the majority of which were hematologic. There were no deaths related to therapy. Eighty-six percent of patients received leukocyte growth factors, and 25% of patients received a blood transfusion. Seven late grade 3–4 complications occurred: four gastrointestinal and two genitourinary, and one patient had ongoing neuropathy. Median progression-free survival was 42.8months (range 4.4–81.5months) and median overall survival was 44.9months (range 5.1–82.6months). Three-year overall survival was 80%. Conclusion Concomitant chemotherapy and radiation is an adequately tolerated treatment modality that allows for shorter treatment duration.
Why we don't spend enough on public health.

It is generally acknowledged that public health is systematically underfunded. David Hemenway describes four key reasons why.
Evolving the placement and density of neurons in the hyperneat substrate

The Hypercube-based NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies (HyperNEAT) approach demonstrated that the pattern of weights across the connectivity of an artificial neural network (ANN) can be generated as a function of its geometry, thereby allowing large ANNs to be evolved for high-dimensional problems. Yet it left to the user the question of where hidden nodes should be placed in a geometry that is potentially infinitely dense. To relieve the user from this decision, this paper introduces an extension called evolvable-substrate HyperNEAT (ES-HyperNEAT) that determines the placement and density of the hidden nodes based on a quadtree-like decomposition of the hypercube of weights and a novel insight about the relationship between connectivity and node placement. The idea is that the representation in HyperNEAT that encodes the pattern of connectivity across the ANN contains implicit information on where the nodes should be placed and can therefore be exploited to avoid the need to evolve explicit placement. In this paper, as a proof of concept, ES-HyperNEAT discovers working placements of hidden nodes for a simple navigation domain on its own, thereby eliminating the need to configure the HyperNEAT substrate by hand and suggesting the potential power of the new approach.
On the Alleged Disjunction between Cultural and Darwinian Understandings of Human Kinship

AbstractVarious anthropologists have alleged that cultural constructions of kinship are at odds with Darwinian understandings of the same phenomena. The argument here is that this is not at all the case if attention is paid to the semantic structure of kinship categories, which reveals that the central members of these categories are indeed close procreative kin. Attention is also drawn to supporting research in cognitive psychology.
Intrathecal baclofen for the treatment of spinal myoclonus: a case series.

AbstractContext/objectiveTo demonstrate the utility of intrathecal baclofen in the treatment of secondary myoclonus of spinal origin.DesignCase series.SettingUniversity medical center.ParticipantsTwo patients with spinal myoclonus who required the use of an assistive device because of difficulty walking resulting in falls.InterventionsIntrathecal baclofen management.Outcome measuresSymptom management and mobility function.ResultsBoth experienced resolution of their spinal myoclonus and became community-level ambulators without the need of an assistive device.ConclusionIntrathecal baclofen is an effective treatment of secondary myoclonus of spinal origin.
Analysis of the dynamic and steady-state performance of dual output LLCC-type parallel resonant DC/DC converters

An analytical approach to predict the dynamic and steady-state performance of LLCC-type resonant converters with two outputs operating in the continuous-conduction mode is presented. The approach, based on the principles of harmonic balance and describing function, permits inclusion of component parasitic resistances, converter nonlinearities and mutual inductances between coupled filter inductors in the analysis model. The model accurately predicts converter waveforms, peak currents and voltages, in addition to the dominant ripple components of the output filters. Output voltage-reference voltage small-signal transfer function plots and the influence of parasitic resistances and operating frequency on the stability and dynamics of the converter are shown. >
Patient safety is not elective: a debate at the NPSF Patient Safety Congress

The opening keynote session of the 16th Annual National Patient Safety Foundation Patient Safety Congress, held 14–16 May 2014, featured a debate addressing the merits and challenges of accountability with respect to key issues in patient safety. The specific resolution debated was: Certain safety practices should be inviolable, and transgressions should result in penalties, potentially including fines, suspensions, and firing. The themes discussed in the debate are issues that healthcare professionals and leaders commonly struggle with in their day-to-day work. How do we draw a line between systems problems and personal failings? When should clinicians and staff be penalised for failing to follow a known safety protocol? The majority of those who listened to the live debate agreed that it is time to begin holding health professionals accountable when they wilfully or repeatedly violate policies or protocols put in place by their institutions to protect the safety of patients. This article summarises the debate as well as the questions and discussion generated by each side. A video of the original debate can be found at .
Seven pitfalls to avoid when running controlled experiments on the web

Controlled experiments, also called randomized experiments and A/B tests, have had a profound influence on multiple fields, including medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, and advertising. While the theoretical aspects of offline controlled experiments have been well studied and documented, the practical aspects of running them in online settings, such as web sites and services, are still being developed. As the usage of controlled experiments grows in these online settings, it is becoming more important to understand the opportunities and pitfalls one might face when using them in practice. A survey of online controlled experiments and lessons learned were previously documented in Controlled Experiments on the Web: Survey and Practical Guide (Kohavi, et al., 2009). In this follow-on paper, we focus on pitfalls we have seen after running numerous experiments at Microsoft. The pitfalls include a wide range of topics, such as assuming that common statistical formulas used to calculate standard deviation and statistical power can be applied and ignoring robots in analysis (a problem unique to online settings). Online experiments allow for techniques like gradual ramp-up of treatments to avoid the possibility of exposing many customers to a bad (e.g., buggy) Treatment. With that ability, we discovered that it's easy to incorrectly identify the winning Treatment because of Simpson's paradox.
Fabrication of site-controlled, highly uniform, and dense InGaN quantum dots

We report fabrication of site-controlled, highly uniform and dense (>=1e10/cm2) InGaN multiple stacks of quantum dots using selective area epitaxy in MOCVD. The dot height and lateral dimension are 3 nm and 30 nm, respectively.