cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quest for Efficiency: Assessing the Impact of Mergers on Performance in the US Telecommunications Industry

We evaluate the impact of the various mergers of the local exchange companies that took place between 1988 and 2001 on several measures of performance of the firms that have undergone the mergers. Our analysis reveals that relative cash flows decrease after mergers, the pattern of accompanying sales growth is ambiguous and driven by increased market presence while the impact of mergers on the measures of efficiency and synergy are negative. If the efficiency motive is primary in influencing merger approval, then the past mergers approved have led to inefficiencies and welfare losses for the American consumer and the mergers of communication common carriers have not been in the public interest. On the other hand, given the inefficiency outcomes views that the quiet life, hubris and a quest for possible market power have motivated the mergers cannot be discarded.
Reducing radiation exposure in children with febrile neutropenia: can pulmonary MRI replace CT?

Febrile neutropenia is both a frequent and serious event in the care of pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies [1]. While there is no identifiable source of fever in the majority of cases...
Phase Singularities (Screwy Results of Circular Logic)

A phase singularity is a point at which phase is ambiguous and near which phase takes on all values. My purpose in this chapter is to give examples by somewhat idealized description of phase singularities observed in several experimental systems. In some cases, the phase singularity is at this writing (viz., in 1978: see below and in Chapter 10 for 1999 updates) only inferred and not yet demonstrated. Some cases of purely hypothetical and trivial nature are also thrown in to help clarify the principles that I take to be involved in the more interesting biological examples. Much is glossed over here that should disturb a thoughtful person acquainted with the physiology of any one of these systems. These details are dealt with in Chapter 10 and in the Bestiary (Chapters 11–23).
Myeloid DC-specific mTORC2 deficiency enhances Th1 and Th17 immunologic responses (IRC5P.472)

The mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (RAPA) (mTOR) is a key integrative kinase that functions in at least two independent complexes: RAPA-sensitive mTOR complex (C)1 and RAPA-insensitive mTORC2. While mTORC2 in T cells promotes Th2 and Th17 differentiation, its immunologic function in dendritic cells (DC) is largely unknown. We defined the role of rictor, a key mTORC2 component, in myeloid DC and their ability to polarize interacting allogeneic Th cells. When stimulated with TLR ligands, bone marrow-derived DC generated from conditional rictor KOs displayed lower co-inhibitory B7-H1 (CD274) molecule expression, enhanced IL-12p70, IL-23, IL-6 and TNFα production and augmented allogeneic T cell stimulatory ability. Analysis of allopeptide-specific CD4+ T cells after activation by rictor KO DC in vivo revealed significant expansion of IFN-γ+ and IL-17+, but not IL-10+ or CD4+Foxp3+ T cells. These data establish that mTORC2 activity restrains pro-inflammatory responses of conventional DC and their ability to differentiate Th1/Th17 cells.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Headache in the Ambulatory Care Setting: A Review of Classic Presentations and New Considerations in Diagnosis and Management

Headaches represent the most common constellation of neurologic disorders and are a very common cause of morbidity, lost work time, and decreased quality of life among sufferers. In this article, the diagnostic features, workup, and treatment of common, nuanced, and difficult-to-diagnose headache conditions were addressed. The future will hold a number of changes, with respect to both the diagnosis and treatment of headache disorders. As the aging population continues to grow, primary care providers will need to become increasingly familiar with differentiating between benign primary and more serious secondary headache disorders and will need to be able to treat the headache disorders unique to the elderly. With respect to therapeutic options, the future for treatment of the various headache disorders is promising. With the rise in popularity of complementary medical practices, there is likely to be more research on the roles of acupuncture, herbal and alternative remedies, massage therapy, and mind-body techniques. Further, new research is suggesting that neurostimulation may be useful in certain chronic, intractable headache conditions. Finally, the pathophysiology of headache disorders is still poorly understood and there is great hope that better understanding of the underlying mechanics of headache might contribute to improved treatment modalities and better quality of life for patients.
A computational model of conscious and unconscious strategy discovery.

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with a computational model of conscious and conscious strategy discovery and advocates a triangulation strategy for attaining a better understanding of change mechanisms. This triangulation strategy involves going back and forth among traditional studies of age-related change, microgenetic studies of children's gleaming, and computer simulations that generate the changes documented in the other two approaches. The chapter describes a new computational model of conscious and unconscious strategy discovery. Apart from being a crucial component of one of the examples of the triangulation strategy, this simulation significantly extends previous models of strategy choice and discovery. A large majority of studies of cognitive development have been devoted to describe age-related changes. The studies of age-related change have succeeded in providing excellent descriptions of many aspects of cognitive growth. Each of these three approaches—descriptions of age-related change, descriptions of learning, and formal modeling—provides unique information critical to a well-grounded account of developmental change.
The Police Gamesmanship Dilemma in Criminal Procedure

The polity and the law send police mixed messages about the desirability of police gaming the rules of criminal procedure. On the one hand, we desire vigorous policing and envision that to combat criminals who play dirty, police may have to get in the mud too. On the other hand, the law and the courts prescribe a phalanx of protections and efficiency-impeding rules to restrain overly aggressive play. This article is about this opaque zone of intense pressures and the police gamesmanship dilemma. The article examines when gamesmanship becomes problematic and how the law can better inculcate and enforce fair play values and address rule subversion and strain. The article's taxonomy distinguishes between desirable police innovation and problematic rule subversion and divides problematic police gaming into three variants: conduct rule gaming, remedial rule gaming and framing rule gaming. The article argues for two approaches that would facilitate fairer play and improved monitoring and internalization of rule-abiding behavior and norms by the police. First, the Article argues for deploying anti-gaming standards to supplement bright-line rules on issues where the incentive to game is high because the potential evidentiary payoff is direct. Second, the article argues for reorienting the predominant remedial approach to incorporate data-development remedies that surface problems sooner and give police incentive to cooperate in monitoring and reform.
Cancer Diagnostics: Discovery and Clinical Applications—Introduction

Tumor marker analysis constitutes a sizable portion of routine clinical chemistry testing. This area of investigation has advanced considerably over the last 50 years. Many new tumor markers have been discovered and are now used routinely for cancer screening, diagnosis, and monitoring and for prediction of therapeutic response. Despite these advances, it is clear that the contribution of these markers to patient care and, especially, to altering clinical outcomes is relatively limited. Most, if not all, of the markers that we use today are compromised by their low diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. The nature of cancer as a disease is such that it is not acceptable to misdiagnose or mistreat patients. For this reason, tumor markers are not used for definitive diagnosis; they are used as aids to help physicians make decisions, after combining other clinical and diagnostic data. Recent advances in the field …
Hyperoxic Regulation of Lung Heme Oxygenase in Neonatal Rats

In the neonatal lung, hyperoxic exposure is associated with induction of various genes and critical antioxidants. Heme oxygenase, specifically the HO-1 isoenzyme, is regulated in oxidant stress and may also serve to limit oxidative damage. However, it is not known whether neonatal lung HO-1 is regulated in hyperoxia specifically and, if so, what type of regulation occurs. Therefore, we attempted to answer these questions using newly born(< 12 h) Wistar rats exposed to hyperoxia for 3 d. Neonatal rat lungs were evaluated daily for total HO activity, immunore-active HO-1 protein, and steady state levels of HO-1 mRNA and compared with air-exposed controls. In neonatal rats, we noted an increased lung HO activity after 3 d of hyperoxic exposure. Additionally, evaluation of HO activity after immunoprecipitation of HO-1 protein suggested that HO-1 contributed most of the increase in lung total HO activity observed in hyperoxia. Nonetheless, we did not see a significant difference in immunoreactive HO-1 protein in neonatal lungs after 3 d of hyperoxic exposure, although we did so on d 2. Also, in contrast with previous reports, we did not detect any significant differences in steady state levels of HO-1 mRNA on any day of hyperoxic exposure compared with air. We therefore conclude that neonatal rat lung HO-1 is regulated in hyperoxia and speculate that the regulation of neonatal lung HO-1 occurs by posttranscriptional mechanisms, at least within the first days of hyperoxic exposure.
Hemoglobin Wood beta97(FG4) His replaced by Leu. A new high-oxygen-affinity hemoglobin associated with familial erythrocytosis.

The characterization of hemoglobin Wood (beta97(FG4) His replaced by Leu), a high oxygen affinity hemoglobin with reduced Hill constant is described. The amino acid substitution occurs at the alpha1beta2 interface, in the same position as in hemoglobin Malmo (beta97(FG4) His replaced by Gln) and in an homologous position when compared with hemoglobins Chesapeake (alpha92(FG4) Arg replaced by Leu) and J. Capetown (alpha92(fg4) arg replaced by Gln).
A Profile of Latino School-Based Extracurricular Activity Involvement.

Participation in school-based extracurricular activities influences educational success. Thus, it is important to depict a profile of school-based extracurricular activity involvement for a Latino student population that is marginalized in schools. This research uses the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 and logistic regression analyses to present a profile of the factors linked to participation in school-based extracurricular activities among Latino 10th-grade students. Results indicate that geographic characteristics, as well as immigration-related characteristics such as immigrant generational status and English proficiency, are pertinent factors in Latinos' participation in school-based extracurricular activities.
Untangling Protégé Self-Reports of Mentoring Functions: Further Meta-Analytic Understanding

In the current study, we sought to further our understanding of the relations between various types of protege-reported mentoring functions (psychosocial and career support and role modeling [RM]) by conducting a meta-analysis. We examined the relationships among these functions and investigated their relationships with expected mentorship outcomes. There is still a great deal left for us to understand regarding how these functions relate to outcomes and what these relationships mean. We expanded upon previous meta-analyses in the following ways: We included RM functions in addition to psychosocial and career support functions, corrected for unreliability of the function scales in addition to sampling error, and examined the relations of these functions with one another. Results show that all the mentoring functions were related to outcomes, with RM being the strongest predictor. Finally, we identified and conceptually analyzed numerous moderators of these relations.
Development of refractory silicate-yttria-stabilized zirconia dual-layer thermal barrier coatings

Development of advanced thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is the most promising approach for increasing the efficiency and performance of gas turbine engines by enhancing the temperature capability of hot section metallic components. Spallation of the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coat, induced by the oxidation of the bond coat coupled with the thermal expansion mismatch strain, is considered to be the ultimate failure mode for current state-of-the-art TBCs. Enhanced oxidation resistance of TBCs can be achieved by reducing the oxygen conductance of TBCs below that of thermally grown oxide (TGO) alumina scale. One approach is incorporating an oxygen barrier having an oxygen conductance lower than that of alumina scale. Mullite, rare earth silicates, and glass ceramics have been selected as potential candidates for the oxygen barrier. This paper presents the results of cyclic oxidation studies of oxygen barrier/YSZ dual-layer TBCs.
Phase-plane analysis of passively mode-locked dye lasers.

A simplified model is presented of passively mode-locked dye lasers with self-phase modulation and group-velocity dispersion. The model treats pulse width and chirp as dynamical variables and follows their evolution in a pulse-width–chirp phase plane as they approach steady state. The model allows the separate dynamical effects of pulse shortening, pulse broadening, chirp buildup, and chirp decay to be examined in detail.
A framework for global vehicle localization using stereo images and satellite and road maps

We present a framework for global vehicle localization and 3D point cloud reconstruction that combines stereo visual odometry, satellite images, and road maps under a particle-filtering architecture. The framework focuses on the general vehicle localization scenario without the use of global positioning system for urban and rural environments and with the presence of moving objects. The main novelties of our approach are using road maps and rendering accurate top views using stereo reconstruction, and match these views with the satellite images in order to eliminate drifts and obtain accurate global localization. We show that our method is practicable by presenting experimental results on a 2 km road where mostly specific road features do not exist.
Probing cell-division phenotype space and Polo-like kinase function using small molecules

Cell-permeable small molecules that inhibit their targets on fast timescales are powerful probes of cell-division mechanisms. Such inhibitors have been identified using phenotype-based screens with chemical libraries. However, the characteristics of compound libraries needed to effectively span cell-division phenotype space, to find probes that target different mechanisms, are not known. Here we show that a small collection of 100 diaminopyrimidines (DAPs) yields a range of cell-division phenotypes, including changes in spindle geometry, chromosome positioning and mitotic index. Monopolar mitotic spindles are induced by four inhibitors, including one that targets Polo-like kinases (Plks), evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinases. Using chemical inhibitors and high-resolution live-cell microscopy, we found that Plk activity is needed for the assembly and maintenance of bipolar mitotic spindles. Plk inhibition destabilizes kinetochore microtubules while stabilizing other spindle microtubules, leading to monopolar spindles. Further testing of compounds based on 'privileged scaffolds', such as the DAP scaffold, could lead to new cell-division probes and antimitotic agents.
Structure and dynamics of the solvation of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor in explicit water: a comparative study of the effects of solvent and protein polarizability.

To isolate the effects of the inclusion of polarizability in the force field model on the structure and dynamics of the solvating water in differing electrostatic environments of proteins, we present the results of molecular dynamics simulations of the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) in water with force fields that explicitly include polarization for both the protein and the water. We use three model potentials for water and two model potentials for the protein. Two of the water models and one of the protein models are polarizable. A total of six systems were simulated representing all combinations of these polarizable and nonpolarizable protein and water force fields. We find that all six systems behave in a similar manner in regions of the protein that are weakly electrostatic (either hydrophobic or weakly hydrophilic). However, in the vicinity of regions of the protein with relatively strong electrostatic fields (near positively or negatively charged residues), we observe that the water stru...
Comparison of hatchery-reared lake trout stocked as fall fingerlings and as spring yearlings in Lake Ontario

Abstract We made 16 paired releases of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush of four year classes (1979–1982) at five locations to compare survival and growth of hatchery-reared fish stocked as fall fingerlings (FF) and as spring yearlings (SY). Comparisons were based on fish at ages 2–8 recovered with bottom trawls, with gill nets, and from anglers' catches. Mean lengths and weights were greater for SY than for FF at all ages, and SY attained sexual maturity at an earlier age than FF. The survival of FF may have been affected by average size at stocking and by the severity of the weather during the first winter after stocking. Survival ratios of SY to FF lake trout from stocking to age 2 ranged from 1.32:1 to 6.80:1, and a ratio of 2.41:1 was considered to be typical. Stocking cost per 1,000 fish was US$21.76 for FF and $35.45 for SY. Under the most cost-effective hatchery regime for producing lake trout (the maximum number of SY plus some FF to fully utilize hatchery space and personnel year round), rearing c...
Inhibition of p38-MAPK signaling pathway attenuates breast cancer induced bone pain and disease progression in a murine model of cancer-induced bone pain

Background Mechanisms driving cancer-induced bone pain are poorly understood. A central factor implicated to be a key player in the process of tumorigenesis, osteoclastogenesis and nociception is p38 MAPK. We determined the role of p38 MAPK in a mouse model of breast cancer induced bone pain in which mixed osteolytic and osteoblastic remodeling occurs.
Network Simplicity for Latency Insensitive Cores

In this paper we examine a latency insensitive network composed of very fast and simple circuits that connects SoC cores that are also latency insensitive, desynchronized, or asynchronous. These types of cores provide native flow control that is compatible with this network, thus reducing adapter overhead and buffering needs by applying backpressure directly to the sending core. We show that under realistic traffic patterns our sample network meets performance requirements and uses less power compared to a similar design. This concept of a simplified network, along with latency insensitive cores lends itself well to meeting the needs of low-power interconnect components in future design processes.
Inequalities in attendance in organized early learning programmes in developing societies: findings from household surveys

While the importance of attending early learning programmes is increasingly evident, the provision of early learning programmes in developing countries has not grown in parallel. In this paper we examine how attendance in early learning programmes for children aged 3–6 years, the recommended period, differs within and across 52 developing countries. We use two household surveys, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). We employ logistic regression equations to predict the probability of attending early learning programmes. First, the participation rate varies extensively by age within the age range examined. Second, children with mothers with secondary education or higher and from the upper end of household wealth distribution have higher probabilities of attending early learning programmes. The findings highlight the need for disaggregated data and policies targeting children from disadvantaged family backgrounds in promoting early learning programmes.
Political and Socio-Economic Elites: The Encounter of Provincials with Portenos in Fin-de-Siecle Buenos Aires

In 1880, following a two-generation-long civil war, Argentina embarked upon a critical period of nation-building, which culminated in the centennial celebrations of 1910. In The Argentine Generation of 1880: Ideology and Cultural Texts, David Foster has commented upon the inconclusiveness of national cultural formation as Argentina turned from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, the uncertainty of how much from the provinces would be incorporated into the elite-constructed culture emanating from the port city of Buenos Aires. The recently published work of Roy Hora, The Landowners of the Argentine Pampas: A Social and Political History 1860-1945, and the work of Tulio Halperin, “The Buenos Aires Landed Class and the Shape of Argentine Politics (1820-1930),” which preceded it, further heighten the significance of provincial-porteno interaction at this point in Argentine history. Halperin and Hora find that during these years, and beyond, the socio-economic and the political elite of Argentina was not a unified whole, but rather two distinctive groups. In the leadership of the socio-economic elite was a landed class based on the estancias of the Argentine pampa and overwhelmingly porteno in character. Provincials dominated the political elite, as the provinces ‘captured’ the federal government in the years following their reunification with the province of Buenos Aires in 1861. Participation in the federal government brought the provincial political elite into contact with the porteno estancieros who dominated the socio-economic elite, as these were almost universally resident in the federal capital. But Roy Hora has described the relationship between the two groups as “problematic.”
Mitogenic responses of thymus cell subpopulations.

Fraktionen von Thymuslymphozyten der Maus, die im diskontinuierlichen BSA-Dichtegradienten aufgetrennt worden waren, wurden auf ihre Stimulierbarkeit durch die «thymusabhangigen» Mitogene Concanavalin A und Phythamagglutinin sowie durch das «thymusunabhangige» Lipopolysaccharid vonE. coli untersucht. Eine Lymphozytenfraktion niederer Dichte konnte mit allen Mitogenen stimuliert werden. Dieser Befund wird im Rahmen der Funktion einzelner Subpopulationen der Thymuslymphozyten diskutiert.
Nocturnal Hydration—An Effective Modality to Reduce Recurrent Abdominal Pain and Recurrent Pancreatitis in Patients with Adult-Onset Cystic Fibrosis

Recurrent abdominal pain and recurrent pancreatitis are common problems associated with some patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). There is no known effective method to prevent recurrent abdominal pain and recurrent pancreatitis in such patients. The objective of this study was to determine whether nocturnal hydration (NH) prevents recurrent abdominal pain and recurrent acute pancreatitis in patients with adult-onset CF. Adult CF patients who were referred to our Pancreatic Diseases Clinic for recurrent abdominal pain and pancreatitis were enrolled in the study. Each patient was encouraged to drink plenty of water during the night and established a 6-month diary (3 months before and 3 months after NH was initiated), recording the frequency and severity of their abdominal pain, the amount of pain medication taken, and the volume of their water intake. We also reviewed the number of doctor's clinic visits, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations for about 1 year before and 1 year after the initiation of the NH. The frequency and the severity of abdominal pain in this group of patients were significantly reduced. The amount of pain medication and the number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for abdominal pain and acute pancreatitis were reduced. NH is a simple and cost-effective method to prevent recurrent abdominal pain and pancreatitis in patients with adult-onset CF.
Is DNA synthesis required for the induction of differentiation in quiescent root cortical parenchyma

Abstract Cortical parenchyma of pea roots normally does not divide nor differentiate as tracheary elements. After excision from the root these cells can be induced to undergo cell division followed by differentiation of tracheary elements in the presence of cytokinin. 5-Fluorodeoxyuridine prevents cell replication and cytodifferentiation. The thymidine analog, 5-bromodeoxyuridine, specifically prevents cytodifferentiation with little or no effect on the rate of cell replication. Thymidine can also prevent cytodifferentiation with little effect on cell replication. Thymidine reverses the effect of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) or 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdU) when given simultaneous with or subsequent to either BrdU or FdU. BrdU given with FdU allows up to one round of cell replication but no cytodifferentiation. Differentiation is rarely observed unless the entire cell population has undergone the equivalent of two cell generations. These results are combined with those of other investigators to present an hypothesis that implicates DNA replication but not cytokinesis in the regulation of certain types of differentiation.
Spectrophotometric determination of catechol, epinephrine, dopa, dopamine and other aromatic vic-diols.

Abstract Aromatic vic-diols such as catechols, epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopa, and dopamine can be determined spectrophotometrically by nitration with sodium nitrite in slightly acidic solution. The method is selective for aromatic vic-diols in which either the 3- or 4-position is unsubstituted and these positions are not sterically blocked. Tungstate or molybdata ions increase the color intensity, probably by stabilizing the nitrated phenol by complex formation. Molybdate is more effective than tungstate. For most diphenols the optimum pH is around 5.0–5.5 (acetate buffer) but this depends on the diphenol as well as on the particular buffer system. The optimum time for nitration (2–30 min) also depends on the diphenol. After nitration for the optimum duration, the solution is made basic; an absorption band appears at about 500 nm with a molar absorptivity of ca. 104 1 mol-1 cm-1. The system follows Beer's law provided that molybdate ion is present and both the pH and reaction time are optimized. The minimum detectable amount of diphenol is about 5 nmol, for an absorbance of 0.01 in a 1.00-cm cell. Phenol, hydroquinone, resorcinol, pyrogallol, phloroglucinol, guaiacol, and veratrole, do not interfere.
Recent developments in DNA topoisomerase II structure and mechanism

Type II DNA topoisomerases are enzymes that are capable of transporting one duplex DNA through another. Recent experimental results, including the structure of a fragment of yeast topoisomerase II, have provided new insights into the mechanism of the strand passage reaction. Other results have begun to define the role of ATP in the catalytic cycle and illuminate how DNA breaks mediated by topoisomerase II can occur.
Characterization and relative response factor determination of process related impurity in Naproxen by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

In the impurity profile of naproxen around 0.6% unknown polar impurity was detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The product ion spectrum of the impurity and Naproxen was recorded in LCMS/MS and the fragmentation pattern of the impurity was observed to be similar to the fragmentation pattern of Naproxen with only a difference of two atomic mass units. The high resolution mass spectrum (HRMS) of the impurity displayed a protonated molecular ion at m/z 229.0863, which corresponds to the pseudomolecular formula C(14)H(13)O(3)(+). Based on LC/MS/MS, HRMS, 1D and 2D NMR data, the structure of the impurity was characterized as 2-(6-methoxynaphthalen-2-yl)acrylic acid. The acrylic acid impurity was synthesized in the laboratory and co injected in HPLC to confirm the retention time. RRF of the impurity was determined by (1)H NMR method and also by conventional HPLC slope method and the RRF values are found to be 6.11 and 5.64, respectively. The values are comparable and (1)H NMR method of RRF determination is complimentary and can be effectively used as an alternative method to conventional HPLC method especially in early stages of development when availability of impurity standards is not possible.
Feasibility of Laryngeal Mask Airway Use by Prehospital Personnel in Simulated Pediatric Respiratory Arrest

Introduction. Pediatric respiratory arrest is a technically challenging scenario infrequently faced by prehospital providers. Prehospital endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a complex procedure, andone study showed that it may result in worse neurological outcome in these patients. Alternatives to ETI include bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation andthe laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Although the LMA has been used successfully for pediatric resuscitation in the hospital setting, there is no data describing its use in the prehospital setting. Hypothesis. Prehospital providers can successfully place andventilate the pediatric LMA in a simulated pediatric respiratory arrest. Methods. Paramedic students received a 1-hour training session covering the use of the pediatric LMA. Subjects performed airway management of a simulator manikin using both the LMA andthe BVM. Rate of successful LMA placement, time to first ventilation, tidal volume by weight, andventilations per minute were recorded. A generalized estimating equa...
Numerical computations for ion probe characteristics in a collisionless plasma

Numerical results in ranges of experimental interest are presented in graphical form for the potential profile around negatively biased spherical and cylindrical probes in a collisionless plasma and for the saturation ion current-voltage characteristics. The computations were made on the basis of the theories of Allen, Boyd and Reynolds (1957) for zero ion temperature and of Bernstein and Rabinowitz (1959) for monoenergetic ions. These theories are useful primarily for small probes. For large probes the theory of Lam (1964) is applicable. For completeness we have also included whatever curves are necessary for the use of Lam's theory.
Diffraction image processing algorithms for in-situ monitoring of submicron polysilicon linewidths

A technique using diffraction grating test patterns has been used to monitor in situ the pre and post etch linewidths on a polysilicon etch chamber. The technique is capable of linewidth measurements to 0.25 microns with pitches as small as 0.7 microns. A comparison of in situ polysilicon linewidth measurements with off-line SEM measurements shows measurement differences of less than 10% indicating a measurement precision on that order. The repeatability of the diffraction technique is shown to be approximately 0.01 micron in comparison to the typical SEM repeatability of 0.025 micron. The implementation of this technique on a production etch chamber required the design of specialized optics and image processing systems. The optics system allows the monitoring of one and a half dimensions of the diffraction pattern. It consists of a CCD camera and some reflective optics for the focusing of the diffraction patterns. The image processing system uses a commercially available frame grabber and several image processing algorithms to record these patterns and extract the linewidth information. Algorithms unique to this application include an image indexing scheme used to store the diffraction images, a blob classification scheme based on a rigorous examination of the three dimensional vector field problem, and a non-linear iterative modeling algorithm used to fit the data to Fourier theory predictions. The resulting system is capable of linewidth measurements on each wafer with an overall reduction in product cycle time relative to the previously used SEM and pilot monitoring schemes.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cerebral Cortical Gray Expansion Associated with Two Second-Generation Antipsychotics

Background Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) differ from first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) with respect to induction of less extrapyramidal morbidity, partially reducing negative symptoms, and causing modest improvement in neurocognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia. SGAs demonstrate 5-HT2a antagonism. Differential effects of SGAs and FGAs on cortical gray volumes are explored herein. Methods Cerebral cortical gray was examined volumetrically in 19 patients with schizophrenia before and following 28 days of treatment with two SGAs (risperidone and ziprasidone; n = 13) or a FGA (haloperidol; n = 6). Seven (untreated) control subjects were also assessed at a similar interval. Results During treatment with the SGAs risperidone and ziprasidone, cerebral cortical gray of 13 patients with schizophrenia expanded 20.6 ± 11.4 cc ( p p = .983 and p = .932, respectively) at the time of reassessment. Conclusions Volumetric increase of cerebral cortical gray occurred early in the course of treatment with the SGAs ziprasidone and risperidone, but not with the FGA haloperidol. Such cortical gray expansion may be relevant to the reported enhanced neurocognition and quality of life associated with SGA treatment.
Functional Clusters, Hubs, and Communities in the Cortical Microconnectome

Although relationships between networks of different scales have been observed in macroscopic brain studies, relationships between structures of different scales in networks of neurons are unknown. To address this, we recorded from up to 500 neurons simultaneously from slice cultures of rodent somatosensory cortex. We then measured directed effective networks with transfer entropy, previously validated in simulated cortical networks. These effective networks enabled us to evaluate distinctive nonrandom structures of connectivity at 2 different scales. We have 4 main findings. First, at the scale of 3–6 neurons (clusters), we found that high numbers of connections occurred significantly more often than expected by chance. Second, the distribution of the number of connections per neuron (degree distribution) had a long tail, indicating that the network contained distinctively high-degree neurons, or hubs. Third, at the scale of tens to hundreds of neurons, we typically found 2–3 significantly large communities. Finally, we demonstrated that communities were relatively more robust than clusters against shuffling of connections. We conclude the microconnectome of the cortex has specific organization at different scales, as revealed by differences in robustness. We suggest that this information will help us to understand how the microconnectome is robust against damage.
A Method of Analyzing Log-Normally Distributed Survival Data with Incomplete Follow-Up

Abstract A method is presented for analyzing survival data with incomplete follow-up when there is reason to suppose that the data have a translated log-normal distribution. The life table method is used to make allowances for those patients lost to observation and for tabulating the resulting survival frequencies. Modified maximum likelihood equations and short-cut procedures are presented for calculating the parameters of the general three parameter log-normal distribution from grouped data as represented by the life table.
Adaptive sweat gland response after spinal cord injury.

Abstract Yaggie JA, Niemi TJ, Buono MJ. Adaptive sweat gland response after spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2002;83:802-5. Objective: To compare the eccrine gland cholinergic sensitivity of upper (UE) and lower (LE) extremities in untrained able-bodied individuals (UAB), untrained individuals with spinal cord injury (U/SCI), and trained wheelchair athletes (E/SCI). Design: Static group comparison. Setting: SCI population. Participants: A total of 25 men (mean age, 27.8±5.0y; mean height, 175.8±9.1cm; mean weight, 76.2±7.7kg) were categorized into 3 groups UAB (n=10), U/SCI (n=10), and E/SCI (n=5). Individuals with SCI had injuries ranging from C4-8. Interventions: Peripheral sweat production was induced by using pilocarpine iontophoresis at surface landmarks relative to the flexor carpi radialis and medial gastrocnemius muscles. Main Outcome Measures: Peripheral sweat rate (SR), sweat gland density (SGD), and sweat per gland (S/G) were calculated for both UE and LE. Results: Peripheral SR for the UAB in both UE (7.58±1.99g · m −2 · min −1 ) and LE (4.42±1.23g · m −2 · min −1 ) were significantly greater than those for U/SCI (1.08±1.01g · m −2 · min −1 ,.24±.35g · m −2 · min −1 , respectively) and E/SCI (3.61±2.1g · m −2 · min −1 ,.71±.81g · m −2 · min −1 , respectively). Furthermore, the UE versus LE SR ratio was calculated at 1.71:1 for UAB subjects, whereas U/SCI and E/SCI subjects showed a ratio of 4.50:1 and 5.07:1, respectively. UE SGD measures in U/SCI (83.20±39.84 glands/cm 2 ) persons were significantly less than either the UAB (120.20±21.42 glands/cm 2 ) or the E/SCI (120.80±21.56 glands/cm 2 ). Conclusions: These results may indicate that sweat glands below the lesion are less sensitive to cholinergic activation, regardless of central or exogenous stimulation. However, glands above the level of the lesion may exhibit increased productivity when individuals are exposed to physical training and physiologic stress. © 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Eyes-Free User Interfaces

With the emergence of smart phones, the time is fast approaching when devices small enough to fit in a pocket will be able to meet all our personal computing and communication needs. Despite their increased capabilities and functionality, however, the size and shape of today's computing devices - from laptops to handhelds - are still largely determined by the same factors. But as user interfaces become less obtrusive, this can begin to change. Next-generation Uls are extending beyond the traditional visual interface to leverage hearing and touch, thereby augmenting overall user interaction.
Embeddings of and into nerode semirings

Continuing the study of recursive ultrapowers launched by Hirschfeld in 1975 ([H]), we begin to investigate the more detailed embedding properties of these structures. Some related results in isol theory are noted.
Efficiency of immediately loaded mandibular full-arch implant restorations.

Background: The concept of immediately loading dental implants in fully edentulous patients offers patients many benefits, including the ability to eat post placement and improved comfort during healing. This approach may also minimize the number of patient visits when compared with the traditional approach of implant placement and healing over a 3- to 4-month healing period. Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the number of treatment visits for patients undergoing traditional implant placement and healing with that of patients receiving immediate implant loading prior to construction of the definitive prostheses. Materials and Methods: This case series evaluated two patient groups. Group 1 consisted of seven patients who were edentulous in the mandible. After implant placement, the implants were covered by oral mucosa during 3 to 4 months of healing. During this time patients wore relined mandibular dentures. Group 2 consisted of seven patients who had their implants immediately loaded with fixed prostheses on the day of implant placement. Results: The implants in both groups were integrated successfully; however, the number of patient visits between implant placement and construction of the definitive prostheses was 38 in the conventionally loaded group and 1 in the immediately loaded group. Conclusions: The group with immediate loading required significantly fewer postoperative visits compared with the conventionally loaded group.
Optimal routing and scheduling in wireless networks with nodes powered by renewable and traditional energy sources

We consider a multi-hop wireless ad-hoc network where nodes are powered by renewable energy and traditional battery. We obtain routing and scheduling policies that minimize the usage of non-renewable energy subject to data traffic stability in the network, while remaining oblivious to the statistics of the energy harvesting or the traffic generation processes.
Progressive changes in auditory response patterns to repeated tone during normal wakefulness and paralysis.

Abstract 1. In a series of 8 cats, electrodes were implanted in the cochlear nucleus, inferior colliculus, and medial geniculate body, pars principalis and pars magnocellularis. Subsequent studies of auditory habituation were carried out in the normal, waking cat and in the same animal during complete neuromuscular paralysis. During each session 200 presentations of a 1.5 sec duration tone were made at 5 sec intervals. Following a brief rest period, 10 additional tones were presented to test for dishabituation. 2. At each site characteristic tone response patterns of multiple unit fast activity were quantitated with frequency integration. Both onset and sustained response components were analyzed for changes during tone repetitions. 3. During acoustic habituation in the normal, walking cat, the cochlear nucleus generally showed a gradual disappearance of the sharp inhibition 70 msec after tone onset and a progressively more accelerated sustained response. Coincidentally, the inferior colliculus and medial geniculate body, pars principalis and magnocellularis, showed increasing inhibition of both onset and sustained response components. These changes were most prominent during the first 50 trials and are believed to reflect, primarily, habituation of acoustic reflex pathways with gradual disappearance of ear muscle contractions and resultant increases in tone intensity. 4. Acoustic habituation of the same cats during reversible neuromuscular paralysis induced a slight decrease or, less frequently, no progressive change in the cochlear nucleus response; concurrently, the inferior colliculus and medial geniculate body, pars principalis and magnocellularis, showed progressively intense inhibition of both onset and sustained response components. These response alterations, which developed at a rather steady rate for the first 100–150 trials, are believed to reflect central mechanisms of decreasing excitation or increasing inhibition. 5. Habituation sessions repeated on consecutive days resulted in progressive auditory response alterations which often became increasingly enhanced from one day to the next. 6. Background fast activity showed no progressive change at any site during the course of a single habituation session or from one session to the next. 7. Prior conclusions that acoustic habituation does not affect sites peripheral to the medial geniculate body may largely reflect the insensitivity of the stimulation and recording procedures utilized,e.g., clicks or tone bursts and evoked potentials. Although increasingly prominent from the peripheral to central nuclei, the progressive changes recorded in this study during acoustic habituation indicate that modulation of auditory input is possible at all subcortical levels of the classical auditory pathway.
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with linear cutter technique: comparison of four-row versus six-row cartridge in creation of anastomosis.

Abstract Background Morbid obesity is refractory to medical treatment. The introduction of laparoscopic linear staplers in the early 1990s contributed to the development of the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass technique. Many series have compared different brands of circular and linear staplers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 4-row versus 6-row endoscopic staplers in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for creation of the anastomosis. Methods Between July 2000 and April 2004, 1240 patients underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The 4-row linear stapler was used in the first 664 cases (group 1) and the 6-row stapler in the latter 576 patients (group 2) to create the anastomosis. The medical records of those patients who developed leaks, gastrogastric fistulas, strictures, or bleeding were reviewed. Strictures were diagnosed using radiologic or endoscopic techniques. Results Leaks were more frequent in group 2 than in group 1 (1.56% versus 1.05%, respectively, P = .46). Documented bleeding occurred in 15 and 13 patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively (2.26% for both). Strictures were diagnosed in 7.68% of patients in group 1 (51 gastrojejunostomy and 4 jejunojejunostomy), and in 4.3% of those in group 2 (25 gastrojejunostomy stenosis, P = .017). Gastrogastric fistulas were found in 5 patients (.75%) in group 1 and 6 (1.04%) in group 2. Conclusion Using a 6-row instead of a 4-row linear cutter technique to create the anastomosis yielded similar results, but the stricture rate at the gastrojejunal anastomosis was significantly lower with the newer, 6-row staplers.
Modelling of optical logic gates for computer simulation

The authors have developed a set of equivalent circuit models for optical logic gates based on the saturable gain and saturable absorption phenemona, and have implemented them on the iSMILE circuit simulator. These models have been created with a highly modular design to facilitate the construction of complex logic functions. Several design issues, such as logic threshold and switching speed, have been addressed. Models for the AND, OR, NAND, NOR and NOT gates, are presented, as well as detailed simulation results.
Optimus: a dynamic rewriting framework for data-parallel execution plans

In distributed data-parallel computing, a user program is compiled into an execution plan graph (EPG), typically a directed acyclic graph. This EPG is the core data structure used by modern distributed execution engines for task distribution, job management, and fault tolerance. Once submitted for execution, the EPG remains largely unchanged at runtime except for some limited modifications. This makes it difficult to employ dynamic optimization techniques that could substantially improve the distributed execution based on runtime information.This paper presents Optimus, a framework for dynamically rewriting an EPG at runtime. Optimus extends dynamic rewrite mechanisms present in systems such as Dryad and CIEL by integrating rewrite policy with a high-level data-parallel language, in this case DryadLINQ. This integration enables optimizations that require knowledge of the semantics of the computation, such as language customizations for domain-specific computations including matrix algebra. We describe the design and implementation of Optimus, outline its interfaces, and detail a number of rewriting techniques that address problems arising in distributed execution including data skew, dynamic data re-partitioning, handling unbounded iterative computations, and protecting important intermediate data for fault tolerance. We evaluate Optimus with real applications and data and show significant performance gains compared to manual optimization or customized systems. We demonstrate the versatility of dynamic EPG rewriting for data-parallel computing, and argue that it is an essential feature of any general-purpose distributed dataflow execution engine.