cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ENSO regulation of far‐ and mid‐infrared contributions to clear‐sky OLR

NASA Aqua-derived thermodynamic profiles, calculated spectral clear-sky outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), and vertical velocity fields from meteorological reanalyses are combined to determine the relative proportion of the far-infrared (FIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectral contributions to the total clear-sky OLR during different phases of El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In the ascending branch of the tropical circulation, the spatial variance of upper tropospheric water vapor is shown to be larger during La Nina than El Nino and is consistent with zonal symmetry changes in the tropical waveguide and associated tropical-extratropical mixing. In the descending branch, upper tropospheric water vapor shows weaker coupling to lower layers that is evidenced by changes in the ratio of FIR to MIR in the clear-sky OLR. Diagnostics from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory AM3 model simulation are generally similar to satellite data, but the ratio of FIR to MIR is 5–10% larger with respect to dynamic regime.
An Integrated Voice/Data Architecture for HF Tactical Communications

HF Tactical Communications is evolving from a voiced based communication system into a voice/data communication network. The need for digitized voice, data transmission, security, frequency management, frequency hopping and net control require an integrated system approach for both voice and data communication. A review of the basic radio architecture is required in order to incorporate changes needed to meet the above requirements and still provide flexibility for system expansion and evolution. A radio architecture is described that incorporates digital signal processing and a multi-processor architecture in a package suitable for the tactical environment. The design preserves flexibility, size and mobility. The architecture supports fully integrated voice/data communication capability to meet present and future HF Tactical Communication requirements.
Disease-Associated Chromatin Conformation and Therapeutic Implications In Leukemia

Disease- or treatment-associated chromatin conformation has yet to be illustrated. Here we first demonstrate that monocytic and erythroid leukemia cell lines have distinctly different chromatin conformation at the PU.1 locus: a looped, connected, RNA-polymerase-II-bound, active conformation in the former and a disconnected, inactive conformation in the latter. These conformations undergo opposite transformations, becoming more active in the erythroid leukemia line and less active in the monocytic leukemia line, in response to both DNA and histone hypomethylating drugs.To explore the underlying mechanisms we developed a novel method to analyze DNA modifications. We demonstrate that the erythroid leukemia line has a marked drug-responsive change in both hydroxymethyl-CpG and 5-meythyl-CpG at the promoter, whereas the monocytic leukemia line has a higher level bivalent histone/chromatin with co-localized H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 at the enhancer. Consequently, the erythroid leukemia line is more sensitive to DNA hypomethylation while the monocytic leukemia line is more sensitive to histone hypomethylation. Further studies on clinical leukemia samples confirm the findings, and demonstrate that the leukemic cells from the clinical samples have different chromatin conformations with much more bivalent chromatin and denser DNA/histone modifiers and are more sensitive to hypomethylating drugs, compared to normal controls. Different chromatin conformations dictate preferential drug responses and open new diagnostic and therapeutic avenues. Download : Download high-res image (68KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Mission Systems Open Architecture Science and Technology (MOAST) program

The Mission Systems Open Architecture Science and Technology (MOAST) program is an AFRL effort that is developing and demonstrating Open System Architecture (OSA) component prototypes, along with methods and tools, to strategically evolve current OSA standards and technical approaches, promote affordable capability evolution, reduce integration risk, and address emerging challenges [1]. Within the context of open architectures, the program is conducting advanced research and concept development in the following areas: (1) Evolution of standards; (2) Cyber-Resiliency; (3) Emerging Concepts and Technologies; (4) Risk Reduction Studies and Experimentation; and (5) Advanced Technology Demonstrations. Current research includes the development of methods, tools, and techniques to characterize the performance of OMS data interconnection methods for representative mission system applications. Of particular interest are the OMS Critical Abstraction Layer (CAL), the Avionics Service Bus (ASB), and the Bulk Data Transfer interconnects, as well as to develop and demonstrate cybersecurity countermeasures techniques to detect and mitigate cyberattacks against open architecture based mission systems and ensure continued mission operations. Focus is on cybersecurity techniques that augment traditional cybersecurity controls and those currently defined within the Open Mission System and UCI standards. AFRL is also developing code generation tools and simulation tools to support evaluation and experimentation of OSA-compliant implementations.
Replacing Traditional Enhancement Solutions with Alkaline Electrolyzed Water Does Not Improve Pork Shelf Life

Sixty-four whole pork loins (Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications 413) were procured from a national supplier and randomly assigned to 4 treatments across 2 replications to evaluate the use of alkaline electrolyzed reduced water as a replacement for traditional salt and phosphate based enhancement solutions. Treatments included: alkaline electrolyzed reduced water (EOH; pH≈11.5), EOH plus 2.5% potassium lactate (EOK), industry standard (IS; 0.35% Sodium Tri-polyphosphate, 0.14% sodium chloride, 2.5% potassium lactate), and no enhancement (CON). After enhancement to a target of 110% raw loin weight, chops were cut (2.54-cm), vacuum packaged, and placed in simulated retail display for 30 d to determine treatment effects on objective and subjective shelf life color and lipid oxidation. Despite the alkaline nature of the enhancement solution, EOH chops were lighter in color (L*; P < 0.05) and less red (P < 0.05) but had greater proportions of deoxymyoglobin (P < 0.01) than IS chops across all days of retail display. Subjective color panelists rated the average color of EOH chops as brighter purplish-pink (P < 0.05) with less muscle darkening (P < 0.05) than both IS and CON. Additionally, EOH enhanced chops exhibited greater (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation than all other treatments. Although the addition of potassium lactate to EOH (EOK) was intermediate to EOH and IS for most measures, the use of alkaline electrolyzed reduced water as a pork enhancement solution was not able to maintain similar color or lipid oxidation properties when compared to a traditional salt and phosphate based enhancement solution and is therefore not recommended.
Perceived Location Autonomy and Work Environment Choice: The Mediating Influence of Intrinsic Motivation:

Building on the main tenets of labor process theory, this study introduces perceived location autonomy (PLA)—the autonomy to generate, evaluate, and choose where to perform one’s work tasks—and tes...
Efficacy and tolerability of magnesium plus protein for managing hypomagnesemia in pediatric kidney transplant patients

We sought to investigate whether magnesium oxide bound to soy protein (MGP) increases serum magnesium concentrations with less diarrhea compared to commonly prescribed magnesium salts. Subjects were switched to MGP at a near-equivalent daily elemental magnesium dose. Mean serum magnesium levels were compared. If magnesium levels remained <1.7 mg/dL after switching to MGP, subjects were enrolled into Part 2 and received a one-time MGP dose adjustment. The MGP daily dose was increased by 266 mg. For both parts 1 and 2, subjects recorded the number and quality of their stools to assess gastrointestinal (GI) tolerability of MGP. Twelve pediatric kidney transplant recipients completed Part 1. Mean serum magnesium levels increased from 1.61 (SD 0.1) on standard MG to 1.69 (SD 0.1); t(11) = 2.6, P = .02 on MGP. Five subjects completed Part 2, and all achieved serum magnesium ≥1.7 mg/dL (mean 1.75 mg/dL, SD 0.06; t(4) = 2.7, P = .06). Subjects reported the same number of, but looser bowel movements with MGP; however, individuals did not perceive intolerable GI symptoms with MGP therapy and all chose to remain on MGP at the end of the study. At an equivalent mg/kg/d dose of elemental magnesium, serum magnesium levels on MGP were significantly higher.
Friends, Foes, and Nel Noddings on Liberal Education

Let us call the first sort “narratives of decline.” They decry the fallen state of liberal education, identify performance gaps, pinpoint causes, and commend pathways to renewal. Undoubtedly, there are woeful failures, degradations, and perversions of practice in liberal education — although I might say defensively that any complex, institutionalized practice will display regrettable, sometimes even shocking, performance gaps. These critiques, however, are usually jeremiads, bemoaning widespread and systemic degradations. The putative etiology varies, from the abandonment of worthy curricular content to the failure to address the right questions, from the dominance of utilitarian concerns to the triumph of the research ethos, but the pronouncement is the same: the ideal is sound, but everywhere we are failing it, and the practice of liberal education is in decline. Usually, I find it difficult to embrace these worried “friends” of liberal education, because I disagree with their diagnosis of the problem or its supposed scale, because I reject their salvational vision of liberal education, or because their gloom seems willfully to ignore the everyday educational successes that bloom under their noses on their local campuses.
Comparative effects of in ovo versus subcutaneous administration of the Marek's disease vaccine and pre-placement holding time on the intestinal villus to crypt ratios of Ross 708 broilers during early post-hatch development,,

Villus to crypt ratio (VCR) is used to quantify the microanatomical response of the intestine to various treatments. In early age chickens, comparative effects of the in ovo (i.o.) and s.c. methods of administration (moa) of the Marek's disease (MD) vaccine on 2 types of measurement of small intestinal VCR at 0 and 4 h post-hatch (poh) were investigated. The effects of moa and 4 and 18 h pre-placement holding times (pht) on the VCR measurements at 168 h (7 d) poh were also investigated. In the jejunum of the small intestine, a standard method for VCR determination, based on 10 villus and crypt length measurements, was utilized for the calculation of villus to crypt length ratio (VCLR). In that same region, a single histomorphometric determination of the crypt and total mucosa areas using image analysis software was also used. Subtraction of the crypt area from the total mucosa area provided the villus area, allowing for calculation of the villus to crypt area ratio (VCAR). Across 0, 4, and 18 h of poh bird age, the VCLR of birds that received an s.c. vaccination was higher in comparison to that of those that received an i.o. vaccination. The highest and lowest VCAR values were observed in the s.c. treatment at 0 h poh and in the i.o. treatment at 4 h poh, respectively. Furthermore, at 168 h poh, VCLR values in the 18 h pht and s.c. vaccination group were higher than those in the 4 h pht and s.c. vaccination or 18 h and i.o. vaccination groups. In conclusion, the effects of pht and MD vaccine moa on VCR were dependent on the use of either the VCLR or VCAR method of measurement. However, regardless of method, s.c. injection overall led to a higher VCR through 4 h poh in Ross 708 broilers, and the effects of moa on VCLR at 168 h were influenced by pht.
Examination of the Sensitivity Matrix During the Iterative Reconstruction Process for Microwave Tomography

We have reconstructed microwave tomographic images utilizing a Gauss-Newton scheme with a log transformation. While the recovered images are quite good, we have analyzed the behavior of the associated Jacobian, or sensitivity, matrix with respect to how it evolves during the reconstruction process. We found that in general the highest sensitivities are along the periphery of the imaging zone confirming the fact that most algorithms operate best for features nearest the outside. Interestingly, our log transformed algorithm appears to evolve during the reconstruction process to increase its internal sensitivity once the major exterior ones have been resolved. These results provide useful insight into a key driver of the reconstruction process and provide useful tools for assessing different system design criteria.
Optimization of high energy x ray production through laser plasma interaction

Abstract A standard technique for generating a burst of hard x rays (above 30 keV) is to use ultra high intensity lasers incident on a target. The strong laser field causes rapid electron oscillations which then generate hard x rays via bremsstrahlung. We have demonstrated a new technique for optimizing the conversion efficiency of laser light to hard x rays at moderate Iλ2 (mid 1013 W/cm2.µm2) assuming that the two plasmon decay plasma instability is the predominant acceleration mechanism. In this scheme, electrons are not directly accelerated by the laser field but by electron plasma waves. Experiments at the National Ignition Facility show the effect of a pre-pulse on the hard x ray spectrum and conversion efficiency. Different experimental configurations are investigated to optimize the conversion efficiency using various pre-pulse levels as well as different target designs (gold vs. silver, varying target thickness, presence of an ablator layer of CH). The conversion efficiency of laser energy into photon above 30 keV for a 100 ps short pulse scales as ∼ I1.23 for laser intensity ranging from 1 × 1016 to 1 × 1017 W/cm2 at 3ω for high Z target. A 1-ns-long pre-pulse pre-seeding an 88-ps Gaussian laser pulse coupled with a CH-coated thin Au target led the highest conversion efficiency above 30 keV of ∼ 3 × 10 − 4 .
Parental Disengagement in Childhood and Adolescent Male Gun Carrying.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between parental disengagement in childhood and adolescent gun carrying and determine whether this association is accounted for by externalizing problems and affiliation with delinquent peers during early adolescence. METHODS: The sample included 503 boys (55.7% African American, 40.6% white, 3.7% other) recruited from first-grade classrooms in Pittsburgh public schools. Multi-informant assessments were conducted regularly (semiannually then annually) from approximately ages 7.5 to 20 years. Latent factors were constructed by using parent-reported parental disengagement (ie, poor parental involvement, poor parent-son communication, poor parent-son relationship quality) collected from ages 7.5 to 10 years, youth-reported peer delinquency from ages 10.5 to 13 years, and teacher-reported externalizing problems from ages 10.5 to 13 years. The outcome was youth-reported gun carrying from ages 14 to 20 years. RESULTS: Twenty percent of individuals sampled reported carrying a gun during adolescence. Childhood parental disengagement was significantly associated with adolescent gun carrying (β = .22; 95% confidence interval: 0.08 to 0.36). Furthermore, the association between parental disengagement and gun carrying was partially mediated through peer delinquency and externalizing problems during early adolescence. The 2 indirect paths accounted for ∼29% of the total effect of parental disengagement. CONCLUSIONS: Boys exposed to poorer parental engagement during childhood are more likely to affiliate with delinquent peers and exhibit externalizing problems during early adolescence, which (in turn) increases their risk of carrying a firearm in later adolescence. This suggests that gun violence prevention efforts with children should work to enhance aspects of parental engagement.
Cutting of blood clots – Experiment and smooth particle Galerkin modelling

Abstract This study investigates the cutting and removal of blood clots inside blood vessels using a high-speed rotary miniature cutting tool, which is inside and near the tip of a catheter with vacuum suction to deform and draw the soft clot inside the catheter tip for cutting and chip removal. The cutting forces at rotational speeds of 60,000, 90,000, and 120,000 rpm were measured to be 0.74, 0.59, and 0.36 N, respectively. A smooth particle Galerkin model was established, and the predicted cutting forces matched the experiment measurements with errors from 3% to 20%.
Permanent Pacemaker Implantation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Cost Analysis.

Background Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can be complicated with a complete atrioventricular block requiring permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation. The cost of index hospitalization for such patients is higher than usual. However, the magnitude of this increased cost is uncertain. We have looked at our five-year TAVR experience to analyze the detailed cost for PPM implantation in TAVR. Methods This study is a retrospective analysis of patients undergoing TAVR at our tertiary care center from December 2012 to April 2018. The initial sample size was 449. We excluded patients with prior PPM or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (37). Patients who had their procedure aborted or required a cardiopulmonary bypass (16) and those with missing data variables (14) were excluded. The final sample size was 382. The cost for admission was calculated as the US dollars incurred by the hospital. Cohort costs were categorized as a direct cost, which is patient based, and an indirect cost, which represents overhead costs and is independent of patient volume. Patients were divided into two groups based on the placement of PPM after TAVR. Chi-square test, t-test, and logistic linear regression were used for the statistical analysis. Results Of 382 patients, 19 (4.9%) required PPM after TAVR. Baseline variables, including age, gender, and BMI, were not statistically significant. The PPM group had a significantly longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay (48.6 hours vs. 36.7 hours; p<0.001) and total stay in the hospital (4.2 days vs. 3.4 days; p=0.047). PPM implantation after TAVR increased cost on an average of $10,213 more than a typical TAVR admission (p=0.04). The direct cost was also significantly high for the PPM group ($7,087; p=0.02). On detailed analysis, almost all major cost categories showed a higher cost for pacemaker patients when compared with control. Conclusions PPM implantation adds a significant cost burden to TAVR admissions.
On the Rational Resolvability of Deep Disagreement Through Meta-argumentation: A Resource Audit

Robert Fogelin argued that the efficacy of our acts of reasons-giving depends on the normalcy of our discourse—to the extent that discourse is not normal disagreements occurring in it are deep; and to the extent that disagreements are deep, they are not susceptible to rational resolution. Against this, Maurice Finocchiaro argues that meta-argumentation can contribute to the rational resolution of disagreements having depth. Drawing upon a competency view of reasons-giving, this article conducts an inventory and audit of meta-argumentation’s resolution resources for disagreements having depth. It concludes that, because Finocchiaro mischaracterizes the relationship between meta-argumentation and normalcy in the underlying discourse, he systematically overstates the rational resolution value of meta-argumentation. To the extent that meta-argumentation can contribute to the rational resolution of disagreements, those disagreements are normal, not deep. According to the competency view, the only way to resolve depth in disagreement is to first re-establish its normalcy.
Decreasing Opioid Prescriptions in Women Undergoing Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction

Abstract Background Florida enacted legislation limiting opioid prescriptions and affecting the management of acute pain in the postoperative patient. Patients in a reconstructive surgery practice were receiving prescriptions for opioids as their primary method of pain management. Clinic providers identified a need to limit opioid prescriptions. Aim The aim of this quality improvement initiative was to decrease the number of opioids prescribed while effectively managing pain in women undergoing mastectomy and breast tissue expander placement. Design This is a quality improvement project. Methods The Model for Improvement was used as a framework for this project. An evidence-based pain management plan was developed after a review of the breast reconstruction surgery literature. The plan incorporated preoperative patient and family education and the standard use of preemptive analgesia, intraoperative nerve blocks, and postoperative multimodal analgesia in all patients undergoing mastectomy with breast tissue expander placement. Patient and family education and perioperative pain management were provided to patients, and the number of opioid tablets prescribed was tracked. Results Between January 2018 and August 2019, the average number of opioid tablets prescribed per patient decreased from 84.7 to 8.4. Conclusions Opioid prescriptions can be decreased in women undergoing breast reconstruction with the use of patient education and multimodal analgesia.
Relational and Interpersonal Predictors of Sexual Satisfaction

This review aims to compile recent research on the interpersonal and relational predictors of sexual satisfaction and to identify key trends in this area of research. The introduction of the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction (IEMSS) in 1995 caused researchers to begin conceptualizing sexual satisfaction in a relational context, rather than as an evaluation of individual sexual experiences. This shift gave rise to more dyadic research on sexual satisfaction, and in recent years, dyad-focused research has identified a number of factors that either facilitate or attenuate sexual satisfaction at the partner and relational levels. Factors such as communication, sexual compatibility, and relationship satisfaction have all been shown to facilitate greater sexual satisfaction. Conversely, factors like desire discrepancies and sexual dysfunction are common attenuators. Though recent research has yielded a greater understanding of the factors that are associated with sexual satisfaction, the current review identified an acute lack of experimental manipulations and individual differences research in this area, which may inhibit the development of effective treatments to maximize sexual satisfaction at the couple-level. Current research on sexual satisfaction has identified a number of important interpersonal factors that predict sexual satisfaction levels; however, there is still a great need for research that will clarify the directionality of these relationships and examine individual differences to inform treatment development and clinical practice.
Time-Frequency Analysis: What We Know and What We Don’t

We discuss the basic ideas and motivations of time-frequency analysis from the point of view of what is known, what is not, what is mathematically possible, and what is not. We address the issue of whether a fully consistent theory of time-varying spectra is possible and the arguments given against the possible formulation of a proper theory. Historically, discussions of joint densities in time and frequency have been intimately tied with the question of the existence of manifestly positive joint densities, the marginals, and the uncertainty principle. We discuss the relations between these ideas.
Technology, International Trade, and Pollution from US Manufacturing

Pollution emitted by US manufacturers declined markedly over the past several decades, even as real manufacturing output increased. I first show that most of the decline in US manufacturing pollution has resulted from changing production processes ("technology"), rather than changes in the mix of goods produced. I then show that increased net imports of polluting goods ("international trade") accounts for only a small portion of the pollution reductions from the changing mix of goods. Together, these two findings demonstrate that shifting polluting industries overseas explains only a minor part -- less than 10 percent -- of the cleanup of US manufacturing. (JEL F18, L23, L60, O30, Q52, Q53)
Lung Pattern Classification Via DCNN

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) causes pulmonary fibrosis. The correct classification of ILD plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment process. In this research work, we propose a lung nodules recognition method based on a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) and global features, which can be used for computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) of global features of lung nodules. Firstly, a DCNN is constructed based on the characteristics and complexity of lung computerized tomography (CT) images. Then we discussed the effects of different iterations on the recognition results and influence of different model structures on the global features of lung nodules. We also incorporated the improvement of convolution kernel size, feature dimension, and network depth. Thirdly, the effects of different pooling methods, activation functions and training algorithms we proposed has been analyzed to demonstrate the advantages of the new strategy. Finally, the experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed DCNN for CAD of global features of lung nodules, and the evaluation shown that our proposed method could achieve an outstanding results compare to state-of-arts.
Protecting the Brain During Pediatric DKA Treatment

* Abbreviations: ADC — : apparent diffusion coefficient CSF — : cerebrospinal fluid DKA — : diabetic ketoacidosis paco2 — : partial pressure carbon dioxide The most feared complication when treating diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is sudden onset of neurologic deterioration, which may include central herniation. Clinical brain swelling complicates 0.5% to 1% of pediatric DKA episodes, and when it occurs, permanent morbidity and mortality are common. However, children in DKA are known to have subclinical brain edema.1 Factors that lead to clinical edema and neurologic abnormalities are not clear. The key issue is to determine the best way to manage these patients, who are dehydrated, severely hyperglycemic, and may have hypo or hypernatremia and severe acidosis. In this issue of Pediatrics , Glaser et al2 provide clinically helpful and reassuring findings in a comparison of 4 intravenous infusion protocols, with varying sodium concentrations and differing rates of rehydration.2,3 There was no difference in rates of neurologic dysfunction or clinically apparent brain swelling in any of the groups.1,2 Even more reassuring, there … Address correspondence to Susan L. Bratton, MD, MPH, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, University of Utah School of Medicine, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108. E-mail: susan.bratton{at}hsc.utah.edu
Thermal transport across few-layer boron nitride encased by silica

Two dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) attracted attention for use in applications. Using equilibrium molecular dynamics, we examine the phonon transport in few-layer h-BN encased by silica (SiO2). We report large interfacial thermal resistances, of about 2.2 × 10−8 m2 K W−1, which are not sensitive to the number of h-BN layers or the SiO2 crystallinity. The h-BN/SiO2 superlattices exhibit ultra-low thermal conductivities across layers, as low as 0.3 W/m K. They are structurally stable up to 2000 K while retaining the low-thermal conductivity attributes. Our simulations indicate that incorporation of h-BN layers and nanoparticles in silica could establish thermal barriers and heat spreading paths, useful for high performance coatings and electronic device applications.
Ovarian smooth muscle in the human being, rabbit, and cat. Histochemical and electron microscopic study.

Abstract The nature and distribution of smooth muscle cells in the ovaries of the cat, rabbit, and human being were investigated by both histochemical and electron microscopic studies. In the human ovary, the typical smooth muscle cells are abundant in both the theca externa of the follicle and the cortical stroma. In the rabbit ovary, smooth muscle cells are concentrated in the cortical stroma rather than in the follicle wall. In the cat ovary, the smooth muscle cells cannot be considered typical. The characteristic features of these cells are discussed, and the possible role of ovarian smooth muscle in the ovulatory mechanism is suggested.
Hospital web sites

Abstract The Internet provides a wide range of technologies that enable hospitals to communicate with their patients, physicians and other important groups. We discuss the promise of many widely used web site features for hospitals. Using a structured audit of 111 hospital web sites, we evaluate the progress being made. We find that most hospitals have mastered the basic “electronic brochure” capabilities. However, less than half of the sites enable visitors to easily search for pertinent information. The progress towards using web sites for appointment scheduling or providing discussion forums about health care is likewise confined to a small group of hospitals.
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses in Employment Contracts and the Need for Meaningful Judicial Review

Introduction 519 I. The Federal Arbitration Act and the Supreme Court 522 A. Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co.. 523 B. Gilmer v. Interstate/Johnson Lane Corp. 525 II. Dangers of Arbitration and Risk of Forgoing Substantive Rights 528 III. Manifest Disregard of the Law 532 IV. Judicial Deference to Arbitration Decisions 536 A. Judicial Review and Arbitration Arising from Collective Bargaining Agreements 536 B. Collective v. Individual Rights 538 Conclusion 542
Lower phase estimation bounds for CDMA systems in AWGN and Rayleigh fading channels

The Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) and minimum mean-square error (MMSE) lower bound on the variance of phase estimation in CDMA receivers in AWGN and slow and fast Rayleigh fading conditions are presented. The bounds are useful as benchmark information for implementation of channel estimator algorithms needed for coherent combining in CDMA receivers. Analytical results indicate that increasing the signal-to-noise ratio or/and averaging period for phase estimation improves the performance. Hence, the phase error can be reduced to avoid significant degradation in bit error rate of the system. However, for fast fading there is a high error floor on the phase estimation (about 50 degrees of rms phase error) regardless of how high the signal-to-noise ratio is made. This presents a challenge of achieving acceptable bit error rate performance for users who are moving at very fast speeds.
Sending two Gaussians over the Gaussian MAC with bandwidth expansion

The problem of sending two Gaussian sources over the Gaussian multiple access channel (MAC) with bandwidth expansion is studied. In this problem, two distributed transmitters desire to describe the two Gaussian sources to a common receiver subject to desired communication quality requirements and bandwidth expansion constraint. Of our interests is the minimum power and the transmission schemes to achieve power efficiency. Achievable bounds on the minimum power are given in this work.
Principles of System Design

Describes how performance objectives are established for a digital transmission system Discusses the three main services provided by a digital communications system: voice, data, and video Explains how the hypothetical reference circuit is used to determine overall performance requirements Discusses the two main criteria for system performance: availability and quality Lists examples of applicable standards for system performance
Medium Size Project Model: Variations on a Theme

This paper describes some recent variations on a tested theme for teaching Software Engineering in an undergraduate Computer Science program. This theme is referred to here as the Medium-Size Project Model. It has been used as the basis for an introductory Software Engineering course which has been evolving for the last 7+ years at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The course features 3-way reality in that it uses real software development projects supplied by real customers, and the projects are conducted under realistic schedule and cost constraints in a simulated computer industry environment. Small teams of students acting as a software development company develop a software product for a customer in one semester. The scope of the software development effort is from proposal through software test and customer sell-off. Complete documentation is required, including everything from the proposal through to the customer sell-off document. A short project history is also required. The software product is expected to be developed at a "profit". Project status is monitored by frequent team presentations which cover cost and schedule as well as technical issues. Software engineering lectures are synchronized and interleaved with project reviews. Customer, student, and other feedback indicates that the course has been very successful. The 3-way reality feature is a basic reason for this success. The theme is readily portable to other educational environments, and it allows many interesting implementation variations. Current variations in the six areas of project generation, project selection, instructor roles, student team and role assignments, technical documentation, and grading bases are described.
Analytical models for the groundwater tidal prism and associated benthic water flux

The groundwater tidal prism is defined as the volume of water that inundates a porous medium, forced by one tidal oscillation in surface water. The pressure gradient that generates the prism acts on the subterranean estuary. Analytical models for the groundwater tidal prism and associated benthic flux are presented. The prism and flux are shown to be directly proportional to porosity, tidal amplitude, and the length of the groundwater wave; flux is inversely proportional to tidal period. The duration of discharge flux exceeds the duration of recharge flux over one tidal period; and discharge flux continues for some time following low tide. Models compare favorably with laboratory observations and are applied to a South Atlantic Bight study area, where tide generates an 11-m3 groundwater tidal prism per m of shoreline, and drives 81 m3 s −1 to the study area, which describes 23% of an observational estimate. In a marine water body, the discharge component of any oscillatory benthic water flux is submarine groundwater discharge. Benthic flux transports constituents between groundwater and surface water, and is a process by which pollutant loading and saltwater intrusion may occur in coastal areas.
A Review of “A Kingdom Strange: The Brief and Tragic History of the Lost Colony of Roanoke”

The attempt and failure by Sir Walter Ralegh (sic) to establish the first English colony in North America has fascinated both history buffs and scholars for centuries. The fate of the colonists lef...
End-Product Regulation of the Tryptophan-Nicotinic Acid Pathway in Neurospora crassa

The regulation of the tryptophan-nicotinic acid pathway in Neurospora crassa was examined with mutants (nic-2, nic-3) which require nicotinamide for growth. The accumulation of N-acetylkynurenin and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid by these mutants served to estimate the level of function of the early reactions in the pathway. In still cultures, maximal accumulation occurred with media containing growth-limiting amounts of nicotinamide; the accumulation of intermediates was almost negligible with nicotinamide in excess. Only nicotinamide and closely related compounds which also supported the growth of these mutants inhibited the accumulation of intermediates. The site of inhibition was assessed to be between tryptophan and kynurenin (or N-acetylkynurenin). The synthesis of N-acetylkynurenin was examined in washed germinated conidia suspended in buffer; the level of N-acetylkynurenin-synthesizing activity was inversely related to the concentration of nicotinamide in the germination medium. The addition of large amounts of nicotinamide to suspensions of germinated conidia did not affect their N-acetylkynurenin-synthesizing activity. Formamidase activity, kynurenin-acetylating activity, and gross tryptophan metabolism in germinated conidia was not influenced by the concentration of nicotinamide in the germination medium. The results obtained indicate that the site of inhibition by nicotinamide is the first step in the pathway, the tryptophan pyrrolase reaction. The data are interpreted as nicotinamide or a product thereof, such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, acting as a repressor of the formation of tryptophan pyrrolase in N. crassa.
Tri-based set operations and selective computation of prime implicates

A more efficient version of the prime implicate algorithm introduced in that reduces the use of subsumption is presented. The algorithm is shown to be easily tuned to produce restricted sets of prime implicates. Experiments that illustrate these improvements are described.
Insulin-like growth factor I is the key growth factor in serum that protects neuroblastoma cells from hyperosmotic-induced apoptosis.

Neuroblastoma is a childhood tumor of the peripheral nervous system that remains largely uncurable by conventional methods. Mannitol induces apoptosis in neuroblastoma cell types and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) protects these cells from hyperosmotic-induced apoptosis by affecting apoptosis-regulatory proteins. In the current study, we investigate factors that enable SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells to survive in the presence of an apoptotic stimulus. When SH-SY5Y cells are exposed to high mannitol concentrations, more than 60% of the cells are apoptotic within 48 h. Normal CS prevents hyperosmotic-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, with 0.6% CS protecting 50% of the cells, and 3% CS rescuing more than 70% of the cells from apoptosis. Serum also delays the commitment point for SH-SY5Y cells fro m9ht o 35 h. Asurvey of several growth factors, including epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), nerve growth factor (NGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and IGF-I reveals that IGF-I is a component of serum necessary for protection of neuroblastoma cells from death. Mitochondrial membrane depolarization occurs in greater than 40% of the cells after mannitol exposure and caspase-3 activation is increased in high mannitol conditions after 9 h. IGF-I blocks both the mitochondrial membrane depolarization and caspase-3 activation normally induced by hyperosmotic treatment in neuroblastoma cells. Our results suggest that (1) IGF-I is a key factor in serum necessary for protection from death and (2) IGF-I acts upstream from the mitochondria and the caspases to prevent apoptosis in human neuroblastoma. J. Cell. Physiol. 182:24 ‐32, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Characterization of hepatic cytochrome p4503A activity in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Background The cytochrome P450 (CYP) oxidative enzyme system, located primarily in the liver and small intestine, is responsible for metabolism and detoxification of numerous endogenous and exogenous substances. The most abundant CYP enzyme, CYP3A, is known to be involved in the metabolism of more than 200 commonly used medications. In experimental models of renal failure, both hepatic function and CYP enzyme content are reduced; however, direct evidence in humans is lacking. Evaluation of drug metabolism in patients with end-stage renal disease is important because these patients use a large number of medications and are at risk of adverse reactions and drug-drug interactions. Methods We measured hepatic CYP3A activity at baseline and after rifampin (INN, rifampicin) enzyme induction in 12 patients with end-stage renal disease and 12 healthy, age-matched controls. Hepatic CYP3A phenotype was characterized with the erythromycin breath test, and enzyme induction capacity was evaluated with a short course of rifampin (600 mg/d for 6 days). Results The end-stage renal disease group had 28% lower baseline erythromycin breath test values than controls (P < .05); however, enzyme induction capacity after rifampin administration was similar between groups (P = .70). Conclusion The findings suggested that one mechanism by which patients with end-stage renal disease are at increased risk of drug toxicity is reduced activity of the CYP3A enzyme pathway. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2003) 73, 427–434; doi: 10.1016/S0009-9236(03)00056-0
Radiology of Urolithiasis: Implications of Radiation Exposure and New Imaging Modalities

Computed tomography (CT) scanning is now the standard imaging technique for detecting and characterizing urolithiasis. However, the potential effects of the radiation exposure from CT examinations have raised concern among some physicians. This article describes the radiation doses for various urolithiasis-imaging techniques and describes techniques to optimize and reduce radiation exposures to patients undergoing these examinations. Potential future directions in radiologic techniques used for studying urolithiasis are also discussed.
Immunologically induced alterations of airway smooth muscle cell membrane

Active and passive sensitization, both in vivo and in vitro, caused significant hyperpolarization of airway smooth muscle cell preparations isolated from guinea pigs. An increase in the contribution of the electrogenic Na+ pump to the resting membrane potential was responsible for this change. Hyperpolarization, as induced by passive sensitization, was not prevented by agents that inhibit specific mediators of anaphylaxis but was abolished when serum from sensitized animals was heated. The heat-sensitive serum factor, presumably reaginic antibodies, appears to be responsible for the membrane hyperpolarization of airway smooth muscle cells after sensitization.
A partial analog of the integrability theorem for distributions on p-adic spaces and applications

Let X be a smooth real algebraic variety. Let ξ be a distribution on it. One can define the singular support of ξ to be the singular support of the DX-module generated by ξ (sometimes it is also called the characteristic variety). A powerful property of the singular support is that it is a coisotropic subvariety of T*X. This is the integrability theorem (see [KKS, Mal, Gab]). This theorem turned out to be useful in representation theory of real reductive groups (see, e.g., [AG4, AS, Say]).
Correspondences between Kohlberg's theory of moral development and subsequent research in business ethics

The current focus on business ethics has brought a resurgence of interest in ethics and ethical differences. In this study, we extend the business ethics literature that uses vignettes to present various kinds of ethical dilemmas to examine the relationships among several well-known and widely-used vignette measures, with focus on relationships between the business-oriented model arising from Forsyth's [Forsyth, D.R. (1980) 'A taxonomy of ethical ideologies', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 39, pp.175-184.] work to the more general theory and model of moral development offered by Kohlberg [Kohlberg, L. (1981) Essays in Moral Development. New York, NY: Harper and Row (pp.409-412)]. We identify correspondences, especially between the Forsyth notion of idealism and the Kohlberg discussion of higher levels of moral development, and report correlation between the reasoning behind subjects' behavioural intentions and their moral development.
Management of Unremitting Chylothorax by Percutaneous Embolization and Blockage of Retroperitoneal Lymphatic Vessels in 42 Patients

PURPOSE To demonstrate the applicability, technique, and efficacy of percutaneous transabdominal catheter embolization or needle disruption of retroperitoneal lymphatic vessels in the treatment of high-output or unremitting chylothorax. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-two patients (21 men, 21 women; mean age, 56 y; range, 19–80 y) who had chylothorax with various etiologies were referred from the thoracic surgery department for treatment as soon as chylothorax was documented. The thoracic duct was punctured and catheterized via a peritoneal cannula to facilitate embolization with use of microcoils, particles, or glue; if there were no lymph trunks that could be catheterized, attempts were made to disrupt lymph collaterals with use of needles. RESULTS The thoracic duct was catheterized in 29 patients and embolized in 26 patients. In patients with lymph trunks that could be catheterized, treatment resulted in cure within 7 days in 16 patients and partial response with cure within 3 weeks in six patients. In the patients with lymph trunks that could not be catheterized ( n = 16), disruption with use of needles resulted in cure in five patients and partial response in two patients. Cure and partial response rates after thoracic duct embolization and needle disruption were 73.8%, with no morbidity. Surgical thoracic duct ligation was performed in seven patients. The nonprocedural mortality rate was 19%. Follow-up was 3 months or longer. CONCLUSIONS Effective percutaneous treatment of high-output or medically uncontrollable chylothorax was performed promptly and safely in more than 70% of referred cases. This procedure should be attempted, especially if patients are very ill, before riskier surgical thoracic duct ligation is considered.
Treatment of vns-induced laryngospasm with botulinum toxin.

Vagus nerve stimulators (VNS) are approved for use in patients with refractory epilepsy. Potential adverse effects include hoarseness, coughing, and dyspnea. Obstructive sleep apnea may occur due to laryngospasm, but treatment of this problem is difficult.1,2 We present the first known case in which botulinum toxin effectively treated sleep apnea caused by a VNS device. This is a single observational study without controls (class IV evidence). ### Case report. A 16-year-old boy with intractable epilepsy, VNS placement, and cerebral palsy was referred for suspected sleep-disordered breathing. Symptoms included snoring, witnessed apneas, and daytime sleepiness. On the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), he scored a 16 (significant values >10; maximum 24). Seizures occurred in clusters 2 to 3 times per month. A polysomnogram (PSG) revealed an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 25, indicating moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. The respiratory events resulted in frequent arousals, oxygen desaturations, and significant sleep disruption (sleep efficiency 78%; expected values >90%). The PSG showed periodic chin EMG activity that coincided with airflow limitations. This pattern lasted 30 seconds and repeated approximately every 80 seconds, with normal intervening respiration (figure). Thus, VNS-induced laryngospasm appeared to cause sleep apnea in this patient. Figure Polysomnogram showing obstructive respiratory events due to vagus nerve stimulation–induced laryngospasms This 3-minute epoch shows the temporal relation between periodic increases in chin EMG activity and obstructive hypopneas (OH). Many of these events caused arousals (A:HYPN) and oxygen desaturations (red numbers; indicate …