cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suppression of Leakage on Printed Transmission Lines Using Finite-Width Dielectric Loading

The suppression and avoidance of undesirable leakage effects has been recently investigated for stripline and microstrip structures [1] as well as for some other conductor-backed printed transmission lines [2],[3]. It has been found that through the use of suitable dielectric loading, leakage in many printed structures can be suppressed over all frequencies, or over some frequency range. The general idea is either to decrease the velocity of the transmission line modes, increase the velocity of the background modes into which energy is leaked, or a combination of both effects. Other techniques to suppress and/or avoid leakage from conductor-backed transmission line configurations have been presented in [2], including the use of shorting pins and incorporation of a transversely inhomogeneous substrate layer.
The Relationships Between Depressive Symptoms, Functional Health Status, Physical Activity, and the Availability of Recreational Facilities: a Rural-Urban Comparison in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults

This study drew upon the ecological system theory to demonstrate rural-urban differences in the relationships between the availability of recreational facilities, physical activity (PA), functional health status, and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Nationally representative data (n = 5949) from the Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011–2013) were examined using the multigroup structural equation modeling approach. The results suggest that higher availability of recreational facilities in the urban communities was associated with higher levels of leisure time physical activity (LTPA), better functional capacity, and less occurrence of depressive symptoms among urban participants. In contrast, LTPA engagement among rural participants was low and had negligible mitigating effects on functional decline and depressive symptoms. The findings also show that functional health status mediated the association between total PA and depressive symptoms in both rural and urban participants. However, high levels of total PA were directly associated with elevated depressive symptoms, suggesting that the context of PA and related socioeconomic factors might explain this association after the non-LTPA components were included. The findings highlight how complex patterns of intrapersonal, behavioral, and environmental correlates influence depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. The context of PA should be considered when creating targeted strategies to prevent depressive symptoms. As an inactive lifestyle evolves with China’s rapid urbanization, joint efforts from public health and urban planning should be made to promote LTPA and develop active living communities for achieving optimal health in later life.
Temperature Fluctuations and Maternal Estrogens as Critical Factors for Understanding Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in Nature

Vertebrates with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) have justifiably received a lot of attention when it comes to the potential effects of climate change. Freshwater turtles have long been used to characterize the physiological and genetic mechanisms underlying TSD and provide a great system to investigate how changing climatic conditions will affect vertebrates with TSD. Unfortunately, most of what we know about the mechanisms underlying TSD comes from laboratory conditions that do not accurately mimic natural conditions (i.e., constant incubation temperatures and supraphysiological steroid manipulations). In this paper, we review recent advances in our understanding of how TSD operates in nature that arose from studies using more natural fluctuating incubation temperatures and natural variation in maternal estrogens within the yolk. By incorporating more natural conditions into laboratory studies, we are better able to use these studies to predict how changing climatic conditions will affect species with TSD.
Effect of Aspect Ratio (Length:Diameter) on a Single Polypyrrole Nanowire FET Device

The effect of different aspect ratios (length to diameter ratio, L:D) on single polypyrrole (Ppy) nanowire based field effect transistor (FET) sensors for real time pH monitoring was studied. Ppy nanowires with diameters of ∼60, ∼80, and ∼200 nm were synthesized by using electrochemical deposition inside anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) template and were assembled using AC dielectrophoretic alignment followed by maskless anchoring on a pair of gold electrodes separated with different gap lengths. Microfabricated gold electrode patterns with gap size between 1 and 4 μm were developed by means of MEMS technique (photolithography), and used in a field effect transistor geometry with a pair of microfabricated gold contact electrodes serving as a source and a drain, and a platinum (Pt) mesh (anchored in a microfluidic channel) as a gate electrode. When the effects of different aspect ratios of the nanowire were compared, higher sensitivity was recorded for a higher aspect ratio. The sensitivity was further improv...
Leaching resistance of alkali-activated slag and fly ash mortars exposed to organic acid

This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the leaching resistance of alkali-activated mortar (AAM) in an organic, acetic acid environment in comparison with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) m...
The iEAR Studios Startup Curriculum and Values in Electronic Arts Education

Abstract When the MFA in Integrated Electronic Arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (iEAR) enrolled its first class in 1991 it was, as far as I am aware, the first graduate program in the US to focus on the electronic arts as a unified interdisciplinary field. This article recounts the process used to design an academic curriculum to help students develop the skills and the breadth of artistic vision needed to pursue careers as artists using electronic media. The article also describes the climate and culture of the iEAR Studios in the 1990s, and argues that the values embodied in the studio culture played a large part in fostering the creative and experimental use of electronic media and in the development of artists whose work disregards traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Chymase uptake by cardiomyocytes results in myosin degradation in cardiac volume overload.

Abstract Background Volume overload (VO) of isolated mitral regurgitation (MR) or aortocaval fistula (ACF) is associated with extracellular matrix degradation and cardiomyocyte myofibrillar and desmin breakdown. Left ventricular (LV) chymase activity is increased in VO and recent studies demonstrate chymase presence within cardiomyocytes. Here we test the hypothesis that chymase within the cardiomyocyte coincides with myosin and desmin breakdown in VO. Methods and results Aortocaval fistula (ACF) was induced in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and was compared to age-matched sham-operated rats at 24 hours, 4 and 12 weeks. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) immunogold of LV tissue demonstrate chymase within cardiomyocytes at all ACF time points. IHC for myosin demonstrates myofibrillar disorganization starting at 24 hours. Proteolytic presence of chymase in cardiomyocytes is verified by in situ chymotryptic tissue activity that is inhibited by pretreatment with a chymase inhibitor. Real-time PCR of isolated cardiomyocytes at all ACF time points and in situ hybridization demonstrate endothelial cells and fibroblasts as a major source of chymase mRNA in addition to mast cells. Chymase added to adult rat cardiomyocytes in vitro is taken up by a dynamin-mediated process and myosin breakdown is attenuated by dynamin inhibitor, suggesting that chymase uptake is essential for myosin breakdown. In a previous study in the dog model of chronic MR, the intracellular changes were attributed to extracellular effects. However, we now demonstrate intracellular effects of chymase in both species. Conclusion In response to VO, fibroblast and endothelial cells produce chymase and subsequent cardiomyocyte chymase uptake is followed by myosin degradation. The results demonstrate a novel intracellular chymase-mediated mechanism of cardiomyocyte dysfunction and adverse remodeling in a pure VO.
New and Enduring Empirical Generalizations on Advertising Elasticity: A Meta-Analysis of 872 Estimates

This study conducts a meta-analysis of 872 short-term brand-level advertising elasticities estimated in 57 studies published between 1960 and 2008. Short-term advertising elasticity is the percent change in a brand’s current period sales for one percent change in the brand’s current period advertising. The study finds 16 new and 7 enduring empirical generalizations on advertising elasticity. The most important ones are the following: The average advertising elasticity is .12, which is significantly lower than the prior meta-analytic mean of .22 (Assmus, Farley and Lehmann 1984). The average advertising elasticity has been relatively stable over the last four decades (1964-2004). Only about half (53%) of the advertising elasticities are significantly greater than zero. Advertising elasticities are higher a) for durable goods than nondurable goods, b) in the early stage of the life cycle than in the mature stage, c) for yearly data than for daily or quarterly data, d) for TV advertising than print advertising, and e) when advertising is measured in relative than in absolute terms. The authors discuss the implications of these findings.
Ductal Stenting to Retrain the Involuted Left Ventricle in d-Transposition of the Great Arteries

Background Ductal stenting is performed to retrain involuted left ventricles (LVs) in patients with d -transposition of the great arteries and intact ventricular septum (TGA-IVS). However, its efficacy is largely unknown. This study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of ductal stenting in retraining of the involuted LV in patients with TGA-IVS. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective study. Echocardiographic assessment of the LV geometry, mass, and free wall thickness was performed before stenting and before the arterial switch operation. Patients then underwent the arterial switch operation, and the postoperative outcomes were reviewed. Results There were 11 consecutive patients (male, 81.8%; mean age at stenting, 43.11 ± 18.19 days) with TGA-IVS with involuted LV who underwent LV retraining by ductal stenting from July 2013 to December 2017. Retraining by ductus stenting failed in 4 patients (36.3%). Two patients required pulmonary artery banding, and another 2 had an LV mass index of less than 35 g/m2. Patients in the successful group had improved LV mass index from 45.14 ± 17.91 to 81.86 ± 33.11g/m2 (p = 0.023) compared with 34.50 ± 10.47 to 20.50 ± 9.88 g/m2 (p = 0.169) and improved LV geometry after ductal stenting. The failed group was associated with an increased need for extracorporeal support (14.5% vs 50%, p = 0.012). An atrial septal defect–to–interatrial septum length ratio of more than 0.38 was associated with failed LV retraining. Conclusions Ductal stenting is an effective method to retrain the involuted LV in TGA-IVS. A large atrial septal defect (atrial septal defect–to–interatrial septum length ratio >0.38) was associated with poor response to LV retraining.
ICD-10 Codes for the Study of Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions in Administrative Databases.

Abstract Chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs) are a set of painful chronic conditions characterized by high levels of co-occurrence. It has been hypothesized that COPCs co-occur in many cases because of common neurobiological vulnerabilities. In practice, most research on COPCs has focused upon a single index condition with little effort to assess comorbid painful conditions. This likely means that important phenotypic differences within a sample are obscured. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding system contains many diagnostic classifications that may be applied to individual COPCs, but there is currently no agreed upon set of codes for identifying and studying each of the COPCs. Here we seek to address this issue through three related projects 1) we first compile a set of ICD-10 codes from expert panels for ten common COPCs, 2) we then use natural language searches of medical records to validate the presence of COPCs in association with the proposed expert codes, 3) finally, we apply the resulting codes to a large administrative medical database to derive estimates of overlap between the ten conditions as a demonstration project. The codes presented can facilitate administrative database research on COPCs. Perspective This article presents a set of ICD-10 codes that researchers can use to explore the presence and overlap of COPCs in administrative databases. This may serve as a tool for estimating samples for research, exploring comorbidities, and treatments for individual COPCs, and identifying mechanisms associated with their overlap.
Parameter Identification of Acoustic Systems

There are many situations where it is desirable to estimate values of a finite set of complex parameters to describe devices and systems in acoustics. Methods for the identification of the essential parameters of dynamic systems have been pursued for numerous decades and many review articles and excellent dissertations are available on this subject [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Despite the ‘maturity’ of this field, it remains extremely challenging. Some of the algorithms that are available in widely-used software (such as the System Identification Toolbox in Matlab) fail to succeed in identifying the parameters of relatively simple systems [4]. Sekine et al. [11] successfully identified the two lowest modes in a positioning system for a laser but the third mode posed challenges and ‘improvements of the identification accuracy of the 3rd resonance ‘will be a future work.’
Organizations with Autism Initiatives

This chapter outlines various organizations that have focused on the employment of individuals with ASD through specific initiatives, programs, or ASD-focused business models. Companies are highlighted in four particular domains including organizations that primarily serve as training centers, businesses that have found success with their employment initiatives or approach, many joining with others to disseminate their practices widely, companies that have established initiatives within their organization to hire individuals with ASD, and businesses developed primarily for individuals with ASD based on their unique skill sets. Common themes found across these programs are highlighted.
Fiducial-free 2D/3D registration of the proximal femur for robot-assisted femoroplasty

Femroplasty is a proposed therapeutic method for preventing osteoporotic hip fractures in elderly. Patientspecific femoroplasty based on a preoperative plan, however, requires accurate 3D pose estimation of the proximal femur. Prior work on the development of a navigation system required the attachment of an optical fiducial to the osteoporotic femur. In this paper, we propose a fiducial-free 2D/3D registration pipeline, which uses the pelvis to initialize the femur registration. Intraoperative X-ray images are taken from multiple views to perform compound object registration. The proposed method was tested through a comprehensive simulation study. Performance was evaluated on the femoral head center frame registration error and the injection entry point error on the trochanter surface. The algorithm achieved a mean accuracy of 2.75 ± 2.19 mm for the entry point e2 distance and 0.81 ± 0.58° for the planning path direction, which is sufficiently accurate for robotic drill positioning.
Influence of temperature on accessible pyrolysis pathways of homopolymerized bisphenol A/F epoxies and copolymers

Abstract Understanding the thermal pyrolysis of epoxies and their copolymers is important for identifying structural changes resultant from thermal transients, enabling identification of failure modes of high-performance composite materials. This work expands our understanding of the thermal pyrolysis of cured epoxies and the role of temperature and composition on products, pathways, and relative rates. Numerous researchers have explored the pyrolysis of bisphenol A (BPA) epoxy. Significantly fewer have studied bisphenol F (BPF), and copolymers of BPA and BPF have been neglected. In this work, a pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometer (PY-GC-MS) was used to investigate the degradation mechanism of homopolymerized BPA, BPF epoxies and their copolymers. For polymer identification, pyrolysis >450 °C resulted in the most extensive fragmentation and is useful for material identification, though lower temperatures show different degradation product profiles that provide mechanistic insight into thermal degradation pathways. Temperature greatly influences the accessible pyrolysis pathways of BPA, revealing dual mechanisms of formation for products p-isopropylphenol and p-isopropenylphenol. For BPF at low pyrolysis temperature the p,p-bisphenol F isomer is produced at significantly lower relative abundance compared to the abundance at higher temperatures tested, but production of the other two isomers changes little with respect to temperature. This suggests the epoxy components consisting of the p,p-bisphenol F isomer have higher thermal stability. Overall, the copolymer epoxies were found to have similar degradation products in stoichiometric distributions. The major exception was the formation of the p,p-bisphenol F isomer, which shows evidence of thermal stabilizing effects from addition of BPA epoxy.
De Cloporte en Janus : sur quelques représentations du portier dans la caricature française du XIXe siècle

Les caricatures de concierges, portiers et domestiques auxiliaires des portes et du passage dans les lieux publics de l ’immeuble, ou prives de l'appartement, sont nombreuses au XIXe siecle, en dessin et en litterature. En effet le concierge ou portier est alors un phenomene moderne, et sa situation sociale, de meme que celle de son local, est situee dans l'entre-deux. Sa fonction de controle se heurte des lors a la fois aux pressions du proprietaire de l'immeuble et a la resistance de ses locataires. Le portier ou concierge occupe donc une place speciale dans la representation caricaturale du XIXe siecle. Entre servilite et volonte de surpuissance, il fait l ’objet de nombreux tiraillements. Alors qu'il est ecartele socialement entre locataire et proprietaire, ses representations caricaturales s'etirent entre animal et dieu.
Facial attractiveness, social status, and face recognition

Research on facial attractiveness and face recognition has produced contradictory results that we believe are rooted in methodological limitations. Three experiments evaluated the hypothesis that f...
Cost-effectiveness analysis of platinum-based chemotherapy treatment options for germline BRCA-mutated locally advanced/borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.

e16246Background: Patients with germline BRCA1/2 mutations (gBRCAm) have an increased risk for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The NCCN 2020 guidelines recommend platinum-based chemotherap...
Dietary Approaches for Bone Health: Lessons from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study

Osteoporosis is characterized by systemic impairment of bone mass, strength, and microarchitecture, resulting in increased risk for fragility fracture, disability, loss of independence, and even death. Adequate nutrition is important in achieving and maintaining optimal bone mass, as well as preventing this debilitating disease. It is widely accepted that adequate calcium and vitamin D intake are necessary for good bone health; however, nutritional benefits to bone go beyond these two nutrients. This review article will provide updated information on all nutrients and foods now understood to alter bone health. Specifically, this paper will focus on related research from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, an ancillary study of the Framingham Heart Study, with data on more than 5000 adult men and women.
POSSIBLE SUSTAINED EFFECTS OF HURRICANES OPAL AND ERIN ON THE MACROBENTHOS OF NEARSHORE HABITATS WITHIN THE GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE

Possible sustained effects of hurricanes Opal and Erin on the macrobenthos of nearshore habitats of the Florida district of Gulf Islands National Seashore were assessed. Pre-hurricane macrobenthic data originating mainly from a large-scale faunal inventory conducted during 1993 were compared with post- hurricane data collected one year after the 1995 disturbances. Nearshore habitats examined included both exposed and protected sand beaches, as well as grassbed and lagoon sites. Within one year after the hurricanes, few faunal effects could be discerned at exposed beach sites, whereas possible faunal effects were apparent in protected nearshore habitats. Abundances of 4 major epifaunal crustacean taxa were notably lower one year after the hurricane disturbances. Assemblages of relatively stable nearshore habitats appeared to be more diverse but less resilient than assemblages of unstable nearshore habitats, possibly reflecting the extent of disturbance normally experienced by assemblages within those habitats.
Node-avoiding Lévy flight: A numerical test of the epsilon expansion.

A study is conducted of an extension of Levy flight to include self-repulsion in the path of the walk. The extension is called node-avoiding Levy flight and its equivalence to the n approaches 0 limit of a statistical mechanical model for a magnetic system with long-range interactions between the spins is shown. By use of this equivalence it is possible to make a detailed comparison beween the results of the epsilon expansion for the magnetic model, a Monte Carlo simulation of the Levy flight model, and the results of a Flory-type argument. This is the first comparison of the epsilon expansion for epsilon much less than 1 with a numerical simulation for any model. Some speculations are made on applications of the model of node-avoiding Levy flight.
Physiologic studies on infants with Wilson-Mikity syndrome. Ventilation-perfusion abnormalities and cardiac catheterization angiography.

Abnormalities of ventilation and perfusion were found in infants with the Wilson-Mikity syndrome. Intrapulmonary shunting and maldistribution of ventilation and perfusion were noted. Three patients were subjected to cardiac catheterization and pulmonary hypertension was detected. The increased pulmonary vascular resistance was unresponsive to oxygen, suggesting permanent damage to the pulmonary capillary bed. Angiocardiography showed changes typical of pulmonary hypertension.
Impairment in Sentence Comprehension in Patients with the Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Degeneration (bvFTD) (P6.231)

OBJECTIVE: Assess sentence processing in patients with the behavioral variant of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (bvFTD) compared to patients with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) and healthy elderly controls. BACKGROUND: Sentence comprehension impairment has been observed in patients with bvFTD. They have executive and social deficits but are not aphasic. To elucidate the basis for the comprehension impairment, we analyzed the relationship between grammatical comprehension and performance on language, working memory, and executive measures. METHODS: Non-aphasic patients with bvFTD (n=23), aMCI (n=13) and controls (20) were evaluated with a two-alternative sentence-picture matching task, choosing between 2 pictures best described by a sentence that depends on grammatical interpretation. We also assessed language with Pyramids and Palm Trees (PPT) and Boston Naming Test (BNT); executive functioning with Trails B (TB), FAS Category Fluency (CF), and the Visual Verbal tests ; and working memory with Digit Span backwards (DB). RESULTS: BvFTD participants were significantly impaired in overall sentence comprehension compared to controls (p< .001), and marginally in comparison to aMCI subjects (p=.052). BvFTD patients’ sentence comprehension impairment correlated with a language measure of semantic memory (PPT; p< .002) a verbal executive measure of mental flexibility (FAS; p< .05) and a measure of working memory (DB; p< .05). CONCLUSIONS: BvFTD subjects are impaired in grammatical comprehension. Although not aphasic, contributing factors appear to include deficits in working memory and executive functioning. Semantic memory difficulty also appears to play a role. Study Supported By: NIH grants AG17586, AG15116, AG32953, NS44266, NS53488, AG043503, and the Wyncote Foundation Disclosure: Dr. Williams has nothing to disclose. Dr. Grossman has received personal compensation for activities with Allon Therapeutics.
Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

A 30-year-old woman presented with complaints of pain in her neck, right shoulder, right trapezius, right anterior chest wall, right arm, elbow and forearm; occipital headaches every other day; numbness and tingling in all fingers of the right hand, but worst in the fourth and fifth fingers; aggravation of her symptoms when elevating her arms, especially to comb or dry her hair or drive a car; weakness of her right hand and dropping coffee cups; and coldness and colour changes in her right hand. The symptoms had been present for 1 year and began following a rear-end car collision when she was waiting at a traffic light. She was wearing a seatbelt and recalled going forwards and backwards, but she did not recall what happened to her neck at the time of the accident. She had no immediate symptoms. The next day, she awoke with a sore neck and pain above her shoulder blades. A few days later, she began noticing headaches in the back of her head that radiated forward to behind her eyes; the neck soreness became progressively painful. Two or three weeks later, pain developed in the right shoulder area and down the right arm. Several weeks later, numbness and tingling developed in the fingers of the right hand, most noticeably in the ring and little fingers. Because of severe, persistent right shoulder pain, arthroscopic repair of the right shoulder had been performed 6 months ago, with partial improvement of the shoulder pain but no change in any of the other symptoms.
Where Do Parties Live? Electoral Institutions, Party Incentives, and the Dimensionality of Politics†

Objectives This study examines how electoral systems shape the underlying dimensionality of political discourse by incentivizing certain strategies among parties. Methods Cross-sectional linear regression is used to examine how electoral systems affect dimensionality. The study provides an original measure of dimensionality derived from an empirical estimation of a spatial model of voter preferences over political parties. Data are from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. Results The analysis indicates that electoral institutions strongly affect a nation's dimensionality, especially in socioethnically homogenous countries. Less proportional electoral systems engender a unidimensional political space. Results are robust across several model specifications. Conclusions Individuals and the media conceptualize government and ideology in dimensional terms. Moreover, much academic work assumes certain dimensional constructs. By testing theoretical predictions about electoral systems and political dimensionality, this study provides an empirical basis for such assumptions.
Tillväxt av insulinproducerande betaceller : Kanske en väg att behandla typ 1-diabetes

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1-diabetes) results from a selective destruction of the insulin producing beta cells and a limited capacity of the remaining cells to regenerate in a compe ...
Other People's Children: An Intimate Account of the Dilemmas Facing Middle‐Class Parents and the Women They Hire to Raise Their Children

Other People's Children: An Intimate Account of the Dilemmas Facing Middle-Class Parents and the Women They Hire to Raise Their Children. Julia Wrigley New York: Basic Books, 1995. 177 pp.
Elastodynamic response of contacting fluid and solid half-spaces to a three-dimensional point load

Abstract The dynamic response of contacting fluid and solid elastic half-spaces to a point load is addressed. The problem considered is the three-dimensional one in which the point load acts in the fluid or in the solid in an arbitrary direction. Integral expressions of displacements and stresses are obtained by using integral transform techniques, and techniques for numerical evaluation are discussed. Results are presented for time harmonic and impulsive loads acting in both the solid and the fluid. Surface and subsurface displacements are compared for fluid half-spaces of water and air. This comparison shows the effect of wavefield coupling at the interface.
Design, fabrication, and performance of a micromachined plasma spectrometer

Through the application of a new approach to energy analysis to microelectromechanical systems, the flat plasma spectrometer (FlaPS) provides a solution to the investigation of plasma distributions in space. It is capable of measuring the kinetic energy and angular distributions of ions in the space environment for energies ranging from a few eV to 50 keV. A single pixel of a FlaPS instrument has been designed, built, and tested to occupy a volume of 1 cm3, and is characterized by a high throughput-to-volume ratio, making it an ideal component for small-scale satellites. The focus of this work is on the design, fabrication, simulation, and testing of the instrument front end that consists of a collimator, parallel plate energy analyzer, and energy selector mask. Advanced microfabrication techniques enable fabrication of the miniature plasma spectrometer with geometric factor 4.9×10-5 cm2-sr per pixel and an entrance aperture area of 0.01 cm2. Arrays of narrow collimator channels with 4-deg angular divergence and high transmission allow energy analysis of ions without the need for focusing, the key feature that enables large mass reduction. It is also shown that the large plate factors achievable with this approach to energy analysis offer definite advantages in reducing the need for excessively high voltages.
Evolution of ventricular tachycardia ablation in structural heart disease

Abstract The field of catheter ablation of VT has evolved conceptually and technologically over the past three decades. From the fundamental understanding of the reentrant mechanism in scar-mediated VT to the advent and routine implementation of electroanatomic mapping, catheter ablation has emerged from a palliative last-resort therapy to a more preemptive strategy for patients at risk for arrhythmia recurrence. An increasing utilization of pre-procedural imaging, high-density mapping, epicardial access, and more extensive ablation strategies have all contributed to improved clinical success. Advances in ablation technology and randomized trials are needed to build upon the progress in this growing field as sudden cardiac death from ventricular tachyarrhythmia continues to be the one of leading causes of death throughout the world.
Variance-decomposition of pure-component spectra as a measure of selectivity

Care is required for multicomponent analysis if misleading results are to be avoided. The problem of ill-conditioned calibration matrices is of primary concern. This type of numerical instability is represented as spectral overlap of calibration spectra. Depending on the degree of spectral overlap, the sample concentration estimates can be severely affected. A practical statistical procedure is discussed which tests for the presence of spectral overlap among the pure-component spectra and simultaneously assesses the degree that concentration estimates may be degraded. Guidelines are developed to ascertain how much departure from spectral orthogonality is acceptable.
Optimizing calculations of electronic excitations and relative hyperpolarizabilities of electrooptic chromophores.

ConspectusOrganic glasses containing chromophores with large first hyperpolarizabilities (β) are promising for compact, high-bandwidth, and energy-efficient electro-optic devices. Systematic optimization of device performance requires development of materials with high acentric order and enhanced hyperpolarizability at operating wavelengths. One essential component of the design process is the accurate calculation of optical transition frequencies and hyperpolarizability. These properties can be computed with a wide range of electronic structure methods implemented within commercial and open-source software packages. A wide variety of methods, especially hybrid density-functional theory (DFT) variants have been used for this purpose. However, in order to provide predictions useful to chromophore designers, a method must be able to consistently predict the relative ordering of standard and novel materials. Moreover, it is important to distinguish between the resonant and nonresonant contribution to the hyp...
Core Group Theory and the emancipation agenda

Kleiner advances Core Group Theory (CGT) as a framework for pursuing an emancipative agenda in the context of a society heavily influenced by modern organizations. Analysis of Kleiner's ideas through the lens of critical management studies (CMS) reveals that, despite its merits, CGT may overlook a number of social processes that may be central to an effective, emancipative theory. This analysis also demonstrates how some elements of CGT may be useful additions to CMS.
Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer Recurrence and Survival among Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

Purpose: To describe alcohol consumption and examine its association with breast cancer recurrence and mortality in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) study, a prospective cohort study of early-stage breast cancer survivors.Methods: Patients included 1897 participants diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer between 1997 and 2000 and recruited primarily from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Cancer Registry. Alcohol consumption (beer, wine, and liquor) was assessed at cohort entry using a food frequency questionnaire. A total of 349 breast cancer recurrences and 332 overall deaths were ascertained after an average follow-up of 5.93 years. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals.Results: A total of 958 women (51%) were considered drinkers (>0.5 g of alcohol per day), and the majority drank wine (90%), followed by liquor (43%), and beer (36%). Drinking ≥6 g/day of alcohol compared to minimal or no drinking (≤0.5 g/day) was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence (HR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.82) and death (HR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.28). The increased risk of recurrence appeared to be greater among postmenopausal (P for trend = .03) and overweight or obese women (P for trend = .03). No associations were observed for risk of overall mortality and alcohol use.Conclusions: Consuming 3 to 4 alcoholic drinks or more per week might be related to an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence, particularly among postmenopausal and heavier women, regardless of other prognostic factors. While additional prospective studies are needed, these observations suggest that after a breast cancer diagnosis, women should consider limiting their consumption of alcohol. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 17.
Nanocomposite therapy as a more efficacious and less inflammatory alternative to bone morphogenetic protein-2 in a rodent arthrodesis model.

The use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in spine fusion has led to concerns regarding a potential accompanying inflammatory response. This study evaluates a combination therapy (TrioMatrix®; Pioneer Surgical, Inc., Marquette, MI) comprised of a demineralized bone matrix (DBM), hydroxyapatite, and a nanofiber-based collagen scaffold in a rodent spine fusion model. Thirty-six athymic rats that underwent a posterolateral intertransverse spinal fusion were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatment groups: absorbable collagen sponge alone (ACS, negative control), 10 µg rhBMP-2 on ACS (positive control), TrioMatrix®, Grafton® (Osteotech, Inc., Eatontown, NJ), and DBX® (Synthes, Inc., West Chester, PA). Both TrioMatrix® and rhBMP-2-treated animals demonstrated 100% fusion rates as graded by manual palpation scores 8 weeks after implantation. This rate was significantly greater than those of the ACS, Grafton®, and DBX® groups. Notably, the use of TrioMatrix® as evaluated by microCT quantification led to a greater fusion mass volume when compared to all other groups, including the rhBMP-2 group. T2-weighted axial MRI images of the fusion bed demonstrated a significant host response associated with a large fluid collection with the use of rhBMP-2; this response was significantly reduced with the use of TrioMatrix®. Our results therefore demonstrate that a nanocomposite therapy represents a promising, cost-effective bone graft substitute that could be useful in spine fusions where BMP-2 is contraindicated.
Structural Basis of Gating by RCK Domains

TrkH and its homologs TrkG and KtrB belong to a superfamily of K+ transport proteins that are required for growth of bacteria in low external K+ concentrations. The crystal structure of TrkH from Vibrio parahaemolyticus showed that TrkH forms a homodimer, and each protomer resembles a K+ channel with a unique gating mechanism. TrkH assembles with TrkA, a soluble protein comprising two Regulate-Conductance-of-K+, or RCK domains, which control the gating of certain K+ channels. In K+ channels, eight RCK domains form a four-fold symmetric gating ring that matches the four-fold symmetry of the channel. A dilation of the diameter of the gating ring directly translates into expansion of the pore-lining helices of the channel and hence opening of the permeation pathway. However, the gating ring expansion mechanism in K+ channels appears incompatible with the dimeric architecture and the different gating mechanism in TrkH. In addition, although TrkH resembles a K+ channel, its channel activity has never been demonstrated. We have recorded single-channel activity from TrkH in spheroplasts consistent with two partly coupled pores. We also found that channel activity is upregulated by ATP via TrkA. To understand how channel gating is regulated, we solved two structures of the TrkA tetrameric ring, one in complex with TrkH and one in isolation, in which the ring assumes two dramatically different conformations. The structures suggest a mechanism for how ATP increases the open probability of the TrkH ion channel by inducing conformational changes in TrkA.
The Effect of Exercise on the Excretion of Water by Patients with Congestive Failure

Some patients with congestive cardiac failure maintain hyponatremia by the excretion of only small amounts of hypertonic urine. In the present study it is shown that following exercise the experimentally overhydrated patient with congestive cardiac failure excretes a very small amount of urine which may be hypertonic. This is in accord with the hypothesis that events which increase the severity of failure increase the tendency to the development of hyponatremia.
Characteristic x-ray production by argon projectiles moving in graphite targets between 30 and 200 keV

Thick-target yields and x-ray spectra have been measured for argon ions impinging on graphite targets at energies between 30 and 200 keV. The thick-target yields of carbon $K$-shell and argon $L$-shell x rays are analyzed on the basis of a simple model involving multiple collisions and molecular-orbital promotions. The analysis results in average argon $L$-shell fluorescence yields and total decay rates for argon ions traversing the solid. These values are found to be substantially lower than those appropriate to argon ions traversing a gas target. An explanation for the differences is proposed, and found to be corroborated by analysis of the observed x-ray spectra. An approximate determination of the argon $M$-shell vacancy distribution is obtained and compared with beam-foil charge equilibrium measurements.
A second‐order accurate method for solving the eikonal equation

We present a numerical method for computing the signed distance to a piecewise-smooth surface defined as the zero set of a function. It is based on a marching method by Kim and a hybrid discretization of first- and second-order discretizations of the eikonal equation. If the solution is smooth at a point and at all of the points in the domain of dependence of that point, the solution is second-order accurate; otherwise, the method is first-order accurate, and computes the computes the correct entropy solution in the presence of kinks in the initial surface. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
High-yield entrapment of proteins into erythrocytes.

Abstract Resealed erythrocytes are of potential value as in vivo carriers of exogenous proteins, particularly in the treatment of lysosomal storage diseases. A high yield procedure for entrapment of proteins in erythrocytes is presented here. The technique relies on lysis and resealing of erythrocytes in dialysis sacs to maximize the ratio of intracellular to extracellular volume; incorporations of 40% of exogenous proteins into the cells are achieved.
Differential projections of ordinary lateral line receptors and electroreceptors in the gymnotid fish, Apteronotus (Sternarchus) albifrons

The gymnotid acousticolateral area contains both anterior and posterior lobes. The posterior lobe is closely associated with the lobus caudalis of the cerebellum. Ordinary lateral line receptors are represented in the anterior lobe, while electroreceptors are represented in the posterior lobe. As is the case in mormyrids, there is an extensive projection of parallel fibers from the lobus caudalis of gymnotids to the dorsal portion of the posterior lobe molecular layer. There is very little information on input to the lobus caudalis; one possible input is from the anterior lobe.
Magnetic-Flux Pumping in High-Performance, Stationary Plasmas with Tearing Modes

Analysis of the change in the magnetic field pitch angles during edge localized mode events in high performance, stationary plasmas on the DIII-D tokamak shows rapid (<1 ms) broadening of the current density profile, but only when a m/n=3/2 tearing mode is present. This observation of poloidal magnetic-flux pumping explains an important feature of this scenario, which is the anomalous broadening of the current density profile that beneficially maintains the safety factor above unity and forestalls the sawtooth instability.
Generation of a Synthetic Memory Trace

We investigated the effect of activating a competing, artificially generated, neural representation on encoding of contextual fear memory in mice. We used a c-fos-based transgenic approach to introduce the hM(3)D(q) DREADD receptor (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug) into neurons naturally activated by sensory experience. Neural activity could then be specifically and inducibly increased in the hM(3)D(q)-expressing neurons by an exogenous ligand. When an ensemble of neurons for one context (ctxA) was artificially activated during conditioning in a distinct second context (ctxB), mice formed a hybrid memory representation. Reactivation of the artificially stimulated network within the conditioning context was required for retrieval of the memory, and the memory was specific for the spatial pattern of neurons artificially activated during learning. Similar stimulation impaired recall when not part of the initial conditioning.
Theory of Surface Magnetoplasmons in Semiconductors

A theory of surface magnetoplasmons in semiconductors is developed with the inclusion of retardation for the geometry in which the magnetic field is parallel to the surface and the direction of propagation is perpendicular to the magnetic field. If the background dielectric constant ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}$ lies in a suitable range for a given value of the magnetic field, gaps appear in the dispersion relation for the surface magnetoplasmons. The possible experimental observation of these gaps is discussed.
Pharmacists' Attitudes toward Technician Certification: A Qualitative Study:

Background:Pharmacy technicians have become increasingly important in the delivery of pharmacy care. As pharmacy technicians continue to advance their roles, it is important to understand facets of their training and education that could enhance their contributions to effective pharmacy operations.Objective:To explore pharmacists' attitudes toward technician certification. Specifically, to describe (1) pharmacists' experiences in working with technicians who are certified and those who are not certified, (2) pharmacists' perceptions of the association between certification and technicians' competence and professional demeanor, and (3) strengths and opportunities for improvement in technician certification.Methods:An exploratory, qualitative approach using focus groups was employed. Sixteen pharmacists were enrolled across 2 focus groups, with each session lasting approximately 90 minutes. Digitally recorded and transcribed transcripts were content analyzed in an iterative process. A phenomenologic perspec...
Graphene quantum point contact transistor for DNA sensing

By using the nonequilibrium Green’s function technique, we show that the shape of the edge, the carrier concentration, and the position and size of a nanopore in graphene nanoribbons can strongly affect its electronic conductance as well as its sensitivity to external charges. This technique, combined with a self-consistent Poisson–Boltzmann formalism to account for ion charge screening in solution, is able to detect the rotational and positional conformation of a DNA strand inside the nanopore. In particular, we show that a graphene membrane with quantum point contact geometry exhibits greater electrical sensitivity than a uniform armchair geometry provided that the carrier concentration is tuned to enhance charge detection. We propose a membrane design that contains an electrical gate in a configuration similar to a field-effect transistor for a graphene-based DNA sensing device.
The Arts and What If

Fall semester marks the beginning of a new academic year, and across the college campus units are busy with job descriptions and candidate interviews for faculty and upper-level administrative positions. Excitement is always in the air when we think about the prospects of new colleagues and what they may bring to the university community. The recent conversations that I have most enjoyed were those with the applicants for the position of Director of the Lamar Dodd School of Art, the University of Georgia (UGA). The School houses 15 undergraduate and 10 graduate programs and serves approximately 900 students studying ceramics, sculpture, fabric design, jewelry and metal work, printmaking and bookmaking, and scientific illustration, to name only a few. The center of activity is a light-filled and spacious 150,000 sq. ft. building featuring three galleries and carefully designed studio space. Approximately 80 full-time faculty members create art and instruct the talented art students. The School’s website shows the full array of interesting curricular offerings, exhibitions, and research by permanent and visiting scholars, as well as students (http://art.uga.edu/). Also prominently displayed under the link “studies abroad” is UGA’s year-round program in studio art in Cortona, Italy, which has been in existence for over 40 years and is likely the best known of our study abroad programs (http://art.uga.edu/programs/studies-abroad/cortona). Our students benefit from the many students from other universities who choose to study for a semester in this program throughout the year. All of this is to say that the conversations with the applicants for the director’s position of the School of Art were lively and covered a wide range of topics. For example,
The influence of brand and corporate-identity programmes on consumer behaviour: A conceptual framework

Virtually all major organisations and most minor ones have at least a semblance of a corporate identity or branding programme. Yet no serious attempt has been made to develop a broad-based theory about how such programmes influence consumers and other audiences.