cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practical management of fracture risk among peri- and postmenopausal women.

Fractures and their consequences are the clinically important manifestation of osteoporosis; preventing fractures is the primary goal of management. Effective management is achievable given present knowledge and tools but is seldom prescribed. This review will cover the individual and social burden of fracture, essential information about fracture risk and its estimation, an approach to patient care emphasizing specific information to elicit and therapeutic strategies to pursue, and existing gaps in knowledge and important questions for future research.
The Cumulative Effect of Substance Abuse Disorders and Depression on Postoperative Complications After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Substance abuse disorder (SUD), alcohol abuse disorder (AUD), and depression have been identified as independent risk factors for complications after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, these mental health disorders are highly co-associated, and their cumulative effect on postoperative complications have not been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to determine if patients who have more than one mental health disorder (SUD, AUD, or depression) were at an increased risk for postoperative complications following TKA. Methods A total of 11,403 TKA patients were identified from a prospectively collected institutional database between January 1, 2017 and April 1, 2019. Patients who had depression, SUD, and AUD were separated into 7 mental health subgroups including each of these diagnoses alone and their combined permeations. Patient demographics, body mass indices, medical comorbidities, and 15 postoperative complications were collected. Univariate analyses were performed using independent Student’s t-tests. Multivariate analyses were then performed to identify odds ratios (ORs) for mental health disorders subgroups associated with complications. Results We found a total of 2073 (18%) patients diagnosed with either SUD (4%), AUD (0.6%), or depression (12%). Univariate analyses showed that depression was associated with mechanical failures (P Conclusions Patients who had depression, SUD, or AUD were at increased risk for postoperative complications following primary TKA. When patients have more than one mental health diagnosis, their risk for complications was amplified. The results of this study can help identify those patients who are at greater risk of postoperative complications to enable improved preoperative optimization and patient education.
Light Trapping Shape Optimization of Organic Solar Cells for Maximum Conversion Efficiency

This paper explores the light-trapping shape optimization to maximize the organic photovoltaic cells (OPV) conversion efficiency (PCE). The optimization aims to find the best light-trapping profile of the hole transfer layer that can absorb more light and minimize reflection. The optimization is done using Genetic Algorithm and by considering the PCE as the primary objective function. The results show that the PCE of P3HT:PCBM increases from 3.96% to 4.45% by using the optimized shape. Also, the same optimized shape can be used with other OPV materials like PTB7:PC71BM at which the PCE increases from 8.2% to 8.9%.
Do white supremacist women adopt movement archetypes of mother, whore, and fighter?

The rhetoric of the far-right typically depicts women in tripartite archetypes: as beloved mothers or sex symbols for far-rightist men or, less commonly, as fighters for the cause. But the propagan...
Prevalence and Heterogeneity of Cerebrovascular Disease Imaging Lesions

Abstract Objective To report population age-specific prevalence of core cerebrovascular disease lesions (infarctions, cerebral microbleeds, and white-matter hyperintensities detected with magnetic resonance imaging); estimate cut points for white-matter hyperintensity positivity; investigate sex differences in prevalence; and estimate prevalence of any core cerebrovascular disease features. Patients and Methods Participants in the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging aged 50 to 89 years underwent fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and T2* gradient-recalled echo magnetic resonance imaging to assess cerebrovascular disease between October 10, 2011, and September 29, 2017. We characterized each participant as having infarct, normal versus abnormal white-matter hyperintensity, cerebral microbleed, or a combination of lesions. Prevalence of cerebrovascular disease biomarkers was derived through adjustment for nonparticipation and standardization to the population of Olmsted County, Minnesota. Results Among 1462 participants without dementia (median [range] age, 68 [50 to 89] y; men, 52.7%), core cerebrovascular disease features increased with age. Prevalence (95% CI) of cerebral microbleeds was 13.6% (11.6%-15.6%); infarcts, 11.7% (9.7%-13.8%); and abnormal white-matter hyperintensity, 10.7% (8.7%-12.6%). Infarcts and cerebral microbleeds were more common among men. In contrast, abnormal white-matter hyperintensity was more common among women ages 60 to 79 y and men, ages 80 y and older. Prevalence of any core cerebrovascular disease feature determined by presence of at least one cerebrovascular disease feature increased from 9.5% (ages 50 to 59 y) to 73.8% (ages 80 to 89 y). Conclusion Whereas this study focused on participants without dementia, the high prevalence of cerebrovascular disease imaging lesions in elderly persons makes assignment of clinical relevance to cognition and other downstream manifestations more probabilistic than deterministic.
Washback of TOEFL Preparation Courses on Students’ Attitudes and Score Improvement

Despite the prevalence of the TOEFL test preparation courses, research on the impact of TOEFL test preparation courses on language learning and teaching is quite limited (Green, 2013; Huang, 2018). The current study investigated the washback effects of TOEFL preparation courses on students’ attitudes and TOEFL scores improvement. The study implemented a partially mixed equal status design (Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2017). Forty-one students and four teachers in a tertiary-level Intensive English Program (IEP) participated in the study. Quantitative data consisted of students’ responses to Likert-scale items and students' TOEFL scores. They were analyzed by independent sample t-tests, one-way repeated measure ANOVA, and post hoc tests. Qualitative data, which included open-ended survey items, student interviews, and teacher interviews, were analyzed using the inductive approach (Miles & Huberman, 1994) and Saldana’s (2015) coding techniques. Survey results demonstrated that students had generally positive attitudes toward the class. Additionally, a statistically significant score improvement was found for some students. However, student and teacher interviews also revealed several issues that prevented student learning. For example, students studied TOEFL only to improve test scores; teachers rushed to cover all textbook materials and gave little homework; and there were limited classroom speaking activities. Implications regarding the teaching and administering of TOEFL classes at IEP were discussed.
A Machine Learning Based Mobile Data Recommendation system

Quality of Service (QoS) is one of the most important success criteria for Internet Service Providers (ISP) who own network infrastructures, such as transmission media for both wired and wireless networks, speed of communication(bandwidth) to the Internet, etc. But As a user, we need to advance resource management to maximize the utilization of our resources according to our requirements. Internet Service Providers (ISP) provides only a fixed amount of data according to plan purchase by the user with maximums possible speed(bandwidth) of the user network circle. To use the data pack by device, need an advanced system to manage all data smartly. The main goal of this work is to combine both analysis user needs and analysis user data to find the most possible accurate path to use data. The device calculates the most accurate way to use all data and automatically manage uses speed (bandwidth) to after the end of the package duration data full uses. Today we perform most of the work help of internet in a recent survey we see the use of the internet in per days increase rapidly and Internet Service Providers (ISP) in order to improve their products and services and provide day to day more speed(bandwidth) and reliable service so we need very carefully to use our data pack otherwise we consume data in very less time some time it's not beneficial. Now a day's researchers dealing with how to improve the infrastructure of network and how to provide more bandwidth to our user so they feel the better experience. Present days Internet Service Providers (ISP) to control Bandwidth use a static algorithm. In this time Internet Service Providers (ISP) some statics technique to control bandwidth like after use of 80 percent of they reduce speed to fixed basics speed some ISP not reduce the speed they continue till data pack, not complete. Now this day for a fixed plan of data pack we need a smart Recommender Systems to manage speed (Bandwidth) to proper use of all available data according to everyone need.
The Washington consensus works: Causal effects of reform, 1970-2015

Abstract Traditional policy reforms of the type embodied in the Washington Consensus have been out of academic fashion for decades. However, we are not aware of a paper that convincingly rejects the efficacy of these reforms. In this paper, we define generalized reform as a discrete, sustained jump in an index of economic freedom, whose components map well onto the points of the old consensus. We identify 49 cases of generalized reform in our dataset that spans 141 countries from 1970 to 2015. The average treatment effect associated with these reforms is positive, sizeable, and significant over 5- and 10- year windows. The result is robust to different thresholds for defining reform and different estimation methods. We argue that the policy reform baby was prematurely thrown out with the neoliberal bathwater.
Gastrointestinal Helminths from Three Species of Leptobrachid Frogs, Leptobrachium abbotti, L. hendricksoni and L. montanum (Anura: Megophryidae) from Borneo, Malaysia

Three species of myobatrachid frogs from Borneo, Malaysia were examined for helminths: Leptobrachium abbotti (n = 5), Leptobrachium hendricksoni (n = 6) and Leptobrachium montanum (n = 12). Herein, we establish the initial helminth records for these 3 species. Found were 4 species of Nematoda: Cosmocerca ornata, Meteterakis sp., Oswaldocruzia sp., Cosmocercidae gen. sp. and 1 cestode gen. sp. Leptobrachium abbotti harbored C. ornata and Oswaldocruzia sp.; L. hendricksoni harbored Meteterakis sp. and Cosmocercidae gen. sp.; L. montanum harbored Oswaldocruzia sp. and 1 cestode gen. sp. Six new host records are reported.
Prospective Evaluation of the Time Course of White Matter Edema Associated with Implanted Deep Brain Stimulation Electrodes.

Introduction Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is commonly used in the treatment of medically refractory movement disorders. There have been several reports in the literature of edema developing around the implanted electrode. Most of these studies have been retrospective, suggesting that the time course and incidence of this edema are underestimated. An understanding of the incidence and time course of edema related to DBS leads is important to allow clinicians to better assess the correct course of action when edema following DBS implantation is observed. Methods We examined both the time course and prevalence of edema following DBS implantation by obtaining a series of postoperative MRI scans from patients who underwent DBS surgery. Edema volume was quantified by a single neuroradiologist, measuring the peri-electrode T2 signal change. Results We examined postoperative MRIs in thirteen patients with fifteen DBS electrode implants. Eleven patients exhibited white matter edema on at least 1 postoperative MRI, with none being symptomatic. Edema was completely resolved in 4 of the electrode implants through postoperative day 70, with the remaining cases still exhibiting edema at the last imaged time point. Discussion/conclusion In this study, we obtained a regimented series of postoperative MRIs in an effort to determine the time course and incidence of edema. Our results show that edema following DBS implant is not rare, is often asymptomatic, and may resolve over many weeks.
Energy and the Social Sciences

This chapter introduces the social and behavioral sciences into our understanding of energy systems. Geographer Mike Pasqualetti argues that energy challenges are social problems with the technical component and not the other way around. This is one of the motivations of this textbook: to broaden the horizons of our understandings of energy transitions and its implications. Many energy textbooks cover the fundamentals of energy economics and policy. How tools such as cap and trade, Pigouvian taxes, and tax incentives work are very well described in these books.
Real time analysis of phosphate transitions from adenosine triphosphate

Protein phosphorylation is responsible for a broad range of signal transduction roles such as muscular movement and growth, metastatic behavior, mental cognition and metabolic rate. This process follows an enzymatic reaction mechanism, where the enzyme or kinase facilitates the transfer of the phosphate group from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to the substrate protein. To better understand signal transduction, we designed and fabricated microfluidic devices, integrated them with our confocal Raman spectrometer, and monitored real time signal changes from ATP. In this study, we loaded the microfluidic device with Casein in MgCl2 solution, and fed into the chamber a solution of PKA/cAMP/ATP in MgCl2 using Tygon tubing attached to 1 ml syringes with 30g needles attached. At time, t=0, the reactor is preloaded with the Casein MgCl2 solution, and ATP is absent from the chamber. The PKA/cAMP/ATP in MgCl2 solution was allowed to flow at a rate of 0.005 mg/min until the POx peaks between 1000-1600 /cm appeared in the Raman spectra. At this point, the fluid flow was stopped and the reaction progressed while Raman spectra was collected over the wavenumber range 1000 – 1600 /cm to monitor phosphate bonds. Results align with calculations from mass transfer analysis. The isoelectric point of phosphorylated Casein, dephosphorylated Casein, and PKA as reported from literature [1] were observed from the reaction performed in the microfluidic reactor. This confirmed real time observation of phosphorylation of Casein through catalysis of PKA and phosphate donation from ATP.
Incidental Adrenal Nodules.

Incidentally detected adrenal nodules are common, and prevalence increases with patient age. Although most are benign, it is important for the radiologist to be able to accurately determine which nodules require further testing and which are safely left alone. The American College of Radiology incidental adrenal White Paper provides a structured algorithm based on expert consensus for management of incidental adrenal nodules. If further diagnostic testing is indicated, adrenal computed tomography is the most appropriate test in patients for nodules less than 4 cm. In addition to imaging, biochemical testing and endocrinology referral is warranted to exclude a functioning mass.
Temporal organochlorine profiles in young-of-the-year bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) in the Hudson River Estuary.

Abstract The use of “chemical fingerprinting” or “profiling” has been suggested as a means to identify habitat use by young-of-the-year (YOY) bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix). In this study, seasonal and interannual trends were examined over a 3-year period of 31 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and 23 chlorinated pesticides in 176 YOY bluefish collected in the Hudson River Estuary, New York State. Principal component analysis identified distinct and coherent clustering of bluefish according to sampling year. Seasonally, PCB patterns were similar among weight classes, regardless of date of capture. Throughout the study period, there was a consistent seasonal shift toward the heavier chlorinated homologs as size increased even though different congeners contributed to the overall PCB profile in Year 3. Unlike PCBs, there was no consistent pesticide accumulation pattern, which varied seasonally and interannually. The results show the first generalized interannual accumulation profiles of organochlorines during the rapid growth stage of age-0 bluefish. As knowledge of temporal changes in different ecosystems improves, this will improve an understanding on how exposure to chemicals in different ecosystems can affect the long-term health of bluefish.
Cognitive Tapered Slot Circular Array Antenna for Lunar Surface Communications

In this paper, we present the design of a cognitive tapered slot circular array (TSCA) antenna with multiple electronically switched sector beams for lunar surface communication. The circular array is capable of sensing the frequency, power, and direction of arrival of the RF signals. The design of the TSCA builds on our prior work on the development of a single TSA element with a balanced microstrip/coax feed. The measured return loss of the single TSA element shows wide bandwidth with good impedance match across the 5 to 35 GHz frequency range. Additionally, the single TSA has good radiation patterns. The single TSA serves as the building block for a four-element TSCA with multiple electronically switched sector beams for sensing and communications.
Prescription Stimulant Misuse and Diversion Events Among College Students: A Qualitative Study.

Prescription stimulant misuse and diversion are interrelated behaviors: diversion increases the availability of stimulants for misuse, and persons who misuse are also more likely to divert. To date, research has examined these behaviors using a primarily quantitative lens. We led a qualitative investigation to better understand misuse and diversion events. Data are from a diverse southern California campus where we interviewed students who misuse and/or divert prescription stimulants (32 total interviews: 16 interviews with students who had a history of misuse, and 16 different interviews with students who had a history of diversion). We analyzed interview data inductively. We identified the following themes about misuse and diversion events, several of which intersected during interviews: medication surplus, diversion and misuse hubs, ease of behavior performance, academic stress, and other drugs commonly involved. For diversion, altruism and monetary gain were juxtaposed themes. Across themes, friends and family were influential figures. Implications for prevention, intervention, and future research directions are discussed.
Managing tourism safety and risk: Using the Delphi expert consensus method in developing the event tourism security self-beliefs scale

Abstract Safety and security issues are one of the biggest challenges in the field of tourism, and limited data is available regarding the profiles for individuals who are responsible for the safety of the event tourism industry. This eDelphi study used a methodology with a panel of event security experts to complete several rounds of questionnaires utilizing write-in answers (qualitative content) as well as Likert-scale agreement/ranking (quantitative data) to develop a new survey instrument. Results from content adequacy identify a new instrument consisting of 13 items related to an employee's obligation, 11 items related to an employer's obligation, 11 items related to self-beliefs, six items related to hospitality culture, and six items related to motivation. The developed scale was constructed through consensus among experts in the field of risk management and can be used as a valid instrument for use by tourism managers and event organizers.
Caring for you, me, and us: The lived experience of compassion in counselors.

There is growing interest in compassion within the context of counseling, given its potential to support the well-being of both clients and counselors. For counselors, compassion may improve self-care and protect against various empathy-related stressors, such as empathic distress. Compassion is commonly taught and studied according to a division of self-compassion or other-oriented compassion (also, other-compassion). However, it has long been recognized that the lived experience of compassion is not so neatly divided. The Buddhist traditions that have informed compassion science emphasize the interconnectedness of self and others, such that the lived experience of compassion can occur in more combined and holistic forms that orient toward suffering in both oneself and others. This may be especially important for understanding compassion in counseling, where the clinical utility of empathy for suffering may result in moments of shared suffering. We therefore conducted a qualitative study to explore how counselors with compassion training experience and use both self- and other-compassion, including an exploration of relationships between compassion orientations. Findings revealed self- and other-compassion could be experienced as relatively distinct, with benefits for both counselors and clients. Yet we also found ample evidence for the experience of self- and other-compassion in more interrelated and combined forms, with additional unique benefits. To our knowledge, these findings are the first evidence of combined compassion experiences in counselors, highlighting the need for more research on how self- and other-oriented compassion interrelate, as well as how they can be experienced and employed together in therapy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Slaughter, storage, transport, and packaging of crustaceans.

Abstract: This chapter discusses the various market forms, quality, shelf-life, and safety aspects of the major crustacea species (crabs, shrimp, lobsters, and crawfish) of commerce. Information in the chapter includes the presence and significance of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms and the effects of various processing operations on their destruction and survival. Special emphasis is devoted to Listeria monocytogenes which has a zero tolerance in ready-to-eat products in some countries. Additional information is provided on chemical residues, pollutants, and heavy metals in muscle tissues.
NEW PATHWAYS AND PARTNERSHIPS TO SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

This paper describes an innovative partnership between the largest school district in the State of Texas, Houston Independent School District, and the Schools of Business and Education at the University of St. Thomas. The program includes a 48-hour master’s degree, resulting in a Master’s of Business Administration with principal certification. Through this university–school district collaboration, students are taught to apply principles of business including finance and leadership to diverse, inner-city school communities
Chapter 79 White Beam Microdiffraction and Dislocations Gradients

Publisher Summary This chapter describes how X-ray micro-diffraction is influenced by the number, kind, and organization of dislocations. Particular attention is placed on micro-Laue diffraction where polychromatic X-rays are diffracted into characteristic Laue patterns that are sensitive to the dislocation content and arrangement. Micro-Laue diffraction and related techniques are important for measurements where defect distributions need to be measured with good 2D and 3D spatial resolution. Diffraction is considered for various stages of plastic deformation. X-ray micro-diffraction provides a powerful tool for the study of plastic deformation in materials. Plastic deformation introduces geometrically necessary dislocations and dislocation walls that produce elongated diffraction streaks. The streaks can be used to estimate the dislocation density tensor. For single slip deformation, the predominant slip system can be identified because of its distinctly different streaking of the Laue patterns. For multiple slip deformation, the components of the dislocation density tensor may be determined. The influence of various dislocation structures on the orientation space and white beam diffraction is summarized in the chapter.
Towards policy relevant environmental modeling: contextual validity and pragmatic models

"What makes for a good model?" In various forms, this question is a question that, undoubtedly, many people, businesses, and institutions ponder with regards to their particular domain of modeling. One particular domain that is wrestling with this question is the multidisciplinary field of environmental modeling. Examples of environmental models range from models of contaminated ground water flow to the economic impact of natural disasters, such as earthquakes. One of the distinguishing claims of the field is the relevancy of environmental modeling to policy and environment-related decision-making in general. A pervasive view by both scientists and decision-makers is that a "good" model is one that is an accurate predictor. Thus, determining whether a model is "accurate" or "correct" is done by comparing model output to empirical observations. The expected outcome of this process, usually referred to as "validation" or "ground truthing," is a stamp on the model in question of "valid" or "not valid" that serves to indicate whether or not the model will be reliable before it is put into service in a decision-making context. In this paper, I begin by elaborating on the prevailing view of model validation and why this view must change. Drawing from concepts coming out of the studies of science and technology, I go on to propose a contextual view of validity that can overcome the problems associated with "ground truthing" models as an indicator of model goodness. The problem of how we talk about and determine model validity has much to do about how we perceive the utility of environmental models. In the remainder of the paper, I argue that we should adopt ideas of pragmatism in judging what makes for a good model and, in turn, developing good models. From such a perspective of model goodness, good environmental models should facilitate communication, convey  not bury or "eliminate"  uncertainties, and, thus, afford the active building of consensus decisions, instead of promoting passive or self-righteous decisions.
Softspeak: making VoIP play well in existing 802.11 deployments

Voice over IP (VoIP) in 802.11 wireless networks (WiFi) is an attractive alternative to cellular wireless telephony. Unfortunately, VoIP traffic is well known to make inefficient use of such networks. Indeed, we demonstrate that increasing handset deployment has the potential to cripple existing hotspot and enterprise WiFi networks. Our experiments show that VoIP halves the available TCP capacity of an 802.11b hotspot when six to eight VoIP stations share the medium, and effectively extinguishes TCP connectivity when ten VoIP stations are present. Further, we show that neither the higher data rates of 802.11a/g nor the 802.11 standard for quality of service, 802.11e, fully ameliorate the problem. Instead, the problem is rooted in WiFi's contention-based medium-access control mechanism and considerable framing overhead. To remedy this problem, we propose Softspeak, a pair of backwards-compatible software extensions that enables VoIP traffic to share the channel in a more efficient, TDMA-like manner. Softspeak does not require any modifications to the WiFi protocols and significantly reduces the impact of VoIP on TCP capacity while simultaneously improving key VoIP call-quality metrics. Results show improvements in TCP download capacity of 380% for 802.11b and 25-200% for 802.11g.
Russian Robber Barons: Moscow Business, American Style

Russia after communism is a hotbed of crime. “Russian Robber Barons” addresses villainy in market construction and draws on U.S. experience for comparisons. Crime will not be eradicated in Russia, nor has it been eliminated elsewhere, but a carefully crafted legal system can reduce damage wrought by unproductive criminal activity and guide entrepreneurs into legal operations beneficial to themselves and society. Robber baron activities match Joseph Schumpeter's creative destruction, but Mafia-style crime is merely destructive. Economic success demands that Russia join Western market societies in the search for laws to throttle destructive crime and encourage entrepreneurship.
Obstetric Ultrasound Simulator With Task-Based Training and Assessment

The increasing use of point-of-care (POC) ultrasound presents a challenge in providing efficient training to POC ultrasound users for whom formal training is not readily available. In response to this need, we developed an affordable compact laptop-based obstetric ultrasound training simulator. It offers a realistic scanning experience, task-based training, and performance assessment. The position and orientation of the sham transducer are tracked with 5 DoF on an abdomen-sized scan surface with the shape of a cylindrical segment. On the simulator, user interface is rendered a virtual torso whose body surface models the abdomen of the pregnant scan subject. A virtual transducer scans the virtual torso by following the sham transducer movements on the scan surface. A given 3-D training image volume is generated by combining several overlapping 3-D ultrasound sweeps acquired from the pregnant scan subject using a Markov random field-based approach. Obstetric ultrasound training is completed through a series of tasks, guided by the simulator and focused on three aspects: basic medical ultrasound, orientation to obstetric space, and fetal biometry. The scanning performance is automatically evaluated by comparing user-identified anatomical landmarks with reference landmarks preinserted by sonographers. The simulator renders 2-D ultrasound images in real time with 30 frames/s or higher with good image quality; the training procedure follows standard obstetric ultrasound protocol. Thus, for learners without access to formal sonography programs, the simulator is intended to provide structured training in basic obstetrics ultrasound.
Adaptive coding strategies for beamforming ad hoc networks

The application of beamforming to mobile ad hoc networks has been studied extensively. It has been shown that a simple transmit beamforming protocol may yield better performance than a traditional four-way handshake protocol. However, for a data packet of moderate size (around 10/sup 4/ bits), obtaining a reasonable packet error rate in fast fading requires an average uncoded bit error rate of 10/sup -5/. This is impractical in most radio networks and especially in the ad hoc case. Therefore the use of error correcting codes is required. Furthermore, to fully take advantage of the channel capacity, an adaptation coding scheme with variable code rate is usually required. The choice of the variable rate coding scheme and MAC protocol has been addressed recently as a cross-layer design problem. However, most variable rate coding methods choose the rate in a heuristic manner. In this paper we introduce a procedure to calculate an appropriate code rate for an ad hoc network employing both transmit and receive beamforming under a basic access (CSMA/CA) protocol. Though the method can be applied to CSMA networks with or without beamforming, due to the limited space of the space, in this paper we only present the detail calculation for the beamforming case. Simulation results show that the new combination of variable-rate coding and beamforming improves network throughput significantly.
Differential inhibition of individual human liver cytochromes P-450 by cimetidine

Cimetidine binds to cytochrome P-450 and inhibits hepatic metabolism of various drugs in humans. However, cytochrome P-450 is a family of enzymes rather than a single protein, and effects of cimetidine on individual human liver cytochromes P-450 have not been previously characterized. Metabolism of selected substrates and cimetidine-binding assays have been performed using human liver microsomes, purified human liver cytochromes P-450, and cytochrome P-450 complementary DNA-expressed yeast proteins to probe interaction of cimetidine with these individual enzymes. Cimetidine (3.0 mmol/L) in incubations reduced bufuralol hydroxylase activity by 80% and strongly inhibited microsomal nifedipine oxidation (23% +/- 13% of control activity). The same concentration of cimetidine produced intermediate inhibition of cytochrome enzymes responsible for ethoxyresorufin deethylation and aniline hydroxylation (77% +/- 6% and 68% +/- 17% of activity in control microsomal incubations, respectively), but little effect on tolbutamide hydroxylation was observed. Concordantly, the calculated binding constant for the binding of cimetidine to a purified cytochrome P-450 with high tolbutamide hydroxylase activity was 4.4 mmol/L, whereas the calculated binding concentration constant for a purified cytochrome P-450-metabolizing nifedipine was 0.7 mmol/L. These studies show a high variability in the effect of cimetidine on drug metabolism by individual human liver cytochromes P-450. In vitro studies using human liver microsomes and genetically engineered human cytochromes P-450 can be very useful in exploring important clinical questions of hepatic drug metabolism.
Improved Lower Limits for Pheromone Trails in Ant Colony Optimization

Ant Colony Optimization algorithms were inspired by the foraging behavior of ants that accumulate pheromone trails on the shortest paths to food. Some ACO algorithms employ pheromone trail limits to improve exploration and avoid stagnation by ensuring a non-zero probability of selection for all trails. The MAX-MIN Ant System (MMAS) sets explicit pheromone trail limits while the Ant Colony System (ACS) has implicit pheromone trail limits. Stagnation still occurs in both algorithms with the recommended pheromone trail limits as the relative importance of the pheromone trails increases (i¾?> 1). Improved estimates of the lower pheromone trail limit (i¾? min ) for both algorithms help avoid stagnation and improve performance for i¾?> 1. The improved estimates suggest a general rule to avoid stagnation for stochastic algorithms with explicit or implicit limits on exponential values used in proportional selection.
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) and failure analysis: models, methodologies and mechanisms

Failure analysis is fundamental to the design and development methodology of electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices and ESD robust circuits. The role of failure analysis in the models, methodology, and mechanisms evaluation for improving ESD robustness of semiconductor products and magnetic recording heads are discussed.
Pharmacologic evidence for NMDA, APB and kainate/quisqualate retinotectal transmission in the isolated whole tectum of goldfish.

Abstract The optic tectum of goldfish with intact optic and toral marginal fiber tracts was isolated in a perfusion chamber where the effectiveness of antagonists was tested on synaptic field potential responses to stimulation of each afferent system. There were 3 main conclusions about excitatory synapses. First, monosynaptic activation of retinotectal synapses was not detectably antagonized by d -tubocurarine, implying there is no nicotinic cholinergic component to optic transmission nor strong cholinergic gating of optic terminals. Second, a significant component of retinotectical transmission was shown to be mediated by kainate and quisqualate receptors since 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione and kynurenate strongly suppressed the optic field potential. In addition, activation of these synapses involves two previously undescribedN-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) and APB receptor subtypes since optic field potentials were partially suppressed by 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV), 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (APB) and MK-801. This is the first evidence that APB receptors exist in the visual system central to the retina. Together, these results are consistent with the possibility that retinal ganglion cells use multiple glutamate receptor subtypes. Third, the optic tectum contains a population of intrinsic glutaminergic synapses activated by a non-optic input, the marginal fibers, which can be suppressed by both APV and kynurenate. The existence of tectal NMDA receptors whicha are not at primary optic synapses implies that APV used to interfere with rearrangement of optic fibers during development may act not only at afferent synapses but also at a more central component of the circuit.
Use of levonorgestrel implants versus oral contraceptives in adolescence: A case-control study

Abstract OBJECTIVE: We compared continuation rates, effectiveness, satisfaction with method, side effects, and condom practices among adolescents using levonorgestrel implants (Norplant, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Philadelphia) as compared with oral contraceptives. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a case-control study comparing 94 adolescents ≤ 18 years odl who received Norplant between March 1, 1992, and Nov. 1, 1993 (cases), with 94 age-matched controls who selected oral contraceptives during this same time period. By use of a structured questionnaire, information was obtained on pregnancy status, duration of use, patient satisfaction, side effects, and condom practices 6 months after initiation. Objective measures included weight on Norplant and oral contraceptive users and hematocrit on implant patients. RESULTS: Forty (43%) oral contraceptive patients compared with no Norplant patients discontinued their selected method before the 6-month interview ( p = 0.00). Six patients prescribed oral contraceptives became pregnant. Ninety-three percent of Norplant users expressed overall satisfaction despite experiencing menstrual irregulatiry and cramping, amenorrhea, nervousness, abnormal hair growth or loss, rashes, and an increase in appetite more often than oral contraceptives users. Although Norplant patients also reported an increase in the duration of menstrual flow and number of days of spotting more often than oral contraceptive users, evaluation of hematocrits in these patients demonstrated a significant increase over the 6-month period ( p = 0.00). Assessment of condom practices since initiation demonstrated that Norplant patients used condoms less often than oral contraceptive users ( p - 0.00). CONCLUSION: Use of levonorgestrel implants may cause more side effects than oral contraceptives in the early months after initiation but provide superior protection against unintended pregnancy. We concluded that Norplant is a reasonable alternative for adolescents, especially when compliance is an issue.
Effective Surface Impedance of a Printed-Circuit Tensor Impedance Surface (PCTIS)

The surface impedance and dispersion equation of a printed-circuit tensor impedance surface (PCTIS) are derived using a modified transverse resonance technique. A PCTIS consists of a subwavelength-patterned metallic cladding over a grounded dielectric substrate. The metallic cladding is analytically modeled as a tensor impedance sheet. An explicit expression is derived for the effective surface impedance of the PCTIS using a transmission-line approach. First, the surface-impedance expression is found for a printed-circuit scalar impedance surface using the transverse resonance technique. Next, a modified transverse resonance technique is applied to an idealized tensor impedance boundary condition (TIBC) to find its dispersion equation. Finally, the analysis of the printed-circuit scalar impedance is combined with that of the idealized TIBC to find the tensor surface impedance and dispersion equation of a PCTIS. A discussion of the principal axes and the propagation of TM and TE waves is provided. The special case of electrically thin PCTISs is also analyzed and discussed.
Many Names for Mother: The Ethno-Linguistic Politics of Deafness in Nepal

In Nepal d/Deafness1 has commonly been interpreted as the result of the affected person's bad karma. As a result, families have often worked to render d/Deafness invisible, by preventing non-hearin...
Localized light-induced protein dimerization in living cells using a photocaged dimerizer

Protein localization in cells can yield much information about the spatial arrangement of cellular processes and the participating groups. Here, the authors present a membrane-permeable and photoactive agent for localized protein dimerization in cells.
Durability of Reusable Holmium:YAG Laser Fibers: A Multicenter Study

Purpose: Single use and reusable variants of holmium:YAG laser fibers are available to treat calculi during ureteroscopic procedures. In this prospective, multicenter study we evaluated a series of reusable holmium:YAG laser optical fibers. We hypothesized that reusable fibers provide a cost advantage over single use variants.Materials and Methods: We prospectively recorded fiber data, including type, size, number of uses, laser pulse energy and frequency, and total energy delivered. All fibers were new and purchased off the shelf by staff at each institution. We performed a cost analysis comparing reusable fibers to single use variants.Results: During 541 procedures a total of 37 holmium:YAG optical laser fibers were used, including 21 Laser Peripherals 270 (Laser Peripherals, Golden Valley, Minnesota), 7 Laser Peripherals 365, 4 Lumenis SlimLine™ 200 and 3 Lumenis SlimLine 365 fibers. After stratifying by core size 365 μm core fibers had significantly more uses than 270 μm core fibers (average 23.5 vs 1...
Patch dynamics and the design of nature reserves

Abstract Island biogeographic theory has been applied to the design of nature reserves. However, immigration, which is important in maintaining species equilibrium on true islands, will not contribute significantly to the maintenance of equilibrium on reserves in the future because of the disappearance of recolonisation sources. Consequently, extinction becomes the dominant population process, and the internal disturbance dynamics become the critical design feature of reserves. The design of reserves should be based on ‘minimum dynamic area’, the smallest area with a natural disturbance regime which maintains internal recolonisation sources and hence minimises extinctions. Determination of minimum dynamic area must be based on knowledge of disturbance-generated patch size, frequency, and longevity, and the mobilities of the preserved species. These features have not all been explicitly considered in the previous island biogeographic design recommendations.
Stouffer's model of migration: a comparison of interstate and metropolitan flows.

The objectives of this paper are (1) to evaluate the accuracy of the intervening opportunities-competing migrants hypothesis (Stouffer, 1960) in estimating 1955-1960 interstate migration streams in the United States and (2) to compare the results with those obtained by Galle and Taeuber (1966) for metropolitan migration. Our results strongly confirm Stouffer’s hypothesis and yield parameter estimates highly comparable to those obtained for metropolitan migration, except that competing migrants exert a stronger influence than intervening opportunities in interstate migration.
Increased DNA-bending Activity and Higher Affinity DNA Binding of High Mobility Group Protein HMG-1 Prepared without Acids

Recently, DNA ring closure assays showed that high mobility group protein HMG-1 and its close homolog HMG-2 mediate sequence-independent DNA flexion. This DNA-bending activity appears to be central to at least some of the recently elucidated functions of HMG-1/2, such as the enhancement of progesterone receptor DNA binding. Here we show that standard purification procedures utilizing perchloric and trichloroacetic acid can produce HMG-1 significantly deficient in its abilities to bind and bend double-stranded DNA, while acid-independent methods purify HMG-1 that is superior in these respects. Significant losses of DNA ring closure activity were seen upon limited 2-5-h exposures of nonacid-purified HMG-1/2 to perchloric acid and/or trichloroacetic acid. Measurements of the apparent DNA dissociation binding constant (Kd(app)) of acid-extracted preparations of HMG-1 gave a wide range of values, and only those preparations demonstrating little DNA ring closure activity had Kd values near the previously published value (approximately 10(-6) M). The highest ring closure activities and lowest Kd(app) (< 3 x 10(-9) M) were obtained for HMG-1 purified without acids. These combined results support the use of alternative, non-acid purification procedures for preserving the DNA-bending activity of HMG-1/2 and suggest that past procedures utilizing acids have led to an underestimation of the affinity of HMG-1 for DNA.
Neurogenesis in the brain stem of the rabbit: an autoradiographic study

With the aid of (/sup 3/H)-thymidine autoradiography, neurogenesis was documented in the nuclear groups of the medulla oblongata, pons, and mid-brain, as well as in the brain stem reticular formation of the rabbit. Following single injections of (/sup 3/H)-thymidine, counts were taken of intensely labeled neurons within the nuclei of the functional columns related to the cranial nerves, nuclei of several other functional classifications, and nuclei that did not fit into a functional category. In the brain stem as a whole, neurogenesis was found to occur between days 10.0 and 18.5 of gestation: however, the majority of nuclei studied contained intensely neurons only between days 12.0 and 15.0. Only in the pontine nucleus and the tectum were intensely labeled cells observed as late as day 18.5. Directional gradients of histogenesis were often observed within, as well as between, various nuclei. Within the nuclear columns related to the cranial nerves, a clear mediolateral spread of neurogenesis was observable such that nuclei of the motor columns reached a peak in neurogenesis before those in the sensory columns. Likewise, a mediolateral proliferation pattern was seen in the brain stem reticular formation. Other individual directional gradients were discernible; however, in the brain stem asmore » a whole, distinct overall gradients were not observable. In many individual nuclei, gradients in neuron size were observed such that large neurons preferentially arose prior to smaller neurons. Information pertaining to gradients in neurogenesis, as well as to relationships among functionally related nuclei, are discussed.« less
Investigations of the small-scale flat field response of microchannel plate detectors in the far and extreme ultraviolet

Abstract High signal-to-noise flat field images taken in the extreme and far ultraviolet with photon-counting microchannel plate (MCP) detectors are presented. Small spatial scale (