cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When Do Policy Innovations Spread? Lessons for Advocates of Lesson-Drawing

In recent years, the European Union (EU) has begun a gradual shift from traditional regulatory policymaking toward more flexible methods of coordination. For instance, while directives setting minimum regulations once dominated EU employment policy, since 1997, the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) has come to the forefront, emphasizing benchmarking, monitoring, and exchange of best practices. Similar "soft coordination" strategies have begun in many other areas of EU policymaking, including economic policy, tax competition policy, social inclusion and pensions policy, and environmental policy. High expectations combined with thin evidence regarding the consequences of a shift toward cooperative governance have led to a polarized debate. To specify the circumstances in which OMC-type efforts succeed and fail, this Note reviews empirical evidence from the literatures on diffusion and policy transfer to answer four questions: Who copies? What is imitated? Which relationships facilitate imitation? How does learning shape the policy process? This research suggests that the OMC holds substantial promise to advance EU integration in a positive direction, as it brings disadvantaged actors to the focus of national debates and seems to have the greatest effects on the least developed member states.
Abstract 637: A prospective study of tea and coffee intake and risk of glioma

Background: Tea and coffee have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and neuroprotective effects mediated by a variety of compounds, including polyphenols. Observational studies suggest that tea and coffee intake may reduce risk of certain cancers, although the data on glioma risk are limited and inconclusive. Methods: We evaluated the association between tea, coffee, and caffeine intake and risk of glioma in the female Nurses’ Health Study (NHS, n=92,389, followed 33 years) and Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII, n=95,242, followed 23 years) and the male Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS, n=49,885, followed 29 years). Cumulatively updated tea and coffee intake were derived from validated quadrennial food frequency questionnaires. Glioma cases were confirmed by medical record review. Age-adjusted hazard ratios of glioma by category of beverage intake were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Associations across the combined cohorts were calculated using fixed effect meta-analysis. Results: We documented 554 incident cases of glioma, including 256 in NHS, 87 in NHSII, and 211 in HPFS (159, 52, 151 glioblastomas, respectively). Compared to 2 cups/day, p-trend=0.03), and was inversely, but not significantly, associated in men (HR=0.70, 95%CI 0.30-1.61 for >2 cups/day, p-trend=0.30). In women and men combined, the corresponding HR was 0.66 (95% CI 0.44-0.99) for >2 cups/day (p-trend=0.02). We observed no significant associations between caffeinated, decaffeinated, or total coffee intake and glioma risk in men or women. We found no material differences in the results when baseline values were used, when responses were lagged by eight years, or when cases were limited to glioblastoma only. Conclusion: In three large, prospective cohort studies of men and women, tea intake was inversely associated with glioma risk, particularly in women. No significant associations were observed for coffee intake of any type and glioma risk. These results merit further exploration in other prospective studies. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: David J. Cote, Alaina M. Bever, Kathryn M. Wilson, Timothy R. Smith, Stephanie A. Smith-Warner, Meir Stampfer. A prospective study of tea and coffee intake and risk of glioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 637.
Intraoperative bile spillage is associated with worse survival in gallbladder adenocarcinoma

Background Gallbladder adenocarcinoma is often incidentally identified following cholecystectomy. We hypothesized that intraoperative bile spillage would be a negative prognostic factor. Methods A retrospective review of patients treated at a cancer center with histologically confirmed gallbladder adenocarcinoma, 2009-2017, was performed. Patient, disease, and treatment factors were analyzed in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results Sixty-six patients were identified. Tumor stage was T1 (n = 8, 12%), T2 (n = 23, 35%), T3 (n = 35, 53%). Node stage was N0 (n = 22, 33%), N1+ (n = 26, 39%), Nx (n = 18, 27%). Operations included cholecystectomy alone (n = 27, 36%), cholecystectomy and partial hepatectomy (n = 30, 45%), or hepaticojejunostomy (n = 9, 14%). Median PFS was 7 months (interquartile range [IQR], 2-19); median OS was 16 months (IQR, 10-31). Subset multivariate proportional hazards regression of 41 patients who underwent initial cholecystectomy showed decreased PFS was associated with intraoperative spillage (n = 12, 29%; hazard ratio [HR], 5.5; P = .0014); decreased OS was associated with drain placement (n = 21, 51%; HR, 8.1; P = .006). Conclusions Intraoperative bile spillage and surgical drain placement at initial cholecystectomy are negatively associated with PFS and OS in gallbladder adenocarcinoma. Explicit documentation of spillage and drain placement rationale is critical, possibly indicating locally advanced disease and prompting stronger consideration of systemic therapy before definitive resection.
From billiards to thermodynamic laws: Stochastic energy exchange model

This paper studies a billiards-like microscopic heat conduction model, which describes the dynamics of gas molecules in a long tube with thermalized boundary. We numerically investigate the law of energy exchange between adjacent cells. A stochastic energy exchange model that preserves these properties is then derived. We further numerically justified that the stochastic energy exchange model preserves the ergodicity and the thermal conductivity of the original billiard model.
Interspeaker covariation in Philadelphia vowel changes

The paper asks whether six ongoing vowel changes in Philadelphia English show interspeaker covariation. In a sample of 66 young white women, pairwise correlations are significant only between three changes that have previously been observed to show parallel diachronic trajectories of change reversal, whereas changes that do not exhibit this diachronic pattern do not show covariation. I propose that the interspeaker covariation in this subset of the changes in progress arises from a shared social motivation for the change reversals that is not shared by the other changes.
The Online Platform Economy in 27 Metro Areas: The Experience of Drivers and Lessors

A significant and growing fraction of families generate income through the Online Platform Economy. In previous JPMorgan Chase Institute research we leveraged administrative banking records to track supply-side participation and revenues in the Online Platform Economy, and observed strong secular trends in the transportation and leasing sectors between 2013 and 2018. In this follow-up research, we use geographic and temporal variation to explore these dynamics in more detail, in order to get a better understanding of the viability of the transportation and leasing sectors of the Online Platform Economy as a potential source of income for participant families. We explore variation in characteristics of the Online Platform Economy over five years across 27 metropolitan areas. Our findings are fivefold. First, there is significant variation across metropolitan areas in terms of participation rates, average monthly revenues, and levels of engagement in the leasing and transportation sectors of the Online Platform Economy. Participation and revenues are positively correlated but there are telling exceptions to that pattern. Second, metropolitan areas with larger incumbent industries as the Online Platform Economy emerged ended up with higher participation and higher average revenues in the corresponding platform sectors. Third, in almost every metro area, average monthly revenue declined for drivers and rose for lessors between 2013 and 2018, fully accounting for the secular trends in driver and lessor revenues, even as participation shares shifted across metro areas. Fourth, in both sectors but especially in transportation, participation tends to increase the most in the months and places where average revenues are increasing the most. Fifth, at least 45 percent–and likely more–of the decline in average monthly driver revenues was accounted for by drivers participating more occasionally within the month. In the leasing sector, more frequent participation accounted for more than half of the rise in revenues. Taken together, our results suggest that there is still room for supply-side growth in both the transportation and leasing sectors of the Online Platform Economy. In metro areas with large potential markets for transportation and leasing services, these sectors of the Online Platform Economy are robust alternatives for families looking to generate income, though the opportunities they present are almost certainly changing as the Online Platform Economy matures.
OCT Angiography Assessment of Retinal Microvascular Changes in Diabetic Eyes in an Urban Safety-Net Hospital.

Purpose To determine whether quantitative OCT angiography (OCTA) parameters can be used to distinguish among eyes at various stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in an urban safety-net hospital population. Design Prospective cross-sectional study. Participants Three hundred twenty-nine eyes from 329 patients were included in this study: 90 nondiabetic patients, 170 diabetic patients without DR, 57 diabetic patients with mild to moderate nonproliferative DR (NPDR), and 12 diabetic patients with severe NPDR to proliferative DR. Methods Patients underwent OCTA imaging and ultra-widefield fundus photography at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center between April and October 2018. For participants with diabetes, imaging was classified according to DR severity by a telemedicine reading center. Eight OCTA parameters were analyzed. Perfusion density and vessel length density (VD) were examined from both the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus. The other 4 parameters were examined only from the SCP. Total extrafoveal avascular area (tEAA) was based on the area of absent capillary vessels. Foveal avascular zone (FAZ)-related metrics consisted of FAZ area, FAZ circularity index, and FAZ acircularity index. Main Outcome Measures Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for OCTA parameters to distinguish among groups according to DR severity. Results All OCTA parameters demonstrated a significant relationship with DR severity (P Conclusions In this urban, public hospital population, quantification of retinal vascular findings with OCTA imaging was a useful means of distinguishing patients according to DR severity. Because these results were similar to those of other tertiary referral centers, it would be reasonable to perform further DR-related OCTA studies in this population and expect generalizable results.
Two dominant brain states reflect optimal and suboptimal attention

Abstract Attention is not constant but fluctuates from moment to moment. Previous studies dichotomized these fluctuations into optimal and suboptimal states based on behavioral performance and investigated the difference in brain activity between these states. Although these studies implicitly assume there are two states, this assumption is not guaranteed. Here, we reversed the logic of these previous studies and identified unique states of brain activity during a sustained attention task. We demonstrate a systematic relationship between dynamic brain activity patterns (brain states) and behavioral underpinnings of sustained attention by explaining behavior from two dominantly observed brain states. In four independent datasets, a brain state characterized by default mode network activity was behaviorally optimal and a brain state characterized by dorsal attention network activity was suboptimal. Thus, our study provides compelling evidence for behaviorally optimal and suboptimal attentional states from the sole viewpoint of brain activity. We further demonstrated how these brain states were impacted by motivation, mind wandering, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Within-subject level modulators (motivation and mind wandering) impacted the optimality of behavior in the suboptimal brain state. In contrast, between-subject level differences (ADHD vs healthy controls) impacted the optimal brain state character, namely its frequency.
Effect of combined renal denervation and pulmonary vein isolation in atrial fibrillation recurrence in hypertensive patients: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and hypertension is the most common risk factor associated with AF. The addition of renal sympathetic nerve denervation (RSDN) to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in AF patients with hypertension has been reported to improve clinical outcomes. METHODS A systematic search was performed for studies on patients with AF and hypertension that compared RSDN with PVI versus PVI-alone. Risk ratio (RR) for categorical variables and mean difference (MD) for continuous variables with 95% confidence intervals were used. RESULTS Seven studies with a total of 734 patients were included. A total of 340 patients were in the RSDN + PVI group (46.32%) and 394 (53.67%) in the PVI group. A total of 608 patients had paroxysmal AF (83%) while 126 patients had persistent AF (17%). At 12 months follow-up, RSDN + PVI decreased the overall risk of AF recurrence in hypertensive patients with RR 0.60 [95% CI 0.50-0.72, P < .00001]. A subgroup analysis performed in patients with drug-resistant hypertension showed a similar reduction in AF recurrence with RR 0.61 [95% CI: 0.47-0.79, P = .0002). Procedure duration MD + 28.05 min [95% CI: 18.88-37.23, P < .00001] and fluoroscopy duration MD + 5.59 min [95% CI: 3.31-8.19, P < .00001] were significantly longer with the RSDN + PVI group. There was no significant difference in complications between the two groups. CONCLUSION The addition of RSDN to PVI in patients with AF and hypertension appears safe and decreases AF recurrence. Similar results were observed in patients with drug-resistant hypertension. Larger trials are needed to confirm these results.
Nanofibers for soft-tissue engineering

Abstract Soft tissue refers to those that support, connect, or surround the body’s organs. This includes muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerve, fat, fascia, and blood vessels. Soft tissues are susceptible to injuries, especially for athletes and the elderly population leading to an increase in the demand for surgeries. However, surgical intervention cannot provide full biological restoration of the tissues, resulting in scar formation rather than regeneration. Tissue engineering aims to develop tissue substitutes by employing engineered extracellular matrix (ECM), cells and factors alone or in combination to overcome limitations in tissue healing. It is expected that the demand for tissue-engineered products and approaches addresses clinically unmet needs in soft-tissue regeneration. The ultimate goal of tissue engineering is to design bioactive implanted scaffolds that mimic the native ECM of the target tissue structurally. These designed scaffolds provide the required mechanical and structural properties that aid the damaged tissue. Nanofiber matrices derived from natural and synthetic materials closely mimic the natural ECM structurally and compositionally. These matrices provide large surface area to volume ratio and adjustable pore dimeter and mechanical strength to enable the soft-tissue repair and subsequent soft-tissue regeneration. Therefore, nanofiber matrices are popularly used for a variety of tissue engineering applications.
Acute pancreatitis and diabetes mellitus: a review

Diabetes following acute pancreatitis (AP) is becoming increasingly recognized. It is unclear what subtype of diabetes mellitus (DM) occurs; however, type 3c diabetes mellitus (T3cDM) is gaining increasing recognition. T3cDM has differ ing pathophysiology than other subtypes of DM and therefore differing disease course and treatment. Current studies have examined the incidence and prev alence of DM following AP, and meta-analyses have shown around 15% develop DM at 1 year with an increasing proportion developing DM at 5 years. It has been observed that some patients have transient hyperglycemia following AP episode with a subset developing persistent impaired glucose metabolism; however, the exact timeline is not well defined. The data on risk factors for developing DM after AP is limited and mixed; however, it is likely that severity of AP may impact the propensity to develop DM. Screening guidelines have not been established following AP; however, screening 1-year post-event will likely capture a sizable proportion of newly developed DM. The endocrine and exocrine pancreas are closely linked, and studies have found significant overlap in dysfunction of both after AP. Finally, there are some data to suggest that diabetes predisposes patients to structural changes in the pancreas and increased risk of developing AP.
Long-term coexistence and regional heterogeneity of antibiotic-resistant infections reproduced by a simple spatial model

Antibiotic-resistant infections are a growing threat to human health. Mathematical models are a common tool to compare potential intervention strategies, but often struggle to reproduce a ubiquitous pattern seen in data: the long-term coexistence of both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant strains. Here we show that simple models of infection in structured or spatially-heterogeneous host populations lead to persistent coexistence where well-mixed models fail. This coexistence is robust over a wide range of treatment coverage, drug efficacies, costs of resistance, and mixing patterns. Perhaps more importantly, this model can explain other puzzling spatiotemporal features of drug resistance epidemiology that have received less attention, such as large differences in the prevalence of resistance between geographical regions that consume similar amounts of antibiotics or that neighbor one another. Our analysis identifies key features of host population structure that can be used to assess drug resistance risk and highlights the need to include spatial or demographic heterogeneity in models to guide resistance management.
How Venture Capitalists Bet: Evidence from Two Randomized Controlled Trials

Understanding the importance of both human and non-human assets in firms' early-stage financing process is crucial to examining theories of the firm. However, it is difficult to empirically generate causal evidence due to data limitations and the lack of exogenous variations. This paper uses two randomized controlled trials with real venture capitalists mainly from the U.S. to identify characteristics of both the project and their teams that causally affect venture capitalist funding. Specifically, I also check their relative importance on investors' decisions. I find that multiple team characteristics (i.e. founder's educational background and previous entrepreneurial experiences) and project characteristics (i.e. traction, business model, location, comparative advantages, etc.) causally affect investors’ contact and investment interests by influencing their evaluation of startups' potential financial returns, risk, and loyalty. Although project traction matters the most in my experimental setting, it is fundamentally the investors' belief in the startup’s profitability that matters the most. I also find the traditional correspondence test method, to an extent, inappropriate in testing the significance of project characteristics in virtue of the different "signal-to-noise ratio" problem.
Genome Sequences of Gordonia Bacteriophages Jodelie19, BlingBling, and Burnsey

Jodelie19, BlingBling, and Burnsey are bacteriophages identified using host bacteria of the genus Gordonia Jodelie19 is a lytic phage found in Gordonia rubripertincta NRRL B-16540. The temperate phage BlingBling and lytic phage Burnsey were both isolated using the host bacterium Gordonia terrae 3612.
Everyone is Invited: Leveraging Bystander Intervention and Ally Development to Cultivate Social Justice in the Workplace:

Recently, there have been calls to move the obligation and responsibility of social justice from the margins of the workplace to the center, building a more radical Human Resource Development (HRD)...
Ab-initio studies of pressure induced phase transitions in BaO

We use ab-initio Quantum Mechanics to study the zero temperature phase diagram of BaO. We calculate zero temperature Equations of State of different crystalline phases [B1 (NaCl), B8(NiAs), B2(CsCl), and distorted B2] using Density Functional Theory (DFT) with the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). We find the B1 structure to be the thermodynamically stable one at zero pressure; followed by three pressure induced phase transitions. We find that at P=11.3 GPa BaO transforms from B1 to B8; at P=21.5 GPa from B8 to distorted B2. The distorted B2 phase continuously approaches the B2 structure, the phase transformation occurs at P=62 GPa. We also study the band structure of BaO in its high pressure (B2) phase. For P=60.5 GPa, we find a band gap of 3.5 eV in agreement with experimetal value. We find metallization at P=230.6 GPa.
Narrative Settlements: Geographies of British Women's Fiction between the Wars

During the interwar period, shifting attitudes toward empire dovetailed with women's achievement of citizenship, placing women at the centre of debates about what England would be. Responding to these cultural conditions, women writers used novels of place to analyze relationships among space, self, and nation in England, thereby establishing new ways for the country to view itself. Jennifer Poulos Nesbitt's Narrative Settlements resituates British women's writing between the wars in light of postcolonial theories of the novel and feminist geography. Reading works by Winifred Holtby, Vita Sackville-West, Angela Thirkell, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Rebecca West, and Virginia Woolf, Nesbitt argues that renewed attention to setting provides a methodological base for a more nuanced understanding of the aesthetic preoccupations of women writers between the wars. She provides not only attentive readings of literature during this contentious time, but a convincing argument for looking beyond modernism to locate the significance of interwar literary production.
Functional Consequences of Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 Over-Expression in Human Gliomas

FUNCTIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-1 OVEREXPRESSION IN HUMAN GLIOMAS By Emily Mullet A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for .the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006 Major Director: Helen L. Fillmore, PhD Assistant Professor, Departments of Neurosurgery, Anatomy and Neurobiology, Physiology, School of Medicine and the Department of Phannaceutics, School of Pharmacy Malignant brain tumors are among the deadliest of human cancers. Despite recent advancements in conventional therapies, glioblastomas remain incurable, largely due to their ability to invade surrounding tissue. Matrix metalloproteinases are thought to contribute to the invasive phenotype of human gliomas. Absent in normal brain, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) has been shown to be present in gliomas, and in particular in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). To begin to examine the role of MMP-1 in these tumors, two human glioma cell lines were stably transfected with MMP-1 cDNA. Confirmation of MMP1 over-expression in these cells was achieved through real-time PCR and Western ix blot analysis. The functional consequences of MMP1 over-expression were analyzed using a collagen type-I invasion assay along with clonogenic and ATP viability assays. Data presented demonstrate that MMP-1 over-expressing cells were more invasive in both cell types and interestingly more clonogenic in one of the glioma cell lines, supporting a possible role for MMP-1 in glioma growth and invasion. CHAPTER
A Review of “All the Tsar's Men: Russia's General Staff and the Fate of the Empire, 1898–1914”

In the 1870s, D. A. Miliutin, Russia's minister of war, initiated a number of reforms in the education and training of officers in order to modernize the Imperial Army and catch up to the industria...
Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Derivatives for Biomedical Imaging and Application in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

Imaging-capable nanoparticulate contrast agents for cancer diagnosis and small RNA-based tumor therapy have been an emerging field in molecular imaging and pharmaceutical sciences. One example of such agents includes magnetic nanoparticles (MN), which have traditionally been utilized as contrast agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The probes typically consist of a dextran-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide core (for MRI), labeled with Cy5.5 dye (for near-infrared in vivo optical imaging), coated with targeting-peptides for receptor-mediated uptake by specific cell types and conjugated to synthetic small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules as therapeutic agents. The potential of these nanoparticles as MRI contrast agents for tumor imaging and delivery modules for small interfering RNA has been investigated. Furthermore, the feasibility of combining the imaging and delivery capabilities of these nanoparticles for the tracking of siRNA bioavailability has been explored. The versatile functionalization potential of MN has allowed controlling properties of the agents, such as uptake mechanism and target organ distribution. The tumoral accumulation of MN-siRNA results in a remarkable level of target-gene down-regulation. Repeated treatment with MN-siRNA targeting the tumor-specific anti-apoptotic gene, birc5, leads to the induction of apoptosis in the tumors and an overall reduction in tumor growth rate. Bioconjugated MNs were also used for biosensing application for several metabolically important compounds and processes. A second generation of nanoparticles, which combine the capability for high-resolution MRI with detection by ultrasensitive surface enhanced Raman scattering has been tested in silico and in vivo. Different types of magnetic nanoparticles have been used for therapy of cancer by Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia.
Pressure wave vs. tracer velocities through unsaturated fractured rock

Rapid fluid pressure changes in unsaturated media due to perturbations at or near the earth-atmosphere interface are commonly attributed to preferential or bypass flow. An alternative mechanism for the rapid propagation of pressure perturbations in unsaturated media is the kinematic response, which results from the nonlinear relationship between unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and water content. The relationship between pressure wave velocities and fluid velocities is described using kinematic wave theory, presented for the Brooks - Corey and van Genuchten -Mualem formulations. The kinematic mechanism predicts fluid pressure pulse velocities to be substantially faster than unsaturated fractured rock tracer velocities for both formulations. A hydraulic form of the advection-diffusion equation based on Richards' Equation is presented that uses the hydraulic diffusivity and kinematic velocity to predict the hydraulic response in unsaturated fractured rock to pressure head perturbations. Pressure pulse velocity monitoring may be an additional tool for estimating unsaturated hydraulic properties in low permeability media.
Pediatric patient radiation dosage during endomyocardial biopsies and right heart catheterization using a standard “ALARA” radiation reduction protocol in the modern fluoroscopic Era

Background: Surveillance endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) with right heart catheterization (RHC) is the standard of care for the assessment of post cardiac transplantation rejection. This procedure has traditionally relied upon fluoroscopy, which exposes both patient and staff to the risks of ionizing radiation. These risks may be of particular concern in the transplant patient who must undergo many such procedures lifelong. We present data on a new “ALARA – As Low As Reasonably Achievable” protocol to reduce radiation exposure during the performance of RHC with EMB. Methods: All cardiac transplantation patients <21 years of age who underwent RHC with EMB at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore from 6/11–12/11 were included. EMB was performed after all right heart pressures including wedge pressure and thermodilution cardiac output were measured. A novel ALARA protocol consisting of multiple features including ultra-low frame rates (2–3fps), low fluoro dose/frame (10–18 nGy/frame), use of the “air-gap” technique for patients <20 kg, and multiple other techniques aimed at minimizing use of fluoroscopy were employed in all cases. Demographics, procedural data and patient radiation exposure levels were collected and analyzed. Results: 18 patients underwent 45 surveillance RHC with EMB in the study period and were the subject of this analysis. The mean age was 5.9 66.1 years, weight was 20.4 kg 616.6kg, and BSA was 0.75 645 m 2 . PA fluoroscopy was used exclusively in 45/45. Vascular access was RFV (21/45; 47%), RIJV (17/45; 38%), LFV (4/45; 9%) and LIJV (3/ 45; 7%). The median number of EMB specimens obtained was 5 (range, 4–7). The median fluoroscopy time was 3.7 min (range, 1.2–9). The median air Kerma product (K) was 1.4 mGy (range, 0.4–14), and dose area product (DAP) was 15.8 uGym 2 (range, 3.5– 144.5). The K and DAP are substantially lower than any prior published data for RHC/ EMB in this patient group. There were no procedural complications. Conclusions: The use of a novel ALARA protocol for RHC and EMB in pediatric cardiac transplantation patients markedly reduced radiation exposure to levels far below any previously reported values without negatively affecting the safety or efficacy of these procedures. V C
The evolution of debonding at the interface of a two-phase composite

This research consists of a comparison of three different debonding equations used within the framework of a two-dimensional constitutive model of a two phase composite. First, the recently proposed micromechanical theory for the inelastic behavior of a two phase composite material consisting of an aggregate and a binding agent, or matrix, is reviewed. The microstructural properties are characterized by planes of various orientations, with each plane representing a class of contact at the interface between binder and aggregate. Each class is further broken down into cracked and bonded interfacial contacts. Cracked contacts allow slip along the planes of contact. Bonded contacts, however, allow no slip at the interface to take place. It is assumed that the binding agent or matrix behaves as an elastic material. The number of contacts and the orientation of the contact planes is allowed to evolve, as well as the ratio of bonded to debonded contacts within a class. Using a Taylor-averaging method, incremental macroscopic constitutive equations are formulated. A comparison is then made between three different debonding schemes: an arbitrary equation, one based on the interparticle friction in the slip direction, and one using a Mohr-Coulomb methodology. Finally, results of a computational simulation of uniaxial compression are presented for all three cases.
High Surface Area V 2 O 5 Aerogel Intercalation Electrodes

Supercritical drying of V 2 O 5 gels yields amorphous aerogels (ARG) that serve as reversible, high capacity hosts for lithium ion intercalation. We have found that ARG material consists of a highly interconnected solid network that has a surface area up to 450 m 2 /g and a specific pore volume of 2.3 cm 3 /g. The material hosts at least 4 Li + per mole of V 2 O 5 (ARG) as determined by both galvanostatic intermittent titration (GITT) and chemical lithiation (CL) techniques. The equilibrium voltage-composition curve is identical for both GITT and CL techniques as well. V 2 O 5 (ARG) has a specific energy in excess of 1600 Wh/kg, the highest ever reported for any vanadium oxide host
Coherent Pulse Propagation Effects in Multilevel Molecular Systems

Coherent pulse propagation effects in multilevel molecular systems have received much attention experimentally, as is indicated by the experimental literature on self-induced transparency (SIT) and other coherent propagation effects in SF6 [1–5]. Theoretical studies by HOPF, RHODES and SZOKE [6] and GIBBS, MCCALL and SALAMO [5] based on the methods of HOPF and SCULLY [7] and ICSEVGI and LAMB [8] have been directed towards understanding the influence of spatial (M) degeneracy and Doppler broadening on SIT and other coherent propagation effects. More recent theoretical studies have been concerned with nonlinear-optical effects in multilevel systems [9]; pulse-propagation calculations have been performed for a special case of a three-level system (common ground state) [10]. A basic physical question addressed in these works is, to what extent does the occurrence of different dipole transition moments and Rabi frequencies in a multilevel system cause coherent effects to cancel, perhaps leading to behavior that can be described by rate equations? In this paper we describe a general method for addressing this and related questions in systems which possess many radiatively connected levels (Fig.1), as well as many spatial (M) levels.
Monolithic transformers in a five metal CMOS process

Four monolithic transformers and an inductor are fabricated in a 5 metal CMOS process with varying number of turns and metal thicknesses. The S-parameters are measured from 500 MHz to 5.5 GHz, and equivalent lumped element models are extracted to calculate the differential quality factor vs. frequency. The transformers demonstrated significantly higher quality factors peaking at higher frequencies compared to the inductor.
PRACTITIONERS CORNER: A Note on the Empirical Power of Unit Root Tests under Threshold Processes†

Unit root tests are frequently used to test long-run economic relationships. However, many of these relationships are not expected to follow simple time-series processes due to transaction costs boundaries or thresholds. This paper finds that the power of unit root tests in detecting long-run equilibrium relationships can be significantly diminished by the existence of transaction costs. The authors' results call into question the efficacy of unit root tests in the presence of transactions costs. Copyright 1993 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
PMI: a scalable parallel process-management interface for extreme-scale systems

Parallel programming models on large-scale systems require a scalable system for managing the processes that make up the execution of a parallel program. The process-management system must be able to launch millions of processes quickly when starting a parallel program and must provide mechanisms for the processes to exchange the information needed to enable them communicate with each other. MPICH2 and its derivatives achieve this functionality through a carefully defined interface, called PMI, that allows different process managers to interact with the MPI library in a standardized way. In this paper, we describe the features and capabilities of PMI. We describe both PMI-1, the current generation of PMI used in MPICH2 and all its derivatives, as well as PMI-2, the second-generation of PMI that eliminates various shortcomings in PMI-1. Together with the interface itself, we also describe a reference implementation for both PMI-1 and PMI-2 in a new processmanagement framework within MPICH2, called Hydra, and compare their performance in running MPI jobs with thousands of processes.
Designing low voltage microcontrollers into portable products

From the equipment provider' perspective, high volume is required to achieve cost competitiveness, and providing a variety of features is necessary to reach the high volume. In the wireless communications market, many different standards and competing technologies are being used. Flexibility and power control are the essential requirements to compete in this market. This paper will show that low voltage microcontrollers (MCUs) can be exploited to provide the required flexibility and power control. Specifically, the 68HC16 and 68300 microcontrollers will be discussed to show their advantages in low-power applications such as portable cellular systems.
Short paroxysms of impure auricular flutter probably induced by normal sinus beats

Abstract Electrocardiograms of a patient with transient auricular fibrillation and flutter and complete A-V heart block are presented. Further tracings, taken immediately after the resumption of normal sinus activity, show short paroxysms of what is believed to be impure flutter induced by normal sinus beats. Some experimental evidence tending to support this view is mentioned.
OPTIMAL VIBRATION CONTROL BY THE USE OF PIEZOCERAMIC SENSORS AND ACTUATORS

In this paper, a discrete degrees of freedom model has been formulated for a structural dynamic system consisting of a linear elastic structure, bonded piezoceramic sensors and actuators, and a feedback signal conditioning system. In addition, an optimal control procedure based on the minimization of a quadratic performance index of state and control vectors has been developed that uses output feedback methods. Finally, the application of the model and the control technique has been demonstrated through the example of a linear elastic beam with piezoceramic sensors and actuators occupying discrete subdomains of the beam upper and lower surfaces. A model for the linear elastic beam has been obtained by using test results and a structural dynamic system identification method based on an equation error approach. Results for various weights in the performance index are included, and implications for future applications are discussed. N the past few years, there has been considerable research activity in the field of active and passive control of vibra- tions of flexible structures. One of the methods of active con- trol of vibrations, termed "electronic damping" in some of the early literature,1'6 involves the placement of piezoceramic devices on a structure to sense and control dynamic strains induced by structural vibrations. The deformation of a sens- ing transducer results in an electrical current that is condi- tioned by operations such as amplification and shifting of the phase of the signal. The conditioned signal is then applied to another piezoceramic, electrostrictive, or magnetostrictive device placed at a selected location on the structure. This trans- ducer acts as an actuator and transmits mechanical energy to the structure. Depending on the applied voltage, electrome- chanical coupling of the forcing transducer to the structure, and the location of the transducers, a degree of vibration control of flexible structures can be achieved. To date, applica- tions of the aforementioned scheme have primarily been in the area of large space structures, such as in the work of Crawley and Deluis,7 but the scheme is applicable to any structure with lightweight components. This type of active control offers unique features that are not usually employed for control of structural vibrations. The dynamics of direct contact type sensors and actuators permit a wide frequency range of control. A measure of tunability is provided for the control of structural systems that age or grow. Finally, this method adds little mass to the controlled flexible structure so that the existing plant model does not need to be modified to account for the mass of the transducers. To utilize the advantages of piezoceramic transducers, it is necessary to select appropriate positions of the transducers and to select the sensor signals that are to be fed back to the actuators. The problem of selecting the locations of the transducers is a complete problem in itself and thus will not be addressed in this paper. There has been some work in
Developing carbonate platforms: Southern Gulf of Suez, northern Red Sea

Abstract The Ashrafi reef complex represents two small (∼8–10 × ∼2 km) carbonate platforms and associated shoals located along the western side of the Jubal Strait at the Gulf of Suez's southern end. These features are developing in an active marine environment that is operating within the geologic constraints of a tectonic trough characterized by mountainous fault-controlled margins. Origin of the platforms is uncertain, but the present morphology appears to be a product of the dynamic marine setting in which they are developing. Tidal flow between the Red Sea and the Gulf results in strong rectilinear currents (commonly >50 cm s −1 ). Of the current velocities, 5–10 cm s −1 can be attributed to surface currents driven by a regional, unidirectional wind that blows from north to south down the axis of the Gulf throughout the year. Side-scan sonar data, coupled with echo-sounder profiles, direct observations via Scuba, and bottom sampling indicate that the Ashrafi platforms are actively building northward by windward reef accretion and extending to the south by sediment transport and accumulation. The drumstick shape is a product of wave-induced reef development along the northern margin and sediment distribution forced by strong tidal currents, which, coupled with unidirectional wind drift, favors net transport to the south. Small reefs and hard-grounds along the downdrift platform flanks assume a linearity consistent with the long axis of the platform. The intensely mounded sediment of the platform flanks suggests that bioejection of particles in the mound-building process, together with a strong flow field, is a downdrift sediment transport agent. Although the ambient salinity of surrounding Gulf water is ∼41‰ , platform-top water masses were measured at >47‰ . A lack of significant coral growth on the shallow platform top and the almost total exclusion of sediment-producing calcareous green algae may be related to these hypersaline conditions. Sediments for the platform flanks are largely provided by the breakdown of platform margin reef communities and in-situ organisms (largely foraminifera).
Measures of Jupiter photographs—1973 apparition

A description of the 1972 Jupiter apparition, the morphology of some features, latitude and longitude measures of spots, rotation periods of spots, and latitude drifts of belts are given. Atmospheric currents observed in 1972 are compared with the mean rotation period. Interpretations are made of a few events.
Diazinon-induced endocrine disruption in bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus.

Abstract An attempt to reveal endocrine disruption in bluegill fish (Lepomis macrochirus) upon exposure to diazinon was made. Fish blood serum was collected and estradiol levels were measured following times of exposure to 60 μg / L of diazinon. Samples were drawn from the fish during each exposure period of 24,48,72, and 96 h and 1 and 2 weeks. The sample estradiol levels were compared to those of a control. Ovarian tissue was examined. As necrosis increased within the ovaries, estradiol blood serum levels altered from those of the control sample (101 pg / mL ) . Histopathology within the follicles became apparent as exposure time to diazinon increased. The changes in the ovarian follicles can be correlated to the estradiol levels in the blood. Mean estradiol level for the control group was 101.53 pg / mL . Estradiol levels from the trial groups varied from those of the control ( 24 h , undetectable; 48 h , 74.04 pg / mL ; 72 h , 57.16 pg / mL ; 96 h , 39.15 pg / mL ; 1 week, 66.50 pg / mL ; 2 weeks, undetectable). It seems that the initial shock experienced by the fish after 24 h of exposure resulted in an undetectable level of estradiol. The level of estradiol initially ascended, but it began to decline and after 1 week of exposure it ascended a little and became undetectable after 2 weeks. Nevertheless, throughout the exposure period the level of estradiol was lower than normal. Severe damage to the mature oocytes may be the reason for undetectable levels of estradiol after 2 weeks of exposure.
Medication Dispensing Errors and Potential Adverse Drug Events before and after Implementing Bar Code Technology in the Pharmacy

The authors measured the results of using bar code technology to identify drugs in a hospital pharmacy. Compared with the preimplementation period, dispensing errors and potential adverse drug even...
Assessment of social phobia: Reliability of an impromptu speech task

Abstract As part of a pretreatment assessment battery, social phobics were required to participate in two impromptu speech tasks, scheduled one week apart. The reliability of psysiological, cognitive, and behavioral variables collected during the speech was assessed. The results indicated that the data collected during this task were consistent across the two assessment periods, indicating the reliability of this procedure for the behavioral assessment of social phobia. The results are discussed in terms of the usefulness of this procedure in assessing various dimensions of social phobia.
An introduction to the STEM

It is particularly appropriate for this Journal to devote one of its issues to the subject of the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) and its uses because the initial stimulus for its invention was precisely the problem of discerning ultrastructural details in biological material. To a large extent the capabilities of the instrument have been shown to offer the potential of solving many such problems and what is most needed today is to put such instruments in the hands of biologists together with the information on how and when to use them. This issue should go a long way in satisfying this latter need. The purpose of this article is to try to provide a setting for the more detailed expositions which follow. In order to do this we must necessarily give a very general treatment and avoid detail. In addition, we will concentrate on those aspects of the STEM which apply to biological uses, and we will therefore ignore the more esoteric applications, such as convergent beam diffraction patterns.
Selective evaluation of noise, blur, and aliasing artifacts in fast MRI reconstructions using a weighted perceptual difference model: Case-PDM

The perceptual difference model (Case-PDM) is being used to quantify image quality of fast, parallel MR acquisitions and reconstruction algorithms as compared to slower, full k-space, high quality reference images. To date, most perceptual difference models average image quality over a wide range of image degradations. Here, we create metrics weighted to different types of artifacts. The selective PDM is tuned using test images from an input reference image degraded by noise, blur, or aliasing. Using an objective function based on the computation of diffusivity and edges applied to the output perceptual difference map, cortex channels in the PDM are arranged in a matrix and weighted by a 2D Gaussian function to ensure maximal response to each artifact in turn. PDM scores were compared to human ratings across a large set of MR reconstruction test images of varying quality. Human ratings (i.e. overall, noise, blur, and aliasing ratings) were obtained from a modified Double Stimulus Continuous Quality Scale experiment. For 3 different image types (brain, cardiac, and phantom), averaged r values [PDM, noise-PDM, blur-PDM, aliasing-PDM] were [0.933±0.018, 0.938±0.015, 0.727±0.106, 0.500±0.193], which with the possible exception of aliasing compared favorably inter-subject correlation [0.936±0.028, 0.856±0.064, 0.539±0.230, 0.767±0.125], respectively. With continued fine tuning, we believe that the weighted Case-PDM score will be useful for selectively evaluating artifacts in fast MR imaging.