cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermoelectric Graphene Nano-Constrictions as Detectors of Microwave Signals

Microwave power detectors were realized using nano-constrictions fabricated from commercially-available monolayer graphene, synthesized by means of chemical vapor deposition. The graphene nano-constrictions (GNCs) were fabricated so as to shunt the inner discs to the concentric outer annuli of micrometer-scale Corbino disc test structures. The test structure was fabricated on a layer of electrically-insulating silicon dioxide situated on an electrically-conductive, doped silicon substrate. The substrate was used as a gate for controlling the Fermi level in the nano-constriction. Probe station measurements were conducted on a detector with nano-constriction dimensions of 500 nanometers in width and 5 micrometers in length. The annulus of this device was electrically grounded and held in thermal equilibrium with chassis of the probe station. Measurements obtained with a vector network analyzer provided the reflection coefficient of the detector. Using a test signal frequency of 433.92 MHz, microwave power detection characterizations, which accounted for signal reflection, revealed a peak detection sensitivity of 60.25 mV/mW. The gate voltage dependence of the power detection sensitivity was found to be strongly correlated with that of the Mott formula used for calculating the Seebeck coefficient of graphene. This observation suggests that localized microwave heating of the inner disc, relative to the temperature of the outer annulus, establishes a thermal gradient across the nano-constriction and results in a thermoelectric response that is proportional to the power level of the incident microwave signal.
Cluster Based Methodology for Scheduling a University Shuttle System

A university transit service owns and operates a shuttle fleet that serves thousands of students that reside on and around the campus within a fairly compact area as a special form of public transi...
Effect of Shortened Preclinical Curriculum on Medical Student Musculoskeletal Knowledge and Confidence: An Institutional Survey

Purpose Musculoskeletal education is underrepresented in American medical school curricula, and many medical schools have recently shifted toward a condensed preclinical period. Given that musculoskeletal diseases represent a large and growing social and economic burden, it is imperative that medical students be properly prepared to care for patients with musculoskeletal disorders, regardless of intended specialty. Methods A survey was sent to all medical students enrolled full-time at our institution during the 2018 to 2019 academic year. First year students had not yet received musculoskeletal instruction, second-year students had completed a shortened musculoskeletal curriculum of 49 total hours, and third- and fourth-year respondents had completed a longer 78 hour musculoskeletal curriculum. Respondents were asked to rank their confidence in their musculoskeletal knowledge, their interest in orthopaedics, followed by the well-validated Freedman and Bernstein musculoskeletal knowledge assessment and a demographics section asking had respondents completed an orthopaedic surgery clinical rotation, if they had other clinical orthopaedic experience, class year, intended clinical specialty, and gender. Results There were 179 responses to the survey, comprising 53 first-year, 54 second-year, and 72 third- and fourth-year students. The longer musculoskeletal curriculum was associated with significantly improved performance compared to the shorter musculoskeletal curriculum (p Conclusions As shortening preclinical musculoskeletal curricula worsens musculoskeletal performance, medical schools should consider requiring orthopedic clinical rotations to maintain musculoskeletal competency of graduates.
Heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry

The present conference on heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry considers such topics concerning clusters, particles and microparticles as common problems in nucleation and growth, chemical kinetics, and catalysis, chemical reactions with aerosols, electron beam studies of natural and anthropogenic microparticles, and structural studies employing molecular beam techniques, as well as such gas-solid interaction topics as photoassisted reactions, catalyzed photolysis, and heterogeneous catalysis. Also discussed are sulfur dioxide absorption, oxidation, and oxidation inhibition in falling drops, sulfur dioxide/water equilibria, the evidence for heterogeneous catalysis in the atmosphere, the importance of heterogeneous processes to tropospheric chemistry, soot-catalyzed atmospheric reactions, and the concentrations and mechanisms of formation of sulfate in the atmospheric boundary layer.
Scenarios and Trends of the Future

Are we humans freely choosing our future societal and economic organization, or does our organization emerge in response to physical laws as we interact with the natural world around us? We do not have to explain the human economy in the context of only social rules or natural laws independently from each other. Not only can we use both social rules and physical laws to assess the constraints and possibilities for future energy and economic scenarios, we absolutely must. In assessing the current state of society and possible future trajectories, we can and should update our assessments and narratives to be consistent with observations. There are many ways to think about what the future might hold, and many ways to be wrong. This chapter summarizes a set of four different broad trajectories for the future, ranging from continuous growth and technological advancement to collapse. In this chapter the reader is asked to contemplate and continue a discussion whether we can understand why certain policies and forms of economic organization endure more than others. Can we control, or should we kill the economic superorganism that seems to pursue economic growth and increasing energy consumption?
Selenite and selenate removal in a permeable flow-through bioelectrochemical barrier.

Abstract This study demonstrated the removal of selenite and selenate in flow-through permeable bioelectrochemical barriers (microbial electrolysis cells, MECs). The bioelectrochemical barriers consisted of cathode and anode electrode compartments filled with granular carbon or metallurgical coke. A voltage of 1.4 V was applied to the electrodes to enable the bioelectrochemical removal of selenium species. For comparison, a similarly designed permeable anaerobic biobarrier filled with granular carbon was operated without voltage. All biobarrier setups were fed with water containing up to 5,000 µg L−1 of either selenite or selenate and 70 mg L−1 of acetate as a source of organic carbon. Significant removal of selenite and selenate was observed in MEC experimental setups, reaching 99.5–99.8% over the course of the experiment, while in the anaerobic biobarrier the removal efficiency did not exceed 88%. By simultaneously operating several setups and changing operating parameters (selenium species, influent Se and acetate concentrations, etc.) we demonstrated enhanced removal of Se species under bioelectrochemical conditions.
Did Fire, Police, and EMS Departments Take Advantage of the 9/11 Attacks to Get More Money?

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 increased U.S. patriotism, but did they affect voting behavior? Did fire, police, and EMS departments sense an opportunity to increase their funding after the highly-publicized rescue efforts? We find no evidence of more frequently proposed tax levies as a result of 9/11. However, we find that fire and police departments asked for 25% and 39% larger tax levies. Support for police levies was essentially unchanged, and voters decreased their support for fire levies by only 1.3 percentage points. We find no change in size of or support for EMS, recreation, or road levies.
The Jurisdictional Conflict Between Regional Trade Agreements and The World Trade Organization

The number of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) between countries has significantly increased over the past few decades. RTA may include rights and obligations that are parallel to those of WTO agreement, and provide for its own dispute settlement mechanism that is different from WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU). This forum clause allows parties to both RTA and WTO to litigate their dispute outside the DSU. This article addresses the issue of jurisdictional conflict between the RTAs and the WTO dispute mechanism over a claim that is violative of both WTO and RTA’s obligations. The main question this article answers is whether it is possible for the forum clause incorporated in RTA to divest the jurisdiction of WTO if invoked during the proceeding. This article analyzes a number of cases and RTAs involving a choice of forum clause before the WTO panel. This paper proceeds to examine different legal principles to find a legal justification to reconcile the jurisdictional scope of both RTA and WTO. As in current international legal principles do not offer an effective solution, this paper suggests that DSU should be amended to provide a set of rules governing the conflict between the RTA and WTO jurisdictions.
Shared Tobacco Cessation Curriculum Website for Health Professionals: Longitudinal Analysis of User and Utilization Data Over a Period of 15 Years.

Background: Because tobacco use is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, it is essential to prepare health care providers to assist patients with quitting smoking. Created in 1999, the “Rx for Change” tobacco cessation curriculum was designed to fill an educational gap in cessation training of health professional students. In 2004, a website was launched to host teaching materials and tools to support the efforts of educators and clinicians. Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize users and utilization of a website hosting shared teaching materials over a period of 15 years. Methods: Data from the Rx for Change website have been collected prospectively since its inception. In this study, end-user data were analyzed to determine user characteristics, how they heard about the website, intended use of the materials, and numbers of logins and file downloads over time. Results: Total number of website registrants was 15,576, representing all 50 states in the United States and 94 countries. The most represented discipline was pharmacy (6393/15,505, 41.2%), and nearly half of users were students or residents. The most common source of referral to the website was a faculty member or colleague (33.4%, 2591/7758), and the purpose of enhancing personal knowledge and skills was the most commonly cited intended use of the curricular materials. A total of 259,835 file downloads occurred during the 15-year period, and the most commonly downloaded file type was ancillary handouts. Conclusions: The Rx for Change website demonstrated sustained use, providing immediate access to tobacco cessation teaching and practice tools for educators and clinicians over the first 15 years of its existence. The website has a broad interprofessional reach, and the consistent utilization over time and large number of downloads provide evidence for the feasibility and utility of a public-access website hosting teaching materials. The shared curriculum approach averts the need for educators to create their own materials for teaching tobacco cessation to students in the health professions.
Management of Acute, Uncomplicated Type B Aortic Dissection.

For decades, the mainstay of management for acute, uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (TBAD) has been anti–impulse medical therapy, focusing on close control of blood pressure, and heart rate. However, the natural history of this entity has remained one of aortic degeneration over time and significant morbidity and mortality. More recently, the advent of endovascular therapy has driven a revolution in the management of TBAD. While thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) was rapidly adopted for the treatment of complicated type B aortic dissection due to significantly improved morbidity and mortality when compared with tradition open surgical techniques, its role in the management of uncomplicated dissection remained controversial. However, the accumulation of favorable data on aortic remodeling and survival following early TEVAR for uncomplicated dissection is driving a shift in paradigm and practice. This is particularly true of patients exhibiting certain features at the time of presentation that are associated with increased risk of failure of optimal medical therapy. This article reviews the current evidence in the literature addressing TEVAR for acute, uncomplicated TBAD. In addition, it presents the state of the art in FDA-approved thoracic endograft platforms, guidance regarding case planning, and step-by-step procedural description, including the management of common challenges, and complications.
Imaging in drug development

Abstract New, more efficient drug discovery paradigms could fundamentally allow evaluation of a greater number of targets, many of which today have only preclinical face validity, and prevent late-stage testing and extensive human exposure to molecules that have no chance of clinical success. Stopping work on targets and mechanisms that show little early evidence of significant biological benefit allows clinical development resources and energy to be focused on the best candidates and the best-validated hypotheses. Thus the use of biomarkers has the promise to reinvigorate the drug discovery process through improved success rates that help bring useful medicines to patients sooner. This chapter covers the promise and challenges of using imaging biomarkers in drug development with examples from oncology, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, bone biology, and central nervous system disorders.
Anti-membrane and anti-spike antibodies are long-lasting and together discriminate between past COVID-19 infection and vaccination

The consequences of past COVID-19 infection for personal health and long-term population immunity are only starting to be revealed. Unfortunately, detecting past infection is currently a challenge, limiting clinical and research endeavors. Widely available anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests cannot differentiate between past infection and vaccination given vaccine-induced anti-spike antibodies and the rapid loss of infection-induced anti-nucleocapsid antibodies. Anti-membrane antibodies develop after COVID-19, but their long-term persistence is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that anti-membrane IgG is a sensitive and specific marker of past COVID-19 infection and persists at least one year. We also confirm that anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) Ig is a long-lasting, sensitive, and specific marker of past infection and vaccination, while anti-nucleocapsid IgG lacks specificity and quickly declines after COVID-19. Thus, a combination of anti-membrane and anti-RBD antibodies can accurately differentiate between distant COVID-19 infection, vaccination, and naive states to advance public health, individual healthcare, and research goals.
Ancillary Studies in FNAC of Soft Tissue and Bone Lesions

Fine needle aspiration biopsy is useful in the diagnosis of bone and soft tissue tumors, especially for superficial primary sarcomas and metastatic or recurrent disease. The rinse of the biopsy needle often generates an adequate tissue for cell block preparation, which is a valuable source of specimen for ancillary studies. Ancillary studies generally include immunocytochemistry (IHC), cytogenetic karyotyping, flow cytometry, electron microscopy (EM), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and mutational analysis. Karyotyping (will detect structural and numerical chromosomal abnormality when sarcoma is suspected, Table 9.1) and flow cytometry (will detect the clonality when lymphoma is suspected) require fresh tumor sample.
Maternal deaths associated with an intrauterine device

Abstract Five midtrimester maternal deaths and several severe cases of sepsis associated more commonly with the shield type of intrauterine divice are presented. The apparent development of generalized sepsis before localized signs or symptoms are made known is a feature of greates concern. The question of whether this pattern is associated with a certain type of device and the management of intrauterine devices in the pregnant uterus are discussed.
Two-dimensional signal gating for low-power array multiplier design

Two-dimensional (2-D) signal gating schemes are proposed for low-power array multiplier design. 2-D gating provides gating lines for both multiplicand and multiplier operands. Different regions of the multiplier are dynamically deactivated according to the actual precision of each operand. Bit-level implementation is studied in order to minimize the gating overhead and make a realistic evaluation. Compared to previous work, the 2-D signal gating is better in terms of power consumption, power-delay product and power-area product.
2D MOSFET operation of a fully-depleted bulk MoS 2 at quasi-flatband back-gate

In this paper, 2D MOSFET operation of a fully-depleted double-gate bulk MoS 2 is studied at a quasi-flatband of the back-gate for the first time. Several key device parameters such as equivalent oxide thickness (EOT), carrier concentration, flatband voltage, dielectric constant and carrier mobility were extracted from I-V and C-V characteristics and at room temperature. In a similar operation to the inversion-mode SOI MOSFETs in [1], the backgate was used to keep a sheet of mobile charges on the flake back-side by its quasi-flatband operation at a fixed voltage (0 V). Afterward, the top-gate was used as the active gate to perform mobile charge accumulation or depletion in the channel. Fig. 1 shows the device architecture together with the high frequency R-C equivalent circuit model for this underlap gate architecture. Fig. 2 represents the top-view microscope picture of the fabricated MoS 2 bulk MOSFET with a flake thickness of 38 nm, measured by AFM. The fabrication steps include mechanical exfoliation of MoS 2 crystals on a 260 nm thick oxidized Si substrate, e-beam lithography to make S/D pads, 50 nm Ni by thermal evaporation and lift-off, gate patterning, high-k/metal-gate stack deposition (1 nm of SiO x by thermal evaporation, 11 nm of ZrO 2 by ALD deposition at 105 °C, 30 nm of Ni by thermal evaporation) and lift-off. The measurements were done at room temperature using an Agilent B1500A Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer. Fig. 3 shows its I d -V g , reporting a subthreshold slope of 110 mV/dec. and I on /I off of ∼1×105, both at V ds =100 mV.
Seeing: machine vision

Even though computer vision systems are not able to match the ability of biological vision in dealing with complex scenes, many problems are being solved. Often multiple sensors are used, including stereo cameras, structured light patterns, laser light striping, and multiple optical wave lengths. The use of sensor fusion to combine information from these multiple sensors provides robust and high speed systems. As computer, electronic and sensor technology develops, this application of multiple types of sensors with high speed data fusion can be expected to increase and provide more robust systems for the future. >
Management of splenic "incidentalomas" found on ultrasound and computed tomography

Splenic “incidentalomas” are focal lesions of the spleen that are discovered on imaging studies that were performed for the evaluation of non-spleen related pathology. These lesions are frequently encountered on CT and ultrasound examinations. Most incidental focal splenic lesions are benign, however a systematic approach to evaluating these lesions is important, because many benign and malignant splenic masses share common imaging features [1,2].
Molecular Aspects of Development in the Brine Shrimp Artemia

Publisher Summary The brine shrimp Artemia possesses an unusual reproductive cycle. This chapter discusses the molecular aspects of development in the brine shrimp Artemia . The molecular aspects of development examined in the chapter are (1) the amount and activity of polypeptide-chain-initiation-factors in embryos before and after the resumption of development; (2) the nature of the stored message; (3) the way transcripts are selected for translation; and (4) changes in mRNA content during the early stages of development. Polypeptide-chain initiation is also outlined in the chapter. The first two steps in the initiation process are the recognition of the initiator tRNA by chain-initiation-factor 2 (eIF2) and the selection of a message in the formation of 40-S initiation complex. Several ancillary factors stimulate eIF2 activity in the formation and binding of the ternary complex (eIF2.GTP.Met-tRNAf) to 40-S ribosomal subunits. After the formation of the 40-S preinitiation complex, the message with its cap-binding proteins binds to the ribosomal subunit to form the 40-S initiation complex. Recruitment of a message by mRNA-binding proteins is influenced by the nature of the message, which may include capping, methylation, secondary structure, or proteins associated with the RNA.
Methods for the Design and Analysis of Replicate-Experiment Studies to Establish Assay Reproducibility and the Equivalence of Two Potency Assays

Statistical parameters estimated in validation studies to establish the reliability of single-concentration assays, such as the Signal Window and Z'-Factor, are well established. These statistics do not ensure that potency estimates from concentration–response assays will be sufficiently reliable for structure–activity relationship use. The minimum significant ratio (MSR) was proposed as a statistical parameter to estimate the precision of potency estimates from concentration–response assays. This article focuses on the statistical models describing the data generated from biochemical concentration–response assays and the statistical properties of the outcomes. Keywords: parameter estimation; minimum significant ratio (MSR); statistical models; biochemical concentration–response assays
Exploratory Experiments in Direct Evaluation of Renal Metabolic Capabilities

In experiments on bloodless maintenance of the kidney during renal surgery, some ancillary observations were made to test the idea that the canine kidney in situ could satisfactorily be so used to study renal metabolism. Results of these tentative biochemical experiments are reported here in the hope that others will be encouraged to continue them.
Why Does the U.S. Intervene Abroad? Democracy, Human Rights Violations, and Terrorism

Democracy, human rights, and terrorism are major foreign policy issues. However, among these issues, what do U.S. leaders care about most? This study assesses the degree to which Washington responds militarily to threats to democratic institutions, human rights abuses, and terrorist activity in other countries. Based on a cross-national, time-series data analysis of 164 countries for the years 1981-2005, this study presents empirical models that evaluate the relative importance of these issues for contemporary American foreign and security policy. It turns out that, all other things being equal, the U.S. is likely to engage in military campaigns for humanitarian reasons that focus on human rights protection rather than for its own security interests such as democracy promotion or terrorism reduction. This finding is extremely robust and reinforced by case illustrations that support a causal explanation for U.S. intervention with a basic and sustained place for human rights protection.
Suspended dust concentrations and size distributions, and qualitative analysis of inorganic particles, from woodworking operations

Over 100 total suspended particulate (TSP) samples were collected from hardwood and softwood machining operations at stationary sites in twelve workplaces, as a preliminary industrial hygiene survey of furniture manufacturing and related processes. Cascade impactor samples were collected to obtain particle sizing information. Using scanning electron microscopy, in combination with backscattered electron imaging and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, inorganic dust particles were detected and analyzed in randomly selected TSP samples. The highest measured dust levels were from sanding operations (4.5 mg/m3 from hardwood sanding, 3.2 mg/m3 from pine sanding) with furniture assembly and finish-milling (detailed wood working) ranging from 1.5 mg/m3 to 2.8 mg/m3. The highest TSP sample was 14.3 mg/m3 from a pine-sanding area. Size information showed no more than 1.3 mg/m3 below 5.5 micrometers or 3.3 mg/m3 below 14.1 micrometers in any cascade impactor sample. Numerous non-wood particles were found in TSP sampl...
Abnormal calcium homeostasis in astrocytes from the trisomy 16 mouse.

The regulation of intracellular Ca2+ was investigated in cultured astrocytes from the trisomy 16 (Ts16) mouse, an animal model for Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The cytoplasmic ionized Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) was determined using digital imaging of fura-2-loaded cells. The relative Ca2+ content of internal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stores was estimated from the magnitude of the transient increase in [Ca2+]cyt induced by cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), an inhibitor of Ca2+ sequestration into ER stores. At rest, the average [Ca2+]cyt was 140 nM in euploid (normal) astrocytes, but over twice as high, 320 nM, in Ts16 cells. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, CPA induced a transient increase in [Ca2+]cyt to over 1200 nM in Ts16 astrocytes as compared to only 500 nM in euploid cells, indicating an increased amount of Ca2+ in the Ts16 astrocyte ER. In contrast to euploid astrocytes, both resting [Ca2+]cyt and the amount of Ca2+ in the ER stores varied widely among individual Ts16 astrocytes. These results show that Ts16 produces a dysregulation of Ca2+ homeostasis leading to increased cytoplasmic and stored Ca2+. Since increases in [Ca2+]cyt have been implicated in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases, including AD, this finding of abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis in a genetic model of human neurological disorders suggests that Ca2+ dysregulation may be a common feature underlying neurodegenerative processes. GLIA 19:352–368, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Androgen‐Dependent and ‐Independent Aromatase Activity Coexists with Androgen Receptors in Male Guinea‐Pig Brain

Abstract Using a microdissection technique we localized androgen receptors and aromatase activity (AA) in the brain of male guinea-pigs. In addition, we evaluated the effects of castration and androgen replacement on androgen receptor dynamics and induction of AA. In the castrate animal, cytosolic androgen receptor content was highest in the basal hypothalamus, specifically in the median eminence-arcuate nucleus (> 15 fmol mg protein (1)), while lesser levels were found in the preoptic regions and amygdala. Nuclear receptor content was highest (> 150 fmol mg DNA (-1)) in the median eminence-arcuate nucleus, periventricular region of the preoptic area and cortical amygdala. All regions investigated showed a significant decrease in nuclear receptors following castration and an increase with androgen replacement. However, reciprocal changes in cytosolic androgen receptors were not always evident. Aromatase activity was high in the cortical amygdala, medial amygdala, periventricular region of the preoptic area and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Castration and androgen replacement had significant stimulatory effects on AA in the ventral medial hypothalamus, median eminence-arcuate nucleus, cortical amygdala and periventricular regions of the preoptic area and anterior hypothalamus. Thus, androgen receptors and AA are unevenly distributed throughout the subcortical regions of the male guinea-pig brain and respond differently to endocrine stimuli. Our data demonstrate that AA is androgen-dependent in some subcortical regions which contain androgen receptors. Even though nuclear receptors in all brain regions were affected by castration and dihydrotestosterone treatment, the events were not always linked to AA regulation. Due to this difference in regulation, AA may serve divergent functions in guinea-pig brain.
Evidence, belief, and action: the failure of equipoise to resolve the ethical tension in the randomized clinical trial.

Clinical research employing the randomized clinical trial has, traditionally, been understood to pose an ethical dilemma. On the one hand, each patient ought to get the treatment that best meets her needs, as judged by the patient in consultation with her doctor. On the other hand, the method most helpful to advancing our understanding about what treatments are indeed best able to meet patient needs is the randomized trial, which necessitates that each patient's care is decided not by physician judgment or patient choice but instead by random assignment. The tension can be described as a conflict between the interests of individual patients who are sick today, and the interests of the group of people who will become sick in the future and would benefit from advances in medical understanding. How one ought to balance these important and often competing interests is an important ethical question that resists easy resolution.
Remote sensing of three-dimensional cirrus clouds from satellites: application to continuous-wave laser atmospheric transmission and backscattering

A satellite remote sensing methodology has been developed to retrieve 3D ice water content (IWC) and mean effective ice crystal size of cirrus clouds from satellite data on the basis of a combination of the conventional retrieval of cloud optical depth and particle size in a horizontal plane and a parameterization of the vertical cloud profile involving temperature from sounding and/or analysis. The inferred 3D cloud fields of IWC and mean effective ice crystal size associated with two impressive cirrus clouds that occurred in the vicinity of northern Oklahoma on 18 April 1997 and 9 March 2000, obtained from the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program, have been validated against the ice crystal size distributions that were collected independently from collocated and coincident aircraft optical probe measurements. The 3D cloud results determined from satellite data have been applied to the simulation of cw laser energy propagation, and we show the significance of 3D cloud geometry and inhomogeneity and spherical atmosphere on the transmitted and backscattered laser powers. Finally, we demonstrate that the 3D cloud fields derived from satellite remote sensing can be used for the 3D laser transmission and backscattering model for tactical application.
Threshold energy for the displacement of surface atoms in graphite

Abstract The energy required to displace a carbon atom from a site in the surface of a graphite crystal has been determined by the detection of surface vacancies resulting from the displacement process. Cleaved fragments, a few hundred Angstrom units thick from annealed natural crystals of graphite containing less than 10−10 vacancies per carbon atom were irradiated at room temperature with electrons of selected energies in the range from 100 to 200 keV. Preparation of these fragments by an etch-decoration technique and subsequent examination in an electron microscope indicated that irradiation by electrons possessing an energy of 150 keV was sufficient to produce vacancies in the surface of graphite; this corresponds to a threshold displacement energy of 31 eV, which is the value found for production in the interior. It was found necessary to take extreme precautions to protect the surface from chemical attack.
Monin-Obukhov Similarity for Refractive Index Revisited

Abstract Monin-Obukhov similarity applied to the real part of the refractive index variance n′2 is discussed. It is shown that, because the observed correlation coefficient rTQ between temperature and humidity is less than unity, scaling by n* = n′w′/u* (where u* is the friction velocity) makes the dimensionless variance n′2/n′*2 dependent on two dimensionless parameters, on dimensionless height z/L (where L is the Monin-Obukhov length), and on a parameter R, which is related to the Bowen ratio. As the Monin-Obukhov similarity framework is applied, a large scatter of the dimensionless refractive index variance is expected for certain values of the Bowen ratio. Such a scatter can be eliminated if a new scale N*, defined as a combination of temperature and humidity scales, is employed.
Analytic derivation of comparisons in binary search

Numerous authors of programming texts and algorithms / data structures texts develop code for the binary search. The common implementation is one in which the loop contains two comparisons for three outcomes --- the key is to the left of the midpoint, to the right of the midpoint, or exactly at the midpoint --- Implementation A below.
Bariatric surgery: A safe and effective conduit to cardiac transplantation

Abstract Background Obesity and obesity-related co-morbidities, including advanced heart failure, are epidemic. Some of these patients will progress to require cardiac allografts as the only means of long-term survival. Unfortunately, without adequate weight loss, they may never be deemed acceptable transplant candidates. Often surgical weight loss may be the only effective and durable option for these complex patients. The objective of this study was to assess whether bariatric surgery is feasible and safe in patients with severe heart failure, which in turn, after adequate weight loss, would allow these patients to be listed for a heart transplant. Methods Four patients who underwent bariatric procedures, such as laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG), for the purpose of attaining adequate weight loss with the goal to improve their eligibility for orthotopic heart transplants are presented. Results All patients did well around the time of surgery, and 3 of the 4 progressed to receiving a heart transplant. The fourth patient will be listed pending attaining adequate weight loss. Conclusion Bariatric surgery may be an important bridge to transplantation for morbidly obese patients with severe heart failure. With the appropriate infrastructure, bariatric surgery is a feasible and effective weight loss method in this population.
The Disappearing January/Turn of the Year Effect: Evidence From Stock Index Futures and Cash Markets

This study examines the returns, relative to the S&P 500, on cash indices and futures tracking smaller stocks around the turn of the year. While we control for volatility clustering, return autocorrelation in small stock indices, and other calendar effects, our main focus is the evolution of the turn of the year effect through time: in particular, whether the effect is smaller or takes place earlier subsequent to the introduction of the S&P Midcap and Russell 2000 futures in 1993. We find that evidence of a traditional turn of the year effect, in both cash and futures, is confined to the pre-1993 period. Post-1993, there are no abnormal returns during the turn of the year window as a whole. Interestingly, returns in this period remain high on the last trading day of December, but they are negative across the first five trading days of January. In addition, post-1993, we often observe significant abnormal returns prior to the traditional turn of the year, i.e., in the pre-Christmas and post-Christmas windows. Taken together, our results suggest that market participants may be eliminating the turn of the year effect with the aid of two new futures contracts that are well suited to this purpose. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 24:755–784, 2004
The generation problem and the symplectic group

The generation structure of quarks and leptons is studied in a series of extended electroweak models. They are gauge models constructed from subgroups of left-right symmetric SU(4) × SPL(6) × SPR(6). In particular, SUC(3) × SPL(6) × UY(1), as well as SUC(3) × SUL(3) × SUR(3) × UX(1), are investigated in greater detail. It is shown that models based on such subgroups yield massless first generation fermions at the tree level. They acquire masses from those of the third generation via two-loop radiative corrections. Moreover, since such corrections are induced by charged scalar fields, it is found that there is a natural correlation between the two apparently conflicting inequalities mu mb.
Mean lives of some astrophysically important excited levels in carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.

A number of astrophysically important mean lives of levels in carbon, nitrogen and oxygen were measured with the beam-foil technique. New values are reported and compared with earlier theoretical and experimental values. Direct references to astrophysical applications are listed.
Architectural and histochemical diversity within the quadriceps femoris of the brown lemur (Lemur fulvus).

Physiologically related features of muscle morphology are considered with regard to functional adaptation for locomotor and postural behavior in the brown lemur (Lemur fulvus). Reduced physiological cross-sectional area, estimated maximum excursion of the tendon of insertion, length of tendon per muscle fasciculus, and areal fiber type composition were examined in the quadriceps femoris in order to assess the extent of a "division of labor" among four apparent synergists. Each of these four muscles in this prosimian primate displays a distinguishing constellation of morphological features that implies functional specialization during posture and normal locomotion (walk/run, galloping, leaping). Vastus medialis is best suited for rapid whole muscle recruitment and may be reserved for relatively vigorous activities such as galloping and leaping (e.g., small cross-sectional area per mass, long excursion, predominance of fast-low oxidative fibers, relatively little tendon per fasciculus). In theory, rectus femoris could be employed isometrically in order to store elastic strain energy during all phasic activities (e.g., large cross-sectional area per mass, short excursion, predominance of fast-high oxidative fibers, large amount of tendon per fasciculus). Vastus intermedius exhibits an overall morphology indicative of a typical postural muscle (e.g., substantial cross-sectional area, short excursion, predominance of slow-high oxidative fibers, large amount of tendon per fasciculus). The construction of vastus lateralis reflects an adaptation for high force, relatively high velocity, and resistance to fatigue (e.g., large cross-sectional area, long excursion, most heterogeneous distribution of fiber types, large amount of tendon per fasciculus); this muscle is probably the primary contributor to a wide range of locomotor behaviors in lemurs. Marked dramatic architectural disparity among the four bellies, coupled with relative overall fiber type heterogeneity, suggests the potential for exceptional flexibility in muscle recruitment within this mass. One interpretation of this relatively complex neuromuscular organization in the brown lemur is that it represents an adaptation for the exploitation of a three-dimensional arboreal environment by rapid quadrupedalism and leaping among irregular and spatially disordered substrates.
The Genetic Analysis Workshop 16 Problem 3: simulation of heritable longitudinal cardiovascular phenotypes based on actual genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the Framingham Heart Study

The Genetic Analysis Workshop (GAW) 16 Problem 3 comprises simulated phenotypes emulating the lipid domain and its contribution to cardiovascular disease risk. For each replication there were 6,476 subjects in families from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), with their actual genotypes for Affymetrix 550 k single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and simulated phenotypes. Phenotypes are simulated at three visits, 10 years apart. There are up to 6 "major" genes influencing variation in high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, LDL), and triglycerides (TG), and 1,000 "polygenes" simulated for each trait. Some polygenes have pleiotropic effects. The locus-specific heritabilities of the major genes range from 0.1 to 1.0%, under additive, dominant, or overdominant modes of inheritance. The locus-specific effects of the polygenes ranged from 0.002 to 0.15%, with effect sizes selected from negative exponential distributions. All polygenes act independently and have additive effects. Individuals in the LDL upper tail were designated medicated. Subjects medicated increased across visits at 2%, 5%, and 15%. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) was simulated using age, lipid levels, and CAC-specific polymorphisms. The risk of myocardial infarction before each visit was determined by CAC and its interactions with smoking and two genetic loci. Smoking was simulated to be commensurate with rates reported by the Centers for Disease Control. Two hundred replications were simulated.
Progressive tax reform and majority voting

In this paper, we have tried to explain why voters can turn down a measure which is supposed to increase the disposable income of a large majority of families. The reasons we advanced were the following:
Inhibition of MAPK Signaling Pathways by VopA from Vibrio parahaemolyticus

During infection, bacterial pathogens utilize a type III secretion system to inject effectors into the cytoplasm of a target cell where they disrupt the defense system of the host cell. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a causative agent of gastroenteritis endemic in Southeast Asia, has a type III secretion system that encodes a novel member of the YopJ-like protein effector family, VopA (Vibrio outer protein A). Our studies revealed that Vibrio VopA encodes an evolutionarily conserved activity that is extremely potent and requires an intact catalytic site to abrogate signaling pathways in a manner distinct from that of other YopJ-like effectors. We observed that VopA efficiently inhibits the MAPK signaling pathways but not the NFkappaB pathway in mammalian cells. When expressed in yeast, VopA induces a growth arrest phenotype and also blocks yeast MAPK signaling pathways. Our observations provide insight into the immense diversity of targets utilized by YopJ-like effectors to manipulate eukaryotic signaling machineries that are important for the response and survival of the host cell during infection and/or symbiosis.
Photodissociation of XeF2 at 193 nm

Abstract The absorption coefficient of XeF 2 has been measured at 193, 206, and 253 nm. The measurements have been compared with those of Black et al. and Jortner et al. The present measurements of XeF 2 absorption at 193 and 253 nm appear to resolve the discrepancy in those absorption measurements. Adjusting the data of these two previous investigations to match our values at these two wavelengths brings the two sets of measured absorption coefficients into agreement in the overlapping wavelength interval, 203–210 nm. We determined experimentally that one molecule of XeF 2 is dissociated for each photon absorbed at 193 nm.
Multispecies laser measurements of n‐butanol pyrolysis behind reflected shock waves

Interest in transportation biofuels is increasing due to the expanding demand for renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. n-Butanol (CH3CH2CH2CH2OH) is a particularly attractive alternative fuel. Compared to the more common renewable fuel, ethanol, n-butanol offers several advantages. It has a higher energy density, has a lower vapor pressure, is less hygroscopic, and is less corrosive. These factors make n-butanol more compatible with existing engines and distribution infrastructure [1].
The Influence of the Ground Substance on the Extracellular Water of Normal and Edematous Human Brain: Focal Edema and the Demyelinating Diseases, Including Multiple Sclerosis

The presence of a ground substance in brain provides a mechanism by which edema localized to one region of the white matter might occur without spreading diffusely into the adjacent tissues. The most common such localization is the sparing of the arcuate white matter when the deeper white matter is markedly edematous. This may be related to the higher concentration of mucopolysaccharides in the former. Petechial hemorrhages in the white matter may be surrounded by a zone free of edema, although the hemorrhagic zone itself is almost certainly edematous. This, and the presence of a central zone within some of the petechiae forming a ring hemorrhage may reflect the influence of the ground substance. Focal lesions of the dorsum of the corpus callosum and similar lesions of the basal surface of the pons, these probably due to traumatization by the contiguous falx or arteries, are characterized by myelin loss and axon preservation, a characteristic of edema; the surrounding tissues are not edematous. Severe hypertension is sometimes associated with the presence of clusters of focal perivenous demyelinating lesions in the white matter, the axons being preserved. These resemble the lesions of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and may be due to edema; they are surrounded by nonedematous white matter. It is suggested that the same concept may apply to the focal demyelinating lesions of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, multifocal leukoencephalopathy, central pontine myelinolysis and of multiple sclerosis, i.e. the "true" demyelinating diseases, just as has already been suggested for diffuse sclerosis.
Prospective health-related quality-of-life assessment in an initial cohort of patients undergoing robotic radical prostatectomy.

Abstract Objectives To prospectively assess the health-related quality-of-life outcomes of patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy using a validated patient self-assessment questionnaire. Methods Patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy between September 2003 and May 2005 were given the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite questionnaire preoperatively and 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months postoperatively. Patients with a minimum follow-up of 3 months were included in the analysis. The mean domain-specific health-related quality-of-life scores ± SD and the proportion of patients achieving their baseline scores were calculated. Multivariate proportional hazards regression analysis was used to determine the potential prognostic factors for a return to baseline of the domain scores and continence. Results The median follow-up was 9.5 months. The median time to recovery of the baseline summary scores was 6.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.9 to 7.2) in the urinary domain, 2.8 months (95% CI 2.0 to 3.7) in the bowel domain, and 3.0 months (95% CI 2.2 to 3.9) in the hormonal domain. The baseline sexual summary score was recovered by 19.2% of patients at 12 months. The median time to return of continence (0 to 1 pads/day) was 4.0 months (95% CI 3.0 to 4.9). The median time to the return of erections firm enough for intercourse was 13.5 months (95% CI 9.9 to 17.1). On multivariate proportional hazards regression analysis, age, body mass index, prostate size, nerve-sparing technique, and number of comorbidities were not significantly associated with the time to recovery of the baseline domain scores or continence. Conclusions Patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy have a favorable health-related quality-of-life recovery profile that appears comparable to those of established surgical approaches.