cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scalable Verification of Networks With Packet Transformers Using Atomic Predicates

Packet transformers are widely used in ISPs, datacenter infrastructures, and layer-2 networks. Existing network verification tools do not scale to large networks with transformers (e.g., MPLS, IP-in-IP, and NAT). Toward scalable verification, we conceived a novel packet equivalence relation. For networks with packet transformers, we first present a formal definition of the packet equivalence relation. Our transformer model is general, including most transformers used in real networks. We also present a new definition of atomic predicates that specify the coarsest equivalence classes of packets in the packet space. We designed an algorithm for computing these atomic predicates. We built a verifier, named A tomic P redicates for T ransformers, and evaluated its performance using four network data sets with MPLS tunnels, IP-in-IP tunnels, and NATs. For a provider cone data set with 11.6 million forwarding rules, 92 routers, 1920 duplex ports, and 40 MPLS tunnels which use 170 transformers, APT used only 0.065 s, on average, to compute the reachability tree from a source port to all other ports for all packets and perform loop detection as well. For the Stanford and Internet2 data sets with NATs, APT is faster than HSA (Hassel in C implementation) by two to three orders of magnitude. By working with atomic predicates instead of individual packets, APT achieves verification performance gains by orders of magnitude.
Ethical Decision-Making in e-Learning: A Socio-technical Analysis of Informal Security Controls

E-learning is emerging as a way of using technology to re-create a one-on-one learning environment for numerous participants at a time and has become prevalent in the higher education arena. In addition to traditional forms of cheating, many universities currently deal with issues of students in traditional classrooms who engage in technology-facilitated cheating. This paper recognizes the socio-technical dimension of security breaches in e-learning. E-learning fraud occurs in the social context of the class, virtual or traditional, and may involve influences by groups, teachers, other students, and the context of the overall university. Research states that when placed in a moral situation, individual behavior can be influenced by factors that are specific to the individual and factors that vary by situation. The focus of this paper is to develop propositions to help understand these behaviors and describe the results of an exploratory qualitative study to examine the perceptions of students in this context. We provide an analysis of this data and examine its utility in the development of future research in e-learning.
Ending the “Catch and Release” Game:Enhancing International Efforts to ProsecuteSomali Pirates under Universal Jurisdiction

While successful hijackings and ransoms off the coast of Somalia have recently receded, the inability of the international community to provide an effective and consistent legal deterrent to pirate activity remains. The prevailing policy of “catch and release” enables pirate activity to persist in international waters – allowing criminals to roam the seas as a constant threat to commercial shipping and with a sense of impunity. The text herein explores the weaknesses of the international legal regime in combating maritime piracy, focusing on the inability and unwillingness of states to prosecute captured pirates under universal jurisdiction.This essay highlights that one of the greatest impediments to prosecutions is a lack of legal capacity by states to charge and punish individuals for the crime of piracy. An absence of domestic legislation either criminalizing piracy or providing for the exercise of universal jurisdiction directly prohibits certain nations from bringing to justice many of the pirates captured on the high seas. This thesis also presents evidentiary issues as a crucial factor in the persistence of the “catch and release” policy. Accordingly, this text explores how the adoption of “equipment articles” could mitigate some of these issues and facilitate the prosecution of maritime piracy. Furthermore, the essay directly addresses how equipment articles and domestic legislation would be added to the current international legal framework.This text first examines the relevant international law that both defines piracy and provides for its criminalization and punishment by individual states. In order to ground the successes and failures of international prosecution efforts in their all-important context, this essay also explores the characteristics of Somali piracy, including the root causes of pirate activity and the mechanics of piracy operations. Likewise, this text surveys the conventional efforts to combat piracy in the region and the interaction between naval personnel and captured piracy suspects. Additionally, this essay focuses on the legal capability of states to arrest and prosecute pirates that are captured on the high seas.While the conclusions in this essay are specifically tailored to the pirate activity off the coast of Somalia and the unique characteristics of this incidence, wider implications for the deterrence of global maritime piracy can be gleaned from the analysis and arguments herein.
Mechanisms of arginine vasopressin- and oxytocin- induced glucagon release

viii CHAPTER I GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Dissertation Organization 1 Research Objective 1 Background and Literature Review 3 CHAPTER II CHARACTERIZATION OF RECEPTORS MEDIATING AVPAND OT-INDUCED GLUCAGON RELEASE FROM THE RAT PANCREAS 43 Abstract 43 Introduction 44 Material and Methods 45 Results 47 Discussion 49 Acknowledgments 52 References 5243 Introduction 44 Material and Methods 45 Results 47 Discussion 49 Acknowledgments 52 References 52 CHAPTER III EFFECTS OF ARGININE VASOPRESSIN AND OXYTOCIN ON GLUCAGON RELEASE FROM CLONAL a-CELL LINE IN-R1-G9: INVOLVEMENT OF V^^ RECEPTORS 65 Abstract 65 Introduction 66 Material and Methods 67 Results 68 Discussion 6965 Introduction 66 Material and Methods 67 Results 68 Discussion 69
Integrating Patient-Generated Observations of Daily Living into Pediatric Cancer Care: A Formative User Interface Design Study

Patient-generated data, such as recorded Observations of Daily Living (ODL) and Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) data, are valued sources of information in oncology care. However, prior work largely focuses on capturing clinician-defined, patient-generated data in adult oncology care. Emerging research at the intersection of human–computer interaction and medical informatics suggests that visual narratives of patients' observations of daily living (Visual ODLs) could better support multi-party review of patients' everyday symptoms and quality of life, potentially improving patient–clinician communication. In this paper, we build on a prior study of Visual ODLs by describing a formative, two-phase study with 15 pediatric oncology clinicians. In Phase I, we analyzed data from ethnographic interviews in a pediatric oncology setting to capture the needs of nurses, nurse practitioners, and oncologists. In Phase II, we constructed two low-fidelity dashboard display prototypes, populated with Visual ODLs contributed by actual adolescent oncology patients, and we subsequently interviewed pediatric oncology clinicians who re-viewed each dashboard design. Findings from our study contribute four key design objectives for presenting interactive Visual ODL dashboards in pediatric oncology, along with three use cases for using these dashboards for symptom tracking and communication.
Unusual manifestations occurring in the early stages of bilharziasis in children.

Lesser known features occurring in the early stages of bilharziasis are descriptionbed. Five children showed evidence of cardiac and/or cerebral abnormalities, recognised either clinically or by special methods. Four children showed features of the Henoch-Schonlein's syndrome. It is stressed that Katayama fever is occasionally a serious illness.
Hacking Life: Systematized Living and Its Discontents

In an effort to keep up with a world of too much, life hackers sometimes risk going too far.Life hackers track and analyze the food they eat, the hours they sleep, the money they spend, and how they're feeling on any given day. They share tips on the most efficient ways to tie shoelaces and load the dishwasher; they employ a tomato-shaped kitchen timer as a time-management tool.They see everything as a system composed of parts that can be decomposed and recomposed, with algorithmic rules that can be understood, optimized, and subverted. In Hacking Life, Joseph Reagle examines these attempts to systematize living and finds that they are the latest in a long series of self-improvement methods. Life hacking, he writes, is self-help for the digital age's creative class.Reagle chronicles the history of life hacking, from Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack through Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Timothy Ferriss's The 4-Hour Workweek. He describes personal outsourcing, polyphasic sleep, the quantified self movement, and hacks for pickup artists. Life hacks can be useful, useless, and sometimes harmful (for example, if you treat others as cogs in your machine). Life hacks have strengths and weaknesses, which are sometimes like two sides of a coin: being efficient is not the same thing as being effective; being precious about minimalism does not mean you are living life unfettered; and compulsively checking your vital signs is its own sort of illness. With Hacking Life, Reagle sheds light on a question even non-hackers ponder: what does it mean to live a good life in the new millennium?
Key Biostratigraphic Events in the Siwalik Sequence

Miocene movements of crustal plates brought about fundamental changes in the oceans by fragmenting the Tethys Seaway and further isolating the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific basins. Although controversial in the details of interpretation, the resulting paleoceanographic and tectonic events have been linked to global climate (Kennett et al., 1985; Woodruff, 1985; Hodell et al., 1986) and, largely through their effects on climate, can be seen to have had a far-reaching influence on the plants and animals of the Miocene.
Comparative Transcriptomics of Ex Vivo , Patient-Derived Endothelial Cells Reveals Novel Pathways Associated With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

In this study low-input RNA-sequencing was used to annotate the molecular identity of endothelial cells isolated and immunopurified with CD144 microbeads. Using this technique, comparative gene expression profiling from healthy subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus identified both known and novel pathways linked with EC dysfunction. Modeling of diabetes by treating cultured ECs with high glucose identified shared changes in gene expression in diabetic cells. Overall, the data demonstrate how purified ECs from patients can be used to generate new hypotheses about mechanisms of human vascular disease.
Cutting Performance in Threading Turning and Grooving Turning of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy with a High-Pressure Coolant Supply

In threading turning and grooving turning of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with a pressurized coolant supply, the effects of the coolant pressure on the cutting performance have not been reported. In this study, in threading turning and grooving turning of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with a high-pressure coolant supply, in order to identify an effective PCD tool for the high-speed cutting of Ti-6Al-4V, the effects of the diamond content and the diamond particle size on the tool wear were experimentally investigated. As the Ti-6Al-4V alloy was threading turned and grooving turned with a high-pressure coolant supplied, the chip configurations and the tool wear were experimentally investigated. The following results were obtained: (1) The effectiveness of the chip breaking performance when turning machining by supplying a high-pressure coolant was improved. In this case, the chip length became shorter as the refrigerant pressure was higher. (2) Comparing the cutting of the conventional coolant supply with the cutting of the high-pressure coolant, the tool wear was smaller than that with the low pressure coolant supply.
Relation of Frailty to Outcomes After Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) improves outcomes compared with medical treatment alone. Risk stratification for outcomes following AF ablation remains an important area of uncertainty. This analysis evaluated the association between frailty and outcomes following AF ablation. We evaluated US inpatients receiving AF ablation between January 1, 2016 and December 1, 2016 using Medicare fee-for-service billing codes. Diagnosis codes were used to calculate patients' Hospital Frailty Risk Score, with the cohort divided according to established cut-points of low ( 15) risk for frailty. The primary outcome was survival. Among 5,070 in patients treated with catheter ablation (mean age 74.9 ± 6.8 years, 51.1% female), 38.6% were defined as frail with a Hospital Frailty Risk Score >5, including 8.3% at high risk. Mortality rates (up to 630 days) were 5.8% in the low-risk group, 23.4% in the intermediate-risk group, and 42.2% in the high-risk group (log-rank p values <0.001 for comparison between categories). In restricted cubic spline regression analysis, the adjusted hazard ratios for long-term mortality monotonically increased with increasing values of the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (adjusted hazard ratio 1.065, 95% confidence interval 1.054 to 1.077). In secondary end points, frailty was independently associated with length of stay, postprocedure 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission and postdischarge 30-day mortality rates. In conclusion, frailty as assessed by a claims-based score is common in inpatient recipients of AF ablation, and provides risk stratification for mortality and other key clinical outcomes.
An axiomatic approach to cost sharing child support

Abstract Motivated by how child support costs are divided between parents in Michigan and Arizona, we define the child support cost sharing problem. Monetary support from each parent is transferred between the two parents according to an adjustment function that is based on the amount of time the child spends with the parents. We introduce eight interrelated axioms that a child support adjustment function should satisfy, providing two characterizations of the functional form of adjustment functions. We examine the rules used in Arizona, Michigan, Oregon, and California in light of the axioms.
Evaluating national trends in outcomes after implementation of a star rating system: Results from dialysis facility compare.

OBJECTIVE To examine which factors are driving improvement in the Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) star ratings and to test whether nonclinical facility characteristics are associated with observed longitudinal changes in the star ratings. DATA SOURCES Data were collected from eligible patients in over 6,000 Medicare-certified dialysis facilities from three annual star rating and individual measure updates, publicly released on DFC in October 2015, October 2016, and April 2018. STUDY DESIGN Changes in the star rating and individual quality measures were investigated across three public data releases. Year-to-year changes in the star ratings were linked to facility characteristics, adjusting for baseline differences in quality measure performance. DATA COLLECTION Data from publicly reported quality measures, including standardized mortality, hospitalization, and transfusion ratios, dialysis adequacy, type of vascular access for dialysis, and management of mineral and bone disease, were extracted from annual DFC data releases. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The proportion of four- and five-star facilities increased from 30.0% to 53.4% between October 2015 and April 2018. Quality improvement was driven by the domain of care containing the dialysis adequacy and hypercalcemia measures. Additionally, independently owned facilities and facilities belonging to smaller dialysis organizations had significantly lower odds of year-to-year improvement than facilities belonging to either of the two large dialysis organizations (Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.736, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.631-0.856 and OR: 0.797, 95% CI: 0.723-0.879, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The percentage of four- and five-star facilities has increased markedly over a three-year time period. These changes were driven by improvement in the specific quality measures that may be most directly under the control of the dialysis facility.
Differences in Tonsillectomy Utilization by Race/Ethnicity, Type of Health Insurance, and Rurality.

Abstract Objective Tonsillectomy is one of the most common pediatric surgical procedures. In previous decades, large geographic variation and racial disparities in its use have been reported. We aimed to compare contemporary rates of pediatric tonsillectomy utilization in the United States by child race/ethnicity, type of health insurance, and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan residence. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases and State Inpatient Databases of 8 US states. We included all children aged Results In all states evaluated, tonsillectomy utilization was higher in non-Hispanic white children than non-Hispanic black or Hispanic children, higher in publicly insured than privately insured children, and higher in children residing in nonmetropolitan areas as compared to metropolitan areas (all P Conclusions Tonsillectomy utilization is higher in US children who are white, publicly insured, and who live in nonmetropolitan areas. Future research should identify multilevel factors, such as those at the patient, family, primary care provider, otolaryngologist, health care delivery system, interpersonal and community levels, that explain these differences in utilization in order to improve the appropriateness and equity of tonsillectomy use in children.
Viscoelasticity of children and adolescent brains through MR elastography.

Abstract Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is an elasticity imaging technique that allows a safe, fast, and non-invasive evaluation of the mechanical properties of biological tissues in vivo. Since mechanical properties reflect a tissue's composition and arrangement, MRE is a powerful tool for the investigation of the microstructural changes that take place in the brain during childhood and adolescence. The goal of this study was to evaluate the viscoelastic properties of the brain in a population of healthy children and adolescents in order to identify potential age and sex dependencies. We hypothesize that because of myelination, age dependent changes in the mechanical properties of the brain will occur during childhood and adolescence. Our sample consisted of 26 healthy individuals (13 M, 13 F) with age that ranged from 7-17 years (mean: 11.9 years). We performed multifrequency MRE at 40, 60, and 80 Hz actuation frequencies to acquire the complex-valued shear modulus G = G′ + iG″ with the fundamental MRE parameters being the storage modulus (G′), the loss modulus (G″), and the magnitude of complex-valued shear modulus (|G|). We fitted a springpot model to these frequency-dependent MRE parameters in order to obtain the parameter α, which is related to tissue's microstructure, and the elasticity parameter k, which was converted to a shear modulus parameter (μ) through viscosity (η). We observed no statistically significant variation in the parameter μ, but a significant increase of the microstructural parameter α of the white matter with increasing age (p
Empirical method for rapid quantification of intrinsic fluorescence signals of key metabolic probes from optical spectra measured on tissue-mimicking turbid medium.

Significance: Optical fluorescence spectroscopy technique has been explored extensively to quantify both glucose uptake and mitochondrial metabolism with proper fluorescent probes in small tumor models in vivo. However, it remains a great challenge to rapidly quantify the intrinsic metabolic fluorophores from the optically measured fluorescence spectra that contain significant distortions due to tissue absorption and scattering. Aim: To enable rapid spectral data processing and quantify the in vivo metabolic parameters in real-time, we present an empirical ratio-metric method for rapid fluorescence spectra attenuation correction with high accuracy. Approach: A first-order approximation of intrinsic fluorescence spectra can be obtained by dividing the fluorescence spectra by diffuse reflectance spectra with some variable powers. We further developed this approximation for rapid extraction of intrinsic key metabolic probes (2-NBDG for glucose uptake and TMRE for mitochondrial function) by dividing the distorted fluorescence spectra by diffuse reflectance intensities recorded at excitation and emission peak with a pair of system-dependent powers. Tissue-mimicking phantom studies were conducted to evaluate the method. Results: The tissue-mimicking phantom studies demonstrated that our empirical method could quantify the key intrinsic metabolic probes in near real-time with an average percent error of ∼5 % . Conclusions: An empirical method was demonstrated for rapid quantification of key metabolic probes from fluorescence spectra measured on a tissue-mimicking turbid medium. The proposed method will potentially facilitate real-time monitoring of key metabolic parameters of tumor models in vivo using optical spectroscopy, which will significantly advance translational cancer research.
Synergistic physical and chemical interactions of selected additives and base oil used in extended reach drilling applications

Abstract The present study focuses on the chemical and physical synergy between three base oil/additive mixture lubricants which are used in well drilling for oil and gas. Three additives namely, a polymer of cashew-nutshell-liquid, a surface modified melamine cyanurate, and a diol alkane were mixed in a dearomatized commercial base oil and tribotested in the boundary lubrication regime. A specialized tribometer capable of simulating operating conditions encountered in high pressure, high temperature extended reach drilling was employed to conduct a comprehensive test protocol. The performance of the base oil/additive lubricants was explained by providing mechanical, physical and chemical analyses using various characterizing techniques. Observed deviations of the tribological performance of the additive/base oil lubricant compared to that of the base oil was correlated to the synergistic physical/chemical interactions between the additive and the base oil. It was found that diol alkane outperformed the other additives, as far as improvement in the COF, wear, and load bearing capacity.
Review: Perspective on ocular toxicity of presurgical skin preparations utilizing Chlorhexidine Gluconate/Hibiclens/Chloraprep.

Background Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG), Hibiclens (4% CHG with 4% Isopropyl Alcohol Detergent), and Chloraprep (i.e. labeled CHG-based solutions), utilized as preoperative surgical preparatory solutions may all cause severe oculotoxicity and ototoxicity. Alternatively, 10% Povidone-Iodine (PI) solutions without detergent demonstrate minimal toxic effects on the eyes and ears. Methods Based on studies from 1984 to 2021, we compared the safety/efficacy of CHG-based versus PI-based solutions utilized for presurgical skin preparation near the cornea/eyes and ears (i.e., predominantly for cranial or cervical spine surgery). Results Some studies documented that even minimal exposure (i.e., "splash risk") during face/neck skin preparation with CHG-based solutions could result in irreversible corneal injury and ototoxicity. Within minutes to hours, CHG-based non-detergent solutions posed the risks of; corneal epithelial edema, anterior stromal edema, conjunctival chemosis, bullous keratopathy, and de-epithelialization. Notably, even occlusive dressings like Tegaderm could not protect against CHG penetration. Alternatively, PI-based solutions posed no to minimal ocular and/or ototoxicity, while often demonstrating comparable protection against surgical site infections (SSI). Conclusion Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG), Hibiclens, and Chloraprep (i.e. CHG-based solutions) are often used as skin preparations near the face/eyes/spine (i.e., particularly anterior/posterior cervical procedures). However, if these solutions come in contact with the eyes, corneal irritation, abrasions, and even blindness may result. Alternatively, PI non-detergent solutions demonstrate safety/minimal oculotoxicity/ototoxicity, while frequently showing comparable efficacy against SSI.
Questions on Public Policy and Trust during Covid-19 in the Middle East and North Africa

Abstract Trust is a recurring theme in social-science literature for disciplines as diverse as psychology, political science, anthropology, sociology, and management. Recently, the concept has even been studied in neurobiology, behavioral economics, and computer science. In discussing the impact of state responses to Covid-19 on trust in government, one should distinguish between two types of trust: political and social. Political trust refers to the extent to which people have trust in institutions;social trust refers to trust in other people within the community and beyond. While some studies suggest that political and social trust tend to correlate with each other, most studies examine these concepts separately. This article focuses on the impact of Covid-19 on trust in government in the Middle East: political trust in the context of the pandemic.
Population Density, Human Capital and Productivity

Becker, Glaeser and Murphy (1999) argue that 1) in densely populated societies the capital-dilution effect caused by a larger workforce is more than compensated by the positive effect on productivity of the increased specialization brought about by population density; 2) technological innovation will be faster in more densely populated areas; 3) when population density increases, there is a higher incentive for investment in human capital, because the productivity of human capital is higher in more densely populated regions. In this paper this proposition is empirically tested. The idea that a bigger and/or denser population might produce increasing returns to investment in human capital (particularly to education), accelerate technological innovation and ignite economic growth is both appealing and sensible. The question of this study is: How strong and robust –if it exists- is the positive influence of population density on technological progress, human capital investment and ultimately on productivity? The results of this research paper indicate that it is fairly strong, and they open new questions regarding possible further research on this field.
Cholecystokinin potentiates dopamine-mediated behaviors: evidence for modulation specific to a site of coexistence

Cholecystokinin coexists with dopamine in mesolimbic neurons in mammalian brain. When injected directly into the nucleus accumbens, cholecystokinin (CCK) potentiated dopamine (DA)-induced hyperlocomotion and apomorphine-induced stereotypy. These effects were not mimicked by nonsulfated CCK, but were blocked by proglumide, a putative CCK antagonist, as well as by antisera raised against sulfated CCK. CCK alone had no effect on locomotion or sterotypy, indicating that this peptide acts primarily as a modulator of DA-mediated behaviors in the mesolimbic pathway. In addition, CCK did not potentiate DA-induced hyperlocomotion or apomorphine-induced stereotypy when injected into the caudate nucleus, where CCK and DA are localized in separate neurons in rats. Facilitation of DA-mediated behaviors by CCK may represent a functional interaction specific to the neuromodulator-neurotransmitter coexistence phenomenon.
Perioperative Outcomes in Patients Requiring Direct Iliac Access With or Without Conduit for Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Objectives: Direct iliac access with or without conduit can be used in endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) when anatomy is unfavorable for femoral access. The impact of this technical approach has not been adequately studied. We evaluated the perioperative outcomes in patients who required direct iliac access or conduit for EVAR and compared it with those who did not. Methods: Patients undergoing EVAR with and without iliac access/conduits were identified in the 2005 to 2012 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data sets. Perioperative morbidity and mortality were assessed by 5:1 propensity matched (on age, gender, functional status, comorbidities, urgency, anesthesia use and relative operative duration) groups and multivariable analyses. Results: There were 15,082 patients undergoing infrarenal EVAR with 147 (1%) with (41) and without (107) conduit placement. Patients treated with iliac conduit/access were more likely to be female (25.9% vs 17.8%, P 1⁄4 .02) and have peripheral arterial disease (12.9% vs 5.5%, P < .01). There was no difference in age (74.5 6 8.4 conduit vs 74.9 6 8). On multivariate analysis the iliac conduits/access group had higher mortality (odds ratio [OR] 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-5.4; P # .01), major complications, including cardiac arrest/ myocardial infarction (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3-6.3; P # .01) and pulmonary complications (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-3.9; P 1⁄4 .01), and postoperative length of stay (means ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4; P # .01). No difference was noted for renal and wound complications. Matched analysis based on demographics, comorbidities, and operative time showed that iliac conduit/access patients had higher perioperative mortality (6.8% vs 2.3%, P < .01), cardiac (4.8% vs 1%, P < .01), pulmonary (8.8% vs 3.4%), and bleeding complications (10.2% vs 4.6%, P 1⁄4 .02). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the use of direct iliac access or conduits in EVAR is associated with increased mortality and major morbidity. In situations where anatomy mandates the use iliac access, surgeons should consider other options, including using lower profile devices or open aneurysm repair.
Unconceived alternatives and the cathedral problem

Kyle Stanford claims we have historical evidence that there likely are plausible unconceived alternatives in fundamental domains of science, and thus evidence that our best theories in these domains are probably false. Accordingly, we should adopt a form of instrumentalism. Elsewhere, I have argued that in fact we do not have historical evidence for the existence of plausible unconceived alternatives in particular domains of science, and that the main challenge to scientific realism is rather to provide evidence that there are likely not plausible unconceived alternatives. In the present paper, I contend that we may come to have such evidence in the long run of science. I then investigate the epistemic consequences of the claim that we presently do not have evidence for or against the existence of plausible unconceived alternatives, but that in the future we may come to have evidence against the existence of plausible unconceived alternatives. I argue there are prima facie reasons to endorse a form of voluntarism in this situation according to which scientists and others may rationally be more optimistic or more pessimistic about the truth of our best theories, on the grounds that the widespread acceptance of an obligation to be an instrumentalist threatens to disrupt the proper functioning of science, in part because the domain of application of the problem of unconceived alternatives is unclear.
Improving Volume Resistivity of Epoxy Nanocomposites Using Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Nanofibers and Their Silver Modification

The electrospinning technique was utilized to prepare non-woven fabric carbon nanofibers (CNFs) via polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor nanofibers. The volume resistivity (ρv ) of non-woven mat CNFs containing the small size of beads and fiber diameters was lower than the ones possessing large beads and fiber diameters owing to the high specific surface area of the former. The ρv values of CNF mats prepared from 6.5 (fiber dia. ~120–250 nm) and 8.0 (fiber dia. ~250–600) wt% PAN solutions and carbonized at 950 °C were 0.32 and 1.33 Ω.cm, respectively. Additionally, the ρv value of CNF fabrics was improved by silver (Ag) modifications. The CNF mats containing Ag nanoparticles by in-situ preparing Ag nanoparticles in PAN solution prior to electrospinning and carbonization and Ag coating of CNF mats exhibited ρv values more or less 0.15 and 0.24 Ω.cm, respectively, even though the nanofiber diameter obtained from the former method was slightly larger than that of the latter. Effects of the fiber aspect ratio (L/D ratio) and the interconnecting network due to non-woven mat like fibers on the ρv were demonstrated by comparing the ρv of epoxy nanocomposites containing different forms of CNFs, non-woven fabric and short nanofibers. It was found that the ρv value of non-woven mat CNF/epoxy nanocomposite was much lower than that of short CNF/epoxy nanocomposite at 10 phr filler loading. Interestingly, the ρv values of non-woven mat CNF/epoxy nanocomposites dropped rapidly from 1010.5 Ω.cm at 0 phr filler content to 1.05 Ω.cm at about 10 phr filler content. Furthermore, the ρv values of non-woven mat CNF/epoxy nanocomposites leveled off to that of the filler itself or even lower at the filler dosage about 15 phr or higher, because the thickness of CNF mats impregnated in the epoxy composite was increased at high filler loading, thus yielding highly connected network inside the composite.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Zeeman effect of P II.

An investigation was conducted of the Zeeman effect of PII because it provides unique J-value assignments together with a sensitive check on the accuracy of wave functions obtained from least-squares fitting of energy levels. About forty new lines were added to the spectrum, and g values were obtained for 76 levels of PII. By incorporating this new experimental material in a systematic program of least-squares calculations, supplemented by ab initio calculations, it was possible to complete the description of the 3p5p and 3p5d configurations.
The diachrony of complex predicates

While complex predicate constructions, including light verb structures and verb serialisation, are found in many of the world’s languages, there has been little diachronic work on these structures to date. In this paper I survey the state of the field and describe current ideas on the origins and development of complex predicates. In particular, I show that the assumption of cline-like development from parataxis to affix (through serialisation, light verbs and auxiliation) is too simplistic. Finally, I review arguments in favor of and against views of light verbs as stable structures.
Evidence for cocaine dependence in monkeys following a prolonged period of exposure.

The behavioral consequences of prolonged continuous exposure to cocaine were examined in rhesus monkeys. Operant behavior was sampled for 0.5 h every 6 h, and cocaine was continuously infused through an intravenous catheter. Cocaine (4.0-32 mg/kg/day) initially caused reductions in the rate of responding for food and tolerance developed to this effect. When the infusion of cocaine was terminated following a period of exposure during which cocaine dose was escalated to 32 mg/kg/day, there was a marked suppression of operant behavior, lasting as long as 72 h, as well as observable changes in behavior (e.g., hyporesponsiveness). This is the first demonstration of behavioral disruptions following discontinuation of cocaine exposure and suggests that the preparation will be a useful animal model for further examining the possibility that exposure to cocaine can induce dependence.
Revised Escherichia coli selenocysteine insertion requirements determined by in vivo screening of combinatorial libraries of SECIS variants

To investigate the stringency of the Escherichia coli selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) requirements, libraries of SECIS variants were screened via a novel method in which suppression of the selenocysteine (Sec) opal codon was coupled to bacteriophage plaque formation. The SECIS variant libraries were designed with a mostly paired lower stem, so that randomization could be focused on the upper stem and loop regions. We identified 19 functional non-native SECIS sequences that violated the expected pairing requirements for the SECIS upper stem. All of the SECIS variants were shown to permit Sec insertion in phage (by chemical modification of the Sec residue) and fused to lacZalpha (by beta-galactosidase assay). The diminished pairing of the upper stem appears to be mitigated by the overall stem stability; a given upper stem variant has significantly higher readthrough in the context of a paired, rather than unpaired, lower stem. These results suggest an unexpected downstream sequence flexibility in prokaryotic selenoprotein expression.
Averaging analysis for discrete time and sampled data adaptive systems

We extend our earlier continuous time averaging theorems to the nonlinear discrete time case. We use theorems for the study of the convergence analysis of discrete time adaptive identification and control systems. We also derive instability theorems and use them for the study of robust stability and instability of adaptive control schemes applied to sampled data systems. As a by product we also study the effects of sampling on unmodeled dynamics in continuous time systems.
Effect of Heating Rate on Structures of Carbon Template Prepared from Cotton Stalk

The carbon template was prepared by pyrolysis with different heating rate. The weight loss and anisotropic shrinkage of carbon template was calculated. The morphology and microstructure of carbon were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results suggest that the heating rate has evident effect on surface shape of carbon template, but little effect on weight loss and anisotropic shrinkage of carbon template.
Service intensity and client improvement at a predominantly black community mental health center

As an approach to the question of effectiveness, the relationship between service intensity and improvement in general psychological well-being was investigated at a Community Mental Health Center staffed primarily by blacks and serving predominantly a black clientele. The data indicated that those who received more services demonstrated a greater degree of improvement. There was a significant nonlinear component to the relationship, supporting an expectation of diminishing returns. Control for sociodemographic, diagnostic, and treatment experience variables had little impact on the link between service intensity and improvement. The effectiveness of this predominantly black community mental health center appeared comparable to that of other centers reported in the literature.
Crown Ether Inclusion Complexes of the Early Actinide Elements, [AnO2(18-crown-6)]n+, An = U, Np, Pu and n = 1, 2 : A Relativistic Density Functional Study

The title compounds, [AnO2(18-crown-6)]n+, An = U, Np, and Pu and n = 1 and 2, as well as the related (experimentally observed) complex [UO2(dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6)]2+ are studied using relativistic density functional theory (DFT). Different relativistic methods (large-core and small-core effective core potentials, all-electron scalar four-component) and two flavors of approximate DFT (B3LYP and PBE) are used. Calculated bond lengths agree well with the available experimental data for the NpV complex, while larger differences for the UVI complexes appear to be related to the large uncertainties in the experimental data. The axial An═O bonds are found to be weaker and longer than in the corresponding penta-aquo complexes, though still of partial triple-bond character. The An═O bond lengths and strengths decrease along the actinide series, consistent with the actinide contraction. Gas-phase binding energies calculated for the penta-aquo complexes and crown-ether complexes of the actinides studied, as well ...
The Slide from Withdrawal to War: The UN Secretary General’s Failed Effort in Afghanistan, 1992

Abstract The United Nations represented an organization of severely limited means during the Cold War. The Secretary-General’s office became one of the few instruments in the UN system with the power to influence international relations, albeit in limited ways. As Afghanistan emerged from one war in 1989, it risked falling into another involving the various Afghan stakeholders left to fight each other in the wake of their victory over the Soviets. The office of the Special Representative to the Secretary-General emerged as a key exponent of “quiet diplomacy,” as various emissaries shuttled across the globe working to prevent this fragile post-conflict state’s return to violent conflict. The operating environment was saturated with mistrust as a result of superpower tensions, regional agendas, ethno-religious differences, and a highly militarized landscape. This article considers the geopolitical, institutional, operational, and personal dimensions of this diplomatic campaign from the time of Soviet withdrawal until 1992. Ultimately, the campaign’s limitations overwhelmed its advantages and the Afghan state dissolved into a dark period of warlordism and violence. This article explores the reasons for the eventual failure of diplomacy and its implications for quiet diplomatic efforts that have resurfaced in Afghanistan since 2001.
The synthesis of group V substituted derivatives of iron pentacarbonyl in high yield

Abstract A simple, high yield, general synthesis of an extensive collection of monosubstituted derivatives of iron pentacarbonyl is based on the use of Fe(CO) 5 as solvent, substrate and carbonylating agent.
PANCREATITIS AND DIABETES MELLITUS

The cause of diabetes mellitus is not known and the pathology is not distinctive. The pathological physiology, however, is fairly well understood. The seat of the pathological process is generally believed to be the pancreas. A working etiological concept may be stated as follows: There is an hereditary stamp of normal functional longevity on each pancreas; in many people there is an hereditary weakness, a diabetic anlage as it were, that manifests itself as a result of some severe physical, mental or emotional strain or as a result of some disturbance in the normal endocrine balance as in the case of acromegaly, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy, the menopause, or obesity. Whatever the mechanism may be there seems to develop a functional deficiency of the islands of Langerhans.
Hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene on two ordered Sn/Pt(111) surface alloys

Abstract Adsorption and reaction of 1,3-butadiene (C4H6) on two ordered Pt–Sn surface alloys precovered with hydrogen adatoms were studied with the use of temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) mass spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The two alloys investigated were the ( 2 × 2 )Sn/Pt(111) and ( 3 × 3 )R30°-Sn/Pt(111) surface alloys, with 25 and 33% Sn alloyed in the surface layer, respectively, formed by vapor deposition of Sn onto a Pt(111) single crystal. Alloyed Sn opens a new hydrogenation reaction pathway compared with Pt(111). Butadiene hydrogenation by coadsorbed hydrogen occurs with 100% selectivity to liberate butene (C4H8) in reaction rate-limited peaks in TPD, and no deeper hydrogenation product (butane) was observed. The activation energy barrier for hydrogenation of strongly bound 1,3-butadiene is estimated to be 91 and 72 kJ/mol on the ( 2 × 2 ) and ( 3 × 3 )R30°alloys, respectively. Butadiene conversion was highest on the ( 2 × 2 ) alloy, reaching 100% at high hydrogen precoverages. Strong site-blocking effects of preadsorbed H adatoms were observed for 1,3-butadiene chemisorption on both alloys under these conditions; butadiene chemisorption was eliminated by θ H = 0.49 ML on the ( 2 × 2 ) alloy and θ H = 0.34 ML on the 3 alloy. These studies addressing the influence of alloyed Sn on the reaction barrier to 1,3-butadiene hydrogenation and the effect of surface Sn concentration on hydrogenation activity provide observations of several novel phenomena and may aid in the development of heterogeneous catalysts to selectively remove dienes in alkene streams.
Environmental exposure to PBDEs and thyroid function among New York anglers.

Abstract Experimental studies suggest that polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) can influence thyroid function, although the few human studies reported provide little support for this premise. Great Lakes sportfish anglers represent a population with potentially elevated dietary exposure to PBDEs due to the lipophilic nature of these compounds. Thirty-six licensed anglers who participated in the New York State Angler Cohort Study donated blood and completed questionnaires regarding demographic, clinical and sportfish consumption information. Archived blood specimens were analyzed for thyroid stimulating hormone, total and free thyroxine, total triiodothyronine, total serum lipids and nine PBDE congeners. PBDE congener profiles were dominated by BDE-47 (median = 7.9 ng/g lipids), BDE-153, and BDE-99 (medians = 1.8 ng/g lipids). No significant associations were observed between congeners, or their sum (ΣPBDEs), and thyroid function. However, the possibility of a positive association between ΣPBDEs and fT 4 , detectable with an approximate ninefold increase in sample size, suggests that additional studies are needed.
Language use: A performance model

A model for language use or performance is given which is essentially independent of the standard theories for language acquisition and competence (the knowledge of language). Comparisons with computer models for language understanding are provided. It is suggested that basic research in human language comprehension must precede construction of new artificial intelligence models.
Diuretic effect of furosemide in acute glomerulonephritis

Twenty-five children with the diagnosis of acute glomerulonephritis were treated with oral or intravenous doses of furosemide. The intravenous administration of 1 mg/kg or greater resulted in an increase in urine volume in all patients. Oral doses of less than 2 mg/kg were not as effective, but there was wide variation in diuretic response to the drug. In 13 patients, plasma concentrations of furosemide were measured. The plasma half-life varied from 2.3 to 4.4 hours after intravenous administration of the drug. The plasma concentration of furosemide did not correlate with diuretic response.
Surface science studies of metal hexaborides

Over 30 years of surface science research on metal hexaborides are reviewed. Of this class of compounds, lanthanum hexaboride has been the subject of the majority of the studies because of its outstanding properties as a thermionic emitter. The use of LaB6 cathodes as an electron source stems from the unusually low work function of ∼2.5 eV for the (100) surface combined with a low evaporation rate at high temperatures. Of particular interest has been the determination of the surface geometric and electronic structure responsible for the low work function and how the work function is affected by various adsorbates. The low-index faces of single crystals of LaB6 and other hexaborides have been studied with a variety of ultrahigh vacuum surface science methods to gain a better understanding of the structure and properties of the clean surfaces as well as their interactions with gases such as O2, H2O and CO.