cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exosomal miRNAs: Biological properties and therapeutic potential

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding regulatory RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, are master regulators of a wide array of cellular processes. Altered miRNA expression could be a determinant of disease development and/or progression and manipulation of miRNA expression represents a potential avenue of therapy. Exosomes are cell-derived extracellular vesicles that promote cell-cell communication and immunoregulatory functions. These "bioactive vesicles" shuttle various molecules, including miRNAs, to recipient cells. Inappropriate release of miRNAs from exosomes may cause significant alterations in biological pathways that affect disease development, supporting the concept that miRNA-containing exosomes could serve as targeted therapies for particular diseases. This review briefly summarizes recent advances in the biology, function, and therapeutic potential of exosomal miRNAs.
Is the Acetabulum Retroverted in Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

Background Recent biplanar radiographic studies have demonstrated acetabular retroversion and increased superolateral femoral head coverage in hips with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), seemingly divergent from earlier CT-based studies suggesting normal acetabular version.
Structural changes in transthyretin produced by the Ile 84 Ser mutation which result in decreased affinity for retinol-binding protein

The X-ray crystal structure of the transthyretin variant Ile 84 Ser has been determined to 1.7A resolution. The functional form of normal transthyretin is a tetramer, having a cylindrical cavity which binds thyroxine and an exterior binding site for the complex of retinol with retinol-binding protein. The naturally occurring amyloidogenic variant Ile 84 Ser has reduced affinity for retinol-binding protein. The results of this study show that the overall structural homology between the C-alpha atoms of the variant and normal protein is very high with differences mainly in the loop regions, in the vicinity of the substitution, and the ligand binding areas. The known functional differences for the variant (ligand-binding) are correlated with the structural changes observed in the region of the ligand-binding site. The substitution at position 84 results in changes in the shape of the putative site for complexation with retinol binding protein. The substitution site occurs at the interface between two tetrame...
Iron-accelerated cumene hydroperoxide decomposition in hexadecane and trilaurin emulsions.

Free radicals arising from lipid peroxides accelerate the oxidative deterioration of foods. To elucidate how lipid peroxides impact oxidative reactions in food emulsions, the stability of cumene hydroperoxide was studied in hexadecane or trilaurin emulsions stabilized by anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate; SDS), nonionic (Tween 20), and cationic (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide; DTAB) surfactants. Fe2+ rapidly (within 10 min) decomposed between 10 and 31% of the cumene hydroperoxide in Tween 20- and DTAB-stabilized emulsions at pH 3.0 and 7.0 and in the SDS-stabilized emulsion at pH 7.0 with no further decomposition of peroxides occurring for up to 3 h. In SDS-stabilized emulsions at pH 3.0, Fe2+ decreased peroxides by 90% after 3 h. Decomposition of peroxides in the absence of added iron and by Fe3+ was observed only in SDS-stabilized emulsions at pH 3.0. These results suggest that peroxide decomposition by iron redox cycling occurs when iron emulsion droplet interactions are high. Keywords: Lipid oxidatio...
Fates of radioactive arsenic, cesium, strontium and organo-chlorine during the gasification of mixed wastes in the presence of organic matter

Radioisotopes of arsenic, cesium, strontium and chlorine were mixed with organic matter to make mixed radioactive/hazardous wastes and gasified to destroy the organic fractions on a macroporous char matrix in a laboratory-scale version of cocurrent flow waste gasification. Except for chlorine, gasified as chlorobenzene on untreated char, essentially all the radionuclides were retained in the gasifier on the char residue. Complete retention of chlorine was obtained by treating the char with sodium hydroxide. Condensate from the gas product and char from a filter used to filter the gas can be recirculated through the system as additional assurance of zero release of radioactive substances. The spent char from the gasifier can be regasified with additional wastes, resulting in a concentration of radioactive substances onto char, which can eventually be converted to a nonleachable slag for ultimate disposal.
Estrogens facilitate memory processing through membrane mediated mechanisms and alterations in spine density.

Abstract Estrogens exert sustained, genomically mediated effects on memory throughout the female life cycle, but here we review new studies documenting rapid effects of estradiol on memory, which are exerted through membrane-mediated mechanisms. Use of recognition memory tasks in rats shows that estrogens enhance memory consolidation within 1 h. 17α-Estradiol is more potent than 17β-estradiol, and the dose response relationship between estrogens and memory is an inverted U shape. Use of specific estrogen receptor (ER) agonists suggests mediation by an ERβ-like membrane receptor. Enhanced memory is associated with increased spine density and altered noradrenergic activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus within 30 min of administration. The environmental chemical, bisphenol-A, rapidly antagonizes enhancements in memory in both sexes possibly through actions on spines. Thus, estradiol and related compounds exert rapid alterations in cognition through non-genomic mechanisms, a finding which may provide a basis for better understanding and treating memory impairments.
Lifetime Prediction and Design-for-Reliability of IC Interconnections with Electromigration Induced Degradation in the Presence of Manufacturing Defects

The degradation of IC interconnects due to electromigration (EM) is strongly influenced by physical defects and imperfections on interconnect traces that significantly accelerate EM damage through increased current density and elevated temperature. In this work, an IC reliability simulator is developed to incorporate the effect of these physical defects on circuit interconnect reliability. Based on a statistical defect modeling approach, circuit-level reliability with defective interconnects under EM degradation is evaluated. This has also been successfully integrated into a tool called ARET. Additionally, an approach for identifying circuit reliability hotspots has also been developed. Based on this hotspot identification, the concept of local design-for-reliability (LDFR) is proposed for improved circuit-level reliability under electromigration.
The metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and properties of III–V antimony-based semiconductor materials

Abstract This article comprehensively reviews the growth of III–V antimony-based semiconductor materials using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). It does this by first discussing the general trends found for the growth of these materials. Next the specific growth techniques are discussed for each of the antimony-based systems including the binaries InSb, GaSb, and AlSb. The growth techniques used for many of the ternaries and quaternaries of these materials are also discussed. Following this a brief description of the use of dopants, novel organometallic sources and superlattices is presented. Next, the use of common characterization techniques is presented for different types of materials. A variety of the types of devices is then presented followed by a short summary and forecast of future directions that are currently being pursued in these materials.
On a new method for finding generalized equivalence transformations for differential equations involving arbitrary functions

A new efficient method for finding generalized equivalence transformations for a class of differential equation systems via its related extended classical symmetries is presented. This technique can be further adapted to find the equivalence transformations for the mathematical model. It applies to classes of differential systems whose arbitrary functions involve all equations' independent variables. As a consequence, any symbolic manipulation program designed to find classical Lie symmetries can also be used to determine generalized equivalence transformations and equivalence transformations, respectively, without any modification of the program. The method has been implemented as the maple routine gendefget and is based on the maple package desolv(by Carminati and Vu). The nonlinear stationary heat conduction parameter identification problem is considered as an example.
Possible Living Analog of the Pleistocene Key Largo Reefs of Florida

A living, linear reef about 3.8 km in length has been discovered 0.8 to 1.2 km off Big Pine Key and the Newfound Harbor Keys in the lower Florida Keys. The reef is approximately 60 m wide, lies at depths from 4.5 to 7 m, and is growing on, and slightly landward of, a slope where Pleistocene bedrock rises with relative abruptness. A deeper, flat area on the seaward side of the reef is, in most places, a Thalassia - Cymodocea (sea grasses) meadow which is usually separated from the reef by a narrow, barren belt of fine-grained sediment. The outer portion of the reef consists of small, scattered coral heads and octocorals separated by a patchy veneer of sediment. The main body of the reef includes large, commonly coalescent coral heads, some standing at least 2.5 m above the sea floor. Next landward is a zone of smaller coral heads and abundant octocorals, followed by an area of large heads of Montastrea annularis . The previously known patch reefs off the Newfound Harbor Keys lie farther landward in shallower water. Although the sediment veneer is thin across much of the linear reef, accumulations of skeletal sand and gravel up to 50 cm thick, are common in areas of greatest coral growth. Geometry and biota of this reef, as well as its location subparallel to the present shoreline, suggest that the reef may be a living analog of at least a part of the Pleistocene Key Largo Limestone.
A social/emotional theory of ‘mental illness’:

One reason that theories of mental illness have made little progress may be their focus on individuals, omitting the social/relational and emotional world. Adding these components will be difficult, however: in modern societies they have become virtually invisible, particularly the emotion of shame. The theory outlined here is based on the work of Cooley, Elias, Lewis and Goffman: shame is both social and individual and, if anticipation is included, virtually omnipresent in modern societies. It is proposed that most symptoms of mental illness are products of shame and relational feedback loops: emotion and alienation can both spiral leading to further alienation and chaotic or hidden emotions. Almost everyone is especially ashamed of their shame. Being ashamed of one's shame and/or anger can spiral when not acknowledged. Under certain conditions, these spirals continue without limit, generating immense force for acting out symptoms or depression. To the extent that this theory is true, we would need to rename the field using non-medical terms, such as emotional/social dysfunction.
Personalization and differentiation as moderators of triggered displaced aggression towards out-group targets

Two studies examined the reduction of triggered displaced aggression (TDA) via bottom-up processing modes of de-categorization. Participants were provoked by the experimenter and then interacted with an ostensible out-group member who either did or did not provide a second (triggering) provocation. Study 1 compared TDA toward a triggering out-group member who had previously been either differentiated from the out-group, made the focus of self-other comparison, or was in a no-information control condition. As predicted, both differentiation and self-other comparison reduced aggression relative to the control condition. Study 2 examined the effect of negative self-disclosure from the out-group target, and contrasted its effects with both self-other comparison with a negative other, and a no-information control condition. As predicted, triggered participants in the negative self-disclosure condition aggressed less than those triggered in the negative self-other comparison or no-information control conditions. The liking induced by self-disclosure mediated its aggression-reducing effect.
Effects of U.S. States' Social Welfare Systems on Population Health

Social scientists have studied the welfare state extensively. Many studies seek to understand the determinants of the welfare state; however, a few have explored the social consequences of social welfare systems, especially on health outcomes of the population. Even though cross-national comparative studies support the thesis that the welfare state regime type, which represents different levels of commitment on social welfare, is closely linked to population health, there is little research to support this argument at a sub-national level. To fill the gap, this study explores the effects of the U.S. states' social welfare systems on health using age-adjusted mortality rates as a proxy for population health. By operationalizing social welfare systems as three dimensions—public expenditures, tax structures, and welfare program rules—we find that more generous education spending, progressive tax systems, and more lenient welfare program rules help to improve population health. The model corrects for first-order serial correlation using Prais-Winsten regression methods and is estimated with state and year-fixed effects.
Observations of nitric oxide fluxes over grass

Eddy correlation measurements of NO vertical flux were made periodically from October 1983 through June 1984 at a height of eight meters above grass in northeastern Illinois, U.S.A. From 207 data points, each representing a 25 min average, 19 daytime cases and 8 nighttime cases were selected on the basis of steady, nonadvective atmospheric conditions. Each case was represented by a set of data constituting a 3 to 5 hr average. Concentrations of O3, NO, and NO y (from which NO2 was inferred) and local atmospheric and surface conditions also were measured, to provide the information necessary to assess the relative importance of surface deposition, surface emission, and air chemistry on the observed NO flux. On the basis of a linear regression analysis applied with independent variables representing physical, chemical, and biological processes, surface uptake of NO was very small for data primarily collected in the daytime during spring, and measured deposition velocities at a height of 8 m were very small, much smaller than expected for NO2. For the same time period, the surface emission rates of elemental nitrogen in NO were in the range of 1.4 to 4.2 ng m-2 s-1 for moist, unsaturated soils at temperatures near 15° C. These emissions were partially masked in the measured fluxes by rapid in-air chemical reactions involving O3 and NO2. The effects of rapid in-air chemical reactions involving O3 were to decrease the (upward) flux of NO with height. While the information collected at night was too limited to strongly support hypotheses concerning emissions and deposition, a pathway for NO production by reactions involving NO3 and related compounds was indicated. For daytime conditions, this production pathway is not evident, probably because of the relatively strong effects of photochemical reactions involving NO, NO2, and O3.
Offshore wind farm with DC collection system

This paper sets forth a novel dc-based topology utilizing series-connected permanent-magnet synchronous generators for offshore wind farms, as an alternative to the common ac topology. The system's design, namely, the individual wind turbine power electronics, the collection system topology, and the overall system control is presented. An efficiency analysis suggests that the proposed dc topology leads to energy savings due to the reduced number and different type of energy conversion stages, as well as a variable-voltage control strategy. The stability and operation of the multi-branch topology are briefly discussed.
Three‐year Root Caries Increments: Implications for Clinical Trials

Seven hundred and ninety-six adult subjects (mean age, 39.9 years) received visual-tactile examinations for root caries over a three-year period. All subjects were employed or were the spouses of employees and resided in fluoride-deficient communities on Long Island, New York. During the three-year observation period, 81.4 percent of the subjects did not develop root caries. The 18.6 percent who developed root caries averaged 0.8 DFS/year. The subjects' ages and baseline root DFS status were associated with the development of a root DFS increment. The older the patient, especially aged 45 and older, the greater was the risk of developing root lesions or having root fillings placed. Subjects who had a root DFS score at baseline also were more likely to experience a root DFS increment. It is recommended that when designing clinical trials of agents purported to inhibit root caries, preselection criteria for the study population should consider the subjects' ages and past history of root lesions.
Band Structure and Properties of Cesium Metal

Energy bands and wave functions for cesium metal have been obtained by an orthogonalized-plane-wave procedure using a conduction-electron potential constructed from first principles. The effects of correlation in the ground state have been included through a local model potential and are found to have a rather small influence on band properties. The Fermi surface is observed to be less distorted along the [110] direction than in earlier calculations, and is in better agreement with experiment. The ratios $\frac{{k}_{F}}{{{k}_{F}}^{0}}$ along three principal directions [110], [111], and [100] were found to be 1.032, 0.992, and 0.970, as compared to 1.033, 0.991, and 0.986 obtained from de Haas---van Alphen measurements. The calculated density of states is utilized to evaluate the specific heat, which, after suitable correction for electron-phonon interaction, is found to be about 1.03 times the experimental value. The spin susceptibility, after incorporating exchange enhancement effects, is predicted to be 0.7696\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ volume units, in good agreement with a recent experimental value of 0.80\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ inferred from the nuclear-magnetic-resonance measurements in liquid alkali-metal alloys. The Knight shift and the nuclear relaxation time ${T}_{1}$, which depend explicitly on the wave functions, are both found to be within 60% of experiment. Possible mechanisms which could improve the agreement of these two properties with experiment are discussed.
Representing Madness: How Are Subjective Experiences of Emotional Distress Presented in First-Person Accounts?

Close to 600 first-person narratives of madness have been published in English alone, offering invaluable insight into emotional distress from a rarely studied perspective. The goals of this study were (a) to analyze how writers of such narratives present their subjective experience of emotional distress in terms of narrative structure and voice and (b) to examine how the author's purpose in writing the narrative affects its form. Previous studies of physical illness narratives have shown that they can be categorized into types based on structure and style.We asked: Are emotional distress narratives similar, or do they constitute a unique form? Ten such narratives were analyzed, with respect to the following four dimensions: writer's subjective experience, narrative structure, voice, and purpose. The results suggest a typology of narratives of emotional distress that is quite distinct from those constructed for physical illness.
The Excitation and Emission of Terahertz Surface Plasmon Polaritons on Metal Wire Waveguides

Abstract The development of effective techniques for guiding pulsed terahertz radiation is essential for the continued development of terahertz spectroscopy and imaging applications based on the technique of time-domain spectroscopy. Terahertz surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) can be excited and guided on cylindrical metal wires with low loss and dispersion. This propagating surface wave, known as a Sommerfeld wave, possesses radial polarization, which is not well matched with conventional sources of pulsed terahertz radiation. A photoconductive terahertz antenna with radial symmetry produces radiation that more efficiently couples to the wire waveguide. At the end of the wire, terahertz SPPs emit radiation into free-space that exhibits frequency-dependent diffraction. To cite this article: J.A. Deibel et al., C. R. Physique 9 (2008).
Marco Bellocchio, crisi collettiva e rinascita individuale

Questo articolo si propone di stabilire una relazione fra la crisi collettiva del cinema italiano e i percorsi individuali di un regista come Marco Bellocchio, che, esordendo nel 1964, vive in tutta la sua produzione la contrapposizione tra la notevole qualita produttiva degli anni Sessanta e la grave impasse estetica che monta nel decennio successivo. Attratto in un primo momento da fermenti rivoluzionari di natura marxista, Bellocchio di fronte alla crisi di questi valori e al tramonto delle prospettive rivoluzionarie sceglie di valorizzare la riflessione sulla propria interiorita attraverso la pratica psicanalitica, prima avvicinandosi allo psicanalista Massimo Fagioli e poi elaborando una personale riflessione sul fantasma paterno che appare influenzata dall’opera di Jacques Lacan. Lo scopo di questa riflessione e di determinare una relazione tra i propri fantasmi individuali e una crisi dell’immaginario politico italiano.
INFLUENCE OF NORMAL MALE URINE GONADOTROPIN ON SPERMATOGENESIS IN HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED MATURE AND IMMATURE RATS11

AGONADOTROPIC substance is present in the urine of normal men which will induce spermatogenesis in hypophysectomized rats (i) and ground squirrels (2). In addition to an effect on the seminiferous tubules, a male urine extract, prospermin, which is prepared by an alcoholic precipitation method (3), produces an hypertrophy of the interstitialcells and a stimulation of the accessory sexual organs, thus indicating the presence of an interstitial‘tissus’Stimulating factor. However, extracts of the urine of men, if prepared by tannic acid precipitation, have pre-dominantly a follicle-Stimulating effect on the ovaries of hypophysectomised rats whereas prospermin will not only stimulate folliculargrowth but will also cause luteinization, even at low dosages (4). The results of the studies show that the effects of the two preparations from male urine on the ovaries of hypophysectomized rats are quite different. Therefore, it was deemedof interest to extend the investigation of the action of male urine extract pre...
Native and Nonnative Reactions to ESL Compositions

This study investigated how English native speakers (ENSs) and Japanese native speakers (JNSs) at professorial, graduate, and undergraduate levels evaluate and edit ESL compositions written by Japanese college students. A total of 269 subjects first evaluated two compositions in terms of grammaticality, clarity of meaning, naturalness, and organization, using 10-point scales. English native speakers were more strict about grammaticality than were Japanese native speakers. In terms of clarity of meaning and organization, English native-speaking professors and graduate students gave more positive evaluations for both compositions than did the comparable Japanese-speaking groups. However, the Japanese undergraduates evaluated both compositions much more positively than did the English undergraduates. Comparisons in terms of naturalness were not generalizable because they showed different results between the two compositions. The subjects then edited the composition, correcting everything that seemed ungrammatical, unacceptable, or unnatural. ENSs provided far more corrections and corrected errors more accurately than did the JNSs. In both L1 groups, the higher the academic status of the evaluating group, the more accurately the group corrected errors. JNSs left many errors uncorrected, especially errors involving articles, number, prepositions, and lexical items which occur in Japanese as loan words from English.
The influence of constrictor drugs on the distensibility of the splanchnic venous system, analyzed on the basis of an aortic model.

The distensibility of the aorta was measured in anesthetized dogs by injecting blood at controlled rates into an isolated segment. Constrictor drugs produce a moderate increase in distensibility of the aorta at low pressure ranges and a more marked increase in distensibility at normal pressures. Studies of the splanchnic venous system of intestinal loops by the same method, and also by a method which does not require interruption in blood flow, gave evidence of the same type of distensibility phenomena as seen in the aorta, although at low pressures the venous distensibility tends to be actually decreased by vasoconstriction. The splanchnic venous system also differs from the aorta in that it is very dependent upon the rate of pressure-volume change. These results are analyzed in terms of the basic mechanisms involved and their physiologic implications.
Gene therapy of carcinoma using ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction.

When microbubble contrast agents are loaded with genes and systemically injected, ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) facilitates focused delivery of genes to target tissues. A mouse model of squamous cell carcinoma was used to test the hypothesis that UTMD would specifically transduce tumor tissue and slow tumor growth when treated with herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (TK) and ganciclovir. UTMD-mediated delivery of reporter genes resulted in tumor expression of luciferase and green fluorescent protein (GFP) in perivascular areas and individual tumor cells that exceeded expression in control tumors (p = 0.02). The doubling time of TK-treated tumors was longer than GFP-treated tumors (p = 0.02), and TK-treated tumors displayed increased apoptosis (p = 0.04) and more areas of cellular drop-out (p = 0.03). These data indicate that UTMD gene therapy can transduce solid tumors and mediate a therapeutic effect. UTMD is a promising nonviral method for targeting gene therapy that may be useful in a spectrum of tumors.
Early Childhood Stimulation in the Developing and Developed World: If Not Now, When?

Childhood mortality in developing countries remains the most dramatic issue confronting the public health and pediatric communities; each year there are more than 8 million deaths in children younger than 5 years.1,–,3 Mortality, however, is “the tip of the iceberg”4 of the serious problems that face children in the developing world. Importantly, it is conservatively estimated that more than 200 million children younger than 5 years (∼40% of those living in developing countries) do not reach their potential in cognitive development because of problems associated with extreme poverty: malnutrition severe enough to lead to growth retardation; iodine and iron deficiency; inadequate cognitive and social-emotional stimulation; and other less well-documented factors (social risk, environmental toxins, and infectious diseases).4,5 Inadequate early childhood development leads to poor school performance, low adult incomes, intergenerational transmission of poverty, and negative impact on national development. In this issue of Pediatrics , Walker et al6 report on the adult follow-up of growth-retarded 9- to 24-month-old Jamaican children in their landmark study, … Address correspondence to Benard P. Dreyer, MD, Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, NBV 8 East 11, 550 First Ave, New York, NY 10016. E-mail: benard.dreyer{at}nyumc.org
Magnetic tracker calibration for improved augmented reality registration

We apply a look-up table technique to calibrate both position and orientation readings from a magnetic tracker for use in virtual environments within a defined working volume. In a test volume of 2.4 cubic meters, the method reduced the tracker's average position error by 79% and its average orientation error by 40%. We test the correction table against the tracker's performance outdoors a metal-poor environment and show that readings taken in our lab and corrected by our method exhibit less error than uncorrected readings taken outdoors. We demonstrate that such reduction in position error visibly improves registration in an augmented reality system, whereas the lesser reduction in orientation error does not visibly improve registration. We show that the model we used for the orientation error function was incorrect, preventing our method from achieving better correction of orientation error, We discuss future directions for correction of orientation error.
Hardware/Software Codesign Architecture for Online Testing in Chip Multiprocessors

As the semiconductor industry continues its relentless push for nano-CMOS technologies, long-term device reliability and occurrence of hard errors have emerged as a major concern. Long-term device reliability includes parametric degradation that results in loss of performance as well as hard failures that result in loss of functionality. It has been reported in the ITRS roadmap that effectiveness of traditional burn-in test in product life acceleration is eroding. Thus, to assure sufficient product reliability, fault detection and system reconfiguration must be performed in the field at runtime. Although regular memory structures are protected against hard errors using error-correcting codes, many structures within cores are left unprotected. Several proposed online testing techniques either rely on concurrent testing or periodically check for correctness. These techniques are attractive, but limited due to significant design effort and hardware cost. Furthermore, lack of observability and controllability of microarchitectural states result in long latency, long test sequences, and large storage of golden patterns. In this paper, we propose a low-cost scheme for detecting and debugging hard errors with a fine granularity within cores and keeping the faulty cores functional, with potentially reduced capability and performance. The solution includes both hardware and runtime software based on codesigned virtual machine concept. It has the ability to detect, debug, and isolate hard errors in small noncache array structures, execution units, and combinational logic within cores. Hardware signature registers are used to capture the footprint of execution at the output of functional modules within the cores. A runtime layer of software (microvisor) initiates functional tests concurrently on multiple cores to capture the signature footprints across cores to detect, debug, and isolate hard errors. Results show that using targeted set of functional test sequences, faults can be debugged to a fine-granular level within cores. The hardware cost of the scheme is less than three percent, while the software tasks are performed at a high-level, resulting in a relatively low design effort and cost.
On Succinctness of Geometric Greedy Routing in Euclidean Plane

Geometric greedy routing uses (virtual) geographic point locations as addresses for the purposes of routing, while routing decisions are made by each node individually based only on local information. It requires that the network topology is greedily embedded in a metric space through assigning virtual coordinates to the nodes in the network. Recent research pointed out that such scheme is significantly more efficient than other traditional routing schemes only if the virtual coordinates are succinctly represented (i.e., using $O(poly(\log n))$ bits per coordinate) in the greedy embedding, an issue that has been overlooked for a long time. In this paper we prove that such succinctness is not achievable in Euclidean plane, assuming that Cartesian or polar coordinate system is used, the network topology is a planar graph, and the planar embedding is preserved during the process of greedy embedding. Indeed, we provide a counter example to show that in this situation, some coordinates must take $\Omega(n)$ bits to represent.
Health care payments in the Asia Pacific: validation of five survey measures of economic burden.

Introduction: Many low and middle-income countries rely on out-of-pocket payments to help finance health care. These payments can pose financial hardships for households; valid measurement of this type of economic burden is therefore critical. This study examines the validity of five survey measures of economic burden caused by health care payments. Methods: We analyzed 2002/03 World Health Survey household-level data from four Asia Pacific countries to assess the construct validity of five measures of economic burden due to health care payments: any health expenditure, health expenditure amount, catastrophic health expenditure, indebtedness, and impoverishment. We used generalized linear models to assess the correlations between these measures and other constructs with which they have expected associations, such as health care need, wealth, and risk protection.
HOW APPLIED MATHEMATICS BECAME PURE

This paper traces the evolution of thinking on how mathematics relates to the world— from the ancients, through the beginnings of mathematized science in Galileo and Newton, to the rise of pure mathematics in the nineteenth century. The goal is to better understand the role of mathematics in contemporary science. My goal here is to explore the relationship between pure and applied mathematics and then, eventually, to draw a few morals for both. In particular, I hope to show that this relationship has not been static, that the historical rise of pure mathematics has coincided with a gradual shift in our understanding of how mathematics works in application to the world. In some circles today, it is held that historical developments of this sort simply represent changes in fashion, or in social arrangements, governments, power structures, or some such thing, but I resist the full force of this way of thinking, clinging to the old school notion that we have gradually learned more about the world over time, that our opinions on these matters have improved, and that seeing how we reached the point we now occupy may help us avoid falling back into old philosophies that are now no longer viable. In that spirit, it seems to me that once we focus on the general question of how mathematics relates to science, one observation is immediate: the march of the centuries has produced an amusing reversal of philosophical fortunes. Let me begin there. In the beginning, that is, in Plato, mathematical knowledge was sharply distinguished from ordinary perceptual belief about the world. According to Plato's metaphysics, math- ematics is the study of eternal and unchanging abstract Forms, 1 while science is uncertain and changeable opinion about the world of mere becoming. Indeed, in Plato's lights, of the two, only mathematics deserves to be called 'knowledge' at all! Of course if sense perception cannot give us knowledge, if mathematics is not about perceivable things, then Plato owes us an account of how we ordinary humans achieve this wonderful insight into the properties of the abstract world of Forms. Plato's answer is that we do not actually acquire mathematical knowledge at all; rather, we recollect it from a time before birth, when our souls, unencumbered by physical bodies, were free to commune with the Forms, and not just the mathematical ones, either - also Truth, Beauty, Justice, the Good, and so on. 2 Whatever appeal this position may have held for the ancient Greeks, it will not begin to satisfy a contemporary, scientifically minded philosopher. But in any case, Plato's view
Ultrastructure of hepatic sinusoids in sheep.

The fine structure of the sheep hepatic sinusoid has been examined. Unlike that of most previously studied mammals, the sheep sinusoid has a continuous endothelial lining and a distinct basal lamina. Another unusual feature of the sheep sinusoidal endothelium is the presence of fenestrae closed by thin, single-layered diaphragms. Between the basal lamina and the hepatic parenchyma, processes of perivascular connective tissue cells are seen in unusual abundance. Particles consistent in size with very low density lipoproteins are found on both sides of the basal lamina, but the mechanism of transport of these particles across the endothelial barrier is unknown.
Equatorial spread F studies using SAMI3 with two-dimensional and three-dimensional electrostatics

Abstract. This letter presents a study of equatorial F region irregularities using the NRL SAMI3/ESF model, comparing results using a two-dimensional (2-D) and a three-dimensional (3-D) electrostatic potential solution. For the 3-D potential solution, two cases are considered for parallel plasma transport: (1) transport based on the parallel ambipolar field, and (2) transport based on the parallel electric field. The results show that the growth rate of the generalized Rayleigh–Taylor instability is not affected by the choice of the potential solution. However, differences are observed in the structures of the irregularities between the 2-D and 3-D solutions. Additionally, the plasma velocity along the geomagnetic field computed using the full 3-D solution shows complex structures that are not captured by the simplified model. This points out that only the full 3-D model is able to fully capture the complex physics of the equatorial F region.
New materials for fiber optic amplifiers

Summary form only given. To further exploit the bandwidth potential of EDFA's, materials research has led to development of fibers offering flatter gain, increased bandwidth and red-shifted signal excited state absorption (ESA). While fluoride based glasses, were an early candidate for flat gain their narrow bandwidth meant that they were not suitable for broadband WDM. Alternative materials based on multi-component tellurite or silicate glasses have recently emerged as serious candidates for extending the gain bandwidth. These materials have the necessary properties for extending the bandwidth available in a single amplifier to approximately 60nm or for increasing the total bandwidth of a split band EDFA from 64nm to 90nm.
Managing marketing relationships: Making sure everyone plays on the team

Abstract Much of the literature relating to managing marketing relationships focuses on limiting opportunistic activities by one or both partners in a relationship. Opportunistic behavior occurs when one partner seeks a short-term gain in a way that may damage the other partner or the relationship. In the case of a hotel belonging to a network or chain, such actions might include falsifying or suppressing monthly sales data. A study of over 400 individual hotels belonging to two hotel chains investigated the extent to which opportunism of individual hotels is limited by three governance mechanisms. Those mechanisms are (1) ownership by chain headquarters, (2) a hotel's investment in transaction-specific assets (e.g., reservation-system software), and (3) shared norms of relational exchange. Of the three, taken either singly or together, only the shared norms of relational exchange were at all effective in managing hotel opportunism. Hotel opportunism declined with higher degrees of relational exchange. Hotel opportunism was exacerbated, however, when ownership or investments in transaction-specific assets were emphasized as governance mechanisms.
Temporal Adaptive Link Quality Prediction with Online Learning

Link quality estimation is a fundamental component of the low-power wireless network protocols and is essential for routing protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). However, accurate link quality estimation remains a challenging task due to the notoriously dynamic and unpredictable wireless environment. In this article we argue that, in addition to the estimation of current link quality, prediction of the future link quality is more important for the routing protocol to establish low-cost delivery paths. We propose to apply machine learning methods to predict the link quality in the near future to facilitate the utilization of intermediate links with frequent quality changes. Moreover, we show that, by using online learning methods, our adaptive link estimator (TALENT) adapts to network dynamics better than statically trained models without the need of a priori data collection for training the model before deployment. We implemented TALENT in TinyOS with Low-Power Listening (LPL) and conducted extensive experiments in three testbeds. Our experimental results show that the addition of TALENT increases the delivery efficiency 1.95 times on average compared with a 4B, state-of-the-art link quality estimator, as well as improves the end-to-end delivery rate when tested on three different wireless testbeds.
On the exactness of convex relaxation for optimal power flow in tree networks

The optimal power flow problem is nonconvex, and a convex relaxation has been proposed to solve it. We prove that the relaxation is exact, if there are no upper bounds on the voltage, and any one of some conditions holds. One of these conditions requires that there is no reverse real power flow, and that the resistance to reactance ratio is non-decreasing as transmission lines spread out from the substation to the branch buses. This condition is likely to hold if there are no distributed generators. Besides, avoiding reverse real power flow can be used as rule of thumb for placing distributed generators.
Organizational legacies of violence: Conditions favoring insurgency onset in Colombia, 1964-1984

Why do insurgencies erupt in some places and not in others? This article exploits an original violent event database of 274,428 municipality-month observations in Colombia to determine the conditio...
Decentralized control of large scale interconnected systems using adaptive neural network-based dynamic surface control

A novel decentralized controller using the dynamic surface control (DSC) is proposed for a class of uncertain large scale interconnected nonlinear systems in strict-feedback form while relaxing the “explosion of complexity” problem which is observed in the typical backstepping approach. The matching condition is not assumed when dealing with the interconnection terms. Neural networks (NNs) are utilized to approximate the uncertainties in both subsystem and interconnected terms. By using novel NN weight update laws, it is demonstrated using Lyapunov stability that the closed-loop signals are asymptotically stable in the presence of NN approximation errors in contrast with the uniform ultimate boundedness result that is common in the literature with NN-based DSC and backstepping schemes. Simulation results of the controller performance for a nonlinear decentralized system justify theoretical conclusions.
Communicating Effectively in Surgical Pathology

Surgical pathologists have two main communication tasks: (1) convey clear, accurate, unambiguous, and complete diagnostic information in a timely fashion; and (2) create a permanent record of findings to guide treatment and ensure accountability, a medico-legal duty. While it is true that the most beautifully composed report is worthless if the diagnosis is inaccurate, it is equally true that the most astute diagnosis, if communicated poorly, may be misconstrued. Because faulty comprehension can lead to clinical error, surgical pathologists must attend to all facets of report construction that can affect comprehension: design layout, the audience, format, style and language, word order, saying too little (incomplete) or too much (distracting), and using addenda effectively. This chapter provides ten practical tips for writing effective and error-free diagnoses, as well as communicating urgent and significant, unexpected diagnoses.
Population Density: Computational Properties of Numbers

The human population of the earth is large and is increasing rapidly. Table 2.1 gives the estimates of the United States Bureau of the Census for the growth of the world’s population over the last 2000 years. This table reveals that the population in 1900 was approximately 1.6 billion. This increased to around 2.5 billion in 1950 and more than doubled over the next 40 years to exceed 5.6 billion in 1995. The Census Bureau estimates that the earth’s population reached 5.761 billion during April 1996.
Changes in hypothalamic catecholamine neurotransmitters and pituitary gonadotropins in the immature female rat: relationships to the gonadostat theory of puberty onset.

The distribution of hypothalamic norepinephrine and dopamine tissue concentrations and the relative differences in norepinephrine turnover rate were studied in sexually maturing female rats. A modified radioenzymatic assay was used to measure norepinephrine and dopamine concentrations. Norepinephrine turnover was estimated by calculating the disappearance rate of intraventricularly injected [3H]norepinephrine over 24 h, with a correction for dilution of specific activity by endogenous norepinephrine tissue stores. Hypothalamic catecholamine content and norepinephrine turnover values were determined for the median eminence, anterior hypothalamus, and residual hypothalamus in 21-, 24-, 28-, and 31-day-old intact and 1-week postcastration animals. In addition, basal, postcastration, and post-LHRH serum LH and FSH levels were measured. In the intact rats, basal and post-LHRH LH and FSH levels did not change with age. Norepinephrine content in the anterior hypothalamus and residual hypothalamus of the intact r...
I Remember Richard: A Review of Samurai Among Panthers and More

“Richard Aoki's biography stands out for a number of reasons other than the fact that I was a good friend of his and am a colleague of Diane Fujino. It presents a revolutionary's vision of his life and activities, and reflects even the lilt of his speech and his colloquialisms. I doubt if he would have had it any other way, and Fujino was wise to recognize this from the beginning.”
Community Action Programs and Citizen Participation: Issues and Confusions

The Community Action Program (CAP) of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 is defined in the act as fighting poverty by (1) providing service assistance and con ducting other activities that give promise of bettering the conditions under which peo ple live, learn, and work, (2) mobilizing and utilizing public and private resources, and (3) developing, conducting, and ad ministering such programs with the maximum feasible participation of the neighborhood residents (i.e., low-income in dividuals, families, and groups upon whose needs the programs are focused). The central preoccupation of CAPs, conse quently, is the planning and development of relevant activities and services as well as effective and efficient allocation of re sources. This is to be accomplished through organizational operations whereby the target population participates in set ting goals, developing strategies, defining policies, and establishing structures for reaching the legislative objectives.1 The mandatory requirement of enlisting the active participation of indigenous peo