cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Public Procurement: Public Administration and Public Service Perspectives

Why is public procurement not a major topic in public administration education programs? While many scholars and practitioners acknowledge its importance, most master's degree programs in public administration do not. In this paper we document this discrepancy, investigate its causes, and provide two remedies to place public procurement more squarely in the educational mainstream. The first entails a description of public procurement from well established public administration perspectives, which illustrates how closely public procurement is aligned with the field's traditional functions and issues. The second analyzes public procurement in the context of the "public service values" orientation of NASPAA's accreditation standards, which indicates the extent to which these values are inherently accounted for and manifested in agency procurement policies, processes, and practices. Thus, public administration might achieve a deeper and broader understanding of public service values by paying more attention to public procurement in its education programs. We conclude with recommendations for public administration schools that may want to (a) incorporate public procurement content in existing master's degree courses; (b) add a public procurement course; or (c) adopt a public procurement concentration for the master's degree.
Reciprocity and Constructions of Informed Consent: Researching with Indigenous Populations

In this article, the authors present a discussion of institutional review boards and potential challenges qualitative researchers may face when presenting human subjects research proposals to these boards for approval. In particular, they focus on issues of consent and reciprocity with Indigenous populations, whose culture and traditions might be quite different from those review boards typically see. After presenting these issues, the authors close with a framework that can be used as a guide for ethical considerations in research with Indigenous peoples.
X-ray absorption spectroscopy of GeO2 glass to 64 GPa.

The structural behavior of GeO2 glass has been investigated up to 64 GPa using results from x-ray absorption spectroscopy in a diamond anvil cell combined with previously reported density measurements. The difference between the nearest Ge–O distances of glassy and rutile-type GeO2 disappears at the Ge–O distance maximum at 20 GPa, indicating completion of the tetrahedral–octahedral transition in GeO2 glass. The mean-square displacement σ2 of the Ge–O distance in the first Ge–O shell increases progressively to a maximum at 10 GPa, followed by a substantial reduction at higher pressures. The octahedral glass is, as expected, less dense and has a higher compressibility than the corresponding crystalline phase, but the differences in Ge–O distance and density between the glass and the crystals are gradually eliminated over the 20–40 GPa pressure range. Above 40 GPa, GeO2 forms a dense octahedral glass with a compressibility similar to that of the corresponding crystalline phase (α-PbO2 type). The EXAFS and XANES spectra show evidence for subtle changes in the dense glass continuing to occur at these high pressures. The Ge–O bond distance shows little change between 45–64 GPa, and this may reflect a balance between bond shortening and a gradual coordination number increase with compression. The density of the glass is similar to that of the α–PbO2-type phase, but the Ge–O distance is longer and is close to that in the higher-coordination pyrite-type phase which is stable above ∼60 GPa. The density data provide evidence for a possible discontinuity and change in compressibility at 40–45 GPa, but there are no major changes in the corresponding EXAFS spectra. A pyrite-type local structural model for the glass can provide a reasonable fitting to the XAFS spectra at 64 GPa.
Chronic lithium administration attenuates up‐regulated brain arachidonic acid metabolism in a rat model of neuroinflammation

Neuroinflammation, caused by a 6-day intracerebroventricular infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats, is associated with the up-regulation of brain arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism markers. Because chronic LiCl down-regulates markers of brain AA metabolism, we hypothesized that it would attenuate increments of these markers in LPS-infused rats. Incorporation coefficients k* of AA from plasma into brain, and other brain AA metabolic markers, were measured in rats that had been fed a LiCl or control diet for 6 weeks, and subjected in the last 6 days on the diet to intracerebroventricular infusion of artificial CSF or of LPS. In rats on the control diet, LPS compared with CSF infusion increased k* significantly in 28 regions, whereas the LiCl diet prevented k* increments in 18 of these regions. LiCl in CSF infused rats increased k* in 14 regions, largely belonging to auditory and visual systems. Brain cytoplasmic phospholipase A(2) activity, and prostaglandin E(2) and thromboxane B(2) concentrations, were increased significantly by LPS infusion in rats fed the control but not the LiCl diet. Chronic LiCl administration attenuates LPS-induced up-regulation of a number of brain AA metabolism markers. To the extent that this up-regulation has neuropathological consequences, lithium might be considered for treating human brain diseases accompanied by neuroinflammation.
Spectral and polarization hole burning in neodymium glass lasers

Gain saturation in short-pulse glass laser amplifiers is treated including both spectral and polarization hole burning. Site-to-site differences in energy levels, transition probabilities, and orientations of the lasing ion in glass result in a distribution of stimulated emission cross sections and selective deexcitation of subsets of ions by a laser beam. These spectroscopic inhomogeneities are described by simple models whose parameters include the average emission cross section, the ratio of homogeneous-to-inhomogeneous linewidths, and the polarized cross section ratio. Performance of amplifiers based on the model media is calculated. Values for parameters to model an actual laser glass are obtained from standard fluorescence measurements and from resonant fluorescence line-narrowing (FLN) experiments. The predicted gain of a Nd-doped laser glass (ED-2) is compared to published amplifier measurements. The good agreement obtained demonstrates that data from FLN experiments provide sufficient information to model the performance of a glass amplifier in the large-signal gain regime. The results can also be used to guide the selection of glasses for increased energy extraction efficiency. Optimization of laser performance by varying parameters through changes in the host glass composition is discussed.
Correlation of the Union of Two Bivariate Data Sets

In their excellent elementary text Statistics, David Freedman and his coauthors [1] present the usual interpretation of the correlation of a bivariate data set as a measure of the vertical spread of the points in the data set about the least squares (regression) line and then present examples to show that restricting the range of one variable (or of both variables) of a bivariate data set can reduce the absolute value of the correlation. In the examples presented, this phenomenon, sometimes called attenuation of correlation, is easily seen in scatterplots of the data: the data that remain after removing the points outside the selected range appear to follow a "weaker" linear pattern than the original data set did. Freedman, Pisani, and Purves then pose the following problem [1, p. 154].
Why Randomized Controlled Trials Are Needed to Accept New Practices: 2 Medical Worldviews

Clinical practice is currently at a crossroads, and 2 worldviews are in opposition. The ! rst view is that new medical practices should only be instituted when large, well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have a bene! t on hard outcomes (mortality or morbidity), and current standards of care should be systematically subjected to such testing. The second view is that it is not only reasonable but also essential to institute and embrace practices when there is a reasonable belief that the practice is bene! cial on the basis ofthebestavailableevidenceandnot necessarily RCTs.Ifatafuturedateapracticeisfoundnotto work, it is reasonable to discontinue it, but strict adherence to the ! rst view would paralyze clinical care and limit progress. The second view (reasonable belief) has dominated medicine for most of the 20th century and continues to exert a powerful in" uence well into this one. The ! rst view (evidence ! rst) has beenpromoted 1-3 andcontinuestomakeinroads but also faces strong opposition from those who hold the second view. In this article, Id e! ne the 2 views and explore the questions they raise: Do they have common ground? Can evidence guide us? And, most important, which view should you hold?
An ultrastructural study of somal appositions in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and anterior hypothalamus of the rat

Somatic appositions of glial and neuronal elements in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the anterior hypothalamus (AH) were evaluated. Neuronal somas in the SCN exhibited more coverage by astrocytes than did those in the AH. Conversely, somas in the AH showed more coverage by neuronal elements than those in the SCN. All measurements of somal appositions were independent of circadian influences.
Data analytic methods for the analysis of multilevel questions: A comparison of intraclass correlation coefficients, rwg(j), hierarchical linear modeling, within- and between-analysis, and random group resampling

Researchers investigating organizations and leadership in particular are increasingly being called upon to theorize multilevel models and to utilize multilevel data analytic techniques. However, the literature provides relatively little guidance for researchers to identify which of the multilevel methodologies are appropriate for their particular questions. In this final article, the statistical procedures used in the multilevel data analyses in the previous articles of this special issue are compared. Specifically, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), rwg(j), hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), within- and between-analysis (WABA), and random group resampling (RGR) are examined and their results and conclusions discussed. Following comparisons of these methods, recommendations for their use are presented.
The use of energy from salt-gradient solar ponds for reclamation of agricultural drainage water in California: Analysis and cost prediction

Abstract The cost of water from multi-effect distillation (MED) plants of various evaporator designs using thermal energy from salt-gradient solar ponds is calculated. The criterion U C , the heat-transfer capacity per unit cost for the evaporator (ratio of the overall heat-transfer coefficient in the evaporator, U, to the cost of the evaporator per unit area of heat-transfer surface, C) is varied between 12 and 105 kJ/h°C$ (3 and 25 kcal/h°C$) to evaluate its effect on plant capital cost and performance. Other parameters varied in the study include number of MED effects, solar pond temperature, and cost of steam from the solar pond. Compilation of the results from hundreds of computer simulation runs identify the conditions for minimum distilled water cost and corresponding plant productivity per unit area of solar pond. It is found that minimum distilled water cost results from the use of evaporators with high values of U C . In addition, it is found that distilled water cost is lowest when the brine temperature in the lower convecting zone of the pond is about 60°C (compared to the other temperatures considered of 50, 65, 70, and 80°C). For the case of brine temperature of 60°C, the results show that by increasing U C from 12 to 105 kJ/h°C$ (3 to 25 kcal/h°C$), distilled water cost is decreased from 3.16 to 1.63 $/ton (11.95 to 6.18 $/kgal), and the productivity per unit area of solar pond is increased from 11.6 to 20.2 kg/day per square meter of solar pond.
Combined Effects of Ezetimibe and Phytosterols on Cholesterol Metabolism A Randomized, Controlled Feeding Study in Humans

Background—Both ezetimibe and phytosterols inhibit cholesterol absorption. We tested the hypothesis that the combination of ezetimibe and phytosterols is more effective than ezetimibe alone in altering cholesterol metabolism. Methods and Results—Twenty-one mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, triple-crossover study. Each subject received a phytosterol-controlled diet plus (1) ezetimibe placebo+phytosterol placebo, (2) 10 mg/d ezetimibe+phytosterol placebo, and (3) 10 mg/d ezetimibe+2.5 g phytosterols for 3 weeks each. All meals were prepared in a metabolic kitchen. Primary outcomes were intestinal cholesterol absorption, fecal cholesterol excretion, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The combined treatment resulted in significantly lower intestinal cholesterol absorption (598 mg/d; 95% confidence interval [CI], 368 to 828) relative to control (2161 mg/d; 95% CI, 1112 to 3209) and ezetimibe alone (1054 mg/d; 95% CI, 546 to 1561; both P<...
Stimulation by heme of steryl ester synthase and aerobic sterol exclusion in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae sterol and heme auxotrophs were used to elucidate a role for hemes in sterol esterification. Steryl ester synthase (SES) activity was stimulated on average fourfold in cells supplemented with 50 μg/ml δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). This stimulation was not dependent on ALA per se, but on the ability of this precursor to effect heme competency. The addition of ALA stimulated SES activity of yeast on either fermentative or respiratory carbon sources. The elevation of SES activity was independent of intracellular free sterol, unsaturated fatty acid, or methionine levels. SES activity increases as the cells enter stationary phase, and this increase is enhanced by heme competency. SES was directly inhibited by the hypocholesterolemic drug lovastatin (mevinolin). The inhibition of SES activity by lovastatin was enhanced in heme-competent cells.
Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries May Be Important Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory Sources After All

Andersson et al. and Bildsten proposed that the spin of accreting neutron stars is limited by the removal of angular momentum by gravitational radiation that increases dramatically with the spin frequency of the star. Both Bildsten and Andersson et al. argued that the r-modes of the neutron star for sufficiently quickly rotating and hot neutron stars will grow due as a result of the emission of gravitational radiation, thereby accounting for a time-varying quadrupole component to the neutron star's mass distribution. However, Levin later argued that the equilibrium between spin-up due to accretion and spin-down due to gravitational radiation is unstable, because the growth rate of the r-modes and consequently the rate of gravitational wave emission are an increasing function of the core temperature of the star. The system executes a limit cycle, spinning up for several million years and spinning down in less than a year. However, the duration of the spin-down portion of the limit cycle depends sensitively on the amplitude at which the nonlinear coupling between different r-modes becomes important. As the duration of the spin-down portion increases, the fraction of accreting neutron stars that may be emitting gravitational radiation increases while the peak flux in gravitational radiation decreases. Depending on the distribution of quickly rotating neutron stars in the Galaxy and beyond, the number of gravitational emitters detectable with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory may be large.
Paleoenvironmental Analysis of Joachim Dolomite (Middle Ordovician), North Arkansas: ABSTRACT

The Joachim Dolomite (Middle Ordovician) crops out in an east-west trending belt across north-central Arkansas. This formation is the oldest of four members composing the post-St. Peter Ordovician carbonate sequence, which was deposited during an overall marine transgression. These units prograded in response to progressively deeper epeiric conditions caused by a relative rise in sea level near the low-relief, positive Ozark Dome. The Joachim Dolomite ranges in thickness from 1 to 25 m and contains four units in a shoaling-upward sequence: subtidal basal sheet unit, subtidal bank unit, sublittoral sheet unit, and intertidal-supratidal veneer unit. These units represent an offlapping sequence of subtidal to intertidal to supratidal environmental zones. Marine sedimentation caused carbonate banks to shoal and prograde seaward, producing a local marine regression. Algal mat communities promoted carbonate bank progradation by forming a cohesive mat that stabilized substrates and resisted wave scour. These algal mats created cryptalgal fabrics, cryptalgal columnar structures and stratigraphic sequences analogous to those End_Page 1566------------------------------ observed in Shark Bay, Western Australia. The Joachim Dolomite is a dolostone intermixed with variable quantities of detrital quartz grains. Halite hoppers present in the intertidal veneer unit suggest that the initial dolomitization of the sediments was induced by evaporative pumping of metahaline and hypersaline water into the prograding carbonate banks. Later, successive influxes of mixed meteoric-marine and meteoric waters converted the marine protodolomite matrix into dolomicrite and eliminated the primary marine porosity. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1567------------
Ab initio study of singlet excited states of bicyclo[2.2.0]hexasilane and tricyclo[4.2.0.02,5]octasilane

The singlet excited states in the optimized geometries of bicyclo[2.2.0]hexasilane and tricyclo[4.2.0.02,5]octasilane are studied theoretically using the ab initio molecular orbital method at the RHF/3-21G* level with the all-singles CI approximation. These molecules are found to have zigzag structures in both the ground states and the singlet excited states corresponding to the lowest absorptions, and the estimated Stokes shifts between the lowest absorption and fluorescence are similar to the experimental values.
Teachers' Perspectives on Literacy Instruction for Students with Severe Disabilities Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perspectives on the appropriate skills and settings for literacy instruction, the factors influencing their decisions about literacy instructi...
Applications Of Response Surface Methodology: I. A General And Practical Approach To Process Optimization

Response surface methodology is used to model properties of positive photoresist which have been subjected to several operations in a photolithographic process. The impact of these models on process performance and latitude has been investigated and a general approach to process optimization has been proposed: m P[X(1),X(2), . . . 1 = fl F(i) i =0 where P[X(1),X(2), . . .1 represents an overall process optimization function. It measures the overall performance and stability of a process as a func-tion of process variables X(1), X(2), etc. This optimization function is defined as the product of normalized signal-to-noise ratios, F(i), for the set of responses, i, considered. The function F(i) quantifies the ability of a process to achieve the specified response and the sensitivity of the response to perturbations in the process variables. This approach is particularly useful when more than one response must be optimized with a given process. The application of this approach can result in a several-fold increase in process performance and latitude. Examples are presented and discussed.
Cutaneous sarcoidosis as an expression of syphilis.

The following case is reported as an instance of an eruption which was clinically and histologically compatible with the diagnosis of Boeck's sarcoid but which proved to be of syphilitic origin. The implications of this situation are important and will be discussed.
Search for semantic inhibition failure during sentence comprehension by younger and older adults.

The present research examined recent evidence that inhibition failures do not contribute to age-related declines in on-line text comprehension. Evaluating naming performance over a time course revealed that processes serving to eliminate thematically irrelevant information from memory in young adults were apparently deficient for older adults. Experiment 2 generalized these findings to contexts that rely on later information to disambiguate ambiguous words. Under these conditions, older adults were as able as younger adults to use context to disambiguate words. Despite the apparent disagreement between the experimental outcomes, it is argued that the present studies together are consistent and support the view that inhibition failures unlikely contribute to age differences in on-line sentence comprehension (at least) when the contexts are semantically constraining (i.e., self-contained). It is proposed that the detection of age-related inhibition failures may depend on the extent to which adults must rely on internally generated processing constraints.
Adriamycin in advanced bronchogenic carcinoma.

Adriamycin, a new cytotoxic antibiotic with antitumor activity in a variety of neoplasms, was given to 31 patients with advanced bronchogenic carcinoma. The doses used were 30 and 35 mg/m2 of body surface area daily for 3 days repeated at 3- or 4-week intervals. Objective regression (<50%) was seen in 4 of 20 patients receiving 30 mg/m2 and 5 of 11 patients receiving 35 mg/m2. Regressions according to histologic cell type were seen in 5 of 17 adenocarcinomas, 3 of 6 small cell carcinomas, 1 of 6 large cell anaplastic carcinomas, and 0 of 2 squamous cell carcinomas. Those patients who attained tumor regression survived longer than those who had progression. Toxic manifestations of Adriamycin administration were myelosuppression, stomatitis, cardiomyopathy, and nausea and vomiting. Adriamycin at doses below the cumulative cardiotoxic threshold appears to be of clinical value in advanced bronchogenic carcinoma.
Wind farm reactive support and voltage control

Wind farms typically contain a variety of voltage control equipment including tap-changing transformers, switched capacitors, SVCs, STATCOMs, and the generators themselves. This paper focuses on the control of this equipment by addressing three major issues. The first is the ability of wind turbines to provide reactive power; voltage saturation in the collector system often limits the reactive power output of individual generators. The second topic is the stability of the system when independent control laws for the various types of equipment interact. Specifically, under some conditions a tap-changing transformer may not behave as expected or become unstable. The third major issue is the high-level control of the substation or wind farm; it is desirable to treat all the equipment as an integrated system rather than independent devices in order to meet cost, maintenance, fault tolerance, or other requirements. This high-level control problem is addressed for several types of available future information including exact future knowledge and stochastic predictions. Deterministic and Stochastic Dynamic Programming are used to develop control algorithms. The results demonstrate that while exact future knowledge is very useful, simple prediction methods yield no benefit.
An Experiential Leadership Approach for Teaching Tolerance for Ambiguity

Abstract In leadership education, developing a tolerance for ambiguity is a key element in preparing students for success in the fast-paced and often chaotic business world. In this article, the author presents an approach that draws on Boyer's framework for scholarship, incorporates experiential education principles, and adopts action research methodology. Students accept responsibility for designing and implementing a class project that provides a rich context for learning tolerance for ambiguity.
The Effect of Radiation from Filtered Radon Implants on the Growth of Carcinoma and Sarcoma in Animals

It is only within comparatively recent years that the therapeutic value of radium and x-rays in the treatment of malignant neoplasms has been definitely established. Numerous clinical studies have shown that in certain types of tumors irradiation has been of little benefit because of the exceptional resistance of these tumors to radiation or because their location was such that in order to deliver a lethal dose to the tumor, the adjacent normal tissue must be over-irradiated. The authors have made a study of the effect of radiation from filtered radon implants on the growth of carcinoma and sarcoma in animals, in order to determine the minimal lethal closes for these tumors. Materials and Methods The Flexner-Jobling rat carcinoma and the Sugiura rat sarcoma were selected for the preliminary study. The behavior of these tumors in the hosts has been reported elsewhere. It may be of interest, however, to summarize their manner of development, since this may have a bearing upon the present investigation. The grafts of Flexner-Jobling rat carcinoma grew progressively and rapidly. Many of them reached the size of a walnut before ulceration. The transplants took in about 80 per cent of all cases. They showed only occasional spontaneous absorption, such cases representing about 20 per cent of the positive transplants.1 As the tumors grew larger, they became soft, due to central degeneration and necrosis. Later they ulcerated, usually about seven weeks after the implantation, though sometimes as early as the fourth week, and subsequently caused the death of the animals from toxemia, septicemia, and nutritional failure. About 10 per cent of the animals showed metastases ninety days after tumor implantation.
The cariogenicity of snack foods and confections

The frequency of between-meal eating and the consumption of flour-sugar mixtures in snacks may be as important as sucrose content in determining the cariogenicity of foods. A survey of the relationship between caries prevalence and the consumption of sugar and other foods by man has been interpreted to show that snack foods share importance with sucrose in caries causation. Support for this conclusion is found in animal experiments and some in vitro and in vivo tests.
Generalization of treatment: A multicontext approach to cognitive perceptual impairment in adults with brain injury.

Cognitive perceptual remedial approaches used by occupational therapists in the treatment of adults with brain injury have been criticized because of claims that the effects are not generalizable. Little information is available, however, that can guide the therapist in directly addressing the generalization process. This paper proposes a multicontext treatment approach that uses five components identified in the cognitive psychology literature as being critical to the process of generalization: (a) use of multiple environments, (b) identification of criteria for transfer, (c) metacognitive training, (d) emphasis on processing strategies, and (e) use of meaningful activities. A case report is used to illustrate this treatment approach.
High Tech in the Deep South: Biomedical Firm Clusters inMetropolitan Atlanta

The relation between biomedical firms and their metropolitan region location in Atlanta, Georgia is examined as an empirical test of both innovative milieu agglomeration theory and place specific strategies for life science companies in the Deep South. This sectoral analysis utilizes questionnaires and targeted interviews to highlight the economic development role of real estate in suburban employment and residence sites (SEARS) and the intra-metropolitan directional migration of firms. Clustering of related industries is fostered by a shortage of appropriately configured laboratory and office space at the intermediate stage of the business growth cycle, encouraging information sharing and cooperative behavior via proximity by necessity. Lack of a key networking individual or mediating organization critically retards development of this potential growth engine.
An unusual lightning flash at kennedy space center.

A lightning flash that struck the 150-meter weather tower at Kennedy Space Center was studied by several research groups using various techniques. The flash had unusually large peak currents and a stepped leader of relatively short duration. The charged regions neutralized by the three return strokes were located within a horizontal layer between heights of about 6 and 8 kilometers, where environmental temperatures were about -10 to -20 C. The charge source for the first return stroke coincided with a vertical shaft of precipitation inferred to have been graupel or hail. Charge sources for subsequent strokes were near the edge of the detectable precipitation echo. The overall channel length was about 10 kilometers. A vertically oriented intracloud discharge occurred after the three return strokes.
Functional and survival outcomes in traumatic blunt thoracic aortic injuries: An analysis of the National Trauma Databank

Objective Blunt thoracic aortic injury (BAI) remains a leading cause of trauma deaths, and off-label use of endovascular devices has been increasingly utilized in an effort to reduce the morbidity and mortality in this population. Utilizing a nationwide database, we determined the incidence of BAI, and analyzed both functional and survival outcomes at discharge compared with matched controls. Methods Patients with BAI were identified by International Classification of Disease-9 codes from the National Trauma Data Bank (Version 6.2), 2000-2005. Patients were analyzed based on aortic repair, associated physiologic burden, and coexisting injuries. Control groups were matched by age, mechanism, major thoracic Abbreviated Injury Scale score (AIS ≥ 3), major head AIS, and major abdominal AIS. Outcomes were assessed using the functional independence measure (FIM) score and overall mortality. FIM scores were scored from 1 (full assistance required) to 4 (fully independent) for three categories: feeding, locomotion, and expression. Results During the study period, 3,114 patients with BAI were identified among 1.1 million trauma admissions for an overall incidence of 0.3%. One hundred thirteen (4%) were dead on arrival, and 599 (19%) died during triage. Of the patients surviving transport and triage (n = 2402), 29% had a concomitant major abdominal injury and 31% had a major head injury. Sixty-eight percent (1,642) underwent no repair, 28% (665) open aortic repair, and 4% (95) endovascular repair with associated mortality rates of 65%, 19%, and 18%, respectively ( P P P P P P P Conclusion This manuscript is the first to define the incidence of BAI utilizing the NTDB. Remarkably, two-thirds of patients are unable to undergo attempts at aortic repair, which portends a poor prognosis. When controlling for associated injuries, blunt aortic injury independently impacts survival and results in poor function in those surviving to discharge.
Stable splittings of classifying spaces of compact Lie group

Let G be a compact Lie gorup. In this paper, we study the stable splitting of BG completed at p into a wedge sum of indecomposable spectra. When G is finite, this question has been reduced to understanding the irreducible modular representations of the outer automorphism group Out (Q) for various p-subgroups Q ⊆ G by work of [2], [14] and [18]. The principal tool used by these authors is a generalization of Segal’s Burnside ring conjecture which describes all stable maps between p-completions of the classifying spaces of p-groups. One of the problems in going from finite groups to compact Lie groups is that in the latter case one no longer has a convenient description of all stable maps between classifying spaces. Our solution to this difficulty is to pass from the ring of stable self-maps to the induced self-maps on Fp-homology. It is well-known that in terms of stable splittings, one does not lose any information by this process. There are two advantages to this approach. One is that a result of Henn [8] implies that the ring of induced self-maps on the Fp-homology of BG is finite. Two is that one can now give a more explicit description of all the induced self-maps on Fp-homology for a large class of compact Lie groups which we call p-Roquette. The latter is exactly the class of compact Lie groups for which an appropriate density theorem is valid for a generalized Segal’s Burnside ring conjecture for compact Lie groups as shown by Minami [16] whose result built upon work of Feshbach on the original Segal’s Burnside ring conjecture for compact Lie groups [7]. In particular, every compact Lie group is p-Roquette if p is odd. With these reductions, one can follow a similar procedure for splitting BG∧ p as in the case when G is finite. Recall that a compact Lie group Q is said to be p-toral if it is an extension of a torus by a finite p-group. The main result of this paper is that when G is p-Roquette, one can reduce the stable splitting of BG∧ p to the study
Dynamics of the Potts model on a fractal lattice

The dynamics of the q-state Potts model on a fractal lattice is studied using Monte Carlo simulations. The Glauber dynamics is used leading to an effective temperature-dependent critical exponent of the form z=AK+B implying the breakdown of conventional dynamic scaling. The value of A is shown to be independent of q, within the error bars.
A new IC with level-crossing ADC readout architecture for PET detector signals

A technique often used in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) systems to readout pulse signals from detectors is to use a free-running ADC to digitize the pulse waveform and then use software to determine the time and energy of the pulse. The advantage of this technique over analog-based methods is the possibility of obtaining superior time resolution with software-based time discrimination algorithms and the flexibility of working with digitized values. Unfortunately, the digitized pulse waveform output from a free-running ADC is an inefficient representation of the signal. As illustrated in the paper, the rising edge, where we desire fine sampling for arrival time determination, ends up being sampled coarsely. The falling edge, which is only used for energy determination, can be coarsely sampled, but we fine sample it instead, so this solution is not cost or power optimal. The rest of this paper describes a chip which samples at user-defined voltage levels to overcome these issues.
Following the Standards: Is it Time for Another Revision?

The question of what it means to follow the Standards is discussed. It is argued that the Standards consists of statements of general principles, and that interpretation for specific applications requires professional judgment. As a result, disagreements among professionals on the applicability of particular standards to specific situations are inevitable. Consequently, effective monitoring or enforcement is problematic. The need for a revision of the Standards is considered. It is concluded that while some modifications may be desirable, they might be accomplished by the creation of an addendum rather than a complete revision. It is suggested that the effort and required resources for a complete revision might be better spent on the development and adoption of a companion set of standards dealing with the use of aggregate test results in accountability systems and/or a casebook that would illustrate the application of the Standards to specific situations.
Beta amyloid-independent role of amyloid precursor protein in generation and maintenance of dendritic spines

Synapse loss induced by amyloid beta (Abeta) is thought to be a primary contributor to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Abeta is generated by proteolysis of amyloid precursor protein (APP), a synaptic receptor whose physiological function remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of APP in dendritic spine formation, which is known to be important for learning and memory. We found that overexpression of APP increased spine number, whereas knockdown of APP reduced spine density in cultured hippocampal neurons. This spine-promoting effect of APP required both the extracellular and intracellular domains of APP, and was accompanied by specific upregulation of the GluR2, but not the GluR1, subunit of AMPA receptors. In an in vivo experiment, we found that cortical layers II/III and hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in 1 year-old APP-deficient mice had fewer and shorter dendritic spines than wild-type littermates. In contrast, transgenic mice overexpressing mutant APP exhibited increased spine density compared to control animals, though only at a young age prior to overaccumulation of soluble amyloid. Additionally, increased glutamate synthesis was observed in young APP transgenic brains, whereas glutamate levels were decreased and GABA levels were increased in APP-deficient mice. These results demonstrate that APP is important for promoting spine formation and is required for proper spine development.
The Change in Arginine Levels and the Metabolism of Urea and Ornithine in Cucurbita moschata Seedlings

During germination a decrease in both soluble and protein argmine occurs in pumpkin cotyledons (Cucurbita moschata Poir.) and this decrease parallels the decrease in total nitrogen. Arginine is readily metabolized to urea and ornithine and the metabolism of the latter compounds were studied by allowing cotyledons of intact plants to absorb urea−14C and by incubating cotyledon discs with ornithine-2−14C. Of the urea absorbed, 90 % of the label was metabolized to 14CO2 with little free urea remaining in the plant. Urease activity in the cotyledons reached a maximum at 4 to 6 days of germination. Ornithine was extensively metabolized with 37 % of the label being incorporated into protein by 3 h. Soluble and protein arginine accounted for 23 % of the label suggesting that Krebs-Henseliet cycle enzymes were present.
Hybrid graduate program in optical engineering

A unique graduate program in optical engineering by combining optical and microwave courses has been developed in the University of Nevada, Reno. The advantage of such a hybrid program is better job opportunities in a tight job market as these students are suitable for both RF/microwaves and Optical industries.
Effects of sample volume location, imaging view, heart rate and age on tricuspid velocimetry in normal subjects.

Abstract The effects of imaging view and sample volume location on tricuspid velocimetry and of heart rate and aging on mitral and tricuspid inflow were evaluated in 41 normal subjects aged 20 to 76 years. Pulsed Doppler recordings were obtained in the parasternal short-axis, right ventricular inflow and apical 4-chamber views at the level of the tricuspid and mitral anuli and 1 cm caudad and 1 cm cephalad to the tricuspid anulus in the 4-chamber apical view. The right ventricular filling pattern was not affected by imaging view. However, placement of the sample volume 1 cm cephalad resulted in a 16% reduction (p Thus, tricuspid velocity is affected by sample volume location, aging and heart rate, but not imaging view. Sample volume location, heart rate and age should be considered when evaluating right ventricular inflow parameters.
Automatic parameter prediction for image denoising algorithms using perceptual quality features

A natural scene statistics (NSS) based blind image denoising approach is proposed, where denoising is performed without knowledge of the noise variance present in the image. We show how such a parameter estimation can be used to perform blind denoising by combining blind parameter estimation with a state-of-the-art denoising algorithm.1 Our experiments show that for all noise variances simulated on a varied image content, our approach is almost always statistically superior to the reference BM3D implementation in terms of perceived visual quality at the 95% confidence level.
Abstract 1776: Focused ultrasound can act as a chemosensitizer by modulating unfolded protein response with activation of apoptotic pathway

Unfolded protein response (UPR) is a stress response induced in tumor cells because of higher rate of protein synthesis and subsequent misfolding of newly synthesized proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). To restore normal function of the cell, ER induces the expression of molecular chaperones, such as heat-shock proteins (Hsps) that try to correct protein misfolding. If the correction machinery fails, programmed cell death (apoptosis) could be induced in these cells. Therapeutic focused ultrasound is a promising non-invasive approach to ablate solid tumors. We have demonstrated previously that low intensity focused ultrasound (LOFU) induces mechanical stress in tumor cells and induce UPR. We hypothesized that induction of unfolded/misfolded protein burden in ER by LOFU could sensitize the tumor tissue for chemotherapeutic agents, such as, 17AAG, a HSP90 inhibitor by increasing the ER stress and switching on the apoptotic pathway. We explored whether concomitant application of 17AAG along with LOFU could increase the therapeutic ratio in murine prostate cancer model. RM-1 (murine prostate cancer cells) tumors were subjected to intratumor injection of 17AAG (10mg/kg of body weight, 2/week) and then treated with LOFU (3W at a frequency of 1Mhz, 100% duty cycle) (1/week) for three weeks. Tumor growth was measured twice a week. Three weeks after initiation of LOFU-17AAG treatment cycle, animals were sacrificed and histopathological analysis (HE 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1776. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1776
Letrozole in postmenopausal women after five years on tamoxifen.

Methods: This multi-institutional MA.17 study coordinated by Goss and the National Cancer Institute of Canada enrolled 5187 postmenopausal women who were free of recurrent breast cancer after 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen. Patients were randomly assigned to placebo or to letrozole, 2.5 mg/d for 5 years, in a double-blind fashion. Tamoxifen was to have been given for 4.5 to 5.5 years and discontinued within 3 months of trial enrollment.
Phase transformation and magnetic hardening in electrodeposited, equiatomic Fe–Pt films

Abstract Fe–Pt films were electrodeposited from an alkaline electrolyte containing Fe as a citrate complex and Pt as an amino-nitrite. Up to 6 at.% oxygen was present in as-deposited films, much lower than the 30 at.% value reported for Fe–Pt films deposited from weakly complexing, acidic electrolytes. Pt-rich films exhibit a face-centered cubic structure; nearly equiatomic films are transformed to the stable tetragonal structure by thermal annealing between 400 and 700 °C in forming gas. In films with thickness ranging from 13 to 93 nm, phase transformation occurs at lower temperatures in thicker films. 93 nm thick films exhibit a coercivity of 13 kOe after annealing at 450 °C, a temperature much lower than that required to achieve full magnetic hardening when growing from weakly complexing, acidic solutions.
The flow of ordered and random suspensions of two-dimensional drops in a channel

The flow of a periodic suspension of two-dimensional viscous drops in a closed channel that is bounded by two parallel plane walls executing relative motion is studied numerically using the method of interfacial dynamics. Ordered suspensions where at the initial instant the drops are arranged in several layers on a hexagonal lattice are considered for a variety of physical conditions and geometrical configurations. It is found that there exists a critical capillary number below which the suspensions exhibit stable periodic motion, and above which the drops elongate and tend to coalesce, altering the topology of the initial configuration. At sufficiently large volume fractions, a minimum drop capillary number exists below which periodic motion is suppressed owing to the inability of the drops to deform and bypass other neighbouring drops in adjacent layers. This feature distinguishes the motion of dense emulsions from that of foam. The effects of capillary number, viscosity ratio, volume fraction of the dispersed phase, lattice geometry, and instantaneous drop shape, on the effective stress tensor of the suspension are illustrated and the results are discussed with reference to theories of foam. Two simulations of a random suspension with 12 drops per periodic cell are performed, and the salient features of the motion are identified and discussed. These include pairing, tripling, and higher-order interactions among intercepting drops, cluster formation and destruction, and drop migrations away from the walls. The macroscopic features of the flow of random suspensions are shown to be significantly different from those of ordered suspensions and quite independent of the initial condition. The general behaviour of suspensions of liquid drops is compared to that of suspensions of rigid spherical particles, and some differences are discussed.
Kinetic Correlation of Diels−Alder Reactions in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

The Diels−Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene and ethyl acrylate was explored in supercritical CO2 from 38 to 88 °C and pressures from 80 to 210 bar. A traditional Arrhenius expression was used to correlate the kinetic data at a constant density of 0.5 g/cm3. Over the temperature range investigated, the activation energy was found to be 40 ± 2 kJ/mol. Traditional transition state theory was used to explore the temperature and density effects on the reaction rate. However, all that is required to accurately predict the global rate constant for this reaction is an empirically-determined activation energy and a pre-exponential term with a linear dependence on the density of solution. An examination of data from other researchers suggests that this is also true for other Diels−Alder reactions in supercritical CO2.
The rotation of small asteroids

The Binzel and Mulholland (1983) sample of photoelectrically determined rotational parameters for 17 main belt asteroids with diameters less than 30 km are compared with previous observations of asteroids of that size range. Rigorous statistical tests are applied to investigate bias effects and quantify results on asteroid rotation. The samples are described and compared for rotational frequency, rotational amplitude, frequency distribution, and diameter and frequency dependence. It is concluded that the observed rotational frequency distribution can be acceptably fit by two Maxwellian distributions, which is consistent with the hypothesis that there are separate populations of slow and fast rotating asteroids. The frequency distributions of main belt asteroids less than 15 km in diameter and earth and Mars crossers do not differ significantly, but the larger mean lightcurve amplitude of these crossers is statistically significant. No significant diameter dependence on rotational frequency is found among the sample asteroids.