cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electron microscopy characterization of an as-fabricated research reactor fuel plate comprised of U–7Mo particles dispersed in an Al–2Si alloy matrix

To understand the microstructural development of nuclear fuel plates during irradiation, it is imperative to know the microstructure of a fuel plate after all the fabrication steps have been completed and before it is inserted into the reactor. To this end, a U-7 wt.% Mo alloy research reactor dispersion fuel plate with Al-2 wt.% Si matrix was destructively examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopy to characterize the developed microstructure after fabrication. Of particular interest for this study was how the Si that was added to the fuel matrix partitioned between the various fuel plate phases during fabrication. Si was added to the matrix so that the microstructure that developed during fuel fabrication would exhibit good irradiation behavior. SEM analysis was used to identify the representative microstructure, the compositions of the various phases, and the partitioning behavior of the fuel and matrix constituents. TEM analysis was employed to definitively identify the phases in the U-7Mo alloy and the phases that formed due to diffusional interactions between the fuel particles and matrix during fuel plate fabrication. The TEM results are the first reported for an as-fabricated U-7 wt.% Mo dispersion fuel plate with an Al alloy matrix. SEM results showed thatmore » a significant portion of the original {gamma}-(U-Mo) fuel particles had transformed to a lamellar microstructure, comprised of {alpha}-U and either {gamma} or {gamma}' phases, and the fuel/matrix interaction layers were enriched in Si. TEM analysis identified an ordered fcc (U-Mo)(Al-Si){sub 3} type of phase, which formed at the decomposed U-7Mo/matrix interface and extended into the lamellar microstructure. Some regions of the U-7Mo particles retained the single-phase {gamma}-(U-Mo). Small precipitate phases were observed in the fuel meat matrix that contained Fe, Al, and Si. The Si that is added to the matrix of a U-Mo dispersion fuel plate to improve irradiation performance appears to result in the creation of a Si-rich (U-Mo)(Al-Si){sub 3} type of fuel/matrix interaction layer during fabrication that appears to exhibit favorable behavior during irradiation compared to the behavior of the layers that form in U-Mo dispersion fuel plates without Si in the matrix. - Research Highlights: {yields}Si seems to positively affect the microstructure of an as-fabricated fuel plate. {yields}Si modifications to the fuel plate exhibit favorable performance during irradiation. {yields}Si interdiffuses faster than Al.« less
CASPASE-12 and rheumatoid arthritis in African-Americans.

CASPASE-12 (CASP12) has a downregulatory function during infection and thus may protect against inflammatory disease. We investigated the distribution of CASP12 alleles (#rs497116) in African-Americans (AA) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). CASP12 alleles were genotyped in 953 RA patients and 342 controls. Statistical analyses comparing genotype groups were performed using Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric ANOVA with Mann–Whitney U tests and chi-square tests. There was no significant difference in the overall distribution of CASP12 genotypes within AA with RA, but CASP12 homozygous patients had lower baseline joint-narrowing scores. CASP12 homozygosity appears to be a subtle protective factor for some aspects of RA in AA patients.
Biosynthesis of the antitumor antibiotic anthramycin by Streptomyces refuineus

The biogenetic building blocks for anthramycin have been established as tryptophan, tyrosine, and two one-carbon units via methionine.
THE EFFECTS OF TRANSACTION-SPECIFIC INVESTMENTS IN MARKETING CHANNELS: THE MODERATING ROLE OF RELATIONAL NORMS

We investigate simultaneously the safeguarding and value-creating roles of transaction-specific investments in marketing channels for North American hotel services. Our results show the conditions under which specific investments protect against opportunism and enhance a firm's performance. They also indicate that these results depend upon the type of transaction-specific investment-physical assets versus knowledge-based or human assets. Finally, our findings demonstrate that more extensive relational norms within hotel channels can negatively affect the performance-enhancing role of physical transaction-specific investments-more evidence of the "dark side" of close relationships.
Investigation on mechanical properties of cold sprayed Ni–Ni3Al composites

This study investigates the microstructural and mechanical characteristics of the Ni–Ni3Al composites fabricated by cold spraying. Investigations were conducted on pure Ni samples as well as composites consisting of 80 vol.-%Ni and 20 vol.-%Ni3Al. The results of a variety of hardness tests such as Vickers, Knoop, and nano-indentation are reported in this study. Furthermore, this study examines the application of analytical models to calculate the elastic modulus of coating materials from hardness test results. The validity of the obtained results was examined by performing impulse excitation (resonant frequency) test on all samples. A similar study was also performed on the same materials produced by the powder metallurgy (P/M) technique for the purpose of comparison. The reinforced samples exhibited better mechanical properties compared to the unreinforced ones regardless of the fabrication technique. The cold sprayed sample exhibited higher strength and density compared to the P/M processed ones.
Rapid Tooling for Sheet Metal Forming Using Profiled Edge Laminations—Design Principles and Demonstration

Sheet metal forming dies constructed of laminations offer advantages over more conventional tooling fabrication methods (e.g. CNC-machining) in terms of tooling accessibility, reduced limitations on die geometry and faster fabrication with harder die materials. Furthermore, the recently introduced Profiled Edge Lamination (PEL) tooling method improves upon other lamination-based tooling methods. Adoption of this promising rapid tooling method by industry is being hindered by the lack of formal analysis, design principles, and manufacturing requirements needed to construct dies in such a manner. Therefore, the propensity for delamination of the die is discussed and preventive measures are suggested. The basic machining instructions, i.e., an array of points and directional vectors for each lamination, are outlined for both compound and planar profiled-edge bevels. Laser, AWJ and flute-edge endmilling are experimentally identified as the most promising methods for machining bevels. Development of a stand-alone PEL fabrication machine is suggested over retrofitting commercially-available 5-axis machines. Finally, the general procedure for creating PEL dies is implemented in the construction of a matched set of sheet metal forming tools. These tools are used to successfully stamp a sheet metal part out of draw-quality steel.
Kinship, Nation, and Paul Gilroy's Concept of Diaspora

In the literature of traditional anthropology, “community” and “culture” have been privileged units of analysis and have often been considered to be isomorphic with well-defined national or ethnic ...
Potential Application of Tungsten Carbides as Electrocatalysts. 2. Coadsorption of CO and H2O on Carbide-Modified W(111)

The decomposition of water and CO over clean and carbide-modified W(111) is studied by using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and auger electron spectroscopy (AES). On both clean and modified W(111) surfaces, the activity toward the decomposition of water is found to be significantly higher than Pt group metals. For the CO experiments, both molecular and dissociative adsorption are observed on W(111) and C/W(111). Approximately 52% and 10% of the adsorbed CO dissociates to produce atomic oxygen and carbon on W(111) and C/W(111), respectively. In contrast, CO molecules undergo reversible desorption on oxygen-modified C/W(111) at temperatures as low as 242 K. Finally, coadsorption experiments of water and CO on C/W(111) show that the presence of surface hydroxyls hinders the adsorption of CO, and that only trace amount of gas-phase CO2 is detected.
Biosynthesis of keratan sulfate: purification and properties of a galactosyltransferase from bovine cornea.

Abstract A soluble galactosyltransferase was purified 22,000-fold from bovine cornea. The enzyme catalyzes the transfer of galactose from UDP-galactose to N-acetyl- d -glucosamine, α- and β-glucosaminides, bovine cornea and nasal septum agalactokeratan, and to glycoproteins containing terminal nonreducing N-acetylglucosaminyl units. When N-acetyl- d -glucosamine served as acceptor, the product formed by the cornea transferase contained galactose glycosidically linked to carbon atom 4 of N-acetyl- d -glucosamine; the same glycosidic linkage was found in [14C]keratan preparations isolated from reaction mixtures where keratan containing terminal nonreducing N-acetylglucosaminyl units served as acceptor. The cornea enzyme exhibited a markedly lower Km with keratan than with N-acetyl- d -glucosamine. The physical and kinetic properties of the cornea galactosyltransferase and of the milk A-protein (A-protein + α-lactalbumin = lactose synthase), including modulations of acceptor specificity by α-lactalbumin, were compared. The results of these studies strongly suggest that the two glycosyltransferases are similar, if not identical. Efforts to demonstrate the presence of other soluble galactosyltransferases in cornea were unsuccessful; no change in the ratios of products formed with several acceptors was observed at any stage of purification. It is suggested that in bovine tissues a single galactosyltransferase participates in the synthesis of both high and low molecular weight galactosides including the assembly of the repeating disaccharide [O-β-galactopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-N-acetylglucosamine] of cornea keratan sulfate.
Between emancipation and persecution: Algerian Jewish memory in the longue durée (1930–1970)

In recent years, scholars of post-colonial France and Algeria have devoted substantial attention to the question of memory. Typically, studies of memory in the field have centred on competing narratives and afterlives of the Franco-Algerian War; likewise, this event has dominated examinations of specifically Jewish Algerian memory. Seeking a more longitudinal approach, this article focuses on Algerian Jewish commemorations of three events: the 1930 centenary of the French conquest, the 1934 Jewish–Muslim riots of Constantine, and the 1970 centenary of the Cremieux Decree. Such an examination reveals two longstanding Algerian Jewish ‘models of remembrance’, one of progress, the other of persecution. This article contends that the two remembrance models developed during the colonial era and crystallised in the 1930s. The two models, and their complex interplay, did much to shape subsequent communal narratives. Each model drew upon and reflected a complex set of French republican, colonial, Algerian, and Jew...
Region of interest reconstruction in x-ray fluorescence computed tomography

X-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) is a synchrotron-based imaging modality employed for mapping the distribution of elements within slices or volumes of intact specimens. A pencil beam of external radiation is used to stimulate emission of characteristic X-rays from within a sample, which is scanned and rotated through the pencil beam in a first-generation tomographic geometry. It has long been believed that for each slice, the acquired measurement lines must span the entire object at every projection view over 180 degrees to avoid reconstructing images with so-called truncation artifacts. However, recent developments in tomographic reconstruction theory have overturned those long-held beliefs about minimum-data requirements and shown that it is possible to obtain exact reconstruction of ROIs from truncated projections. In this work, we show how to exploit these developments to allow for region of interest imaging in XFCT.
Democratic states and authoritarian firewalls: America as a black knight in the uprising in Bahrain

Although history is replete with democracies supporting autocracies, democratic black knights have not been approached in a systematic manner. This article examines American rhetoric and policy towards the 2011 uprising and subsequent crackdown in Bahrain in order to further our understanding of how and why democratic states act to reinforce authoritarian firewalls. It finds that the USA was instrumental in providing diplomatic and political cover to the Bahraini government and ensuring that the regime paid no substantive costs for its counter-democracy actions. This case suggests that democratic states may be more effective at providing normative support for non-democratic regimes than their authoritarian counterparts and that democracies may have more in common with autocracies when choosing to act as a black knight than initially thought. Avenues for future research are identified.
Outcome Tests of Racial Disparities in Police Practices

This article assesses the strengths and weaknesses of using “outcome tests” to assess racial disparities in police practices. An outcome test, for example, might assess whether the probability of finding contraband was higher for whites who are searched than for minorities who are searched.
E-Mail as Social Capital and its Impact on First-Year Persistence of 4-Year College Students

This study addressed the influence of social capital factors on the first-year persistence of beginning first- and second-generation four-year college students. First-generation students were those...
Regulated ion transport in mouse liver cyst epithelial cells.

Abstract Derived from bile duct epithelia (BDE), secretion by liver cyst-lining epithelia is positioned to drive cyst expansion but the responsible ion flux pathways have not been characterized. Cyst-lining epithelia were isolated and cultured into high resistance monolayers to assess the ion secretory pathways. Electrophysiologic studies showed a marked rate of constitutive transepithelial ion transport, including Cl − secretion and Na + absorption. Na + absorption was amiloride-sensitive, suggesting the activation of epithelial sodium channels (ENaC). Further, both cAMP i and extracellular ATP induced robust secretory responses. Western blotting and immunohistologic analysis of liver cyst epithelia demonstrated expression of P2X4, a potent purinergic receptor in normal BDE. Luminometry and bioassaying measured physiologically relevant levels of ATP in a subset of liver cyst fluid samples. Liver cyst epithelia also displayed a significant capacity to degrade extracellular ATP. In conclusion, regulated ion transport pathways are present in liver cyst epithelia and are positioned to direct fluid secretion into the lumen of liver cysts and promote increases in liver cyst expansion and growth.
Dynamic common sub-expression elimination during scheduling in high-level synthesis

We introduce a new approach, "Dynamic Common Sub-expression Elimination (CSE)", that dynamically eliminates common sub- expressions based on new opportunities created during scheduling of control-intensive designs. Classical CSE techniques fail to eliminate several common sub-expressions in control-intensive designs due to the presence of a complex mix of control and data-flow. Aggressive speculative code motions employed to schedule control-intensive designs often re-order, speculate and duplicate operations, hence changing the control flow between the operations with common sub-expressions. This leads to new opportunities for applying CSE dynamically. We have implemented dynamic CSE in a high-level synthesis framework called Spark and present results for experiments performed using various combinations of CSE and dynamic CSE. The benchmarks used consist of four functional blocks derived from two moderately complex industrial-strength applications, namely, MPEG-1 and the GIMP image processing tool. Our dynamic CSE techniques result in improvements of up to 22% in the controller size and up to 31% in performance; easily surpassing the improvements obtained by the traditional CSE approach. We also observe an unexpected (and significant) reduction in the number of registers using our approach.
The personalization privacy paradox: an empirical evaluation of information transparency and the willingness to be profiled online for personalization

Firms today use information about customers to improve service and design personalized offerings. To do this successfully, however, firms must collect consumer information. This study enhances awareness about a central paradox for firms investing in personalization; namely, that consumers who value information transparency are also less likely to participate in personalization. We examine the relationship between information technology features, specifically information transparency features, and consumer willingness to share information for online personalization. Based on a survey of over 400 online consumers, we examine the question of whether customer perceived information transparency is associated with consumer willingness to be profiled online. Our results indicate that customers who desire greater information transparency are less willing to be profiled. This result poses a dilemma for firms, as the consumers that value information transparency features most are also the consumers who are less willing to be profiled online. In order to manage this dilemma, we suggest that firms adopt a strategy of providing features that address the needs of consumers who are more willing to partake in personalization, therefore accepting that the privacy sensitive minority of consumers are unwilling to participate in personalization, despite additional privacy features.
Rating Through the Relationship: Soft Information and Credit Ratings

The level of interaction between bond rating agencies and firms they rate varies substantially cross-sectionally. For instance, many bond ratings are solicited by bond issuers, resulting in a relationship between the firm and the rating agencies they hire. But other bond ratings are unsolicited, whereby there is generally no interchange of information between firm and agency, other than that which is already public. We examine the production of soft versus hard information by these non-bank intermediaries by studying the fees they charge firms they rate. We employ rating fees as a proxy for the effort exerted by credit analysts and find that when agencies charge higher fees, they rely less on publicly available hard information. We thus infer that these more costly ratings reflect an assessment of soft information about bond issuers. Our results are less consistent with fee variation due to extortion or rating shopping.
BEDTools: a flexible suite of utilities for comparing genomic features

Motivation: Testing for correlations between different sets of genomic features is a fundamental task in genomics research. However, searching for overlaps between features with existing webbased methods is complicated by the massive datasets that are routinely produced with current sequencing technologies. Fast and flexible tools are therefore required to ask complex questions of these data in an efficient manner. Results: This article introduces a new software suite for the comparison, manipulation and annotation of genomic features in Browser Extensible Data (BED) and General Feature Format (GFF) format. BEDTools also supports the comparison of sequence alignments in BAM format to both BED and GFF features. The tools are extremely efficient and allow the user to compare large datasets (e.g. next-generation sequencing data) with both public and custom genome annotation tracks. BEDTools can be combined with one another as well as with standard UNIX commands, thus facilitating routine genomics tasks as well as pipelines that can quickly answer intricate questions of large genomic datasets. Availability and implementation: BEDTools was written in C++. Source code and a comprehensive user manual are freely available at http://code.google.com/p/bedtools
Effects of Stereotypes About Feminists on Feminist Self-Identification

This study examined whether negative stereotypes about feminists serve as a barrier to self-identifying as a feminist. College women were exposed to positive stereotypes about feminists, negative stereotypes about feminists, or were not exposed to stereotypes about feminists (control condition) in a between-participants design. Women who read a paragraph containing positive stereotypes about feminists were twice as likely to self-identify as feminists as women in the control condition or the condition in which they read a paragraph containing negative stereotypes about feminists. Women exposed to positive feminist stereotypes had greater nontraditional gender-role attitudes and performance self-esteem compared to the no-stereotype-control condition.
Optimization and Modeling of Sparse Conformal Retrodirective Array

Conformal scanning arrays are important for scanning ranges beyond ±90 degrees and the retrodirective array (RDA) is known as a promising candidate for this application. We discuss the optimization of a previously realized conformal sparse RDA by means of the genetic algorithm, and the RDA numerical model that is used in this approach. In particular, we improve the numerical model of the RDA by identifying practical factors that previous model failed to account for. The impact of each practical factor on the RDA monostatic pattern is visualized, and the improved model provides much better prediction of the monostatic pattern.
New and Promising Modalities for Assessment of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD; Finkel et al., 1998) are receiving increased attention in the medical and scientific literature. These symptoms are a principal cause of distress and disability among patients with dementia and their caregivers. Numerous therapeutic studies examining the treatment of these symptoms are being conducted.
Vascular malformations: classification and terminology the radiologist needs to know.

In recent decades, a great deal has been learned about the histopathology, etiology, and treatment of vascular anomalies, which has caused change in the classification and terminology used to describe these lesions. The International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) classification system, which has been widely embraced by various subspecialists who care for patients with these malformations,providesanapproachbasedonhistopathology,clinical course, and treatment. However, use of older nomenclature continues to cause confusion, inaccurate diagnoses, and potentialmismanagement.Theoverarchinggoalofthisarticleis 2-fold. First, to review the ISSVA classification of vascular anomalies by discussing key pathogenesis, imaging features, and modern treatment of representative lesions from each category; and second, to discuss terminology used to describe vascular malformations with the goal of clarifying dated or confusing terms that remain in use.
National Identity and Group Narcissism as Predictors of Intergroup Attitudes toward Undocumented Latino Immigrants in the United States.

The debate surrounding immigration reform to address undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States has been emotionally charged and polarizing. This study’s goal was to better understand some of the psychological predictors of attitudes toward undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States, namely, collective identity as an American, group-level narcissism, and their interaction. A university sample (N = 223) completed an online survey measuring attitudes toward undocumented Latino immigrants. As anticipated, we found that, at mean and high (but not low) levels of group narcissism, national in-group identification was a significant predictor of attitudes toward undocumented Latino immigrants. The implications of these findings, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed in light of the current debate on undocumented immigration in the United States.
Techniques for Preserving Vertebral Artery Perfusion During Thoracic Aortic Stent Grafting Requiring Aortic Arch Landing

Thoracic endografting offers many advantages over open repair. However, delivery of the device can be difficult and may necessitate adjunctive procedures. We describe our techniques for preserving perfusion to the left subclavian artery despite endograft coverage to obtain a proximal seal zone. We reviewed our experience with the Talent thoracic stent graft (Medtronic, Santa Rosa, CA). From 1999 to 2003, 49 patients received this device (29 men, 20 women). Seventeen patients required adjunctive procedures to facilitate proximal graft placement. We performed left subclavian-to-left common carotid artery transposition (6), left common carotid-to-left subclavian artery bypass with ligation proximal to the vertebral artery (7), and left common carotid-to-left subclavian artery bypass with proximal coil embolization (4). Patients who had anatomy unfavorable to transposition or bypass with proximal ligation (large aneurysms or proximal vertebral artery origin) were treated with coil embolization of the proximal left subclavian artery in order to prevent subsequent type II endoleaks. Technical success rate of the carotid subclavian bypass was 100%. Patient follow-up ranged from 3 to 48 months with a mean of 12 months. Six patients had follow-up <6 months owing to recent graft placement. Primary patency was 100%. No neurologic events occurred during the procedure or upon follow-up. One patient had a transient chyle leak that spontaneously resolved in 24 hours. Another patient had a phrenic nerve paresis that resolved after 3 weeks. We believe that it is important to maintain patency of the vertebral artery specifically when a patent right vertebral system and an intact basilar artery is not demonstrated. Furthermore, we describe a novel technique of coil embolization of the proximal left subclavian artery in conjunction with left common carotid-to-left subclavian artery bypass. This circumvents the need for potentially hazardous mediastinal dissection and ligation of the proximal left subclavian artery in cases of large proximal aneurysms or unfavorable vertebral artery anatomy.
Consistent Assignment of Nursing Staff to Residents in Nursing Homes: A Critical Review of Conceptual and Methodological Issues

Many national organizations consider consistent assignment of nursing staff to residents in nursing homes an important strategy for improving quality of care and quality of life for residents (Advancing Excellence, 2012; American Health Care Association, 2012; Koren, 2010b; Leavitt, 2006; Pioneer Network, 2011; Quality Partners of Rhode Island, 2004), and some states have even included consistent assignment as target goals in their pay for performance programs (Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, 2011; Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Health and Human Services, 2012). Furthermore, consistent assignment is a central strategy in the culture change movement, a national effort to improve nursing home environments by transforming traditional, institutional culture to one that is home like, where residents are able to receive person-centered care according to their preferences and customary routines (Doty, Koren, & Sturla, 2008; Koren, 2010a; Pioneer Network, 2011). Culture change advocates believe consistent assignment fosters strong, trusting relationships between staff and residents and enhances ability of staff to better “know” residents, their needs and preferences, and to provide care in meaningful and person-centered ways (Advancing Excellence, 2012; Koren, 2010a; Pioneer Network, 2011). The practice of consistent assignment of nursing staff to residents has intuitive appeal, and anecdotal reports suggest that it leads to better quality of care outcomes, stronger relationships between staff and residents, and a more stable and committed workforce (Albright, 2009; Farrell & Frank, 2007; Farrell, Frank, Brady, McLaughlin, & Gray, 2006; Kaldy, 2011; Rahman, Straker, & Manning, 2009). However, research demonstrates an inconsistent link between consistent assignment and outcomes, with studies demonstrating improvements, as well as not changing, and even worsening outcomes. A recent review of consistent assignment outcomes noted methodological limitations may be influencing this inconsistency (Rahman et al., 2009). In order to explore reasons for varied results and advance the state of the science, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of conceptual and methodological inconsistencies found in this research. The purpose of this review is to summarize and critique the conceptual and methodological inconsistencies in research on consistent assignment. This review will answer two questions: 1. How has consistent assignment been conceptualized and defined in research? 2. What are the methodological limitations in current research on consistent assignment that may contribute to inconsistencies in outcomes?
Computational provenance in hydrologic science: a snow mapping example

Computational provenance—a record of the antecedents and processing history of digital information—is key to properly documenting computer-based scientific research. To support investigations in hydrologic science, we produce the daily fractional snowcovered area from NASA’s moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS). From the MODIS reflectance data in seven wavelengths, we estimate the fraction of each 500 m pixel that snow covers. The daily products have data gaps and errors because of cloud cover and sensor viewing geometry, so we interpolate and smooth to produce our best estimate of the daily snow cover. To manage the data, we have developed the Earth System Science Server (ES 3 ), a software environment for data-intensive Earth science, with unique capabilities for automatically and transparently capturing and managing the provenance of arbitrary computations. Transparent acquisition avoids the scientists having to express their computations in specific languages or schemas in order for provenance to be acquired and maintained. ES 3 models provenance as relationships between processes and their input and output files. It is particularly suited to capturing the provenance of an evolving algorithm whose components span multiple languages and execution environments.
How Trade Restrictions Disperse: Policy Dynamics with Firm Selection

In this paper, I explore the aggregate effects of trade restrictions in a two-country, dynamic, stochastic, general equilibrium (DSGE) model with firm selection and variable adjustment of markup. As a response to the trade collapse in the global crisis of 2008 and 2009, trade restrictions have emerged in several countries. With analyzing the dynamics of an economic slump in the home economy first, and the subsequent introduction of trade restrictions in the foreign economy second, I show that both economies are in a worse position than they were during the economic downturn. The follow-ups to the recession and trade restrictions are investigated through three mechanisms: a) variable markup as a new avenue of increasing competitive pressure for producers (e.g. more competitive firms lower their markups.); b) average individual firms' specific productivity cut-off, which induces their optimum export choice (e.g. an increase in the export productivity cut-off means exporting becomes more difficult than before.); and c) the movement of international relative prices (e.g. the real exchange rate and terms of trade).
Classification boundaries and gradients of trained multilayer perceptrons

An approach for query-based neural network learning is presented. Consider a layered perceptron partially trained for binary classification. The single output neuron is trained to be either a 0 or a 1. A test decision is made by thresholding the output at, for instance, 1/2. The set of inputs that produce an output of 1/2 forms the classification boundary. An inversion algorithm is adopted for the neural network that allows generation of this boundary. In addition, the classification gradient can be generated for each boundary point. The gradient provides a useful measure of the sharpness of the multidimensional decision surfaces. Using the boundary point and gradient information, conjugate input pair locations are generated and presented to an oracle for proper classification. These data are used to further refine the classification boundary, thereby increasing the classification accuracy. The result can be a significant reduction in the training set cardinality in comparison with, for example, randomly generated data points. >
Scheduled voltage scaling for increasing lifetime in the presence of NBTI

Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) is a leading reliability concern for integrated circuits (ICs). It gradually increases the threshold voltages of PMOS transistors, thereby increasing delay. We propose scheduled voltage scaling, a technique that gradually increases the operating voltage of the IC to compensate for NBTI-related performance degradation. Scheduled voltage scaling has the potential to increase IC lifetime by 46% relative to the conventional approach using guard banding for ICs fabricated using a 45 nm process.
Creating a more positive patient experience of pelvic examination.

Purpose To explore through descriptive comparative analysis an alternative method of pelvic examination to increase patient comfort. Data sources Sixty-two participants were recruited from a convenience sample of patients at an ambulatory women's healthcare clinic operated by a teaching hospital in the Southwest United States. Twenty-five were examined using the conventional pelvic examination technique; 37 with a new technique that we call the Rad technique, named after a co-author of the study. Three women's health nurse practitioners were trained in both methods and alternated the exam technique used. Visualization of the cervix was measured by clinician responses to the Speculum Exam Questionnaire for Clinicians; level of pain was determined from patient responses to the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale. Results were analyzed using a t-test for independent samples. Pain was further analyzed using chi-square test of association. Conclusions Although the relationship between the variables of visualization and pain was not statistically significant, 16% of women in the conventional technique group reported vaginal pain compared with 5.4% in the Rad technique group. Implications for practice Changing from the conventional pelvic examination to the Rad technique may create a more positive patient experience and thereby engage more women in recommended in gynecological health care.
Dynamic Recovery in Au Ion Irradiated Gallium Nitride

Gallium nitride single crystals were irradiated using energetic Au2+ ions to two fluences at room temperature. Two different damage levels and depth profiles that are characterized by near-surface damage accumulation and deeper-region damage saturation were produced. Thermal annealing at 873 K resulted in disorder recovery only in the near-surface region at low fluence. However, simultaneous irradiation with 5.4 MeV Si2+ ions during annealing at 873 K induced significant recovery over the entire damage profile at both low and high fluences. Results from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy show recovery of the crystal structure in the highly disordered surface region following the Si2+ ion irradiation. The irradiation-assisted recovery is primarily attributed to defect-stimulated recovery and epitaxial recrystallization processes due to the creation of mobile Frenkel pairs.
Coupling and cooperativity in voltage activation of a limited-state BK channel gating in saturating Ca2+

Voltage-dependent gating mechanisms of large conductance Ca2+ and voltage-activated (BK) channels were investigated using two-dimensional maximum likelihood analysis of single-channel open and closed intervals. To obtain sufficient data at negative as well as positive voltages, single-channel currents were recorded at saturating Ca2+ from BK channels mutated to remove the RCK1 Ca2+ and Mg2+ sensors. The saturating Ca2+ acting on the Ca2+ bowl sensors of the resulting BKB channels increased channel activity while driving the gating into a reduced number of states, simplifying the model. Five highly constrained idealized gating mechanisms based on extensions of the Monod-Wyman-Changeux model for allosteric proteins were examined. A 10-state model without coupling between the voltage sensors and the opening/closing transitions partially described the voltage dependence of Po but not the single-channel kinetics. With allowed coupling, the model gave improved descriptions of Po and approximated the single-channel kinetics; each activated voltage sensor increased the opening rate approximately an additional 23-fold while having little effect on the closing rate. Allowing cooperativity among voltage sensors further improved the description of the data: each activated voltage sensor increased the activation rate of the remaining voltage sensors approximately fourfold, with little effect on the deactivation rate. The coupling factor was decreased in models with cooperativity from ∼23 to ∼18. Whether the apparent cooperativity among voltage sensors arises from imposing highly idealized models or from actual cooperativity will require additional studies to resolve. For both cooperative and noncooperative models, allowing transitions to five additional brief (flicker) closed states further improved the description of the data. These observations show that the voltage-dependent single-channel kinetics of BKB channels can be approximated by highly idealized allosteric models in which voltage sensor movement increases Po mainly through an increase in channel opening rates, with limited effects on closing rates.
Numerical analysis of gradient index lens-based optical coherence tomography imaging probes

We report the numerical analysis of gradient index (GRIN) lens-based optical coherence tomography imaging probes to derive optimal design parameters. Long and short working distance probes with a small focal spot are considered. In each model, the working distance and beam waist are characterized and compared for different values of length and refractive index of the probe components. We also explore the influence of the outer tubing and refractive index of the sample media. Numerical results show that the adjustment of the maximum beam diameter and focusing angle at the end of the GRIN lens surface is very important for determining the optical performance parameters of the probe.
A New Scalable WDM Optical Interconnect Design with Reduced Complexity

In this paper, we address the problem of designing wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical interconnects with reduced hardware complexity. We propose a new WDM optical interconnect design that reduces both the number of space switches and the cost of wavelength conversion. Wavelength conversion in the proposed design occurs between two pre-defined wavelengths, eliminating the need for expensive wide-range wavelength converters used in most existing designs. In addition, the proposed design follows the recursive structure of the Benes network, and hence, scalability occurs in an orderly fashion. A systematic method for developing interconnects with arbitrary number of wavelengths and fibers is given, and the main properties of the new design are analyzed and compared with existing designs. We show that, the new design requires the minimum number of switching stages and space switches compared to any existing WDM Benes interconnect. Moreover, our design has minimum wavelength conversion cost compared to most existing designs.
Transient thermal model for the MQUAD microelectronic package

The MQUAD microelectronic package was developed to provide a high level of thermal performance for high leadcount integrated circuits./sup 1/ A numerical, lumped-parameter transient thermal model has been developed which accurately predicts the temperature of the die and other components of an MQUAD package in situations in which the power to the die changes. Examples of such situations are the power-up and power-down cycles and power excursions. The model is used to predict the behavior of a 160 lead, cavity-down MQUAD package in these situations under conditions of low and high circuit board conductivity and natural and forced convection. The predictions of the model are shown to be in good agreement with experimental values for representative situations. >
Workplace Federalism: 'The True Irony of Workplace Law: Less is More' and 'Paper Rights or Real Rights?'

In a decision from the last term, the Supreme Court held that a state law prohibiting the use of state funds by employers for both anti- and pro-union advocacy was preempted by federal law. The Brown decision sparks this debate between Professors Paul M. Secunda and Jeffrey M. Hirsch, as to whether the federal government or the states are best equipped to protect the rights of workers under the law.Professor Secunda argues that federal regulation enacted to protect workers in the workplace has suffered from lack of enforcement and political bias. Thus, because "the federal government... has proven unwilling and unable to protect the basic rights of workers," he maintains that "state law should be permitted to play a complementary role in all of the areas of workplace regulation where federal law is silent or absent." Individual states, then, could act as "laboratories" that could "engage in thoughtful, legislative experimentation." Finding the idea of an exclusive federal scheme likely to result in "self-selection bias and inefficient prioritization of agency resources," he concludes that needed regulation may only be available to the states.Professor Hirsch counters that Professor Secunda's proposal would exacerbate the problems with the current underenforcement of workers' rights, which at least partly results from the complexity created by a regulatory framework made up of federal, state, and local law. As a solution, Hirsch proposes that the federal government should be given exclusive control of the workplace, under a single system of enforcement and regulation. His suggested changes include a single workplace law statute, a single agency to administer that statute, and a litigation-based enforcement approach that includes the creation of private-rights of action for violations and the creation of a specialized Article III labor and employment court. Thus, while conceding that "the federal government's regulation of the workplace has been far from perfect," he argues that "it is a far better choice than fifty different state regimes."
Constitutions, Judicial Review, Moral Rights, and Democracy: Disentangling the Issues

Should countries have constitutions? Should there be American or Canadian style judicial review of constitutional questions? Should constitutions have provisions establishing rights? Or is there a fundamental right to decide democratically the most important issues confronting us, and particularly, the content of the rights we possess? These questions are frequently not distinguished, with the predictable result that an answer to one is taken to be an answer to another. I intend, however, to make it clear that and why they are separate questions.
Are Lymphangiograms Necessary before Placing Patients with Nonseminomatous Testicular Tumors on Surveillance

AbstractLymphangiographie findings in 174 patients with early stage nonseminomatous testicular tumors were evaluated retrospectively to determine the need to perform the procedure before patients are placed on surveillance. When physical examination, chest x-ray, computerized tomographic scans and serum tumor marker levels were normal, lymphangiography detected unsuspected metastasis in only 4 per cent of the patients, while providing misinformation in another 4 per cent. Plain radiographs of 99 patients on surveillance taken at 2-month intervals resulted in only 1 instance when the x-rays became positive and were the first evidence of metastasis. These findings indicate that routine lymphangiography is not necessary to assess the retroperitoneum when computerized tomography and the serum tumor markers are unequivocally normal.
Subtle Dynamic Changes Accompany Hck Activation by HIV-1 Nef and are Reversed by an Antiretroviral Kinase Inhibitor

The HIV-1 virulence factor Nef interacts with the macrophage Src-family kinase Hck, resulting in constitutive kinase activation that contributes to viral replication and immune escape. Previous chemical library screens identified the diphenylfuranopyrimdine kinase inhibitor DFP-4AB, which selectively inhibits Nef-dependent Hck activity in biochemical assays and potently blocks HIV replication in vitro. In the present study, hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry (HX MS) was used to study conformational changes in downregulated Hck that result from Nef binding, as well as the impact of DFP-4AB on these changes. Remarkably, interaction with Nef induced only subtle changes in deuterium uptake by Hck, with the most significant changes in the N-lobe of the kinase domain adjacent to the docking site for Nef on the SH3 domain. No changes in hydrogen exchange were observed in the Hck SH2 domain or C-terminal tail, indicating that this regulatory interaction is unaffected by Nef binding. When HX MS was performed in the presence of DFP-4AB, the effect of Nef on Hck N-lobe dynamics was completely reversed. These results show that constitutive activation of Hck by HIV-1 Nef requires only modest changes to the conformational dynamics of the overall kinase structure. DFP-4AB reverses these effects, consistent with its activity against this Nef-induced signaling event in HIV-infected cells.
Diagnosis of Thyroid Cancer by Bone Marrow Biopsy in a Patient with Lymphoma and Goiter

Metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed by bone marrow biopsy performed during the staging evaluation in a patient with large-cell lymphoma and diffuse goiter who showed lung and bone lesions upon radiologic examination. After thyroidectomy, both sites concentrated radioactive iodine, confirming their thyroid origin and allowing for the appropriate treatment.